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While driving my old truck last Friday during our local Cruise Night I noticed the volt meter reading a little low. When I was driving home later and turned the lights on it dropped to 11 volts. I turned the electric fan off and it went back to 13 volts. When I start the truck it reads about 14 volts and when I turn the fan on it drops to about 12 volts. If I turn just the lights on without the fan it's fine. I'd like to know if anyone has a recommendation for a fan that pulls less juice.

I read on another board that Valvoline 10W40 was no longer being produced. Anyone heard this? It seemed to be confirmed by several people. I wonder why they would do that, it's been my normal oil for all older cars for years.

My brothers father in law passed away last year and since my sister in law was the only survivor she and my brother had to deal with the estate. One thing my brother ended up with was this neat little torch. He had no use for it and asked me if i wanted it. His father in law had studied to become a denture maker in the 50's and this torch had something to do with that. He never became a denture maker instead working at the power plant in Muskegon Mi. for his whole career. this thing looks like it's never been lit and it might be handy for some jobs. I just have to figure out how the hoses attach, it has only barbed fittings on the handle.

I was changing the sparkplugs in my wifes Saturn Vue toady. It has the Honda V-6. As usual with the sideways mounted V-6's the rear plugs are a real bear to get to. Add to this the individual coils and what should be a simple job is not. The front plugs are fairly easy although the plugs are quite far down in the head, like a little Hemi and the coils themselves don't have enough room to pull straight out without hitting SOMETHING! Anyway I started with the rear plugs and fought with one for a half hour, finally using a very deep plumbing socket to remove one plug I knew there was a better way. looking through the drawers in my tool chest i found an old T handled swivel spark plug socket. I knew it was way too long to get behind the engine and get down the tube to the plug so I thought I'd cut it off and try it. Then i got my bright idea, don't cut it bend it. I bent the handle 90* about half way up and left the T part of the handle intact. I changed all the remaining plugs in less time than the first one took. I included a pic incase I didn't explain too well.

I am going to try to fix or at least slow down some rust on the inside bottoms of my daughters car. You guys  in the rust belt know the stuff I'm talking about, it starts in the lower seam and eventually comes through to the outside skin. Her doors aren't too bad yet, the seams are starting to show rust and now is the time to get at it. I plan on stripping the rusty areas and treating with a rust "killer" that will hopefully flow into the seam and slow the rust in there too. What have you used as a rust killer that is effective? I have a jug of Evapo-Rust but it suggests soaking the part  for several hours. I'd like something that's a one time application that can be top coated. I know it won't stop the rust forever but if i don't do it now it will probably be rusted through by spring. Hoping to get several more years out of the car without it being a rust bucket.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=250038268&icid=autos_3196
Found this on MSN today, lots of good pics of the Dream Cruise

A follow up to my earlier post of my brother running over some gears that came out of a semi he was following destroying four tires on his van and trailer.  I don't know if these are tranny gears, that's what they look like to me, Frank thought it might be gears from a power splitter, I have no idea what those would look like. Hopefully the pics will help indentify them.

My wife drives an '07 Vue and it's developed a rotating noise while driving. I was thinking it was tire noise (this thing is really loud on the highway anyway, always has been since new) but I tried the spare on all four corners with no change. Tires aren't original and the noise started well after a new set of tires was put on. Then I was thinking it was a wheel bearing, seems to be a common problem with these things from what I read online. None of the bearings show any sign of wear with the tire off the ground and dong the push/pull bearing check. Just wondering if anyone here has had any experience with a Vue making this noise. It's AWD with about 95,000 miles if that makes any difference.

I'm entering the buying phase of an engine build. It's going to be a SBC 383 stroker. I have a good two bolt main block. My qiestion is: is it worth it to buy splayed four bolt maincaps or just regular straight fourbolt caps. I ask because in the future this engine  just might end up with nitrous on it or possibly a blower. I don't know if the splayed caps would be a good idea or even neccessary for a boosted motor.

Started my '46 chevy for the first time since last summer. It's in the 70's here so it's hard to resist. Went for a shakedown drive and found out the brakes were really weak. Check the m.c. (under the floor, what a p.i.t.a.) and the rear resevoir was empty. Found no leaks on the line so on to the wheels. found a leaky cyl. on passenger side. Now comes the fun part, the rear end was in the car when I bought it in '91; I think its a Nova rearend, not positive though. I guess I'll take the cyl. and shoes to a store and try to match them up. Should be fun since all the real parts stores are gone now and we're left with the computer tappers telling you their computers don't go back that far when they ask you what year car.... after you have already given them the part number you need. I found if you say "no application" sometimes they tap something in that gets things moving.

