Son of Godzilla update - 5/15/07

Sunday 6:45 PM. Well, we tried to do the right thing. Carefully troubleshooting and then taking appropriate action to fix the wrongs we found, making every effort to make improvements as we went. And again, we had to deal with three or more other issues before we could fix each problem we found - neither of us had ever seen anything like it. At 5:00 today, it all came down to this: In a last ditch desperate attempt to fix the last leaky coolant fitting, we applied a heavy dose of JB Weld [tm] and left it to cure overnight. Tomorrow after work, I'll re-fill it with water, fire it and see if it leaks. If it does, I R&R the water pump and put the old one back on. If not, I proceed directly to swapping the pumpkin, changing oil, etc.
Here's an example of how it's been:
While waiting for car to cool after a leak test, we decide to swap the SW mechanical oil pressure sender (okay, just a fitting and braided line) for the Autometer electric sender. I'd installed the SW sender on the engine stand, confident that I'd have time to swap all the gauges. So we go to remove the fitting and line and find NO wrench access. In one of dozens of desperate moves today, I cut a 1/4" wide gap into the length of a 9/16ths deepwell socket (to clear the swivel hardline, permantly attached to the fitting). It works! Pull line off of fitting and now only the aluminum 1/8" NPT union is left in the block. No access. Try cutting and bending an end wrench, but no dice. The edges of the fitting are way too close to the edge of the intake manifold to get a socket around it - so I sacrifice yet another deepwell socket to the salt gods by grinding down the O.D. to a paperthin thickness. It's very slowgoing, but eventually, it works. Spend over an hour searching for the electric sender (last seen in October of '06) - find it hiding in a container marked "Autometer oil pressure sender" that I've knocked out of my way 3 times during the search. The electric sender is mounted on the traditional 2" tall brass tube (spacer) to get it up out of the valley, so it clears everything - on the OLD block! The new block is machined a little differently and the sender hits the distributor. Pull distributor and find the sender won't let the dizzy go all the way back in the hole. Hmmm. Go to hardware store for 45 degree fitting to get sender out of the way. The store is open, but they're remodeling. Emergency Holiday Crew consists of a weird kid with a killer cold, apologizing for not knowing anything, but bitching nonstop about working in his condition, etc. We find the fittings in a dark corner, all mixed up from the move. I grab 5 different fittings and pay my $27(!). I think the weird guy breathed on me. Meanwhile, CC has been cleaning up the mess we made. I get back with the fittings and we get that sorted out - much better with the 45 degree fitting - another improvement. Go to slide the dizzy back in the hole and it won't go. End up starting over from scratch, finding #1 TDC, establishing #1, re-wiring cap, etc. Test fire engine and it's way retarded again, but runs. Total investment in changing sending units: 2 1/2 hours and $27 (not counting gas money). Is this really happening? Or am I just an out-of-focus character in one of Germs bad dreams?

 

Sounds like a bad episode from 'Hans Christian Acid Trip.' Wish I could be there to help. I'm sendin ya all the positive waves I got, hope it helps. (Hope I ain't got the polarity switched )

 

Jeez, talk about a few niggles.
Hats off to you guys.I know what it feels like about the leaks but had I been you, I'd probably be in some corner crying like a girl and tearing my hair out.

 

Keep strokin, Scotty....
The ordeal with 2 Bridges' steaming Porsche was funny. He was stressing to the MAX! Calls me on the horn.."Please come over and look at this thing!" I drive my 46 over there and checked it out...say to him..."Lets take it for a nice long ride and see if it still pumps steam outta the fartca---er, muffler. We buzz down the Kennedy freeway all the way to the Plattsmouth exit and back.......let the car sit in his driveway and idle....no steam. It's fixed!
Watch yer ass, Scotty...this little car with it's teeny, tiny 2.5 litre 4 banger is farkin scary-fast! He's tweaked the electronics and wastgate to go about 25 lbs boost! Goes sideways in the 1st 3 gears on dry pavement and looks sexy as hell doin it. This is an old photo...the car sits really low now with bigger wheels and tyres...Z rated, of course.

 

PLEASE tell me you didnt realy heap praise on a German car??

I wonder how much shit I'll get over that one?

 

Well, at least it's an American modded one. Cmon, the English speakin people gotta stick together, right??

 

English, German, whatever...Viva La Differance! Truth is, Freckles is ten times the street car that Zilly is. A very different kind of "hot rod", but a killer street car - one you can actually enjoy driving around town and down the open road. My car, on the other hand, is a rolling torture chamber that you just endure for the sake of the cool factor. I think it's so funny that I'm driving the torture chamber, while the real street car gets trailered. After B-ville, that may get reversed for the return trip (they may drive, while I tow) - we'll see...
After work on Monday, I filled the engine with water and fired it up - no leaks! Carpenter Chris came over and we gave it 32 degrees of timing - it was way retarded and burned the remaining coating off the headers as they glowed cherry red. Sorry Turboroadster - they were beautiful for a while...now they blend in better with the rest of the car............
This morning, I'm going out to swap rearends, install driveshaft and take a spin around the 'hood. Then it's back to the wiring, install fire extinguisher, etc...On Thursday I gotta prep the wagon ("support vehicle"): change oil, install trans cooler and start cramming it full of every tool I own. It's happening...More later,
Scotty

 

It's happening cos you made it happen.
Way to go mate!!!

 

you burned the coating off? dizzamn ! thats serious exhaust gas temps you were running ! I've got the same coating on my turbo housing, it gets serious hot and its still happy, just an fyi as to some of the temps you might have been seeing. smells good 'eh?

 

can't wait to see that car at Bonneville.

 

Okay. For the first time in several weeks, work in the shop was routine today. Hardest part of the pumpkin swap was realizing that I'm now in the same shape as Montgomery Burns ("Smithers! Get over here and lift the 3rd member into this infernal contraption!"). Swapped U-joints and put driveshaft in. The landlady was lurking next door all day, so I couldn't fire it (she has no idea how freaking LOUD it is and only agreed to rent to me on condition that I don't do any "serious work" in the garage - just routine maintenance). But I did mount the fire extinguisher and take care of some other small stuff. Just now, the coast was clear, so I fired it and ran it through the gears to get trans fluid in all the passages. Gotta sleep now. Will finally take it out for a drive on Thursday - can't wait!

 

Well, at least something's happening. I only HOPE that Bonneville is happening - that's still up in the air. Will know more Thursday, after driving the car a bit...

 

Nothing hotter than retarded timing. I hope it didn't burn holes in the pistons! When I saw the headers starting to get red, I shut it off asap, but the damage had been done. Cryin' shame too, as those headers looked great - that's a really handsome coating, in my opinion. Made the car look kinda serious...
As for the smell - when the coating burnt, my neighbor lady rushed over, thinking I'd been cooking some more Batchelor Chow [tm] (I'm a notoriously bad cook), but she settled down when I explained it was just my headers...

Sorry Turbo - I'm just as bummed as you.........

 

Does this mean you're coming out from Vermont? Just look for the little black car with a string of clowns running out of it - and come on over and say HI...

 

I haven't even started packing yet. Hey, 2 bridges bought a shiny new trailer to tote the "red Kubelwagen" [?] to the salt behind 496 cubic inches of rompin, stompin chevy big-block mark V power, mister! We can ride in new-truck comfort all the way to the salt in air conditioned comfort. I'm bringing all my Bleed cd's so I can bang my head on the padded dash to the music. Can't wait.
We're trailering so we can totally thrash the VW, er, Porsche and if it breaks...who cares? Bahahahahahaha!
Oh yeah...the Jeep PU photo? Welp, it's my old one I bought at a farm auction a few years ago..remember? Fiddyfour [tm] owns it now and did all this work on it...buick 455, moostang front, hotrod 400 turbo etc etc...ran 14s at the HAMB drags and may have gone 12s if it'd hooked up...
What? No, it doesn't have anything to do with this thread but I tend to wander off from time to time...
Hey, what's this stuff on the floor? Oh yeah, it's just some old peanut butter samitch residue..guess I'd better go to bed now..I can hear the "attendants" clip-clopping up the hall to my room...they wanna do bad stuff to me..hope the door lock holds until I fini

