O U C H !!!!

I'll wait until tomorrow to re-install the rebuilt distributor/may have some energy by then.......I haven't eaten since Tuesday morning....but that's nothing new..."good-old" P.T.S.D........ !

 

Sorry to hear that Silva,whenever blood was needed to be drawn I always insisted on an IV nurse, they should have one and they don't miss.

Back to you now Gunner, if you can't pull the car into the house there is absolutely no reason for double doors, just another thing that can go wrong.
Good luck, they probably didn't even buy you dinner before the unspoken procedures either.

 

Correct on all counts!

See you guys tomorrow.

 

GOOD NEWS!

The newly rebuilt distributor is installed.....The base timing idles best at 14* and 700 rpm (A/T).....

When I connect the vacuum advance to the manifold port on the front-right base of the carb the engine DOESN'T KILL ANYMORE!

The rpm increased to about 1500 rpm.....I adjusted the idle down to 700 rpm and re-adjusted the air mixture screws to 1&3/4 turns out.

Now the engine starts on the first revolution instead of having to crank it several times/it also "hot-starts" easily now instead of having to crank the hot starter until the battery was getting weak!.

It revs instantly to 4,000 rpm now (previously it had a bog when revving).

(I will test all the "electrics" that I previously removed from the distributor/toss out the defective parts and save the good parts in my roadside repair kit)



HERE ARE THE PICS......disregard the 40 year-old orange paint.........LOL.....




That "antique" base gasket has to be removed..............







The intake surface is cleaned.............







The #1 spark plug is removed/finger inserted to feel the compression stroke .........







The remote engine crank switch that I PERMANENTLY installed is used to bump the starter until the timing mark is on the compression stroke (finger is being pushed out of spark plug hole)............







The crank/balance has been bumped/rotated around very close to the "0"* timing mark (balance has white paint on the mark to see it easier when using the timing light)...............







The oil pump shaft drive-groove is rotated by hand with an 18" long section of steel flatbar until the groove points to the #1 cylinder on the engine........







The groove in the oil pump drive can be seen pointing to the #1 cylinder.........







A spare base gasket is installed.........






The distributor rotor is slightly rotated and is "stabbed" into the oil pump drive-groove.............






The base of the distributor sits flat against the red gasket and the intake opening (there would be a 1/4" to 3/8" gap if the distributor was not properly aligned/set into the pump drive groove).........







The dist. hold-down clamp is snugged just enough so the distributor can be turned by hand to set the timing.........







The tach cable is reconnected............................. .........








The #1 spark plug/boot/water temp wiring is reinstalled............................







The distributor cap is installed/spark plug leads/3-wire module harness are plugged into the dist. cap..........







The upgraded 12 ga. copper-strand ignition wire is plugged into the positive terminal of the cap (previously there was an original steel-strand resistor-type wire attached to the dist. cap positive terminal which caused the upgraded HEI module to fail).........








**************************************** **************************************** **************************************** ***************************************
I connected the timing light and set the base timing to 14* with the vacuum advance hose disconnected and temporarily plugged off.....Then I TIGHTENED the dist. hold-down clamp completely to keep the distributor in place/reconnected the vacuum advance hose/adjusted the idle down to 700 rpm for the automatic transmission.......(NO PICS OF THIS)
**************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** ****






I re-installed the modified CAI set-up (which still needs extensions and fiberglass work in order to reach the wiper tray and seal properly)/I started the engine again several times/everything operated perfectly..................





I'll take the car for a test drive this afternoon (I didn't buy a GoPro camera yet to video the test drive )

 

 

Looks real good Gunner, smart move starting fresh and keeping functional parts as spares.
Keep us updated on test run.

 

Speaking of fresh parts.......the crusty/oil-covered/nasty-looking aftermarket (age unknown) fuel pump is going in the trash can tomorrow. The engine is running out of gas above 45 mph!

Since the car is a resto-mod.....it's going electric 5-9 psi with a regulator and new return line to the tank since the original looks like swiss cheese............................






(Yep......I'm still striving for a successful test drive longer than 50 miles )

 

LOL good luck to ya brother. You seem to be fighting one battle after another but when you're done you'll be able to drive it anywhere

 

It would/should be sad.............but it's starting to get hilarious......but it always gets me home.....I can't complain about that!

