Power Tour Breakdown Story...

[nerdboy88]

Well, we made it through the entire power tour 2700 miles, and broke 20 miles from home Saturday night! We died on the highway after several harsh sputters and coughs. Luckily in the 100 lbs of tools and parts that I packed I did remember that I have a 44 year old fuel tank and would be putting strange gas into it and bouncing the car over strange highways, so out came the fuel filter replacement cartridge!

5 minutes later we were on the road and happily home in 20 minutes.

What breakdown stories do you have?

Robin / Nerdboy88
64 Chevelle SS
HRPT 2008 Long Hauler
http://powertourpics.com/

[Solsticefun]

None, Thank God. ;D

[a-body2]

I was 3 miles from the venue in Ames. The car hesitated, died, and backfired about as loud as if possible. I coasted to the side of the road and called AAA. I was towed into the venue on a rollback right to the GM Performance area. It was diagnosed a bad distributor (bearing locked up),. A short walk to the MSD display, $389 on the credid card, and back to have it installed. We died at about 3 pm, and were running again by 5:15.

[BluLightning]

I was going to Ames just minding my own business at about 85MPH when I heard a loud bang and what sounded like a severe exhaust leak. Got to the side of the road and determined that I had blown a spark plug out of the head. Limped it on 7 cylinders to the nearest Ford dealer and found out that it had been closed for 4 years. >:(Damn lying GPS. ;D Called a tow truck and they trailered it to Keast Ford in Harlan Iowa. They told me on the phone that it would take 3 hours to fix so we sat and waited. Truck was done in 1 1/2 hours and we were on our way. :o Turns out the owner of the dealership was on the Power Tour in his 55 Nomad.

KEAST FORD IS AWESOME!!!!!! :)

[carhabit]

Thank goodness no real breakdown but....

Day 1-Brand new Vintage a/c started blowing blistering hot air. The 4th heater control switch went bad driving the heater control valve wide open. Clamped a pair of needle nose vise grips on the heater hose and had a/c the rest of the trip.
Day 2-Tail lights began crapping out and intermitent turn signals-Used a jumper wire and alligator clips to cobble the ground on the repop tail light lenses to keep us going
Day 3-Wifes window crank fell of. She laughed and wanted to take a picture. I got p'd off and smacked it back on with my fist
Day 4-Drivers door handle (outside) quit working. Pulled the door panel and need to replace door handle to repair. Let the wife open the door for me the rest of the trip
Day 5-Rain-Found out the paint shop did not install taillight seals in the car at assembly. (Last time I ever buy a car already done)Flooded the trunk contents.
Day 6-Developed a miss under hard load-Turns out we have a couple of weak valve springs in the stock motor I reinstalled for the power tour.
Day 7+ Nothing else broke.
Late development. Got home to change oil and check the car over for any other issues. Found a broken a/c bracket. This stupid march pulley system has given us issues from day one. I think I will go back to stock brackets.

Given all of these minor issues, she got us up and back so all is well.

Who's next?

[maromoma]

Minor breakdown in Joplin MO (on the way home to Tulsa). BAD GAS from Ft. Scott KS, yeah we went thru there even on the way home! A guy even remembered seeing our car on the way up. Anyway, thankfully we met our good friends in Joplin and they got us some STP gas treatment and some fresh gas and after a bit if sputtering, dying and starting again, we got on our way a few hrs later than we planned.

But the biggest mess was discovering a major leak in the trunk area after being in all the rain. We don't usually take the car out in heavy rain so we didnt detect any major leaks before this. NOW we know! We will get 'er fixed before next PT! Other than that and me getting sick one nite, it was a great adventure as always!

[fine59]

On the way to little rock had a upper control arm come of the cross shaft, bolt backed off and arm worked its way off the cross shaft, when the bolt fell off it fell between my steering coupler and frame locking my steering, it was not fun trying to control the car at 85 with no steering,had to coast to the side of the road becuase when i hit the brakes the front wheel wanted to wobble really bad, we foung the bolt, jacked up wheel,got the control arm back on the cross shaft and were back under way in about 30 minutes...thanks Darrell, Brent, and Kenny, you guys rock

[outlaw57]

nothing too major, burned a spark plug wire boot off, made for a steller strip run at topekas strip. then blew a collector gasket after rochester, luckly the plan was to stop home after rochester before madison.

