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I used this one. You really do get what you pay for.
Stopleak seems to have worked. Left her running a half hour and got no steam anywhere. So I got in and went round the block a couple times and then took a long ride up a hill. Managed to get the gauge above 195 right after the apex, but coming dfown it steadily fell back to like 180 or a little lower.Missing 4th gear; shift needs adjustment.Stalled a couple times so I really have to do something about my Wheel o’ Death, cuz it sure ain’t working. I’ll maybe read the codes after dinner or during the week some time. Still a lot to fix.OK so here’s the update. I took Bridget to vote this morning and then to work. I call it the “Tom Magliozzi Memorial Drive a TD to Work Day.” From now on, every November 4.
I fooled with the shifter this weekend until I got 4th gear, and bled the cooling system again, filled it a little and let her run in the driveway for an hour.She did not overheat then. She got to like 190 or so. The charging system seemed to work OK too, even with all the lights on and the fan for the heater and the wiper and the flashers.Everything leaves the volt gauge over 13 except the brakes.Something in the brake circuit must be hinky.Anyway. The Gen light did come on in these test: as soon as the rad fan came on the gen light came on. Every time. I watched it through like 3-4 cycles.The odd thing? The fan does not draw enough to push the volt meter down more than a hair. And I checked the voltage reading at the battery as well. It’s fine. Weird.So I took the car to work, 18 miles. Stopped for gas even though i didn’t need it. Because the dang gauge reads very low (It was under R but the thing took only 6 gallons). The temp gauge did not go too high. The heater works gooood.Getting the car into 3rd gear started being a chore. Feels like the engine maybe is not quite where it was when I started. Maybe the mounts are bent? Maybe one is busted? I’d have a hard time getting 3rd one shift, then rev it and it’s good the next. Then rev it again and it’s a hard shift again. Hmmm.Then just as I was getting close to the office the temp got above 195. Just a little. Seemed to climb when I was sitting at lights, and go down when I got back under way.I went home early to save light and traffic. On the way home she got just about to 200. The Gen light started glowing low again, just like it was doing before the head gasket job. The volt meter still showed above 13, straight through, except for the occasional dip to 12 or just above when I had my foot on the brake.No sign of the rad fan at any time until I pulled into my driveway. By then the temp gauge read 195 again. So I left the car running with the garage door open to see how long the fan would run, and see how long it would take for it to take the temp down to, whatever, 190 or whatever it takes for the fan to stop.Five minutes later the fan is still running. Gauge still says 195F (which should be just fine, but why is it not going down like it did Saturday during the test idle?) I shut her down and began pondering.Still pondering.edsnova2014-11-04 20:12:15
Isn’t a hot water car heater great? Use a lap blanket and the heats goes under the blanket…toasty.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Ed,
With respect to the electrical system, I’m trying to get a handle on what’s going on.
Are
you saying that the brake lights and the radiator fan both cause your
charging light to come on, and that with the brake lights you get a
significant voltage drop, but not with the fan?
-DaveMan, that’s weird. Did you try to measure the actual current draw of each circuit? That would be the first step in getting to the bottom of the issue and determining whether you have a current draw problem or a supply problem. It’s also possible that your charging light circuit is too sensitive, but that’s also something you’d have to determine by getting an accurate measurement of current generated and current being drawn.
Have you followed the brake light wiring for worn insulation? It sounds as if it is grounding to the frame when you step on the pedal.
Ain’t done nuthin’. like anyathat. The brakes work and the tail lights get bright when I hit the pedal, so I feel like I’m way ahead on that. But I’ll have a look at that stuff.
I’m still focused on getting the cooling system spic & functional. Hope to get another and longer ride in this weekend.I understand. Just throwing in my 2 cents where I actually have a bit more experience. (My first car was a Renault R10, so I got my crash course on automotive electrics early on.)
Thanks for that too. I’m thinking it’s either a ground I’ve forgotten about or a dirty spade connector or a hinky pressure switch on the master cylinder. Those pressure switches seem to be often hinky.
But I will get after it.Might be after I redesign the cooling system around a bigger radiator…but it will get done.Update on the cooling stuff.
So we noticed several drips and drops under Bridget’s front end and set about tightening clamps and such. After the third round of this we’re down to very little–maybe no–leakage. (While I was up there I pulled and cleaned the spade connectors to the master cylinder pressure switch. No change in volts drop when I hit the brakes though). Short test drive yesterday was OK with the other troubles–dim GEN light, roll-stall–still extant. I put the scanner on and found a new code–325–among the old ones (1702, 133 and 135).
Now, pretty sure 1702 is vestigal: it involves the signal from the automatic transmission I junked months ago. So that’s nothing. 133 and 135 are both related to the rear(?) oxygen sensor, which I have just replaced. So that is unfortunate.325 turns out to be the knock sensor. Hmmm?Looking up the knock sensor I find it’s buried under the intake manifold–which I just had off and put back on. So of course…gotta be a plug I neglected to plug in.And sure enough.
The plugs are each on pigtails so there’s nothing to push against when plugging them in. I disconnected the throttle cable (which was just a tad loose!) to give some room, got out the needly vicegrips and pliers but no real way to reach that from the top. Or from the back. I finally managed to get three fingers (no thumb) in there from under the front. Took a fair amount of grunting and stretching and swearing but somehow it got done.I put the throttle cable back and, noticing it was slightly slack at no throttle, I tightened it up a little. The I went for a ride and, as if by magic, the old stalling-on-approach-to-a-red-light was no longer happening. Idle steady enough at 800 rpm. Did about 20 minutes around the neighborhood (the dang shifter is still NG…no smooth way to 3rd gear most of the time) but the temps held under 195F Checked the codes again and they were all there. So I cleared them and went for a shorter ride and when I came back there were no codes.Not sure what that’s about. Assume it means that you clear them and they stay gone until the system resets. So I’ll unplug the battery again today and try again (maybe) tomorrow.It depends on how many “run” cycles the car has on it to trigger various codes. They’re not all the same. Just keep an eye on it. Hopefully, they’ll stay gone.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Fingers crossed.
