About Me

New Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Name: Todd Russo Location: New Hartford, CT, USA

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Initial Grace Period


As with 90% of all vehicle restorations, there is an intitial grace period in which problems arise and need attention. Old Biddy is no different as expected. Things always need adjustment, or fixing, or there is always one thing on the punch list that was forgotten. She has been driven close to 40 miles since she has been deemed roadworthy. Yes, other issues have developed since I left you with the oil leak cliffhanger in my last post.

First, the oil leak culprit was discovered to be that the tappet cover canister had a pin-hole leak in the bottom of it. It was removed, cleaned, welded, and then soldered over to strengthen and reseal the thin bottom cap. It worked! Since this repair, when she is parked after each of our few short rides, there have been no oil spots on the (cardboard on the) floor.


The next issue was that the red ignition/voltage warning light on the dash stayed on even after the car was running and the voltmeter never measured over 11.5 volts. In fact, the readings kept dropping the longer the car stayed on. It turns out that the voltage regulator was no good. I purchased a new one, installed it, and the problem was fixed.



I just have to swap the new cover with an original "Lucas RB340" one to keep the original look. The two mounting holes will have to be drilled out to 3/16” on the new regulator mounting plate before the old cover can be installed.


Remember how I mentioned that shifting gears was sloppy and it felt as if I was stirring a pot of spaghetti? It turns out that this plastic cup was cracked and so worn out that the ball on the shifter would not clip into it to seat properly. The “balls” in the remote housing also were worn with flat spots. They were re-glazed with brass and reshaped. Now, shifting is precise and excellent!


Chris performed the three above operations at his shop. After he was done with what he had to do, he took the car for a test drive to check his work. His work was fine. But as he was driving home, smoke started bellowing from the dashboard and the voltmeter steadily dropped from 14 to 11 volts. He pulled over and shut the car off. After the smoke cleared, he looked and found that the white wire that connected the dashboard ignition/voltage warning light to the white wire in the tachometer ignition/voltage warning light (that I installed), jiggled off the light socket and shorted to ground. This triggered the quick “frying” of the outer plastic wire covers from the ignition switch to both lights and the ignition switch. Luckily, the damage was limited to only those white wires and the rest of the harness was unscathed.
 

Chris repaired the wiring and we decided that the tachometer warning light (although cool looking) was redundant and unnecessary. It is no longer connected in the circuit…for safety.


The last issue to date happened last week. I wanted to get the car running to at least 50-55mph for about eight miles to test the oil leaks, electrics, and other adjustments that were recently made. I took a friend along for the ride and everything worked great for the first three miles. But then, the temperature gauge started to rise. She was running hot. We made it home with no problem (except for my jittery nerves) so I popped opened the hood. I think that the radiator was not cooling properly because I have not yet installed a “duct strap” to fill the gap between the radiator and the wheel well vent/ air intake. I will have to make one out of heavy fabric since the old original one has long disintegrated. It just takes time.


I would like to leave this post on a happy note…a sidebar, if you will. Last year at this time, we went to my in-law’s house on Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts. I took a picture of the day beacon in the bay (see post from August 2015). This year we took his boat out a bit further to another famous navigational marker that I have been staring at from shore for twenty years…the Nyes Ledge buoy. This green lighted bell (#1) buoy marks the entrance to Mattapoisett Harbor. It has been listed and mentioned in countless marine navigation charts and guides for many years. But to my knowledge and research, it has never been pictured in literature nor on the interweb. So here it is…the first picture on the internet of Nyes Ledge buoy!! I wish it would get restored!!


As problems arise, and issues appear and are repaired, and progress continues, updates will be posted. Readers have e-mailed me to ask how the car is doing. I do not intend to make this a “driving diary”. This blog will continue to stay focused on the restoration saga. Once school starts, life will get back into the groove again and posts will become more frequent…but hopefully not, if you know what I mean…depending on the car. Stay tuned!!

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy