It's about time I got here!
AS some of you folks might know, I have a '74 copper-bronze runasbout who has issues. With issues sometimes comes mysteries.
Mystery #1- The fuel gauge doesn't function. It stays on empty regardless of how much fuel is actually in the tank.
Mystery #2- This I'll have to get pix of (you can tell I get ideas after it gets too dark outside to get pictures). This has to do with things not connected (hoses) .
Mystery #3- how can I keep that right side pop-out window from flapping around and still keep it functional until I get the grommets (?) that the hinges fit in (see pop-out window in parts wanted)?
There are more mysteries and queries and I would be very happy to hear anything you great folks might have to say. Thank you all for being so kind and welcoming.
Well, I can shed some light on the fuel gauge issue... The float is more than likely bad. Over time it gets a hole in it & fills up with gas. then it won't float. Ford used to sell them, not too sure if they still do. It was about six bux when I got one a couple years ago.
If the float is bad, you can pick one up at www.sscenterprises.com. The hard part is changing it out.
I would also suggest that either the copper terminal strip on the back of the instrument cluster is making poor contact, either by oxidation, or by the cluster itself being damaged/cracking, causing a connection error. This is a common problem in these older vehicles, and neither possibility is really "easy" to address.
Chris
Glad to see you get your baby in the 'project' area!!!!
I would agree with r4pinto on the float. As far as the pop out window. If you are talking about where the hinge meets the frame, I would try taking off the plastic cover (if it has one) on the pillar, then duck tape the hinge to the metal of the car. Just leave the plastic cover off till you can get the parts to fix the hinge area!! Course this is just guessing on what is actually missing. My hinges on my 71's are pop rivited on! Easy to fix!!!
Good luck and keep up updated!!!
Kim
Ohhhh....
What is involved with replacing the float? Is it a matter of taking the gas tank off? As for the instrument cluster possibility, hopefully that won't be too hard to fix. I reconnected an odometer cable on a '75 Maverick in '95. (moot- the dumb car never ran after it had its first oil change and radiator flush since dinosaurs roamed the earth!) Thank you for the info.
The missing link, as it were, is where the hinges go into the car body. On the left side it appears there is plastic or something in that slot but none in the right side hinge slot. The hinge just jostles around, even with the window shut. Tomorrow I'll take pictures of the other side that has those plastic thingies.
Oh, well that window is a bit different then mine! Mine are attatched on the inside of the car, not the outside! Duck tape wont do it with yours! Hmmm, I am clueless on how to do a fix, except for maybe trying some sort of puddy, to fill the hole where the hinge clips to, and just push the window into it. You wouldn't want to use the window though, as the puddy wouldn't hold up! I'm just grabbing at straws though!!!! :)
Quote from: blupinto on November 28, 2008, 11:24:51 PM
Ohhhh....
What is involved with replacing the float? Is it a matter of taking the gas tank off?
To be honest all you need to do is remove the sending unit from the gas tank & the float is on the sending unit. It looks like a small barrel. Once you get that off you can replace the float & call it a day. If you can't find one at a ford dealer check ebay, as they used to be all over.. Not sure of now since it has been a couple years since I replaced mine.
The plastic clips for the window are hard to find from what I hear, but I tell you what... I am going to the Super swap that Harley aka Pintoman was talking about & I'll take a look to see if I can find them for you. If I do I will get them. All I ask is the cost of the part plus shipping, provided I can find it that is lol
(sigh.) My hero! Thank you r4pinto! I appreciate the offer. Please do.
There is someone not too far from me that has a couple early Pintos they're parting out. One's a station wagon, so there may be those same clips. I probably won't go til next weekend.
My late '72 had the three-button pop-out windows like your yellow one, Kim. I don't think I remember ever seeing a one-button window on a sedan, though. When the baby's seller sent me the pic via email I wasn't quite sure that was a button or not. When I got to see the car in person there was no end to the sweet discoveries. How could I say no? LOL.
Not a problem.. I dunno if I'll be able to find the clips tomorrow but I will definitely look. It'll be on my list of parts lol. I tell ya, I wish my 77 had the pop out windows so it would help cool the inside of the car. But I'll live without them lol.
ArrrrGGGGH!!!!! I HATE when I run out of time!!!!
I lost my well-thought-out message because of this. Any way the time might be lengthened?
Ok, enough with my rant. R4, your baby would look sweet with pop-outs- especially if she's sporting those mag rims. Mine will almost be her older clone!lol. Did the later models have pop-outs (besides the wagons)? As soon as the baby runs like a champ she'll be sporting that same set of wheels.
Ahh, mysteries... #1- Do my eyes deceive me or is that cracked, peeling stuff on my steering wheel leather? Did Ford often sew leather on the more "exclusive" pintos? #2- The center piece of the steering wheel is a mess. Is there any way I can replace that (horn, "woodgrain" trim) or do I have to do a steeringwheelidectomy?
Thanks for the compliments, but no, she's no longer got those mags on her (and I got in trouble a few weeks ago for it by my dad). When i bought the car in '06 I wanted wheel covers on her instead of the alloys so I took the good tires & steel wheels off my parts car & sent it to the junk yard with the mags. The tires were badly rotted anyways. She's not even the brown anymore... They did have pop outs on the later models as well, but most I seen have the regulars on them.
As for the wheel, yes, I do believe that might just be a leather wrapped wheel. You might be able to find a new horn pad on ebay, as I think I have seen them on there from time to time. You may be able to fix it with some epoxy or jb weld but I'm not too sure.
Sorry that last one was short... I don't feel like rewriting it THREE times because of the time shortage... for all I know it's this dumb computer or the fact that I'm still on dial-up. Ugh.
I will soon get to the sending unit you mentioned, r4. Hopefully I won't be crawling back to ask, "where's the sending unit?"
Something disturbing was seen on my way to the Pinto... I had a lot of condensation on the inside of her windows, mostly on the hatch window, which leads me to believe that I have a good-size leak there. I know about the windshield leaks but wow... the windows were all squeegied and wiped (yes the metal too- that's what worries me the most.)
Don't get too concerned. Mine is like that as well.. It's prolly just a simple case of bad door seals. My rear window does not leak one bit but when the temp changes more at night I have noticed condensation. I'm guessing it's from the bad door seals since all the other windows don't leak but my doors are drafty.
I think I owe you an apology... I called Harold ll a SHE...Sorry. That's what I get for paying attention...NOT! lol.
Yes, we had temp changes- rain a couple days ago, then sunny and bright (a little nippy for me but not for her, I guess). Do you get rust on the insides of your hatch? Please say no.
Well, Harold ll at least USED to look like his (her?) older sister... I've always loved the 13'' Ford mag wheels- especially if they have the bucking foal/running horse in the center caps.
Another little project... the armrests.
Quote from: blupinto on November 29, 2008, 11:52:29 PM
I think I owe you an apology... I called Harold ll a SHE...Sorry. That's what I get for paying attention...NOT! lol.
Yes, we had temp changes- rain a couple days ago, then sunny and bright (a little nippy for me but not for her, I guess). Do you get rust on the insides of your hatch? Please say no.
Well, Harold ll at least USED to look like his (her?) older sister... I've always loved the 13'' Ford mag wheels- especially if they have the bucking foal/running horse in the center caps.
Well, my car actually is a She, and let me tell ya sometimes she acts just like a woman lol J/K..The car just likes being a major pain. Rust on the insides of the hatch... Well, to be honest she has rust in some shape or form just about everywhere.. Stupid salt on roads lol.
Well Matt, I think it's time you and Harold ll moved to sunny southern California! No salt on the roads here- it's all in the ocean! lol. Actually I love the different states in this great land. Each has it's own charm and uniqueness. But I will say that if a rare "snow event" happened here in San Diego county you better believe I'll be staying home!!! lol. Some (no, many) people here can't seem to safely navigate the roads here in broad daylight in dry conditions, much less rainy or- heaven forbid!- ice and snow.
I hope you're having fun at the All-Ford Swap thing. I hope you and our Pinto friends fortunate enough to go get everything you all want. I'm going (I think) next week to the southern part of SD county to the wrecking yards there to see what I can find.
Lol.. me moving to california.. Now that would be a trip & a half. In her current shape Harrold II won't even make it up the driveway, let alone across the country. Her transmission is sitting next to her. I also like not having any of my cars smogged either lol. Although, it ain't Ohio either lol.. Sold!! Gotta go pack my bags lol..
On another note, I struck out today :( I looked but found very, very little Pinto parts, let alone the clips for the windows. I'll keep my eyes & ears open & if I happen to find some I'll let you know.
Hay looking at the stearing wheel there are 2 screws in the back that hold the button on and it all just slips together from there . I looks like the one in my maverick and bobcat( but it is blue) so you may have many different fords to choose from for replacement if nessary. The door arm rest is similar to my maverick (4 door front) as well an i have herd the mustang II is simliar. so once again you may have many options. Do they happennto have any maverick in the yard you frequent?
I am looking for a few minor peices.
I haven't seen a defunct Maverick in years...
I bought a '75 Maverick in '95. It was a four-door, white with metallic blue interior (which I love). She ran for me about four times. Dad and Uncle Bill flushed the radiator (rustwater) and changed the oil and filter (probably not done since the Carter administration) and changed the sparkplugs. Tjis was all too much for the little car and she sputtered briefly, then promptly expired, never to start again.
PT, I will look for Maverick parts when I go to the wrecking yards south of me. What do you need?
As for the steering wheel, I was entertaining the notion that I could take the long piece off and replace it with a horn button. Well, the steering wheel itself is cracked too. Still, I would love to at least get a new horn piece.
Mystery time!
Mystery #1- Do these two pieces connect? They're so close together, but I'm too afraid to connect them and see.
Mystery #2- Should I worry about this broken hose from the intake (?) manifold to the air filter ?
Mystery #3- I have a mateless plug. I cannot locate its other half.
I replaced the fuel filter today and tried to play a little with the carburetor. It's kinda hard to see the adjustment screws when the engine is shaking like it's all but dying. Then I ran out of daylight.
I think I found out that jingling noise from the right rear. Indeed it's not the floppy window- it's an even floppier shock. I haven't identified the sending unit for the gas tank yet.
Are you talking about the orange hose that goes from the manifold to the air ducting? If so, I wouldn't worry about it to much, but it is always nice to have everything together! I think it has something to do with air temperature for the carburetor.
I'm guessing that the electrical connector you have disconnected is used for an electric choke or another type of electrical carburetor accessory. I have two or three connections from my harness around that same location, near the carburetor, that don't go to anything.
Thank you Dave. I'm not sure that's the original carburetor or not, and so far I don't see anyplace where that plug should go. I haven't had an old (20+ year old) car in 15-16 years. Wait I did have the Maverick. I don't really count that because I wasn't able to get her registered (she's gotta run to be smogged, right!?) and thus she wasn't enjoyed to her full potential. In fact I resented her long after I sold her to someone who thought they could get her running. Even they threw in the towel. I had a miserable low-paying job so I couldn't afford a proper mechanic to look at her. She was nice otherwise...
Wait.....Did i hijack my own thread!?!
It would be nice if that intake piece was intact, but I'm glad that's not the reason it runs so roughly. As long as it won't be detrimental to the ol' engine. Thank you for easing my mind. That (that hose) will be on the Santa list too.
The orange hose can be picked up at most parts stores I believe it is called a pre heater duct replacements are silver and cost about $5 maybe less it was 3 yrs ago i bought mine. The plug is a mystery as mine has the same thing and i have not figured it out yet. The 2 pieces if i see them correctly (the hoses) yes they do connect it is part of the heating cooling they go from the heater core to the manifold to help warm up the carb a car with factory ac has a "H" pipe there.
The steering wheel according to my parts book is a very common one used on many fords,mercurys in the 70's the difference is the horn pad and yes it very well could be leather on your wheel that was a factory option in a few years.
Maverick parts i would like emblem( for a cork board in my garage i have a pinto, bobcat , mustang, ford and mercury emblems on it now) and an original gas cap with a maverick symbol or script. mine was changed to a mustang cap. i will need more but start small if by chance you find a tan interior i need alot more.
As a matter of fact I do have a Maverick emblem or two. I might even be able to wrestle up an interior steerhead door emblem too if you wanted one. Back in the early '90s when our beloved cars were plentiful in the wrecking yards I was grabbing emblems left and right.
Thank you for the pre-heater duct info as well as the info on the plug and steering wheel. I guess I'll connect the two things and we'll see what happens (hides her eyes). :lost:
Well, she did it... she crapped out on me.
I noticed she was a little "off" when she was about to go into 2nd gear. Acceleration in 1st was the same, but in 2nd she lost power like she wasn't getting gas and would stall on the roll. She couldn't make the mile to the beanery. AAA to the rescue! The driver was knowledgeable about Pintos (he had a '76- his favorite car) and currently has a '73 he just acquired) and told me it's the carburetor and its components, plus timing. He gave me pointers on how to do some minor adjustments, but it needs more than that. WE did go to get gas, but she only accepted 2 gallons, so I don't think it's an empty-tank issue.
While waiting for help to arrive a kind older Hispanic gentleman told me of his three Pintos and how good they were.
On a better note, I did go junkyard shopping and found a "woodgrain" shift bezel, a steering wheel horn piece just like mine (except it's missing the "woodgrain" trim sticker), the piece that connects the crimpy hose from the air cleaner to the air filter, another rearview mirror with less blemished glass, and a couple pop-out window gromets (?) from a '73 station wagon (a beauty! If money was no object...) So while the Baby doesn't run right, at least she has some "new" stuff!
Wow!
Sounds like you had a great day at the junkyard. Nice finds. Sorry to hear of your problems with your car, but atleast she is easy to work on. Who knows it might actually need a new timing belt on her. Good thing it's easy to replace.
another tip would be to make sure there is no gunk in your tank, if its in the lines it can make it seem like the carb has trouble. (learned this with my old dodge ramcharger.
Awesome tip there. Why clean out the carb if the junk in the tank will just get back in there.
Glad to help
Sorry to hear about your bad fortune heading to the "beanery" (love that word)!!! I too am kinda in the same boat, as you know. I just bought a new carb from ebay and am going to wait to get it before I do another venture out in the green machine!!!
Now I have to say, you are so lucky to find Pintos at wrecking yards!! I can't find anything up here in Northern CA. My hubby has people looking all the time now, and nothing! Well we did have a false lead that one time! I'm looking for sport mirrors if you ever find any!!! :D
Now about the tank, wouldn't a good fuel filter take care of the crap in the tank??? To some point that is?? I put a new, clear, filter on mine and my gas is looking pretty clean! Wouldn't it show gunk in the filter if there was gunk in the tank? If so, you may want to put a clear filter on to see if there is gunk in the tank!!
Good luck with her, keep us posted!!!
Kim
No Kim, I am sad to say it won't. In 2006 I drove to Carlisle for the 2nd Ford Pinto meet but was towed home. The carb I rebuilt a week prior to Carlisle was filled with rust & junk. There are just too many fine particles in the tank that will get caught in the carb because they get past the filter.
Quote from: r4pinto on December 07, 2008, 05:17:19 PM
No Kim, I am sad to say it won't. In 2006 I drove to Carlisle for the 2nd Ford Pinto meet but was towed home. The carb I rebuilt a week prior to Carlisle was filled with rust & junk. There are just too many fine particles in the tank that will get caught in the carb because they get past the filter.
Ok, well then if my new carb doesn't help, I will think about pulling the tank and having it cleaned. Good thing I know a radiator guy!!! ;D Sad thing is, I just filled her up, and without being able to really drive her, I will have to drain the tank!!!! Yuck!!
Oops, sorry blupinto, a little thread jack there!!! LOL :D
No problem...
