Nate,

Your probably not making any more mistakes, just that you have someone to pick them up  From experience the mistake rate will increase with time

There is a wealth of knowledge and experience on the list but if you don't have relatives with the right abilities why not join a car club in your area. Owning a classic car is as much about socializing as it is the vehicle.

Car club runs and cruise nights is something your new wife should enjoy.

Cheers

Warren

Grizzly (Aussie Mainline)

Thanks Grizzly, I don't have anyone in my life (dad or friend or anyone) who works on cars, I learn everything by just trying and making mistakes, I try to learn from all of you (on forums) to avoid as many mistakes as I can, but I can't avoid them all!  I also try to be safe to limit danger from possible mistakes.  I also noticed my mistake rate is increasing since I've been married now a year, probably becuase I have to be more careful to not make mistakes at home, so I have less brain power for my time in the garage.

I appreciate the encouragement, I can't wait to get back out there with my brake spoon and some more fuel.  if I can get all four wheels to grab, then I should be able to go around the block again!!  Which is worth everything!  As rough as the last trip was, it was worth it just from the looks on the faces of the few pedestrian I drove by...I couldn't tell if they were staring becuase it was cool or becuase they were scared, my car looks like it should be under a tree behind a barn instead of driving down the street

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Nate,

Most of us have a saga of little problems and mistakes when we work on our machines.  I try and focus on the successes. Your a brave man to admit to all the problems that you are having.

A person who has no dramas whilst working on thier car is either lying or has made a dam lot of mistakes in the past.

The upside is that you probably never run out of fuel again. You'll learn to adjust your brakes and know when they need adjusting again.

11 out of 10 for trying.

Warren

Grizzly (Aussie Mainline)

Hey man, glad to hear it was something that simple. When you get into replacing and rebuilding so much, sometimes you have a tendency to doubt yourself and just what you can pull off. Those old gauges wear out, need adjustment, etc, good thing that running out of gas is something you can "fix" at the gas station!

Keep up the work...it will come along. Here a little, there a little. Definitely go after those brakes next, but now that you know what your fuel issue really was, you can get on that overheating issue as well. I always like to use an aftermarket mechanical gauge to let me know what I've got going on with the coolant. They aren't too expensive, and if you don't like the hookup and want to go back to original, you can always unhook and stow away for future reference.

If I was a betting man, I would say that the radiator is a touch clogged up and may need to be rodded out.

I guess I am one of the oddballs on the forum, I have never had too much trouble with Y blocks running hot, always with them running too cold. go figure.

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Run out of fuel??  No...no way...that is too simple...there is no way I've idled my way through the 3 gallons I put in there...

Actual yes.  I ran out of fuel.

And even after Daniel pointed it out, I still forgot to check that first, so I went back to the garage tonight first I tried starting her cold, to see if it was a heat/vapor lock issue, no dice, still wouldn't start. 2) Tried again with starter flluid to verify ignition, yes still have ignition she runs on starter fluid.  3) So I disconnect fuel supply to carb, point it into a bottle and crank her...no fuel comes out while cranking...my first thought is that I've blown my fuel pump.  Then...only at this point do I remember Daniel's question "did you by any chance run out of fuel?"...I quickly run around back of the car and tap on tank only to hear the tinny reverberation of an empty tank.

I guess I'm too used to the modern fuel gauges where when they point at empty you still have 3 gallons.  The gauge in my car was just a hair above E, but she was dry as a desert.

Now to get those brakes adjusted!

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Ye, try a clear fuel filter. Mine is from summitracing, no different from others i guess. What intake and carbs are you runing ? I been told that the carb and intake from 57 is much better than the old intake and carb before 57. The fuel economy is better and you wont have that leak on the carb all the time.Also you got more power and the car run cleaner. The 2 barell carb in this case is almost a waterfall with gasoline, dont know about the 4 barell.

Robin Norway

55 that is a great idea, something I planned on doing but didn't worry too much since I have a new tank and new fuel line.  The only place debri could've been hiding is in the pump itself or or in the hard line between the pump and carb as those are the only pieces I haven't replaced.

I believe this pump is newer, but still would've been sitting dry for a number of years, is it possible the pump simply failed?  I'm not sure what the diaphram in those is made of.  A clear fuel filter would let me confrim fuel flow too....I should do that soon.

hopefully I'll get out to the car this weekend.

N

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

If you dont have it, what about a fuel filter with clear glas you can look true ? My 55 have stand still for about 20 years, i had to have the carb opened twice after i rebuilded the engine. The second time, the carb was full off dirt (Gasolin animals). The best way i have heard to be done with this is to buy a new gas tank, ore try to clean it. Probably not a bad idea to buy a new one since the old may be rusty. Anyway back to the carb, when it was all cleaned upp the car was running much more clean. But it wont get to long time before the carb is full off dirt again.

Give it a shot of this.

Butch "In a world filled with stress it is better to give than to receive"

Master C...I was just headin' to SoCal this weekend!

Just kiddin', you're safe.  Yes I probably deserve a bit of your fear, but to try and earn back some safety points, I did stop the car multiple times in the driveway before heading out to ensure I could stop, and then when I did drive around the block I went very slowly.   With one exception (where I might have gone 25) I stayed below 15 mph, and in first gear, and started slowing down way before I needed to.  I didn't realize the brakes were that bad until the one time I went up to 25 and had to stop a bit more quickly and the one wheel locked up.

The error in my logic happened as follows: When I was messing with the brakes with the drums off I depressed the brake pedal without the drum and saw how much travel the wheel cylinder provided the shoes, I could see that the wheel cylinder could easily still push the shoes out into contact with the drums (and beyond), so I assumed it would be fine since the shoes would still contact the drum.

What I didn't realize is that it isn't simply contact with the drum that matters, but "complete" contact.  I didn't occour to me that by adjusting the adjuster screw I had changed how the shoes would contact the drum, yes the top of the shoe may still reach the drum, but a great deal of the shoe surface area would not since I had changed the lower hinge point.

Yes, might have been a little stupid, but I like to think I was carefully stupid  Still may want to stay out of Madison, WI until I have this car straightened out!

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan