The Car Thread

[MikeGyver]

Well. Finally got around to dropping the transmission. something must have gotten into the bellhousing and made a nest because there was some sort of fiber mixed with tiny sticks stuffed in the pressure plate. Im assuming it was in the bottom and after a few times of pressing the clutch going down the road with centripetal force if got shoved into the pressure plate so it was stuck engaged.
Being the Dumbass curious person I am I decided to take the transmission apart while it was out and assess it. Then proceded to break a damn spring so I have to wait till I can source that to put it back in with the new clutch.

On a good note, Finally sold me TR7 (For half what the engine I just put in it cost...)

[unjonharley]

In 1957 to 65 Jeep made a cab over.. Looked like a fun truck..

Jeep is coming back with a cab over.. It will have a 470 hp hemi.. That will make a red necks dick stand up.. Look out Ram..

[MikeGyver]

In 1957 to 65 Jeep made a cab over.. Looked like a fun truck..

Jeep is coming back with a cab over.. It will have a 470 hp hemi.. That will make a red necks dick stand up.. Look out Ram..

Yup, called the FC of "Forward Control" and it will probably not be produced. Jeep likes making driving concepts as promo vehicles that never get into production. The one I want is the M715 called the Nukizer


Not saying they'll never produce any of them, but they have a history of making Awesome throwback concepts that never get mass produced

[ygmir]

Well. Finally got around to dropping the transmission. something must have gotten into the bellhousing and made a nest because there was some sort of fiber mixed with tiny sticks stuffed in the pressure plate. Im assuming it was in the bottom and after a few times of pressing the clutch going down the road with centripetal force if got shoved into the pressure plate so it was stuck engaged.
Being the Dumbass curious person I am I decided to take the transmission apart while it was out and assess it. Then proceded to break a damn spring so I have to wait till I can source that to put it back in with the new clutch.

On a good note, Finally sold me TR7 (For half what the engine I just put in it cost...)

well, at least it would have been a simple fix...........I remember cutting an inspection plate out of my bell housing in one old jeep, just to be able to see stuff. made a cover, though, so stuff would not go up in it.

[Captain Goddammit]

Ha - oh yeah I've done the cut-a-hole-to-get-at-it trick.
I had to cut holes through the frame of the class-A motorhome (the one that blew up on the way to BM in '08) to get at the bolts to get the transmission out and back in. That's one of the several reasons I don't own a class-A motorhome anymore.

[MikeGyver]

Ha - oh yeah I've done the cut-a-hole-to-get-at-it trick.
I had to cut holes through the frame of the class-A motorhome (the one that blew up on the way to BM in '08) to get at the bolts to get the transmission out and back in. That's one of the several reasons I don't own a class-A motorhome anymore.

Never cut a frame, but Ive cut a lot of tools to fit

[Captain Goddammit]

Never cut a frame, but Ive cut a lot of tools to fit

Ha! You're not a real mechanic until you've custom bent or cut a wrench or socket!

[MikeGyver]

I kinda thought going from Triumphs to a Jeep I would be able to find the damn parts. I broke a spring in the transmission that is made of unobtanium.

[Captain Goddammit]

It can't be that hard, Jeep didn't make its own transmissions, I'd say the three best bets are wrecking yard, a trans shop, or someone on Craigslist parting out something with the same transmission.

But then, the Land Yacht has a late 80s Olds engine and I had to travel out of state last summer to get some 1987-1988-only engine parts.

Where was the spring and what did it do? Can you post a pic of where it goes?

[Elliot]

I would contact the nearest 4x4 shop, ask for the local manual transmission rebuilder, and I bet that guy will pull open his third-drawer-on-the-left and ask how many such springs you want. It's amazing, the specialists, and their parts sources, we have in this country.

[gyre]

[Jackass]

I would contact the nearest 4x4 shop, ask for the local manual transmission rebuilder, and I bet that guy will pull open his third-drawer-on-the-left and ask how many such springs you want. It's amazing, the specialists, and their parts sources, we have in this country.

The trans shop is your best bet. If they do a lot of 4x4 stuff I can guarantee that spring is there. If not 2 or 3 "regular" trans shops and you'll find it. As Elliot said, the guys that work on those regularly will have their own secret stash of those odds and ends that frequently wear out or break. Even if they are NLA.