Sport mirrors... well why didn't you say so!?
I found a few Pintos and others with their sport mirrors intact. None were green, so if that's not an issue, then I'll be happy to grab you a pair. Will you be needing the toggle switch (remote like I have)? I can't promise I'll find that, but I know I'll find mirrors.
Now for the tank o' gas: I'm sure there's gunk in it but the choke is stuck open instead of freely opening/closing.
I reconnected those mystery hoses (see mystery #1) and adjusted the doohickey to the right of the carb (help! My Chilton's in the garage and I don't remember what that component is called!) There's a hose attached to it that contains coolant. I wanted to pull the plugs to get a look at them but my standard plug socket is way too big. My other sockets aren't deep enough.
I really should be more patient. I hadn't finished...
I goofed around in the engine compartment and decided to see how she runs. I turned the key... and she started right up!!! Not only that but she didn't shake nearly as much and stayed running without me feathering the pedal. I put her in drive and she rolled on her own in idle! I couldn't believe it! I drove her in the neighborhood to test her further and soon she started hesitating again and missing. When I backed back into the driveway and put her in park her idle sounded no different than when she was in drive. Hmmmm.........
Sounds like a vacuum leak somewhere.
My 2.3l 78 Sedan had a similar issue, but it is a 4spd stick shift.
In my case, it would run fine when cold for about the first five minutes. Once it started to warm up though, it would idle rough and miss. In my case, it turned out to be a cracked EGR valve. I'm guessing the vibrations from the engine would rumble it loose after running for a few minutes, then the crack would widen. When I removed my EGR valve, it fell apart into two halves and the vacuum leak became very obvious. :P I have since removed the EGR valve and have a replacement one with the EGR tube set away for when emission testing time comes along. I don't have it on the car as it makes acceleration sluggish and I get better fuel economy without it! Occasionally I will put a sealed oil cap on the valve cover, instead of the vented one, to enjoy a bit more low end power (which is nice when it snows and ices over, for cookies!). ;D
Not sure what the part is but the socket you need is a 5/8" spark plug socket. The spark plug socket is a deepwell socket with a robber insert. That insert keeps the spark plug from hitting the inside of the socket, thus preventing damage to the plug. You'll want to check the gap when you pull the olugs. Look at the center electrode & firing tip. If there is any sign of wear a.k.a. rounding or errosion then you will want to replace them.
Also check your plug wires for any burn marks from arcing. Replace any that have any signs of arcing from spark flashover.
Lastly pull off the distributor cap & take a look at the inside terminals, as well as the rotor button. If there is any sign of wear or pitting on the terminals then you will want to replace them as well.
Almost forgot.. You might want to remove the ignition box from the car & have it tested. Auto Zone & Advance Auto should be able to check it & it's free.
the Fuel filters will only take care of some of the "gunk" and you will be replacing filters quite often, best bet is to get the tank down and out make sure there isn't any gas in it, and look inside and see what Rust/other stuff is loose in the tank, you can use" if there isn't a Plastic liner in the tank" B-12 Chemtool to clean it out a little, to rinse out that loose mess so its not being picked up by the pick-up tube.
As to the hesitation/misfire that could be timing but can also be lack of fuel delivery, (you stated you had to feather the pedal). If i can help i will anyway i can, as to sport mirrors I have one set and they are on the car. "if" I find the Pinto guy out here (hes got like 20 in his back yard) I will let you know if i can snag a pair from one of his parts cars.
Looks like I'll be shoppin' for more tools. Thanks for the tips. Provided it doesn't rain in the near future I'll pull the stuff off (plugs, distributor, ignition box). I believe the wires are brand new. The distributor cap looks new too. Still, I'll investigate. Sure wish my garage was cleaned out...
Quote from: blupinto on December 07, 2008, 08:51:01 PM
No problem...
Sport mirrors... well why didn't you say so!?
I found a few Pintos and others with their sport mirrors intact. None were green, so if that's not an issue, then I'll be happy to grab you a pair. Will you be needing the toggle switch (remote like I have)? I can't promise I'll find that, but I know I'll find mirrors.
I guess I should go with the non remote style. But then again, maybe I should get a set of both styles!!! LOL Let me know what they are going for at your wrecking yard!! I'm going to guess around 10 -15 bucks to ship. Oh, and most importantly, how much for you to do all the work!!!!! :D
Thanks!!!
Kim
Don't worry about labor. It gives me an excuse to go to the wrecking yard! ::) I forgot how fun it is to hunt for parts. The stuff you find in the process... I think I'll be going next weekend and I'll grab 'em.
Someone at work suggested I put a speaker magnet or two on my gas tank and the metal bits in the tank will adhere to it from the inside. Thoughts?
Quote from: blupinto on December 08, 2008, 09:14:40 PM
Don't worry about labor. It gives me an excuse to go to the wrecking yard! ::) I forgot how fun it is to hunt for parts. The stuff you find in the process... I think I'll be going next weekend and I'll grab 'em.
Someone at work suggested I put a speaker magnet or two on my gas tank and the metal bits in the tank will adhere to it from the inside. Thoughts?
Cool, no hurry though. We'll pm when the time comes!!! :D
As far as the magnet, it sounds like a good idea to me, but I am no expert on gas tanks!!! LOL ;D
That's fine & dandy if the only thing in the tank will be rust, but unfortunately there is more than likely some regular dirt in there as well. Unfortunately the best way to clean the tank & the only way to prevent the issue is to drop the tank & clean it out. I say unfortunately, not because it's difficult to get to, but because you have a full tank.
Off topic, do you know if there were any good battery trays on the Pintos in the junkyards? Tryin to track me down a decent used one & there are no yards out here that have Pintos. Stupid rust belt lol
I can look for a battery tray... The ones I've seen have been nests of dirt and pine needles.
I have a battery tray froma 75, Not sure if its complete tho. I will get a pic and post it in another thread later on tmr.
blupinto, what is wrong with your armrests? Is the top part not staying screwed into the door? Or is the bracket that the bolt goes into missing from the door?
On my car, the brackets tore away from the door and ripped so much sheet metal around the holes (that the brackets clip into), that I can't use brackets anymore unless they are welded into place. For the time being (until I get new doors), I am using a 1" thick piece of wood screwed to the inside of the door, and the armrest bolts screw into that. It works quite well, at least as a temporary solution.
Quote from: blupinto on December 08, 2008, 09:58:56 PM
I can look for a battery tray... The ones I've seen have been nests of dirt and pine needles.
Thanks. Whenever you get a chance, but I'm in no hurry. It doesn't even have a tranny in her at the moment.
Hey Dave!
The plastic in the armrests actually broke. The sheetmetal is fine. Right now The Baby is sporting a powder blue one on her passenger side til I get a pair of bronze ones.
The poor Baby.
I've been trying to drive her around here to a) keep her battery charged and b) keep her juices flowing toi keep the seals from cracking and/or leaking. She runs ok once she's warmed up. It's later that she bogs down and stalls. I'm now convinced it's the carb or the linkage from the throttle. In warming up the engine responds with a mere tap on the accelerator pedal (in idle). The butterfly isn't closing but I don't know enough about carbs to know if that's good or not. :read: :'(
I got a little something for her at the swap meet Saturday. I will send pic tomorrow.
the Butterfly at the top of the carb should close almost all the way, until the car starts to warm up then progressively open to allow more air.
Oops! Forgot to get pic of new item... it's a gas cap, but I'm not sure it's a Pinto gas cap (sure looks like one!) It's even the same color as the car. Are there any identifying stamps or marks on the original Pinto gas caps? (FoMoCo, Ford in oval...?)
Meanwhile I'll manually close the butterfly (after the car's warmed up, as at this point the butterfly is wide open) but as soon as I depress the accelerator the BF opens wide again and the car won't start. When she cools off she's ok as long as I didn't kill the battery attempting to start her.
The only way I have been able to identify stock Pinto gas caps is to put it on the car. If it doesn't go on straight after turning it all the way, then it isn't Pinto! :P
I have done this with Mustang and Ranchero gas caps at the JY to check them before I purchase and neither fit the Pinto correctly.
Well, the color is a tad off... the cap goes on and I'm able to tighten it, but what do you mean if it won't go on straight?
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
The handle part of the gas cap should be horizontal. The cap in your photo is not correct. Sorry. Merry Christmas!
Dwayne :smile:
Dwayne got it! Sorry. :(
Merry Christmas!
Oh well... :cheesy_p: Thank you guys...
If you like it keep it no one else will know..
The woodgrain one on my bobcat does not always line up so i have to take it off rotate it and put it on again. phil
;DI came home from work today and found a '74 Pinto pamphlet waiting for me in the mailbox. Now I know a few things about my Baby: She is in what's called the Luxury Decor Group. She is Saddle Bronze Metallic (5T) with saddle interior (BZ) and optional flipper rear quarter windows. THis is information that's been driving me crazy not having.
While I was sitting in the Baby watching a glorious sunset tonight I made a mental list of things I can do that don't require too much brain power! :lol: I'm going to see if :
surgery can be performed onm the armrests (skeletal transplants); ???
pull all the spark plugs and check them (shoulda done that already I know); :rolleye:
check distributor (ditto on the shoulda done); :rolleye: :rolleye:
study study study the carburetor and see if I adjusted the wrong screw (probably did). :read:
Question: It'll be sitting in the driveway for a couple months without running. Is this OK? A neighbor who seems to know cars suggested I not run her til the mechanic has looked at the engine ( there's a tapping noise). I'm all for not making any problems worse.
If you plan to leave her sit, without runnign her I would get a thing of Sta-Bil from autozone or another parts store to keep the gas good so you dont have to do what I have to do. and drain the tank out and clean it.
:hypno:She has a full tank of relatively fresh gas (1 month ago it was filled) and she'll be sitting for only that couple months. If it's still a good idea to get Sta-Bil I will. Thanks.
After 60 days gas goes bad. mines been in there about 7 months.... i drive on a regular basis a 1997 Dodge caravan. Until i am done with the bobcat. and this Feb the van goes to its Home, and i get a 2001 Sable for a DD. So i would recommend that you use Stabil now before you have to drain the tank. its only 4-6$ for a thing of it. Best insurance you can get for your car. too bad i learned about it 3 months after i filled the car up. =/
Well, it's time for an update:
I tried to pull a spark plug wire off a spark plug (yes I gripped close to the plug, as opposed to pulling on the upper part of the attachment or the wire itself and the metal contact stuck on the spark plug anyway! >:( So it looks like I'll need new wires. I couldn't get the plug off because I need the right spinner. sigh.
The armrest is inoperable. The only chance it'll have to live is Loctite super glue. Because I don't want to rebrake it I am saving it for showtime and in the meanwhile Baby's sportin' these red-hot mamas (see pix)
It's good to have friends in high places (how do they look Pintogirl? lol.)
The more I look at your door panels, the more I want a set of them in black. :(
Borg Warner Select Series of spark plug wires have treated me well. And with a 5 year warranty, the deal is even better. I got my set for $35 at Schucks (Parts America).
SEM makes a vinyl paint, which I have been using to change the color of my new center console from bright RED to BLACK. It has worked very well, surprisingly.
I have used SEM paints before on my current console to change from gray to black, but that was on plastic. The new console is solid vinyl, and I was worried about the durability of the paint. Using SEM's Vinyl Prep spray (which is like a cleaner. spray on and wipe off), it seems to be holding up VERY nicely, and I highly recommend SEM interior paints to anyone. My local auto paint supply store will color match any color you have and mix it for spray can use too. Check around with your local auto paint supply stores and see what they can do for you if you want to continue using those armrests.
Quote from: blupinto on January 16, 2009, 07:43:00 PM
Well, it's time for an update:
I tried to pull a spark plug wire off a spark plug (yes I gripped close to the plug, as opposed to pulling on the upper part of the attachment or the wire itself and the metal contact stuck on the spark plug anyway! >:( So it looks like I'll need new wires. I couldn't get the plug off because I need the right spinner. sigh.
The armrest is inoperable. The only chance it'll have to live is Loctite super glue. Because I don't want to rebrake it I am saving it for showtime and in the meanwhile Baby's sportin' these red-hot mamas (see pix)
It's good to have friends in high places (how do they look Pintogirl? lol.)
Wow, those arm rest look awesome!! You sure are lucky to have an awesome friend like that!!! LOL They actually don't look all that bad!!
Love the leapord print seat covers!!!! ;D
Yep, sounds like a run to the parts store is in order. Maybe once you get new plugs and wires, your baby will run better??? Let's hope so!!! ;D
LOL! Good one Kim!
Dave, I am still on the lookout for door panels and other goodies folks here are looking for. I recommend these deluxe door panels for everyone! There's a similar door panel that doesn't reach back so far. I only have the decorative piece (I got this in the early '90s too).
Looks like she is really coming along. Really nice work.. I am jeaulous of you being able to work on your car at the moment. It's just too cold & & snowy for me to work on mine.
Thank you. I know I am fortunate to live in such a moderate climate. You folks in the ice and snow zones should move out here! ;)
Good news: I found some goodies at the Oceanside and Santee swap meets that'll help me work on the Pinto I have and the Mustang II I'm hopefully getting. I found an extension piece and a working ratchet for spark plug removal and a Haines Mustang II repair book for a couple bucks. Now the bad news: At the Kobey's swap meet in San Diego I somehow lost my little purse that had all kinds of important stuff in it like my drivers license, a credit card, ATM card, cell phone, nail file, AAA card, etc. I hate thieves! I couldn't go to the junkyard today like I had planned. Cards are cancelled at least.
>:(Did I mention I hate thieves? >:(
I have yet another question: Does anyone have any advice for repairing interior stuff where the threads are simply brittle? I gently but firmly tried to pull the fabrics (the headliner and the top of the back seat) but they won't stretch and I'm afraid if I force the issue (pardon the pun) I will be very sorry. Apparently the pix I took are in a mystery file. I'll post them later. Thank you.
Oh when will I learn...
I got an itchin' to fool with the Baby again and got her running. She idled well for a few minutes so I was encouraged to take her for a spin around my neighborhood. So far so good... until I turn around to go home. My turning point was a couple streets below where I live. I'm noticing a pattern here. Going down on a decline the Baby's fine. On level ground she's fine. Going up on an incline she's not fine! >:( Could this be a float issue or a fuel pump problem? I only bog down and stall on inclines we're ascending.
On a happier note I did find another crimpy hose that connects the air filter to the blue cannister filter.
Possible for the Fuel pump but its Mechanical so i dont know. as for the float issue i believe that it would do it no matter what if the float was messed up. Alternative is to add a small 6-8psi external pump to help boost volume to the mechanical pump.
Since I'm quite the novice about the fuel system I'll go along with that, but most Pintos can climb a hill without incident (running Pintos that is!) right? These aren't mountain-goat grade hills.
They SHOULD be able too. Mine did great when climbing over the blue mountains during my trip to Spokane a couple weeks ago!
It sounds like the fuel pump is going out, to me. I would recommend checking how much pressure you are getting from the pump using a gauge. Mine delivers a healthy 7-8 PSI.
If you convert to an electric pump, be sure to read through the safety thread here, and don't use a pump any higher than 4PSI. The mechanical pump delivers fuel in "spurts", an electric pump would give a constant stream of fuel.
Thank you both for the info. In your opinion, which is better or more beneficial- mechanical or electric (when all safety issues are met)? Come on Tax Refund! ;D
I really couldn't tell you. My gut is saying to go electric, as it is less likely to go out on you since just about every replacement mechanical pump available is re manufactured and I had four of them go out on me last year.
I have everything on my car to do an electric pump conversion, all I need to do is hook up the hoses. The only reason I have not done so, is I like the originality of the mechanical pump, and I have not yet found an adjustable fuel pressure regulator which will let me go down to 3.5 PSI, and still have a return valve on it.
