Hey everybody! I just got my first pinto about a month ago and I'm head over heels in love. I have a 1980 Wagon that I only paid $1400 for. I need to rebuild my rack n pinion, replace the carpet and dash, and clean my carburetor and I'll be good to go! I need some new paint, but that can come in time. You can't miss me coming down the street. I freaking love this car. I was never allowed to have a "project" when my dad was around because he didn't want to fool with it. So now that I CAN have one I decided this would be a good place to start. Not too much HAS to be done, so it leaves me room to play and learn with what CAN be done. Sorry to sound like a dork, I'm still just so excited!
Hey! Thanks! I was going to try and go the route of rebuilding vs replacing anyway. So that helps me out.
The exterior looks nice and tidy, the paint dont look too bad either. Thats a nice looking car. Just about every pinto seems to have a messed up dash and after 28 years Im sure most carpets have taken a beating too
:welcome: Smurfette!
Nice looking wagon. Enjoy!
Dwayne :smile:
What? You think you sound like a dork? Ummm....you should have seen my first posts about two months ago when I picked up a wagon myself ('76). NICE find, be happy, the excitement is infectious, we hope to hear more of your travels on this project. Feel free to ask lots of questions - you'll get plenty of help. :welcome:
Chris
Thanks guys! The biggest problem I'm having is finding junk/salvage yards around here with parts. That and I'm having a minor problem with the car itself. I'm having to give it a lot of gas to get it to crank when its been sitting. And the first time I crank it, it will start up and immediatly die and I have to give it more gas and it'll start up again no problem. And this morning I got to the top of my street and it died out, again. That and it's dieseling. I think that's the correct term for it. So we're about to break down my carburetor and clean everything and see if that helps. If not I'm guess my next step would be to check my engine and get rid of the carbon deposits? Am I anywhere near being on the right track?
have you replaced the fuel filter?
yeah. fuel filter, air filter, and drive belts were the first things i replaced when i got it
well then the only thing i can think is the carb would need a rebuild or possible something vacuum wise is messed up. keep us posted
Check the new fuel filter you put in to see if there are deposits collecting from a rusty tank.
The filter may be why the car is dying.
The "dieseling" has nothing to do with fuel starvation from a filter, or any other source.
Timming and most likely what you suspect "deposits" are probably the culprit. "hotspots" in the combustion chamber will cause "run on" after the ignition is shut off.
Believe it or not, one of the best ways to clean pistons without tearing down the engine is water injection.
Care should be taken to be certain only a "mist" enters the engine while it is running. excessive amounts of water entering the cylinders while the engine is running could break the pistons, engine block rods etc. because water does not compress.
There was a product out a few years back called "Vari-jection". It actually introduced water injection into the engine. It didn't do well because the average guy off the street didn't understand how it worked, and many I spoke with thought water injection was bad.
However the system eliminated completely engine knock and "dieseling".
For many years water injection was used for horsepower gains in gasoline engines,.. and a real nifty side effect was sparkling clean combustion chambers and pistons. Long before Nitrous came around, water injection was the "button".
The water vapor creates a very dense oxygen mixture, and eliminates hot spots.
Anyway, I've run on quite a bit,.. but the way to clean deposits with water is to get some brass fittings you can hook onto the end of a garden hose, attach a jet that when tested produces a mist no more than that of say a bathroom cleaner or a windex bottle. you may have to modify your fitting with a hammer to get a spray pattern. Once you make the part, make some sort of supporting device so you dont have to stand there for a couple hours holding the hose. (I used a couple 2x4s nailed together, and some duct tape)
Start the engine with the air cleaner off and turn the idle screw way up so the engine is running at about 1500 RPM. Secure your hose and stand,.. turn the water on and hang out somewhere nearby for about 2 hours.
One treatment will usually cut enough of the deposits the "run on" problem will disappear. If you run one of the pistons up to TDC before you begin, and view it through the spark plug hole (use a strong light), you can see the difference after 2 hours of High idle cleaning. The black wont be completely gone, but all the heavy flaky deposits will no longer exist. If you do more than one treatment you may even see clean spots on the pistons.
A VERY critical reminder. DO NOT let the water enter the engine in any form other than a fine spray or mist!!
And the engine must be running at 1500 rpm or slightly more.
If the engine wants to die when your spraying water down the carb throat, turn the idle up to about 1750. If the engine wont run at 1750 with the water, its too much, and the jet needs to be modified, (smashed) more. But do not turn the faucet down,.. you need the pressure to get a good spray.
If you decide to go another route and remove the cylinder head to clean the pistons and the head,.. try a little experiment. Clean one cylinder the old fashioned way, then on another cylinder run the piston down in the bore and fill it about half way with water. let it sit overnight. The next day, soak up most of the water,.run the piston up to top Wipe it clean with an old cloth towel,.. you'll be amazed how easily it comes off.
BTW,.. if when you go to soak up the water that was left in the cylinder overnight, you find it low or empty your rings are not sealing good, or there is excessive wear.
either way, be sure to drain the oil from the pan when your done to rid your engine of water in the crankcase.
