Woodward Dream Cruise / Back to the Bricks 2013

[Ghost]

I find that hard to believe. Who would not want to be part it? I'll bet Indymanjoe wishes he was part of it.

a havoc clan?

I wish I was part of it....... Hell, havoc wishes he was part of it

[killerspeed101]

Care to elaborate?

i lowered my car to the maximum thta i could, i cought air on the highway more then i would have liked. and then my axle didnt want any part of it and seized. was a fun drive home monday. couldnt go over 50 without the car feeling like it was going to fall apart

Pic of the height as reference

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[Frosty]

I do. I'm a narcissistic asshole. I would love to look at me all day.

Well that's two schisms identified, at least!!!

[Frosty]

i lowered my car to the maximum thta i could, i cought air on the highway more then i would have liked. and then my axle didnt want any part of it and seized. was a fun drive home monday. couldnt go over 50 without the car feeling like it was going to fall apart

Pic of the height as reference

.

I had read in your progression post that you had lowered the care quite a bit. I saw the picture of the lug nut for ground clearance. JUSTA and I were talking about that earlier in the day as a matter of fact since we were wondering if you were going to make it up the ramps onto the grass knoll.

If you were having mechanical issues, you should have called me. You had my cell phone number. I would have gone home & grabbed tools, jacks and my truck, called JUSTA and notallthere and come back. We were done with Woodward and gone to dinner, but we wouldn't have left you stranded or disabled had we known. What did your little 'caught air' situation end up doing to the axle?

[Frosty]

BTW - a photographer from High Performance Pontiac was taking pictures of the Widetracker's cars on Woodward. We might see some of our cars in the pages of HPP next year as a result. I have his business card. He is also a judge at the Trans Am Nationals in Dayton Ohio this coming weekend. He was especially interested in the pair of Indy Pace Car Fieros that were there.

[JUSTA6]

If the story/pic's were submitted right away, It should be in print for the Nov issue. Hope a pic of the GTO makes it. Would be cool to say both of my rides have been in there. Hope I can make a background shot of your car. He spoke with you for quite awhile. Good Luck!

[Professur]

For the record, I never travel through Mi without Frosty's phone number ... if only to have something to dial when I demand my one phone call.

My problem got progressively worse to the point where any incline had me down to 60kph, sputtering, and stalling. A couple of times i had to run off the shoulder, and one time a soft shoulder to avoid getting a semi up the ass. Couldn't make it back above 100 without a down hill slope. Can anyone think of something that would affect a car mostly when going up hill? Stalled out completely on the incline of a bridge 50 miles from home ... fortunately that particular bridge is pretty new still and a toll so not a lot of people use it yet ... and it was deserted at 4am. But when I put her in park and turned the key, she fired right back up with authority. Put her into drive and managed to power up the grade in first, sputtering and farting when she switched to second .. but she made it over and got us home safe in the end.

Half way along the road home I'd nearly convinced myself that the problem would be electrical. After all, there's only three systems that affect the entire engine .. fuel, low side of the distributor, and exhaust. I didn't ever catch the cat glowing in the dark ...

[Professur]

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/23227106/proposal-would-raise-michigan-speed-limits-to-as-high-as-80-mph

[Frosty]

Pro - check your fuel filter. Remove it and try to blow air through it with your lips (spit out the gas too). If you can hardly blow through it, its clogged and needs replacing. Frankly, I might be inclined to replace it period, as cheap insurance, given the "love" it has seen over the years. I imagine a thorough cleaning the entire carb with carb cleaner is also in order.

Does this car have an electric or mechanical fuel pump? If its mechanical, I am wondering if its shot. Leak fuel bowls is a possibility but I don't think that accounts for your poor performance uphill. Electrical fuel pumps are less like to fail and are often in the fuel tank, requiring the removal of the exhaust system, and sometimes dropping the rear end just to remove the tank assembly.

Looking at the photos you sent me Saturday night, I see a vacuum port that is just to the right of the fuel line. It looks like it is blocked off, but the plug looks bad or perhaps worn. So I would also check the entire system for disconnected vacuum lines or vacuum leaks - ported vacuum connections too. A remote possibility could be an intake manifold leak. If you spray carb cleaner around the base of the intake and heads and the engine speeds up, then you might have a blown intake manifold gasket. Spray around the base of the carb and the intake too, perhaps that gasket is bad. Again, replacing that carb gasket is relatively inexpensive and easy to do too.

Have you check your distributor and timing? Is the rotor or cap worn? Is the timing off vs what the manual recommends? Have you checked the plugs (I know getting to them out can be a real bitch) and plug wires? Perhaps the HEI coil needs replacing.