 

Glad to hear it is coming together Scotty.

Thrashin Hard here too! At it all day long... only a few items off my list. doin battle in a big way! No way everything will get done - prioritizing critical shit first.

Determined will have to pull the seat bottom 1/2" foam pad to get all helmet clearance I want...... Goin bare-back! Real men don't need any cushion between their ass and the salt! HAHAHAHHA - fawk hope it isn't too rough..

Have not even thought about packing - or the tow rig yet..... have taken this week off, so hopefully I will sneak up on it... Holy shit is already Tuesday - oh man I gotta panic!

See you soon - real soon

Rocky - quite dickin around and get over here. we got thrashin to do

 

Color me late, but, SWEEET! Hopefully all (or most at least) of that twilight zone BS is behind you.


YOU, Rod Serling, STEP AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE!

 

"Rocky - quite dickin around and get over here. we got thrashin to do"
No can do, son...maybe they'll let me off work early some time this week and then we can jangle. I'll do my best.

 

I'm workin' long hours, too. All my vacation days gotta go to B-ville, not the prep. Amazing to think I started this last October, so I wouldn't have to thrash this summer - now it's coming right down to the wire and even then, I'll still be miles from where I'd like to be. Uh oh - gotta panic - late for work!
Rocky - Jeep looks good!

 

Listen up all you Glossun'z! You all got a name to protect out there in B-Ville! I will be with ya in spirit.......but that's about it! Not in body. I wil be 1000s of miles away at Starbird's Custom Car Hall of Fame in OK!
JG - keep the German wheels on the salt....you won't need the foam...it just adds weight!
Everyone drive careful...Geez, I would like an old lady! OK, drive like you were 17 again! Have a good time. Bring me a salt ball........

"Lil

 

Got off work today and finally took Lil Zilla for its first drive since
October 10th of 2006. What a rush! It kept cool (170ish) and charged (14 volts, with electric fan turned ON) and God I forgot how it feels like driving an engine test-stand around town - this is nuts...But it's a "GOOD" nuts...
Gotta adjust rear brakes tighter, bleed brakes again (Janglegirl and I did it, but not good enough - pedal is mush) and have rotors turned. Otherwise, it seems okay...
So tomorrow (Thursday) is The Great Thrash. Will check in here again on Friday, at least. CC nor I have laptops, so there will be no updates from the salt, unless we happen upon a computer somewhere (can I connect to the HAMB via one of those ECUs or something?)...If you really want to know what's happening, check out landspeed.com (a general landspeed site, with excellent info) or saltflats.com (the USFRA 'site) and look for entry # T1961 - that's us. Wish you could all come along with us - we could use the help!
And how to thank you all for your support? I dunno...'Guess the first thing would be to run 130 and then try for 150...
You guys know how windy I am - there'll be a full report upon our triumphant return. Meanwhile, I'll probably check in again a couple times before take-off.
Later,
Scotty

 

Lil - I'll bring you back a saltball alright...AKA "Cowlick", heh heh heh...
Hey, ask Starbird what he thinks about my plan to turn the Morris into a full custom (bubbletop, Caddy fins, etc) and how much would he charge to 'flake it.
Thanks,
medium

 

Fender skirts and a continental kit would be a nice touch. Glad to hear things are going your way...finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frank

 

Wishing luck, lotsa luck, knockin on some wood for ya.


