Big Bird

[smurf182]

Well my new toy arrived on Wednesday. Driving it across town for the first time was quite an experience.. rain pissing in through a gap in the windscreen seal and all..



It is good from afar but far from good..

The wiring devil has definately been at this thing.. I'm surprised it hasn't burnt to the ground such is the standard of the wiring under the bonnet.

The battery wasn't charging so I rebuilt the alternator. It is a 63 amp Delco-Remy (GM) 10si. This is a piece of cake to do. A new front bearing, brush holder with brushes, diode trio, and regulator stung me about $120. The following sites are useful if you're freshening up a 10si for the first time:

http://www.midwesternmedicalmachine.com/~damonfg/alt_rebuild/index.html

http://www.fourwheeler.com/howto/86978/photo_01.html

It was missing a bit and was generally a bit gutless for a 350 SBC. I grabbed one of the plug wires with the engine running and got a decent boot.. will be replacing plugs/leads/dizzy cap tomorrow hopefully.

It runs an Impco Model L LPG converter and a 300A mixer on top of what I think is a 2bbl Rochester carb.

I took the mixer off and cleaned it up today.. when I was bolting it back down I found the carb wasn't even bolted down tight! I'd love to meet the assclown that worked on this before me..

Anyways now it is very hard to start and is missing even worse than before, any LPG experts out there? I don't see how I could have messed up putting the mixer back together.. it's a pretty simple thing. I havn't tried to run it on petrol yet, all the lines/filters are dry and it looks like it hasn't been run on petrol for some time.

Any recommendations for spark plugs and gap for a LPG 350?

[Fakey]

Let the fun an games begin Did you look at it before you bought it? Whats the body like?

[smurf182]

Unfortunately not.. it was basically an impluse buy at a price I couldn't say no to.

I don't know how it got an LVVC recently with the seats not even bolted down properly!

It has a grinding kind of whine in neutral, 2nd, 3rd and 4th that goes away when you put the clutch in (pedal down). It shifts smooth though. Guessing bearings in the gearbox.. if it was the release bearing I'd expect the noise to appear when the pedal is down not go away?

The engine fan is solid (no viscous coupling).. gonna have to change that, its louder than the exhaust!

[ClassicCruiserSpares]

If the carb was loose then it was most likely sucking air and they would of tuned it like that so now youve tightend it the mixer would be different, But personally id get rid of the lpg stuff and run it on straight petrol. Just my 2c

[smurf182]

If the carb was loose then it was most likely sucking air and they would of tuned it like that so now youve tightend it the mixer would be different, But personally id get rid of the lpg stuff and run it on straight petrol. Just my 2c

I think that was the case. It took a shit load of fiddling with the idle adjustment screw on the mixer but now it runs again.

Here are some Impco/LPG related links that helped a lot

http://www.scribd.com/doc/17379058/IMPCO-Training-Manual

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=630064

http://www.propane.tx.gov/commercial/7stepimpcosystem.pdf

http://www.wps.com/LPG/index.html#INDEX

http://www.rasoenterprises.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67:impco-fuel-mixtures&catid=54:carburetion&Itemid=48

Any reason you'd ditch the gas setup?

I like the fact it'll run on any angle and keep the engine a bit cleaner.

[coxsy]

the boys 40 has lpg not running yet but soon as cash will allow it will that 2f is thirsty

[ClassicCruiserSpares]

Any reason you'd ditch the gas setup?

Personally i just dont like them, they have more problems than its worth, in the cold winters the lines wax up and doesnt start getting tanks checked and mixer problems. Plus i like the performace of straight petrol lpg doesnt have the same performace.
If youve got your carb setup rite up can go on any angle you like without it giving you problems.
Just my thoughts

[smurf182]

The tune up specs I'm using if it's help to anyone

Ryco A31 (fits an Impco 300A mixer)
NGK BP5FS plugs
Champion CH8002/2S leads (SBC leads over manifold type)
Bosch GD607 dizzy cap
30 degrees dwell
6 degrees initial, no more than 36 degrees total advance

Does anyone have a 4 speed FJ40 gearbox for sale (H41 or H42 I think, with the hand brake on the output of the transfer)?

[smurf182]

Thought I'd post up a couple pics of it's first trip. Pretty tame but good to be using it instead of working on it.

[niblik]

niiiiice..

[MNC]

Mate, truck is looking good.

[Lynx]

yea, looking good man

top shit

Cheers Daniel

[basics]

that second photo looking out the windscreen is awsome. gota love it

[flyingbrick]

awesome pics. Must be a nice camera, very clear

[smurf182]

Finally a sunny day, got some work done

Started the day with this


A bit of swearing, a couple cans of CRC and a cutoff wheel or two


And finished the day with this, (complete disc brake front end courtesy of ClassicCruiserSpares)

[vvilly]

Thought I'd post up a couple pics of it's first trip. Pretty tame but good to be using it instead of working on it.

ahhh the skippers nice we drive

some bits are a bit hairy to drive over but fun in all

[smurf182]

Sure is, beautiful place for a casual cruise on Boxing Day!

Gotta get this POS legal again before next summer comes along.

[callum007]

If you need any other bits for 40's.. give me a PM, a mate in Mosgiel is having a clean out. we found 4 complete gearbox's yesterday. couple of motors, 6 diffs.. if you get my drift.
got a cool roof console for a 40..

[smurf182]

A couple pics from the Nevis Valley