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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: blupinto on January 09, 2013, 08:19:37 PM

Title: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 09, 2013, 08:19:37 PM
I already have a '74 whose problems confounded me so that I buried her in my garage. Now my wagon Moxie is doing something similar. Alas, I have no more garage space, so I have to deal with her!

          She's been running great ever since I bought her in October. I changed her oil and filter last weekend and replaced her broken sway bar link. Today, on my way home, I stopped at one of the many red lights I encounter on this route. When the light turned green I proceeded in 1st gear. When I depressed the clutch, shifted into 2nd, and released the clutch the car didn't respond. The engine didn't revv like I was still in neutral. In fact it kinda made an unhappy rumbling noise and was fixing to stall. I was able to limp the car to the side in a rather dangerous area (no choice) and as soon as we came to a stop she died. I was unable to start the engine after that, and had to call AAA to get us out of our hairy situation and to home.

         I got a glimpse of the timing belt- it's not broken from what I could see. The spark plug wires are old, but none were loose or off. Does this sound like a timing issue, a transmission issue, or an engine issue? There was no leaks, smoke, or funny smells when this happened or after. The car is a Squire wagon with a 2.3 and 4-speed. I appreciate any help or advice I can get.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 09, 2013, 08:41:25 PM
Since the engine died & wont start that rules out the trans & clutch. That narrows it to fuel, spark or timing.
 
Spray a little starting fluid in the carb & crank it to see if it's fuel. If it doesn't fire pull a plug wire, insert a screwdriver at the plug end & crank it while holding the screwdriver 1/2" from any metal & check for spark. It has to be narrowed down to go further.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: cutelitlputtputt on January 09, 2013, 08:49:23 PM
Becky, I died like this on the freeway during rush hour back in March.  Wore my battery out trying to start it.  A cop had to push me off the freeway!!

There was something with the carburetor.  Also my catalytic converter was clogged up real bad because of my old engine.  It is like the car could not breathe or something!!!!
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: RSM on January 09, 2013, 09:04:22 PM
My money is on the timing belt. Sounds like it's due for replacement. How many miles are on the car Becky?
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 09, 2013, 09:18:04 PM
Just dying like that could be a plugged fuel filter, bad fuel pump, ignition box, distributor module, timing belt or bad cap/rotor if it's apart failure.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinturbo75 on January 09, 2013, 09:27:53 PM
or a stripped dizzy gear.....
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 09, 2013, 09:44:13 PM
 I remember a few years ago I came up to a stop put the clutch in and my motor just stopped dead as if someone turned the key off and it wouyldnt start again. It was the timing belt broken. So I would think its not the tinming belt if you looked and its not broken especially.Min e was easy to see it was obviously broken.

 Maybe the first thing to do is pull off the gas hose at the carb stick it in a jar turn the engine over for a second or two maybe three and see if theres any gas in the jar. After that maybe try to get a look at the cap and points? I never had to bother with then on my two 74s and one 75 I had, but I didnt have them for real long. I would imagine if anything changed about the points you might be able to see it. The capacitor you wont but it shouldnt take much to replace it for a try.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 09, 2013, 09:48:18 PM
Since the engine died & wont start that rules out the trans & clutch. That narrows it to fuel, spark or timing.
 
Spray a little starting fluid in the carb & crank it to see if it's fuel. If it doesn't fire pull a plug wire, insert a screwdriver at the plug end & crank it while holding the screwdriver 1/2" from any metal & check for spark. It has to be narrowed down to go further.

 Or maybe a vacuum hose came loose somewhere?
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 09, 2013, 09:48:35 PM
or a stripped dizzy gear.....

I wasn't ready to frighten her with stuff like that just yet lol. Or wiring issues......
 
Best to check the simple things first  ;)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: RSM on January 09, 2013, 10:58:32 PM
She's tuff....ain't skeered lol
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 09, 2013, 11:22:13 PM
lol AM skeered!

