Author Topic: Best intentions  (Read 2916 times)

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turbohunter

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Best intentions
« on: July 05, 2019, 12:34:32 PM »
I had to come in and take a break for my brain.
The other day I recurved my dizzy (on the wagon) and it’s running great. Diz came out and went back in like butta.
At the time I made a mental note to go in and order a new gasket as the one on there is a bit dry and shrunk and is leaving that lovely black fog all over the front of my manifold. No prob right.
Took out the diz and changed the gasket. Went to put it back in and nice nice nice aww c’mon girl, just a little more, c’mon.
It’s been over an hour of trying to get her to fall that last 1/4ish (it’s not the new gasket, I’m getting a perfect metallic thunk). The oil drive is just down there laughing at me.
I’m just venting. I’ll get it but it made me think of what other stories are out there where you had the best of intentions for a quick little job and it bit you in the ass.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


turbohunter

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2019, 12:55:46 PM »
LOLIng
So (I hate when people start all their sentences with, so..).
I come in to take break and vent.
I go back out, move the oil drive twice,,,,,, boom, drops right in.
Ain’t life funny.

Thread idea still applies
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


Bolted to Floor

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2019, 02:32:29 PM »
Glad it all went back together easy after a break.

I’ve heard a similar thunk in the past. It was when I pulled the distributor out though.  :o It was the oil pump driveshaft hitting the bottom of the oil pan!! I didn’t realize as a 19 year old that the washer was meant to prevent it from coming when I assembled it. That was a teachable moment!!
John D -- 67 Mustang 390 5 speed

turbohunter

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2019, 03:28:14 PM »
I’ve learned the hard way that a break is better than breaking.

Come to think of it, I learned everything the hard way.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


HarleyJack17

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2019, 03:44:00 PM »
Not FE related but of the many 10 minute jobs turned 2 hours or days I have had, the most recent one was on my boat.  The bolt that holds the ram for the tilt and trim broke off on the last trip last year. Finally ordered a new shoulder bolt....really wondered why it was $17 bucks....nothing fancy but a long 1/2" shoulder down to a very short 3/8 thread.  The threaded portion was in the housing the motor rides on.  Only accessible from one side. No biggy, drill it out, reverse drill, can't be tight because it is through hole, no tension.
Well what ever type of spacemetal stainless that bolt is made out of does not like to be drilled.  30 minutes solid and not even a 1/8 into it.  It ended up taking 2 drills, a center drill, tapered mini reamer and 2.5 hours of work! for a 3/8" by 3/8" long piece of thread! 

turbohunter

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2019, 04:04:22 PM »
I’m belly laughing because that is so familiar.
Dead drill bits are almost a way of life.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


Heo

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2019, 04:10:49 PM »
I don't know if you remember my quick lawnmower beltchange
that resulted in a hedgehog attack, broken conectionrod,purchase of
an new mower ;D



The defenition of a Gentleman, is a man that can play the accordion.But dont do it

turbohunter

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2019, 04:56:45 PM »
Lol
Can’t say as I remember that one Heo.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


chris401

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2019, 07:04:20 PM »
Truth

turbohunter

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2019, 08:06:07 PM »
I’m doing a bit of laughing.
That’s great Chris.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2019, 08:13:27 PM by turbohunter »
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


cammerfe

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2019, 10:02:22 PM »
I'm not going to tell the whole story here, but the short version goes like this:

I was sixteen and had talked my Dad into putting 3 deuces on the family '53 Merc, to go with the headers, complete Mallory ignition and a couple of other fancy do-dads. Bought the Offenhauser manifold new and scared-up a trio of Stromberg 97s. The carbs were a bit tired and I'd carefully taken them all apart and cleaned them and made gaskets, in some places, from Cheerios boxes.

I called my buddy on a Friday afternoon and said, "Let's throw these carbs on this afternoon and then go to the Basketball game after!"
We worked until midnight that night, worked all day until long after dark Saturday, and then most of the day Sunday. We'd had all the problems a pair of green, but willing, novice 'wrenches' could have in getting everything back together, but it ran very poorly.

Along about dusk on Sunday, we called a hot-rod garage I knew about and drove the car, haltingly, (I did tell you it ran very poorly, didn't I?) about 20 miles where we left it for the night.

The 'Engine Clinic' put a set of Holley 94s on, and set-up the progressive linkage. But the underlying problem was that the internally-stock flathead was over-carbureted, and the velocity of the incoming gas-air mixture was way too slow. After a couple of weeks of my long-suffering Mother driving it to work (she was a teacher) while I tinkered with it every afternoon, I pulled the manifold back off.

It finally found a place on my new-to-me '34 Five Window several years later. "Let's throw these carbs on and go to the game" has been a comment ever since when we were diving into a new project. ;D

KS

turbohunter

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2019, 10:45:42 PM »
Oh yeah, messing up parental cars is right up there. Good one.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


jayb

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2019, 12:45:34 AM »
I'm sure everyone has a story like that.  I remember when I built my first 428CJ back in about 1980, got it bolted in the car after about a week of trying (that's a whole 'NOTHER story), and decided to pull the distributor and prime the oil pump before starting it for the first time.  I used a 1/4" drive short socket with the 1/4" hex end and a long extension, and just used the ratchet to turn the pump driveshaft.  After about 10 turns I had 80 psi on the gauge.  Great!  Went to pull the tools out and the socket stayed in there.  Couldn't grab it on the outside because it was below the flange that the distributor gear sits on.  It wouldn't stay attached to the extension when I re-inserted it and tried to pull it out.  Rotated back and forth 100 times trying to free it up, but no joy.  I spent two days looking down that damned hole, tried magnets, picks, long screwdrivers, bent hacksaw blades, etc.  It was stuck on the shaft, and wasn't coming out.  Finally, I JB welded the end of the extension and stuck it into the socket.  24 hours later I pulled it right out.  My first JB Weld experience; that stuff has saved me many times...
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

67428GT500

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #13 on: July 07, 2019, 02:26:02 AM »
Jays experience made me chuckle.  When I assembled my first FE I made a rookie mistake. I had bought an FFP oil pump drive and when I removed it from the vacuum packaging I lost the retainer/washer from the top of the drive.  When I timed it I blew it and went to pull the distributor back out.
Guess what came with the distributor when I pulled it? If you guessed the oil pump drive you would be correct!

The strangest was having an FFP drive shatter.  I am sure that was related to the heat treating process.

                                                                                               -Keith

BattlestarGalactic

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Re: Best intentions
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2019, 05:54:40 AM »
My first 428 had many issues.   The med riser 2x4 intake was warped bad.  Not realizing that at first I constantly put new intake gaskets on it a few times the first summer.  The only REAL issue was the person that originally had worked on that engine sometime in it's previous life had stuck the oil pump shaft inside the distributor so the first time I pulled the shaft, it came out with the distributor!!!!  Ugh.  I was able to get the distributor stuck back in with the shaft dangling in the hex drive.   The next time I was not so lucky and it fell into the motor.   After a few hours with mechanic fingers I was able to fish it back out, after I pulled the timing cover.

I finally had the intake cut and that took care of the constant removal issue and after I hydrauliced that motor I built a new 428 and installed a new HD drive with a thick washer on it so it would never be able to slip up the stock shaft.
Larry