[MikeGyver]

I've asked around with little leads. I found a guy that might be able to find me one and I'm emailing back and forth with him. Its the spring that goes from the 5th/reverse shift lever to the rear of the case. biggest issue is its not supposed to be removed when rebuilding the transmission so its not commonly needed.

I can take a picture of the Spring and place tomorrow.

[Jackass]

Try again, this time while cradling an alcoholic offering.
(Bypass the office if possible)

[Elliot]

As promised in another thread, here is the story of Big John’s ghost.

Bonneville Salt Flats, Speed Week, August 1997.

Harris Racing Team is a three-generation family group of Land Speed Record racers. One of the grandfathers, Big John, had passed on during the year, and the team wanted to give him a proper sendoff – at 200+ miles per hour.





On a small table in camp, Big John waited in a utilitarian rectangular container, with an oil can and a beer can standing guard.





It’s Only Money. Based on a dragster design, but much heavier and stiffer, It’s Only Money was good for 230-ish mph with a naturally aspirated small block Chevy. Big John’s ashes were packed in the parachute.





I forget which mile we decided on, but I stood there, and started snapping.





You can see the pilot chute is out, and it is pulling the red main chute out – it is immediately behind the tires. (The near object is a stray traffic cone.)





The long lens prevented me from getting the entire equipage, but the red parachute is just outside the picture to the left. What you do see is, on the left, the cloud of ashes. In the middle of the picture is the parachute strap, which is still unfurling.





There’s the whole package fading into the distance.





The next day. Suddenly I noticed something. I looked up, and there was Big John, pulling a trick with the clouds to say “thanks for the ride”. When I first spotted it, the clouds were a perfect outline of the mountains. By the time I quit gaping and got the camera out, the clouds had moved somewhat to the right, but you can still see the phenomenon of the clouds exactly matching the mountains.

There were actually two runs made with Big John aboard. On the first run, something broke in the engine, and the car did not reach proper speed. When the driver pulled the chute cable, it was stuck – the chute was too tightly packed with all the ashes, and the grommets were under too much tension. A second engine was installed, and the next day the successful scattering was made at 200+.

I like to think Big John refused to let go at unsatisfactory speed.

(Sorry about all the dust on the scanner, and the crappy lens I was using.)

[delle]

What a fabulous story of a PROUD send-off.

I can imagine the joy in your heart upon seeing that cloud formation and putting 1 and 1 together.

All and all a day that will stay with you for life.

[Elliot]

Logic tells me that the cloud was pure coincidence, but ghost stories are fun.

And the scattering boosted everybody's spirits tremendously. (Never mind that they blew up the second engine and never got close to the class record that year.)

Bonneville Speed Week is a lot like Burning Man. Everybody hustles to get their art ready. All do their best to leave no trace. (Pit areas must have tarps on the ground.) People help each other with parts, tools and skills. The main difference is that the racers sleep in Wendover instead of in camp. And the mutant vehicles have no speed limit.

[Captain Goddammit]

I really really need to go to Speed Week someday. I don't even want to run a car, although it would be a blast to drive the Land Yacht around at Bonneville and I think the people there would like it. Bonneville - for the education of the others here - is one of the last real hobby-level, anything-goes, home-built types of auto racing. There's little if any sponsorship (on a corporate level) and the variety of designs, ideas, and machinery is great. It's a terrific mix of old school tradition and new tech and ideas. Most other forms of racing have evolved into over-regulated, cookie-cutter, uninteresting stuff. Nascar is probably the absolute worst, from that standpoint. There are three or four "approved" engines, all of an extremely similar tightly controlled design, and one chassis. The body panels that are supposed to represent what the car supposedly is aren't even remotely accurate anymore. They literally aren't even the same shape and depend on decals to identify what they claim to be.
Not so at Speed Week. It's a REALLY long drive from here… towing the heavy Land Yacht would be a big hassle… and not being able to be there at night is a big downer… but still, it's Bonneville. It'd be fun to take my hot rod '55 Chevy there just to have driven it on the salt, but the salt flats might be the only place even more corrosive than Black Rock, so no fucking way… but then, if I just backed it off the trailer and cruised it slowly I would get priceless (to me) photos.

