[DMCForum] Re: Village Idiot Returns (Josh)

["Josh Porter" <joshp1986@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ahhhh. Pre 1980's is the key. That would explain why it was so much 
easier to work on my '66 Beetle than the Gutlass, DeLorean and the 
numuorus Chevys that I have worked on. The nice thing about the 
Chevrolet is that there was enough space for a short person to sit 
againest the engine, the DeLorean I'm lucky to fit my finger in 
there. What kind of AMC do you have again? You've told me but I have 
fforgotten.

You sound like my grandpa. He never really retired. After he worked 
his way up the chain at the electric company he worked for the church 
until he died. That's great that you are involved in the church! For 
me church isn't like a blob monster, I love giving my time and tithe 
and offering to God.

Josh

--- In DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "content22207" <brobertson@xxxx> 
wrote:
> 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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