[shaggn]

Only minor here-tail pipe worked loose,dash cluster developed intermittent,and minor tire scrub from all the extra crap we hauled! ;D

[fine59]

On the way to little rock had a upper control arm come of the cross shaft, bolt backed off and arm worked its way off the cross shaft, when the bolt fell off it fell between my steering coupler and frame locking my steering, it was not fun trying to control the car at 85 with no steering,had to coast to the side of the road becuase when i hit the brakes the front wheel wanted to wobble really bad, we foung the bolt, jacked up wheel,got the control arm back on the cross shaft and were back under way in about 30 minutes...thanks Darrell, Brent, and Kenny, you guys rock


i ment Matt Orange95Z....Sorry Matt

[67BlueSS]

On Highway 36 outside of Homes, Kansas was a car club raising money for Relay for Life selling BBQ. We stopped and visited bought some great pork sandwiches. Pulled out on highway, opened headers, set line lock, and did a great burnout for tham as we left and that was the last time the car ran right. I over reved the car and flipped the fan belt, broke some valve springs and possibly bent some valves. My wife said the burnout was worth the expense. We got trailered home and had to finish the HRPT in the S-10.

[White Monster]

I was following BluLightning down the road after the LH meeting Saturday morning, when the ole gal started sputtering, missing and having a severe power loss. Right in the middle of all that Chicago traffic and a bloody toll every damn mile ($1 here, .80 there, $3 here ... on and on).

Shifting into neutral every stop, braking with the left foot and trying to keep the revs up with the right foot was nerve wracking. I called Bob on the cell and the lovely Reni answered. I screamed "I'm pulling over, it's about to melt down" !!

We had a look and decided to keep going. We got to the South of Chicago still under power and the Blue Lightining headed left for East to Ohio and I kept straight (I mean forward) South. I limped into Merrillville and made it to a gas station with a parts store next door.

Had a look and saw one of my plug wires next to the header, melted through. Damn. pulled it off the pipe and started it up again. Still missing and running rough as hell. Local advise was that Robert at S&S was the man to see with regards to "old stuff". Went and saw Robert and he knew his stuff. My carb was stuffed (that means Fcuked up in Aussie talk). Apparently the carb was so clogged up that one whole bank wasn't getting any fuel. Anyhow, after two cans of carb cleaner, off I go to the auto parts store, get another carb, put it on and with a free wire from Robert, I was on my way in 3 hours.

:P

[DropTopZ28]

a nut on the window arm came off and the window keep moving forward and back everytime i stopped or turned a corner. it did this on last years power tour also. my car didn't stop running until the day after we got home. i guess i need to check my fuel filter also. i just replaced it so i've been looking at other things.

[oletrux4evr]

Geez, we were fortunate. Had a rock thrown into the windshield just outside of Denison, Iowa. Motored into the Adams parking lot, let them know I needed a repair on the glass before the sun came out and cracked it, and they had it done within 10 minutes. No charge. Fantastic!
A few minor rock chips, lots of bugs, and a hard-hot-start problem that been around since the rebuild......lucky trip for us. Sorry so many of you had tougher problems. :(

[Leon]

My thermostat started acting up on the way home, but is working fine now ???
We cleaned the car and found quite a bit of paint damage. On the way home, a truck blew by us from the other direction and was leaking something, it left marks on the hood, roof, and one door. I guess I'll just have to live with it.

[Kismgby]

HRPT 2008 - Chapter One....Pre Tour....

Uncover the beast and take her for a bath. Small jaunts around town. Come home and she's dead in the driveway. Crankity crankity, but no start. Figured I flooded her. Get a friend to stop by and help take a peek and check timing. VROOM - starts on first turn. Hmmm. Flooded, oh well.

Oil change and new tires (whoo hoo) two weeks prior to the start. Almost three hours spent waiting because they flooded the car and it wouldn't start. ...or so we thought.