Converting to electric does require some electrical knowledge, as you have to wire up a relay and the safety switch to operate when the car is running, and not when the ignition is off.
:-\ Er... I know how to install a solenoid on a highway landscape sprinkler, and I know to shut off the electricity in my house if I need to replace a lamp or ceiling fan, but I'm not that knowledgeable on car electronics. After reading that thread about the electric fuel pump and relays and Hobbs switches I think I'l gonna stick to the mechanical one. I want to keep my girl as close to stock as possible. Sorry about the duds you had to replace last year.
Yeah. The only reason I haven't gone to another supplier is because my dad purchased a replacement pump for it back in 1987 from Schucks and got the lifetime warranty on it. I can still get my fuel pump replaced free of charge because of that, and I never had enough cash to pay for a different one.
And so I leave you with, beware of Schucks, Parts America or O-Reily's reman fuel pumps!
;D Thank you Dave. I'm lucky to have a Pep Boys, Car Quest, Autozone, and Kragen (owned by the same folks that own Schucks). I'll shop around. But first I'll have my mechanic neighbor do that pressure test to see if that's the issue.
Dave my fuel pump is from a Yamaha seika. runs 5psi, and is set an an auxiliary switch. not hard to wire one in.
Update:
This morning my mechanic neighbor (a great guy, is Jerry!) took a look at the Bronze Metalist. He gauged the fuel pump pressure (average- 5 PSI) and was kind enough to do a compression check while he was at it. The readings averaged between 120 and 135. He looked at the spark plugs and judged them alright (no oil fouling, etc.) and checked the distributor and rotor. He does think the timing belt jumped or is otherwise off-kilter. He is also concerned about the knocking he hears in the engine. He says right now it's not driveable and the reason it's stalling on inclines is because the car doesn't have enough power to climb. Now I'm looking at timing belt (probably be a good time to replace it), battery, spark plug wires to replace for now. The belt might be fine, but I do see tiny cracks on the edge of the belt. Waaaa! I'm grounded!!!
Hey Kim!
I'm getting ready to do my timing belt so I'll take plenty of pictures, I've done it before, It's not difficult, just time consuming. I'm pretty sure Pep Boys still carries the belt. Keep your chin up.
Chuck
Quote from: discolives78 on January 31, 2009, 03:37:04 PM
Hey Kim!
I'm getting ready to do my timing belt so I'll take plenty of pictures, I've done it before, It's not difficult, just time consuming. I'm pretty sure Pep Boys still carries the belt. Keep your chin up.
Chuck
That would be Becky!!! LOL I'm sure she doesn't mind the name mix up though because we are Pinto buds!!!! LOL
Kim's right... it's all good. Now if mine ran as well as Kim's... And thank you Chuck! That would be swell!
That sucks about the timing belt, and I am sure hoping that the noise is nothing major. I hope you can get things figured out soon. I am still at a stand still on the Green Machine too. So don't feel bad. I can't get hubby to take her for a spin and I wont drive her the way she is!! So don't feel bad that you can't drive you baby!! I can't drive mine either! They are 2 Pintos in a pod!!!! LOL ;D
Keep us updated on the prognosis of the engine noise!!
Kim
Thank you Kim! Tomorrow I'm pricing timing belts (the Rodeo needs hers replaced soon too). I just realized... I have a two-car western event! (get it? Rodeo and Pinto) ah well, you had to be there! LOL.
AS for the car stall issue: does what my mechanic said make sense? Lacks power when strain is on engine because of timing issue and falters and dies?
I know we had a member here with a 2.0 motor in an early Pinto which had issues on inclines. It was due to low compression in a couple cylinders. They did a valve adjustment and it brought compression back up to acceptable ranges, letting the car climb much better.
Do you remember what the low compression numbers were? The lowest measured on mine was 120. I understand I want at least 120. If I could find that thread on the 2.0 I'll compare notes. Thank you. :)
I think the lowest ones were like 108-115 or something around there, might have been lower.
Hey Chuck! (I always wanted to say that! lol)
Kragen and Autozone carry the belt, and it's way cheaper than a T belt for the Rodeo! The belt for the Pinto is a little over $13. I would love for you to post pix. I've replaced a starter (on an '82 Capri), an alternator and power steering pump (on Capri again) plus light bulbs, oil and filter, and other misc. stuff. I even reconnected the speedometer in the '75 Maverick I had so briefly (I never got to see if I did it right). I've never replaced a timing belt- way too major for me. I think I'll do it by myself. Well, with your help! ;)
That's cool info. I probably won't get to the belt till next saturday, I went all out at the u-pull-it. Check out my project thread and my new Pinto pics, and let me know how my baby looks.
Thanks!
Chuck
;DAs a matter of fact I saw the new pix of yours a few minutes ago. She's a dandy. Yours reminds me a little of the Pinto I Could've Got (if Mom hadn't vetoed it!) The one I could've had was a medium blue metallic with the whole glass hatch and automatic. The car lot only wanted $750 or something like that in 1989. Mom liked the Yugo there (gag!) but we settled for the '81 Capri. The one that burned up. I'll bet the '78 would still be around if Mom let me have it.
Tell me about your boy named Sue.
I was also advised that since I'm replacing the timing belt anyway I should also replace the water pump too.
It is a good idea and a good time to replace the water pump. My water pump came from Napa the second year I had her, and has about 4 years and 12,000 miles under it's belt.
I had a dream. A friend of mine's dog was having puppies, and I was picking from the litter. I held a white puppy that glowed and that song was playing on the stereo when I woke up. Two weeks later, my friend told me his dog was pregnant, and asked if I knew anyone that wanted a puppy. The rest is history.
A good place to start with the timing belt is removing the grille, draining and removing the radiator, and removing the fan and fan belt.
Chuck :afro:
BTW, I have to have these stores order the belt 'cause they don't keep them in stock.
I've taken the plunge: I've started Project Timing Belt. So far I was able to loosen the alternator and the smog pump (with a little help from the neighbor on the smog pump) and drained the radiator. I discovered the lower radiator hose looks a lot older than the upper one, so I'll be replacing that. What ground my progress to a halt was the transmission cooling lines. There are two nuts on each line (get your minds outta the gutter folks! lol!) and I want to say that I "hold" one in place while I loosen the other one. Well, it's not working, and I'm afraid to force it. Am I doing this right? I want to remove the radiator as Chuck suggested.
While I'm here I want to ask a couple more questions:
Is there a way a novice sewer like me can fix my back seat and headliner where the threads are actually coming apart? I have needles and thread (not upholstery thread) but do I need to soften the fabrics before I attempt this? I've kinda tried to pull the headliner pieces back together but I'm afraid I'll rip a hole in the fabric because it's so tight.
use a 1500w heat gun or a hair dryer on high to soften the vinyl and make it more pliable. on the back seat, take it out and flip it over, use an awl or small pick to remove the staples from the backside top edge so you can hold up the material and stitch from behind. on the headliner, use a curved needle. I had to stitch a few places on mine, I just used ordinary thread. Don't pull too hard on the material, remember that it's old!
Chuck
I had to sew my headliner back together too. It isn't beautiful, but it keeps it off my head and out of my face!
My back seat is torn in the same place yours is. Mine is too brittle to attempt any repairs on though. :(
I have good rear seat vinyl from the 77bobcat I parted out last summer, I may attempt panel replacement if Chuck would like to give me some guidance though. ;) :P
Quote from: blupinto on February 12, 2009, 12:27:25 AM
I've taken the plunge: I've started Project Timing Belt. So far I was able to loosen the alternator and the smog pump (with a little help from the neighbor on the smog pump) and drained the radiator. I discovered the lower radiator hose looks a lot older than the upper one, so I'll be replacing that. What ground my progress to a halt was the transmission cooling lines. There are two nuts on each line (get your minds outta the gutter folks! lol!) and I want to say that I "hold" one in place while I loosen the other one. Well, it's not working, and I'm afraid to force it. Am I doing this right? I want to remove the radiator as Chuck suggested.
I'm not seeing a reason to pull the radiator! ??? I may be wrong on this, because I'm not a mechanic, but I would think to replace the belt all you would have to do is loosen the tenstioner (sp) and R&R the belt! Hubby just "re timed" my car and had to R&R the belt to do it, and he left the radiator in place!! I have a 2.0 though so maybe mine is different, isn't yours a 2.3? (sorry I don't recall (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/embaress2.gif)) I have never seen a 2.3 in person so maybe the belt is different??
I'm glad you are working on the 'copper queen'!! Can't wait to hear you say that you are driving it!! ;D
Quote from: blupinto on February 12, 2009, 12:27:25 AM
I've taken the plunge: I've started Project Timing Belt. So far I was able to loosen the alternator and the smog pump (with a little help from the neighbor on the smog pump) and drained the radiator. I discovered the lower radiator hose looks a lot older than the upper one, so I'll be replacing that. What ground my progress to a halt was the transmission cooling lines. There are two nuts on each line (get your minds outta the gutter folks! lol!) and I want to say that I "hold" one in place while I loosen the other one. Well, it's not working, and I'm afraid to force it. Am I doing this right? I want to remove the radiator as Chuck suggested.
Get some pb blaster and squirt it in the back of the nut wnere the line goes in . Let it soak for a while then get emery cloth (fine sand paper)and sand the line sort of polish it. Try to losen the line again working it slowly by loosen about half turn then tighen again loosen ect... untill it moves freely.
Phil
So is it the longer nut that moves and the short one stationary? I've never had to deal with cooling lines before (except to mourn the breaking of the blue Pinto's line) so I'm really dumb about this.
Well Kim, you should've heard the muttering going on yesterday as I was trying to figure out how to get the AC belt off. the AC belt, naturally, prevents the other belts from being removed. Mine is a 2.3. As I recall my '72 2.0 had WAY more working room (believe me- i resisted the radiator drop. I'm deathly afraid I'll screw something up! lol. ) and I don't remember her having a smog pump and I know she lacked an AC unit. That alone frees up some serious space. Also, that lower hose is crappy so I need to replace it before I go any real distance, much less to Knotts! I can't access that clamp at the engine block, so it has to be done. Plus, I want to replace the water pump.
I like to remove the radiator so it's easier to get the long bolts that hold the fan on out of the water pump. My car is a 2.3 4 speed, so I have no trans lines to contend with. My car also has no p/s and no a/c so my engine bay is fairly clear of clutter, however I am using a fan from an a/c car for better cooling here in the desert. If you can get to the necessary stuff to access the belt without removing the radiator, then by all means, skip this step. I just like to have a lot of elbow room.
Chuck
Just went and looked at a 77 Pinto with a 2.3! I see what you mean by not much room!!!!! :o I would take out the radiator!!! LOL(http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/laughing4-giggles.gif)
When I reset my timing belt early last year, I drained the radiator and removed the top hose. Then pulled the fan and pulley off, and then removed the timing belt covers. Once that was done, it was just a matter of loosening the idler pulley/tensioner and removing the belt. The reverse procedure to put it all back together.
I also have access to ratcheting wrenches, which helped immensely when getting to the belt cover bolts around the thermostat housing, and behind the crank pulley. They are made by GearWrench and available at Sears. So far they have proved to be a very worthy investment!
Quote from: dave1987 on February 12, 2009, 05:51:16 PM
I also have access to ratcheting wrenches, which helped immensely when getting to the belt cover bolts around the thermostat housing, and behind the crank pulley. They are made by GearWrench and available at Sears. So far they have proved to be a very worthy investment!
Oh yah, I love those wrenches!!! I have metric and american with the standard and stubby sizes!!!!! Don't leave home with out them!! Well, ok I do, but not when going to wrecking yards!!! LOL
Well worth the money!!!!
I didn't have a chance to work on her today but I did spray some lubricant on the nuts in question to soak overnight. Meanwhile I'll hope for a sunny day tomorrow. I don't have power steering in her but there really is a bunch of stuff. THe 2.0 had miles of room! The lower hose is on order so sometime tomorrow I'll have that, plus I purchased some radiator flush because the fluid that came out of mine had a distinctly brownish tint.
I wonder how much it costs to have the radiator pressure tested.
My dad and me had mine flushed, sealed and painted before i put my car back together again. I know mine had really trashed fins on it, but I don't recall any leaks. I think it was around $120 for the work done.
That's a good question. Mine doesn't currently have a leak (knock on wood). I ran her a few days ago to charge her new battery before I started on this daunting journey and leak-wise she was good. My hope now is when I reassemble what I disassembled that the result is the same. ;)
>:( Grrrr. I'm now at a stalemate. The whole project seems to hang on those two cooling lines, both of which the nuts won't budge. I can't replace the timing belt or put in the new water pumpo because I can't get the fan out because the fan's bolts are too long because the radiator's close to the fan and I can't remove the radiator because those dumb nuts won'd budge!!! I soaked them in WD40 overnight andf spritzed them a couple times today and all I've managed to do was round out the short nut on one side. >:(
Try going to an autoparts store and getting some "Nut Cracker" or penatrating oil! It works alot better and actually works it's way into the threads!!!!
Hold the one closest to the radiator and turn the one furthest from the radiator counterclockwise. under the larger of the two is a flare fitting.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3277886798_687af0bc62_o.jpg)
Sorry about the crude drawing, I'm a visual learner :)
Quote from: discolives78 on February 13, 2009, 07:11:08 PM
Hold the one closest to the radiator and turn the one furthest from the radiator counterclockwise. under the larger of the two is a flare fitting.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3277886798_687af0bc62_o.jpg)
Sorry about the crude drawing, I'm a visual learner :)
LOL that is a great drawing!!!!! LOL
It's kinda like the water line from the ice maker to the wall, same concept. I thought you were going to try it without pulling the radiator? :lol:
Chuck :afro:
I did try to do it w/out removing the Pain In The A-uh radiator but the water pump is behind the fan and I can't remove the fan because the bolts that hold the fan on the fly wheel (?) are slightly longer than the space between the fan and the radiator (naturally! lol.) Plus, I seem unable to remove the belt with the fan there.
I went to Kragen to pick up the lower radiator hose (another reason to remove the radiator) and one of the guys suggested ATF, type F or Dexron/Mercon. If nothing else I'll have to cut the line and insert special rubber transmission cooling line hose and new ends in their place. The guy I was talking to has a '71 Maverick that he did this with because his cooling lines broke.
Actually, Chuck, that's a better drawing than either Chilton's or Haynes had! lol. As it turns out I also had to remove the horn assembly to get to the lower left bolt holding the radiator in place.
because I have already begun rounding the stationary nut I think it's a good idea to not try that method (the normal way) anymore. Ideas, suggestions please! ;D
flare nut wrenches. these are for brake/fuel etc with similar fittings
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/3277435975_f29b43e268_o.jpg)
Chuck
If the nut is rounded, I have used a set of lock jaw pliers/vice grips to clamp down on the nut and turn it. This is how I had to remove the steel pump to carb fuel line that I have in storage so I could have it reproduced. Granted the place I had it reproduced did not make it right, but that is another story.
I'm afraid I don't have those kind of wrenches at my disposal, and thanks to Arnold the Governator they won't be in my budget anytime soon.
I have used channel locks to unfasten the oil drain plug on my Rodeo because that bolt was getting rounded. I'll give that a try before I perform a rubberdectomy.
Try using vise-grips instead of channel locks, tighten them until it takes most of your might to clamp them on the offending fitting, you may have a chance at not making it too much worse.
Last winter i replaced the water pump on my bobcat (ac, smog, power steering) and did not have to remove the radiator. it was a pain to get the bolts out of the fan. and the smog pump and its bracket had to come off to replace the lower hose. If you do have to cut the lines make sure to double clamp the rubber hose on each end on the low pressure side it don't matter but the high pressure side may leak. living in a RUST zone we learn a lot of home repairs.