And so I am now getting into the planned “winter stuff” as well. Some of you may recall that my plan last year was to get the engine in and sorted and drive the car all season*, THEN go back and put in the front disk brake kit and maybe some suspension upgrades.Well.When We did the coolant pipes I noticed that the pan under the nose of the car had a little hole.
Then I remembered that when I put the beam together there was just a tiny teeny bit of rust at the front of the frame head.Saturday night, with the nose up on jack stands so I could get to some stuff in the passenger wheel well, I made the mistake of exploring the flappy bit of fiberglass that mysteriously hung down from the bolt where the framehead and pan come together. Then I spotted another bit on the front driver’s side frame head.By the time I was done worrying it I had a yogurt cup full of rust on the floor.Basically, it’s time.I gotta strip all that crap off. Then I have 3 choices:1. (considerable work, shoddy, cheap…risk is high it won???t hold for more than a season or three.): patch the holes with metal. Weld them in and paint.2. (less work, semi-shoddy, cheap…risk is it won???t hold for more than three or four seasons): buy the framehead underpan from Cip1 for $80 and weld it in or have a shop do it. That’ll take a day of cleanup and maybe another half day of line-up and welding and will restore some strength. But it won’t fix everything…there is some rust in the frame head cradles for the beam–remember? so
3. (huge work, correct, less cheap…risk is that it won???t go on straight, or welds won???t hold and the car will collapse. Also, ???while I???m in there??? is almost certain to cost another season): Replace the entire frame head for $225.
To get that done I’d have to disassemble the entire front body of the car: Beam and brakes come out, fenders off, hood and side covers removed. Of course also the grille shell, headlights, radiator and all that are gone too. Appears probable that the battery box and fuel tank carrier will also require removal since the framehead needs to go on just ahead of the Napolean’s Hat. Basically to do this job I need to take Bridget completely apart in front of the cowl.
If we do that it will be hard to justify NOT replacing the fuel tank with a custom cell on the passenger side floor, off-setting the battery & etc to make more storage space.
So after much pondering I’ve decided to go with Option #2.
I also bought new 3/4-inch sway bars and bushings, front and back, plus a set of those “lower beam stiffeners” some of the Speedster guys use.
Along with the new disk brakes, new master cylinder and new front shocks (cause what the heck?) this should keep me busy for the rest of the down season.
I still hope to get the shifter dialed in before the car starts coming apart again. Hope maybe the weekend before Thanksgiving won’t be too bloody freezing to do it. But if it is…oh well.
*Ahh hahahahahahaha!!
edsnova2014-11-11 21:37:06
Two steps forward, one step back huh? Isn’t it always the case with a project though?
Seems like the best choice to just replace the underpan. Is there any way you could cut out the rust and weld in a panel over the old spot? (and what are your plans for paint/rust prevention?)Yeah, that ‘s option 1. But for $80 seems like a made-to-fit pan part is the way to go.
Not sure what I’m going to do to rust -proof it after. Was thinking just black epoxy paint but willing to entertain concepts from the forum.Remember, the rest of the pan was glassed, top and bottom, when the car went together in 1980. So I guess I could do that but, really, seems like an idea whose time has passed.I’m really sold on POR-15, but the stuff is really pricey. You’re young, and I can’t see you selling, so go with the best. Eh?
Ah yes, I meant option 2 but with some patchwork to the frame head since you mentioned it had some rust as well?
I’ve used some metal protective primer followed by black epoxy on some of the stuff I’ve worked on and it seems to work.Thanks, guys. I will look into POR 15. And, yeah, more likely than not I’ll end up removing the beam and welding (or having someone who knows what they’re doing weld) new metal on the “beam cradle” part of the frame head. All depends on what kind of nightmare I discover when I put the cutoff wheel through the existing pan.
So my wife got me an early Christmas gift today–a man-sized tool chest. It got me thinking about garage organization, or lack of same.
For the next several weekends this will be the project.Read the blog. I wish you better success than I had.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Ed, thanks. I showed your blog to Julie and she quieted right down. The “heat” is off. Thank you.
Don’t you have enough “vices”? Most of us don’t shop for new ones. 🙂Ed, if you have space above your garage door here is what I did to get a little more space for storage.
Yeah Montie. I always liked the bins-on-the-ceiling trick. My mail door is almost flush though. The back door might be a good candidate for this idea though.
So I worked pretty much all day and not much progress yet. Got the tool box up and running (not full and sorted yet, but getting there). And got the kayaks up on the ceiling (not yet with the pulley system I want–can’t figure out yet how to get the remote lever to work like this guy–but good enough to get on with it at least).
edsnova2014-11-16 18:40:18
I decided I had to go to Home Despot to get my new Welding receptacle, and some long screws to make a bracket to hold the engine hoist on two pieces up against the wall of the garage. And a couple “ladder hooks.”
As I’d rolled Bridget out of the garage to make room for mucking it all out, and as it was a balmy 45 degrees outside, I drove her on the trip.No trouble to report, other than the existing hard shift into 3rd gear.On the way out of the Depot I found that, if I rev the engine past 5500 rpm in 1st and 2nd I can get 3rd very easily.Still a lot of work to do in here, but making progress.
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