looking at a lead sled for my lady

[Guest kamakazi620]

Got to play with it a bit yesterday. I hadn't checked the tranny fluid before bringing it to my shop, so I made that 20 mi drive with the tranny3 pints low. Could explain the shifting problems.

Topped off the motor oil( which looks like its a year old) and took it for a spin down some back roads and it shifted and ran great.

 

It's got 3 different brand spark plug wires on it, so those and the plugs and oil change are next on the list.

 

As for the ticking, it's definitely under the valve cover on the right side and it comes and goes. I agree with the noisy lifter diagnosis.

 

Paint is awful. Gonna see how much is left after I buff it before I decide what to do there. Flaking from nose to tail with intermittent bondo cracking on the trunk lid.

before you change the oil put a quart of tranny fluid in it and run it for 1/2 hour -45 minutes that will free up a sticky lifter,then proceed to change the oil

[I'm BLUE]

Believe it or not ...

 

Slightly leaking exhaust manifolds/headers ... can sound JUST like a noisy lifter ... it also can come and go depending on situation

 

Just a thought if lifter noise suspect doesn't pan out.

[Rhapakatui]

Kami, thanks for the tip. I changed the oil about an hour before that post, but it was really gnarly, so I imagine I'll change it again soon. If the lifter noise keeps up, I'll try that. Honestly, it's a wonder that only one lifter was making noise based on the way the oil looked.

 

Dtp, I considered that in the beginning, but with the hood up, you can pinpoint the sound pretty well as under the right valve cover towards the back.

 

I actually haven't noticed it the last couple times I cranked it, but I haven't driven it more than a block in a while. It's not legal yet, so I'm keeping the joyrides at a minimum.

[Syncro]

I 2nd the atf trick, it dissolves alot of that sludge thats been sitting in the motor for years, that trick is actually used by alot of old timers.

[Syncro]

Flaking from nose to tail with intermittent bondo cracking on the trunk lid.

Lead sleds don't use bondo! lol

[Rhapakatui]

 

Putting the final touches on it fir the big reveal this evening. Hopefully reaction video will be awesome

[bonvo]

still liked the stock caps on it more then those wheels but i hope she likes it

[Rhapakatui]

 

Believe it or not, that's what she looks like when shes super excited.

[Rhapakatui]

I was trying to move the car into the shade today to pull the starter. It's been taking more and more clicks of the key to make it engage. PO said it needed brushes, so I was gonna take it to a local starter expert and have him go over it. I had almost no tools handy, as I hadn't started yet when something new happened. Repeatedly, the engine would fire, turn over once, and die. While trying to diagnose this new problem, the starter hung up and sounded like it was spinning very fast but not engaged. I removed the key, but it kept going. Smoke started pouring out of it along with bubbling liquid. I tried to unhook the battery, only to realize that the cool looking audio style connections required an Allen wrench that I may or may not have, and would likely have been ten minutes or more finding.

 

The rapidly building smoke cloud made me think that the starter could catch fire at any second, so i ran into the kitchen, grabbed a steak knife, and cut the hot wire.

 

 

Now I'm left wondering if my problems are bigger than just the starter, but I don't know what to do next. Any ideas?

[bananahamuck]

I doubt it... it`s probably just the solenoid , got funkied up in there and couldn`t back out and the amps a starter draws is huge enough to cook any cable..

 

Car looks better in the video than your pictures, would it kill a guy to take a running walk around of the beast.. ?

[Rhapakatui]

My mom shot a better video with her camcorder that gives a pretty good look at the car. That one came from a friend's iPhone.

 

So, pull starter, get it rebuilt, problem solved?

 

Think the firing, then dying was also starter?

[Syncro]

possible, make sure you have some way to disconnect it quickly, just incase it turns out it wasn't the starter. If its not the starter I suggest checking the replacing igntion cylinder.

[bananahamuck]

It actually sounds like two different problems..check to see if there is voltage on both sides of the resistor block that goes to the coil when the key is on and not in the start position. The dodges i had seemed to have that problem of resistor going bad alot ,,,enough so i usually kept a spare in the glove box. .. You will probably need to install the rebuilt starter first because the ignition might be hooked " all in there " somehow.The starter sounded like it was on the way out before car stopped running right...Maybe use vice grips to squeeze the battery clamp instead of bolts so you can whip it off faster, in case of the off chance it is in your switch

 

Take into account these are complete guesses... :D

[Rhapakatui]

So, I get the starter disconnected without major troubles. I've always heard how much easier these old land yachts are to work on because of the cavernous engine compartments. This does not seem to be the case here. I cannot get the bastard out of the car. There is no hole big enough to pull the giant starter through. I'm afraid that my only choices are to remove the pitman gear and steering arm, or take out the exhaust manifold and pipe.

 

I checked the factory service manual that came with the car, and it simply goes through the steps I've already done followed by "remove starter." I caught myself yelling at a 45y/o book at that point.

 

Any advice?

 

 

(Starter is the thing covered in shiny black sludge behind the exhaust)

 

[Syncro]

well if you have to take the manifolds off, why not toss some header's on there? :rolleyes: Honestly though, I'd just pull the manifold off, less of a chance of screwing up the steering angle or whatever.

[Rhapakatui]

Joined a forum dedicated to the car (cbodydrydock.com) and humbled myself by asking. They suggested I turn the wheels, and ,after some more persuasion, it worked. They also suggested that I go back in with a "ministarter" from a newer truck. Looks like about triple the price, so I'm hesitant. Long story short it's out. Yay!

[Rhapakatui]

Got a ministarter at the jy first $25. Cranks like a champ, then dies immediately. Gonna work on diagnosing it tomorrow. Think its a relay/resistor. Wish me luck.

[bananahamuck]

Joined a forum dedicated to the car (cbodydrydock.com) and humbled myself by asking. They suggested I turn the wheels, and ,after some more persuasion, it worked. They also suggested that I go back in with a "ministarter" from a newer truck. Looks like about triple the price, so I'm hesitant. Long story short it's out. Yay!

 

 

cbodydrydock.com

That forum name cracks me up . :D So i went and stalked down your starter question over there and from what i could see they seem to be very welcoming and got right back to you with an answer,,which is pretty cool.... B) And the fact that your thread is already on page 3 shows there`s a butt load of traffic over there..

[Rhapakatui]

It's nothing like Ratsun, but the info is good. I figure there's nothing that can go wrong with any of my vehicles that 1000 other people haven't already figured out the trick to fixing.

 

I'm trying to get Nancy involved in their forum so that I can hand off the Plymouth research and get busy on my datfiniti project again. It's about a year over its deadline,and I wanna drive it.

 

I'm super jelly of her drivable project. I keep asking to take it places because it feels more like driving than my sterile ass frontier. I gotta get my Shit together so I can stop asking for Plymouth permission and do it in a datsun.

[moparvwfreak]

i know EXACTLY what the problem is and why it kept spinning. starter relay is toast. replace teh starter and the relay and you should be fine. had the same thing happen with my 71 dart at one point as well as my 77 power wagon.

[Rhapakatui]

I swapped the starter to a high torque ministarter from a 90s truck $25. Works great. The start and then die problem was the ballast resister $3. Been driving the shite out of it since. Uses a bit of oil and transimssion fluid, but works great as long as you keep a check on those. Signed up for the local car show today. Just wish I could clean up the engine bay for the show and maybe get the paint to stop coming off.