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What a friggin day....

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GSGregg:

--- Quote from: Itchigo on January 30, 2016, 08:43:01 AM ---I've been looking for a new job for months. I had a bad situation at work, and had been looking for quite a while. I finally found something. This is the job I have WANTED. What I was meant to do (imo). I made it happen and got the job. I went to bed early to make sure I wasn't tired and fully ready for anything.....I was wrong.
--- End quote ---
Huh? How did I miss this? Oh, well.....

Let's see; you fixed your brake line on Jan 30, took delivery of the clone about Feb 20, and found rust shortly thereafter. I think getting to Midas in one piece and getting the new, preferable job constitute a net positive benefit.....

I had a bit of a 'What a friggin' Day ( night, actually). Friday night, Mar 11, I stopped at the local Ralphs market just before 2AM closing, and when I got back in the car, the friggin' night and its aftermath began. But I'll save myself a bunch of typing and just copy - paste part of an email I sent out:

Damned Ethanol! Fuel economy is down at least 15% from the Good Ole Days, and the Buick(my '66 Skylark Gran Sport 401 with 475K miles) was never an Energy Star go-kart anyway. Fuel evaporating from the carburetor overnight, plus shutting off to avoid waste in places like fast-food lanes and drive-through ATMs, necessitate more starts and restarts, which leave burnt / oxidized spots on the starter solenoid's contact disc and terminal studs; even though the disc is free to spin, presenting some new surface each time, eventually the entire disc is compromised and even though the solenoid is working (sounds like part click, part clunk), the starter itself gets no current.

That's when AAA gets called.

Had the car towed home, but left in front of the house rather than have the tow guy try to aim the car into the driveway (avoiding the block wall) on my narrow street at around 3AM with sleeping neighbors.

Pondered for a week, then borrowed my corner neighbor with a pair of small dollies, with which we swung the rear end perpendicular and oozed the car into place, keeping me from risking a legs-versus-idiot mishap if I tried to do the starter in the street. However, before the oozing, the car had to be moved forward (and up the sloping street) about 15 feet to put the front end even with the driveway, and electing do do that while the neighbor socialized with his home-from-work wife, I apparently managed to compress a few vertebrae or discs or something, resulting in a real nice backache.

I have two other running cars, so no rush---but a week spent 'helping' myself on and off of the couch could have been lived without.
____________________________________________

Enjoy that lunch hour, Itch! 

Gregg

Itchigo:
It wasn't that I found rust shortly thereafter, it's I decided the rust had progressed enough, and wasn't practical to fix. The "new" car came about rather quickly as I saw a listing and acted on it. I was still kind of on the fence about it. The new one seems to have it's own issues, but is a better platform than the old one, but the old one has a MUCH stronger engine. The 84k engine runs fine, sounds like a sewing machine, like it should. I'm guessing it needs to be cleaned out in every way. I only changed the oil so far. The 164k one had an exhaust leak- it stopped on it's own... The manifold leak was so bad I thought it was going to throw a rod- it sounded like heavy lifter tick. My mindset is: just make it another month. The tick has completely gone away- on it's own! I have done nothing because I only need it to run for another few weeks, why work on it and waste my time? But now... it'll lay a patch! It couldn't do that before! You know how the imports sound like a pissed off mosquito? That's what mine sounds like now! (it IS a Mazda engine after all).

You weren't able to start it by hitting it with a hammer? A lot of times hitting it with a hammer while cranking will free it up enough to get it home.

New job is still going great. If it was anyone else beside this guy as my boss I'd have been screwed. He's too nice and gives too many 2nd chances, to the point they walk all over him. He's surprised as hell I actually want to do something- not just go through the motions. It's been a while to where I've had my own warehouse, in fact I have the entire building (2nd in command), but I'm doing it like I've been doing it all my life. :pizza: And speaking of pizza, when we hit our numbers I'm having a pizza party for the whole warehouse! :Content:

GSGregg:

--- Quote from: Itchigo on March 30, 2016, 02:27:43 PM ---The 84k engine runs fine...I'm guessing it needs to be cleaned out in every way.
--- End quote ---
I recommend Rislone Engine Treatment for cleaning a dirty engine; used to be one quart subbing for a quart of oil, but is now concentrated to 500ml / 16.9 oz. It can be left in for the entire oil cycle, as it lubes and isn't detrimental like some flushes. When satisfied that it's clean enough, I use 8 oz, Marvel Mystery Oil at changes to maintain.
--- Quote ---The 164k one had an exhaust leak- it stopped on it's own...it'll lay a patch! It couldn't do that before!
--- End quote ---

Odd that the leak didn't simply burn itself larger...maybe now that it's quieter, you just put your foot farther into it  :Green:

--- Quote ---You weren't able to start it by hitting it with a hammer?
--- End quote ---
That works when the starter brushes are right on the threshold of contact loss, when the armature has stopped on a 'dead' spot, indicated by the solenoid not pulling or clicking because the Pull coil grounds through the starter windings---no click because the Hold coil (which grounds through the housing the normal way) is too weak to overcome the plunger return spring. I was getting the 'healthy' click because brush contact was still good; a little time on the wire wheel and the disc is ready for a few more years.

However, I still say, "Damned Ethanol!"

--- Quote from: Itchigo on March 30, 2016, 02:27:43 PM ---:pizza: ...when we hit our numbers I'm having a pizza party for the whole warehouse! :Content:
--- End quote ---
Be sure and post when that happens; I have a Presto Pizzazz Revolving Pizza Oven, and I'll join you---at a distance!

GSGregg:
There IS a method that would work, if the driver-side exhaust manifold and tacked-on heat shield weren't hugging the starter and blocking access (These GM A-bodies were designed for V-sixes and small-block V8s, and the after-thought big-blocks really cluttered things up).

With the ignition switch held in Start to operate the solenoid and engage the starter pinion with the ring gear, a screwdriver or other suitable tool would THEN bridge the two main terminals of the solenoid, applying current to the starter motor.

Itchigo:

--- Quote from: GSGregg on April 06, 2016, 01:55:27 PM ---With the ignition switch held in Start to operate the solenoid and engage the starter pinion with the ring gear, a screwdriver or other suitable tool would THEN bridge the two main terminals of the solenoid, applying current to the starter motor.

--- End quote ---

Been there, done that. :Green:

Had a marked change this week. The weather got colder this week (30's), and it started running BAD. To the point of I took my new car to work one day when it started, and it's not ready yet... I thought it was a big piece of dirt in the fuel, but that may not be it. It's almost like it's running on 3 cylinders. The reality is I'm not fixing it anyway. It has to run 2 more weeks or so, then I strip it down for parts. :Ohh:

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