The atf trick should work as well it broke free a seized motor in a few minutes that i had been playing with for a few weeks and could not budge. i put the tranny fluid in and by the time i got back with the tools it had mad the difference.
phil
Happily the atf thing worked!!! Thank you Phil for further endorsing that. What a relief it was when first one, then the other nut broke the tenacious hold onto their respective mates. The next hurdle was getting the fan pulley off the water pump. Then the pump itself wasn't moving for love or money (I'm getting the idea that the Baby wants to keep all her parts, warts and all! lol.). The W.P. gasket is no more so I'll be picking that up tonight. The sky here is cloudless now but there's rumored to be another storm tomorrow, so I'll resume this later.
Congrats on the great progress!!! I'm glad things are going better for you and baby!!! ;D Here's hoping for no rain in your area for tomorrow!!!
Kim
Thank you Kim and everyonme for your help. I just got back from a wild goose chase because the nearest AutoZone told me they had one water pump gasket but it disappeared after I got there. The guy at the counter told me the AZ "about a mile away" has one in stock. Also their radiator bolt clips had been opened and both packages were missing one clip. It turns out the AZ the yahoo was talking about was almost 5 miles away! No wonder I had a time locating it!
Now I have what I need (I hope!) to continue next time.
1) the old pump. Note a piece is missing from the heater hose outlet. The gasket was darn near nonexistent.
2) Can I get this pulley off without messing something up?
3) closeup of pulley (I believe it's the camshaft pulley, and the rest of the timing belt is on the sprocket.
I had that Issue with Autozone a few days ago when i went after a serpentine Belt for a family members car. They said they could order one and that it would be there the next day. I go in and It wasn't there Nor had they a record that they ordered the part. So they called around and found me a store that had the belt ( the hub store) so i go there and they should have picked the part and put t on hold, I get there and they are selling that belt to another person. Again they call around and I go on a goose chase to 9 other stores, all say they have the belt but when they go look its not there. Finally I went to checker and and low and behold the next day I have a belt for the car.
As for the pulley that you mentioned, I believe you can rent a pulley puller at Checker and or Autozone for those to take it off.
I'm taking it you don't have a Napa Auto Parts there???? That is the only place I go to for Pinto parts!!! Well, for most all my parts! I just don't like Kragen and AutoZone because 99% of the time, those places don't have the part I'm looking for!! Napa has never failed me. Well, maybe on the headlight and windshield wiper switches, but other then that, never failed me!! LOL
I'm glad things are going good for you now!!!! Can't wait to here about the first time you come back up the hill!!! LOL
Oh, Becky!! I'm trying to talk hubby into trailering my Pinto to Knotts!!!! So I hope I can meet you there!!! I have till April 5th to talk him into it!!!!! If I do, I'll be bringing the Ghost!! Since it is the one that actually can move on it's own with no problem!! LOL
Kim
Oh Kim that would be SO COOL!!!! Please do come! I would so love to meet you both and see The Ghost in the flesh (or at least the metal!lol) If all else fails put Hubby in a headlock! lol.
A pulley puller... now you've got me scared. I'm not so worried about if I can get the pulley off as much as I'm worried about turning the pulley nut and thus moving anything inside the crankcase.
Kragen had my WP and lower hose (the guy who has the '71 Maverick even gave me a discount!) so I don't really have issues with them but the human factor at AZ was what I took issue with ("oh, we can put a 12-hour hold on that gasket for you...") ("It's about a mile away if you stay on this road...") Grrrrrrr....
I have a Napa nearby but I think they close earlier than the others, and they didn't have my WP when I went around to get prices for stuff.
Quote from: blupinto on February 14, 2009, 11:28:56 PM
Oh Kim that would be SO COOL!!!! Please do come! I would so love to meet you both and see The Ghost in the flesh (or at least the metal!lol) If all else fails put Hubby in a headlock! lol.
A pulley puller... now you've got me scared. I'm not so worried about if I can get the pulley off as much as I'm worried about turning the pulley nut and thus moving anything inside the crankcase.
Kragen had my WP and lower hose (the guy who has the '71 Maverick even gave me a discount!) so I don't really have issues with them but the human factor at AZ was what I took issue with ("oh, we can put a 12-hour hold on that gasket for you...") ("It's about a mile away if you stay on this road...") Grrrrrrr....
I have a Napa nearby but I think they close earlier than the others, and they didn't have my WP when I went around to get prices for stuff.
I may come down on my bike (m/c) if I can't talk hubby into taking the car, or going at all!!!
Oh yah, forgot that I have a Napa Wharehouse here! so that kinda makes a difference on them having my parts!! The little Napa stores within the city don't have the parts all the time, but I live close to the main warehouse, so that is where I go first!!
Off topic a bit, but my kid drove my Pinto out of the garage for the first time!!!! LOL I was excited for him to be driving such a classic, although he didn't realize what he was driving!! LOL
Ok, back on topic!! LOL Can't wait to here how tomorrow goes for you Becky!! I hope you can make more progress on the Baby!!! I'm planning on starting on the "patch job" on the headliner on the Ghost tomorrow!!!
You know I was thinking, we really do have carbon copy's of cars now!! My Ghost is supposed to be a Copper color!!!!!! It is an automatic too!!! LOL
Kim
And Ghost has pop-out widows too... ;)
Congrats on Ghost being driven! Yes, it seems the younguns don't appreciate history til they're artifacts themselves! lol.
One thing I noticed AZ has is clips for trim and interior panels. I'll have to hunt for what you need...
the nearest Napa Warehouse to me is about 18-20 miles from me.. Not a drive i really wanted to do. They do carry alot of parts but Im not Going to go there if they are far away.(unless im going to the J/Y anyways
Quote from: 75bobcatv6 on February 15, 2009, 01:56:21 AM
the nearest Napa Warehouse to me is about 18-20 miles from me.. Not a drive i really wanted to do. They do carry alot of parts but Im not Going to go there if they are far away.(unless im going to the J/Y anyways
Yah, my Napa is about 15 miles from me too! I have a Kragen and AutoZone about 1/2 mile away in either direction. After numerous failed tries on getting parts from them I finally gave up and just do the drive to Napa!! LOL
I gotta admit I also go to Kragen for ulterior motives... ::) besides the friendly service and that I relied on Kragen (in San Diego) when I had my first Pinto, I can flirt with the Maverick guy that works at this one! ::) :laugh:
Quote from: blupinto on February 15, 2009, 11:58:52 AM
I can flirt with the Maverick guy that works at this one! ::) :laugh:
I guess that is the best reason for going there then!!!! ;D
::) Well, you know... ::)
As for the pulley: I have a short respite from the storms headed my way. Can I simply loosen that nut on the crankshaft pulley or can doimg this be detrimental to the inner workings of the engine? Remember: I am an idiot about stuff like this so be patient with me!!! Pleeeeeze...
I have decided to have my next door neighbor/mechanic pull the harmonic balancer (crankshaft) pulley because I cannot do it myself. He will also replace the timing belt and put the timing right. I don't know what I'm looking for, and the books I have are really no help. Once that's done I will personally replace the water pump, put the fan and radiator all back on myself (I can do that! lol.) so I hope folks out here in Pintoland won't think less of me because I cannot do it all. But that's why I sometimes pathetically plead for help, like on the pulley. I just want the BAby to be able to safely make the trip to Buena Park and back. And beyond, for that matter.
Quote from: blupinto on February 19, 2009, 05:30:10 PM
I have decided to have my next door neighbor/mechanic pull the harmonic balancer (crankshaft) pulley because I cannot do it myself. He will also replace the timing belt and put the timing right. I don't know what I'm looking for, and the books I have are really no help. Once that's done I will personally replace the water pump, put the fan and radiator all back on myself (I can do that! lol.) so I hope folks out here in Pintoland won't think less of me because I cannot do it all. But that's why I sometimes pathetically plead for help, like on the pulley. I just want the BAby to be able to safely make the trip to Buena Park and back. And beyond, for that matter.
Oh, Becky! I can't believe you have stooped to letting someone else work on the car! LOL Heck yah, with that kind of stuff I would be doing the same thing!! Course I did! I had hubby and his friend to the timeing and all on my car. Don't worry, I don't think any thing less of you!!! You are playing it smart!!!! ;D
Kim
You silly goose! :lol:
So have you convinced Hubby to trailer The Ghost down this way? (say yes, say yes)
Quote from: blupinto on February 19, 2009, 08:50:53 PM
You silly goose! :lol:
So have you convinced Hubby to trailer The Ghost down this way? (say yes, say yes)
I'm still working on it!!!! LOL Keep your fingers crossed!!!!!
Out of all the repairs you will encounter, pray that you will never have to do your ball joints yourself. I am in the process of doing them and it will end up being a three day thing. Well worth it in the end, just very fustrating and time consuming. I haven't slept in 21 hours and I work in two. ugh.
I don't mean to be dumb (but I know I am!) but how do you know when to replace ball joints? As for loss of sleep, I hear you. I'm kept up nights lately because I only got half a paycheck and my mortgage is approx. 1 1/4 paychecks per month. This just happened early this week. Sorry. I got off topic.
Yikes :o
What happened... did your hours get cut ???
By the way, not all of us are mechanics. You are already tackling jobs I wouldn't even dream of doing. On the other hand, I do quite well with bodywork, paint and interior work. That's why it was so important to me to locate a good-running Pinto, regardless of its cosmetic issues.
Best of luck!
Dwayne :smile:
Thank you dga57. You flatter me!
:drunk: :devil: ;D :D :lol: :tgif: :laugh: :amazed:
I don't think I can keep it in... OOOOH I CAN'T!!!! WHOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My wonderful reliable most-favoritist neighbor mechanic went above and beyond the call of duty and not only put the timing belt on and timed everything but he put on the water pump (he offered. what am I gonna say no?! lol.) and took off that dratted harmonic balancer (crankshaft) pulley. I learned all about the pulley puller and how to use it. Here's hoping I'll never need to use one! lol. :drunk:
After he got the TB on and everything in sync he had me start it. OMG!!!! IT SOUNDS LIKE A PINTO!!!!! Not the rattletrap it sounded like before.
So here's the exciting part. He put that stuff above on and I replaced everything I took off (radiator and hoses, cooling lines, fan and shroud, new spark plug wires). I hadn't had a bite to eat from 7:30 am til 7:00 pm. I was on my feet all day watching Jerry and keeping him company and when I wasn't I was busy soaking my sweatpants in atf that escaped the cooling line hose loop he created and knocking greasy dirt chunks (the name of my new band! lol.) into my eyes while underneath the Baby. lol.
Oh. the exciting part... I feel like it's Christmas. As exhausted as I am I don't know if I can sleep, for tomorrow I will top off her missing fluids and TAKE HER ON A MAIDEN VOYAGE!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! :drunk: ;D :lol: :surprised: :amazed: :afro:
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I"m so excited for you Becky!!!!!(http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/cheerleader.gif)(http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/lala.gif) That is just to awesome, what a great neighbor you have!!!!! I know your going to love your Maiden Voyage!!!! Hey, do me a favor and go to your local "beanery" for me!!!!! ;D
Have fun tomorrow!!!!! (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/wings.gif)
Kim
I was tempted to ask Jerry to take a picture of me elbow deep in my car's vitals with my digi camera but blah me with non-flattering clothes plus a bunch of old car grease smeared all over me would've broke said camera! lol.
I didn't mean to go so overboard with my exuberance. I needed this. I've been so depressed because my paycheck is drastically reduced (hello chronicallyoverdrawnville!) and my on-the-job injury is not getting better (more reduction in pay- only 2/3 of my normal paycheck.). So any small victory for me I'll embrace with all my might. And when it concerns that gorgeous little Saddle Bronze Metallic dreammobile in my driveway it's so much more so.
I love your emoticons Kim! The cheerleader ones really reflect how I feel right now. I can't keep the smile off my face!
The Baby's probably always going to be a work in progress. THis was a major hurdle (aside from engine rebuild, ball joints ::) etc.) Tomorrow I want to explore why Baby's heater hoses are looped (bad heater core I'll bet). To have a car that won't die on me on a minor incline will be so good. Did I mention SHE SOUNDS LIKE A PINTO!?! LOL!
I want to thank everyone who gave me hope and suggestions. The people who share my Pinto Passion are a great bunch! (not that non-Pinto people aren't) but you all are the best! :-*
:drunk: ;D :tgif:
For the ball joints, the clear sign to replace mine was the boots on them. Mine were torn open, shooting out all the grease I would fill them with onto the wheel well skirts, every time I hit a bump. No point in greasing ball joints if they are going to leak, right? If they arn't greased, they wear quicker, and ball joints are what hold your spindles to your control arms, and tires are mounted to your spindles....you get the point. :)
A good way to check for wear is to jack the front of your car up, then rock the tire in and out with hands on the top and bottom of it. If there is excessive movement, then they will need to be replaced.
If you have torn boots, your spindles will be COVERED in grease, like piled on. I scraped off grease piles 1/2" thick off the driver's side, and yesterday I scraped off grease piles an ENTIRE INCH THICK off the passenger side. I didn't realize the spindles were soo narrow, as the grease build up made them look a lot bigger!
Now my front suspension is nice and clean, and should make it easy for the alignment shop to work on! :D
I haven't had an alignment done on the car since the engine rebuild due to the ball joints. Les Schwab wouldn't give the car back unless the ball joints were replaced due to leaking grease boots.
Good luck on the maiden voyage, and I hope you don't have any unexpected events happen along the way!
:accident:
(this is my earlier euphoria coming to an unceremonious halt.)
My anticipation turned quickly to dismay when, upon turning Baby's key a disturbingly clattery sound erupted from her innards. It sounded like thin sheetmetal hitting more thin sheetmetal. I and a couple neighbors looked to no avail. Meanwhile the sound little by little faded away.
On her very brief maiden voyage Baby wasn't accelerating as well as she should, but at least she didn't stall on the way up the hill- she faltered and stalled in front of my house. There's gas in the tank (treated with Sta-Bil). This was suspect because she felt like she was starving for gas. Perhaps she is. I changed that fuel filter a couple months ago and didn't get too far since. When I took the line that goes into the filter and what was caught in the collection cup? Surprise surprise... gas and sediment. Lots of sediment. I'm so bummed now. :'( >:( :drunk:
You should be happier. You know what the problem is and it's an easy repair.
Just keep a few filters on hand until the gunk clears out.
DGH
Yeah, I though about just buying a gross of the things but if there's that much metal particles in the tank I'll run out of filters before I run out of gunk. It looks like I need to drop the tank and at least empty it of everything. At this point I can't trust the Baby driving down the street- much less to Orange County and back. :'(
Do you want cheese with your whine Becky? :lol:
Quote from: blupinto on February 21, 2009, 07:33:46 PM
Do you want cheese with your whine Becky? :lol:
Thats just MEAN Kim!!! :cheesy_n:
Becky, sounds like one of the pulleys hitting the timing belt cover, they tend to get bent pretty easy.
Say "I'm sorry" Kim or you're going to time out! :lol:
Quote from: 71pintoracer on February 21, 2009, 09:29:36 PM
Thats just MEAN Kim!!! :cheesy_n:
Becky, sounds like one of the pulleys hitting the timing belt cover, they tend to get bent pretty easy.
Say "I'm sorry" Kim or you're going to time out! :lol:
Hey, I didn't say that, she said that to herself!!!! Me and Becky are Pinto buds, we only say that kind of stuff to each other in PM's!!!!!!!! LOL
I'm sad to here you are still having problems with your baby! Sure wish you were closer, I know a radiator guy that can clean out your tank!! Hopefully you can get it out and cleaned soon.
