RO

Thanks, I guess I should go back and do that again. The reason I used the vacuum gauge was because we have had a lot of diffiuclty getting the timing set on this car. Did use a timing light a few times, tried the plug wires all moved one position forward as well as backward and still had trouble getting the car to start and run over the course of over a year as we are restoring the car. It's a odd set up to adjust the distributpr in that it has a bracket with slots on opposite sides that per the manual you set one about halfway and then adust the other, but I always run out of room and the slots get to their ends. At one point last summer I elongated one of the holes to enbable me to turn the distributor more and the car ran the best it had since we had the engine rebuilt. However some starting/running problems developed after the car was in the paint/body shop for two months and I tried to readjust the timing and just had a very hard time getting it and never did get it back to where it was. If I retard the timing, I'm sure the vacuum will drop back down to 17-18" if not more?

Have a'51 Frazer distributor set such that 20" vacuum is achieved on a vacuum gauge, indicating timing set accurately. Once started the car idles smoothly and ascends hills ok and goes down the road alright as far as I have taken it about 1/4 mile. However, the car is very difficult to start and exhibits this "kick-back" type scenario where it sounds like the starter maybe is not enaging. Any thoughts?

I'll need to check back on my notes this evening from a few years ago why the cable has to be pulled out to go into reverse. I seem to recall it is not normal to have to do that, but necessary if "something" is worn or out-of-tolerance. I haven't had time yet to get under my '41 and work with the cable but but hope to do that soon and see if indeed I cna get it to push in further. I recall we installed a "stop" on the cable under the car but cannot recall for which direction but I think it was pulling it out because it would pull out too far.

I went over this evening with a fully charged battery and additionally put a battery charger on it as well and the measured voltage at the solenoid was still in the 5.65 to 5.85 range but as I worked with the switch and cable, I could see it dropping to 5.35, then to 5.15 as I heard the solenoid trying to engage. I now believe it is the push-in cable, i.e., it isn't pushing in far enough to allow full engagement as I did hear the solenoid activate at least a couple of times. I have to pull the cable out to go into reverse. Next I'll try to adjust the cable to go in further if that's possible and then try it. Even though the voltage is < 6V at the solenoid, it appeared to engage at least a couple times. Does this sound reasonable? That is, the cable isn't going in far enough to allow activation and it's just sitting there humming and running the battery down? This solenoid was replaced on the car a few years ago and was "new" at the time and there's less than 500 miles driven since then.

I rewired around the relay and all the other stuff years ago. When I want OD, I just let up on the accelerator pedal and flip the switch. I have my '51 Frazer set up the same way.

My '41 120 Overdrive solenoid activation is via a toggle switch under the dash. Drove the car about 8 miles last week for the first time in well over a year. The OD engaged only twice near the end of the first 4 miles. Worked on it today and while I can get 6+ volts at the terminal to the solenoid while that terminal is disconnected, when I hook the wire up to the solenoid, the voltage is less than 5.85 Volts and I can hear the solenoid "whining" trying to activate. Battery three years old and while it meaured 6.90 Volts (trickle charger on it all the time), the water was low in the battery. I'm wondering if the initial 20-amp draw is bringing the voltage down in a weak battery and keeping me from getting 6 volts into the solenoid? Other than that, I have no ideas. Checked the ground and it's ok.

Looking for a source for a license tag light bracket for a '75 Caprice. It is plastic with two screw holes.

My brother has a '76 Continental and at night the headlights will intermittently go off. Fairly sure the covers are not trying to close and a test in the drive with car still didn't indicate a dimmer switch issue although it has not been physically inspected yet. But heard that these cars were notorious for this and that it was the headlight switch which even if one could be found, it might be $200. Anyone know about this? Thanks

Success, but not by the way I intended. Advancing the plug wires one position and playing with the distributor did not work as the best I could get was 14" vacuum. So, I ended up elongating the passenger side adjustment slot such that I was able to move the holding bolt all the way forward as far as it could go. Doing that gave me 18.2-19" on one gauge and 19-20" on another gauge...."just" enough. There is no tolerance left for any more movement unless I elongated the opposite side of said bracket to allow the distributor to first be rotated a little farther CW via the driver side slot, then go back and adjust the passenger side bracket slot. But my Dremel tool stop functioning, so for now it's good enough as I successfully drove the car in reverse and drive up a couple hills. It's this double slotted bracket that's really difficult to adjust.

