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
