[elky] Re: Sprint in the shop
- From: Saul Marsh <saulmarsh72@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:49:20 -0700 (PDT)
Chris sells carburetors too? I was under the impression that he sells chemical
compounds like POR -15.
________________________________
From: John Christensen <johncgg@xxxxxxxxx>
To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 8:43 PM
Subject: [elky] Re: Sprint in the shop
One of the last times I took the El Camino to a repair shop for anything, I
decided my time was worth more than $45 for a tune up. That was pre-header
days.... now it's about an hour and a half, or $75 of my time. Anyway, I paid
the $45, and got the plugs changed. That was it. It was a Computer controlled
carb, and they didn't do anything to that. When I opened the distibutor cap,
because it looked like the same one, the center carbon electrode had broken in
half, and fell out. Obviously, the tune up didn't include a cap and rotor.
I was so pissed, I don't take anything to a mechanic any more, unless, after
reading about the procedure, I don't have the tools, or I have potential to do
serious damage if I screw it up (Like timing belts on the Pathfinder.... I paid
for that).
I may farm out the A/C, but only after I can find the right parts to put hoses
back on. There are missing parts after the conversion to serpentine. I found
one on eBay for about $80, after I spent 20 for one at a junk yard that ended
up having holes in it.
I have been putting off the body mount project I am in the middle of for
literally YEARS. Now I have to weld on it to get it back in shape, but the
welder arrived today. It came with everything to use the CO2/Argon, except the
tank. Before I spend the money right now.... on the setting inside the welder,
it says to use heavier flux core for the 1/4" steel. That would mean no gas.
Should I spring for the wire and hold off on the gas for the moment? Anyone
with welding experience out there???
Get a Edelbrock carb from Chris and bolt it on yourself Saul. It was a piece of
cake when I did it, changing from the computer to non. I had to change the
distributor too, and you won't have to do that. 4 bolts and linkages, and you
will be home free for 2 or 300 I think.
Check it out!
JC
On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 8:12 PM, Saul Marsh <saulmarsh72@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello all,
>
>Been two weeks since I sold Clustertruck, and I don't miss it as much as I
>thought I would. We've had some nice days that would have been great for
>working on cars, so if I feel like picking up a wrench I'm just gonna have to
>do maintenance on my new Sprint or work on the lawn mower or something.
>Anyway, the new Sprint (the '76 I bought in May) is in the shop, and I now
>remember why I don't like bringing cars to a mechanic. Just expensive. My
>intent was for the guy to rebuild the VIR in the A/C system, just like he had
>recently done to his own '76 El Camino. However, he found a few more problems
>and it looks like I'll be getting those fixed instead. The carburetor has a
>fitting that leaks and won't tighten, and might need to be replaced with a
>rebuilt carb. I thought the car smelled awfully bad of fuel, but Clustertruck
>smelled even worse so I just assumed that smelly cars is something you lived
>with when you drive a '70's carbureted
car. Apparently not the case. I hope this helps. I also will be getting an
A/C hose replaced, the system evacuated, and refilled with R-12. But I'm not
quite clear on whether this means I'll be getting nice cold A/C again (of
course....right as the temps have dropped where I don't need it anyway). The
mechanic said the windshield defrosting in the winter could be affected if the
A/C system gets too dry. I don't know. If I had more time I'd read up on it
in my repair manual. For now I'm taking the guy for his word, and realizing it
will be a little bit of time for me to save up money before my next repair
(whatever that may be). Right now, the only thing wrong with the car is that
the "ice cold" A/C is at best mediocre. When I drove it in our triple digit
heat this summer, I ended up smelling bad due to sweat, on top of smelling bad
due to a leaky carb.
>
>And I took the bus home today, while I leave the Sprint at the repair shop. It
>took an hour and a half for my normal 25-minute commute. Would love to take
>the bus more often, but that's just too much time.
>
>Anyway, that's all for now.
>
>Saul
>'76 GMC Sprint
>
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