What I did on my summer vacation

[enjenjo]

As a lot of you know, I am in Las Vegas right now, on my way to LA for the RRT thing at the roadster show. Over the last week or so, I have been getting things ready, loading the truck ect. So last thursday I was ready to leave, giving myself 4 days to travel 2,000 miles. We left bright and early thursday morning, hit the Ohio pike headed west, and settled in for the long haul. Near Montpelier Ohio, about 40 miles from home, I felt a vibration, started slowing down, and at that point the left rear tire on the truck blew.

Now this kind of bugged me, as the tires on the rear of the truck had less than 100 miles on them. The old tires were near 20 years old, and I didn't trust them. Granted, they were wrapped in plastic in the barn for near 10 years, but they had never been mounted. And, in all truth, the back of the truck was loaded heavy.

Any way, I mounted the spare, jumped back in the truck, and started getting off at the exit to get another tire. Even running slow, I can still feel something at the rear of the truck, so I stopped and checked to see I had the spare on right. It was, but looking at the right rear, there was a big lump on it too. So deciding that getting off the highway was first priority, I proceeded down the exit ramp. Before I got to the toll gate, the right rear blew. Fortunately for me, I was carrying two spares, so I mounted the second spare, noticing while I was that there was oil leaking out of the brake drum. So after mounting the second tire, I headed for home.

Now I don't know that all the vibration knocked out the seal, but I suspect it did, and in a way was a good thing.

When I got home, we jacked up the rear of the truck, pulled the tires, and I jumped under it to pull the axles. I popped the rear cover off, and what came out was kind of a rusty color. Apparently from setting so much over the last few years, enough water had condensed inside the rear to badly contaminate the grease. I doubt if it would have made it.

Anyhow, Fatcat started cleaning things up, while I chased down two more tires, the biggest I could find, and parts enough to reassemble the rear end. By the time I got back, Fatcat had everything cleaned up, and we put it all back together.

It's 3 pm, I can still make Chicago, so off we go. Stay tuned for part two.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

retirees do not have a summer vacation.  It is vacation all the time.

Seems like "stuff" happens to you on cross country trips.

[enjenjo]

So back on the turnpike, headed west. At Archibold Ohio, about 30 miles from home, I stopped at the rest area to check the tires, once bitten twice shy you know. No tire problems, but when I started accelerating onto the highway again, the engine died, just like that. I tried switching tanks, no help. Pulled a fuel line off, no fuel, pump bad again.

So I called Fatcat, who by this time is getting tired of hearing from me, and he headed out with an electric pump, some wire, and some hose, to get it back home. After nearly an hour, he showed up, we rigged the electric pump, back on the road headed for home for permanent repairs.

At the Montpelier exit, the engine quits again. We get it off the highway, tinker with it, and get it running again. Head for home, I make it for another 15 miles or so toward home, with it only running about 1/2 the time, when it quits for good.

Fatcat ran into Wauseon Ohio, picked up a two gallon gas can, and some more hose, we rigged it direct, and took it home. It only took three hours.

Now one thing I haven't mentioned, when I blew the first tire, a highway crew stopped and covered the rear while I changed the tire. A State patrolman did the same for the second tire. when it quit running at the service plaza, another partrolman gave us a ride back to the plaza, all of them were super nice. When I was stopped near Archibold on the way back home the second time, a county mountie stopped, demanded my licence and registration, and threatened to tow my rig if I didn't get it moved now, even though I told him help was on the way. When Fatcat got there, he cut a hole in the gas can lid for a hose, and he did it so fast, the county mountie thought it came that way! In less than a minute, we were back on the road, no further delays, until I stopped at a station to top off my "gas tank", which of course was mounted under the hood. The attendant came running out when she saw me putting in the gas under the hood.

So back home, we discovered the fuel selector valve had gone bad, and would not switch tanks. So with some rerouting of lines, and remounting the electric pump semipermanently under the hood, we were ready again. But by this time it was 1130pm.

So with the intension to make a fresh start tomorrow, I headed to bed.

Stay tuned for part three.

[enjenjo]

So friday morning, 9 am, fresh start, nervous as all get out, we hit the road. Of course by this time I am afraid to get on the turnpike, so we head west on US20. At the Indiana border, thing are going well, so I get on the Indiana pike. Three hours, and #4.60 later we get off the west end of the pike, as I'm pulling out of the toll booth, the engine starts to die again. I turned on the electric pump, it started and ran good, the pump must be bad after all.