I have confidence that you will have the baby up and on it's hooves before to long!!!! Just keep on reining her in!!! ;D
Kim
Sorry you took one for the team Kim!
I made that comment because I'm afraid I'm becoming maudlin about this whole thing. Kim's too nice to say that, and even if she did I'd be LMAO. So sorry for any misunderstanding overall.
Well, send your tank guy over! lol. I hope he takes smile payments 'cause the cash flow is all dried up! lol. (it should be col, or crying out loud, but what's the use!) My fear is if I do drop the tank I'll have to replace seals and stuff. I would like to replace the sending unit while it's down but no mon no fun.
As for reining Baby in, it's not hard to rein a dead horse (or at least a comatose one!) lol.
oops, my bad! ;) I tend to get you girls mixed up! Are you sure you're not twins? :lol:
I mixed up the girls too! Clean out the tank and things should get back to normal (or at least further along). It should be one of the first steps considered when resurrecting an old car. I did it to my Pinto for the same reason, 4 fuel filters in two weeks.
Chuck
p.s. will be under the hood today
rrrrr....rrrrr....rrrr......w...w..w.w.w.waaaaaAAAAAA.......WWWWaaaaAAAAAAA....POW....wwwaaaaaAHHHHH....POW....wwwaaaaaAAAAHHHHH....POW :mad:
That's ok that you get us mixed up guy's1!! We're Pinto Sisters!!! ;D LOL
Becky, I would try getting a longer gas line hose, and then putting several cheapy plastic filters in line with each other. Then once you start seeing clear filters, just go back to you normal gas line and filter. So let's say put maybe 2 or 3 filters in line. That way what doesn't get caught by one, it will most likely get caught by the other. Even if you had to tie the gas line up to something for now, it would probably be a cheaper fix, for now! Or, at least I would think you would be able to drive her a bit more with more filters in line!!
I was just talking to hubby about you having problems with your car, he say's to send up here!!!! I think that would cost more then you pulling the tank yourself though! ;D
Hopefully the money situation will turn around soon.
The first filter will just trap 99.9% of the crud while the rest in the series do mostly nothing.
Have you ever thought of doing something really old school, like put a sediment bulb in before the filter? Still prepare to empty that every few blocks until things clear up.
Quote from: dholvrsn on February 22, 2009, 12:40:43 PM
The first filter will just trap 99.9% of the crud while the rest in the series do mostly nothing.
Well, wouldn't that mean the carb would be getting nothing but clean gas? Or does that mean the first filter will catch all the crud and plug up, stopping gas flow??
Kim
If they're all in a series, the first filter will be the one doing all the filtering and clogging up. The others will be pretty redundant and useless.
My 73 that is in my avitar has a tank with a bunch of crud to it. I filled it up before I found out how bad it was. I had to rebuild my carb and replace the fuel pump even before I could move the car from where it was stored. After rebuilding the carb and changing the pump, I installed two filters between the carb and pump. Shortly after bringing the car home, the fuel pump died again. I replaced it with a new one this time and installed a filter before the fuel pump. This seemed to work well enough to run the tank down to empty. Now I am waiting for some time to drop the tank and take a peek inside. I have a perfect spare to swap in if I need to.
I would just hang in there and fix one problem at a time. It may be frustrating at times but eventually you will end up having a car you can drive and trust. I went thru the same issues with my crusing wagon. It was supposed to be an easy fix but after I really got into it, it turned into more of a project that I anticipated. I was on the verge of scrapping her because it needed so much work. I stuck with it and am finally driving it. All you need to do is get over the hump and you will end up enjoying the car. Good luck
Quote from: discolives78 on February 22, 2009, 08:28:52 AM
I mixed up the girls too! Clean out the tank and things should get back to normal (or at least further along). It should be one of the first steps considered when resurrecting an old car. I did it to my Pinto for the same reason, 4 fuel filters in two weeks.
Chuck
p.s. will be under the hood today
rrrrr....rrrrr....rrrr......w...w..w.w.w.waaaaaAAAAAA.......WWWWaaaaAAAAAAA....POW....wwwaaaaaAHHHHH....POW....wwwaaaaaAAAAHHHHH....POW :mad:
Did you plant a bug on the Baby, Chuck? Because what you just described was the sound coming from the engine compartment. What you didn't include was my pleadings (c'mon Baby! Dammit! Just once Baby! C'mon! !*&$#^!)
THe filter thing: What a few of you suggested was what was suggested by this cute guy who visits across the street and knows the trials and tribulations of Baby and he said he might be able to secure one. I don't know if it's that bulb thing but Boyfriend (I call him that secretly. He's GORGEOUS! lol.) said it comes apart, so that might be what he's talking about. Hell, I won't mind emptying it out now and then if it benefits the car. Dropping the tank is probably less scary than replacing the timing belt for me, but it's up there.
Now for an update: In spite of the BRAND NEW THIS MORNING fuel filter installed the Baby will not start. The fuel pump works- believe me. After I collected another sample of her gas I forgot to put the tube back on the filter and when I pumped the accelerator the gas shot all the way to the valve cover.
THe sample: I collected about an ounce of her fuel and it sat in a cup for maybe 15-20 minutes. When I looked at it again it was really cloudy and had these oily looking globules (is that a word!?) rolling around with the sediment. The gas was pee-colored when collected, and was cloudy-pee colored at this point. The tank had had Sta-Bil, lead additive and fuel booster from before I brought her home to a few weeks ago. What does the cloudy globule pee-color mean?
I would replace the fuel entirely after Cleaning it out.
Do I need a special tool for removing the sending unit from the gas tank?
I'm curious: In my 1974 Pinto brochure I see that tinted windows are recommended for cars with a/c. The car where this is said didn't look like it had tinted windows. I'm looking at my car now and it looks like her windows are dark. It's overcast outside. I went out and looked at the stamp on her pass. side quarter window and it says Carlite tempered sun-x. Is this factory tinted glass?
The 'sun x' is the factory tint. on cars with optional 'tint' back in the day, it wasn't nearly as dark as the tint film applied today, it usually had more of a greenish glow to it. if you open the door with the window up, and look thru the glass and then at the sky around the glass, you should see a different color.
Chuck
p.s. make sure your windows are clean before trying this.
How rare is factory tinted windows, at least in '74 models?
"..... What does the cloudy globule pee-color mean?......"
:lol:it has kidney stones?
Quote from: srt on February 23, 2009, 03:42:49 AM
"..... What does the cloudy globule pee-color mean?......"
:lol:it has kidney stones?
i'm sorry. i have had a recent bout with those and i couldn't resist. maybe a little humor is the prescription that is needed to make the task go a bit smoother.
The discolored fuel sounds like it's bad, or over diluted with additives. The gas from my 78's tank looked like that when I added fuel stabilizer to gas that had sat for five years.
If not that, then maybe srt is right... ;) :P
My 78 Sedan came with factory tint, although it doesn't even look like it has it on it. It has the tint strip across the top of the windshield, but the rest of the windows look clear. I do notice a slight color change when I have a window rolled down part way though, so I know it's there. That and the "build sheet" that I requested from Ford a few months ago states that it was on the car when sold.
Thank you Chuck and Dave for the tint info. Thank you srt for the humor! Kidney stones are no fun from what I gather but if these globules were kidney stones they would never hurt. They look like oil balls at the bottom of the cup with bits of sediment rolled in them.
So do I need a special tool to remove the sending unit or can the right wrench do the job safely? Or (better still) Is there a way to drain the tank without siphoning or drilling a hole in the bottom?
When I did mine, I just removed the filler neck (which you will have to do anyway), stuck some vinyl tube in there, connected to a fluid pump (bought at auto parts store), and pumped it until it came out consistantly, then disconnected the pump and let the vacuum of the running fuel pull all the gas out.
Once the tank was empty, I dropped it with the support of a floor jack underneath. Once done, you can tip it over to get the remaining fuel out.
After it's empty, flip it over, and use a brass drift (no sparks) and hammer to turn the fuel sender locking ring, alternating tabs from one side to the other. Once the ring is loose, you should be able to just pull the sender out.
While you have the sender out, inspect the tank for rust, and check the screen at the end of the pickup. If it is still intact, you are good. If not, you can google to find ideas on how to build a screen for it. I think a couple members here have had to do that.
If you find rust in the tank, fill it with a few handfuls of loose gravel and pour a couple cups of gas in the tank, seal it up with duct tape and shake the hell out of it for about 15 minutes. That should loosen up a majority of the surface rust. Then pour some acetone into the tank to remove any film of gunk at the bottom of the tank, and let it sit for about an hour, should be long enough to penetrate anything nasty. Use either acetone or chem-dip parts cleaner for this.
If you decide to have the tank boiled out at a radiator shop, you will need to re-coat the inside of the tank so it does not rust again. I hear that por15 is a God for this!
EDIT: I forgot to include, that you might want to check your vent valve and grommet while the tank is out. It should be above where the filler neck goes in, with some hose coming off of it. I replaced my vent valve, grommet, and the hose on it while I had mine down, as it turned out that it was the source of my gas smell in the car after filling the tank full.
You can find the valve and grommet at sscenterprises.net. You will also need a new fuel sender o-ring. Here are links to the parts you will need.
http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=89 (http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=89)
http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=90 (http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=90)
http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=85 (http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=85)
I wonder if your globules are water? I know water does bubble up at the bottom!
Kinda off topic, and forgive me if this makes anyone mad, but, did you all know if you add the and the (http://and%20the) at the beginning and end of your links, they will become clickable??? I'm just saying this because it is a lot easier to click then to copy and paste!!! ;D Ok, I know, I"m being lazy!!! ;D
See, like this!!!
http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=89 (http://www.sscenterprises.net/4images/details.php?image_id=89)
It also opens the link in another tab, so you can just go back to the original topic easier, them being sent away from it!!!! ;D
Add the what? lol
when you tried demonstrating it changed your "and the" to a link. :P
EDIT: I found the button to do what you are talking about. Adding the [ U R L ] and the [ / U R L ] at the beginning and end of web addresses. All without spaces of coarse. :)
Wha...? :read: ??? ??? :drunk: :sleep:
I'm obviously computer illiterate. and the ???
Anyway, Dave, are you talking acetone as in nail polish remover acetone or cp acetone?
Also, can I use a long-handled brush (wire) to scrub the stuff out? Because of my elbow injury I'm not supposed to grasp, push, pull, lift, blah blah blah with my left arm.
Money's really tight right now. I'm getting disability but the Governator has effectively cut my salary.
Quote from: dave1987 on February 23, 2009, 02:07:00 PM
Add the what? lol
when you tried demonstrating it changed your "and the" to a link. :P
EDIT: I found the button to do what you are talking about. Adding the [ U R L ] and the [ / U R L ] at the beginning and end of web addresses. All without spaces of coarse. :)
LOL, Yah, didn't even notice that! LOL I thought I checked everything before I actually posted!! Well, you fixed it for me and put what the "and the" was all about!! LOL
Sorry for the threadjack Becky!!!
I use acetone as in the paint thinner type. Home Depot sells it in quarts and gallons. I think it's about $15 for a gallon though.
Did you get your tank dropped yet? Just wondering how it went!!!
I figured something good happened to my Pinto todsy, so it is now your turn to have good Pinto Luck!!!!! ;D
Wow Kim... you're a day off but... you're right! :tgif: :drunk: :laugh:
Today was Drop The Tank Day. I feared it would be a scary deal, but it really wasn't. The straps came right off, the fuel hoses and electrical unit that attaches to the sending unit were reluctant to comply but it got done.
Picture #1 is the fuel that was in the tank. The color resembled pee from someone who didn't drink enough water. And oooh the rust...
Picture #2 is the rust, filter pieces, etc. that came out with the acetone rinses. Rusted Flakes anyone? They're GRRRROSS!!! LOL!
Picture #3 is the ever-lovin' sending unit. Amazingly I didn't screw that up! The float is outta here. That's moot, though... the sending unit (electrical-wise) is no bueno. My mechanic friend next door and I tested it.
I got four great compliments today on this project: one from the gas/electric meter reader, one from the mail carrier (both because of the Pinto "It's been YEARS since I saw a Pinto!), one from the neighbor directly across from me and the mechanic next door ("You amaze me.", I've got to hand it to you, it's cool to see a girl working on a car.") Those latter two mean A LOT to me. I'm so darn proud of myself!
I'm letting the tank dry for a couple days. Meanwhile, I'm wondering what you folks recommend to replace the filter on the sending unit. I'm not in any financial shape to get the tank boiled or coated inside, but are there any low-budget things I can do to slow tank deterioration?
I am amazed that I hadn't messed up the sending unit seal. The unit itself wasn't hard to remove at all. The seal is still pliable-feeling and its surface is smooth. The groove it sat in on the tank is rust-free. I will replace all the fuel lines in that area. The old ones are pretty shot.
Wow!! That is awesome!! I'm glad things went well!!! I did a google search for "tank sealer" this is one of the links I found!!! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/POR-15-FUEL-TANK-SEALER-PINT-POR15_W0QQitemZ290292821671QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item290292821671&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/POR-15-FUEL-TANK-SEALER-PINT-POR15_W0QQitemZ290292821671QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item290292821671&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318) Doesn't seem to expensive!!! I know there are alot of sealents out there! We had to do my m/c tank and we used a 2 or 3 step tank sealer kit, just can't recall the name of it. I'm sure it was more then 22.00 bucks though! LOL
Oh, I didn't see any pics???
Congrats again on the tank drop!!! ;D
??? Well duh! I had a few whiffs too many of the varnish-smelling gas and acetone fumes! Here they are! :lol:
I'd better correct myself on an earlier post. Most of the fuel was darkest urine-colored; the dregs was downright sewage-colored! Yuck! :P :cheesy_p: :surprised:
All that stuff came out of your tank????? NO wonder it didn't want to run!!!! Yuck!!!!
She's going to run like a top, once you get it all back together!!!! ;D
:lol: That's exactly what my mechanic next door said! lol. I sure hope you're both right. Cross your fingers Sunday.
P.S. Kim, you said in your Ghost thread that she has a tapping noise. So does Baby! Jerry (the mechanic) suggested I try Lucas something or other (I went to Kragen tonight and there was EVERYTHING by Lucas. Fuel additive, oil additive, oil(!), transmission additive...) Anyway, Jerry told me to add this and it might unstick the lifter or whatever.
Quote from: blupinto on February 27, 2009, 11:30:36 PM
:lol: That's exactly what my mechanic next door said! lol. I sure hope you're both right. Cross your fingers Sunday.
P.S. Kim, you said in your Ghost thread that she has a tapping noise. So does Baby! Jerry (the mechanic) suggested I try Lucas something or other (I went to Kragen tonight and there was EVERYTHING by Lucas. Fuel additive, oil additive, oil(!), transmission additive...) Anyway, Jerry told me to add this and it might unstick the lifter or whatever.
I bought a valve cover gasket and hubby is going to adjust the lifters this weekend!!! Then I probably won't be able to drive it till sometime next week. :( It's supposed to rain for the next 4 or so days and with my now really bad leaky windshield, I can't even go out in a light rain!! (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/pfft.gif)
I can't wait till I here about your actual "Maiden Voyage"!!!! You are getting a lot closer to it now!!! ;D
We're Sisters in Pain, you and I! Our cars too!
Bless him, Jerry said sometime this weekend when I reattach the gas tank and put some fresh fuel in it he'll play with the carburetor. He too has faith that she'll run again. He's pretty sure that between the crap on the bottom of the tank and the crap that used to be useable gasoline that was also in the tank it was no wonder the Baby was going nowhere! I can't wait. Hopefully we'll be cheering for real this time.
