"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv)
05/29/2020 at 21:04 • Filed to: Thunderbird
5
11|
"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv)
05/29/2020 at 21:04 • Filed to: Thunderbird | 5
| 11 |
IT’S ALIIIIIIIIVVEEE!!!!!
...well, sort of anyway. I just finished reassembling the freshly rebuilt motor (with some help from my auto tech teacher), and today the good old 390 V8 roared to life again for the first time in months! The above video was taken shortly afterward. I was very excited to get a chance to drive Phoebe home again, even if it’s with a weak not-yet-broken-in engine. But then some old problems returned... it still stalls when turning right, and before I made it out of the parking lot, the engine died. Subsequent attempts to start it were less than successful, with the engine refusing to idle and eventually just running out of gas. I ended up calling my parents to bring some more gas and jump start it, and I managed to limp Phoebe home accelerating at a snail’s pace, braking with my left foot while keeping my right foot on the gas to prevent stalling, and re-starting the engine on every right turn.
She dusty... I’ll need to wash her soon.
So she’s still not quite running well enough to drive, but she’s running nonetheless! And that’s big. Plus, I met someone who was able to diagnose the right-turn problem because they had a truck with the same carburetor and the same problem. Apparently it has something to do with a needle not seating properly and it should be fixable with a carb rebuild.
But PHOEBE LIVES AGAIN!!!
Also, she’s cosplaying as a Trans Am right now.
:)
Chariotoflove
> Jim Spanfeller
05/29/2020 at 21:34 |
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We’ll put that in the win column then.
Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
> Jim Spanfeller
05/29/2020 at 21:49 |
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The first word that popped into my mind was Atomic EFI carburetor .
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Jim Spanfeller
> Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/29/2020 at 23:45 |
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Honestly, I’d love fuel injection for Phoebe. A bit too expensive though when I’m already bleeding money just trying to make it work... long term goals, I guess.
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Jim Spanfeller
> Chariotoflove
05/29/2020 at 23:49 |
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Plus the radio magically fixed itself as we were trying to start the engine... Some Catholic radio station was Intermittently crackling away as the engine began sputtering into life... it was quite intoxicating after months of work:)
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Chariotoflove
> Jim Spanfeller
05/30/2020 at 00:26 |
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Radio magically came to life you say? Uh oh.
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Jim Spanfeller
> Chariotoflove
05/30/2020 at 01:22 |
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I though for sure it had shorted out long ago... And it was pretty crackly. Plus the Catholic radio guy was talking about the devil’ s strategies and stuff... Kinda creepy, actually.
Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
> Jim Spanfeller
05/30/2020 at 01:33 |
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Sounds great, at least when it was running! Good luck with the rest of it.
19JRC99
> Jim Spanfeller
05/30/2020 at 02:56 |
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I remember sitting in my truck one night before I got my license, listening to a station it just barely got. There was interference, so I got Clocks by Coldplay with a preacher rambling in the background. It was eerie and cool at the same time.
vondon302
> Jim Spanfeller
05/30/2020 at 08:22 |
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Congrats!
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Jim Spanfeller
> 19JRC99
05/30/2020 at 11:00 |
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Woah... Sadly though, I’ve only got an AM radio, so I think Catholic radio is probably the only station it could pick up anymore...
Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
> Jim Spanfeller
05/30/2020 at 12:43 |
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Congratulations! Living the dream. . . of grainy radio sermons as a backdrop to a sputtering V8.