I just got back from the local NAPA store and they have started carrying Aerokroil. I don't know if all the NAPA places have it but it might be worth checking. I have a "source" for it but many people have asked me where to buy it and i had never seen it for sale in a store.

Not mine but my sisters, she has an '01 Dodge Caravan and the speedo has quit. Strange thing is that the needle is on the wrong side of the peg. When you turn the key on the needle comes up to hit the back of the peg. I don't know if this is a common problem on these Caravans or what. Anyone have any experience with this? Any ideas on how to open the dash on these? I looked at it for a couple minutes and couldn't see how the instument panel comes apart.

I have a friend who recently moved Naperville IL., thats near Chicago. He;s building  a SBC and will need the usual machine work done. I told him I"d ask on here for reccomendations for a shop near Naperville or the west side of Chicago. He's working on a Lakes freighter so he can't go look/ask around.

I'm dropping the fuel tank on my daughters '04 Cavalier to replace the fuelpump. Should be pretty straight forward. I loosened the tank straps and have a jack with a pad under the tank to ease it down. Problem is the tank isn't moving. Both straps are completely loose but the tank is tight against the bottom of the car. Everything I can find on the net says to just loosen the straps and lower the tank. I have tried pulling and even prying on the tank but it hasn't budged a bit. It acts like the tank pads are holding it up, like they're glued to the tank, is this possible?

Has anyone used CarPartsWarehouse.com for anything? My daughter needs fuelpump for her Cavalier and they have them for $100 less than Auto/Murray/Zone guys. She's on a really small budget so $100 saving would be really nice.

The local paper runs a feature everyday that has exerpts from the paper 25, 50, 70 and 100 years ago. Always interesting, but I'm starting to remember most of the 25 years ago and some of the 50 years ago ones. Todays 100 years ago was especially good. here's how it went.

  100 years ago
- Henry Ford, of the Ford Automobile Co., was in the city and bought eight fine horses from Chris Kern. Mr. Ford has one of the finest farms in the state consisting of 1,200 acres near Detroit. Mr. ford made the trip to Port Huron in his automobile.-

Kind of ironic that Hank was buying horses and that he was well known for his fine farm. We are about 65 miles from Detroit so I guess the fact that he drove an automobile that far in 1911 was worth mentioning.

My daughter has an '04 Cavalier and the defroster won't work, plenty of heat, just won't come out the defroster vents. I have done some researching on the net and it seems this is a fairly cmmon thing for these cars; the control wire kinks because the defroster vent flap gets jambed closed by some foam that moves out of place. My question; has anyone here fixed this specific thing on a Cavalier? I have found instructions on how to remove the dash to get to the problem, but no ideas on how long it should take. the car can't be out of service for a whole dayMy daughter is a dispatcher and has to be to work by 4 p.m. I also have to see if the new control wire can be bought at a parts store of if it's a dealer only thing.

I was getting an argon tank filled at a local welding supply house yesterday and was looking around. I saw a neat little plaz cutter on a display rack. The cutter was about eight inches wide, maybe 16" long and less than a foot high, with a shoulder carrying strap. I'm thinking it's a neat little  plaz cutter for home use. I asked the counter guy what thickness metal it was rated for cutting, thinking it would probably be for sheet metal-1/8" stuff. He told me it's rated for 1/2" but he has seen them cut 1"    The one directly under, just slightly larger was rated at 1" and he said it wll cut up to 1 1/2", still small enough to carry with a shoulder strap.... We has a plaz cutter at work when i was working and it was a big, non portable machine about the size of a big mig welder; they bought it probably 15-16 years ago. I know things change, but, wow, that really schocked me, i guess i gotta get out more! (and it was only $1000)

What are the rules about welding on a computer equipt vehicle? I know you should disconnect the battery, but what else? Unplug the computer? I am going to be welding a piece of square tubing on the back bumper of my brothers step van to hold a vice. We might be able to remove the bumper which is what I like to do, but if it's too hard to get off I might have to do the welding on the truck.

Does anyone know anything about Lenco welders? I've never heard of them. There is one for sale on the local Craigslist. It is a 150 amp model, 60% duty cycle. I think I can get it for about $200, but I can't find any info online for Lenco welders other than spot welders. The spot welders are fairly pricey so that makes me think they might be a good quality welder.  I need to replace my P.O.S. Century and this might be a good deal.

I'm thinking of build ing a 383 SBC stroker this winter. I see lots of kits on E Bay that look like they have good parts for a good price. Does anyone have any experience with these kits? Any recomendations?

