Sorry, I just installed the new adapter to the lock cylinder and reassembled the unit without remembering that you wanted a measurement.

Gee, my own experience with the T/L system is that it's totally free of any problems and maintenance other than a few extra grease fittings to attend do, and a gearbox that requires occasional lubrication. What's the problem? Nothing will give a ride quality like that system.

Just curious, why ruin the authenticity of a perfectly fine bona-fide Full Classic by converting to 12 volts? Other than a wife who refuses to ride in a non-AC car, there really isn't a good reason in my view.

Don't take any drastic measures! Patience, patience, patience. Put good tension on the puller, and go cut the grass, or paint the house, or take off for a weekend. I once had one that popped off with a bang about a day later. And when you're done, DON'T grease or oil the axle taper when reassembling, it's the friction of the taper fit that drives the wheels, not the key!!

The engine has about 91,000 miles on it, though I did install a new timing chain and gear set about 10,000 miles ago when I had the front vibration damper off for revulcanizing.

I see others have confirmed my comment to you that there is no rubber fuel line at the tank.

Hey, nice picture of your feet. I see you wear black shoes too!

Thanks for your thoughts. I did in fact change the fuel pump inlet hose when I changed the pump, and there is no hose at the rear other than the tank vent. Also there is no manifold heat riser valve, I removed it when I put on the new exhaust system some years back.

For all I know I've solved the problem without actually seeing it, but I'm not about to go back and try those hills again to see.

Regarding your comments on the cfm situation, the carbs are special units and have two modifications to give good performance over the full range of rpms. They have a ring staked into the venturi cluster on the 4 primaries to improve low speed performance, and both sets of secondaries have a second set of butterflies that limit air flow at low speeds. When these carbs are done right, the performance is great at all speed ranges.

Intersting that you also had low manifold vacuum, do you recall the reading at hot idle? Mine is about 15-16 inches of Hg but rock-steady.

Rear compartment clocks were rather standard in many of the expensive closed cars of the Classic era, and especially on those with a divider window. Usually they were mounted below the division window, not above but in a custom car anything was possible.

Some of you may have noted my changing the fuel pump on my 56 Caribbean enroute to the Henry Joy Tour. Even after the change, fuel starvation problems continued on long upgrades (and it was HOT) though I could still breeze along at 70 on the straight-aways; I thought some of you might be interested in what I've done since.

Checked the gas tank cover to be sure the vent was clear. Drained the gas tank thru a fine strainer, gas was clean. As best I could I viewed the inside of the tank with a borescope, tank not lined but looked bright, shiny and new. Put a filter over the gas line at the front, and blew it from the back - gas was clean as a whistle. Did an autopsy on the removed fuel pump and it was clean inside, as were both the carburetor float chambers. I didn't remove the fuel filter bowl on the road because I didn't have a spare gasket for it and they often break when you remove them, but the bowl was free of sediment. Subsequently removed the filter and did the "blow thru" test compared to a new one, only a very slight difference. Checked the new fuel pump, 4 psi outlet, 10 inches of Hg on the suction side, and just over 2 pints per minute. Did a vacuum test on the fuel line to the tank, held vacuum overnight.

The car always had somewhat low manifold vacuum and only gave good low speed performance with richer main jets so I decided to pull the manifold. It was also a hard hot-start engine. The gaskets were the original NOS-type steel shim style. Checked the choke stove pipe (OK) and replaced the manifold using Kanter's composite gaskets which I like better. Installed two Daytona rebuilt 4GCs. Cleaned the air filters (modest dirt, last done about 2000 miles ago).

Still have to synchronize the carbs, set the 2 fast idles and idle mixture, so I have no road test yet. I'd be curious what you think I may have missed and what the problem might be; one fellow suggested a case of borderline vapor lock. No, I don't have an electric fuel pump. Gasoline I was using was generally Premium Mobil (with EtOH of course), with 1 qt. of tetraethyl lead added every other fillup.

I also don't think it's an export-only issue.