I rebuilt the carburetor today. I used a ton of carb cleaner so I have a squeaky clean carburetor. It is really amazing how that stuff cuts through grease and varnish. It is so powerful I am pretty sure that I have given myself some strange kind of cancer just being around it.
Only problem: the base gasket that I bought does not fit my carb so I have the old base gasket on the carb.
The truck started up again and will run at a nice idle with the choke 1/2 way closed. It still dies if we put the choke all the way in.
Just to see what would happen, we used reverse to back up the truck about 3 feet and then 1st to move it forward again. So the truck is capable of moving under its own power. At one point, my inability to engage the clutch and the slope of our garage seriously threatened Sharon's car parked in the drive way. She moved both cars and I was able to drive the truck forward, back into the garage. Disaster averted!
Now that we can get the truck idling fairly steadily, I will attempt to tune the timing and valves and see if that affects the truck not running with the choke open.
All that will have to wait until next weekend though as I am flying out on business tomorrow :-(
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Work/Life/Truck Balance
Now that I've burned through my Christmas vacation I don't have endless time to spend on the truck. Sharon has been awesome about it so far, but I can see that if I run off to the truck every free minute I get, I am going to be pushing limits. I already spend too much time running off to the fire station.
I received parts that will allow me to work on a couple of fun and necessary tasks:
1) Carburetor rebuild kit - I definitely need to take a second shot at this, and I think the new gaskets may make a difference.
2) Filler hoses for the gas tank. Now I can safely remove the gas tank and give it a good cleaning. I also have a new sending unit on the way which may mean that I can get the gas gauge working again.
It has only taken 40 years, but I think I have started to grow up. Ok - that's probably wishful thinking, but I find myself learning from past experiences and actually making decisions based on my earlier mistakes. In line with that claim, I think I am going to relegate wrenching on the truck to the weekends and save what little time I am home during the week on Sharon and the kids.
It's going to be tough though ..
I received parts that will allow me to work on a couple of fun and necessary tasks:
1) Carburetor rebuild kit - I definitely need to take a second shot at this, and I think the new gaskets may make a difference.
2) Filler hoses for the gas tank. Now I can safely remove the gas tank and give it a good cleaning. I also have a new sending unit on the way which may mean that I can get the gas gauge working again.
It has only taken 40 years, but I think I have started to grow up. Ok - that's probably wishful thinking, but I find myself learning from past experiences and actually making decisions based on my earlier mistakes. In line with that claim, I think I am going to relegate wrenching on the truck to the weekends and save what little time I am home during the week on Sharon and the kids.
It's going to be tough though ..
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Gonna need some help
It looks like I might need some help understanding carburetors, idle, choke, throttle and all the things that help or hinder the truck from running steadily.
I have not received the carburetor rebuild kit yet (due tomorrow) but I thought I would break it down, and take a bunch of pictures to get ready for the rebuild. I found that the throttle cable (from the throttle knob inside the cab) was broken and was not attached to the carburetor. The choke cable (from the choke knob inside the cab) was still attached and working well.
When I got the carb off, there was a small puddle of gas in the bottom of the intake manifold. I'm not entirely sure what that means.
Carburetor off and disassembled:
I blew out all the passages and used a carb cleaner to get the bulk of the gunk cleaned out.
The carb was surprisingly clean. The gaskets also looked pretty good. The lower gasket had a tear and was pretty worn, but didn't look too bad.
So I reassembled the carb and put it back on to give starting it another try. Sharon helped me again. With the carb fully choked, we got the truck to start and after some rough running for about 3 minutes the engine warmed up and we were able to close the choke down to about 1/2. If we closed the choke down below 1/2 the engine would stop.
Even after running for 5 minutes, we could not get the truck to start or run without 1/2 choke. I tried adjusting the idle, without any success.
I'm wondering if the broken throttle cable has any effect. The gas pedal still works, but the throttle cable may work in conjunction with the gas pedal in some way I'm not seeing.
I think I am going to have to bribe some of my more knowledgeable friends to come over and help me understand how it all works.