I wouldn't be surprised if something got stuck between the gas tank and the filter. When I bought this car, the gas cap was gone and there had been rain. Who knows how long the car sat with old/crappy gas too. I've filled the tank at least three times and as I get towards the last quarter tank before fill-up the car will have moments of surging and sometimes even backfiring.  Still, why wouldn't the car go into 2nd gear before it stalled? Does it have to do with synchronizatio n of engine RPMs to tranny position? I'm hoping whatever it is one of your suggestions will be right on. I looked at the vacuum lines for a minute before I was compelled to get back in the car (she stalled in a bad area where there was no shoulder and only one lane. We were straddling the sidewalk) but I didn't see any lines missing connectors. Now that she's safe in the driveway I'll try to have an extended look-see. It probably won't be til Saturday (hopefully it won't be raining) but my fingers are crossed! Thank you all for the responses.  :)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 10, 2013, 12:40:22 AM
Yeah, the engine cut out between gears so it just didn't mesh since RPM's dropped.
 
The vacuum lines would cause stalling or rough idle but you said it wont fire. If it comes to life with starting fluid then it's a fuel problem. If that's the case then pull the fuel line at the carb & crank the engine to see of it pumps fuel through the line. If it does & there is a fuel filter screwed into the carb just change it, hook up the fuel line & see if it starts.
 
If no fuel comes out of the line & there is an inline filter try removing that & cranking it to check for fuel flow. If you get flow just replace that filter & then try starting it. If you get nothing then it could be a bad fuel pump, clogged fuel line or the sock in the tank could be plugged with crud.
 
If it doesn't fire on starting fluid then you need to check for spark. 
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: 75bobcatv6 on January 10, 2013, 01:04:57 AM
If its the fuel line you can also remove the line from the tank at the mechanical pump and compress it with air to Blow the plug back into the tank. More then likely sounds like your Timing belt.. Check it and make sure there are no missing teeth. Im hoping that its a Fuel Issue as thats much easier to deal with. Good luck
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 10, 2013, 02:35:41 AM
I just remembered, check the timing belt 1st because the fuel pump runs off that belt. I can't believe I forgot that......
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: HOSS429 on January 10, 2013, 06:30:58 AM
pull the emergency brake .. put the car in neutral gear .. open the hood .. put on a glove .. grab the fan blade and try to turn the engine with it .. watch and see if the timing belt/cam gear  moves with it .. belts strip teeth as often as they break ... if the engine wont turn with the fan blade then the alternator  belt is too loose ...
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 10, 2013, 01:53:20 PM
Good point. Had that happen on my 85 Omni. Engine wouldn't turn & the belt looked good. turned out the belt had no teeth at the cam gear

Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 10, 2013, 07:23:47 PM
Well, so far I've tried the fan blade test. THe fan turns, sure enough... but nothing else does. The alternator belt seems fairly tight, but that wasn't moving, either.  :-\ Now it's too dark and cold (we're in for a cold snap as bad as in '07 here) so I'll tighten alt. belt and then see what happens.  Saturday, if fair weather holds out, I'll do the other stuff. Good news is I do have a fuel filter waiting in the wings for her. I just haven't had a chance to replace her old one. It's the one that screws into the carburetor itself.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on January 10, 2013, 07:27:34 PM
Becky, get you a sweat shirt and a light and get after it... I want to hear what is wrong with her.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 10, 2013, 07:31:15 PM
lol John I've been digging out drains and chopping out fountain grass and other crap all day. I'm plumb tuckered out tonight, not to mention ice cold. My fingers are numb.  :)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on January 10, 2013, 07:49:26 PM
I didn't think that it ever got cold in Cali.. Maybe the mountains??
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 10, 2013, 07:55:16 PM
lol John I've been digging out drains and chopping out fountain grass and other crap all day. I'm plumb tuckered out tonight, not to mention ice cold. My fingers are numb.  :)

What is your definition of cold?
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 10, 2013, 08:13:12 PM
In the 20s and 30s. It's supposed to get that cold tonight. Right now I think, with wind-chill factor it's in the 40s and YES THAT'S COLD! No bellyaching about us Californians who don't REALLY know what cold is!  If my fingers are numb it's COLD... or my carpal tunnel acting up. In this case it's cold.  ;D


Yes we have snow in our mountains as low as 2000 ft (unusual).  We had a cold snap in 2007 that devastated a lot of crops out here... in the millions of dollars.  A lot of avocado and citrus farmers were devastated too.  It doesn't usually get this cold but in parts of San Diego it even snowed briefly! Now THAT'S RARE! lol Where was the snow when I was a kid!?
Don't want it now. The way people drive out here, if there was a little ice on the roads the freeway system would shut down due to all the knuckleheads who can barely drive on sunny dry days now driving on snow or ice. YIKES!!! :o

