Jacquilines first drive.

[OUTFXD]

Got the floor pans buttoned up, put the seats back in.  My  friend egged me into going to the "Corner store" (Its 4.4 miles from my place).

 

I have to say I was nervous. I was hesitant.

 

Eventually I gave in.

 

Once I got her on the road she behaved like a lady.  35MPH down a twisty country road and she behaved like she wasnt even trying.  60 PSI oil pressure and Temp never rose over 160.

 

About a mile down the road she blew a big blue cloud of smoke.  but it immediately cleared up.

 

Got to the store shut her off and the battery was dead as a doornail. Being paranoid by nature I had packed an extra battery and jumpers so it wasnt even a big deal.  Drove home smooth as butter.  Got home same thing. Oil pressure never dropped and the temp didnt raise. as soon as I turned her off.  Dead battery.

 

Jumped her.  Turned the headlights on,  broke out the multipul digit reader and she was charging strong.  So... I time for a new battery I guess.

 

but I am so jazzed at the first drive. It was so smooth it was sureal!

[RobertKB]

The first time is always sweet! Glad it went well. ?

[bartenderfloyd]

 This is awesome! Congratulations. So exciting to experience the first drive. 

[Bryan]

Great news! Glad that worked out..?

[dpollo]

First drives can be a challenge  but you had better do something about the oil pressure.

Specs call for 40 lbs at 30 mph  although good engines usually run about 45 on the gauge.

There is an oil  bypass  on the driver's side of the block with a spring and plunger.  It sounds 

like someone has installed the wrong spring, or put spacers behind it.  If you leave it as it is,

I think it will overload and prematurely wear the oil pump and the timing chain......

It will also contribute to flooding the cylinders with too much throw off from the rods.  

Ten pounds pressure for every thousand rpm is an engineering standard proven by years of experience.

[OUTFXD]

Improper installation/modification of the oil pump would be par for the course for the last group that had the car.  I will look into it and thank you for the heads up!

[belvedere]

2 hours ago, dpollo said:

Ten pounds pressure for every thousand rpm is an engineering standard proven by years of experience.

I always thought that was a bare minimum.  Is that not the case?

[FarmerJon]

Congratulations on the first drive!

 

A couple of diagnostic questions:

What weight oil are you running? Higher weight oil will cause higher oil pressure. A simple thing to check before tearing into the pressure relief valve.

 

 

Battery: I am no expert on generators, but my understanding is that when disconnected from the battery they can loose polarity, and when hooked up have a chance of not wanting to charge correctly until they are "flashed" 

I am not sure of the exact science, but basically you briefly short between two posts on the voltage regulator. 

I would charge my 'dead' battery and have it tested at the store before replacing it.

 

Temp: while 160 is far better than overheating, factory thermostat is 180. Check that it has a thermostat, people frequently take them out. This has long term health effects on the engine.

 

Good luck and keep up the good work!

[thebeebe5]

First time on the road (even after a long rest, never mind an overhaul) is always a thrill.  Congratulations!

[OUTFXD]

7 hours ago, FarmerJon said:

Congratulations on the first drive!

 

A couple of diagnostic questions:

What weight oil are you running? Higher weight oil will cause higher oil pressure. A simple thing to check before tearing into the pressure relief valve.

 

 

Battery: I am no expert on generators, but my understanding is that when disconnected from the battery they can loose polarity, and when hooked up have a chance of not wanting to charge correctly until they are "flashed" 

I am not sure of the exact science, but basically you briefly short between two posts on the voltage regulator. 

I would charge my 'dead' battery and have it tested at the store before replacing it.

 

Temp: while 160 is far better than overheating, factory thermostat is 180. Check that it has a thermostat, people frequently take them out. This has long term health effects on the engine.

 

Good luck and keep up the good work!

oil: 10-40 full synthetic. a friend of mine suggested changing to 15-40.  In the process of investigating the difference.

 

Battery:  this is the first time I have heard of "Flashing" and I have literal seconds of experience! <jk>   All joking aside,  I need to check up on "flashing" the generator.  I did notice the amp meter ,  while operating earlier,  showed no charging during the drive and I assumed it wasnt working. This could explain things!

 

Temp:  Thermostat is on my checklist. the thermostat housing has RTV squishing out from the gasket meaning someone has been in there.  With the Tom-foolery this last crowd got up to,  I want to make sure they didnt do anything stupid.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[FarmerJon]

49 minutes ago, OUTFXD said:

oil: 10-40 full synthetic. a friend of mine suggested changing to 15-40.  In the process of investigating the difference.

Oil weights are a touchy subject, BUT

10-40 = weight (viscosity) cold- weight hot.

The lighter the oil, the less pressure it will take to push it through the engine. The thicker, heavier the oil, the more pressure your gauge will show. 

Pressure is good, but there can be too much of a good thing.

As noted, the system has a valve that keeps the pressure below a certain level. Once this is reached, you are just using horsepower to heat and churn your oil.

You should see your gauge move as engine Rpm increases and decreases. 

15-40is a common suggestion for '80s  Chevies and ford's with 200k on the clock, but is the wrong direction if you are already at max pressure. Perhaps use a cheap aftermarket gauge to verify your stock gauge. 

 

 

 

[Sniper]

If you are pushing 60 psi at speed you do not need 40 weight oil.  It's just costing you fuel and hp pushing it around.