Tues nite, spend the night in Joliet to cut an hour off the drive in the morning. Car dies coasting into parking space at hotel. Running a little rich, must have flooded it. ...or so we thought.

Weds I head to Metropolis, IL. Rain in souther IL is so bad I can't see the front of the car. I drive by following the trucker's taillights. If he goes into the ditch, I'm with him. No other problems along the way outside of getting LOST and travelling through Cairo, IL and KY on my way to, um, IL.

Thurs it's a bijillion degrees in Metropolis. Pull into a gas station where they have Regular, Mid-Grade and E85 as my choices. Next! Fill up, head out, and proceed to miss my exit (again). Pull into the KY tourist center and they redirect me to RT 51 and a way to get to Little Rock.

Then the excitement begins...

I'm doing 70 - because they want you to! Me and the I-Pod have become one with Motown's classics. Then I feel a hesitation, a pause, like I took my foot off the gas. Hmmm. Rev rev rev...nada. It was like I had turned the key off. So I coast to the side of the road. Hmmm. This happened on the way to my club picnic a few years back. They had me do "something" with the carb, but I can't recall the details. Call a friend on Speeddial. Sounds like the ballast resistor, bridge it with a wire. Yes, but I now have a dual plug BR. OK, invert the plugs. Good thought, but they only go in one way because they are set up like a grounded plug. Cut the posts.
Mind you, I only have a Phillips and flathead screwdriver in the trunk. But for some reason, I discover I have a tree saw! So I'm sawing away with the connector resting on the air cleaner when a fellow pulls over to try to help. We futz around for about half an hour and he's gotta go to an appt. OK. I ask him to call my cell and give me a mile marker so I can call the Hwy Patrol to get me a tow. Though it's about 1pm, I don't want to be there after dark. I tell the Hwy Patrol that I'm about 2 miles north of Dyersberg on 51. They want to know what county I'm in! Like I have a clue? A young couple stops. He has an electric kit with a few alligator clip wires. He's a bit more auto saavy than me (who isn't) and starts checking into things. An officer arrives and I send him off saying that if it's going to be getting dark and I'm still there, I'll call again. A second young man arrives - who is a best bud of the first couple. We swap the ignition box, the ballast resistor, the coil, and swap the battery as mine's starting to drag. She starts! Anything slower than 40, she floods and dies. Hello two footed driving. We get off 51 and die again under an overpass where we swap out all spark plugs. This gets me to O'Reillys where they check my battery and deem it N/G. We don't have O'Reillys in IL that I'm aware of so I won't buy a battery and let them keep my Mopar red capper. One of the fellows who stopped to help said his family owns a battery business but they didn't have anything to fit my car. So he borrows his friends spare battery and gives O'R the battery from his Geo. His other friend swaps out my coil for a spare from his other car. It's about 6pm and getting dusk. Neither young man would take anything for their time, effort, spare parts! They told me that it was an honor to be able to work on my car and that they probably wouldn't have the opportunity to do so again.

I'm about 4 hrs from my friends in Bauxite. As long as I kept it over 40, I was good. Every potty stop, every fuel stop, I was stalled. Made it to my destination at 01:45 Friday. Fried.

Talk to a Mopar bud from Conway on Friday morning. I think I have to have the carb adjusted, because she's running much to rich. The 45 min drive to his shop is embarassing. I have to shift into neutral and keep her rev'd so we don't stall, but this means I'm peeling out from every stop light and taking on/off ramps at speeds much greater than 30. Can you say squeal?

Apparently "sick puppy" didn't begin to describe the sound of my car. A compression test showed I was literally running on six cyl. Though the $180 BATTERY I now own is quite impressive I'm told.

