A. G. Olphart

Aux/Alex, I've had two 13b rotary vehicles, a stock pickup and an AH Sprite. Both of them died on me, so I'm collecting Chevy pieces for my Z. If you go ahead with the rotary, do consider getting a good wire welder. (For accounting purposes, it isn't part of this project's cost, but a tool whose cost may be amortized over your entire lifetime). Live long, and weld a lot!

You're headed the right direction with the puller... Dig in your metric bolt box for one that fits the holes/threads & buy a couple the right length at the hardware store (likely some washers too). Anymore I'm afraid to pound on steering wheels as some cars have had little plastic pins designed to shear off in a crash and collapse the column.

Their price for the Pertronix Ignitor II for my SBC is considerably less (at $89.95) than at Summit, and the Comp cams roller tipped rockers I'm considering are also cheaper at carshop... What luck have you guys had dealing with them?

Try this as a starting point... http://www.v8monza.com/faq-v8cv.htm

Some of us non-members are waiting to see the first RC jackstands race.

Only if you top your cinderblocks with wood blocks... Those things can stress fracture by themselves!

Since we are dealing with Hybrids, the Phoenix fits well: Mythical and powerful, rising from the ashes of a former life.

I bled the clutch on my old Toyota pickup yesterday by myself. Gravity was my friend, because the slave is lower than the master (no pun intended). I left the bleeder on the slave cracked open slightly and pumped the clutch pedal a few times to run the air out of the master. Then I opened the bleeder more fully to allow fluid to run through the system easily. I topped the master a couple times, and when the fluid running out became clear/fresh, I closed the bleeder. The clutch released & I quit.

Having driven "experienced" automobiles all my life, I must agree with Tim... look at it this way: Unless you pulled a Terry, when you pushed your foot down, brake fluid went somewhere. When all is normal, the brakes work. When there is an external leak, you can usually spot the leaking fluid on the inside of the brake/wheel/tire where the leak exists (plus the fluid level will drop over time). If neither of the above apply, then the only place the fluid could have gone was past the cup/seal in the master cylinder. The next time your brakes fail, you may be approaching someone's $75,000 Mercedes at 70MPH (or a kid in a cross walk)... Master cylinders are VERY cheap insurance, no matter what the parts house wants to let them out the door. One Rant, No Charge.

Are your throttle plates opening fully? Not enough compression for the cam? Timing is a more likely culprit, hopefully ignition, possibly cam. Is your mechanical advance working right? First I'd verify TDC to be certain the damper ring hasn't slipped, then I'd check for full advance with a degree tape on the vibration damper (or use a protractor to mark the damper). Smoke should be available at 4000 RPM.

That IS nice... what is the color code/ Application?

Tim, did you have any trouble with length? (Someone said 280 rear struts were longer than 240's... besides the taller mounting insulator). Is the spring perch the same distance from the axle? Inquiring minds, and all that.

If the clutch slips (aside from dragsters) odds are the tires won't have to. How do things smell inside the car?

Old enough to be your grandfather Zguy... Chapparal2f has me beat on the walk to school story. For me it was only 3 miles, and there were a couple of corner grocery stores I could drop into on the way if it was too far below zero. In high school I was lucky a few times and got a ride home in a friend's 53 Studebaker Starlight Coupe. 8)

Nice list Grumpyvette... Do you know where I may acquire a few more ounces of Common Sense? Experience has established that I could use a bit more of it once in a while.

This is the first I've heard of the helper's list, thus I'm ASSuming that it isn't widely known or advertised. I used the link & observed the gearset being chipped from solid unobtanium, but that is all I can see as my Hybrid Z log in isn't enough. What gives? Separate registration required? Why isn't being logged on to HybridZ good enough? (A feature/site is of little use if it can't be easily used). Why no sticky notes in the forums to tell members of this list/benefit? Why is there air? If a tree falls in the garage, who planted it?

No hybrid, but in the area- you have mail.

If I had your car I'd run it as it is. If you develop a misfire problem, then consider a hotter plug/narrower gap. If the electrodes are tan, they are close enough to run... they may get a little warmer when you hit the highway, and going hot enough to get a bone white electrode is, IMO, not good... If the MSD is firing the wider gaps, why mess with them? I think that Detroit went to higher voltages and wider gaps to better fire lean mixtures (which you don't have) but I see no harm in lighting off a little more mixture. You'd have to do some research or ask Grumpyvette for a definitive answer.

Hi corZette... The reason your plugs are black is they are covered with unburned hydroCARBONs. A hotter plug will help burn this off, but you really need to get your engines air fuel ratio tuned. Once you get that set, you can play with heat ranges. (I like NGK plugs as they seem to have a broader heat range than the other brands I've tried. YMMV). If a person has a stock engine that burns oil (fouls plugs), going up a range or two from the known factory spec. plug is a relatively easy call. With a modified engine one must make an emperical determination as to the proper heat range after the AFR is known to be correct. I'd say a dyno day is in order.

You might try putting the tranny in park (without the engine running) and making sure that the input flange on the differential can't be turned. Then you can either block one wheel or have a friend hold it and turn the other wheel. A visual inspection of what turns and what doesn't should show the location of any broken bits in the half shafts or center section. If you have a really stiff positraction you might have to turn each side separately due to the locked input flange. U-joints are the most likely culprits in back. A look at the direction of rotation of the driveshaft while the car idles in drive and then in reverse should give you an idea if the tranny is doing anything at all. (Use a mirror if necessary- crawling under a running vehicle may shorten your lifespan).

Generally those with more extensive Z knowledge and experience have already provided a better answer than mine would be... why dilute the technical aspects of the board with inferred solutions and suppositions? Lurking is respectable here, isn't it? 8)

I've seen this happen a few times and always wondered about the cause. Here is a link that covers some of them: http://www.atra-gears.com/crankshaft/

Mike has it right with the brace across behind the seats, but being a cautious Olphart I'd also recommend a bar from the front of the door openings to the back, and cross (X) bracing as well. This should keep the top of the door spacing from changing while the top is off, and minimize floor pan twist.

Nice that you have it going... That said, on gas tank cleaning- My guess would be that it only had a gallon or so of fuel in it after all these years because the rest of the bad gas turned to varnish after the volatiles left. Also on the subect of old tanks: I've had rust plug fuel lines with what looks like brown felt... the particles settle out in slower flowing areas (in my case in the 'banjo' fittings at the tank and an external fuel filter I'd scrounged off a diesel pickup). Once you get the varnish dissolved, rust may follow. Enjoy the ride-

I've found it is much more enjoyable if one gives in to temptation on occasion... I had a LOT of fun at Thunder Hill in our 72 Chrysler T&C. It wasn't the slowest car there, and I was told it was the only car in the group with sound effects. To stay somewhat on topic, I did run out of brakes in the afternoon when we were allowed to run the full course. That back half eats brakes like you wouldn't believe. Run what'cha got when you get the chance-