Taking her for a spin!
Posted by Bob E. On 2018/12/17 22:17:05
After 2 years, I was able to take her out for a spin around the block!!!
It felt good to get her going again. Good trial run with nothing falling off or breaking. A few things that I noticed:
1. Transmission is not 100%. Didn't seem to know what gear it was in and at first wouldn't move in any gear.
But moving the shifter around helped to remind it and it seems mostly normal now. When in Park, it will roll backwards on a very slight incline. It seems to go forward okay, but seems a little sluggish. If it is in Park and I rev the engine, the car will rock forward (doesnt move but rocks forward then back as I let off the gas). Reverse works great.
2. Various leaks: coolant, transmission/PS, and oil. Just drips of each but need to be fixed before I get the front clip back on.
3. Rough idle. Has a 'shudder' at idle like a cylinder is not firing. Smooths out at higher rpm, but rough at ~700rpm which is as low as I can get it to idle with the idle screw all the way out. I went around the engine pulling the plug wires one by one to see if I could find one that had no effect, but couldn't tell the difference between cylinders.
3a. Carb funnies (it is a Carter WCFB). If I cover the air horn secondary side opening, the engine will rev higher then stall. I can't understand why as the secondary throttle valves seem tight when I have the carb out of the car. Plugged up vacuum lines that go to dist advance and brakes with no change. Tried spraying carb cleaner all around it as well as the unlit propane torch trick. No difference.
Currently working through this thread to see if I have some similar challenges with the flatness of the throttle body casting.https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/wcfb-woes-can-you-troubleshoot.92081/
3b. Intermittent loss of spark. I put a spark tester and seemingly randomly there will not be a spark at a plug. I have tried multiple wires and the same thing: random, intermittent lack of spark. In the last 2.5 years (with very little driving), I have replaced the dist cap, rotor, spark plug wires, and within the last month have replace the points, dist condenser, battery, and plugs with a new battery grounding strap. Not sure what is left unless there is some dist shaft wear which is causing this.
4. Brakes work, but not as touchy as I would think for power brakes. I remember the same thought when I had th BTV rebuilt by Kanter in 2016. It works, but expected it to be "touchier".
All in all, good to get it going!
Suggestions always appreciated.
-Bob
Attach file:
(468.11 KB)
(134.23 KB)
It felt good to get her going again. Good trial run with nothing falling off or breaking. A few things that I noticed:
1. Transmission is not 100%. Didn't seem to know what gear it was in and at first wouldn't move in any gear.
But moving the shifter around helped to remind it and it seems mostly normal now. When in Park, it will roll backwards on a very slight incline. It seems to go forward okay, but seems a little sluggish. If it is in Park and I rev the engine, the car will rock forward (doesnt move but rocks forward then back as I let off the gas). Reverse works great.
2. Various leaks: coolant, transmission/PS, and oil. Just drips of each but need to be fixed before I get the front clip back on.
3. Rough idle. Has a 'shudder' at idle like a cylinder is not firing. Smooths out at higher rpm, but rough at ~700rpm which is as low as I can get it to idle with the idle screw all the way out. I went around the engine pulling the plug wires one by one to see if I could find one that had no effect, but couldn't tell the difference between cylinders.
3a. Carb funnies (it is a Carter WCFB). If I cover the air horn secondary side opening, the engine will rev higher then stall. I can't understand why as the secondary throttle valves seem tight when I have the carb out of the car. Plugged up vacuum lines that go to dist advance and brakes with no change. Tried spraying carb cleaner all around it as well as the unlit propane torch trick. No difference.
Currently working through this thread to see if I have some similar challenges with the flatness of the throttle body casting.https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/wcfb-woes-can-you-troubleshoot.92081/
3b. Intermittent loss of spark. I put a spark tester and seemingly randomly there will not be a spark at a plug. I have tried multiple wires and the same thing: random, intermittent lack of spark. In the last 2.5 years (with very little driving), I have replaced the dist cap, rotor, spark plug wires, and within the last month have replace the points, dist condenser, battery, and plugs with a new battery grounding strap. Not sure what is left unless there is some dist shaft wear which is causing this.
4. Brakes work, but not as touchy as I would think for power brakes. I remember the same thought when I had th BTV rebuilt by Kanter in 2016. It works, but expected it to be "touchier".
All in all, good to get it going!
Suggestions always appreciated.
-Bob
Attach file:
(468.11 KB)
(134.23 KB)
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