The rain will be here THursday or Friday, last I looked. It's the Rodeo that leaks here! (col! :'( ) But then you haven't seen the Baby's windshield "fix"! I hope you convinced Hubby to do the Knotts thing! You'll lyao!
Crazy Horse made a screen out of 100% cotton sheet and coat hanger wire, which he mentions in this thread:
http://www.fordpinto.com/smf/index.php/topic,876.0.html
losin sux replaced his with a 100% cotton pillowcase swath and hose clamp, mentioned here:
http://www.fordpinto.com/smf/index.php/topic,1226.0.html
I used a screen from a fuel sender I pulled out of a 78 Bobcat wagon. The sender was different but the screens are the same. They twist and pull off, and then twist and push back on. If you can find a Pinto at the junkyard with a fuel tank on it, it's worth a shot checking to see if there is a sender with a complete screen still on it.
Had 0 luck in finding POR15 and a replacement screen, so I bought 100% cotton sheeting and used zip ties. Put the tank and other bits back together and in their places, bought 5 gallons fuel and ... Baby still doesn't run >:(. The likely culprit now looks to be varnish in the jets. Any ideas besides rebuild time? Is that all I can do at tghis point? Note: I know NOTHING about carburetors! lol. I do know mine is a Holley 'cause it says so in the bowl; I know it's a two-barrel.
BTW, thank you for the suggestions. I hadn't seen threads about sending unit intake filters. I looked in past Your Projects and FAQs.
Anyway, Jerry told me to add this and it might unstick the lifter or whatever.
[/quote]
Your car does not have lifters. (2.0, right?) Most likely needs the valves adjusted, or a cam lobe and rocker are worn. I have polished a cam lobe smooth with emory cloth and replaced the worn rocker and it was quiet again!
BTW, it takes 2 special wrenches to adjust the valves, however you can get a couple of cheap wrenches (15 & 19 mm) and cut them in half and that will work. Not much room around the carb area. You also have to grind them to make them thinner so they both will fit on the adjustment nuts. You have to hold one and tighten the other so both wrenches need to be in there at the same time.
As far as your fuel problem, yea, the carb is full of junk. Get a can of carb cleaner (the kind to soak parts in, not the spray kind) and a carb kit. They are really simple carbs.
Pinto carbs are a sinch to rebuild. Not a whole lot of parts, and it really isn't that complicated. Most rebuild kits come with instructions, and the only "hard" part is remembering where things went, and which orientation they were originally in, in the first place. Even that is easy, with the aid of a digital camera!
Not to make you worry or anything, but I would be wary about using zip ties to hold something onto the fuel pickup tube. I don't know how long plastic zip ties would hole up to something like gasoline, which is somewhat of a solvent.
B-12 chemtool in the can(looks like a paint can), comes with a parts soaker. i use this when i do the carb on the bobcat. they make a medium can and a large one the large is about 18 dollars but worth the money. just make sure all rubber seals are off what ever you soak to get the varnish out. or you will have leaks all over the place.
Actually I have a 2.3 and there's that chance I misquoted Jerry on the lifter thing. Like I said (I think), I AM DUMB! Working on the Baby certainly has enlightened me on things like sending units and harmonic balancers but I AM DUMB!!! Still!
Someone else endorsed the can of B-12 Chemtool. I did (VERY carefully) take the top of the carb off to see the float bowl. It wasn't that lovely yellow color but it looked like whitish or grayish flakes of something in the bottom of the bowl. That's as far as I dared go.
I hope no one here resents a clueless bird like me trying to work on her car like a guy. I have to be independent because I don't have anybody but a handful of friends and you folks. And some of those friends don't know a Pinto from a Pontiac. So please bear with me and keep your fingers crossed that I'll be able to bring her to Knotts next month!
P.S. I hope that last paragraph didn't put anyone's nose out of joint. It's just that sometimes I feel stupid among those who know a lifter from a tappet. Thank you.
Don't feel stupid that is why we are all here to help each other and share ideas and accomplishments You are doing great with you car.
phil
Your 2.3 does have lifters. Thought you had a 2.0, that must be Kim, I keep getting you girls mixed up! :lol: So the additive may help, although you could still have a worn cam lobe or rocker.
Believe me, you are far from stupid! I'm impressed by the work you do on your Pinto! :surprised:
Becky, I know how you are feeling!! It started with me on the green machine! I would get all excited that something went right, just to find out that something else is going wrong! Now the green machine is on the back burner, I'm dealing with the same issues with the ghost. All excited then bumbed! LOL Just think though, once we get through all these ups and downs, we'll have new cars!! LOL
Keep working on her, your doing great!!!
Kim
Alright alright. Now I feel bad for dumping on you guys! Sorry about that! :surprised: Thank you for the good words. My late brother, who was a gearhead (bona fide) would be proud of me, I think. Years ago when I had my 1st Pinto (the blue one, hence my site name Blupinto) he saw me polishing the old girl's oxidated Grabber Blue coat and offered to help me fix her. Amazing in itself, since he wasn't talking to us (his family) because we weren't Church of Christ believers but he still lived with us (don't ask.) He got out of that cult long enough to catch up with us before drunken driving in Glamis took him from us. Anyway he could tear apart a car or motorcycle engine and fix its issues and did this a lot. Unfortunately he couldn't fix the '72s cracked cooling (tranny) line and the old girl had to be towed away to the Great Highway In The Sky. I still grieve.
Anyway, Yeah I'm bummed about not having a running Pinto but the good news is, I'm narrowing her problems down. She has BRAND NEW FUEL in a CLEANED TANK and had her TIMING BELT replaced and timed properly and she sports a new WATER PUMP and HOSES. Her fuel lines are not stopped up and fuel is getting to the float bowl but not to where they can ignite. Her compression ranges between 120 and 135. Spark plugs are good and unfouled and her wires are brand new. Tomorrow I am replacing her oil and filter and putting a quart of Lucas oil treatment in the crankcase. I'll look for that Chemtool stuff tomorrow too. ;D
;D And thank you to Mr. Fred Morgan. I also have brand new hood bumpers as of today!!! Thank you Fred!!! :tgif: :tgif: :tgif: (Thank Goodness It's Fred!)
you are by no means Dumb or stupid, We all have to start out somewhere. Doesnt matter if you start workin on a car in your 70's or when you are just a wee Child. its the experience of it that counts the most. and the end result. So keep your chin up and always look at the bright side of it. even if it means you have to crank your neck really far to see it lol
I took apart my dad's drill when I was eight. By the time I was 12 I was building bikes out of spare parts and opening up clock radios to wire in bigger speakers ;D
Don't be scared to take things apart. We're all here to help!
Chuck
Thank you guys. I'm not so afraid to take things apart (well, sometimes... ::) I just don't want to be thought of as a boob or worse for not knowing my car parts or their functions.
Only update: the oil and filter are changed. Baby's running status: unchanged. :'(
My neighbor/mechanic suggested either have the carb rebuilt or if I get a rebuild kit he will attempt to fix it. I tried to call a highly recommended carb guy in town and his line was busy. I'll try tomorrow.
I took the carburetor off this afternoon with ease and planned on taking it to Bob's Carbs (not the caloric carbs! lol.) and something told me GO NOW! So I did. He took the thing to another room and was gone for maybe a minute or so. When he came back he said the float was stuck, so he unstuck it. He pushed on the throttle and sure enough fuel shot out. No charge. I couldn't wait to try it on. The carb now works but we're back to square one. Now Baby will idle for a while and eventually will falter and stall, like when I have a load on the engine. The mechanic next door came out and we fiddled with the carb and throttle linkage. He blew air through the lines both ways and the conclusion he came to was the fuel pump has issues. He said after he put a pressure gauge on the fuel line it goes to 5 psi then drops way down when the throttle is pressed.
That was a ramble, but what do you all think? The fuel pump looks new and the car acted this way before I replaced all the stuff mentioned earlier. Jerry and I thing maybe old varnishy gas and rampant rust flakes might be the culprit. Will the new fresh gas clean it out or is a replacement in order? Or could it be something else? This roller coaster ride will be the death of me! lol.
I had to replace my fuel pump four times in in 2007. I don't know why, maybe faulty remanufactured pumps, but it wasn't a fun time replacing it every 3-5 months. I have had the current pump in there since January 08 and it is still going strong (knock on wood). It doesn't sound like your pump is bad though, and could VERY likely be the junk in the tank that was pulled through the pump. Also, change the filter when you put a new pump on.
Dave1987 mentioned earlier that the pump should be at 6-8 psi. Because mine has a high of 5 and then fades to nothing I'm getting a new pump. I can get one from Kragen for $34something. I guess I do need to buy a gross of fuel filters and invest in Fram! lol. :tgif:
Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhh, Can't wait to here how she does with a new fuel pump!!! Fingers crossed she purrs like a kitten, or whinnies like a pony!! LOL ;D
Well now that you have your tank cleaned out, and you will be changing your pump, you shouldn't need to change your filter nearly as often. Once every 3 months is what I do now that my tank is pretty cleaned out.
I change my fuel filter about every 5000 miles (2-2 1/2 years). My tank was dry when I got the car. I didn't clean it, went thru a fuel filter about every month, and rebuilt the carb after about a year, haven't had any problems since with clogged filters (often causes bucking on acceleration, and need to 'feather' the pedal). You don't really want to be messing with the fuel filter more than you have to, the carb body is much softer than the threads on the filter, and if you're not careful, you can strip the hole.
Chuck
Got the fuel pump installed- no mean feat. There was so little room and I needed a third arm! I got covered in gasoline and still reek of it now. But the pump is in. In the process of getting the new pump in the area I accidentally pulled a couple wires so off to Jerry's I go tomorrow. Also check for leaks. Then I'll see if the Baby will fire up. Foo.
;D :lol: :D :) :-* :happy_bday: :drunk: :2fast4u: :laugh: :police: :hypno: :read: :smile: :fastcar:
Kim, did you send me some Pinto love? C'mon now..
SHE RUNS!!!!!!!!
Kim, I need to borrow your great emoticons.
This morning, after a rough and kinda scary start The Baby ran! I didn't even have to feather the pedal once the engine was going. Then it was off to a series of tests... will she make it down the street and back? Will she make it up the hills she previously stalled at? Will she make it to the gas station and back? Will she complete a 14-mile round trip to my friend's place? YES!!!!! She passed with flying colors! She didn't stall once. I was so happy and so proud I was in tears and I'm not ashamed! I guess I had overfilled her radiator because at my friend's house the overflow tube spat out coolant. She does "diesel" a bit sometimes when I turn her off and she makes a most dreadful clanking sound (the noise that appeared after the timing belt was replaced) but she starts right back up. Now there's just some little things to do before the 19th. Oh. Did I mention that it looks like we'll make it to Knotts!!! Thank you THank you Thank you all for helping me and Baby get to this point. Right now my happiness knows no bounds.
Woooooooo Hooooooo!!!! You mean these? LOL (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/lala.gif) (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/cheerleader.gif) (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/wings.gif)
Congrats on the Baby finally going and getting back up the hill!!!!! (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/wings.gif) I'm so excited to hear of this great news!!!!
Oh, and I"m still working on hubby. Things just arn't going in that direction yet!(http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/myhrdly/pfft.gif) But I wont give up!!! LOL
Those would be the ones!
So what's keeping Hubby from saying "Drive South"? Tell him there's interested parties wanting a rare glimpse of the legendary Brown Ghost! lol.
You know, sometimes I am grateful to be so close to WallyWorld...
My wayward nostril (because it's possessed! long story.) wouldn't stop sneezing- therefore chronically running, I ran out of toilet paper and thus had to go to WalMart to restock. I opted to take Baby. Maybe this is a good thing in disguise. WallyWorld is only about a mile away. Before I pulled into my stall (interesting choice of words... Pinto, stall,.. get it?) I smelled the unmistakeable smell of coolant. I opened the hood... it was all over the place. >:( I'm thinking... crap, I need a new radiator. This was all I needed. I bought another bottle of antifreeze and my other items and made it home after I replenished the coolant. I know this is risky and all, but the radiator wasn't missing all that much so I opted to go for it. After I got home (it was dark now) I took a flashlight to find the source of the leak. It was the upper hose! Apparently the fan was clipping it. All this time I've been looking for the source of her clattering and didn't see the fan hitting the hose. I certainly looked hard enough. I'm just thankful this happened only a mile away! Tomorrow: new top hose.
that almost happned to me when i replaced my upper hose.but i cought the noise befor it cut the hose. to solve the problem i rotated the fan till it hit the hose then losened the hose clamp on the radiator and twisted the hose untill it was far enough ayay. good luck.
phil
Shewwww, I saw your sad face first and I thought for sure something real bad happened!! Glad it was just the hose!!!! ;D
Phil- was the noise you heard on yours a loud clattering noise?
Yeah, I'm glad too it was just a hose! ;D
yea,I could tell it was the fan hitting something. just before that i did have another noise that cam from the timing belt cover being to tight the cover has rubber spacers in it and they had deteriorated and i did not realize it until i herd the noise and was sparks. i made new spacers from some hose that slid over the bolts they were just a bit longer than the ones that were there. and put the cover back on.
phil
Sparks? Scary! My rubber spacers are intact and rubbery (as opposed to spongy and crumbly!) And I notice it only clatters when I'm idling or the car "diesels" when I shut her off. I've pulled her hose off and removed the timing belt cover. So far I see no wear. When I get the new hose I'll connect it and see, or hear, what happens with the cover off.
If your car still deisels when you shut her off, just leave her in Drive, or Reverse! That will make it shut down fsat with no embarrasing deiseling!! ;D
:lol: No more clattering!
I'm convinced it was the fan blades hitting the hose. I made darn sure the blades were nowhere near the new hose! The cover is on good and tight. Now Baby has just the tapping noise in her upper engine compartment. Hopefully the Lucas oil will work that out soon.
It looks like Baby is transportation #1 now- the Rodeo's brakes are bad.
Awesome!! Your tapping may just mean it needs it's valves/lifters whatever they are called, lol, adjusted!! Hubby adjusted mine and she is quiet as a mouse now! LOL, ok not a mouse, but she is quiet! Just need to figure out how to stop the vibratie exhaust manifold tin noise at certain RPM's!!! LOL
So you're all up and running now? That's soooooo awesome!!!!!!!
Chuck
Yes indeedy she os off and running! Thank you all for your support and help and kind words. Because I've never adjusted lifters or whatevers I'm not gonna touch those just yet! My neighbor/mechanic told me to give the Lucas oil a little while if it's the lifters that are sticking. If the oil doesn't do the trick, then plan B will happen (lifter adjustments I guess!) lol.
Sorry to hear about your technical problems! I have Comcast, and it's been pretty weird/slow lately too.
Becky,
If the lucas oil doesn't quiet the lifter on your 2.3L , you may have a spray bar for the cam that's plugged up. The bad thing is, if it's not dealt with soon enough, the cam will wear out beyond the Lifter Hydraulic range of adjustment. (flat cam syndrome) Only pulling the cover can confirm this. If the oil wasn't kept clean ,the early 2.3 litre would starve the cam for oil and wear out the lobes and followers.
This assumes that your car (what year?) has the 2.3L motor. Kim's car is a 2.0L engine , totally different , and requires valve adjustments every 5K to keep it quiet and running well. If your car is a '74 with a 2.0L motor, then you need to have a manual valve adjustment too. In that case the Lucas oil won't quiet the engine down.
Sounds confusing, but the stock 2.3l engines have Hydraulic lifters to keep the maintenance to a minimum, BUT you must change the oil religiously to save that cam and lifters from oil starvation by sludge buildup.