It's an interesting place, my friends shop. Winged things in various states of assembly. All things Mopar. The largest fan I've ever seen. People just start drifting in. A friend of his concurs that the starter must go. And go it does. The compression test confirms we've got probs, but not necessarily pistons. Which is about the only good thing so far. The next thing is we move her to the lift - spewing oil everywhere. I can't explain it, but it seems like every time I turn, there's another person coming to the rescue or in need of a cold one...or both. Many tell me that they can't believe I actually made it from Chicago. Phone calls are made, deliverys arrive, more people, more parts and he now has assembled my very own pit crew. Engine parts are coming off, getting cleaned, getting prepped, it's harmony at work. Just wait until I'm able to get the photos uploaded! All you see is an engine bay with hands and tools everywhere. At about 11pm, it's test drive time and off I go. I have just witnessed a miracle. Apparently whomever did my motor in 2004 neglected to insert valve seats. :o

According to one friend, my engine was smoking a bit on the way to the fairgrounds...oh no...that was the TIRES. I'm glad he had fun.

[Orange95Z]

No breakdown for me, but I did replace the upper radiator hose with assistance from Ken (Cheaps) and armchair supervision from various others that was most helpful, not! Thanks Ken, everybody else, your time is coming :P.

[trukluvr]

My only issue was a minor overheating in traffic near Madison. 30 minutes at a gas station let her cool back down enough to continue to hotel & venue with no further issues. I have discovered that I will need to put a new fuel pump in her though. She doesnt like hard acceleration at all. But my problems with the Elco are minor compared to the stories here.

[genr8rs]

After Rochester we decided to visit my brother in Whitehall Wi on the way to Madison. Stayed the night in Whitehall and the next day as we left for home I heard a little louder puffier exhaust noise. Looked it over and decided I might have a header gasket leak or exhaust flange leak. Headed for home anyway. It started getting louder in Winona. Looked again and still didn't see anything alarming thinking the gasket is really going but on Sunday you options are really limited especialy driving alone. Along the way I heard ping-ting and pulled over. Lost one bolt and nut to the flange between the header and exhaust pipe. Now I am nowhere. Lets try to make it home. Ping-ting again and near Choice Mn the last ping-ting and it sounded like a stock car, exhaust was dragging. Choice Mn is population 3 but a wide spot in the road. Found a neighbor that let me into another neighbors garage, scavanged 3 various sized bolts, a dime store floor jack from a farmer, and 2 hours later we were on the way home again. Other than that I was very pleased with the way it ran.

Note to self, In travel tool kit add few various sized bolts, washers and nuts and 1 wire coat hanger.

[cobra]

mostly little stuff. what you would expect when you pull the car cover off and head down the road. the power window switches for the passenger window didn't work. two days later, rick (it's great to have an ex ford mechanic around) said to keep hitting it till it cleaned the contact. finally it worked. the passenger side inter door arm rest ripped out. the back hatch shocks are too strong, so they came out off their sockets. and going home thru indy traffic, the electric fuel pump overheated. we let it cool down and it started right up. stopped at a parts store at the next exit and bought a new pump just in case. never needed it. the 88 is the good son to the 83's black sheep attitude.

[louich]

burnt up my 3/4 clutch pack in the 700r4 leaving topeka dragstrip and the next morning went to certified transmissions there and they got er fixed up.

then after we left madison and driving for quite some time i had some missfiring then dieing and ended up my coil was crappin out....so off to autozone and stuck a new one on and running smooth ever since.

[Abrasive]

I somehow destroyed my motor mount sometime between Little Rock and Springfield. Drove it anyway to Topeka and replaced that worthless hydraulic one with a solid one when I got home. Realized when I had it jacked up in the hotel parking lot in Sprinfield that I brought nearly then entire garage of tools... except for the socket to remove the lug nuts. Luckily we never got a flat.

[Solsticefun]

Abrasive
It had to happen when you blew my top off, when you passed me. ;D

[BluLightning]

Abrasive
It had to happen when you blew my top off, when you passed me. ;D
Sounds dirty. :o ;D

[Impala_Guy]