Here's an interview that was done at this years Woodward Dream Cruise with our own Fred Drew.  Fred, the truck and the trailer have been all over the U.S. and Canada. You'll see fred at the 'Zoo

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/money/auto_news/dream_cruise/dream-cruise%3A-1929-ford-hauls-homemade-trailer-and-everything-else-including-a-kitchen-sink



Wait for the commercial to end to see the interview.

I thought I had my '46 truck sorted out but no such luck. I had problems before with it stalling. I could make it run o.k. if i turned the idle way up. After checking everything I could think of and the things I learned on this forum I took the carb apart and cleaned it. That seemed to make all the difference. Last weekend we had the annual "Classic Car Weekend" here in town. I took the truck on the parade cruise and it was fine for the first five or so miles then it started stalling and running rough, like it had a couple fouled plugs. I limped it home and the next day i took the plugs out. None we reall bad but a couple were pretty black. Cleaned the plugs and started it up; it seemed to run good but after only two blocks it was right back to the way it was. Pulled the plugs and they looked good. I'm thinking the carb is gummed up again. A friend told me a story about revving the engine up high and quickly covering the carb with a large rag. Supposedly this will pull crap through the carb and clean it out. Don't know if I want to try that... What are peoples thoughts on Edelbrock carbs? Maybe I should see if I can borrow a different carb and see what happens. Any ideas?

edit, it's on a 1970 429 Ford engine.

Just on the news here, Ford is killing the Mercury brand, no growth is the reason given.  They are going to focus on Lincoln for new products. I had thought that Mercury could have been used to try out different ideas for Ford,  like things that were more of a gamble to see if they work. I think everybody new that the Mercs were just rebadged Fords and usually cost more. I think they should have gone back to the way it used to be, that they would have more of their own identity.

Anyone know of a good Corvette board? My friend bought one and now has many questions...I'm not a 'vette guy so I'm limited in my help for him.

Will the vacuumn from the carb base work to shift a Turbo 350?

I have a friend that really wants to buy a mid 70's Corvette, I don't know why, i'm just trying to make sure he doesn't get a really bad one.  We have looked at several, that had obvious flaws i could point out to him as deal breakers. Now he has found one that "just needs interior work". He can do that but he has concerns about the frame. I have been telling him that the frames rusting out in this area is a common thing with a 35 year old car.  We might be able to get this one up on a hoist, it's at a muffler shop. Besides obvious things like the frame rusted in half what should I be looking for under this thing? Are there hidden places to check? or certain attachment points that go bad? I'm not a "vette guy at all, never looked at the bottom of one so I'll take all advice.

Stopped by the Autorama today and got this.

I have a Model a frame on my frame table, well at least the rails from a Model A frame. One rail is bent up about 7/8" at the front. I can see where the bend is and using a straightedge confirms my eye. Now I have to figure out how to bend this rail back down so it matches the other one better. I have no torches and I'm not sure heating it would be the best way to go anyway. The top of the offending rail has a dip in it at the start of the bend; I'm thinking that if I apply a BFH in the back of the dip, with the front of the dip supported, that it might help the rail move back to where it belongs. I'm open to suggestions and i can get torches if that's the best or only way. I added a pic to show the difference in the rails.

Did anyone else see or buy the '40 Ford coupe that i saw on the Flint CL this morning for $3800? wish I had room!

I am looking at a Saturn L200 for my daughter. The ad states that the car has a tow bar installed for towing behind a motorhome.  Is towing like that detrimental to the car? I wonder about the trans etc. being flat towed for great distances. the car has 95,000 miles on it and I worry that towing it might make that number meaningless.

EDIT:  After looking online it sounds like these L series Saturns are real P.O.S.  There's a timing chain issue, apparently very common on these. anyone have any experience with one?

My brother is working on his daughters 2000 Chrysler Cirrus 2.5L V-6. He has determined that it needsthe crank sensor replaced. The sensor is apparently in a bad spot, down on the bellhousing between the engine and firewall with no room to work. The sensor is plastic and has been broken off nearly flush with the housing. He was told that it might need to be drilled out to remove it. All the shops and mechanics we talked to about it are very familiar with it and know that they can be a problem to remove. Does anyone here have any tricks for getting these out? He really doesn't want to pull the trans just to drill out a plastic sensor, but it's looking like that may be the case.