Ok for now I'm off my soap box. I already miss driving the wagon... she has so much torque even in 4th gear! I have to be patent... but I will keep y'all posted with updates as they happen! ;D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 10, 2013, 08:22:57 PM
OK you got me there.. 20s & 30s is cold. I won't even work on my car in that temp..  ;)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 11, 2013, 07:43:17 PM
Ok so far this is what I've found:

I took that belt cover thingy (yes that's the technical term! lol) off so I can get a decent look at the belt and teeth. The belt looks and feels fairly new. No cracks, no dry rubber look... and all the teeth are present and accounted for. I tightened the alternator belt so I can move the belt (thank you HOSS429 for that suggestion). I don't know if I should breathe a sigh of relief or not yet... taking off that cover reminded me of taking all that stuff off my Runabout Wildfire (nightmares to come) to replace her timing belt (good times).  I went ahead and replaced the fuel filter and verified that fuel is coming to the carburetor and  made sure the spark plug wires were connected to whatever they're supposed to be connected to... she still won't start.  :-\


I have spark plug wires, spark plugs, and fuel line (as well as a new timing belt I may or may not need) on order from O'Reilly's.  I did notice, while the cover was off, that the pointers and such to synchronize the timing are different on this car as opposed to the other 2.3 car I have.  I couldn't do the air compressor thing because I don't have a compressor. I do know I'm getting fuel to the carb, though, so there's something else here...
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on January 11, 2013, 07:51:20 PM
Becky, did you check for spark like pinto 5.0 said. Check your distributor cap as well.

Sounds like your not getting any spark??

Glad to hear your fingers thawed out too :D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 11, 2013, 08:00:59 PM
No... I need another person to assist me in that.  Maybe tomorrow I can wrangle my mechanic neighbor to help.  ;)

My fingers did thaw... but the sun's down again, and they're getting stiff again.  :o
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 11, 2013, 08:11:12 PM
I'm glad it's warmed up a bit in the buckeye state. Nice & warm at 60 today.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 13, 2013, 06:06:15 PM
Replaced spark plugs and wires (plugs have proper gap) but she's still not starting.  :(
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 13, 2013, 06:22:27 PM
Dunno if you said u did or not but have u pulled the distributor & checked it?
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 13, 2013, 06:29:35 PM
I haven't yet. That's my next idea. I can't remember what I'm looking for timing-wise, though... and I'm not feeling well physically this whole weekend. I have a four-day weekend coming up next weekend so I'll hopefully be feeling better and can actually think.  Thank you for bringing it up.  :)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 13, 2013, 06:38:38 PM
Thank my Dad..  :D  He thought of it from his days of fixing the Pintos my Mom owned & then the family wagon lol. Prolly also good to look at the cam timing since it could have skipped a few teeth & is now out of time.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: 78txpony on January 13, 2013, 07:30:30 PM
Was the timing belt tight?  I once had a cheapie on mine which stretched and it jumped a tooth or so, just enough for it to die, but still show spark, fuel, and compression.  Ironically that happened on 2-29-2000...

Also on my car I can pull the coil wire off, crank it and a spark will leap from the tower to the fender - easily seen from the drivers seat.  Of course mine has the higher output ignition system, but it could work on yours. Or pop the coil wire from the disty and place it near a metal bolt or such where you can see it. 
You are pretty certain you have fuel, now you need to confirm you have spark.

Hope you get it running soon! 
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 13, 2013, 08:23:10 PM
Thank you Matty (and your Dad) and Rob! I'm not brave enough to do the spark thing yet, but here's a question: the belt on this car looks and feels fairly new. With my fingers I can pull on it and to me it feels a tad stretched. Here's the question: How do I determine the right tension or tightness on the belt? I know where the belt tensioner is, but what point can I tighten it and call it good? I don't know if it's a cheapy belt, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it was.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 13, 2013, 08:36:36 PM
 Im wondering if some water gut into the carb passages if theres water in the tank. But I think the first thing is to check for spark, get someone o help you I guess Im always afraid of doing that too. I read on electronic ignition cars you shouldnt but I think yours is apoints car isnt it?

 Checking at the coil would tell you if the spark is there but I think it would be better to check at a couple of spark plug wires. Then y ou know the distributor is turning and everything there is good if more than one sparks. The next thing I would do then is hook up a vacuum gauge to the intake manifold vacuum (pull of the brake booster hose if it has power brakes and connect to it) check the cranking vacuum.

