Re: "Waking Sleeping Beauty" .... The Blog!

Posted by Jim L. in OR On 2011/2/7 15:01:04

And now for the next thrilling installment!
My schedule and the weather have limited my time with the Patrician to just a few minutes each day - but here is an update.

So far I have installed the new ignition switch and ballast resistor from Max Merritt and check that everything was as it should be with those. The fuel tank is drying but I plan to take it to be worked on tomorrow.
Yesterday I pulled the Spark Plugs, hooked up a 6 gallon plastic gas can to the fuel pump and filled the radiator. So far so good - no leaks from the cooling system. Then I switched on the starter and let it run for a while with hopes the oil pump and fuel pump would do their bit. I was happy to see movement on the cars Oil Pressure Gauge and the glass Fuel Bowl filled as well. Unfortunately, that was enough movement to kill the seal in the water pump as coolant was now leaving the front of the pump via the shaft (I think) at a very steady drip. Also the fuel bowl needed to be tightened if not a new gasket.

It is truly amazing how fast the clock spins when I'm working on this car. Before I knew it the sun was about to set and aside from installing new spark plugs I called it a day.

Over all I'm pretty pleased. The fuel and oil pump seem to be up for the game if not the water pump so I'll order a new pump today. I'll also reverse the gasket in the fuel bowl and tighten so she doesn't catch fire. Compression is good and I feel (and have so from the beginning) that she really wants to run.

The most difficult part so far was reconnecting the driver's side exhaust pipe to the manifold. It's where these car's Straight Eight roots are obvious. One of the brothers evidently thought you had to loosen the pipe to take out the starter. Evidently they read the "Trouble shooting" section of the FSM which listed the starter as the first place to look when the engine would turn over but not start. It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble if the FSM would have added "solenoid" to starter. But then, I might not have had this opportunity to be care taker for this car 26 years later.

Its now been over a month since I blew out the crap in the master brake cylinder reservoir and topped it off. The fluid level hasn't changed and though not easy without the power assist, the pedal remains firm and the brakes stop the car when I have to move it. My estimation of the Treadle Vac system has risen considerably. I'll go though the brakes entirely when it's ready to be driven but I plan on keeping the Treadle-Vac. I've been following Fred's posts and feel that he has the right take on the "problems".

Anyway, that's where we are with the awakening process. I strongly believe the engine will start! Whether or not the transmission want's to come along as well is yet to be seen but I not really too worried about that as I have an Ultramatic tech's phone number here in Portland.

More to come .......