Fred's Fun Run

[409T]

In Tucson, AZ on Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7. Come and drive in the sun while there is snow at your house! This is sort of like the So-Cal T's Fun Run last summer. It is a great T-bucket only event, and an opportunity to see a new bunch of T's and make new friends. Here's the address to last year's activities for those interested.

Fun Run

Also, PM me if you would like hotel or RV park info.

Jeff

 

[deckofficer]

Jeff,

Great meeting you last weekend. Have you got any info on this years Fred's Fun Run? It is almost 1000 miles, would be a good run to break in the new engine. I'll see if I can post a picture of your ride at full res.

Bob

 

[409T]

Thanks for the nice picture Bob. We all enjoyed meeting you and seeing all the other people who came from out of town to the Fun Run. We love putting on our humble event, and sincerely hope that everyone had a good time and will come back next year. As for Fred's, it will be in Sierra Vista, AZ this year instead of Tucson where it had been for the past 10 years. The dates are Nov. 5 and 6. I don't have all the information, I just know to show up, but Dennis will have everything. You can contact him for more info - Dennis "Flathead" Mahar at dlmahar@pacbell.net or call 760-634-2614. Hope to see you there.

Jeff

 

[Gerry]

In Tucson, AZ on Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7. Come and drive in the sun while there is snow at your house! This is sort of like the So-Cal T's Fun Run last summer. It is a great T-bucket only event, and an opportunity to see a new bunch of T's and make new friends. Here's the address to last year's activities for those interested.

Fun Run

Also, PM me if you would like hotel or RV park info.

Jeff

great pics. If only I could cruise a hiway with that kind of backdrop, Id be a happy man. You are lucky guys
Gerry

 

[lincolnuT]

Deckofficer I guess you got back home in one piece? The NM group had a great time in the hills of eastern San Deigo.

That 409 is sweet for sure. All of the So-Cal T's did a great of keeping us all togeather and showing us all a great time. Thanks for the memories that I will remember for the rest of my life........I am still a little wore out after 2100 miles in 6 days and 1000 dollars poorer but we did have fun.........

Deckofficer we will be in SV for the run in November so if you can come down we will see you then and do some more cruising......

 

[deckofficer]

2100 miles, I forgot where you came in from? I'm having a new short block, heads, and steering box installed on the T. I have a vacation residence just north of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County and am staying here till the T is ready on Saturday, then up to NorCal on Sunday or Monday. I'm thinking of going on Fred's Fun Run and do the proper documentation for the NTBA 1,000 mile award. Nice way to break in the new 383 short block.

 

[lincolnuT]

Cool way to break in an engine for sure.

We came from New Mexico and it was 955 miles one way so even if we had driven the buckets we would have been short of the 1000 mile thing. Make sure you follow those rules on the NTBA site for the 1000 mile run so you get the badge after the trip.

We'll see you in SV in Novmeber maybe...............

Mike

 

[deckofficer]

I am hoping to go, but won't know for sure till the last minute. First, I need an acceptable weather window to get South out of the rains of NorCal. Then I need to see if my oil consumption has dropped to a acceptable level. The new 383 stroker consumed 2 quarts of oil in the first 500 miles of break in. The new oil pan was chopped down for needed ground clearance, so I only hold 4 1/2 quarts total. I now have 550 miles on the engine and need to go 450 more between the rains and before Nov. 3rd. If consumtion is down to just 1 quart in 500 miles I will know it is just a ring seating issue and will go to Arizona, weather permitting.

Bob

 

[409T]

Drive to top of some near by mountain, put your trans in a lower gear and coast back down letting the momentum of your car turn the engine over all the way down. The excess gas blowing by the rings will seat them. When you get to the bottom, head south and we'll see you at Freds on Thursday.

Jeff

 

[deckofficer]

Jeff,

Was your reply a "tongue in cheek" thing, or are you serious? As you know, my T has a 4 speed manual and would take one really steep hill to roll down, throttle at idle in 1st gear. If it wasn't kidding, explain how that would help seat the rings?

Bob

 

[409T]

Jeff,

Was your reply a "tongue in cheek" thing, or are you serious? As you know, my T has a 4 speed manual and would take one really steep hill to roll down, throttle at idle in 1st gear. If it wasn't kidding, explain how that would help seat the rings?

Bob

I was serious, but I didn't mean you had to use 1st gear. The idea is to coast (in gear) down a long incline like a mountain with the trans in gear, having the momentum of the car turning the engine over faster than it normally would turn at idle. Fourth gear (for you) or maybe even third if you have a tall rear end like 3.00 or numerically lower should work. I was told to do this by a mechanic I worked with many years ago when I had an engine that simply would not seat its rings, and it work perfectly. I have done the same thing a few times since, and it has always worked. I think that one reason the rings don't seat is because the cylinder walls get glazed before the rings and walls have "worn" to each other, and the excess gasoline that is forced past the rings while coasting breaks the glaze and allows the two surfaces to mate. The reasoning maybe flawed there, and if so, I'm sure someone will chime in with the correct answer. Nevertheless, I have always been able to get problem rings to seat by doing this.

I was also serious about Fred's. Hope to see you there.