When you get time and get the plugs out, can you do a compression test? See if you have blow by.

I think a clogged CAT is perhaps the last possible thing. It is not impossible, but unless these cars were prone to this condition when fairly new, I'd would look elsewhere first. A first rate tune-up would be the place to start.

[Professur]

I haven't checked anything yet, the weather being rather unpleasant and this being our first day home. I've been watching videos on rebuilding the carbs, doesn't look as tough as the tranny and i did that. The port you're talking about has a bit of hose with a round head screw stuffed in it, looked pretty well sealed .. but i managed to hit princess auto in london while we were there and picked up a vacuum guage and a compression tester so both of those will be applied. Getting the plugs out on this beast is actually fairly easy ... by going in through the tire wells. Plugs, cap wires and rotor, as well as a good carb rebuild kit are all on my shopping list, as is several dozen feet of vac hose. But you know me, I prefer to think a problem to death before acting on it. i know i've got a tranny that's in need of a rebuild already .. the tranny fluid isn't red at all .. doesn't smell burned yet tho. Still have to figure out if it's a 350 or a 250 in there ... can't get a look at whether that band adjustment screw is there or not.

Then there's that 200-4r that I've got out in the shed .... just need to change the cross member a bit and I think the cable support on the carb is different too.

[JUSTA6]

Since the car fires right back up, Fuel probs are bumped down on my list. ANY chance of a crossed plug wire while getting ready for your trip? Hei or points? Does it have a condenser? Often overlooked and can cause headaches. Checking Timing would be next on my list. Chain getting streached? Frosty's covered most everything else to check. Loose plate in muffler would be only other issue I could think of right off, possably moving and blocking exhaust flow. If the cat was glowin you'd know it! Good luck.

[JUSTA6]

I haven't checked anything yet, the weather being rather unpleasant and this being our first day home. I've been watching videos on rebuilding the carbs, doesn't look as tough as the tranny and i did that. The port you're talking about has a bit of hose with a round head screw stuffed in it, looked pretty well sealed .. but i managed to hit princess auto in london while we were there and picked up a vacuum guage and a compression tester so both of those will be applied. Getting the plugs out on this beast is actually fairly easy ... by going in through the tire wells. Plugs, cap wires and rotor, as well as a good carb rebuild kit are all on my shopping list, as is several dozen feet of vac hose. But you know me, I prefer to think a problem to death before acting on it. i know i've got a tranny that's in need of a rebuild already .. the tranny fluid isn't red at all .. doesn't smell burned yet tho. Still have to figure out if it's a 350 or a 250 in there ... can't get a look at whether that band adjustment screw is there or not.

Then there's that 200-4r that I've got out in the shed .... just need to change the cross member a bit and I think the cable support on the carb is different too.

350 tranney has a corner missing on the square pan. Easy to identify.

[Professur]

Didn't touch any of the ignition pre-trip .. and nothing jumped out at me while doing the fluids checks every stop. A plug wire flopping back and forth and grounding when travelling uphill would definitely misbehave in a fitting manner.

The th-250 and th-350 have identical pans .. the only difference from the outside is a band adjustment screw just behind the lines for the oil cooler. Word is that rebuilding the 250 isn't worth it, swap in a 350 or 200-4r and be done with it. It's lighter than the 350, but not enough to make it worth the strength it gives up. So if it's a 350, that's worth rebuilding .. if it's the 250, I rebuild the 200-4r instead and make the swap. But then ... even if it's the 350, I could swap in the 4 speed, take the 350 and rebuild it to go into the Parisienne in place of the 200c .... then spend some silly time trying to wake up that 305 in there.

BTW, Frosty .... I drove past a 350 SBO I spotted in Toronto on the way home. Guy wanted $150. Will power .... Yeah, who believes that ... i couldn't stop with the crappy running ... but I have a feeling that there might be more cubic inches appearing under a hood or two in the near future.

[Frosty]

Sounds like a tranny filter, flush and fill are in order too. A coolant flush and fill would be a good thing too.

The fact that the port we are both talking about has a piece of hose and a screw in it could also mean that air is getting past the screw. While you are at the parts counter, get some new rubber vacuum stoppers and eliminate that possible vacuum leak. I detest "home made" fixes like that. The rubber could also be cracked. Get rid of it.

I just got off the phone with GE too. HE suggests that you check to see if you EGR valve is plugged. It can definitely affect your performance. I honestly forgot about that.