This is almost a repost. I mentioned this in another thread. I had my issue on the way to LR. I was 220 miles from home on I-40 when I saw white smoke coming out the back of the Impala. Look underneath and saw that tranny fluid is covering the bottom of the car. Try to limp to the next exit but only go about 1/4 mile when I hear something go pow and hit the floor of the car. The new (two week old) 700-r4 had blown the cover off the governer. I call road service (Hagertys' Insurance road service is great) and they say that the'll have a flatbed and have located a transmission shop that can help. Cool.
While I wait I decide to call up the shop that had done the transmission back home. He says that he will stand behind his work, that he will send one of his guys with a flatbed trailer and will bring it back to his shop. OK, fine. He's doing the right thing. I call him back and ask that since he is coming with a trailer anyway, to go by my house, load up the GTO, and bring it to me. He agreed. How's that for service? After about 5 hours (at the Loves truckstop) my Goat arrives. About half of my luggage from the Imp will fit in the GTO, but bags are swapped and we are back on the road.

ps, I picked up the Impala today. No charge for the tow, GTO delivery, or repair.

[cstmwgn]

ps, I picked up the Impala today. No charge for the tow, GTO delivery, or repair.


Unless he is dating your sister - that sounds like a "stand up" shop. Seems like he deserves some local Hot Rodder business to me.

[woo52rl]

Broke the shifter housing in Springfield sunday night while hot rodding around town. That meant no 6th gear and no reverse! Found a weld shop in Boliver, just north of Springfield the next day. They had a hoist, so out came the tranny and the guy welded it up and we were back on the road by noon. Only cost me 75$. Rest of the tour went smooooth

[Fleetline]

Nothing major, just annoyances.

After a 600 mile drive to Little Rock, I had noticed the volt gauge reading lower than normal and the engine running a little warmer than normal. I checked at the venue and found that the insullation on the alternator wire had melted. Thanks to Joe, Darrell, and Kenny we rounded up heavy wire, a fitting, crimps and some tools and made a permanent patch.

While I was under the car (the '49's battery is mounted off of the frame under the front passenger seat), I also found that a rivet on the exhaust hanger was gone, and stuck in a tiny nut and bolt (only one we could find).

No other problems except old fashioned wiper arms made for vacuum systems (very light springs) that don't move much water and lift at higher speeds.

On Saturday, we made it to Nashville, TN, and the car started sounding like a racer. We found a motel and let it cool. The vibrations and swinging of the right side exhaust had loosened the header and two of the collector bolt nuts had fallen off. The two bolts were still there and the third nut was still on the last bolt but down to the last thread. I tightened the header and while I got Brandon ready, Joe tightened that last bolt (no parts stores were open early Sunday morning). No more leak.

After we got home I replaced all the missing exhaust bolts. I ran a cable from a new 140 amp alternator I picked up at Summitt south of Atlanta. I also found that the main alternator bolt had sheared in the bracket, and the belt and gravity had kept it in the car. I also found a split heim joint on the aftermarket A/C compressor bracket tensioner.

Thanks to friends we had a great and safe trip.

Bryan

[redragtop]

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w226/71redragtop/DSCF0025.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w226/71redragtop/DSCF0023.jpg

[dand38s]

I guess I missed your story that goes along with those pictures. Hate to see that kind of carnage. Hope that you can get it fixed soon.

[redragtop]

Although this didn't happen on power tour, it did happen during the tour. This is the result of driving thru water across the road. Too much speed and RPM'S took out 4.6L Ford with 3500 miles on it. Maybe they will put a snorkle and fins on it next time.

[redragtop]

I guess I missed your story that goes along with those pictures. Hate to see that kind of carnage. Hope that you can get it fixed soon.

Posting text with pictures gives me problems (sometimes). Nothing a new engine won't cure since the U-boat commander felt this one was wore out.

[68_GS_400]

Mike; Donna...
Where did that happen? What was 4.6 in Mustang / Crown Vic / F150?

[redragtop]

John It happened in Mich while we were on tour. Got to see it when I went back to work. Brand new crown vic police K-9 car. Dog OK. Driver getting flac as needed!!!

[68_GS_400]

I guess that engine was 'flooded'. ;) How deep was the water? The intake on the CVPI is behind the headlights so it must be ~2' above the ground.
3500 miles on an engine that easily goes to 350,000 is almost a crime - that driver should be getting some flak!

