Well, after testing for a few 100 miles, I planned my drive to Ouray Colorado, was on the wait list for Solid Axle Summit 8, and decided to go anyway. Keeping off the freeways, as I feel comfortable with 2300 -2500 rpm or around 50-55 mph, decided to do about 300 miles per day, around 7 hour’s drive with fuel stops. Keeping an eye on my fuel consumption was getting around 14 mpg, a definite improvement over the old Holley carb.
Between Abilene and Roswell NM, it died on me around 10 times, the AFR went to 35 and the engine just died, and I coasted to a stop. Noticed the coolant temp was around 185-187. Tried an immediate restart, it would crank but not fire. So waited 30 minutes with the hood up and it cooled enough to restart. Turn the key to the run position and can hear the in tank pump cycle, and then a gurgling sound. Could usually get another 30 minutes drive and it would die again. A slow drive across the llano estancado.
Did some research that night, and it took me a while, but found a similar situation on the Holley sniper forum. Roswell to Pagosa Springs was mostly ok as I left early in the morning to avoid the heat, and then Pagosa to Ouray. On the way through Durango there was a Cars and Coffee event with members of the 4 corners cruisers.
That was very cool and unexpected!
Went on to Montrose and bought 3/8 fuel line and the next morning re routed the pressure side, it mostly solved the issue, but not quite. Still would stop occasionally, so rerouted the return line as well, as I noticed the heat shield under the sniper has two cutouts that direct hot air from the exhaust directly on the the return line AN fitting.
And added some header wrap material in an attempt to cut down the heat. I have more on order to finish the job, and am waiting for a 120 degree fitting so the return line can get away from the engine as quickly as possible. It too will be wrapped.
Being on the Solid Axle Summit 8 wait list, I was adjacent, but not part of the group officially. One of the guys that stopped to see if I was ok on the side of the road was at the KOA, and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I was uncomfortable joining the various trips they had running until I resolved all the issues.
After getting the fuel lines re routed, went for a drive towards Silverton, and my brakes locked up! All of them. It turns out when I replaced the brake booster, the little shaft that drives the master cylinder piston needs to be adjusted so it does not continuously push the piston, which is what happened to me. On the side of the road, removed the four bolts holding the master to the booster and adjusted the rod. After letting everything cool down, that problem was resolved as well.
As my confidence grew, made it to Yankee Joe, Animas forks, Imogene Pass, Engineer pass, hurricane pass, and went up corkscrew gulch with Dennis, Ellen and Alec.
For navigation in the area the CoTrex app from the Colorado department of natural resources was perfect. You can download specific parts of the map to work off line and record your trip. Very good app.
Clear Lake looking down on the clouds
Going up to Ophir Pass, looking down in the valley, this must be some type of thermal vent running into the stream.
At the top of Imogene pass, on the way back down came across a late 40’s flat fender jeep, fully restored with three guys, and a roll bar with bar tread tires on its way up. They were impressed with my FJ40, as I was with their flat fender.
The trip back to Houston was completely uneventful Santa Fe, Lubbock, Llano and Houston.
Time to clean everything up, redo the temporary fuel lines, and a lubricant change all around, I suspect this is the longest trip this truck has ever done, 2400 miles there and back, plus probably another 500 in and around Ouray, Silverton and Montrose during the week.