I had a customer wander in today, asking about what he could do about a mid-sixties Mustang that was running rich. He was a little stunned that I correctly guessed it was running an Edelbrock set-up, without seeing the car.
Now I’ll hasten to add there is nothing intrinsically wrong with an Edelbrock. Though not the original set-up. Your typical choices for this style of car are Edelbrock or Holley carburettors and even an Autolite.
The Holley is purely jets and vacuum, and the vacuum is only on the power valve – once it closes it’s just jets. It’s very simple. People think they’re complicated. You set the float level, find the jetting – which takes a little time – and then you leave it alone. It’s done forever. The only problem with Holleys is when people who don’t know what they’re doing try to work on them.
The Edelbrock is very simple to fit, connect, start and run. However, the running of it is a little more complicated. They are atmospheric sensitive – so if I tune it for a hot day here in Brunswick and you decide to drive it to Mount Kosciuszko, it will be crap up there.Inside you use a range of springs, jets and needles to tune it.
Edelbrock can supply a tuning kit which provides some base settings. It takes a little time to get them right. Once it’s set up, you want to see the car every few months to see how its travelling.
It’s entirely possible you’ll come up with a different setting for different times of year, and I like to keep them written in a notepad that stays with the car. Once you know what it needs, changing over springs, jets and needles is a quick job. It’s no big deal, you deal with it and move on.
Meanwhile the world of parts supply continues to drive us up the wall. I have a seventies Torana SL/R5000 in the shop at the moment and you can buy anything you want for the thing. It feels like you could get parts at the local milk bar.
Then we had a customer come in with a 2007 Jeep that needed a new high-pressure line for the air-conditioner. Not only was there no part available, but we were told by the maker that it was considered obsolete and no more would be made! Fortunately it’s something we can either make ourselves, or have made, but it adds expense to the cost of owning that car.
Jeep is by no means the only offender in this area, it’s a problem we encounter across all brands. Sometimes you can substitute. For example, there might be a Bosch electrical part that’s widely used across several makers. Once you have the Bosch number, you can track down another.
It’s just an example of how you often have to get creative to solve a problem.
Clapped-out fan clutch
Hi Mick. I recently had the clutch in the cooling fan on my E24 BMW go to lunch. We replaced it easily enough, but of course the car couldn’t be driven for any distance until it was done.
Is there any way you can tell if the clutch is about to go, or is there a time period or mileage at which you should replace them?
Anne Simons
Mick says…
Viscous cluthes in cooling systems – I love them! Sure they eventually wear out, but they generally do a great job over a long period. You can’t really predict when they’re going to go and sometimes the fan will spin even when it’s broken, just not fast enough to do its job properly. The easiest way to test it is get a bit of electrical tape, wrap one end around a blade, then tie off the other end to something solid. Start the car and let it warm up. If it eventually snaps the tape, it’s working.
If you’re on a road trip and the clutch decides it doesn’t want to play any more, what you can do is remove the locking plate at the centre of the clutch. It’s spring-loaded and the clutch will automatically lock. It will be on all the time, but will get you home.
As for the cooling system, simply give it a careful visual check, looking for any telltale signs of leaks, or cracks. Squeeze the hoses. If you see damage or feel a crackling going on, it’s time for a change. One final thing: If you replace the radiator, spend the money to put something in that’s at least as good as the original, if not better. It’s worth the investment.
Bouncing Land Crab
Mick, I have an Austin 1800 that is still running with its original hydropneumatic suspension. The car is in great shape, but the suspension is getting tired and the thing is bouncing around. So the question is should I get the original system rebuilt, or should I go for something simpler, along the lines of separate springs and shocks?
Andy Davies
Mick says…
I’m actually a fan of the original suspension on those things, with the system connected across the car and providing an incredible ride. You need to find the right person to do the job (your local club may have a contact) it will be far, far superior to any aftermarket replacement. As with an old Citroen DS, the ride is special. Once it’s done, it will go for another 30 years.
Hoisted
Sometimes you’ll come across a big workshop sale, where they are offloading second-hand professional hoists. My question is, do you think it’s worth getting one? And If I do, what’s required to set them up? Thanks.
Brett Stephens
Mick says…
There is no doubt a good quality hoist can be a great second-hand buy. However, you would be wise to get a professional to service it as part of the installation. That could add $1500 to the bill, but it will then last forever and you’ll know it will be safe.
My only caution is you should also check what a new one is going to cost, as they’re not necessarily a huge expense. A local company called Tufflift is worth talking to – we have one of their pro units. I would also strongly suggest you get a four-post hoist for home use. Two posts are okay if you know what you’re doing, but it’s easy to get the balance of the car wrong. And if things go awry, it happens very quickly with potential for serious injury and lots of damage.
Supercharged Monaro
Hi Mick. I’m fortunate enough to have a CV8 Monaro in the shed and love it. A mate has offered me a CV6 – the supercharged V6 – and I’m sorely tempted. I want to know your thoughts on two fronts: Do you see it as being a collectible car? And is there anything on the mechanical side that I should be concerned about?
Thanks in advance.
Jim Crozier
Mick says…
If my info is right, about 475 CV6s were produced and I reckon they are definitely a future collectible. As for the mechanicals, relax. They’re very tough and will withstand a lot of tuning. We have a similar engine in a VS wagon we’ve been playing with and it’s producing something in the region of 500 horsepower, or about double the original figure!
Fiat fancier
Mick, I’m looking at buying a Fiat X19, as I love the look of them. I’ve been warned that rust is the big issue, but what about the driveline?
How do I go about checking out a car I’m interested in?
Errol Sanders
Mick says…
I love X19s. As you say, they look great. Plus they handle well and are surprisingly tough when it comes to the mechanicals. Really, if it’s been serviced and looked after, you’ll just need to do the basic mechanical checks. No water in the oil, check for leaks and dodgy work, and check it drives okay.
They did, however, come with factory rust and this is what kills them. I would be going over every inch of the car, looking at the quality of the paint, straight panels and decent panel fit. Take a magnet and check carefully for dodgy repairs. Plus, I would want to get the thing on to a hoist and go over it from underneath. If in doubt, get a mechanic involved. Also, if the car is serviced regularly, ask who did it and have a chat with them. Good luck with it!
Rumbling rubber
Quite a few years ago a tyre fitter told me that when rotating steel belt radials on a car, they should only be rotated fore and aft. The reason being, the steel belts ‘lay’ a certain way due to their rotation.
If you rotate the tyres across the car, the belts will want try to ‘lay’ a different way in line with their new rotation.
This can then cause a noisy tyre – ‘Gnung Gnung Gnung’ – similar to a wheel bearing noise. I rotated the Bridgestone RE050As on my VF11 SV6 at 10,000km fore and aft. No problem.
At 25,000km, they were rotated across the car as the tyre shop said they’d be fine, “We do it all the time.”
I have just endured 40,000km with ‘a’ noisy tyre. I had new tyres fitted this week, noise gone. Can you shed any light on this. I really do not want a noisy tyre for 40,000km again!
Thanks.
Jeff Prince
Mick says…
Whoever told you to only swap radials fore and aft was spot on, as was their reasoning. Back in the days when we were all running around on crossplies, we swapped them diagonally, but not with radials. What you experienced is common. If you are experiencing any handling issues with rubber that still has plenty of life, get a wheel alignment done.