I have already purchased the expensive items for the project.....bumpers/grills/convertibletop/alternator/harnesses/radiator/upgraded to E-fans (since all cooling components were missing).

I have tried to save as many original components as possible in the interior and the suspension.....WHY I avoided the fuel pump----I haven't a clue....maybe I could use the excuse that I was deliberating an electric pump since one worked well on my '34 SBC street truck.



Ohhhhhhh well.......back to "the pit area" tomorrow!

 

Progress You are certainly playing a serious game of wack o mole, but you will have solid car in the end.

Great documenting as always

 

LOL....."Wack A' Mole"!

My kids loved that arcade game at the "Chunky Cheese" pizzashop/arcade.

Personally......I'd like to play "Wack A' PTSD"!!!


90460

 

This is a nice tool for that distributor work. Makes things much easier.

 

You're not going to believe this.......but I lost the tool in 1978!

You're right.......it's time for a new one!


I spent the day running the roads/collecting plumbing for the replacement return hard line to the gas tank.......

I came up short 1 fitting....the T-fitting at the carb.....resto-mod time tomorrow/fabricate the fitting that I can't find locally. I really want as much "hot" fuel to return to the tank as possible/the 20" line between the fuel pump and the carb inlet can be eliminated since my car is not original under the hood.

 

Another day of errands................................. .......

I DID manage to get a little done on both ends of the car.

(Remember it's a resto-mod....I wouldn't do this to an original car)

First.....fter two years of considering changes, there is no sense in having a fuel pump near a 500*F exhaust manifold/nor having a fuel line routed along the hot engine block/nor having a return line 24" from the carb allowing the fuel to reach 180*+ temps.......so I gutted the engine bay plumbing................







I also temporarily ran a hose from the tank supply line on the frame to a fuel pressure gauge to see if there is any pressure drop from the tank pump to the carb.....................







I installed the can filter......the electric pump.....and ran the key-on 12 volt wire to the pump (didn't get to do any soldering though).............





Tomorrow I'll finish the pump wiring and install a fuel pump relay next to the fuse block............pick up a fuel pressure regulator-if needed (per Forum members).......and finish plumbing the carb......

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh......annnnnnnd install the return line!

 

Gunner even your crazy azz wouldn't try to clean up that old pump, maybe you had a minor breakthrough,
Good luck, keep the pics coming

 

Normally I would have found a way to rebuild it.....but it's aftermarket......worn out.....nasty.........


OOOOOOOOOPS.......I just described myself........




Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm......I believe I DID have a breakthrough!

I didn't fabricate my own fuel pressure reducer....bashcraft and other members like you have reigned me in, so I took the easy way out.......

"It's a nice shiny new fuel pressure regulator (with return port!)"................................. ........





I bought it right before the parts store closed/there was only one on display---it wasn't there yesterday/I didn't have time to decide on the fittings that I would need.....I'll get those tomorrow.

 

Its ok, Noone ever gest everything they need on the first trip to the parts store. Or to Home Depot. It always requires a second trip

 

I think that goes "for the bank" too!

I just did some reviewing..........as of today I have $10,000 into the car....which means I have spent more on replacing old/missing parts than I spent on the actual purchase of the car.

Buying daily driver quality original parts from great Forum members has saved me at least $7,000!

But I will roll that money into a local body shop with experience at painting Corvettes/fiberglass soon.

Since this car will be my retirement car, I won't sell it (after wanting a Vette for 50 years)

Well................."back to the garage" since the PTSD is leaving me alone mentally, I'll try to get as much as I can accomplished before it "hits me" again.


90960

 

While I haven't added up all my receipts I know I have more than double the purchase price of my 76, of course being taken for $3500 by keisler didn't help either I will not be selling mine either so it really doesn't matter how much I spend eventually on it just as long as I enjoy it

 

Exactly!


Naturally.....there were more errands today....but I picked up more plumbing stuff on the way home.......then this happen in about two hours (No More Hot Fuel Lines!)..................




The regulator supply and return lines are installed......I had to angle the regulator down about 1/2" to clear the air plenum................







It's a close fit/about 1/8" gap b/twn the regulator and the plenum.....I'll put a 1/8" gasket under the plenum later.......






Tomorrow I'll finish running the return line to the gas tank, then run the pump, check the fuel pressure at the carb, adjust the regulator and go for a test drive.