I don't want to start another parts store crappy service thread, but I had a funny experience today athe a local store. I need a gasket kit for the Edelbrock carb that i took apart on Tuesday, so Tuesday I go online to the Murrays website to get the P/N/ for a carb kit for my Edelbrock. Murrays is the only one of the local chain stores that is of any help when you need something that's not just a replacement part. The locally owned stores are just a memory now.... So I get the P/N off their website and go to the store, the website said none was in stock and could be ordered and delivered in one day. I walk into the store and it's all different, they were bought out by O'Reillys and they changed the entire store, I thought i had walked into the AutoZone that's about a quarter mile up the road! All new faces too, didn't see the guys that can get parts without the computers.  :cry:  A middle aged gal waits on me and I tell her i need the gasket kit...she asks the usual "what vehicle, year...etc." I tell her  no application, it's after market. She grimaces and isn't interested in the P/N that I had written out and had in my hand. She gets help from a kid and they go look for the kit...  "None in stock" they tell me, about two minutes after i had told them I had been on their website and they didn't have any and would have to order this P/N.  So she jumps on the computer and taps away, "yup here it is">  It's a few bucks more than what i saw it for and they can't get it in one day it will be here on Thursday....Today i drive back up there, all different people again..I tell the kid behind the counter what I'm there to pick up. He takes my name and goes to get my stuff. After five minutes he comes back, "No gasket kits came in today, but something did come in under your name." He gets some more help and they go back to look some more. A few minutes later they reappear with a Mr. Gasket hood pin set in a blisterpack  That's what was ordered for me. I tell the kid again, i need a gasket kit for an Edelbrock 1406 600 cfm squarebore carburetor.....he asks   " What kind of car....................."   At least it was customer appreciation day and i got a free hotdog!!!  

I have an Edelbrock carb on my 429 Ford engine in my '46 truck. I started it yesterday and while it was on the choke it ran fine, as soon as it came off choke it wouldn't idle.  It will die as soon as I restart it unless you're pumping the gas. It was last run about two weeks ago and was o.k. then. I have checked the fuel filter and it's clear, I fooled with the Idle mixture screws to the pint I had them five turns out with no change. I guess something in the idle curcuit is amiss, time for a rebuild? any other things to check first?

I have a very minor coolant leak in my '02 Dodge truck. It leaves two or three spots about the size of a quarter on the garage floor overnight after a day of driving. I can see that the leak is from the gasket between the waterpump and the block. I bought  a container of Bars Leak to see if that would cure it.  What do you guys think of Bars Leak? I've never used it, I always just fixed the leak but when i got one, i don't have the time or desire right now to fix this right. Can i get away with this for a while till things slow down and i can pull it apart? I have a fear that the Bars Leak might clog up the cooling system even though it claims not too. I don't want to make a minor problem into an emergency.

I doubt that anyone remembers but I had posted a while back about my 429/C-6 combo in my 46 Ford truck stalling as soon as i dropped it in gear. I thought it might be the torque converter because that's really the only thing I changed  between the time I took them out of a good running, but completely rusted out, pickup. I messed with the carb, timing and searched for vacuumn leaks to no avail. The torque converter I put in there was a remanned cheapy, $53. I had to keep the idle up so high that the truck would shift into seconf gear with out touching the accelerator. I replaced it with a TCI unit from Summit and it seems the problem is gone. When i first started it after the converter replacement it still stalled, but rather "softly" not like the instant stop it had been doing. I turn the idle mixture screws out a half turn and moved the timing just enough to see that the distrubuter had moved. TA DA! no stalling! I was able to turn the idle back down to a normal idle speed.  I wanted to replace the cheapy converter in any case and hoped it would solve my problem. ...and yes, I did do the Happy Dance!!  

It apperars my brothers 2002 GMC Sonoma needs a new driveshaft center bearing or at least the mount for the center bearing. It started shaking while we were using it today and when we got to his place I slid under it and the center bearing flops up and down in the mount about 3/8".  Does anyone know if this is a dealer only deal? Autozone and Murrays (the closest places to where we were) didn't have anything listed for center bearing or mount. Looks like an easy enough swap, but I'd rather not buy it at the dealer ($$$)

I have a '71 429 ford engine in my '46 truck. Since I got it running it has stalled everytime I drop it in gear. the trans was rebuilt by the best local guy I could find: the older ford tech that builds trans as a side business. I was in a hurry to get it on the road after I got the trans back and bought a cheap reman'd converter. The only way i can keep it running when I drop it in gear is to turn the idle up so far that it will shift into second without have to touch the accelerator. I thought that maybe the cheap converter was the cause and asked the question here and other places and found agreement. I just ordered a new converter from Summit that is supposed to fit the 429/460- C 6 combo. I know there is two different size pilots on these converters and i couldn't remember whcih i needed for my setup. From what i researched the FE engines with the C 6 use the short 1.85" dia. pilot and the 429/460 uses the longer 1.375 dia. pilot. I ordered the longer 1.375" dia. converter because it specifically says on the summit web site that it will not fit the FE engine, so I assumed it was for the 429/460.  The one Summit lists with the 1.85" dia. pilot says it is for the FE engine......I know it fits my 429, because I originally had a 1.375 dia. converter that would not allow the trans to go far enough ahead to bolt up to the block before it bottomed out in the crank. i bought the cheapy 1.85 dia. converter and it all slipped together. I am going to ship back the one with the 1.375 pilot and order the one with the 1.85 pilot, but I found it strange that the listings didn't match what i was looking at in front of me.

