PhilAndrews

Swapped the valve block out. We'll see how it plays ball. Phil

I had an interesting experience with the car this afternoon. I went to town to buy some lights for the house. I approached a red light, slowed very slowly and crawled to a halt; I felt each downshift, including 3-2, which is not often the case, particularly with the transmission hot. Heading home the car decided to run very well, quieter than usual and real smooth. That was nice. It gave me time to think on the hydraulics again. I have a spare valve block- so I pulled my original one out and had a measure- the maximum depth from flush the 1-2 piston sits is 0.16", so with the throttle valve plug lifted out of it's bore that far I started moving the TV plug with off-center force on it (because the spring buckles slightly and pushes to one side), and discovered that about half way in the bore is adequately worn to allow the edge of the piston to get hung up solidly. That would cause the 1-2 shift to not occur and also a significant loss of oil via the exhaust port from the governor circuit. In true hydraulics fashion the corners of the slug are a sharp 90° which is excellent for keeping a bore clean and preventing any crud building up and jamming it. However, that edge comes out of the top of the bore it sits in and relies upon the smaller bore to hold it central. So, with that slight off-center it can jam. So, I carefully turned a chamfer on the bigger part of the piston- much less critical to operation than the small bore portion of the plug. Now, that chamfer guides the plug into the hole each time without getting stuck. I'm going to swap that out and see if it makes the slightest bit of difference... Phil

Oil and grease tonight. Makes quite a difference. Was rewarded with a pretty sunset on the way out playing Taxi for the kids. Phil

Drove to the end of the old highway. This used to be a busy, thriving little town. It's all but gone now. Phil

Two daily driven Pontiacs in one photo. Rare sight! Phil

Oh wait, there they are. Back on and the ride is improved. The old ones were a bit hard with age. Much better! Phil

Missing some wheels right around now. Phil

A foggy start today. Headed into town. Turned into a scorcher. Left early because it was just too hot. Good turnout though. Phil

Went fuel up tonight. On the way home stopped in for milkshakes. Just because. Phil

All shined up ready for tomorrow's place in the Rougarou Festival. It's a good twenty-footer. Ha Phil

Painted up the gear end, which will make leaks easier to spot. Also changed the manifold to downpipe gasket, the old one was a bit past it's best. Obtained a replacement governor reciever/reverse lockout and put it in solvent to clean it up. It cleaned up well and the two pistons both freed up. Fitted that and the governor circuit still leaks down so I'm at a bit of a loss now why that's being so awkward. On the plus side the reverse gear lockout works now. Cannot move past Lo when going faster than about 5mph. Phil

...and clean. Once it's dry it needs a bit more underseal putting on, quite a bit washed off in places.

Started today by taking my driveline apart. Replaced the oil seal on the differential pinion. Looked like the original, it was completely dead. Someone had plastered blue rtv sealant all over it in an attempt to seal it. That didn't work. Put a newer style neoprene seal in and went for a drive. Filthy but dry. I'll buy that. It's got a date with the pressure washer coming up. Phil

Yeah, my defrost wasn't working. It's been rainy and cold today. That's been replaced with a new section of duct. Screen clears now. Phil

This morning, cool weather (75°) and it decided to shift gears perfectly, except for when it had sat at the traffic light. Phil

Took the gearbox apart again. The plugs were good. The governor sleeve less so. So, I got happy with the hones. Result? Not a great improvement. The reverse blocker doesn't work. I don't know if it's clogged or leaking, but taking it apart requires breaking a double crimped pin, which I didn't want to do this afternoon. Hopefully a spare one coming, so I'll be able to get a bit more aggressive with the deconstruction. Phil

Pulled my dashboard out. Lubricated the speedometer cable, dismantled the speedometer assembly and lubricated it. Didn't realize there was a felt pad under the little freeze plug looking piece on the side. Changed a couple bulbs out because they'd burned. Adjusted the speedometer hair spring. That's now 60 on the GPS, much better. Close enough. Made a couple tiny bulbs for the accessory gauges. Entire dash now lights up the same color, which makes me happier. Phil

Made it to town. 16.6mpg also which was a nice surprise. Weather's lovely, plenty of cars out, which is surprising for the first day.

Bought a green bulb for the gear selector. The lenses had shrunk and were leeching white light past the dial which was irking me. No longer the case, looks better now. Phil

For sure, I'm only going to be there tomorrow, unfortunately work gets in the way. Oil changed, greased, tightened, vacuumed, checked, washed, polished and waxed. Phil

I noticed in a photo that the front grille was not aligned any more, so went took a look. Turns out one screw had fallen out and one was loose. Replaced them both with new stainless screws and the grille is secure again. The emblem was also rattling, the rubber isolator that holds it in had disintegrated. It was also looking a bit rough because a tree branch had whipped it during the storm and taken the paint off. So, I stripped the paint and scuffed the surface with wire wool. Painted it up hurriedly, but the front end looks a hair tidier. Today, oil change grease tune up, wash and polish. Looking to head to Biloxi tomorrow for the first day of Cruisin' The Coast. It's going to be quiet but that's fine. Anyone else headed up? Phil

Nice day out today. Went to Restaurant Des Familles in Jean Lafitte. Was a nice drive up, mostly highways which were clear and smooth. Restaurant was real nice. Had gumbo and potato salad which was enjoyable. Pretty back yard, if you look close there's an alligator hiding out. Took a scenic drive down into Lafitte. Ended up a hallmark day; first time on the Interstate, that's I-10. Car did real well, averaged about 12mpg. Phil

All fully clean today. Looks a little more cared for now.

One alternative caveat: if the car has been significantly lowered and even though clearance has been made on both the shock mounts and chassis, there is still a lot less vertical travel available to the suspension. Unladen it's not a problem. Put people and stuff in the back and it bottoms out so I use the air shocks to keep the ride level. Compare: Normal ride height Maximum pressure. Now compare the maximum pressure image to how the back of your car looks! Phil

The car was a little warm in the sun but I broke out the polish. Got as far as the roof and back end. Rest will be done tomorrow, hopefully. Phil