Time for a tear down...

[T-Odd]

As much as I hate knowing that if I take this car apart it'll be a few years before I find the time to put it back together, it is just time to do it.

So far this year I have replaced the starter three times, cracked a radiator on the drive up to Dayton, had a flat tire, broke a rear radius rod, lost my steering wheel wile driving, gas tank lost two screws and it's bouncing around (sarcastic font ON - Memphis roads are really smooooooth - sarcastic font OFF), and last night lost my brake lights and passenger headlight - but the headlight would come back on every OTHER huge bump.

I can't take it anymore. I said early this year that it was probably time to take it apart and replace the heims and clevises, do a good cleanup and maybe rewire the car correctly this time. It would be nice to have hi-beams.

Guess it's time to order those front radius rods from RPM. I LOVE the ones I put on the rear last week.

 

[lincolnuT]

Sounds like he needs a little love..................Get it on..............

Mike

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Go for it, Uncle Slacker! I wish I lived closer to you... I would love to help work on ol' Kletus.

Word of advice on wiring... plan to run a dedicated ground wire from EVERY load back to a common ground point. Really helps to eliminate electrical gremlins and makes trouble-shooting much easier.

Re high beams, if you don't want to mess with a separate hi/lo switch, use your headlight switch... wire low beams to the "parking lights" position and high beams to the "headlights" position.

Re your starters, what broke on them? Burned up, solenoid failed, broken teeth?

 

[T-Odd]

Lee, the starters all just gave up. another gremlin I chased for a while... Ground? Battery? Fuses? Ignition? Hot lead to the starter? Neutral Safety Switch?

I STILL have a problem with it. Turn the key and "Click", turn again "Click", turn again and "VROOM!"

Dozen things going wrong one at a time, but they all need to be addressed now. Thinking about completely tearing the front end apart, get some of those "power steering" kingpins like Rolla has... that thing steers beautifully. Don't know what box he's using though.

Wish Toolman lived next door, we could take it apart and put it back together in a few hours LOL. sure seemed like that when we were doing the four wheel alignment.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

How is your engine block grounded? What is the route for ground from the starter to the battery?

How about power to the starter? Do you have a heavy cable directly from the battery to the post on the starter?

 

[sstock]

How is your engine block grounded? What is the route for ground from the starter to the battery?

How about power to the starter? Do you have a heavy cable directly from the battery to the post on the starter?

Good point Lee, a lot of starter gremlins are from inadequate grounds or omission of ground wires from the engine block to the frame. Grounding through the insulated motor mounts do not work. I am a member of a Ford truck forum and usually when people write in with ECM issues the first thing we tell them is replace the negative ground cable from the battery to the frame. These things have a way of corroding from the inside out and causing all kinds of issues. The cables may look good to the naked eye but on the inside are trashed.
Steve

 

[Francis Blake]

Steve you sure hit that nail on the head. Last fall we put a new engine in my sons chevy truck and it's been nothing but trouble, so his starter kept getting weaker, so we put on new cables and that cured all his problems.

 

[TubT]

I always recommend a separate ground strap from one of the starter bolts to the frame.

I have been planning a rebuild on the Tub T for 3 years now; maybe I should get with it, after the NTTB BBQ.