Shifting & Other Issues

[frankp]

Hi folks,

My shift lever has been a problem for years and was getting steadily worse.  Time to get it fixed and it was for an ungodly sum of $500 plus and it still isn't quite right, but maybe it's me just getting accustomed to it.

You may recall the engine was missing earlier this summer when it got hot.  Don't know if I identified the root cause, but here is what I found/did.  Visually inspected spark at each plug.  Blue-white at 1, 2, 4; yellow white at 3.  Put in temp wire to 3, spark now looks like the others.

Noticed a huge amount of carbon spitting out of tailpipe.  Each plug was covered in carbon like it was flocked with the stuff!  Amazing the poor thing would start as easily as it did.  Cleaned plugs, checked the gap, .027" as in manual.  No more carbon out of tailpipe!  Checked plug this morning and it was a nice light brown as I think it should be.  Believe there is still a gremlin in the carb, but that will probably be a project for next summer.

This winter I plan on replacing ignition wiring.  These appear to be black rubber with AMERICAN STANDARD PRODUCTS stenciled in white.  Anyone know if these were original?  I have remnants of wire that is a lacquer coated dark green with a red cross tracer.  These are the only wiring not replaced with new since ownership.

I had my car for 50 years as of last month.  It's been fun and frustrating and will continue to be.  Wonder if it will get to the point of maintain instead of repair - probably not.  Suppose the next part to go will be the distributor base.  Should I buy one now??  lol

Hope everyone is having a good time driving about as the summer draws to an end, here anyway.  Recalling what happened to SteveG, please be careful with old and modern cars.

frank

[Des28Qau]

Thank-you for this post I enjoyed the reading.
""I had my car for 50 years as of last month.  It's been fun and frustrating and will continue to be.  Wonder if it will get to the point of maintain instead of repair - probably not.""
That is why we have these cars , the frustration of (or trying to ) find problems, the satisfaction of the fix and the pleasure of the cruising.
Kind regards, Des .

[frankp]

Thanks, Des.

Trans update.  Sunday went to pick up neighbor for a jaunt, but didn't make it out of the 'hood!  It slipped into 3rd which stopped the engine.  Stuck in 3rd and no neutral; drove home.  Removed shift assembly for inspection.  Darn thing was assembled incorrectly!  Removed center shaft, only one ball in there doing nothing - supposed to be 2.  Best of all, the other 2 shafts had been switched.  Little wonder I could not find neutral or any gear without crashing.  Forks were never locked in as designed.

Semi-happy ending.  I got $480 back, returned $150 for work that was done, even if not to original state.  Took to previous shop to have it assembled correctly.  He charged it to warranty work so I owed him nothing.  Test drive was satisfactory, but never had grinding when putting it in 3rd.  I hope none of those teeth are broken.  Some decade in the future, I just might check them.

And so it goes....  Think I'll wash it this week.
frank

[racertb]

Awesome!  Never-ending fun

[Old Man]

I believe the black laquered wire with the red tracer is original.

[frankp]

Old Man, thanks for the wire info.  Were the plug terminals straight or right angle?  I have right angle.

Picture shows end of lever out of the fork pocket, no balls in the interlock shaft and the indent in the shaft that was switched.

[Old Man]

Right angle ,no boots. They spill out of a black painted tube one after another that brings them up from the distributor which is down front. 

[racertb]

I've got the black laquered wires (solid copper core) with right angle terminals, no red stripe.

[frankp]

Thanks Old Man and Ted.  Really appreciate the picture Ted.  Here is what was in a tube from a U I found in a yard many years ago.