2020 .. What are you doing today?

[idrivejunk]

I finally tossed rear pads on the GTP yesterday, got rid of the noise and got whoa back. I had managed to wear out pads at all four corners simultaneously and the brake fluid in the reservoir got so low the brake warning light would come on when punching the gas. Which was wierd because the 69 does the same thing but because of the parking brake pedal being zip-tied up.

But! Got a rebuild kit, accelerator pump plunger and carb cleaner yesterday for the fresher EPS carb for the 455. The vacuum advance unit, I think I have one on another distributor... so, I plan to use this afternoon playing maintainence rodder.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Built a drive shaft tunnel  panel for the 1948 Simca drag race car.  Second attempt , the piece fit. That is a 33 1/3 % improvement on my skill level.  Usually took 3 pieces for a correct fitment.  

Weather  actually kooled off here.  Windy. Weather guessers say chance for rain this evening.

[phat46]

I needed to switch places of my two hot rods side to side so the one getting the engine swap this winter will be on the proper side. Neither one runs right now so it was all pushing and pulling out of the shop, they are at the front of a 42' X 24' wide shop. It took about six hours. Most of it was cleaning off the frame table, dismantling it and storing it, plus moving all the accumulated crap that surrounded the cars. Finally got them back inside, now I just have to find better places for all the crap...😄

[chimp koose]

We just got told to stay home tomorrow! Snow day for schools !

[chimp koose]

snow day again . I wonder how long until i am back to online teaching? 190 new covid cases yesterday in a province of 1 million. Record high for new cases here

[enjenjo]

Record high temperature here today, 78 F

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Record high temperature here today, 78 F

A friend in Wisconsin said his high temperature was 10 degrees higher than Phoenix  AZ on monday.  We have been in the low to mid 60s in recent days..

[WZ JUNK]

I have been being junky again.  I built an awing to cover the area where I stand when I tend the outside furnace at the shop.  I will not have to stand in the rain and snow now.  It was made from junk of course.  I cut the very top off of an old camper shell, and the tubing frame was made from some reclaimed steel.  My only expense was a couple of sacks of redimix concrete.  It actually is square and level although the photo makes it look askew.  I had trouble editing this photo to post it to this message.  It really came out odd but it is the best I can do today.

[idrivejunk]

Over here in the shallow end of the rodding pool:

Didn't get very deep into the carb inspection last weekend before time ran out but did find a bent metering rod and straightened it. Assuming I bent it myself although I don't see how. I am leery about that and always check for free piston travel before sliding the cover back into position.

There is another thing that don't seem right... one rod / piston assembly won't come out of the bore until the cover screw is almost out and the piston can tip a little. And I have had rods in and out dozens of times on my EPS750s but this one has taken too much fiddling with the rod to get into the jet on one side. Just seems to take more stabs. I figure that is likely a cause or effect of the bent rod. On initial disassembly, one rod retaining spring was slightly out of place which is probably a clue but I didn't catch a bent rod then, and using rod / piston assemblies from the other carb changed nothing about the crappy running issue.

I have checked just after running with the issue present and not found either piston stuck. Needle valves look alright. Seats are out, idle screws out, carb cleanered but not blown out yet and there won't be no soaking in dip. I am a little scared to try to remove jets since boogering a stuck one up on the existing carb. So it is time to go continue that quest. Have not cracked open the rebuild kit yet but memory says theres a check ball that should fall out the pump bore when carb body is inverted. Nothing fell out though.

So I have that piddly theraputic garage project to resume. I did manage to maintain pecking order last week though so the GTP was stoppy not squealy and that was nice all week. New ceramic brake pads all around now and no more brown wheels but man I have always had to force myself to wrench on the FWD'ers because it feels like work.

The vacuum advance thing is huge though, on my big GP. Its a princess and the pea scenario... lots of guys might be satisfied with how it runs with no vacuum advance but I notice more throttle opening required at cruise and it drinks gas that way. Alas, I have always operated with smog era compression and thats how that is. Advance, to the moon. I went to my distributor stash, opened the box marked 2 worn out SBC HEIs and found a good advance can there, then literally clumb under the hood and replaced that without a hitch. Runs beautiful as always, drove it to work 3 days in a row while the weather held up. But this other carb excites me still. With it, idle sounds like a stock cam but as-is, she sounds like a RamAir cam or something until operating temp.  :?

So off I go to enjoy some legit old car person time, under strong light with a magnifying glass and high hopes.   Sometimes writing it out then rereading that helps me spot stuff. That is probably due to having spent more time foruming than underhooding in recent times because Pontiacs are just good cars. But it also gives opportunity for any of the group who may have encountered the exact same thing to pipe up too.      

Inspirational sign of the week, seen at a storage place:

"Whatever you are, be a good one."    I like to say even if you collect trash, be a man and collect the hell out of it.

[chimp koose]

+go to tunedbylars.com great article on tuning a q jet!

[chimp koose]

http://www.corvettefaq.com/c3/QJetTuningPaper.doc there it is

[idrivejunk]

+go to tunedbylars.com great article on tuning a q jet!

Heh. Its an EPS. With a problem, not involving tuning (yet). Much obliged though and sorry if I threw ya off. I sure couldn't say what carb is on your Merc.

And I must have edited that last post half a dozen times now but am done now. Better reread. I start slow on weekends.

[chimp koose]

I probably didn't read it too well . My merc has a holley knock off on it  QFT slayer . Out of the box a very rich idle circuit . Went 10 steps larger on the idle air bleed to get decent idle mixture adjustment .

[idrivejunk]

Wow, that does sound like a lot of change. Long as it's within the range of adjustment, eh.

I took off the rose colored glasses and went farther into the carb project today, didn't spend much time on it after realizing wow there is more soot in these venturis than I have ever seen.   The stubborn kind that carb cleaner don't spray away.  I have some 20 year old cleanup thinner.

What works for you guys? Oh wait, I know... dip.

It has a partially blocked pump jet and a bunch of grit stuck to the walls in one spot. So far. I figured it best to secure everything in a couple boxes and put drops of 3in1on each jet. Then come back to it. At least thats an indoor project except for the fumey parts.

Cars are doing OK. The world sure went cold and dark on us though. Yep, theres a nip in the air and the leaves are about all down. Still fairly mild temps. Seems like opening week of rifle season is durn near always short sleeves. Meaning like 60s in mid November. I ought to get a pair of new daily tires soon. Blah blah blah

[GPster]

This is completely non-car related. Twenty seven years ago, after my motorcycle mishap, I had some plastic surgery done Only half of my face works so they tied  my left lips to the movement of my left jaw so that my mouth would open and close. It was a procedure like they do for people with Bells Palsy. I had to have the procedure redone eleven years ago ago because I had started to slur again and people could not understand by talking and food was starting to seep out of the corner of my mouth when I was chewing (also made it hard to siphon gas). Well it was time to have it done again so that is what happened yesterday. It's strange what you don't remember when you get old. The last time I was restless in the recovery and I stratched my cornea with one of my fingernails and I remember that rather than ant discomfort from the surgery. Because this was done "out patient" I had no misgivings. When I woke up I had some discomfort in my left eye But I took that from my eye being taped shut. when the were taking me to my room the nurse noticed some bleeding so she called the doctor and he dame and re-bandaged me so now I look line a male lion. I can't get my glasses on and I can't get my hearing aid in. I also can't sleep on a flat surface so I have about 12 hours the recliner in our couch in front of the TV that I can't see or hear. Must be time for a nap. GPster