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Jeff Balazs

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Everything posted by Jeff Balazs

  1. Just because somebody did something and got away with it doesn't make it a responsible or proper thing to do. Surely you know that? And you should know that horse power isn't the only limiting factor that these old trucks have when it comes to being a wise choice as a HD tow vehicle. The list of potential shortcomings is almost infinite. Heck these trucks are all old enough to have a bit of metal fatigue present. Really all you would need to have happen is for one old spring shackle to let go. And then there is factor of driver fatigue. To me it makes the idea of the trip you reference nothing more than a glorified stunt. But don't let me stop you. Jeff
  2. Well it is not like it would be the first time. Honestly I am all for people using these trucks as much as is possible and practical. But they are what they are and they do have some limitations. Sometimes we just have to recognize this. Jeff
  3. We should all stop and consider the added weight and wind resistance of a trailer the size the OP suggested. It might not be too big a deal on lightly trafficked level roads. You might even be able to take on some hills. But add in some wind gusts or a twisty section of off camber road and I am pretty certain it would be a white knuckler at the very least. And everyone who has done a fair amount of towing also knows how critical the ability to accelerate in any situation can be. Especially when merging into traffic. Personally I don't see one of these smaller trucks making a safe tow vehicle for anything much bigger than a small boat or a teardrop type travel trailer in today's world. Push this vintage envelope too much and something or somebody will most likely get hurt. Jeff
  4. Where I think this rig will really fall short of being a safe tow rig is mid to higher speed acceleration. Safe towing requires the ability to merge into the traffic flow. I just don't think either engine mated to a 3.55 ratio axle is going to be able to do this........no matter how it is built up. I have a 3/4 ton with 230 and a 3.55 and I sure as heck wouldn't attempt it. Jeff
  5. Mark; It is not the tongue weight that will cause you to pause. A well balanced large trailer should always have around 200# of tongue weight. It is the 3500# of trailer you need to be concerned with. That and the 3.55 rear axle will probably not go all that well together. I am pretty certain you will not be able to accelerate in traffic safely. At the very least you may have to go back to a 4.10 ratio axle. Jeff
  6. Looks like mackeral to me. You can have my share......
  7. Well in my book it is just lame. If ever there was a purely functional vintage truck accessory it is the side mount carrier. To my eye they don't even look complete without one.
  8. Hopefully the old COE doesn't get too depressed while waiting. I think that is what happened to the one in the photos I posted,,,,,,,,,,
  9. Yes......stuff like this is unfortunate to say the least. And it does seem to be happening more often. I will never understand the whole "slammed" thing. Especially when it comes to trucks. When I saw it from a distance it made me cringe. But like the TV commercial of the 3 raccoons raiding the trash...... and wanting each other to taste their disgusting finds I felt I had to share it. And having a fair idea of what Marks tastes in trucks are like..... I just thought who better to share with? Jeff
  10. Come on Mark.........I thought this would get some sort of a reaction from you. ........and I know what sort. I hear these old COE's are very sensitive and tend to get really low if left to their own devices. Jeff
  11. One more thing comes to mind. The accelerator pump linkage has 3 possible settings. This linkage connection would have been removed during disassembly. Perhaps it got put back together incorrectly? Or could be it is set for high altitude/hot weather now........ Jeff
  12. Maybe? But he was the Champ of playing chicken.
  13. If it was just me without a tribe I would be very happy to head there. Jeff
  14. Yes probably.........also got some Toth in me. Being 3 generation though I never learned the language.......except some choice stuff my Dad used when he was really miffed.
  15. Hey if it is Hungarian it has to kick butt!
  16. There are several things that could contribute to hard cold starting. The overall condition of the engine may be part of it. Have you done a compression check? Or taken vacuum readings on it once it has warmed up? Also just because the carb looks clean there is really no reason to think it is functioning as it should. If it has been sitting for a while the leather on the accelerator pump plunger may have dried out. How about sediment in the float bowl? Another thing to check is float level. Also it may be worth checking the fuel pump pressure and delivery rate. Without knowing anything about the condition of this truck it is difficult to say why it is hard to start. There could be some minor things in the ignition system contributing as well. If it were me I would start off with hooking up a vacuum gauge once it is warmed up and see what it tells you. Doesn't cost anything and it can tell you a lot. Jeff
  17. Try this starting procedure on your truck. Pump the gas pedal one time. Pull out choke about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way. Pull out hand throttle the same amount. Turn on ignition and then step on the starter pedal. Should fire fairly quickly if all your settings are close. Jeff
  18. Saw this yesterday at Pomona. And I couldn't help thinking that a few photos might help Mark get his COE project going........
  19. There are actually several past threads here on this topic that you can look through. Try searching throttle return spring, etc.... Some of us actually use two springs.....one to the toe board and one to the inner fender well. If you do the search you can view photos and lots of comments. Jeff
  20. Here is a few things to check for. Sometimes loose debris can collect at the thermostat and block or partially block flow here. Another thing you can do is check to see the thermostat is working properly. You will need to immerse it in hot water and a good thermometer to verify temp it opens at.. Chances are if your car has lived at this altitude for a while then the timing is probably OK and the carb has been set to run at altitude. If you just got it then you need to check your manual for these settings. Jeff
  21. Just took the time to look at this thread. OMG! There is absolutely nothing good or commendable about it. Hopefully no one that had to share the road with this mess got hurt or needed hospitalization. There is a line in the movie The Shipping News that comes to mind. Goes something like this: God didn't give you the sense he gave that box of Donuts. And I can't help thinking that it really applies here. When I see this sort of stuff all I can think is what if some completely innocent person had gotten injured or killed by this? Shows a complete lack of respect for anyone else and paints a truly horrible picture of an aspect of our hobby. Jeff
  22. Optima makes a very good 6 volt Jeff
  23. I have looked very hard at the T5 and A 833 swaps. I think they really only make sense if you still have a 4.10 or maybe a 3.90 rear axle. If I was starting off on a fresh build I would probably go in this direction. With the 3.55 I have I can't imagine any OD gearing being useful. What I may do if find a pair of wheels that I could fit a pair of lower profile tires on and see how that does. I don't think I have to even gain the equivalent of a change to 3.73 to make this all work the way I want it to. Jeff
  24. All I really need to be totally happy with driving mine on a daily basis is to get a bit better acceleration and and incline performance out of it. The brakes I have on it and the stock suspension are just fine. It actually steers and handles much better than I ever expected. And it has been 100% reliable which is more than I can say for most of the peoples' cars and trucks around me. I am as comfortable driving it in traffic as I would be in anything else. I think most of the people I share the road with see it......and don't really want to tangle with all that steel and iron. Jeff
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