My brother's ashes are going to be spread at one of his favorite beaches, Malibu or somewhere near there. He loved beaches. When my time is up, I don't know where I'd want mine. Not BRC.

Oh, P.S.
I've gotten back to actively collecting parts for the '55 to put it together more properly. I've owned over 25 years and did some screwy things to it when I was twenty-stupid years old.
Today's project is a road trip to go get a 4.11 rear diff. The other day I got the metal inside window sill pieces I've always been missing. A new aluminum radiator is coming. I got an original belhousing l few weeks ago to replace the one I hacked up years ago so I could fit a modern and cheaper starter.
Maybe tires will happen soon… it's wearing a set of BF Goodrich Radial T/As that have been on it since about 1980!
I also collected a power steering setup and front-end parts so it can actually drive nice. All of this stuff plus more is still in pieces… I gotta quit screwing with that goddamm Land Yacht and work on my real stuff.

P.P.S.
I guess I just contradicted myself. One of the biggest reasons I liked Burning Man when I first went was the clean-sheet-of-paper variety of mechanical contraptions. I built several including the boat and loved it because it was completely unique and custom. Honestly, a '55 Chevy is one of the most common cookie-cutter cars on any cruise night or show. It wasn't expensive I got it but now it's pretty damn valuable and I kind of feel obligated to fix everything on it.

[delle]

When my time is up, I don't know where I'd want mine. Not BRC.

My latest plan is to write a blog offering readers a small envelope each of my ashes, which one or more of Delle'sLeftBehinds would mail off and then be able to read the circumstances of their spreading... hopefully all around the world.

Of course I should do this NOW, as no one really knows what the future holds.


Maybe tomorrow....

[Elliot]

Based on my 16 year old Bonneville experience, I think you could drive the Land Yacht from a parking lot to the spectator fence, and even thru the pits. But you would want to contact the SCTA first -- or risk that I'm wrong. For spectating, you just drive your car up to the fence anyway.

[Captain Goddammit]

It would be cool but the fact that everyone has to be off the salt every night makes it not worth it.
The drive there is a lot more doable without the heavy trailer, too.

[ranger magnum]

I went to the Grand National Roadster show yesterday. Among other amazing cars, I saw the jet powered car that is attempting to set a land speed record this year. I casually asked if they were planning on running at Black Rock this year. They said no, because "The Burningman festival has ruined the Playa"

I said good luck and walked away.

[^Rhino!]

Logic tells me that the cloud was pure coincidence, but ghost stories are fun.

And the scattering boosted everybody's spirits tremendously. (Never mind that they blew up the second engine and never got close to the class record that year.)

Bonneville Speed Week is a lot like Burning Man. Everybody hustles to get their art ready. All do their best to leave no trace. (Pit areas must have tarps on the ground.) People help each other with parts, tools and skills. The main difference is that the racers sleep in Wendover instead of in camp. And the mutant vehicles have no speed limit.

As the legendary lieutenant of the Navajo Tribal Police, Joe Leaphorn used to infer in the Tony Hillerman books, there is no such thing as a coincidence. I'd like to think in this case that's true.

[Molotov]

I was passing through West Wendover UT during last year's Speed Week and all over town, at stop lights, restaurant parking lots, etc. were these piles of salt, much like piles of slush dropping off vehicles after a snow storm. I got to thinking "That can't be good for the undercarriage..." Probably a bit more corrosive than Playa dust.

[Elliot]

I was passing through West Wendover UT during last year's Speed Week and all over town, at stop lights, restaurant parking lots, etc. were these piles of salt, much like piles of slush dropping off vehicles after a snow storm. I got to thinking "That can't be good for the undercarriage..." Probably a bit more corrosive than Playa dust.

You should have seen the truck my friends drove to Bonneville. They live in Sacramento, but you could throw cats thru that truck in countless places, as if it had spent a long life in Detroit.

The race car, of course, gets stripped to the last little machine screw as soon as they get back.

[^Rhino!]

I was passing through West Wendover UT during last year's Speed Week and all over town, at stop lights, restaurant parking lots, etc. were these piles of salt, much like piles of slush dropping off vehicles after a snow storm. I got to thinking "That can't be good for the undercarriage..." Probably a bit more corrosive than Playa dust.

Absolutely more corrosive. Sodium chloride is the reason for salt damage to undercarriages of motor vehicles especially in the northern U.S. and Canada.