 Then the next thing may be to pull out a plug and see if theres any fuel smell in the cylinder after you crank it a bit. I never tried this but if its impractical I guess someone will let me know.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 13, 2013, 09:37:08 PM
Thank you, Toni yes it's a points car. I will enlist my mechanic neighbor to help me on this. First I'll pull the distributor cap and see what I can see (if there's anything I can see). I can understand water getting to the carb from the gas tank- I think that's why she's surged in the past- more so when the gas tank is less than half- full.

I'm not sure what the brake booster hose looks like. :-[
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 13, 2013, 10:13:03 PM
Thank you, Toni yes it's a points car.

I didn't realize you had points. This could be as simple as the condenser failing. It's on the outside of the distributor. Quick fix & only a few bucks.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 13, 2013, 10:23:54 PM
Thank you, Toni yes it's a points car. I will enlist my mechanic neighbor to help me on this. First I'll pull the distributor cap and see what I can see (if there's anything I can see). I can understand water getting to the carb from the gas tank- I think that's why she's surged in the past- more so when the gas tank is less than half- full.

I'm not sure what the brake booster hose looks like. :-[

 If your car has power brakes that hose is easy to find look for the brake booster and youll see a good  sized hose plugged into it. You can get a fitting for a vacuum gauge thats cone  shaped ( I think my vacuum gauge came with a bunch of fittings and it was only $12)and plugs right into the hose once you pull it off the elbow that goes into the booster. Or else you can sometimes find a hose coming from the intake you can hijack to test the vacuum. Cranking vacuum will be a lot lower than normal engine vacuum but I think 6 or 7 inches of vacuum should should be about r ight.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 13, 2013, 10:46:02 PM
 this site shows a picture of a brake booster and its location. Its really close to the one in a pinto even the elbow piece the hose connects to it looks so close youll know it right away.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: 78txpony on January 14, 2013, 09:04:40 PM
It should have little deflection when  depressed with a light finger.  With some effort on that finger you might have about 1/4" movement.  You should try to see if the timing marks all line up.  But first, you should confirm IF you are getting a spark from the coil. 
Do not attempt to tighten that belt until you confirm if you can get a spark or not.  Otherwise you will be wasting time, as you will need to remove the belt enough to get it back into time. 

the belt on this car looks and feels fairly new. With my fingers I can pull on it and to me it feels a tad stretched. Here's the question: How do I determine the right tension or tightness on the belt? I know where the belt tensioner is, but what point can I tighten it and call it good? I don't know if it's a cheapy belt, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it was.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 20, 2013, 01:47:02 PM
Yesterday was a banner day for me, mechanic-wise. With the help of a dear friend who's on this site I learned how to adjust points and look for spark. To normal gearheads this is child's play, but no one ever taught me how to do that. Reading a manual doesn't always work.  I am kind of proud of myself.

Ok enough about me. So far these are the things replaced since Moxie crapped out on me a couple weeks ago:

Spark plugs
Spark plug wires
Coil
Fuel Filter
Points
Condenser
Distributor cap
Rotor

With my friend's help via telephone, I learned how to hook up a remote starter button so I can check spark and see if rotor works as well as other stuff.  At one point I wasable to get Moxie started and running at idle for a few minutes. I played with the throttle linkage a couple times too. Only when I got in the car and pressed the accelerator did she falter and stall, reluctant to stat again. We got her running twice, but pressing the accelerator pedal killed her twice. Today, with Rich's help, I am going to try an idea of his... a gallon of fresh gas to the carburetor via the fuel pump.  I still have 3/4 of a tank of gas in  that car. Now I'm wondering if it's a throttle issue because she quit after I pressed the accelerator down a little (to the point of the engine slowly racing).  This is also basically what I did when she faltered and died.  Maybe fuel pump failure.  :-\
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 20, 2013, 02:07:35 PM
This sounds oh, so similar to the issue I had in 2006 with my 77 Pinto. Turns out the carb was full of junk from the tank & needed cleaned out. That could possibly explain the starvation you seem to be experiencing
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 21, 2013, 01:23:00 PM
Hmmmm....... well....

