Return trip to MT

[Kim K Kaiser]

Time to go bk to MT.  Giving thevCDV one more xc attempt.  

Got going from MS this morning.  Car been running good for three months.  60 miles out from dallas.  Engine statred missing, particularly on a slow climb,   ive been running about 65 or its seemed as it got worse as it got hotter outside.  Its 93 at 4pm.  Temp has been at 188 90, oil pressure at 25. 26.  After 1st tank, 16.2 mpg.  

Well, it finally got to missing were i felt need to pull off.

So looking under hood.  No gas leak.   I checked carb nuts. Gave them a nudge.  I did notice under the pcv there was a little pubble od blark, carmelly stuff, bubblin.  I stuck something in ii, smelled like gunky oil, so i figured it was maybe coming from round the hoese, so i gave them a tightening down.

I had titened up, fuel ile other day, so its not leaking atvcarb. Fuel pump not leaking either.

My carb is set for abput 6000 feet, dalas is about 400.  Could i be experirnceing some sort of combo of vapor lok and  card setting defieciencey due to the heat and altitude?  If not, were would i need to go nxt for solution.

Im gonna sit a while, let it cool. And wsit out dallas 5 pm traffic to see if that helps. But any thoughts would be helpful.

Sincerely

[Kim K Kaiser]

Hi,  it been probly 9 or 10. But im running the petronics

[Kim K Kaiser]

You mention ignition.  Mine had either crept or moved on tighting but was about 9 mayybe 10.

I reset to 6to 7.  Would tjat have contributed?

[Kim K Kaiser]

ok,  I sat for about an hour, checked all the things I mentioned, changed timing. (about 6) and decided to carry on to see what would happen.  Started fine, eased out of gas station, felt ok,, when I gave it a little gas to get into traffic, it was sputtering and missing, like someone with a cough,, just coughing for fuel or air is what it felt like, I guess,  I just laid on it, it sputtered a few more times then we were off.  I stayed a steady 55-60 for 150 miles or so with NO problem.. then, in Dallas, I slowed down to about 40, and it coughed a time for two, I eased off the gas a little till it felt like it had fuel or what ever it needed, it smoothed out, and went another 50 miles with no problem. I even stood on it right before I got to the hotel ( so I knew if it died, id be close) and went from about 40 to 65 like I was making a pass, and there was no problem at all.  So I dont know what it was.  I do know it got even hotter outside, almost 95 as we moved through Dallas and my engine temp stayed up about 193 to 195,  Oil stayed at 25, or 26.   

tomorrow, going to go through north Texas towards Amarillo (by morning) parts store about every 30 miles it seems, so I will try to see how we do in the much cooler temps in the nmorings and get parts if needed.. I have all my tools with me, thus the low rider look of the car,, it sits really low,,,and heavy feeling,, I hate that rear low look, but its what im stuck with till get back to. any other ideas always helpful

[Jason Edge]

I would change the PCV valve, clean the plugs and see if that improves anything. A stuck PCV valve can cause this issue ... which will also foul the plugs. If you remove the PCV valve and shake it it should rattle indicating it is still good. Regardless you can replace for $5 and with some fine sandpaper, you can clean the plugs for free. Unless there are "before & after changes" you have not stated, that would be the first thing I would check. If you were running points I would check the contacts and lightly sand ... but believe  you have Pertronix.  If that doesn't improve things you can check the other 34 things Tony has listed. :-)

[Kim K Kaiser]

Apr 6 update

10 hours of driving, not one burp, fart, or cough from the engine.

Yesterday. I did tighten the clamps on the pcv valve but am worn out tonight to see if it was still spittin crud. Wi) ck in morn.   Car really ran flawlessly. When i needed power, i gassed it, it responded.  For giggles i pushed it up to 85 on the flat NM hiway,  no problem.

I really didnt do much yesterday to it other than press wires onto plugs to make sure of connection.

I kno last summer on my 73, i had a sputter like that and it was a bad 2 wires, fixed it amd it was fine.

I can only gues the fuel mixture of the equation and the excessive heat was cause of problem this time.  I dont think i got over 65 degrees at all today, andcwas getting closer to carb altitude setting, if thst makes a differece, but it ran good.

After the fitsrt trip home, and now bk to MT, the only thing i miss, and badly on this long drives is cruise control.  You really hv to pay attention to keep ypur spped up and down.  You can forget on an uphill your on the accelerator, top hill, and nxt thing you know, ypur whizzing along at 75.  You dont even feel it.   But watching that speedo to make sure of speed is draining.

Again, thanks for the help, anything changes will holler.  Going down to 21 here in raton tonight, so cool air headn upto casper wy tomoro

[3n49omug8n28i]

Kim its good to hear the rest of your trip was uneventful. You've mentioned the absence of cruise control is a pain and I felt the exact same way with my caddy. my resolution to this was to add a Rostra cruise control aftermarket unit. You install a signal generator between the transmission and the spedo cable along with a throttle control unit. it will speed up the car going up hill and slow it down on the opposite side going down. Some of the best money I spent on my car besides rebuilding the climate control and fuel injection. I bought all my pars off of eBay.

[Kim K Kaiser]

thanks Clovis, I will have to look into it.  

Todays trip offered up no addl problems after 9 more hours of driving.  One more day left of 8 hours and I am done!!  Will be so glad to have another trip behind me.

[Kim K Kaiser]

Well, we made it back to MT!   Hallelujah.  I like my car but 36 hours is just too much intimacy.  However, given diesel is 60 cents hight than premium, probly be driving the cdv quite a bit.   It was quite an adventure to drive thatvcar to MS, but then hv to get it back.  A final picture from same spot from were we took off 4.5 months ago, thanks for all the help along the way.

[3n49omug8n28i]

Great photo Kim!!!

[Jason Edge]

Fantastic picture. Is that your pooch facing you in the picture?  Looks like you two are having a stare-off! This would make a great Newsletter Cover Shot for a feature story. Write up a story 500 to 1000 words and get me say 8 to 12 pictures and we will do a full cover feature.  I see you have rejoined the CLC and have added you back to the Chapter. As John Sebastian once sang "Welcome Back". 

[Kim K Kaiser]

The schnauzer (Picasso) is warning me not to put him in that car again.  He was as sick of it as i was.  I will try to put something together