My first pinto was a 74 with a 2.3L and I lost the cam and followers to poor maintenance by previous owners. Sounded like a diesel but ran poorly.
Follow up on this ASAP.
Pintosopher
Baby is a 2.3 '74. I cannot account for her previous owners (I think I'm the third owner.) I do know the lady who sold her to me added a bottle of No-Smoke to her already-to-capacity crankcase (bad!)
After all the stuff I tore off Baby the valve cover should be relatively easy, right? But I will enlist the help of Jerry to identify the spray bar and see if there's "flat cam syndrome" going on. I don't know nuthin' about cams! lol.
Thank you dear Pintosopher! :tgif: ;D ;) :)
Quote from: pintosopher on March 13, 2009, 05:05:42 AM
Becky,
If the lucas oil doesn't quiet the lifter on your 2.3L , you may have a spray bar for the cam that's plugged up. The bad thing is, if it's not dealt with soon enough, the cam will wear out beyond the Lifter Hydraulic range of adjustment. (flat cam syndrome) Only pulling the cover can confirm this. If the oil wasn't kept clean ,the early 2.3 litre would starve the cam for oil and wear out the lobes and followers.
This assumes that your car (what year?) has the 2.3L motor. Kim's car is a 2.0L engine , totally different , and requires valve adjustments every 5K to keep it quiet and running well. If your car is a '74 with a 2.0L motor, then you need to have a manual valve adjustment too. In that case the Lucas oil won't quiet the engine down.
Sounds confusing, but the stock 2.3l engines have Hydraulic lifters to keep the maintenance to a minimum, BUT you must change the oil religiously to save that cam and lifters from oil starvation by sludge buildup.
My first pinto was a 74 with a 2.3L and I lost the cam and followers to poor maintenance by previous owners. Sounded like a diesel but ran poorly.
Follow up on this ASAP.
Pintosopher
Yah, Becky has the 2.3! Becky your are a lucky bummer!! I wish I didn't have to adjust lifters every 5000. Changing the oil every 3000 is alot easier!! LOL Oh well, guess I get to relive my VW Bug days again!! LOL ;D
Thanks for the info Pintosopher, I was just looking at the book, not really reading the 2.3 info, just saw a pic of them adjusting the lifters on it. That was probably done for a worse case senario!!
Becky,
After removing the ( stock ,if you have it ) air filter assy, label those plug wires with the cylinder # remove over to the left side (distributor) if you still have the timing belt cover, that's coming off too. There may be an EGR tube that interferes with the back of the cam cover, by the firewall cowl, it needs to move a bit. 8 bolts to remove.
If you see a lobe that is scored then it's time for a cam change with lifters and followers Plus a new spray bar. This can be done in the car, but the motor has to be lifted to allow clearance for the cam to come out over the radiator.
It's also a good time to change those cam bearings too.
I've abbreviated some of the operation as it has a lot of steps.
:surprised: :look:**** The real important thing to do before you disassemble anything in the cam area , ( providing you don't see a scored or flattened lobe ) is to actually look at the spray bar while someone cranks the engine. There should be a spray from a hole over each lobe. If everything is getting oil then you have to identify how many lifters and followers have excessive clearance****.
It's possible to have multiple seized lifters and that translates into too much lash/ clearance at the follower where it touches the cam lobe. If that's the case, you would still need to remove the lifters and verify oil pressure in the bore where the lifters sit. This has to done without ANY followers installed to avoid engine damage while turning over the engine (**as a precaution with the timing belt off only*)
I'm assuming all the lifters are able to be removed with the cam in Place.
If you find plugged orifices in the lifter bores, it's a crapshoot that you can clear the plugged port. Removing the whole cylinder head with all of its procedures is the next phase.
And we stop here, You now have to decide , if it's plugged up, there no way of knowing how bad the oil supply issue is in the block and head.
Rebuild the Engine to assure that any future issues won't crop up. Or replace the engine with a rebuilt or good used engine.
This is a diagnostic procedure, with solutions provided as you move through the process. It's not pretty but it is reality. I personally went through this on my 74 and the engine was cored out for exchange.
Good luck , I hope it's not worst case scenario.
Pintosopher
If I'm not mistaken, isn't the spray bar only on the 2.0? I've never seen one on a 2.3. The early 2.3's did not have a groove in the center journal, that was another cause of cam failure. Way back then we used to machine a groove in the new cam. Finally Ford caught on and since then all new cams (even aftermarket) have the groove. Also, the 2.3 is hydralic so there is no adjustment. If it's tappin' something's wrong! :(
You Know,
You may be right about no Spray bar on the 2.3L. It's been awhile since I had one opened up. But the 2.3l Does have 4 cam towers , maybe the extra oiling comes from these. But if this motors knockin' your right, something ain't getting oil pressure.
Check out those lobes, followers and look for loose ones when the engine is at TDC for the Compression stroke of that cylinder.
Pintosopher
(hands clamped on head) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol.
Ok time to consult Jerry and the books!
How long do I give the Lucas oil before I know it's not sticky lifters?
Becky,
I did some reading up on the Lucas Oil stabilizer. It's not likely to help much unless your lifters are worn out and bleeding pressure down to allow them to not hold adjustment. It's primarily for Engines with worn rings and valve guides that consume too much oil. Regarding the cam lobes look at the portion without the "Hump" and if you see chatter marks or scoring grooves ( Not smooth shiny metal) then it's too late to save the cam and followers. Then it's decision time after you look into the Lifters and oil supply at the head. If you have no scoring or chatter marks, then you still need to remove those lifters and verify oil pressure to them. If that's OK then you might get by with new lifters if the followers haven't beat up the Valves tips.
Jump In , it's all a learning curve, and you'll be able to help someone else down the road. ;)
Best wishes ..
Pintosopher
After what I've already done for her I've convinced myself I can do this. Thank you for the vote of confidence.
The problem now is, the Rodeo's down so Baby is the only transportation for now. What can happen if I run her before I get the work done?
It was my neighbor/mechanic who turned me on to Lucas oil stabilizer. He swears by it. He has a mobile mechanic business and he himself worked on cars since he was 14. That's not to say the Lucas oil is the answer, but that's why I tried it.
The tapping noise is almost not heard til I accelerate, which is a change from when it tapped all the time. A change for the better?
I'm no mechanic, hubby is, but if your mechanic friend seems to think it will be ok, then I wouldn't see a problem driving it! He is there to hear the noise and if he thought it was something real bad, I'm sure he would advise against driving it! If you say the sound is going away, then I would be lead to believe that the Lucas stuff his working. I know when a 80's period VW Rabbit or Jetta sits for a while, when first started they will tap. They just need to be driven for a bit for things to clear up!!
The other day after running around town in Baby I noticed after I parked her she made boiling-water noises in the radiator area. Today I bought a thermostat and gasket and will be installing them tomorrow. Meanwhile things are starting to come together for the Fab Fords thing. I wonder what Miss Pintogirl has up her sleeve... ;)
Becky ,
Probably another Pinto.
Pintosopher
??? Who ever said life, or changing a thermostat, was easy!?! ??? In hindsight taking out the gas tank was WAAAAAAAY easier and WAAAAAAAY less frustrating than Project Thermostat. Getting the housing out was a piece of cake. Getting the thermostat itself out of the housing was obstacle #1. Getting the old gasket off the old housing was obstacle #2. Ah, here comes the fun parts- losing a bolt- then finding it on the underside of the harmonic balancer pulley (1 in 1 gazillion chances that the dumb thing would fall into that!) then after fishing that out the new thermostat fell from the housing and wedged itself between that same harmonic balancer pulley and the engine block (or whatever). It was like a Chinese puzzle. It went in... but it won't get out. Another 1 in 1 gazillion chance of it falling there of all places. After much cursing, scaring neighbors, threats of looming junkyard doom, etc. I was able to get the gasket, thermostat and housing plus bolts to FINALLY! cooperate. I took the radiator cap off and started the car and ran her til she pressurized and warmed up. After I shut her off I can still hear burbling in the radiator. ??? I'm thinking this isn't good. >:( My back hurts and I'm still steamed so I'll leave it til later.
Becky,
When the Steam has cleared ;D I wish to ask if you know the protocol for "bleeding" the air out of the engine block? Let's assume the best scenario and find out if there are Air pockets in the block passages that have be purged for the noises to stop.
First the heater has to be in the ON position to add any coolant when you replace the thermostat. Then you have to find the highest hose in the system and leave it open ( off the fitting) to allow the air to escape until coolant runs out that hose. Then you can re-attach the hose, and fill the system until full, then run the engine with the cap off and finish "burping" the remaining air out.
If this doesn't cure the "boiling sound" , it's time to take a more serious look at the pressure integrity of the whole system. Then you can really consider getting steamed .. :o
Hoping for the best for you..
Pintosopher
Pintosoper
Quote from: blupinto on March 25, 2009, 11:05:15 PM
The other day after running around town in Baby I noticed after I parked her she made boiling-water noises in the radiator area. Today I bought a thermostat and gasket and will be installing them tomorrow. Meanwhile things are starting to come together for the Fab Fords thing. I wonder what Miss Pintogirl has up her sleeve... ;)
Braahhh hhhhaaaa hhaaaa haaaa *said in a evil fun way* :evil: :laugh: We'll find out soon!!!! :P
Quote from: pintosopher on March 26, 2009, 11:55:46 AM
Becky ,
Probably another Pinto.
Pintosopher
Hmmm, Maybe, maybe not!!! ;D :P ;D
Quote from: blupinto on March 26, 2009, 05:26:08 PM
??? Who ever said life, or changing a thermostat, was easy!?! ??? In hindsight taking out the gas tank was WAAAAAAAY easier and WAAAAAAAY less frustrating than Project Thermostat. Getting the housing out was a piece of cake. Getting the thermostat itself out of the housing was obstacle #1. Getting the old gasket off the old housing was obstacle #2. Ah, here comes the fun parts- losing a bolt- then finding it on the underside of the harmonic balancer pulley (1 in 1 gazillion chances that the dumb thing would fall into that!) then after fishing that out the new thermostat fell from the housing and wedged itself between that same harmonic balancer pulley and the engine block (or whatever). It was like a Chinese puzzle. It went in... but it won't get out. Another 1 in 1 gazillion chance of it falling there of all places. After much cursing, scaring neighbors, threats of looming junkyard doom, etc. I was able to get the gasket, thermostat and housing plus bolts to FINALLY! cooperate. I took the radiator cap off and started the car and ran her til she pressurized and warmed up. After I shut her off I can still hear burbling in the radiator. ??? I'm thinking this isn't good. >:( My back hurts and I'm still steamed so I'll leave it til later.
I can't help you on this. I will ask hubby when he gets home, but I sure hope it is nothing to extreme!! I am guessing you don't have a temp gauge? Someone installed one on my Pinto and I was thinking of getting rid of the gauge's, but I am growing to like them!! Nice to be able to look over and see that your engine isn't getting too hot!!!!
Hope you figure things out!!
Wow, you had your hands full, huh? I agree with Pintosopher about bleeding the air out of the block and running with the cap off for a bit to purge air. I tend to leave my aircleaner on and use it as a table when I'm doing stuff like that (just don't forget the stuff is there and close the hood, you'll end up with a dent facing up in your hood, I learned the hard way), and use a sharp gasket scraper or metal putty knife (you can sharpen them with a grinder or dremel) You can also get a magnetic tray from Sears (in the tool section) that you can put on any steel surface, and it will magnetically hold your small bolts and parts. Those are about $15-20 IIRC. I sent you a pm to see if I can help with the radio, that's one of my specialties (not the new high tech, the period correct stuff :-\)
You know, the cooling system on the Pinto is 'open' meaning there isn't a reservoir, there's a tube leading from the neck under the cap around the right side of the radiator, my car 'purges' from there once in a while when it's hot. Of course if you do have a cam/lifter/valve issue, this can also make the car run hot. :-\
Chuck
I only knew to keep the radiator cap off and run the car til the pressure builds up. That's what my Pinto book says and that's what the Stant thermostat packaging said. I did see air escaping from the top as I watched the radiator. It's pointless to run the heater, as the heater hoses aren't even connected to the heater core (another knot to unravel). I have much to do tomorrow. :-\
Well, if your heater hoses aren't connected to the heater core and are looped to exclude the heater core, there's a good reason for it! Approach the heater core (under the dash) with extreme caution! If you connect the heater hoses back to the core, and there's a problem with the core (most likely a leak) you will end up with a passenger floor full of antifreeze.
Caution: Antifreeze is poisonous to animals and humans!!!
Make sure your timing is set correctly too, as an incorrect adjustment can lead to the car running hot.
Chuck :afro:
I remember well the episode of Emergency Vets a few years ago where some psychopath was throwing dog food soaked in antifreeze over the fences of people who had dogs and what happens when a hapless animal ingests just a tiny amount of the stuff. I'm very careful! I figured that's why they (the heater hoses) were looped.
Here's the radio. the red wire is a puzzle but it does connect to the fuse box at the top.
The good news is it appears I don't have a blown head gasket (whew!) and my neighbor mechanic Jerry listened to the burbling and observed the heating of the coolant and confirmed the new thermostat works. I replaced the two small hoses that attach to the choke so that's two less old hoses. Now she needs a long road test. :D
Everybody now ..
Raise a Mug o' cheer, 'cause Becky's back in her groove, a tisket, a tasket..
She's happy now, and no blown gasket :drunk:
Pintosopher
:lol: A tisket a tasket,
Becky's not a basket....CASE! lol. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Yes it's true one and all,
Becky's back, let's have a ball...
Her 'tude is one without great folly,
Somewhere left of juiced, but always jolly!
She's in the zone, for all to see..
Crazy for her horse , Oh don't you agree?
She'll find a way when she gets grim...
The I.V. is always shared with Kim!
:tgif: (Thank God I'm Foolish)
Pintosopher ( a new kind of Horses' A**)
Well, the Baby needs a real name like many of the steeds that are featured here in these, er, tomes. There are two names I have in mind. Wildfire for the fire in her coat- er, paint, and inspired by a great little song I grew up with. Phoenix because while she didn't necessarily rise from the ashes she did survive an under-the-hood fire and she runs a lot better than she did when she arrived. Also, when our beloved Pintos were merely lights in a designer's eyes wasn't that Project Phoenix? I might've misremembered that story. But if it's true then the name also harks back to Pinto beginnings. Or how about Phoenix Wildfire? Why should Kim (Pintogirl) and Tiffany (SageSunrise) have all the fun with their twice-named cars (Brown Ghost and Martha Splatterhead)? lol. P.S I wish I had their imaginations!
Quote from: blupinto on March 27, 2009, 05:56:07 PM
Well, the Baby needs a real name like many of the steeds that are featured here in these, er, tomes. There are two names I have in mind. Wildfire for the fire in her coat- er, paint, and inspired by a great little song I grew up with. Phoenix because while she didn't necessarily rise from the ashes she did survive an under-the-hood fire and she runs a lot better than she did when she arrived. Also, when our beloved Pintos were merely lights in a designer's eyes wasn't that Project Phoenix? I might've misremembered that story. But if it's true then the name also harks back to Pinto beginnings. Or how about Phoenix Wildfire? Why should Kim (Pintogirl) and Tiffany (SageSunrise) have all the fun with their twice-named cars (Brown Ghost and Martha Splatterhead)? lol. P.S I wish I had their imaginations!
Don't forget the "Green Machine"!!!! LOL
I kinda liked the Copper Queen myself!!! Then again, I do like Wildfire too!! I also love the song too!!! ;D
Ok, Becky, here's the skinny on your wires hangin' out (or in) there. The black plug with two wires goes to the dash speaker. The two 'pairs' of wires with the male (you know what that means, right?) :edit-hard to tell boys from girls in that pic. The exposed-terminals go to speakers somewhere else in the car (past, present or future ???) The two red wires are probably both live. One, like I said, with the key on (one on right) and the other with the key off. Newer digital stereos need constant power for the memory. The other wire shuts the radio off when you shut the car off. Hope that helps!!! If you can handle a wire terminals and a cutter/crimper, you should be on the road to music.
