Builds The 60 known as Mamabear: a tale of rust and good times. (8 Viewers)

[HemiAlex]

I run 30 in these tires. Feels great so far even with the worn out suspension. How is it over cobblestone or rough pavement? Theres a roundabout at Washington Ave which I drive every single day that throws the truck around with uneven pavement, potholes and cobblestone all in about 100 feet going around a corner. Thats my standard for what I'd like to be able to drive over without the truck coming apart.

 

[gregnash]

LOL... you do realize this is a leaf sprung, body on frame suspension so why the tooth jarring ride will be smoother with a new suspension it will never be a Cadillac. If you want that then you gotta do an 80 axle swap.

 

[HemiAlex]

I know this, but I'm coming from such a worn out leaf pack in the rear I'm really want it to be a night and day difference.

It's only jarring to me when it hits the bumpstops. Which is more frequent than I like.

 

[HemiAlex]

I've been driving it for a week since finishing the birfield refresh and brakes. It's been running flawlessly but I've been having two minor issues.

It's for a flat spot at about 1700 rpm that seems like a fueling issue and also it is unpredictable on hot restart.

It's also averaging 10mpg highway which isn't surprising but I don't feel it's as capable as it could be. Espescially for being under geared and running 2500 at highway cruise.

So I've ordered a trollhole carb finally to see if I can make it run that much better since all the other de-smog stuff is done. I'll also finalize the BJ air cleaner. Also have a new oem coil to try out.

Picture for attention at the local cruiser meet today. I had the rustiest truck there and I didn't mind at all.

 

[HemiAlex]

Two things I've noticed today, maybe someone can chime in.

Hot restart is getting worse. The more I drive it, the more I notice that it smells heavily of fuel if I park it for a few mins and jump back in. I've been driving it daily and using it like a normal car. Lots of short trips around town where it's running for 30 mins and off for 10. I smell fuel from both the tail pipe and the engine bay at times. Raw unburnt fuel but I've checked my fuel lines for leaks. I feel the carb may be seeping fuel back into the engine and making for some hard semi flooded starts. It is requring me to feather it and hold the throttle down to start it on a hot start but starts like an efi truck on a completely cold start. Very inconsistent.


It also dieseled today after running it all day non stop around town. Ran for about 5 seconds with the key off and let out a bad fuel smell at the end.

All in all, the trollhole can't come fast enough. I feel this "rebuilt" carb isn't right and my mileage/drive ability is off due to that fact.

 

[gregnash]

Dieseling I normally from bad timing advance. When you shut the truck down do you hear the carb fan going? Sounds like time for a carb tune-up and timing recheck.

 

[HemiAlex]

My carb fan is very dead.

 

[2 E L O]

My carb fan made a huge difference (improvement) for hot starts once I got it functioning. Is the actual motor fried or is the sensor just not hooked up and/or functioning? It's super easy to just ground the fan sensor wire and then the carb fan will run for about 20-30 minutes every time you turn the ignition off. However, like @gregnash mentioned it does sound like you may have a bit of an issue with timing, as well. Hard starts and dieseling are both signs of timing too far advanced.

 

[mongoose2231]

As I remember from the owners manual, hot starts on carbureted 2f require gas pedal to the floor (no pumping) just put the gas pedal down and start. After I had gone through my carburetor and rebuilt it (when I still had my gasser) the truck always started per manual. Cold starts required some 10 pumps plus choke and hot starts always had to have pedal down the the floor, no pumping, and it always started. My fan clutch also worked.

 

[HemiAlex]

A little update.

It's getting some serious work recently. 1000 miles a month and running great. I noticed a bad exhaust leak yesterday that almost had me fooled for a loose heat shield. It was a missing chunk of weld after the muffler and a cat that had about 30 pinhole leaks.

I stopped by a muffler shop in the hood and had the leak fixed and the cat taken off for $40.

It really woke up above idle from about 1500 and it now pulls to 3500 cleanly. (New cylinder head makes me feel comfy doing this)

I also switched the vacuum advance pods around until I get the new distributor in. Right now it's good and I hope the carb will only make it better.

 

[gregnash]

Dude time for a new exhaust for you... that thing is NASTY!!!

 

[HemiAlex]

The tailpipe is fine but now that the cat is gone, the muffler is leaking from all the seams. It picked the next path of least resistance to leak from lol.

So I'm going to buy a basic 2.25 turbo muffler in a long case to replace it.

 

[gregnash]

Why 2.25"? Why not just step up to 2.5"? Or are you planning on keeping everything else and just slipping the 2.25 over the 2" pipes?
I thought my rear pipe was fine too but everything looked like yours. That was until about 4 months ago (literally days before I broke my leg) when I suddenly noticed the cruiser was sounding louder. Well there was good reason, ISHT was starting to rot through all over the place, hence the new catback portion.

 

[HemiAlex]

So today I had free time and threw on the alternator that I bought a few weeks back.

Bought a 55amp Remy with the VR installed. It was a huge improvement. With lights on high and AC blowing full it holds about 13.25v at idle as where before it would have dragged down to 11.75v. Instant 1.25-5v increase at idle and the truck is very happy now. I feel very confident in the truck now. The previous alt was a remanded unit from oreillys.

Also threw on a new oem coil that a friend gave me as a gift. The old coil had never been off the truck. I managed to break the terminal off of the old one in getting it off.

All in all the truck is running very strong. Also trying 93 in it to see if it yields any mpg increase. I'm logging all the data on my fuelly app and the true test will be when the troll hole carb shows up. I switched to the putter vacuum pod to drop advance -10 and it seems to like that also. Temps at cruise also went down which may have been part of the cooling issue.

 

[HemiAlex]

So my alternator pulley is confirmed as wrong. Something that the rebuilders threw on to get it out the door. It works but it's chewing up the belt.

Just ordered the correct pulley and I'll be throwing another belt on this week.

 

[gregnash]

Hopefully the rebuilders are compensating you for the wrong pulley.

 

[HemiAlex]

Nope. I bought it from rockauto like that. I'm not mad, I bet every rebuilt alternator for this truck is very likely to have the same issue.

 

[gregnash]

If you still have your original one just swap the pulley if you can.. I thought I had bought mine from RA but apparently I got it from ToyotaOverstock so it came with the correct pulley, old one definitely was a LAPS version with incorrect everything.

 

[HemiAlex]

I wish I could. It had a rebuilt alternator on it when I bought it, so who knows how long it's been wrong.

Found it from cruiser parts for $15 used. No complaints at all. Feels good to put back all the little "cruiser specific" parts that have been left off over the years.

 

[Rockymtnreaper]

Nope. I bought it from rockauto like that. I'm not mad, I bet every rebuilt alternator for this truck is very likely to have the same issue.

Mine also had this issue.. 30 years of people trying to do quick fixes can make it hard to get the right parts.