RPU, bodywork underway.

[donsrods]

Haha, hey, this stuff can happen real easy. Many years ago, I bought a 66 GTO from a friend who was working on it and he was putting the nut back on the air cleaner stud while the engine was running (he had removed the air cleaner). He had lost the wing nut sometime in the past, and had replaced it with a square nut.

Suddenly, the nut fell into the quadrajet and went right down into the cylinder. It started smoking so bad that he was fed up and called me and asked if I wanted to buy the car, so I did.

When I tore the head off that side, there was a perfectly square hole punched through the one piston, the exact size of the nut ! I bought a new piston, rings, gaskets, and had the car running in a couple of days. He was not real happy about that.

Funny how this stuff happens.

 

[Bamamav]

I was in a truck shop a few years ago, they were tearing down a engine a couple of stalls over. All the sudden I heard, "Found it!, blue shop rag, not ours!" Seems each dealership in that chain used a different color shop rag. Somebody at the other dealership shop left a rag somewhere, it got drug down and through the timing gears.

Even the "pros" do stuff like that sometimes!

 

[donsrods]

Haha, glad to see that even the pros screw up occasionally.

I think all of us have bought cars and then found things like wrenches hiding somewhere in the engine compartment.

 

[soltz]

Confesion Time

Working on my 56 F-100 with a blown 351W. Had the blower off so of course I put rags down the intake for safety. While putting the blower back on by my self I overlooked the rags. The 671 had enough huff to blow the hole mess out the tailpipe It ran fine after so I didn't bother to take it apart for an inspection.[cl
I am more careful now in my old age

 

[kenny c]

Pros screw up on a regular basis. I can't list all of my goofs or you will think I should have my thumbs cut off. Lets just say having ADD and working flat rate is a recipe for disaster. And I worked with so called normal people that made plenty of screw ups.

 

[zzrodder]

"To err is human, blaming someone else shows management potential"

 

[donsrods]

Well, my two sets of gaskets arrived today from Summit, and I will only be using the second set that FelPro suggested. It isn't worth me sending back the other set because the freight cost would eat up any money I would have coming back, so I will keep them for some future project.

My game plan is to tomorrow get at least the intake installed, and I am going to really take my time and make sure I do it as perfectly as possible.

 

[donsrods]

Got a lot done today. I took my time to make sure the intake mounting surfaces were spotless, and then I used some high tack to hold the gaskets in place while I used The Right Stuff to make end seals. I torqued the intake down in 3 steps, finally ending up at 25 pounds or torque.

A also made sure the 3 carbs were seated on the intake well, and used some thicker gaskets I got from Rock Auto instead of the paper thin ones that came with the intake. Finally, I got the new distributor installed and it cleared the rear carb ok. I also installed the new coil that came from Summit and when I put an ohm meter on it the reading was .6 ohms, and when I tested the one I just took off of the car it measured 1.8 ohms, so that might have been an issue too.

That left just the carb linkage, and wiring going to the new distributor, which I wrapped up before I called it quits for the day. Tomorrow I just have to make new spark plug wires, fill the cooling system back up, and I am going to replace those red fuel lines with regular black fuel hose. The red ones have been turning the fuel in my carb bowls to red.

So, tomorrow should be the day I fire it back up, an hopefully I will have no more intake air leaks.

 

[kenny c]

Good luck.I have my fingers crossed.[P[P[P

 

[smallfoot]

Good luck! It'll be fine!

 

[donsrods]

Thanks for the well wishes, guys. I only have a couple of hours work to do and I should be able to test fire this thing . If there is still a problem this is going to become the worlds heaviest paperweight !

 

[donsrods]

Today I got the final parts installed, made up my plug wires, and it was time to start it for the first time. I cranked and cranked and all it did was backfire and spit, and it would not start. I played around with everything I could think of , but it made no difference, it just would not fire up.

So, I pulled the brand new Pertronix distributor out and put my former one back in and the thing fired right up ! It still did not idle well, so while Dan kept it running I shot some starting fluid around the base of the center carb, and it started idling perfectly, until the fluid ran out and then it started idling rough again.

That tells me there is something really messed up with that center carb. It is sucking air badly somewhere. I also realized to day that I sent back my two end carbs for cores, and those had the special parts inside that Speedway puts in their tripower setup, so those are not correct now either. I am sending that new distributor back to Summit and will run my old one.