The new points didn't work, and I ended up reinstalling her old distributor innards to get spark. The new coil stays. Those of you all who said it was likely a fuel starvation issue were pretty right on the mark. Wait til you see what came out of the fuel line when I removed it from the fuel pump... (picture to come)  :o
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 21, 2013, 02:32:30 PM
I covered fuel, spark & timing so I can't claim clairvoyance lol  ;)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 21, 2013, 03:55:23 PM
lol well the coil  (the old one) had oil coming out of it. That HAD to be replaced.  ;)

I had taken the old line off the fuel pump and got a gallon of gas and she ran on that til she ran the can dry! I hooked the new line to the gas supply line and started her up. She started without a hitch and idled for several minutes. I'm having a vehicle crisis here as I have now 5 cars and none I can take to work tomorrow.  >:(   I rolled the blue Squire out of the driveway, put her in 1st gear and somehow let her stall. Now I can't start her again and even with starting fluid she won't start. I spent two days working on the ignition and now I'm very frustrated.  >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on January 21, 2013, 04:21:13 PM
I'm leaning toward fuel issues Becky. Try the jug of gas again.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 21, 2013, 04:32:15 PM
I'm with  johnbigman2011 . it sounds like more junk got sucked into the line. Out of curiosity have you changed the fuel filter?  Didn't know if you mentioned it or not.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 21, 2013, 05:56:46 PM
Not only am I getting fuel to the carb (yes there is literally junk in the tank) but it's not even starting with starting fluid. If it's merely a fuel issue the starting fluid would at least let me start the car... Also, when I press the accelerator down (the car was hot when I did this)  I could smell fresh gas.


Yes (for what I feel is the zillionth time lol) it has a new fuel filter.  :P

Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 21, 2013, 06:13:17 PM
hmmmmmmmmmmmmm m..... sound like no sparky spark. I'd pull the plugs & see if they are fouled out &  go from there. Maybe the ignition system went wonky on you
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: 78txpony on January 21, 2013, 09:02:02 PM
. Also, when I press the accelerator down (the car was hot when I did this)  I could smell fresh gas.
If you pumped the pedal when the engine was stopped yet hot, it could have gotten flooded.  Mine is touchy about that.  Hold the pedal down and crank to clear it out. 
The carb should probably be cleaned out internally, along with your gas tank and fuel lines.  If the filter sock in the tank could also clog up while the engine runs, it will die, then some of the crap falls from the sock, allowing restarting, then sucking it back on again......... ....
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 21, 2013, 09:05:39 PM
Yes apparently it is the ignition going wonky. It seems every time there was no spark I would go into the distributor and I'm noticing the points get closer than what I'm setting them at (.025) so I readjust AGAIN and then check the points for spark (yes) then check the dummy spark plug I put on the #1 spark plug wire and crank engine (yes spark). Then I replace the wire back on the new spark plug and crank the engine (we have ignition!) When I placed the air cleaner housing in its normal spot the engine stalled, not wanting to start again. Putting starting fluid and even a tad of gas didn't get anywhere. Ooookay take off the distributor cap off AGAIN and repeat the process. I tightened the points mounting screws as tight as I humanly can without messing up the heads and repeated the rest. Made sure coil wire is secure on both distributor and coil (in an effort to figure out what the heck is going on I swapped out the new coil wire for the old one) checked for spark... yep... cranked the engine again... we got ignition without starting fluid or gas. I kept her idling because the battery took a beating this weekend. lol  Something's loosey-goosey here. Has anyone here had this kind of issue? My friend Rich and I have been scratching-no BEATING- our heads on this.


Ok here's what came out of the fuel line yesterday when I removed the fuel line from the pump.  :-\ >:( What's wrong with people!? This is, I believe, part of a mylar or mylar-like candy or snack wrapper.  There's a dime to show the size of this scrap of rubbish. I knew there was crap in the gas tank but this is ridiculous!
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on January 21, 2013, 09:10:58 PM
Becky I think you better drop the tank.

Just hope it wasn't a snicker bar dropped in there.

