[DMCForum] Re: Village Idiot Returns (Josh)

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Where have I been? Church. I'll let you in on a little secret about
organized religion -- it's like a science fiction blob monster that
expands to suck up all your spare time and energy (and money if you've
got it).

My particular congregation decided in late June to expand its EC
(early childhood) program from part day pre-school to all day child
care. That of course puts us in an entirely different licensing
league. Massive building renovations were necessary to bring it up to
code. And new furniture had to be manufactured. I basically lived at
the church 12 hours per day during renovations. Throughout August I
lived in my driveway making cubbies and shelving units (all rounded
edges and sanded half to death to please the state inspectors). It was
a haul and a crunch, but we made it. Now the pre-existing pre-school
program is upset because they didn't get any new furniture, so I'm
back in the driveway making some more...

And university classes have started back. And my Sunday School / Youth
Group obligations have started. Don't let anyone ever tell you
unemployed people have nothing to do!

Regarding vintage vehicles: they aren't rocket science. In fact
they're quite the opposite -- mercifully simple. Armed with nothing
more than standard hand tools and a couple of basic diagnostic
instruments you can keep them running almost indefinitely. You do need
junkyard skills, which I never realized aren't intuitive (and are
becoming scarce among the population). And it's occasionally necessary
to do some custom manufacturing or engineering (nothing major --
usually just bracketing, wiring changes, etc). But you'd be surprised
how little time or money an older car requires after the initial road
prep. 

Part of the secret is pre-1980's engineering practices. Every system
on the car (electrical, engine oiling & cooling, fuel delivery, etc)
was designed to remain operational through significant degradation.
This was necessary because fluids & filters were nowhere near as pure
as they are today (SA grade oil, leaded gasoline, etc). Plus there was
no weight or space penalty for over engineering. Compare a subcompact
1970's radiator to a comparably sized contemporary vehicle and you'll
see what I mean.

The fascinating thing is: when you start running today's quality
consumables in these older systems, the car becomes practically
indestructable. Three row radiators designed to clog with rust remain
clear because of the anti corrosion additives in contemporary
antifreeze. Rings and bearings designed to wear because of crappy
engine oil (really only one step removed from what was pumped out of
the ground) last two or three times as long when lubricated with
contemporary oil. The list goes on.

Regarding my own fleet: I have 5 Lincoln Mark V's (in varying stages
of body/interior restoration), all parked to save money on liability
insurance. I guess they'll remain parked to save money on gasoline too
(the Mark V is a 5,000 lbs 21 foot long monster. Absolutely lovely
vehicle, but MPG isn't its strong suit). Still tagged is the same AMC
I drive in high school, a couple of F-150's, and of course my DeLorean.

Actually, the subject of mechanical simplicity did come up earlier
this summer. I was corresponding with an owner considering
experimenting with carburetion (whatever became of Jeff Friday's
intake manifold business?). He wanted to know what special tools a
carburetor requires. I told him: a wrench (usually 1/2") to bolt it
down. A phillips head screwdriver if you want to take the top off (to
change jets or replace the float). A straight blade screwdriver may be
necessary to adjust the idle mixture if the screws don't have thumb
knurls. That's it. You don't need a fuel pressure gauge because the
carburetor is fed by only 4-6 PSI from the tank, and everything
thereafter operates through fixed passages by engine vacuum alone (you
can change the jets to influence how much fuel gets pulled out). You
don't need to worry about variations in fuel metering between the
cylinders because it's centralized in one device. You don't need to
worry about metering changes on the fly (Lambda) except as caused by
the choke plate (a mechanically operated device on top of the carb)
and anything built into the carb itself (my late model Motorcraft has
two sets of metering passages and alternates between them with rods
attached to a cam on the throttle plate shaft). You don't need to
worry about maintaining fuel pressure after engine shut down
(accumulator) because the carb stores fuel in its bowls. You don't
need to worry about an extra fuel delivery device during engine
starting (cold start valve) because the same accelerator pump that
facilitates transition from idle to throttle passages can be used to
deliver a squirt of fuel if necessary. And so on. Carburetion is
nothing if not simple (not as simple as old fashioned diesel
injection, but the simplest thing you'll find in the gasoline world).

Bill Robertson
#5939

>--- In DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Josh Porter" <joshp1986@xxxx> wrote:
> What kind of vehicles do you manage? Most of the time I like working 
> on old cars until they get smarter than me like my DeLorean has.
> 
> I've heard many great things about you and your knowledge from an 
> anonmous owner. They told me to listen to you when it comes to fixing 
> my car. Where've you been :)
> 
> Josh
> 10989
>

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