Merle Coggins

So, if your black test lead was on the positive post of the battery then you have a grounded out ignition ciucuit. Based on that info, and the two pictures of meter and coil test, both terminals are grounded. Trace out those wires on the + terminal of the coil. Or disconnect them and test each one individually to find which one is grounded out. If one of the wires on the + side is going to the distributor case, that would likely be going to your points. The points are the ground for the coil and should be on the - side, assuming negative ground system. If it has an electronic ignition module in there then that would change things considerably. Where does the wire on the - side go?

That's good. I was concerned about that too.

Sorry. I should have linked those YouTube videos to this thread too. Find the videos near the end of that thread. They are pretty good about explaining the adjustments of the steering box.

I can't see Don't picture due to the firewalls here at work, but those two thermostats are not interchangeable. The earlier (larger) versions are still available. I've even seen an adapter that makes the newer version work in the older housings, but I don't have any info on that. The bypass hose is certainly in bad condition, and I believe the "restriction" is just scale buildup. And I wonder if the "solder" is remnants of some stop-leak that was added at one time.

Is it still a points distributor, or has it been converted to electronic ignition? If it has points, with the points open you will read 12 volts at every point throughout the circuit because there is no current flow. Once the points close you should see 12 volts input to the ballast resister, 6ish volts out of the resistor and at the + of the coil, and 0 volts at the - terminal of the coil. If it's an electronic ignition then more information on which system is required. It appears to have 2 or 3 wires on the + terminal of the coil. What else is connected into the ignition system? Maybe that is interfering with your readings. Also curious that there is, what appears to be, a flasher tied in to the ballast resistor. What is that for? Edit: Another important question... Where do you have your other test lead attached? If it is connected at a power source then your negative reading means that the red probe is on a grounded connection.

I love my Pilot House friends!!!! Todd hooked me up yesterday. But knowing that Tim was waiting in the wings to back him up was awesome. I was expecting a little work, after work, to get a manifold off one of Todd's "yard art" trucks. But before I could even get out of work I got a text from Todd that he had it off already. ? So after supper I took a drive up by him (just under an hour from my house to his) to pick it up. We chatted for a while, and he showed me his newly acquired '67 Buick Skylark convertible. (Very Nice!) On the way home I stopped at Fleet Farm for a can of high temp paint (Aluminum color) and a couple other items. (can anyone in the upper Midwest go to Fleet Farm for just one item?) My Mother is visiting this week, so I probably won't get much garage time until the weekend, but I'm hoping to at least clean it up and give it a coat of paint before the swap on Saturday.

How has all of this spring anchor relocation effected your pinion angle?

I just came across these videos on YouTube regarding the adjustments on a Gemmer gear box.

Update: Communicating with Todd, via text messages, this morning. It seems that he has a couple of options for me. I'm going to try to get up there this week and get one pulled (maybe tonight). Then, if the gaskets arrive this week, as planned, I can get things swapped out this weekend. Thanks all for your moral support and advice. Jan's comments confirmed my own thoughts. If I was blissfully unaware of the crack it probably would have survived the trip just fine. Now that I know about it I will constantly worry throughout the trip. If I can get it swapped out this weekend, and make a couple of local cruises followed by a re-tightening of all fasteners, then I should be able to make the trip more worry free.

Looks like about 793 miles (12+ hrs) for me. We were planning a stop in Indy to see my Mother (365 miles and about 6 hours), but now she's been staying with my Sister up in Grand Rapids, MI while she (sister) undergoes chemo treatments for breast cancer. So now the Indy stop in in question. But we are also planning a couple nights in Nashville on the way down too. I don't really want to push thru to Nashville in one day. That's 660 miles and 10+ hours. Maybe we'll keep the Indy stop anyway and just stay with my other sister there. That'll break up the trip better. On the way home I'm planning an overnight near Matoon, IL to split up the drive. Looking forward to meeting you there, Greg.

I just got a drag link from DCM Classics. They are having them made with tie rod ends instead of fixed ball joints. This makes them adjustable. I just installed it this past weekend, making it 1/4" shorter than the original one to offset the Rusty Hope disc brake bracket, to center up my steering wheel.

Has to be a 23" motor. 218 or 230. Basically anything from a 1/2 ton - 1 ton. I'll shoot you a text this week to set up a time to come up there, if you have one. I ordered up gaskets, and other things, from DCM Classics yesterday. Should have them this week. This coming weekend is my only free weekend before the trip. Hoping it will all fall into place relatively pain free, otherwise there may be some late nights in the garage trying to wrap it up before we head out. I don't like doing mechanical repairs just before a trip without some time for a shake-down run, or two.

Thanks Todd. Sounds like a good reason to stop out for a visit.

Today I’m doing some misc. maintenance on my truck in preparation for my trip to Chattanooga, TN in a few weeks. While putsing around under the hood I noticed that the carb mounting nuts were loose. As I was retightening them, and checking all of the manifold nuts, I noticed a crack in the exhaust manifold. ? I don’t see any soot accumulation so it doesn’t appear to be leaking exhaust through it, but I guess the hunt is on now for a replacement. This isn’t a job I really want to tackle right now. Depending on how soon I find a rear dump manifold it may have to wait until after the trip. Hopefully it’ll hold up for another couple thousand miles.

Yes. The inner diameter needs to be reamed to match your valve stems. Also, after fitting your valve guides you should grind the valve seats so that they are centered to the new guides.

Welcome, from just down the road... Nice looking car. Has it had a drivetrain modification, or just mag wheels?

The inner spacers goes through the holes in the mounting bracket and tighten up against the tank flange. The springs then maintain pressure against the bottom of the bracket.

Lookin’ good...

Since Al has the book with the "key", he'll have the definitive answer. But I'd venture a guess that "Z" is the fuel gauge, "EE" is the fuel level sensor, and "DD" is the tail/brake light. Edit: Al's reply beat mine. but it was a good educated guess

To me it looks like "E" is the dimmer switch. One wire in, two out (leaving page) possibly going to headlights, and 4th going up to high beam indicator "V".

Oh, I missed the part about your truck being a '56 model. That would certainly be different than mine. I guess I'll have to let other C-series guys tell you how to get the inner fender out.

I'd say that's a good strong engine, or you have a restricted air filter, or both.

Inner fender will come up and out, if you hold your tongue just right... Here’s a video I made a while back

The last I heard from him he had sold his trucks and was selling off all of his spare parts. I believe I have a phone number and/or email for him. You can PM me for that info.

Welcome. DCM Classics is a good source for parts, including floor pans. Roberts Motor Parts is good too. Also, Napa, Rock Auto, etc. are good for many mechanical parts