I have not received the carburetor rebuild kit yet (due tomorrow) but I thought I would break it down, and take a bunch of pictures to get ready for the rebuild. I found that the throttle cable (from the throttle knob inside the cab) was broken and was not attached to the carburetor. The choke cable (from the choke knob inside the cab) was still attached and working well.
When I got the carb off, there was a small puddle of gas in the bottom of the intake manifold. I'm not entirely sure what that means.
Carburetor off and disassembled:
I blew out all the passages and used a carb cleaner to get the bulk of the gunk cleaned out.
The carb was surprisingly clean. The gaskets also looked pretty good. The lower gasket had a tear and was pretty worn, but didn't look too bad.
So I reassembled the carb and put it back on to give starting it another try. Sharon helped me again. With the carb fully choked, we got the truck to start and after some rough running for about 3 minutes the engine warmed up and we were able to close the choke down to about 1/2. If we closed the choke down below 1/2 the engine would stop.
Even after running for 5 minutes, we could not get the truck to start or run without 1/2 choke. I tried adjusting the idle, without any success.
I'm wondering if the broken throttle cable has any effect. The gas pedal still works, but the throttle cable may work in conjunction with the gas pedal in some way I'm not seeing.
I think I am going to have to bribe some of my more knowledgeable friends to come over and help me understand how it all works.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
It's alive! (sort of)
Thanks to Jon Fearnow's tools, PB Blaster, and my near-autistic ability to focus all my energies on futile tasks, I was able to finally coax the last of the clutch-head screws from the cap of the sending unit in the gas tank. I'm pretty sure this is the original sending unit:
When I pulled it out, the opening of the tube leaked a blackish tar. I fashioned a bit of wire into a small facsimile of a pipe snake and started pulling chunks of tar out of the uptake tube. I spent about 45 minutes on my little roto-rooter job and finally ended up with a mostly clean tube - I will put a new sending unit on order tomorrow.
I put the now open sending unit back in, replaced the clutch-head bolts with phillips head bolts and called for Sharon again.
After some trials, and checks that fuel was coming out of the pump, and then into the filter, Sharon laid on the starter. VROOM!! All of a sudden the truck was running on its own. LIFE!!
Gray smoke poured from the exhaust for a bit and there were a couple backfires. The engine was really racing. I was a little concerned and was about to ask Sharon to turn the key when it slowed down and smoothed out on its own. I asked Sharon if she turned the key off. She said no, but she did take her foot off the pedal. Yikes!
I should have explained to her that once the truck started she could lay off the starter. I hope we didn't cause too much damage with that full throttle first start.
The engine died and I had her start it again. It fired right up. It was clear the idle probably needed to be adjusted because she had to give it a little gas to keep it running.
I was starting to grin like an idiot when fluid started coming out of the carburetor. It started smoking and I had Sharon kill the engine before it caught on fire:
I have a carburetor rebuild kit on order, with all new gaskets. It looks like I'll need to rebuild the carb before I take it on the road.
All-in-all a pretty exciting evening. I can't wait to get back at it. I feel like we are close to getting the truck running and I can't wait to take it on its first drive.
When I pulled it out, the opening of the tube leaked a blackish tar. I fashioned a bit of wire into a small facsimile of a pipe snake and started pulling chunks of tar out of the uptake tube. I spent about 45 minutes on my little roto-rooter job and finally ended up with a mostly clean tube - I will put a new sending unit on order tomorrow.
I put the now open sending unit back in, replaced the clutch-head bolts with phillips head bolts and called for Sharon again.
After some trials, and checks that fuel was coming out of the pump, and then into the filter, Sharon laid on the starter. VROOM!! All of a sudden the truck was running on its own. LIFE!!
Gray smoke poured from the exhaust for a bit and there were a couple backfires. The engine was really racing. I was a little concerned and was about to ask Sharon to turn the key when it slowed down and smoothed out on its own. I asked Sharon if she turned the key off. She said no, but she did take her foot off the pedal. Yikes!