Congrats on the Wagon, I have an '80 wagon myself. Just one more thing to thing on before tearing your engine apart.I recently had similar problems with mine. It would start up and idle for a minute and die, then would not start for a while. then would start and rough and then stall out later. It turned out to be a defective Ignition/computer box on the fender near the coil. About 4' square and looks like the voltage regulator. This replaced the points in the distributor. Also check the group of wires going from this box to your distributor, there is a bunch and one might be damaged. luckily you can still get these boxes. Mine cost about $60 at the local auto parts store. Good luck with your wagon, john
The ignation box is new. Replaced earlier this year. I still have the old one, actually. At the moment I have much bigger fish to fry. I was coming home from work about 30 minutes ago and my car started making a real loud, throaty sound. So I pulled over and popped my hood and started looking... I've got a major exhaust problem and don't know how to fix it. I'm pretty sure I cant do it myself. Actually- I know I can't. And I really don't know how I'm going to afford it or get to work.
I want to go f***ing kick something
did the exhaust mani crack? or the piping?
the down pipe broke off of the flange. But the flange is still attached to the manifold. And I'm supposed to go out of town of Friday, which is the only thing I've had to look forward to the past two weeks. So not only do I NOT know where to begin with this or where to take it, I also don't know how I'm going to afford it. And I can't be car-less for long.
Well i wish I could help there, I have a welder, Im ok at welding but if i cant do it i would take it to the Shop where i have had alot of things done, and get it re-welded for a mild fee(20-30$) I dont know where you are located so, you might want to call around to Muffler shops as they might be able to help you, or get a friend whos good with a welder to come and re-weld it back to the Flange. (my nissan did this to me on SR77 @ oracle Junction in Tuscon AZ) i ended up haveing to replace the header as no shop would touch it without the Original Cat to exhaust manifold that was on the car
I got it welded today. It cost me about $40 more than they quoted. Which kinda got under my skin. But I'm up and running again. I hope.
i hope so too smurfette, i hate to see people get Rooked.
so check this out- I get my car back this morning on my way to work... I saw them pull it back into the parking lot after testing it out around the block. So I hop in, cranks right up and sounds perfect. So I stop at the bank on my way in and when I come out, my car won't start. So I called the shop I had just left and he gave me a couple of excuses about my battery was bad and blah blah blah. So I get pissed and start slamming crap around and banging around under my hood. I FINALLY get it to turn over, make it to work with no other problems. Come out this afternoon to hop in my car to go out of town and it won't start. So I thought, ok, maybe it really is my battery. Maybe theres just not enough juice to get it going. So we try to jump it. No dice. Pull my battery out, put a new one in, nothing. Put mine in the other car, other car starts right up. Double check everything, try to start it again. It clicks. My starter went out on me. OH! and then the AAA guy with the tow truck was too busy making fun of it to do his job but was able to control his laughter long enough to charge me $75 for the tow. Sorry, I needed to rant to people who understand.
i do understnd we are a rare breed of people. those who laugh just dont get it. =) rant away hun
Quote from: Smurfette on August 21, 2008, 04:50:41 PM
I got it welded today. It cost me about $40 more than they quoted. Which kinda got under my skin. But I'm up and running again. I hope.
I used to own a muffler shop a long time ago. Something like the problem you were having would have been a $20 fix. I have been out of the auto repair business for a while but if a guy is being HONEST with himself the costs haven't changed that much and an operator is still going to make money at that.
The guy should be ashamed of himself. A SIMPLE job like rewelding a broken headpipe is just that: A SIMPLE JOB. PERIOD.
mmk! So, my car is up and running again. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that it stays that way, After almost 12 hours of going around and around with the boyfriend about what was wrong with my car, and 1/2 my paycheck we got it fixed.
Let me back up... So Friday when I was trying to leave work, my car wouldn't start. It sounded like it wanted it, but just wouldn't. After a few tries all I got was a "click". So I screwed around with it in the parking lot and still couldn't get any response. We tried to jump it thinking maybe it was the battery because of how it sounded the first time and got nothing. Took someone else's battery, hooked it up, got nothing. So I decided I was just going to have to zoop it up and have it towed to my house. Boyfriend decides he's just going to come to me since I can't go to him and drives down from Charlotte. Next morning we get up bright and early and he tries to start my car. Again, it sounds like it WANTS to start but can't. So he's like "I drove here to put a new battery in your car?" and I told him it wasn't the battery blah blah that I need a new starter. Get the battery checked, its at 100%. So he starts nit picking at everything else under my hood because he just doesn't believe me...
New Spark plugs and wires: $60
New distributer cap: $10
Other odds and ends: $20
New starter: $70
Being able to say "I told you so": Priceless :lol:
Being mechanically inclined is not gender specific.
I know that. And you know that. Well, he knows that too. But I'm new to the car thing. So I guess he just felt like being a butthead
How is the car doing now?
Hi Smurfette!
Gee, it looks like I'm a day late and a (few) dollar(s) short, but welcome to Pinto ownership! I bought my first one (a '72- born the same year as me!!!) in '91. She was the same color as your wagon. I sadly no longer have her but just bought a '74 runabout three days(!) ago. I'm still tingly and excited. She is, as of today, officially mine. She needs a lot of TLC but these little cars of ours are worth it. Hang in there and enjoy the ride.
P.S. The starter of my Rodeo went out a couple months ago. I was stranded at work and had to call AAA to tow me home. The tow truck driver was sure he could get it started "I can get ANYTHIG to start!" , he boasted. Big fat NOT!
Tow home: $56
New starter: $159
Wiping that smug know-it-all look off his face: priceless.