| 6/10/02 It seems like a while since I made an entry, however, I have not been idle…. Just that until I could test things out, it didn’t make sense to write. Now I can tell you that the TurboStude is mobile again and running under its own power! I have tracked down some pesky coolant leaks and then noticed when I started the engine that something was still leaking. The engine was hard to keep running, and the reason was that gas was just gushing out the carb base and manifold and the top of the accelerator pump. I had hot-wired the electric fuel pump as I usually do to fill up the bowls after a long sit. Seems that the floats were not working….? Well, maybe that backfire or pressure build-up which abruptly ended my last outing was involved? Top off carb, found some rather mangled floats! Took the opportunity to change primary jets to 0.114 and secondary to 0.104. Put in some new, stock floats (I better make up some foam ones….). Tried the car. A/F meter now off top end of scale for O2 sensor and clouds of blue smoke. Top off carb again, changed primaries to 0.104. At this point, I made up a better seal for the accelerator pump too. To do this, I found a washer which, when ground a little would just fit inside the depression in the carb top piece. I found a little neoprene rubber washer with a “nose” on it which just fit thru the hole in the washer. I peened the pair in place and then epoxied it down. It bound a bit on the accelerator pump shaft, so I gently sanded this (it is plastic) and then polished it. This is a better seal. Noted that the large bore vacuum port between the idle air screws was open to the atmosphere! I have no idea how long it has been that way. I believe that it had a bolt jammed into the hose which was on the port. Maybe the “BIG BANG” popped it out as well, and I was just finding out, since the huge gas dump was being offset by the huge air leak!…. Anyway, it is all plugged up again. At this point, it seems that the car is stuttering a bit off idle and then with gradual pedal pressure it accelerates like it is on a huge rubber band….. I think that I need to adjust the accelerator pump again for different throw, maybe go a bit leaner again on the primary and fool with the timing again. Actually driving the car, the brakes really work well! The clutch shifts RIGHT NOW and I think we’ll stick with this rear-end ratio. I actually can lay a little patch, though I was afraid to snap the driveshaft (at least until after Back-to the 50’s……). The seats are really comfy. I hung the collapsed floats on the mirror like a pair of baby shoes. Hood won’t shut right. I think I’ll take it off and go “naked” again. Home Next |
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TurboStude! 