I should have explained to her that once the truck started she could lay off the starter. I hope we didn't cause too much damage with that full throttle first start.
The engine died and I had her start it again. It fired right up. It was clear the idle probably needed to be adjusted because she had to give it a little gas to keep it running.
I was starting to grin like an idiot when fluid started coming out of the carburetor. It started smoking and I had Sharon kill the engine before it caught on fire:
I have a carburetor rebuild kit on order, with all new gaskets. It looks like I'll need to rebuild the carb before I take it on the road.
All-in-all a pretty exciting evening. I can't wait to get back at it. I feel like we are close to getting the truck running and I can't wait to take it on its first drive.
No fuel = No run
I got the new oil lines around 4 today.
Installed them, hooked up the battery, put Sharon in the driver's seat and gave it a shot - but no dice.
The engine will turn over and even run for a little while on starter fluid, but even after 2 minutes of trying to start it, no gas in the filter bowl.
Since I pulled the pump off earlier and it seemed to be working, I can only assume that there is some kind of blockage between the tank and the filter. Maybe sediment in the tank, or gunk in the lines.
I am heading down to the station to pick-up some clutch-head bits from Jon. Hopefully with them I will be able to pull the cover off of the gas tank and take a look-see.
Then I will look at the fuel lines and make sure they all seem to be clear.
Installed them, hooked up the battery, put Sharon in the driver's seat and gave it a shot - but no dice.
The engine will turn over and even run for a little while on starter fluid, but even after 2 minutes of trying to start it, no gas in the filter bowl.
Since I pulled the pump off earlier and it seemed to be working, I can only assume that there is some kind of blockage between the tank and the filter. Maybe sediment in the tank, or gunk in the lines.
I am heading down to the station to pick-up some clutch-head bits from Jon. Hopefully with them I will be able to pull the cover off of the gas tank and take a look-see.
Then I will look at the fuel lines and make sure they all seem to be clear.
Pics
Still waiting for the new oil lines to be delivered today. Thought I would post some of the full truck pics for those that have not seen them.
The day we brought it home (12/20/09):
Proud papa:
A little bit of history:
The original owner bought the truck in 1954. He was a machinist and welder. After one of the bed boards broke, he welded a steel plate into the bed. He also made the tool box mounted in the bed.
In 1976 he gave the truck to his son who took it around the Northwest as a daily driver and to pull a horse trailer. At some point he replaced the engine with a 235 from a 1959 truck. The son eventually ended up in Colorado and stopped using it regularly. The truck has been garaged for the last decade.
We bought the truck around Christmas as a project for our family and as a light work truck to haul landscape materials, lumber and anything else we can't fit in our yuppie mobiles.
We are waiting until we get the truck running for his/her personality and gender to emerge before we decide on a name.
The day we brought it home (12/20/09):
Proud papa:
A little bit of history:
The original owner bought the truck in 1954. He was a machinist and welder. After one of the bed boards broke, he welded a steel plate into the bed. He also made the tool box mounted in the bed.
In 1976 he gave the truck to his son who took it around the Northwest as a daily driver and to pull a horse trailer. At some point he replaced the engine with a 235 from a 1959 truck. The son eventually ended up in Colorado and stopped using it regularly. The truck has been garaged for the last decade.
We bought the truck around Christmas as a project for our family and as a light work truck to haul landscape materials, lumber and anything else we can't fit in our yuppie mobiles.
We are waiting until we get the truck running for his/her personality and gender to emerge before we decide on a name.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Shootin' for Wednesday
The oil line parts are on order and should arrive on Wednesday. The new battery is installed. I will try to start the truck once I get the new lines installed and new oil in the engine. It is going to be tough to wait!
I also ordered a Carburetor rebuild kit with all the gaskets I'll need. I think I'll wait until I see if we can get it started before I start the rebuild.
I also ordered a Carburetor rebuild kit with all the gaskets I'll need. I think I'll wait until I see if we can get it started before I start the rebuild.
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