Now since I built this truck originally 20 years ago, and towed many miles with it without any such trouble, outside of a fuel pump here and there, I started thinking, what is causing this? All at once, the light bulb came on, vapor lock! The guy who I just got the truck back from had put headers on it, and they were much closer to the frame than the manifolds. And the fuel line tuns right by the headers.

Now we get to Chicago, where I80, and I94 run together for about 20 miles, there is a construction zone, about 20 miles long, and only two lanes with no where to get off. After about 18 miles of it, vapor lock starts to rear it's ugly head, despite my best efforts to head it off. The truck finally quit right in the middle of the road, I managed to nurse it off to the side on the exit ramp for I80 west, and enough out of the way to not impede traffic, too much, I did see some interesting gestures.

I dumped water all over the fuel line, always carry extra water, and cooled things off enough to get it going again, to the toll booth, where the guy in front of me paid in pennies, I swear it! By the time I got out of the toll booth, it was vapor lock time again, and still no place to get off the road.  There was a trucker who after setting behind me for 30 seconds or so, pulled up next to me, stopped, and chewed me out for holding up traffic, at least I had a reason! I showed him a couple of the gestures I had just learned, which seemed to satisfy him, as he started moving again. Another dose of water, and it started again, and on down the road.

Now this should be the end of the story, but the bridge across the Mississippi river is under construction too. I ran into another traffic jam there, and just as I came to the bridge, it started vapor locking again. Fortunately, this time there was an open exit to the right, so I took it, ran north along the river for 15 miles or so to cool things off, turned around, and back onto the highway. Crossing the river went well, just on the other side, traffic came to a halt for no apparent reason. Vapor lock again, and off the side of the road. I let it cool for a few minutes, more water on the line, traffic is moving good, so back in line, of course it all stopped again 1/4 mile down the road, and it quit again. Off the road again, more cool down, more water, and finally, the end of construction. that was the last time I had a problem with it until I hit Nevada, and of course it's giving me fits here. It hasn't quit yet, but being on the verge of vapor lock is making it run lean, which is making it run hot. Viscous circle.

I am going to relocate The electric pump back by the tank which should help, I am also fabricating a heat shield between the header and the frame. I also discovered today that the cooling fan was changed at some time, and it's now too small, and mounted too far into the shroud to cool well. Instead of an 18" fan, it has a 16" fan, and it's mounted about 3" into the shroud, I'll see what I can do with that.

[enjenjo]

Seems like "stuff" happens to you on cross country trips

Yes, I'm an excellent bad example.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

If you had any luck at all it'd be bad -LOL.

Frank was telling us all about your "adventures" as we sat around the campfire on Saturday. I'm sorry to tell you, but we had a couple guffaws at your expense. How's Shelby taking it all in? Adventure of a lifetime with her Grampa.

Charlie

[rooster]

"Shields up"   "Red Alert" !

Murphy is on vacation with you!

You have my number if you need it.

[Roadstar]

Anyone else would have given up that first day. Frank you will make it there and back and hav some great stories to tell us all.

Good luck with the rest of the trip. Just remember you will be in Bonniville this year and some of us won't. And you want me to feel sorry for you.

Have a safe trip.

[SKR8PN]

Note to self:
If I ever need to make a cross country trip,make certain Frank is along to do repairs. Also, make sure he rides in the "back of the bus" to minimize any BAD LUCK he brings along  

[GPster]

Boy! I'm glad you're near a computor again. Things have been so dead around here that I've been forced to "Lurk" at HAMB and Ol Skool. I'm glad you're OK. GPster

[enjenjo]

How's Shelby taking it all in? Adventure of a lifetime with her Grampa.

She is just about the best traveling companion you could ask for. No complaints at all. She has been there helping out the whole way. She won't drive though. Hopefully she will look back fondly on this some day.

[kb426]

Sounds like "the time of your life" to me. I took my son back in 99. We didn't have near the stories but it's hard to beat a cross country run to the LA roadster show. God Speed.

[GPster]

How's Shelby taking it all in?

Boy, she's quite the negotiater. Last I knew she was trying to determine the price you would pay for her to mow the lawn. She ended up with an expence paid trip to Las Vegas. Let her shovel snow and she'll end up in the Caribian. She's a member, I certainly would like to read her interperation of these happenings. GPster

[jaybee]

Wow, that's working hard to get there!  At least you can worry a little less now that you know the cause.

[slocrow]

You my friend need to start writing that book..........