My car's name is Buttercup, it came with the car.
Chuck :afro:
Gracias Chuck! Jerry next door explained "the birds and the bees" of wires and my "girls" need "boys" to mate with (my car the x-ratedmobile! lol. ) but now I'm at a crossroads...
I prefer having a stock radio in the car but not necessarily an am. Now I also have a cheapy am/fm cassette radio I can install but it's not stock. But with this I can plug in my ipod and hear my beloved '70s tunes. Or maybe I can sweet talk someone into parting with their stock am/fm/cassette radio...
I hadn't forgotten Green Machine. I just needed a couple names so I can get into your club! lol. Did you get your confirmation yet?
Appointments for next week:
Monday: Pain Specialist
Tuesday am: Psychobabble (therapy?)
Tuesday pm: Hospital Case Manager
Thursday: Primary Care Practitioner (I remember when that was one word...started with 'd')
Friday am: Medication Management
Friday pm: Social Security case worker
Managing my health has become my full time job :-\
I'm going to use an 'aftermarket' cassette player in my car (yes, a cheepie). Did you know that at least until 79 you couldn't order a Pinto with a cassette? Your choices were am, am digital, am/fm, or am/8 track. My dad was in the Army, his friends would buy base model cars and add whatever options they wanted from the aftermarket. I didn't get my car new, but in 2003 it was still a base model, no radio. Every option you see (and some you don't) on my car is there because of me. ::)
Chuck :afro:
Quote from: discolives78 on March 27, 2009, 10:55:29 PM
Appointments for next week:
Monday: Pain Specialist
Tuesday am: Psychobabble (therapy?)
Tuesday pm: Hospital Case Manager
Thursday: Primary Care Practitioner (I remember when that was one word...started with 'd')
Friday am: Medication Management
Friday pm: Social Security case worker
Managing my health has become my full time job :-\
I'm going to use an 'aftermarket' cassette player in my car (yes, a cheepie). Did you know that at least until 79 you couldn't order a Pinto with a cassette? Your choices were am, am digital, am/fm, or am/8 track. My dad was in the Army, his friends would buy base model cars and add whatever options they wanted from the aftermarket. I didn't get my car new, but in 2003 it was still a base model, no radio. Every option you see (and some you don't) on my car is there because of me. ::)
Chuck :afro:
Chuck, so are you saying that my 72 Pinto would be period correct if I had an AM with 8track in the bezel??? If that is the case, I may see if the radio hubby's boss has, works. That way I would just have the radio and the Booster in the car!!
Quote from: blupinto on March 27, 2009, 10:44:52 PM
Gracias Chuck! Jerry next door explained "the birds and the bees" of wires and my "girls" need "boys" to mate with (my car the x-ratedmobile! lol. ) but now I'm at a crossroads...
I prefer having a stock radio in the car but not necessarily an am. Now I also have a cheapy am/fm cassette radio I can install but it's not stock. But with this I can plug in my ipod and hear my beloved '70s tunes. Or maybe I can sweet talk someone into parting with their stock am/fm/cassette radio...
I hadn't forgotten Green Machine. I just needed a couple names so I can get into your club! lol. Did you get your confirmation yet?
Yep, got it today!!!! It is in the Pinto waiting for the 18th!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
Ha! Mine's in the glove compartment! LOL! :lol: Mine came today too! WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I swear I'm going to jump in my car with dog & two changes of clothes and 'spange' :coolrasta: my way to knotts!
Chuck :afro:
Well, come on then! The more the merrier! Come on down!
Quote from: discolives78 on March 28, 2009, 12:04:33 AM
I swear I'm going to jump in my car with dog & two changes of clothes and 'spange' :coolrasta: my way to knotts!
Chuck :afro:
Yah Chuck!! Come on down or up, what ever the case may be!! LOL I can bring your stuff to Knotts with me!!! ;D
Ok, I kinda got a chuckle out of this! Off topic for your thread Becky, but I had to share!! LOL
Hubby and I were talking about Knotts and he asked me what number you (Becky) had for the registration card? He then said that I had number 19!!! LOL He didn't realize that the number represents the "Class" not the reg. number!! LOL He thought you may have gotten number 18 or 20!! LOL
I got a kick out of it!! LOL
Tell Hubby they must've given us two duplicate cards! lol.
On another note (I hijacked my own thread! lol) I cleaned the blue paint off your door trim and I'll be polishing it next. I'm getting a little excited about the 19th.
Chuck if you are going I can hook up with you on I-10. Fred :)
Hey Fred...
Albuquerque to LA area I'd probably take 40 to 15 in Barstow. Straight shot at 65 took me about 9 hours I think. To go the I-10 route, I'd have to head south to Las Cruces (about 200 miles) then hook a right onto 10 and deal with the dreaded dust storms between Deming and Tuscon, I dealt with that a few years ago. The northern route has nicer scenery too! ;D
:fastcar:
Thanks for the encouragement ladies, how do I register? What fees are due and to whom? Anyone wanna shelter me and dog for a night? Quiet, respectful, Just Pinto, me and dog.
Chuck :afro:
Chuck type in fabulous fords forever. Fred :)
Chuck, just go here... http://www.fordcarclubs.org/ (http://www.fordcarclubs.org/) and downdload the registratoin form and fill it out then send it in. It has to be by April 6th I believe!!!! So time is of the essence!!!
As far as a place to stay, I can't help you there. I was only able to get a room with one bed at the Knotts Hotel. That and I'm not sure how hubby would feel about sharing a room!! LOL ;D I think Fred is bringing a motorhome and has an extra bed???? Not sure on this, he will chime in I'm sure if he does!!!
Hope you can make it!! That would be awesome!!!!!!!
I have extra large beds but the dog wont work because I will have my dog with me and she does not get along with any animal. Fred :)
YAY!!! CHUCK'S COMING OUT HERE!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chuck, I am so glad you're coming out to the Knott's thing I might just offer you my room and I'll take the couch. Technically I have two bedrooms but one is the Cat Room/Library so there's no bed in there. If you're not allergic to the felines, and Sue won't make hors douerves (?) out of them you're both welcome here. Well, yes, Buttercup too! ;)
Quote from: blupinto on March 29, 2009, 09:16:08 PM
YAY!!! CHUCK'S COMING OUT HERE!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chuck, I am so glad you're coming out to the Knott's thing I might just offer you my room and I'll take the couch. Technically I have two bedrooms but one is the Cat Room/Library so there's no bed in there. If you're not allergic to the felines, and Sue won't make hors douerves (?) out of them you're both welcome here. Well, yes, Buttercup too! ;)
Sue cohabitates with 3 cats, and visits grandma's house, where there are 4 more. He's pretty mild-mannered (now)
I'm well practiced at sofa-surfing, no need to put yourself out!
Chuck
;D Sorry. I forgot you have other critters. My hoodlums (the canine persuasion) get along with everybody. The cats will probably hide.
I'll leave it up to you where you want to sleep. The offer still stands or I'll hunt up an inflatable bed. We'll figure out something... I'm just glad you're coming out here! Now if we can persuade a few more Pinto folks... ;D
I printed the entry form! Question: Do I have to buy a $30 ticket on top of the $30 for the car? or does the registration fee include my admission?
Chuck
I understand the entry fee includes us. I think the other tickets are for those who want to visit the theme park itself.
I'm not planning on going into the Amusment part of the park, so I only paid the reg. fee of 30 dollars.
Quote from: pintogirl on March 29, 2009, 10:24:17 PM
I'm not planning on going into the Amusment part of the park, so I only paid the reg. fee of 30 dollars.
I get virtigo from watching the microwave, so I'll probably hang out with the cars...
Chuck :afro:
Quote from: blupinto on March 29, 2009, 09:30:29 PM
;D Sorry. I forgot you have other critters. My hoodlums (the canine persuasion) get along with everybody. The cats will probably hide.
I'll leave it up to you where you want to sleep. The offer still stands or I'll hunt up an inflatable bed. We'll figure out something... I'm just glad you're coming out here! Now if we can persuade a few more Pinto folks... ;D
Becky,
Must not Hurry Karma, The winds of fate are stirring.. we know who you are :surprised: :amazed: :hypno: :fastcar:
Pintosopher
No need to hurry Karma. She's fast enough as it is!
Well, the experiment with the suncatcher paint didn't work, but not for the reasons I thought would doom it to failure. I applied the paint yesterday evening and there were no streaks, no bubbles, and the paint didn't all settle to the bottom of the painted area as I thought it would. This morning I went to look at my handiwork in the light of day and the paint had cracked and flaked off! >:(
Now I'll try the Chuck/Kim and Co. method (nail polish) though in prior experience painting my nails in the sun the color will form tiny bubbles (ok no breaking into song here! lol.) so that's where I stand now.
Tiny Bubbles , oh many are thee..
Many bubbles, they're everywhere I See,
Tiny bubbles, they tell me things to do..
Tiny bubbles compelling me to Troubles,
They're Popping now in my ears, a sound I've come to rue :surprised: :o ???
Effervescently Distracted,
Pintosopher
(wags her finger) I told you not to break into song dammit!
Becky ,
Careful , A wagging finger is easily mistaken for a Carrot by many a horsey :lol:
Ohh Wilbur,
Pintosopher
Well, maybe if I wag my carrot-like finger in front of a particular (and peculiar) pintosopher horsey maybe he will follow it south to Buena Park. (Sorry. I had to try one more time!) ;D :laugh: :lol: ;) :)
Becky ,
The mind reels when I postulate (peculiarly) about the PM's that must fly between you & Kim :amazed:
Sugar cubes might work better, but I'm a bit Glycemic for a Horsey!
My Oats Bucket is here, dang! where's my clover pile? ;D :o ;)
Pintosopher , a bit lame, so don't shoot me yet!
Back to the radio wires. There are two blue/red wires tied to one terminal in my car (saw it today) These are for the dash light for the radio. Then there is a yellow/black wire. That's power to the radio. I grounded the black on the radio to the dash and hooked the red one from the radio to the yellow/black in the dash and moved on.
Chuck :afro:
I don't recall any yellow wires in my collection! lol.
Quote from: blupinto on April 03, 2009, 01:59:55 PM
I don't recall any yellow wires in my collection! lol.
Interesting. Well my car (let's remember it's a 1978) has a plug with 2 female 'bullet' connectors. one connector goes to two blue/red wires and the other goes to a yellow/black wire. The blue/red has voltage when the lights are on, the yellow/black has voltage with the key on. I had a 74 wagon in 95/96 and a 75 hatch in 98/99. I put radios in both, but honestly, I can't remember what I had for breakfast. :lost:
I'm gonna go back and look at your pic again.
Chuck :afro:
Well, you'll see it up close and personal after you get here. :sleep: ;) :lol:
...So the project continues...
Question: What does it mean when I hear boiling noises from the radiator- a radiator that was flushed and the 50/50 put in and a new thermostat because the boiling sound was present before these were replaced? Is it time for a new radiator? Wildfire is afraid of a blown head gasket. So's her mom. :rolleye:
Could be a blown head gasket. One of the ways you can tell is have the radiator cap off and start the car. If there are bubbles in the radiator there is a good chance you have a blown head gasket. The bubbles would indicate combustion gasses are getting past the head gasket, into the water jackets. It's also a good idea to pull the dipstick & look for milky oil.. You might also want to do a compression test on her.
Becky...
Before I break out in song...Tiny bubbles.. ;)
It's imperative that you purge all the air out of the system before you assume the worst. If you have one hooked up this means checking the heater core for leaks (make sure you have no antifreeze in the floor on passenger side. Then it takes practice and patience to slowly fill the system while letting the air out from the highest hose in the system.
If you still get the bubbles/gurgling, then it's time to really get serious about checking that head gasket integrity. You had mentioned in your past posts on this thread that your mechanic friend had ruled out the head gasket. I hope he's right, but be prepared to consider what is likely the worst case scenario.
Pintosopher
I can attest that the oil is good (or at least there's no milky oil that I've seen because I do frequent checks on all three of my cars' fluids as all three leak to some degree. As for the cap off the radiator, I've checked that before the trip to Knotts (She made boiling sounds then too- and that was after the thermostat, water pump and coolant were replaced. All the coolant does as the engine warms up is try to overflow. The only bubbles I saw were when I was filling the radiator after the WP and Thermostat replacements as the engine was running. The heater core is not hooked up and hasn't been since Wildfire has been mine. Coolant does come out of the overflow tube. ???
Becky,
If your 74 has no coolant overflow reservoir tank, then the radiator isn't supposed to be full to the brim, it's supposed to be about a half inch below the rim of the inside of the filler. This is to allow for expansion of the coolant as it warms up. This also means that a proper pressure release type radiator cap should be used, so that the lever release can allow you to safely discharge the coolant if she overheats.
If you didn't bleed the coolant out of the automatic choke hoses for air bubbles, you may still have some air in the system. If the radiator is clear of obstructions, and all the main hoses are not rotted inside, and the good parts are still doing their job, Then it's time for a real pressure check of the cooling system, and ultimately the head gasket leakdown tests.
Fingers crossed,
Pintosopher
I fill it that way too- but when the engine is cooled after a drive and I know coolant still escaped the radiator via the overflow hose the level is so low I don't see coolant from the filler at all- only the top of the radiator guts. I can't attest to the condition of the inner hoses and I thought I refilled the cooling system right. I did replace both Pintos' radiator caps with Stant 13 lb. pressure release caps- the ones with the red tabs. How hard is it to do a cooling system pressure test?
Becky if you feel like coming by Belmont Park I can do a pressure check on it. I think I will be there late Friday so Saturday could be good. Give me a call 928-916-1268. Fred :)
I went to see Fred in Mission Beach and he kindly did a pressure test on Wildfire's radiator. She passed but it seems like I must be overfilling it but because there's a plate in the radiator I can't see where the proper level should be. It's more than an inch from the bottom of the filler...
Bless Fred and Joy. I had starting troubles (that stranded me at my beanery a few weeks ago) and Fred showed me how to conquer that. I'm not sure what I need to do to correct it, so I'll wait til I hear from Fred to ask. It was nice visiting with them and their son and daughter and pooch. Wildfire made it safely back home and I'm so proud of her!
The Sea Foam did not work so it'll be semi-retirement for the old girl til I can find out what her tapping is and get it resolved. Hopefully by next Knotts she'll be sporting fresh paint and purring like only a Pinto can. :)
Becky see if you can get neighbor to tighten up shifter. IMPORTANT remember when you need to start auto like I showed you always make sure you're in park or neutral with brake set otherwise you will be waving bye bye to car as it drives off with no 1 in it. Fred :o
Whew! Time for an update!
Today I replaced Wildfire's rear shocks, as the right side shock was shot... it rattled and made a racket going down the street. Thank you goes to Joe of Pangra74 fame for the new shocks. Boy, was that a pain in the arse! Getting that retaining nut off the shocks is for the birds! I wouldn't doubt that these are the original factory shocks. Anyway, after that nightmare, I replaced the gas tank and shield, but I misplaced the filler tube bolts and nuts as well as the cork gasket. Then the real nightmare began. With Rodeo Girl's help I pushed Wildfire into the garage. Her paint is flaking off, and she gets lots of water in her doors because her sweeps are crap. She is still not running but that's a project for another day. Before I panic I'll have everything realigned engine-wise. If she still runs horribly, then I'll take the next step. Poor Baby! :-\