gearing up for Tulsa

[blueskies]

I'm in the process of making a list of to-do's for my '50, to try and get it ready for the 3,200+ mile road trip to Tulsa, OK from Idaho.

I ordered a front end rebuild kit from Kanter today, my kin pins have excessive wear, and need to be replaced. The front end on my car is the only part of the car that I haven't already rebuilt, other than the rear differential. It has driven just fine with the original parts, but has gotten a bit sloppy in the last couple of road trips. Especially with the bias ply tires.

I'm also looking into getting my wheels worked over, by someone like Stockton Wheel Service. I'd like to get them balanced, straightened, made air tight, and powder coated. Have any of you done this with your wheels?

Undecided if I'm going to buy new tires or not, and weather or not they should be radials if I do. My Coker G-78's have about 6500 miles on them, but they are almost 7 years old, and I don't know if I should trust them on such a long trip.

I need to get my driveline balanced, it's got a vibration that didn't go away with new u-joints.

And then there's the question of my engine. It's developed a what sounds to me like a knock, apparently a rod bearing, but I'm not sure. I haven't driven the car since taking it to the salt flats in August, just in case. I've ordered a new oil pan gasket, and now it's time to do some exploratory investigation to figure out what is going on it there. Could be a bad tappet, bad cam lobe, wrist pin, or ?? Hoping I wont have to pull the engine or head for the fix... I have an extra set of road bearings, hoping I can just swap them out if that's the problem and there is no damage to the crank/rods, and plastiguage the clearances. I bought a new floor jack so I can get under the car (with jack stands, of course) and start pulling the pan this weekend.

Interior... I've been going to get started on the interior for years, and I was really hoping to have it done by the time this road trip rolled around, but with all the mechanical stuff to do, and a serious lack of time, not sure if it will happen or not.

Lots to do, might have to invest in a heater for my garage... Time to dig in and get the car back on the road! Tulsa or bust!

Pete

[Young Ed]

Pete Don't worry if your car isn't 100% done. I'm sure mine won't be. I'll be happy if its all one color when June comes around! Mine is in storage until April so that doesn't leave much time.

[blueskies]

Pete Don't worry if your car isn't 100% done. I'm sure mine won't be. I'll be happy if its all one color when June comes around! Mine is in storage until April so that doesn't leave much time.

Ed-

I'm sure it won't be "done", what ever that is... LOL I would like to have some sound insulation in the form of a headliner and door panels though. And making damn sure it will be mechanically reliable for the long haul.

Pete

[Young Ed]

I think mine's ready mechanically. I've been on a few road trips with it without issue. Last one was 550 miles. Tulsa is 750 each way for me. I do plan to send a wiper motor in to be rebuilt over the winter and probably my radio too.

[Normspeed]

Pete, while it's still in running condition, get one of those inexpensive mechanics stethoscopes and see if the knock is fuel pump related. I had one that sounded a lot like a rod bearing.

[blueskies]

Pete, while it's still in running condition, get one of those inexpensive mechanics stethoscopes and see if the knock is fuel pump related. I had one that sounded a lot like a rod bearing.

I suppose it could be the fuel pump, but I think that would be a long shot. I listened to the engine running with a long rod to my ear, and can hear lots of tappet and valve noise in the top end, but couldn't determine the source of the knock sound. I pulled the plug wires one at a time while listening too, and couldn't discern the difference. The knock sound is a deeper sound, and gets louder with rpm, it is loudest at about 2200 rpm. I hope it's something simple

My oil pan is leaking and needs a new gasket anyway, so while I have it off I'm going to have a look-see at the cam, tappets, fuel pump, and bearings. It will probably be obvious when I get in there, it's all pretty visible from the bottom...

Pete

[blueskies]

Looking at the first cam picture' date=' take a look at where it hits the valve on the second lobe. That should be nice and round and smooth like the rest of them in the other pictures. Maybe that's your knocking noise. It looks like it's pretty chewed up and out of round.[/quote']

Norm-

I think what you are seeing in the pic is the assembly lube, not an out of round or buggered lobe. I looked the cam over pretty carefully after it was ground, and didn't see anything that looked suspect.

As for the fuel pump, it will be interesting to see what it looks like from the inside, when I pull the pan. If it's making the noise, it will probably have some play in it. I couldn't hear the knock from the outside with the metal rod to my ear and on the fuel pump itself, which leads me to think it isn't the pump. But you never know.

Pete

[BobT-47P15]

OK, Pete. While tearing down your engine, you can play Tulsa Time and Take Me Back to Tulsa on your grammophone. Also Route 66. Good luck.

[Don Coatney]

Pete;

On my last (2 week) road trip to Georgia I also heard what I first thought was serious engine problems around 2000 RPM's when I was taxing the engine hard pulling the hills of southern Tennessee and northern Georgia. I borrowed Tim Adams timing light while at his stable and found my timing way advanced. I reset it to around 2 degrees advance. I left Tims and followed Racer Richie in his P-15 up the interstate running over 100 miles at over 70 MPH. My noise was gone. My oil pressure never dropped below the normal reading. I drove home a few days later and once again did a 70+ MPH run this time for over 200 miles only stopping for gas and relief. Oil presure held steady and my oil consumption was about 1/2 quart sence the last oil change done in Ohio around 3000 miles ago. Check your timing!

I am in hopes that I can make the treck to OK but I do not yet know my work schedule. If I go you will lose THE BIG RACE so be prepared!

[blueskies]

Check your timing!

I'll check the timing, I haven't checked it since last fiddled with my HEI... I hadn't thought about the timing, wouldn't it be great if it was THAT easy?

I am in hopes that I can make the treck to OK but I do not yet know my work schedule. If I go you will lose THE BIG RACE so be prepared!

You know, Don, not showing up for the BIG RACE after I drive halfway across the frigg'n country in a 56 year old car will be an automatic FORFEIT... If your not there, the rematch will have to be on my home turf

Where are your priorities? Work... SHEESH! Hope the dog doesn't eat your homework... LOL

Pete

[1949P17BC]

Whats happening in Tulsa next June. I am ready for a road trip

[blueskies]

Whats happening in Tulsa next June. I am ready for a road trip

They're gonna dig up the new plymouth burried in a time capsule vault in 1957.

Here's another thread on the event.

Pete

[blueskies]

I decided to do a complete rebuild of the front suspension on my '50, along with the king pins. I got my box of parts yesterday from Kanter. Looks like it's all there, however poorly packed. The stuff was dumped in a box, and a wad of paper put on top.... nice job.

My car has what looks to be the original tie rod ends, and I'm sure the rest of the suspension is original to the car. There is a bit of play in the system, which is magnafied by the bias ply tires when the roads are a bit rutted. The king pin play was also causing a slight irregular wear pattern on the front tires. The rubber seals on the suspension and ball joints are in poor shape, another reason why I wanted to go through the whole setup.

Looking forward to having the suspension "all new" for the big road trip and the BIG RACE.

Time to get busy!

Pete

[BobT-47P15]

Pete, I guess they figured those things were not very fragile and the post office could not do them much damage.

[blueskies]

Pete, I guess they figured those things were not very fragile and the post office could not do them much damage.

Bob-

You would have thought that they would have put little cardboard tubes on the threads of the various parts, so that they wouldn't get buggered up rattling around in the box (which they did)...

No real damage though, I think the stuff will work just fine.

Pete