Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

[John H.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

John Hinckley, Can this operation (the plugs )be performed while the manifold is on the engine,,??
Francis

Francis -

I wouldn't recommend it - reversion pulses are strongest at idle, and it wouldn't take much to spread even tiny shavings into the driver's side cylinder bank. I do that kind of work on the bench.

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Sorry for being absent but we were at the beach last week. I got back yesterday and tapped the holes under the carburetor in the manifold and plugged them. Put everything back together and took it out for a test drive. The temp on the car stayed at 180 and it drove great. Then I stopped at a friends house and talked for a while. When I got back in the car the temp gauge had risen to about 200 or 205 and when I took off it started sputtering again. As I drove it it got better and the temp went down. Is there anything else I could try? This doesn't seem to be the way it should work. I am getting closer with all y'alls help, but not there yet.

[Leif A.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Sorry for being absent but we were at the beach last week. I got back yesterday and tapped the holes under the carburetor in the manifold and plugged them. Put everything back together and took it out for a test drive. The temp on the car stayed at 180 and it drove great. Then I stopped at a friends house and talked for a while. When I got back in the car the temp gauge had risen to about 200 or 205 and when I took off it started sputtering again. As I drove it it got better and the temp went down. Is there anything else I could try? This doesn't seem to be the way it should work. I am getting closer with all y'alls help, but not there yet.

Lee,

Your current issue you're describing probably doesn't relate to your first issue. After driving for awhile and running at 180 degrees (which is spot on perfect) and you stopped to chat your engine experienced what is called "heat soak". As the water stops circulating thru the cooling system and just sits in that hot engine block it becomes very hot. Additionally, with today's ethanol blend fuel, the fuel in your carb float bowls probably percolated from the heat coming off the engine. When you started and drove off you didn't have a strong fuel mass in the carb, probably more vapor than all liquid gasoline. As you drove further, the vapor/gas mixture was replaced with all gasoline and the car ran smoother. Also, the coolant began circulating in your engine, once again, and cooled down the engine hence your temperature drop. Long story short, this is not a new problem...completely normal. How long did you drive the car today?? Was it longer than previous trips?? Did it run smoothly the entire trip?? If you, start driving and enjoying your new toy and congrats on the fix.

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Lee,

Your current issue you're describing probably doesn't relate your first issue. After driving for awhile and running at 180 degrees (which is spot on perfect) and you stopped to chat your engine experienced what is called "heat soak". As the water stops circulating thru the cooling system and just sits it that hot engine block it becomes very hot. Additionally, with today's ethanol blend fuel, the fuel in your carb floats probably percolated from the heat coming off the engine. When you started and drove off you didn't have a strong fuel mass in the carb, probably more vapor than all liquid gasoline. As you drove further, the vapor/gas mixture was replaced with all gasoline and the car ran smoother. Also, the coolant began circulating in your engine, once again, and cooled down the engine hence your temperature drop. Long story short, this is not a new problem...completely normal. How long did you drive the car today?? Was it longer than previous trips?? Did it run smoothly the entire trip?? If you, start driving and enjoying your new toy and congrats on the fix.

Leif,
Thank you for that explaination. That seems to be what i experienced. I will try to drive it longer tomorrow or Tuesday and report back. I think the thermostat was sticking in the car. The new one really helped. I ran out of time tonight, my wife had to be somewhere and i had the kids. I hope these suggestions have fixed the problem. Will post the long drive results as soon as i get a chance to take a long one.
Thanks to all,
Lee

[Richard M.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Lee,

Leif precisely described what happened. i.e. He nailed it!

Sleep well tonight. Your car is acting properly.....at least with today's fuels, etc.

Rich

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Bad news. I finally got the dwell set at 30 degrees, timing set at 8 degrees, thought everything was great, holes in manifold plugged, took it out for a test drive and after 10 minutes, it starts to sputter and backfire. It ran great at low rpm's, but sputtered at high rpm's. Then started cutting off, and barely got home. Got home, took the air cleaner off and noticed that when I that when I pumped the accelerator, the gas seemed to vaporize when it hit the venturi's in the carb. The engine seemed extremely hot, but in stuck am thermometer in the expansion tank and it was right at 180. Under the carb the if thermometer read 220 on the manifold. I am going nuts, just paid a damn fortune to have this POS restored and I cannot even drive it for more than 10 minutes. Any other ideas?
Lee

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

I think I finally found it. I readjusted the timing and dwell last night and took it out for a spin. It ran great. I brought it home and looked under the hood and realized that I still had a golf tee in the vacuum advance line. My question is, if the vacuum advance is sticking, could it advance, stick, and then the engine act as if it was running lean due to the advance timing at low rpms?

[Timothy B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

The engine would probably idle higher than normal. I have never heard of a V/A sticking but the centrifugal weights could be dirty and hang up.

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

So tonight, I determined that the vacuum advance was shot, hooked a hose up to it and sucked air right thru it. I guess that is why the car ran better with the vacuum line plugged. Here is the real problem, I set the timing to 8 degrees last night before I went driving. Drove pretty good. I took the timing light out tonight to check the timing to be sure everything was the same and the timing was at 22 degrees. Checked it several times but that is what it read. Any thoughts? I am lost.

[Timothy B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Lee, Fix what is broken then check the centrifugal advance weights inside the distributor to make sure they are free and not sticking. You may also want to double check the TDC mark on the damper.

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

I plan on taking the distributor off again tonight and will check the weights, but they felt free yesterday when I was checking them. When you say check the TDC mark on the damper, how would I do that?
Thanks
Lee

[Timothy B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Lee, That would involve finding exact TDC of the #1 piston and seeing if the mark on the damper is correct. A piston stop is required and it's not that difficult, I am sure there is good information in the archives about the procedure. Go to the distributor weights first, lots of times they wear around the point where they sit on the weight base cam.

[Donald O.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

So tonight, I determined that the vacuum advance was shot, hooked a hose up to it and sucked air right thru it. I guess that is why the car ran better with the vacuum line plugged. Here is the real problem, I set the timing to 8 degrees last night before I went driving. Drove pretty good. I took the timing light out tonight to check the timing to be sure everything was the same and the timing was at 22 degrees. Checked it several times but that is what it read. Any thoughts? I am lost.

Lee,
IF the engine wasn't rebuilt as part of the restoration, and IF the timing chain and gears are still the original, then its time to replace them. The OE gears were a nylon over a steel core, made the engine sound quieter, but after 40-60k miles the nylon is shot or worn away. The replacement of the gears is very easy and relatively inexpensive.
I can send a more detailed step bt step to replace if need be, but it is all spelled out in the CSM
DonO

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

As it turns out, I put a cheap vacuum advance on the car while I am waiting for the correct one to come. The car runs great. I want to thank everyone for their help on this problem. This may be crazy, but I think the broken vacuum advance was allowing the timing to advance too far, the engine was overheating and running lean.
Thanks,
Lee

[Lee B.]

Re: Fresh 1967 Convertible Restoration need electrical help

Okay, I spoke too soon. Took the car out for a long drive and I was able to drive it the entire way, but when I really got on the gas after 20 minutes into the ride, the car started to sputter. If I drove it like my dad, it drove fine, but what fun is that. When I got home, I could not get the car to run enough to check the timing. As soon as I disconnected the vacuum advance, the car cut off. It would backfire and shoot flames out the carb. I waited for it to cool down and checked everything out. I set the timing at 9 degrees, adjusted carb using a vacuum gauge, checked the dwell and everything is good. I checked the total timing and it was 9 degrees to 29 degrees this was with the vacuum advance detached. I am getting it dialed in, it not there yet.
Lee