Freddie's Transplant

**Luva65wagon** · August 21st, 2012, 11:32 AM

Great news Gary. Can't wait to go for a ride in it someday.

**redfalken** · August 22nd, 2012, 11:16 PM

Glad it's running better. I guess no matter what they say, sometimes engines want what they want. I wouldn't argue with success!

**Luva65wagon** · August 23rd, 2012, 09:43 AM

Engines "want" things? I didn't know that until now.

**falcon cobra** · August 23rd, 2012, 10:37 AM

Air and fuel come to mind ! and maybe a good mechanic can help.....jh

**Luva65wagon** · August 23rd, 2012, 10:45 AM

We should not confuse "needing" with "wanting." Engines, of course, need fuel, air, compression, and spark to run. Wanting something, like chrome water pumps, KN Air Filters, Nitros, or yellow spark plug wires... well....

**falcon cobra** · August 23rd, 2012, 11:45 AM

If you were a motor wouldn't you want a chrome water pump and yellow wires to keep up with the motor Mr. jones has ?

**redfalken** · August 23rd, 2012, 11:16 PM

OK...now you're razzin' me again. My engine's ALIVE and wants lots of adjustments that are sometimes way different than what others are running. If not it ain't happy!

You say potato...

**MacDee** · November 17th, 2012, 08:20 AM

I hadn't driven, or even started, Freddie since, well, the Snohomish show, so I went out last night just to start her up and warm her... to keep the "juices" flowing.
Well, she wouldn't start. Cranks fine, but no fire.
I think there's no spark. There's a little light on the Street Fire ignition module that I think is supposed to be lit whenever the ignition is on, but it wasn't. The "Gen" light lights up when I turn the ignition on, so I think the switch is okay, but I'm guessing there's an open circuit somewhere between the switch and the ignition module. Seems weird; it was fine the last time I shut her off! How could a circuit go bad just sitting?
Any ideas how I should go about tracing this down?

**redfalken** · November 17th, 2012, 09:51 AM

I hate when that happens! With no symptoms beforehand it's harder to diagnose. I would first start of by just examining every wire. Make sure something didn't touch a hot surface and melt, or get pinched or cut by a moving part. And check that the terminals are all making a good connection. Sometimes you can just forget a lock washer and the nut can back off.

Next poke around with the multitester and make sure you're getting power where and when you're supposed to. Make sure the MSD unit is getting 12V with the key on and during cranking.

Here's something on testing the MSD module: http://msdhelp.com/Testing_your_MSD.aspx

**BPVan** · November 17th, 2012, 11:53 AM

I have to agree again with Kenny. I had a similar issue after I just parked it. It turns out my electric choke wire came out of the retainer clip and touched my exhaust manifold causing the circuit to ground out. Of course I found it after all the tests Kenny mentioned.

**MacDee** · November 24th, 2012, 01:10 PM

After this morning's meeting (11/24/12), I went home with the intention of replacing the coil. I thought before I replaced the coil I'd just pull a plug wire and crank it from under the hood with the ignition switch on to see if there was a spark from the wire to the plug. There was. No only that, but the engine kicked. Hmm. I put the plug wire back on, held the throttle open a bit and cranked again. Nothing. I let off the throttle and cranked again. She fired right up!

My guess is that after she's been sitting for a while, she needs more choke than just the choke; she needs the choke AND the throttle closed to get a rich enough dose to fire. I dunno. Just needed to revise my start-up technique.

We're back in business!

**MacDee** · January 14th, 2013, 11:58 AM

Many of you have commented about the lifter noise in my engine. (I hear it too...) So, I tried adjusting the valves... again... for the umpteenth time.

This time it finally dawned on me; I've got a bad lifter!

On eleven of the valves, there is a very distinct point where the lash is taken up, at which point I crank in another [3/4-tun] to set the hydraulic lifters. On one of them, it is a very UN-distinct point, and after cranking another [3/4-turn] (which is WAY easier than with the other eleven!), I can push down on the push rod and rotate the rocker off of the tip of the valve! It's as if there is no oil in the lifter and I'm just pressing against the spring within the lifter.

I'm pretty sure it has been this way all along. (It may even be why it broke that push rod a couple of years ago!) This time, I cranked it down until there was just a tiny bit of play... sort of as if it were a solid lifter. I started it up after the adjustment, and it runs okay; pretty much the same as before.

I know I'll need to remove the head to fix this, but I would like to know how critical it is. Can I continue to drive it until I get around to fixing it, or do I need to just park it?

**Luva65wagon** · January 14th, 2013, 12:48 PM

Hydraulic valves shouldn't be run as solid lifters, though they may for a while. At the risk of wiping a cam lobe and going much further into this than just pulling the head, I'd park it and pull the head. Still only a few hours work.

Is this valve in the rear of the block or center? It is very odd that it wouldn't pump up. You are running a good oil pressure gauge, right?

**MacDee** · January 14th, 2013, 01:59 PM

It's on the #2 cylinder, near the front. I do have an oil pressure gauge. Oil pressure is around 40 psi.
I've never really understood how these lifters get "oiled". The only diagrams I've seen of the engine lubrication system seem to indicate oil just dribbles down the push rods and the lifters somehow fill with this non-pressurized oil.
Is that true?