Might be peanuts stuck in the fuel line next. :o
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 21, 2013, 09:34:10 PM
Hi Rob mine's funny like that too... but in this case there's also a spark issue. Even after I let the car cool off and any excess gas or fluid evaporate for a couple hours it wouldn't start even with the spritz of starting fluid (ether). After the car would stall I would check for spark (nope) and do the dummy (old) spark plug test to see if there's spark there (nope... not til I fiddle with the distributor and its innards and the coil wire (yes put the probe on both positive and negative posts on the coil- the probe lights up on both and stays on but slightly dimmer when I crank engine and have probe (tester) on the negative coil post.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 21, 2013, 09:39:05 PM
Hi John yes I know I need to drop the tank... should've done it at the get-go. The thing is, the tank is 3/4 full right now. I need to use up most of that gas before I take the tank down. I know I'm asking for trouble but I'd just as soon use the gas the way it's supposed to be used to get where I need to be. With the vet bills, two unexpected battery purchases and other expenses I'm broke, so I can't just drain the gas (even if I physically could).  Aaaah the allure of cranky old cars... lol

Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on January 21, 2013, 09:56:17 PM
Becky, they sale hand siphons, so you could save the gas. I just don't want you to have more problems down the line. Candy wrappers in the tank could cause major issues.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 21, 2013, 10:25:31 PM
I know it, John... but I'm out of $$$.   :(

Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 21, 2013, 10:39:36 PM
You know what I think Becky?? No???? Well, too bad cuz I'm gonna tell you.... I think you should drain all the gas all over the ground and watch all your money go up in flames....
 
Nah, just kidding here. I know you're doing what you can with the resources you have & will get through it one issue at a time. Hopefully there isn't any more garbage tossed in the tank. I would hate to see anything else plug up the line & leave you stranded. As for the car I'm sure you'll figure it out. Once you have some extra cash one thing that would be a big help to both you & the car would be one of those retrofit kits that eliminate the points entirely. I think Dave (dave1987) and Brian (cookieboy) have both used something like that on their early model Pintos & from what I remember hearing it helped the ignition system, as well as vehicle driveability.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Srt on January 22, 2013, 03:25:13 AM
IIRC doesn't the plate that the points fasten to have a ground strap?
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 22, 2013, 07:01:24 PM
Srt yes it dies. It looks like a woven ribbon of wire. The one on Moxie is intact and has no deposits that I can see.


On a side note... I went to start her this morning... and she acted like her battery wasn't connected. Not even a click did I hear... and the usual instrument cluster lights didn't come on either. When I got home from work I went to start her... the lights came on and she started right up and she idled for awhile til I shut her off. I restarted her and she fired right up again. I swear my cars are messing with me.  :o

Thank you Matty.  As for the garbage I'm sure there's more. Who would've thunk that someone would stick trash into a gas tank...  well, at least it won't be my first time taking off a gas tank.  ;D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on January 22, 2013, 07:11:03 PM
You can do it Becky... We all have faith in you. ;D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on January 22, 2013, 07:47:05 PM
Srt yes it dies. It looks like a woven ribbon of wire. The one on Moxie is intact and has no deposits that I can see.


On a side note... I went to start her this morning... and she acted like her battery wasn't connected. Not even a click did I hear... and the usual instrument cluster lights didn't come on either. When I got home from work I went to start her... the lights came on and she started right up and she idled for awhile til I shut her off. I restarted her and she fired right up again. I swear my cars are messing with me.  :o

Thank you Matty.  As for the garbage I'm sure there's more. Who would've thunk that someone would stick trash into a gas tank...  well, at least it won't be my first time taking off a gas tank.  ;D

Haha ain't that the truth. Hopefully there isn't too much more trash in there and you can have something to drive to work. Sounds like your car has gremlins. Time to fix that lol
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on January 22, 2013, 07:51:07 PM
How is stuff getting into the fuel line unless the filter is missing from the pickup tube?
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on January 22, 2013, 08:53:44 PM
lol the filter is missing from the pick-up tube. That's my guess, anyway.  ;D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: derekrichmond15@yahoo.com on January 27, 2013, 04:39:06 PM
How are you doing ? I tried to text a pic to you of my cars. I'm going to be in your area this summer going to pant 2 cars for my friend brother this trip is going to be so much fun & going to be bringing a 1932 Ford roadster home are you still going to want my parts I'm saving 4 you? My gas bill is pad 4 already this is going to happen  WOW call me please (425)679-1184:)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on February 05, 2013, 09:30:01 PM
Last Saturday I tackled the gas tank and fuel line. I've been down this road before with my other '74.  Amazingly, the tank was mostly clean with no rust seen inside. As I expected, there was something (or somethings) lurking around in there but no more!  After draining the gas, cleaning the tank with acetone, blowing out the fuel line using a small air compressor, replacing rubber hoses and a gasket or two she mostly runs great and starts right up in the morning. The not-so-great news is she has surging issues now and then at high speeds (I'm not sure I should be calling them surges... it's more like she loses power kinda like fuel starvation) but then she rights herself and down the road we go. I have a feeling a piece of that mylar wrapper might've made it into the fuel pump. I guess since that one piece was found in the rubber line that connects to the pump it's possible. Anyway, you shoulda seen what came out of my hair after I shampooed it! lol  Talk about gray water!  ;D