I have had it with playing around with this setup, and will mess with it sometime later, after the car has been on the road for a while. In the meantime, I just placed an order with Summit for a single four barrel aluminum intake and gaskets. I will use the Edelbrock carb I have sitting in a box that come off of my Son's Olds when he went to two 500 cfm carbs instead of two 600cfm carbs.

Sometime down the road I will put the tripower setup back on, but it is time to get this thing on the street, and stop pulling out what little hair I have left over these issues.

 

[Old Iron]

That has to be disappointing.

 

[BillM]

Sorry to hear that Don, but no one can fault you for not trying! You're probably wise to go the route you are for now, and work on the tripower once you've enjoyed driving it for a little while.

 

[kenny c]

Thanks for the well wishes, guys. I only have a couple of hours work to do and I should be able to test fire this thing . If there is still a problem this is going to become the worlds heaviest paperweight !

Your paper weight comment reminded me of a shaft I had made for an excavator. It is an inch and a half around and six inches long. Cost $1500 bucks and I couldn't use it. It sits on the desk as a reminder of how dumb I can be. I think you're making the the right decision on switching intake plans for now. Good luck.[P[P

 

[Bamamav]

My patience would have done ran out. Simple is better!
Too bad you sent those two carbs in for cores with the special pieces still on them, I know you lost money right there. Sounds like something I'd do when I'm mad and in a hurry![ddd

 

[donsrods]

Thanks, guys. Yep, while it is disappointing, I have to remember that this is simply a hobby, not something that is super important. But I am tired of bleeding money and time on this &*^%%$ tripower setup, just for the looks it would give the car. I have no idea how people put 6 or 8 carbs on an engine and get them to run right.

When I realized , last night, that I had sent those important parts back with the two end carbs as cores, that cinched it right there. I found the paperwork when I was digging around and started reading the instructions I got with the Speedway conversion kit, and I realized I had stupidly sent the stuff away and that I would have to buy that kit again to convert the new carbs. That did it.

So, today I am going to strip the intake and distributor back off, drain the coolant, and clean everything up for when the new intake comes next week. I think I am going to install a Holley 650 double pumper I have sitting on the 355 Chevy race motor on an engine stand. The carb has been redone by All American carburetors and the main reason I am thinking of using it is because it has two fuel inlets and I have a tripower fuel log on the firewall and it would look pretty lame to just have one hose coming out of that fuel block, at least two will look somewhat better, I think.

While I was playing around all day with those stupid carbs, Dan was working more on the bed. He is adding some 1 x 1 box tubing under the edges of the bed side wings to dress those up and give them more strength. At least HE had good progress yesterday !

Also, I am almost at the two week mark for George having my door side panels to upholster. So he should be getting close to getting those done ( I hope).

 

[MercuryMac]

Don, I've been following in your footsteps, fighting to get three carbs to work, because they look so cool. I feel your pain, -- literally. Yesterday, I got the advice 'go get a new four barrel intake and carb', but, I'm a bull for punishment.
If you'd have discovered the problem, then I'd have ridden into glory on your coattails.
Sorry for your disappointment, Don.

 

[Tripper]

I have no idea how people put 6 or 8 carbs on an engine and get them to run right.

I'm always amazed at 6-8 carb setups too! I fought my 3x2 setup for quite a while before I got it to work properly. I even ran just the middle carb for about year because I liked the look! Finally rebuilt all 3 & figured out the linkage was another problem I was having!

The carb has been redone by All American carburetors and the main reason I am thinking of using it is because it has two fuel inlets and I have a tripower fuel log on the firewall and it would look pretty lame to just have one hose coming out of that fuel block, at least two will look somewhat better, I think.

I'm using a 4 port fuel block on my tri-power & plug the 4th one up with a fuel pressure gauge! Also ditched the red fuel lines & went to black rubber ones!

BoB

 

[Bamamav]

I'm using a 4 port fuel block on my tri-power & plug the 4th one up with a fuel pressure gauge! Also ditched the red fuel lines & went to black rubber ones!

BoB

Ne and Tripper are thinkin' alike, he just beat me to it! I'd stick a pressure gauge in that third hole and call it good. It'll look like you planned it that way!