[Frosty]

Since the car fires right back up, Fuel probs are bumped down on my list. ANY chance of a crossed plug wire while getting ready for your trip? Hei or points? Does it have a condenser? Often overlooked and can cause headaches. Checking Timing would be next on my list. Chain getting streached? Frosty's covered most everything else to check. Loose plate in muffler would be only other issue I could think of right off, possably moving and blocking exhaust flow. If the cat was glowin you'd know it! Good luck.

A stretched timing chain is definitely a contributing factor to the timing and worth checking at some point but it wouldn't explain why it is down on power while going uphill in my mind. This is definitely an HEI distributor, so points should be a non-issue. Checking plug wires are in the correct firing order is an excellent thought since that just happened to JUSTA6's own GTO recently.

You might check to see if the vacuum advance canister on the distributor is working, making sure it is advancing your total timing as the motor revs increase.

[Frosty]

BTW, Frosty .... I drove past a 350 SBO I spotted in Toronto on the way home. Guy wanted $150. Will power .... Yeah, who believes that ... i couldn't stop with the crappy running ... but I have a feeling that there might be more cubic inches appearing under a hood or two in the near future.

Pro - there's no replacement for displacement. Go for it !!!!

[Professur]

Over 15' of hose later ... I still haven't manage to replace every inch of hose in there... but I think I got all the worst. And some of it was uber-nasty. You know how rubber degrades either into hard and crumbly or gooey? I've got gooey and crumbly going at the same time. Unfortunately it seems that vac hose has become a rarity in the area. 5/32 or 7/32 ... no 3/16 to be found 'cept for clear windshield washer hose .... kinda gunshy about putting that stuff in so I stuffed 5/32 on where I could, and salvaged the best of the old 3/16 until my order comes in. The rotor and cap are definitely past their prime ... i gave the contacts a swipe with a bit of fine sandpaper, but they're gonna need changed out. I also capped that port you're hating on, Frosty. Also noticed that there was a distinct deficit in the prestone dept for some reason. I think the rad cap goes on that list too. All that still didn't make starting her any easier, but she did fire up with a lot of pumping, and stalled. Got her going and had to lean on the loud pedal for a few seconds ... then she definitely changed her tune and started idling more like her old self. Still haven't taken her for a run yet .. waiting for dark. There were at least 4 or 5 split ends on hoses, and the short bit leading to the hardline for the trans wasn't looking to good either. One check valve on the EGR circuit does't check anymore but it failed open. The rubber gromets on either end of the rocker cover breather tube are toast, and not a locally found item either .. but I think I've found them at inline tube. PCV valve is fine.

[JUSTA6]

You've been busy!

[Frosty]

As JUSTA said, you've been busy. Have you checked the initial timing? If it is off enough, it will make starting tougher. Also are the plug wires correct with the firing order? How about the fuel filter? What shape is that bad boy in? Something tells me that it will be just as nasty as the hose.

[Professur]

One thing at a time, the obvious ones first. If I do everything at once, I won't know which one was the problem. Not even sure where my timing light is at the moment.

[Frosty]

That sounds like a problem onto itself then. GE would not approve.

[Professur]

He'll get over it. I remembered the timing light is in the shed at the cottage. The missus will bring it down whenever they finally decide to come back. Kids still aren't back at school yet.

Well, it seems that while all that hose did need replacing, it wasn't the problem. Still bogging at 80k. Didn't risk any hillclimbs. Only place open to buy a gas filter was Canadian Tire .. the most detested of all stores and the one place that I'll shop at walmart to avoid. Every year they seem to move further and further from the car business. 3 years ago, the fuel filters were in the aisles .. now you have to ask some punk kid behind a counter. After correcting him twice about the car's year, and explaining to him that the filters weren't in the aisle, him taking me to the aisle to find it .. and it stil not being there ...twice for that too .. I pointed out that one of the two of us actually knew what they looked like and maybe he should check in the back ... he finally found one. Then ... he wants my name and phone number .. for the bill. I point out that I don't need to give that info to buy an oil filter, and he can damn well sell me the filter with out it. Nope. Effing git wouldn't sell it and I was damned if i was gonna indulge them with a fake so I walked out. Better stores are open monday ... and I've got another insulting letter to write to the CT management .. not that they seem to care much.

[Frosty]

Sounds like you have a plan B and C now. Wish we'd known you need all these parts, we would have loaded you here in Detroit. Heck, even Inline Tube is in Shelby Township. Let us know if you can't find parts. Between notallthere, JUSTA, and me, we'll help you get what you need. You've got my phone number.

[JUSTA6]

When warranty info is needed its one thing. I give them their own # phone number back. Most don't even notice.

[Frosty]

On certain stores that need your phone number for "their records" before they give you a particular sale or discount, I give them the number of my favorite Chinese take out joint.