What's involved in changing a rear wheel bearing in a '01 Olds Intrique? My friend has one that making noise and i told him i'd help him change it.

Did a mockup of my single seater project today. I finally got the beatup Model A frame cut apart. Someone had welded the front crossmember in along with all the factory rivets. The rear had been cut off and the same genius had welded about 40#s of square tubing back there. Once i got it down to the rails I dragged my 2.3 Ford motor out and set the pan at 5" off the floor. I put the rails on some jackstands and set them at about 23 inches wide in the front and about 30 at the rear. Dragged the banjo rear into place and set it on blocks. I put the '32 front axle inplace and put the old wire wheels on. Those wheels are shot, but I have a nice set of '35 wires, blasted and painted cream color. I set the sheet metal in place, the "boattail" is a 40's GMC truck hood. the cowl I found on a scrap pile, and the grille shell is the infamous Allis Chalmers. I got all the metal from the deer camp in the U.P. I have to cut the boattail where i have it painted black and outlined in tape to make the cockpit big enough. After a few adjustments i could actually get in it. I see that I willhave to move the shifter.  I think the first thing I will do is make the front suicide suspension and then figure out the rear suspension, that's gonna be a head scratcher. once i have those mounted I'll get the engine and trans set up and then make an open driveshaft conversion. once i get it that far along I'll have to rebuild the engine and get the rear turning freely, i think the brakes have rusted up. so far i have $200 in it.

Have a friend with a '94 4.6 Merc. Grand Marquis that is suddenly sucking gas. He said it "chugs" and he can smell gas. He said it had a tune up recently, which sounds like plugs and wires. says the air filter is new and clean, supposedly had codes pulled at one of the blisterpack stores and they got nothing. I'm thinking an 02 sensor, but he said it had no codes for that. I haven't looked at it yet, just wondered what else to check.

Just on the Detroit news. Some plants are being shut down immediately, all to shut down soon. Fiat still wants  the merger. They are also saying that the UAW will have 55% control (?) Some people are saying this is the only way Chrysler can survive, i dunno,  Now the gov't is involved, and I feel Fiat might just want a foot in the door in the U.S. and then dump what has become of Chrysler. i don't see them being a viable Co. ever again...  Hope I'm wrong. I wonder what will become of all the places that are owed money by Chrysler?

Yesterday a fellow set a drag race world record here in Port Huron, within the city limits. We have a ice track set up this winter for snowmobile drag races. It was reported that a guy ran 4.52 @ 149 m.p.h. in the eighth mile to set  a world record!!! I don't know if this is an overall record or a class record, but that is alwfully fast! I was standing at the finish line watching yesterday and it was amazing to see these guys running over 125 time after time.  People say there's nothing to do in the winter...we have the drag races, a dog sled exhibition, a chilly fest, and ice carving all going on this weekend.  Thousands of people out for the fun. yeah it's in the single digits this morning, but we know how to dress for it. More racing this afternoon, I'll be there!

I decided to go with a four banger in my single seater project. I wanted as much power as possible, so i bored and stroked a 2.3L Ford

Does anyone know if Model T frames have the serial/vin number stamped on them like the Model A's have? If so where would it be located?

All the respect to the vets today Thank you.

I have a Model A headlight that i would like to convert to better bulbs. I don't want the sealed beam look with the smaller lense, I want the look of the big original lense. I thought maybe a guy could take one of the modern separate lamps and mount it inside the model A bucket.  Seems simple enough, am I missing something? I've never seen it done.

Gas price that is....We have $2.85 a gal. here how is everyone else doing? Just a month ago it was about $4.16 here

I got talked into painting a '65 Mustang for a friend. It's been 10 years since I've painted a whole car.  He has two HVLP guns i can use or i could use my trusty high pressure gun. Anyone have any tips for useing the HVLP gun when you're used to the old guns?

Can you mix the O.E.M. Pink stuff with the green (Peak) stuff? The Peak  says you can use it in any vehicle....