This is how I lowered the gas tank. Believe me when I tell you it was "hands-on"! lol


The second picture shows a (I think) vapor separator hose.  Talk about your crack hose. lol (ok stop throwing the rotten tomatoes! lol) :P
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on February 05, 2013, 09:33:05 PM
No, Rich... this is NOT my Homer Bucket! (inside joke). lol

This is actually what mostly came out of the tank...


...and this was also what came out of the tank.  >:(
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on February 05, 2013, 09:40:14 PM
Interesting sock there, huh? I'm not really surprised that a piece or two of wrapper could find a breach there. Nicely colored zip ties too.  :o
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on February 05, 2013, 09:53:03 PM
New sock (Thank you thank you THANK YOU Rich!) and other stuff. lol

I replaced the gasket and that flange thingy (technical term- look it up! lol) that is so fun to remove and put in place. I guess it's a sending unit retainer ring. No, I didn't manage to mess it up. lol Between the strap bolts and the filler tube I spent at least three whole hours in pure frustration. The bolts because a) the darn things are long, so a normal socket wasn't gonna cut it (that's all I had, socket-wise) so I had to resort to an open-end 1/2 wrench. With so little space to move it, the nuts loosened or tightened in tiny increments. My poor arms and long-suffering shoulder needed frequent breaks.  Reason b) I had to keep adjusting the nuts because that filler tube wasn't just going to go in unless I found a sweet spot where the angle of the tube going in the tank were perfectly aligned (I used clean motor oil to aid in insertion) and finally had to REALLY push the top part. The good news is FINALLY it went in. The bad news is I smooshed my little finger on my right hand because it was between the flange and the car's body. So fay it's not broken... but you can bet the air around me turned blue with cuss words. lol
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: r4pinto on February 06, 2013, 08:38:20 AM
Nice job Becky, I knew you would get it all taken care of in no time  ;D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: cutelitlputtputt on February 06, 2013, 05:57:02 PM
I think everyone needs to have a Becky in their house!!! 

Good God, I mean dog!!!  You know how to get down and dirty!!!! 
(I just realized that has many meanings....LO L)
 
Very professionally done Becky!
 
 
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on February 06, 2013, 06:02:46 PM
lol thank you guys... but is it professional to drop f bombs and go in the house, sulk and eat ice cream in the middle of the job?  ::)
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on February 06, 2013, 06:16:53 PM
Becky. I usually throw the f bombs and drink some beer and lite the BBQ when the stress gets too high... Remember your the master mechanic in your drive way shop and you can do as you want.

Yes, you are a drive way professional in my book ;D

Great job with the tank for sure.
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on February 06, 2013, 08:33:27 PM
Thank you, John. lol  I didn't just throw them... I lobbed them hard (and loud) enough to annihilate whole towns, especially when that finger got caught! Patience is truly not my strong suit.  ;D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on February 06, 2013, 08:50:14 PM
So your telling me the neighbors didn't come over and ask if that hurt?? I hate that when people ask those kind of questions when I totaly ......... :-X
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: blupinto on February 06, 2013, 11:09:46 PM
Well, one next-door neighbor saw me just sitting there looking stupid when I was holding the still-uninserted filler tube and dumbly looking on... he asked what I was doing. I considered asking him to get on his knees and hold the gas tank (unstrapped) while I pushed the tube in or vise-versa. I lost my nerve, though- nhe's not the kind of guy who likes to get down and dirty working on cars.  ;D The other neighbors couldn't care less.  :P
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on February 06, 2013, 11:29:42 PM
Heck, you could of trained him to be a master pinto gasser like your self Becky ;D
Title: Re: Another '74 Bites The Dust?
Post by: cutelitlputtputt on February 07, 2013, 09:42:09 AM
(http://www.mymilkglassheart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/mechanic-cat.jpg)