Playa dust is largely inert. Quartz, clay and calcite are the main ingredients, plus a trace of organics.

[tatonka]

my 1st car was my parents car which we brung from Minn. it was a 64 ford galaxie 500 . Picked up all my friends then we filled the tank, pulled out of gas station when gas tank fell off of car , fuel line still attached so Im dragging it down the road. Looked back and seen sparks flying everywhere, pulled over as fast as I could and we put the gas tank in the trunk , and reconected the fuel line and proceeded with a night of partying.

[burner von braun]

my 1st car was my parents car which we brung from Minn. it was a 64 ford galaxie 500 . Picked up all my friends then we filled the tank, pulled out of gas station when gas tank fell off of car , fuel line still attached so Im dragging it down the road. Looked back and seen sparks flying everywhere, pulled over as fast as I could and we put the gas tank in the trunk , and reconected the fuel line and proceeded with a night of partying.

..not a care in the world!

I remember those days, thanks tatonka.

[tatonka]

took aux gas tank out of truck , have acid to etch it clean . Still have to do brakes and transmission . Also need a new carb , my 4bbl Carter high performance is messing up only getting 5mph around town and 8-10 on freeway . Plugs look clean ? All the Auto parts stores carry a 2 bl for the 360
ford motor. It has a eldenbrock High rise manifold , so I need to go to junk yard to get a 2bbl manifold .
The 4bbl carter will not idle properly , most times high idle and cam is not touching idle adjustment screw , then at random times it drops down and
touches idle screw and veh will idle at a very low blub.
So I want to just go back to stock , got to save a bit to cover it . $325. for transmission ( my buddy who rides with me says he'll pay half
140.00 without core 190. for a 2bbl carb and a few bucks for brakes.

Last winter snow we had it hit when I was a work and there was alot of snow on the road on my way home , I had that dam high idle and it wanted to go sideways every time I stopped for a red light. Got off to the side roads where no one had been and did better. Had to go up a hill about a mile from home
and it just wouldnt lug right with that high idle and I got stuck at the crest of the hill. It started to go backwards slidleing and I slammed on the brakes and skided it into a driveway just missing the ditches
A guy in a 4 wheel drive towed me with a rope to the top , and I made it the rest of the way home. But I had no rear brakes , you could fill the one side of the master cly and pump the brake a few times and see a puddle of fluid pore out from above the aux gas tank.
So I just had front brakes until I pulled the tank out and I could see where the leak was , there was a brass fitting conn holding the brake line together. So I put some fluid in it and it held with no leak? So I got to bleed them , and will get new front pads also while im at it.

[tatonka]

took aux gas tank out of truck , have acid to etch it clean . Still have to do brakes and transmission . Also need a new carb , my 4bbl Carter high performance is messing up only getting 5mph around town and 8-10 on freeway . Plugs look clean ? All the Auto parts stores carry a 2 bl for the 360
ford motor. It has a edelbrock High rise manifold , so I need to go to junk yard to get a 2bbl manifold .
The 4bbl carter will not idle properly , most times high idle and cam is not touching idle adjustment screw , then at random times it drops down and
touches idle screw and veh will idle at a very low blub.
So I want to just go back to stock , got to save a bit to cover it . $325. for transmission ( my buddy who rides with me says he'll pay half
140.00 without core 190. for a 2bbl carb and a few bucks for brakes.

Last winter snow we had it hit when I was a work and there was alot of snow on the road on my way home , I had that dam high idle and it wanted to go sideways every time I stopped for a red light. Got off to the side roads where no one had been and did better. Had to go up a hill about a mile from home
and it just wouldnt lug right with that high idle and I got stuck at the crest of the hill. It started to go backwards slidleing and I slammed on the brakes and skided it into a driveway just missing the ditches
A guy in a 4 wheel drive towed me with a rope to the top , and I made it the rest of the way home. But I had no rear brakes , you could fill the one side of the master cly and pump the brake a few times and see a puddle of fluid pore out from above the aux gas tank.
So I just had front brakes until I pulled the tank out and I could see where the leak was , there was a brass fitting conn holding the brake line together. So I put some fluid in it and it held with no leak? So I got to bleed them , and will get new front pads also while im at it. Still will have to slam new brakes and see if that fails again