It's a BOOKCASE, ....sicko.

 

Put Lil Zilla on the rack down at Sears today and found the oil leak is back, along with two leaks in the trans pan. Also found a loose tie rod (fixed that) and a worn ball joint (it'll have to wait)! Can't believe I missed that stuff! Went there to have them shave the rotors true again - one was perfect and the other had .006" of runout - but the rotors were too thin (by Sears spec) to allow them to work on and besides, their machine wouldn't fit my car (you guys should've seen us putting it on the rack! Each tire was touching about 1/2" of steel - that's it!).
I had 'em use their power vacume bleeder to bleed the brakes, but they didn't get any air out of 'em. So I hopped in and paniced over to Janglegirls place for a re-bleed. She wouldn't do it without a ride first, so we did that (she loves Zilly and has logged more miles behind the wheel than me, over the last couple years!). We enjoyed a fun cruise on a beautiful (80 degree) day. Until the levee broke! Flooded carb, that is. It bogged to a halt 5 times before we could limp it home - had to re-start it each time at WFO, with visions of washed down cylinders galling in my head and freaking out all the commuters, construction workers and school children along the way. Got it home and tore into it, but didn't find the cause - needle and seat seem fine, float level isn't too high, etc. Gotta go to bed now. Tomorrow after work, Charlie Allin hisself is coming over for an Ultra Mega Tuning session. I'll swallow my pride and take some pointers from the baddest tuner in the valley - you bet! Then we gotta pack up and go. Those leaks (and my exhaustion) have me considering towing instead of driving. Plus there's the matter of gas money...I'll sleep on it..................................goodnight...

 

Sounds like you are getting it all worked out!!
You are an animal...... I reacall a ride in Zilla from years ago (and probably a few hundred HP lower).... all I can say FAWKIN YOIKES!!!
The Pull was so hard, only to be outdone by the flurry of elbows to keep it pointed in a general direction. That was the day I realized you got a real big pair Scotty.... BIG PAIR!!! Takes a lot to keep ahead of that car.

chasing down a damn oil leak myself. Unfortunately near crossover exhaust and EGTs under boost are so high I am afraid much oiling in this location could result in fire. I am back too it. Only a day left.

Also - I will bring a laptop. Maybe the hotel will have wifi

Party on!

 

Have a safe trip, and a safer weekend.....Wish I could be there--my Salt intake is too low this year...

 

Hey thanks guys!
Jerm - when are you guys leaving/arriving? As for your oil leak - if we're gonna be leakers, let's do it up right, with giant fireballs at speed - great photo op!!!
House - I suppose you also want a saltball? And tell P-Dub we could use his tuning skills there...

 

Leaving Sunday early AM - Ariving Monday evening sometime. Tuesday morning head to salt for tech and such.

What about you? When are you planning to arive? We should get connected before heading to salt.

 

We're heading out sometime Saturday AM (hopefully), to find America. We have a room reserved in Wendover, starting Tuesday. Between now and then, we'll be lurking around parts store parking lots and burger joints, trying to sell enough T-shirts to get to the salt (we're starting out with about $500, between us). Might have a race set up with a guy in SLC with a hot '46 Chevy - that might earn us our entry fees (if we win - with 2.76 gears?!)...
Will try calling you guys' cell, when we get close to civilization - probably Monday. If you don't get a call by then, look for smoke signals. If no smoke signals, we've probably found Steve Fawcette (sp?) and are going to be too busy helping him live his LSR dream (strapped to the top of the Morris) to do B-ville this year...
Hope you guys have a safe, comfortable, boring drive in your Coddington Motorcoach. We'll come sliding sideways into Wendover, on fire and laughing our asses off. And after 3 days of eating roadkill and scraps from the McDonalds parking lot, we'll be really hungry! So pack a little extra Grey Poupon for us, okay?
Thanks,
Your favorite uncle,
Scotty