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Took my 76 for a shakedown run this evening after a complete rebuild. Engine, transmission, and new FiTech TBI seem to be working great. Ran it through a local, good, carwash and as I pulled out I started to smell coolant. Pulled into the free vacuum area and BOOM steam everywhere. Blew the lower radiator hose at the water pump. Luckily where it broke I had enough that I cut it flush and reattached. Also luckily, the hardware store across the street was still open, so took a short walk for coolant and a funnel. When I got home, realized my electric fan fuse blew also and the hot steam started to de-laminate the underside of the hood in a few spots (but luckily no damage on the topside.)
So now my freshly cleaned engine compartment is completely covered in coolant. Joy.
Made for a cool photo though with the coolant burning off the headers!
Last edited by bluthundr; Nov 5, 2021 at 10:01 PM.
Congrats on getting her back together and out for your first test drive since rebuilding.
Of course there were a couple glitches. I fully expect to have some myself when I finally get my girl back on the road.
Glad it wasn’t any worse. Best of luck!
😎
The temp gauge does not work i found out, but the FiTech temp gauge does work, and I had it set to come on at 200. It clicked the relay when it was supposed to, the problem was the actual fuse for the fan was blown and i didn't realize it. The system did not get up to 15psi when the radiator cap should have started venting, somewhere between 0 and 15 psi the hose blew. It split right at the neck of the water pump so that was just the weakest point I suppose.
As far as the gauge goes, it does not deflect even if the sensor wire is grounded, so it is the gauge.
I'm assuming it has power, as it comes from the big "pink" wire circuit and all the other gauges work - but I am not sure where the gauge itself gets it's ground from. I don't know if it is behind the cluster or if it is in the engine compartment and got left in the loom and not hooked up.
Corvette in the Mist
