Long post, but some humor/humility etc. to start the work week off right.
What a weekend! Let me tell you. Anyone know a good Exorcist? Not kidding, I am telling you this truck is possessed. Laugh all you want but it is.
The crack in the radiator was repaired and holding fine for a few days. We get close to start up time, guess what, leaking under the brace. No way I have the skill to fix it. Figured, we will let it roll and see what happens. Moving on, go to run the fuel lines. Got some nicopp thinking it would be better, well it is not. It works, but too soft for what I wanted to do, and apparently if you bend it more that a couple of times it gets work hardened fast. Fought it the whole time, but still better than the coated steel line I had. I go to make the attachment to the tank, something falls out. Figured a dobber got in my rubber fuel hose, so pulled it, looked, nothing, blew it out anyway. I then suspected that maybe, just maybe I should blow through the fuel tank again. Hit the feed line with some air....would not take it. Thought that is odd, what in the world, I knew the cap was loose. Hit it again, weird noises happen, then I am covered in old fuel. No one around, what to do? Plug my finger in it, think, hey I got a scrap piece of nicopp on the frame...finally after some stretch armstrong moves, got it stopped for further diagnosis. Spent another hour cleaning my mess and shooting air in the tank fill. Guess there is a low spot in the tank and it followed the pressure trying to escape the tank. Oh I left out the part where the fuel cap came off and hit me on the head. That was nice! Hurt much worse than I ever thought it would.
Am I the only one that has this type of stuff happen? I am pretty mechanical and cover my bases, but no matter what this truck throws new stuff at me.
We get it outside, hose ready, extinguisher ready, filled the fuel bowls. Had the dizzy at around 15 adv. Few hits on the key nothing, hit the throttle twice and she was off to the races. Once it started warming up it would stay idling, had to go about a half turn on the main idle screw(from barely contacting) to keep it at 900. After all the running I got it down to about 850.
Now as all this is going on I am also running around checking fluids, temps, etc. Totally forgot about putting more fluid in the trans. It had about 6-8 total to start. Add another 4 or so. Then another quart or two. Check and seems high but not warm etc. Ask a friend to put it in gear....we get nothing! My heart starts sinking. Thinking come on...not this. Check fluid again, do the gear test again..nothing, but then going to Park he hits Reverse and this ungodly grinding happens.....I about started clapping, I knew exactly what that was. Someone had hit the 4x4 lever, truck was in Neutral HAHA. It will grind like that if not in gear all the way on the NP205. Reach in, hit it, now we got movement.
All in all it went surprisingly well as far as that goes I think. Motor sounded good, no leaks as of yet, responded well for no tuning. Idle oil pressure was about 50 cold, then 20-25 hot, rose with RPM like it should. Held about 190 on Temp the entire time.
The ONLY issue was after putting her up, a couple of times a buddy or two would drop by and I would crank it for them. One time it had a hiccup and backfire through the carb on starting. I did not like that but it will not repeat it, and motor certainly does not sound like it has an issue at all. It purrs like a kitten.....very odd to me and concerns me for sure, but I have done 0 tuning. This week I will set the base timing, fine tune idle on the carb etc. One other note, the transmission seems a little loose. I built it with a Broader Kit, and 12" Broader Converter. Moving it in the garage it seems to want to rap up a little....I call it "loose", but no slipping. Still think it needs more fluid/time but it was not like it was a real test. Honestly I wanted to cut it short and take the win for the day. Years upon years it has taken to get to this point fighting time/life events the whole way, I was just happy that it started and seemed to run well.
I did not drive it as there is no fenders/bed on it. Its ugly as hell except for the frame/engine bay.
I have some video but not sure on how to post it up....will do some digging. Anyway that is the follow up, and maybe a good laugh to start the day.
P.S. the sound of a big block FE and open hedders is undeniably awesome! I may start it everyday just to have that first thing in the morning smile.