[173rdherd]

Hey ya'll....it's been a tough couple of weeks, and to be honest i haven't even pulled the car cover off of Tupelo Honey(53wagon), but i did put Dottie(57 sedan) back up on the jackstands.
Not much of a keyboarder so i will try to make this brief.
We had situations from day 1....first and foremost i had the clutch replaced by a friends shop and they didn't resurface the flywheel. I remember as a novice doing monthly swaps on the amx's and trying to cheap out on time and money that everytime i didn't turn the flywheel, i got clutch chatter. this was the case on the wagon....so severe in reverse that it would almost eject the drivetrain. at any rate, stop and go situations were a real drag, as was downshifting and just don't reverse. eventually it rattled the air cleaner loose ( a guy walked up at cruiseapalooza and handed it to us"this yours?"). also rattled the headpipe loose which set up enough swing on the hanger that it broke. i will pick up here tomorrow, but for right now i am going to start a new topic(thanks to those who helped or called).Without Bruce and Joan Greenwood aka 55lincoln, we may have tossed in the towel. see ya'll tomorrow.

[redragtop]

I guess that engine was 'flooded'. ;) How deep was the water? The intake on the CVPI is behind the headlights so it must be ~2' above the ground.
3500 miles on an engine that easily goes to 350,000 is almost a crime - that driver should be getting some flak!


John I don't know all the details on what happened. This incident seemed relevent because of the flooding encountered on tour this year. The advice of avoiding water over road at all times should be heeded. The thought that the worst thing that could happen by driving thru the water is maybe you'd stall is not correct--you could be swept away by a washed out road and drowned or in this case a "drowned" engine was the result. Proceed with extreme caution is the only way to go under these conditions.

[BluLightning]

I guess that engine was 'flooded'. ;) How deep was the water? The intake on the CVPI is behind the headlights so it must be ~2' above the ground.
3500 miles on an engine that easily goes to 350,000 is almost a crime - that driver should be getting some flak!


John I don't know all the details on what happened. This incident seemed relevent because of the flooding encountered on tour this year. The advice of avoiding water over road at all times should be heeded. The thought that the worst thing that could happen by driving thru the water is maybe you'd stall is not correct--you could be swept away by a washed out road and drowned or in this case a "drowned" engine was the result. Proceed with extreme caution is the only way to go under these conditions.
2 years ago, we had some flooding here. My Dad was driving through some water that was about a foot deep in his car. I truck coming the other way was going fast enough that it kicked up a wave of water that went entirely over his car. It quit running and that was that. $18,000 later, new engine. :o

[55lincoln]

Hey ya'll....it's been a tough couple of weeks, and to be honest i haven't even pulled the car cover off of Tupelo Honey(53wagon), but i did put Dottie(57 sedan) back up on the jackstands.
Not much of a keyboarder so i will try to make this brief.
We had situations from day 1....first and foremost i had the clutch replaced by a friends shop and they didn't resurface the flywheel. I remember as a novice doing monthly swaps on the amx's and trying to cheap out on time and money that everytime i didn't turn the flywheel, i got clutch chatter. this was the case on the wagon....so severe in reverse that it would almost eject the drivetrain. at any rate, stop and go situations were a real drag, as was downshifting and just don't reverse. eventually it rattled the air cleaner loose ( a guy walked up at cruiseapalooza and handed it to us"this yours?"). also rattled the headpipe loose which set up enough swing on the hanger that it broke. i will pick up here tomorrow, but for right now i am going to start a new topic(thanks to those who helped or called).Without Bruce and Joan Greenwood aka 55lincoln, we may have tossed in the towel. see ya'll tomorrow.


that's what friends are for

[White Monster]

sounds like a song to me ....
;D

[Fleetline]

One last little update on my last post.

The week after the tour, the left side exhaust hanger broke (durn Nebraska roads). And, we were going with friends in the old cars (13 car and trucks) to watch fireworks on 3 July and Old Blue refused to crank. I found that when the alternator wire had tried to burn it had increased the resistance in the whole circuit. The main feed wire to the ignition switch had burned at the plug from the fuse block down in the console.

All is repaired and better than it was with some added relays.

