Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

[Boomyal]

This morning I am going to change the plugs in my resto motor, change the oil, fill with coolant and clean up the tools that are filling the boat....<br /><br />...and then I'm gonna try to START IT!! Whoppee!!<br /><br />I spent most of this week correcting various problems. The original 30 y/o water pump back plate gasket was leaking so I had to drain the motor, tear the whole front end off, incl the heat exchanger, and put on a new gasket.<br /><br />I went to put my exhaust manifolds on and they were hitting the aluminum valve covers that I worked so hard to get a paint up pretty. GRRRRR, I had even added a 1/4" stainless header flange as a spacer to try to get more distance from even the original sheet metal covers. I then ordered a set a Ford Racing aluminum covers, 2nd day air, from Summit and they were even worse. I ended up having to mill down the thick mounting pads on the bottom of my original set of aluminum covers and they finally fit.<br /><br />Then I filled the motor with oil and rammed the dipstick down the tube. When I pulled it back out it was covered with glass bead grit from when I bead blasted the tube. I never thought to blow out the inside of it. So now I have to pump the oil out, remove the tube assemble from the bottom rear oilpan drain hole and flush some oil thru the motor to push any grit out that might have made its way into the bottom of the pan.<br /><br />On the 9th of August I ordered an MSD ignition to power my factory 5.0 litre platinum plugs gapped at .55. Today I just got an email from the seller asking where the money order is. It's been 10 days and he still didn't have it. I had thought it would have been here for this occasion. So I had to go buy a set of standard gap copper core plugs to temporarily replace them.<br /><br />Tomorrow will be the big IF. If the used 4 bbl Holley I bought was not a pig in a poke, she should fire right up. If it does, out I will go onto the Grand Columbia and give her a test run. <br /><br />I have really been racing the clock because there is a Boy Scout Water weekend coming up next weekend and I promised that my boat would be ready.<br /><br />Please all, Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[vipzach]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

GOOD LUCK BOOM, I hope all works out!!!!!!!

 

[rattana]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Good Luck Boomyal!!!

 

[michaelfagan]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

I just crossed my fingers for u.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Boy does this senario sound familiar! <br /><br />Positive vibes your way Boomer!<br /><br /><br />Me...? Now the boat's ready for another shake dow run and it's storming.... or threatening to. Second Saturday in a row.

 

[vipzach]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

KaGee, I am tired of this rain on the weekend crap too, this is the first Saturday in a couple of weeks that isn't raining, but they are saying it may rain on Sunday now. Why does it always rain on the weekends?

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Well the news is half good. After multiple attempts to prime the carb and fire it up, I finally filled the Holley float chamber with gas and the motor started right up. It seems that carbs are a lot more difficult to prime when you have a spin on fuel filter.<br /><br />I had the the timing set on TDC so even tho it ran well it was not crisp. In the mean time I noticed that the Holley carb was leaking fuel on the underside and I had a weird whine that seemed to be emenating from the distributor gear or timing chain area. <br /><br />This is a roller cam with steel distributor gear so I had to add a steel gear to my OEM Prestolite distributor. I think there could be a mismatch there.<br /><br />So happy in the knowledge that the motor runs, and incidently the new mini starter is dynomite, I shut her down and removed the carb for later inspection. Distributor whine yet to be diagnosed. <br /><br />My destiny with a water trial tomorrow is now in doubt.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

<br /><br />I guess that's boating. Emotional highs and lows. I wonder if there is a prescription available???<br /><br />I got faith you will find you problems.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

^^<br /><br />C'mon Boomer, spill the beans!

 

[Lou C]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Glad to hear she runs. I usually fill my water seperating filter with gas when I change it at winterization so the fuel pump is not sucking air when I re-start in the spring. Usually after 3-4 crank overs she roars to life after her winter sleep!

 

[rbezdon]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Lou, hope you fill it with gas mixed with some Stabil and not just some gas from the lawnmower can!!

 

[Lou C]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Of course my lawnmower can has stabil in it too, I use it in everything except the Jeep which gets driven every day!<br />Great stuff, I have the 17 year old OMC 4.3(original engine) 18 year old lawnmower, 10 year old weed wacker and blower, and 7 year old snow blower, all get the stabil treatment. So does my father in law's generator, he used to leave it with unstablized gas and one year I had to clean out the idle circuit of the carb just to get it to idle, now no problems for past several years.

 

[rojoc]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

What would be the effects if any, if by some chance an excesssive amount of sta-bil was added to a fuel system? Thanks in advance.

 

[vicsponjr]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Good luck Boom. That glass bead would scare the crap out of me. I would change the oil and make sure its all out. That sh!t can really tear up your bearings.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Any news, boom????

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Ok, let's see where I left off. Oh yeah, I pumped out the cold oil (slow going), unbolted the dip stick tube, removed the bottom fitting, jacked the bow of the boat up and poured a qt of oil thru the motor to run back out the drain hole. I didn't get any noticable 'stuff' out of it so I feel pretty safe that it stayed in the tube.<br /><br />I put every thing back together, put an old junker carb on the motor and fired it back up to try to time it and make a further determination on the whining noise. I happened to look down at the fuel pump and gas was oozing out of the fitting for the ridgid carb line. Put a rag under it and kept playing with the throttle because it did not want to idle down where I could check the timing.<br /><br />I glanced at the temperature gauge and it's heading toward 200 deg's. I went back and felt all the lines and there is no doubt that the raw water pump is pumping but the by-pass hose is hot and the oil pan is hot. Went to bed rather discouraged.<br /><br />This morning I dumped all the coolant into my pristine white bilge and pulled the thermostate. Brought it in the house and put it in the saucepan with thermometer and the thing never opened all the way up to 190 deg.<br /><br />Went back and pulled the rigid gas line between the fuel pump and carb and the line was split right up thru the nut. Extra Grrrrrrrrr's<br /><br />Now I have to go do some work but my 600 cfm carb has been sitting in carb cleaner overnite so at 3:30 I head over to friends house where we rebuild the Holley and install the anti backfire device to keep from blowing out the power valve.<br /><br />Now it is 7:00 pm and the auto parts stores are closed so I can't get a new thermostate and fuel line.<br /><br />Tuesday morning I will get those things, fire it back up and deal with the distributor whine.<br /><br />I still might make it for the Boy Scout weekend but providence has sure been conspiring against it. The new 'on the water" test is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.<br /><br />Don't uncross those fingers yet.<br />

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Unfortunately, plastic distributor gears are used for a very good reason - noise. The steel gears may still 'bed in' and become quieter - lets hope.<br /><br />Fingers crossed that Murphy hasn't got you in his sights

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Originally posted by Dunaruna:<br /> Fingers crossed that Murphy hasn't got you in his sights

Aldo, I'd hope your fingers were crossed that I get OUT of Murpy's sights.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Originally posted by Boomyal:<br /> Aldo, I'd hope your fingers were crossed that I get OUT of Murpy's sights.

Exactly!! That's what I was trying to say

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Keeping my fingers crossed! THE SAGA CONTINUES!

While back put new race cams in my Harley Sportster motor and you could hear the whine a block away. Hour worth of running later nothing. Steel gears will "bed", so go on to other things like leaking gas! Good luck Boom