Jeff

 

[Ted Brown]

Bob, I have always been told to do this same type thing if the rings were not seated properly, wind it up in say second gear and then let it slow down again in that gear, wind it back up and do that a few times, the extra gas pulled in during the back off, will wash the walls down and proper seating should occur, some use baking soda into the cyls, then run it up in the shop... That seems like a lot of oil to be using, even in a new engine, mine never used that much any time... unless it was broken some where...

 

[Gerry]

I was serious, but I didn't mean you had to use 1st gear. The idea is to coast (in gear) down a long incline like a mountain with the trans in gear, having the momentum of the car turning the engine over faster than it normally would turn at idle. Fourth gear (for you) or maybe even third if you have a tall rear end like 3.00 or numerically lower should work. I was told to do this by a mechanic I worked with many years ago when I had an engine that simply would not seat its rings, and it work perfectly. I have done the same thing a few times since, and it has always worked. I think that one reason the rings don't seat is because the cylinder walls get glazed before the rings and walls have "worn" to each other, and the excess gasoline that is forced past the rings while coasting breaks the glaze and allows the two surfaces to mate. The reasoning maybe flawed there, and if so, I'm sure someone will chime in with the correct answer. Nevertheless, I have always been able to get problem rings to seat by doing this.

I was also serious about Fred's. Hope to see you there.

Jeff

Thats really helpful. As my engine has been 'standing' for a while I now know what to do if I think the rings are sticking. And I bet they are.
Cool stuff.
Tricks of the trade. Dont you just love em. Old school still teaching stuff to the wizz kids. Is there no end to the Tbucketeers wisdom and knowledge. If we could 'can' it we would all be rich or respected. Not sure which one is better
Gerry

 

[deckofficer]

Jeff,

OK, after 4" of rain, now have some dry roads to drive down steep hills with my exhaust rumbleing and farting. But seriously, that is how I drive normally, using engine compression to slow me for curves (never need the brakes), and downshifting for stops.

Bob

 

[deckofficer]

Had a chance to put on about 80 miles today in the Sierra Foothills. Between my weight of just 1790 lbs, a tight new engine, compression, and a manual tranny, no matter how steep the grade is, throttle off in 4th gear will slow me so quickly, I'll have to add a little throttle just to keep from holding up traffic. Getting the additional miles of 370 between the rains and before my planned departure of Nov 3rd is going to be tough.

Bob

 

[lincolnuT]

Had a chance to put on about 80 miles today in the Sierra Foothills. Between my weight of just 1790 lbs, a tight new engine, compression, and a manual tranny, no matter how steep the grade is, throttle off in 4th gear will slow me so quickly, I'll have to add a little throttle just to keep from holding up traffic. Getting the additional miles of 370 between the rains and before my planned departure of Nov 3rd is going to be tough.

Bob

Come on down to Fred's Bob you can buy oil along the way and by the time you get there and see me again (that may not be a good thing) that 383 will be broke in and run like a top.

I really like the washers that I see on your car. I'll bet you don't lose another bolt out of a hiem joint now.

Looking foward to seeing you again in a week or so. I will be in SV on Thursday 11-4 around the motel I think. We will have four rigs inbound to SV together...

See you then........ :hooray: :smile: :hoist:

Mike

 

[deckofficer]

Mike,

Mapquest says it is 954 miles, kinda ambitious for a 2 day drive. Plan to go, weather permitting. I forgot, are you the one that gave me the Hot Rods of Norco referral? I'll just add oil as needed but if consumption is still as high as 2 quarts per 500 miles I won't feel too good about it. The performance is too good to suggest broken rings, and I will probably do a compression test before I leave.


Bob

 

[lincolnuT]

Yes Bob I know how far it is from Northern CA. but you could say your coming from the Southern CA home so it wouldn't be as far.
I made that 955 miles to go to San Diego in August so I know about them two day runs, I just did not drive the Bucket all that way because my Motorhome is more comfortable for the wife.

I was driving the YeloT behind you on the way back from Julian CA. when you had problems with that 350 Chev. using all that oil.

Come on down...........
Mike :hooray:

 

[deckofficer]

Mike,

After today it is looking good for driving to Fred's Fun Run. I took off today at noon for a quick run down to Yosemite National Park via Hwy 49 and Hwy 120. These roads have hundreds of sharp turns and probably 50 at 15 mph or less. Plus a lot of altitude changes over 6300'. Needless to say, if the rod did good, then 1000 miles of Interstate Freeways should be a walk in the park. The old engine would have had to be downshifted like crazy, but the torquey little 383 was happy pulling top gear at 25 mph coming around the corner and up grades. I used to kid people that the new engine would work for a Winnebago motorhome, after tody's drive I'm not kidding, would be perfect for a truck or motorhome.


Bob

 

[lincolnuT]

Mike,

After today it is looking good for driving to Fred's Fun Run. I took off today at noon for a quick run down to Yosemite National Park via Hwy 49 and Hwy 120. These roads have hundreds of sharp turns and probably 50 at 15 mph or less. Plus a lot of altitude changes over 6300'. Needless to say, if the rod did good, then 1000 miles of Interstate Freeways should be a walk in the park. The old engine would have had to be downshifted like crazy, but the torquey little 383 was happy pulling top gear at 25 mph coming around the corner and up grades. I used to kid people that the new engine would work for a Winnebago motorhome, after tody's drive I'm not kidding, would be perfect for a truck or motorhome.


Bob

Cool see you in a day or so.....................

Mike