[AllenK]

I had driven my truck 10 minutes in the past 6 years before we left for the Cruisapalooza/Power Tour in Little Rock. My engine didn't get finished until two weeks or so before the Tour,and I didn't get to fire it until the weekend before. It promptly filled the crankcase with coolant because one of the heads was cracked. My engine building guy ( a good friend) came late on Saturday to help me dial the engine in with his carb,and I discovered the the coolant/oil coming out the top of the oil pan when he was on his way. We tore the leaking head off,and he took it off to be welded. He,his employee,and me and my Dad put everything back together on Wednesday,and he came back Thursday and dialed the engine in. I drove it around a little,and then I went to work on the other stuff I had to do. I put on new brakes,and I was up until midnight cutting plug wires on 3 hours of sleep. I didn't get to sleep until 4,woke up at 6,and then I washed/buffed/and waxed the truck. I bolted on my new wheels and tires 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave,and I wasn't sure they would fit either. I thought things were grim after the coolant leak,but things looked a lot better on Thursday. Did I mention that I lost my wheel lock that I had just seen the day before? That was fun getting the old wheels and tires off!

Here's where my luck kicks in! I pulled out of the drivewayto leave on Friday,and my wife notices she has forgotten something. I pull over,and she runs down the sidewalk back to the house. When I try to start the truck,it won't do it. I hand-tightened the battery cables and it started right up but I had "jumpy tach." It's an hour to the fairgrounds from here,and you couldn't have stuck a pin up my rear the whole way. We made it fine,but the electrical problems flared up leaving the River Market. I made it home and back the next day,but the truck went dead at the Fairgrounds the next day lining up to get in. I found the hot wire loose,and that fixed it for a while!

My truck sat for a month due to me being busy,but I've driven it the past 3 weekends. Two weeks ago, I took the truck out of town and it ran terrible. It had very little pep,and my headlights were bad dim! Last Friday, I was determined to find the problem after the truck wouldn't start again. I felt really stupid when I saw the loose wire from the horn relay to the battery. The truck ran a WHOLE bunch better, the lights were brighter,the radio didn't flicker,and the jumpy tach was gone. I still don't think it's a peppy as it should be,but it was TONS better.

Sorry for the rambling,but that was a THRASH to make the Tour stop. It took a while to physically get over it if I have yet! I would do it again tomorrow because it was well worth it!

[bob]

Time for a thread resurrection.
We had a bunch of small stuff happen. dad's blower motor switch went out on the way down so we had to wire it up on a toggle in LR. My blower fan motor went out in lincoln, got one delivered through napa in less than 1/2 hour to the track and it was $12. but the best part was when we got stuck in that horrible traffic en route to madison. 5.5 hours to get 60 miles. When the original route was clear the whole time. THANKS A ******* LOT HOT ROD STAFF!!!! Way to do your homework. Anyway the stop n go with a 4 speed ruined a u joint in dad's car. It's a special constant velocity joint that no one had, so we took it out in the hotel parking lot and hillbilly rigged it to get 650 miles home. We brake cleaned everything and re-packed the needle bearings, sticking the broken/chewed up ones in between the whole ones to space them out. Packed it full of grease and drove it home. Also if my car gets to idle too long in traffic it apparently loads up with fuel and starts smoking. Scared the crap outta me at first.

BTW the guy that blew up in Home, KS, you were about 15 minutes from my house, and less than a mile from the trans. shop I used to work at.

[67BlueSS]

I broke in Home, KS. Luckily it was only 3 hours from my house. Engine is out and new aluminum heads are bought. Look out next year for the blue chevelle to terrorize the tour again.

[trukluvr]

I broke in Home, KS. Luckily it was only 3 hours from my house. Engine is out and new aluminum heads are bought. Look out next year for the blue chevelle to terrorize the tour again.


Bring it on. Lookin forward to seeing it.

[rowanrocket]

Hey 67BlueSS,
Two words: REV LIMITER
Glad you got some new heads.
Later,
Brooks

[67BlueSS]

Hey 67BlueSS,
Two words: REV LIMITER
Glad you got some new heads.
Later,
Brooks


Yeah! About that. I think I'll put one of them in also.