I was going to ask about the plug wires. Hooked up a vacuum gauge this afternoon and got a maximum reading of 17" Hg, clearly indicating retarded timing although not all that bad. I have indeed reached the limit of turning the distributor advanced as far as I can. So I was going to ask which direction I could move the plug wires by one position, but you answered that. When I get back to this some time this week, I will advance them all one position and see what we get. I just have no explanation of why this one is different then the other 226 engines in the other cars. I'll check about that front plug as well if this repositioning of the plug wires should not work. I now recall doing this on my '54 Hudson Hollywood years ago and it worked. We'll give it a try.

Back last year we did check the vacuum and it was 17-19, pretty good. But after all we've been through, good idea to check it again. At that time we had not tried to drive the car due to no brakes on it and an axle shaft problem. I can certainly confirm what you say about the timing marks. Have a '55 Patrician whose timing marks are no where near close. I printed that thread you referenced. Thanks.

OK, still have a problem with this car. Never had such a problem getting timing adjusted. Just cannot get it all adjusted properly and running well. Distributor rotation is CCW with timing mark coming towards me as viewed from the driver's side of the car. Timing is marked at 4BTDC with white paint. Timing light shows this timing mark AHEAD of the Pointer by probably 20-25 degrees, maybe more. That to me indicates too far advanced. However, I cannot turn the distributor back CW any at all without the car not being able to start at all, not even close to turning over. Note that this afternoon I did in fact take the car up a couple hills and for a very short drive where it shifts into all gears very well (Hydramatic). It is most peculiar, however, that to get the car going initially (either first or reverse), I find I have to play back and forth between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, much like one might do with a clutch in some situations. makes no sense to me, but if I depress the brake pedal, hold it, then press firmly on the accelerator, the car will go and from that time one through all the shifts not any kind of problem. Note that I have all vacuum sources from the carburtor plugged off. The vacuum advance is out of the equation at this time because the vaccuum advance unit leaked, so we removed it and plugged the openings. Any more suggestions will be appreciated....just cannot make sense of this.

We enjoy the "step-downs" as well as the '57. The HET club is great, has a terrific monthly newsletter, a good number of parts vendors, plus a Hudson store with various things available. We're members of the Midsouth Region HET and meet a minimum four times a year. We got a lot of help and even some parts from an HET member in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area number of years ago. Of course the Hudson Hornet won all those races at Daytona, etc. back in the early 50s.

Alirght! Keep those Hudsons rolling. We have a '53, a '57, and two '54 Hudsons and they are great cars.

Well, I don't recall we did it quite that way because once we got the distributor to seat in, we made adjustments via two different slots on opposite sides, i.e., I don't think we lifted the distributor gear until it was off the cam. I'll see how this thing is going to drive now, recheck timing and vacuum, and then may try that. I can tell you the car had plenty of power going up and down the hill and that's the first time it has done that since we've gotten the car back together.

Indeed, that's partially at least why I had trouble diagnozing it. Just hard to remember everything when so many things going on. We still have no reason for the distributor being rotated around 15 or so degrees than the other K/F products and there are six others. Since I found the problem, I didn't post above that timing light shows timing right on and I thought we had taken a vacuum reading and found it to be ok, but I could not find that in my notes but it would have been before the plug fell out w/o our knowing it.

Hey Al! And this is one orphan that's been a bit problematic. It's always the simplest things!

Hey Guys I really appreciate all the help. I have the problem solved and it's back to basics and a bit embarrasing. When you were talking about the vacuum advance, I decided to go hook it back up but in so doing, I found the plug that was installed in the bottom front of the carburetor was gone! You cannot see it unless you get down low and look. I overlooked it. Since it was sucking air and with the engine running I did not realize the opening was open to ambient air. When I installed a plug, the car started up immediately and idled well. I then took it out and up the driveway hill three times including the first time the car has shifted into 3rd. What a relief! Again, I appreciate all the suggestions and the dialog is what provided me incentive to go look again. Thanks. Tranny appears just fine and the car is finally driveable.

Ok, keep those ideas coming. Problem existed before the new exhaust. In fact, we thought with a little back pressure, it might cure the problem, but it did not. This is the second carburetor on the car, but we can try to take another look. Jacked up, all turns ok, although I only left it in first and reverse w/o reving the engine up to make the wheels turn faster. We have had a terrible time with this after the engine was rebuilt. Right now the Vaccum Advance is plugged off. We figured that would only come into play on the road under higher speeds or acceleration. We had much difficulty getting the timing set and in fact the position of the distributor-mounted vaccum advance dashpot sits about 15-25 degrees rotated from my other cars with this same engine. But the timing marks line up and it starts and idles ok. Do I need to try and hook up the vacuum advance? We disconnected initially because it's connected to the carburetor vaccum by a tube line and we couldn't turn the distributor with the line attached w/o having to keep bending it to fit.....later we went with a rubber hose, but finally we just plugged it all off.

But, I'm going to install an electric fuel pump on the car and is so doing will have to reroute the fuel lines at the back. Good time to disconnect them and blow through them just in case. Good idea to double check. I'm going to Tee-in a fuel pressure gauge as well. The tranny is the only component not new or rebuilt.

Brand new fuel lines entire length and all visibily checked and blow out with compressed air. This history of the transmission is unknown. It was drained and refilled and has no leaks of any kind. Minimum rubber line length and all new with no tight bends. I'm not sure how I can confirm it is transmission but everything else I can think of seems to be ok. Brakes cannot be locking because the car rolls freely.

I had not yet considered the tranny. Maybe sticking clutches?

It's been over four months now since I've posted about this car. We were down for three months until we got a replacement axle shaft in the car from Rudy Phillips and got a new exhaust system on it. Two other things were supposed to have been done at a particular local shop relative to body work, but after nothing had been for two months, I went and got the car, which was an "interesting event" I must say. But to the problem. This car just will not move forward or backward under any load, like a ramp or small hill. It will idle ok and rev up ok and on a flat surface will move, but it is underwhleming. Up a hill forget it. As you "may" recall from previous postings last year, the engine has been totally rebuilt with all new parts including carburetor, fuel pump, distributor components, plugs, wires, gas tank cleaned, filters, brakes, all that stuff. Timing checked. The choke plate is functioning and this is the second rebuilt carburetor on the car and no change in characteristics. The car will start and idle nut even after a 15-20 minute warmup with choke plate fully open, drop it Drive or Reverse, apply the pedal and the car dies. Any ideas? Very frustrating!

It's been over four months now since I've posted about this car. We were down for three months until we got a replacement axle shaft in the car from Rudy Phillips and got a new exhaust system on it. Two other things were supposed to have been done at a particular local shop relative to body work, but after nothing had been for two months, I went and got the car, which was an "interesting event" I must say. But to the problem. This car just will not move forward or backward under any load, like a ramp or small hill. It will idle ok and rev up ok and on a flat surface will move, but it is underwhleming. Up a hill forget it. As you "may" recall from previous postings last year, the engine has been totally rebuilt with all new parts including carburetor, fuel pump, distributor components, plugs, wires, gas tank cleaned, filters, brakes, all that stuff. Timing checked. The choke plate is functioning and this is the second rebuilt carburetor on the car and no change in characteristics. The car will start and idle nut even after a 15-20 minute warmup with choke plate fully open, drop it Drive or Reverse, apply the pedal and the car dies. Any ideas? Very frustrating!

It's been over four months now since I've posted about this car. We were down for three months until we got a replacement axle shaft in the car from Rudy Phillips and got a new exhaust system on it. Two other things were supposed to have been done at a particular local shop relative to body work, but after nothing had been for two months, I went and got the car, which was an "interesting event" I must say. But to the problem. This car just will not move forward or backward under any load, like a ramp or small hill. It will idle ok and rev up ok and on a flat surface will move, but it is underwhleming. Up a hill forget it. As you "may" recall from previous postings last year, the engine has been totally rebuilt with all new parts including carburetor, fuel pump, distributor components, plugs, wires, gas tank cleaned, filters, brakes, all that stuff. Timing checked. The choke plate is functioning and this is the second rebuilt carburetor on the car and no change in characteristics. The car will start and idle nut even after a 15-20 minute warmup with choke plate fully open, drop it Drive or Reverse, apply the pedal and the car dies. Any ideas? Very frustrating!