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Elite Veteran
  
Location: Oceanside, CA | "Remember, I'm on a budget here"
your coach doesn't care...it "wants to eat"..
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Scottsdale, Aridzona | "of course lost all anti freeze out one of the exhaust studs . . ."
Guess you missed - http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=917&post...
and
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid...
but this might be appropriate after Len's comment, -
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-LET-R-EAT-DRAG-RACE-DECALS-HOT-ROD-RATROD...
Nothing has changed about Drag Racing or the Care and Feeding of a FMC Antique Road Show . . . It still takes ever damn penny you've got to have fun !
Zoom ON to MINDEN '20 !
Lou #120
Edited by hemi354az 2019-11-21 3:14 PM
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I've been wanting to do a compression test on the 440 for a while, I used to borrow Grandpa's tester, but that isn't an option now, so I started shopping compression gauge's, the 40-50 dollerish one's on Amazon had mixed reviews, so I didn't pull the trigger, then I came across the reviews of a Harbor Freight one, and surprisingly they were very positive, so with a 20% off coupon, I bought one for 22 dollars or something...I used the tester on the 440, then I checked one cylinder of my 10k mile 351M engine in my 79' Ford to compare gauge readings. The highest number I got out of the 440 was 120*, I also got 120 on the Ford, so Im not sure if the gauge is off by 20-25 or not, or if both these motors are just have lower compression? I haven't used a compression gauge in years, but I remember 145-150 as a healthy compression. So anyway, I posted a picture of my results in the album, number 6 has the spark plug that gets real dirty pretty fast, I added some oil to the cylinder and had zero changes on the gauge.... and number 4 has the lowest compression, after adding some oil to #4 it gained 5lbs. All the rest I just tested as it sat. The engine used a quart of oil in 600 miles, some of this was due to oil leaks that I have now fixed.
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p... |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I also have a mild vibration from stop till second gear I've been needing to look into, while I was underneath a couple months ago, I found a couple bell housing bolts a little loose, so I thought maybe I should check the torque convertor bolts also, two of the four where 1/4-1/2 turn loose. Bill S.then reminded me about the motor mounts, and in the beginning when I first got 324, I remember seeing a possible slight crack between the rubber and the steel of the passenger side mount but kind of forgot about it, I looked yesterday and didn't see any crack, it's raining and possibly snowing this week, so I wont be putting a jack under the motor to check the motor mounts quite yet....I also will be checking the drive shaft alignment and those components. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | I get a little chassis vibe when accelerating from a dead stop.. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | Ok...I'll be the one.... The first post on this website for 2020. I haven't turned a wrench on 324 in over a month, but hey, she fired up an ran great the other day.....I also used it to hide Christmas gifts this season from the kiddo? So 324 is still seeing some love!! I've been dating a "new" woman who really wants to go camping, so that's going to promote some usage soon I think, maybe a coast trip. Oh, and I got new amber LED marker lights for the roof (still need red for the rear), some nice wheel covers for when in storage, a fuel shut off valve for the generator, and a chrome lug nut cover remover tool for Christmas from my Dad. The parts are stacking up and so is the list of to do's on 324. I'm looking forward to 2020 and logging some miles on 324. |
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Contributor
Location: Bowling Green Ky. | Happy New Year, Dan. Looking forward to your journey with #324 in 2020. Take care, my friend 
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | Yeah, hope you get that baby out lots' in 2020 Dan, and the coach, too!
Kind of weird how you sold your other coach then just sort of 'morphed' into this one.
Still ain't figured it out.
Terry
#846 |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | Amen Terry...My "old" coach is getting some good love now, it's getting taken to the next level and going to see some good road time, I started over in sorts, which is what I need I guess...If I had property, I'd be like Bill and have more than a few sitting around, I'd like to start the FMC Ranch someday just as an oddity. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | Sometimes a fresh start is just what you need.
Never know what's just around the next corner till you go there...
"FMC Ranch"... hummmmm, you mean like one of them brothel cat-house things in a hotel cept' you'd have a bunch of FMC's scattered around to use as rooms for fornicating?
"Yeah, I'd to see Willameena in #858 please."
Maybe not. You don't strike me as the pimp-type.
Sure would be an "oddity" though :-o
Keep the good-ideas flowing Dan-O!
Terry
#846 |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I fired up 324 yesterday and turned it around in the driveway....Stephan dropped off a couple cool parts I've been waiting for on his way to CA...I'm going to focus on working on the front end I think, I have a front lower air dam put on that came off the Mario Andretti coach! I'm not sure what color to paint it, it's in primer now. The front bumper I'll either have powder coated or I'll paint it. I have new upper amber LED clearance lights, one maybe two brake drums to replace, and replace a couple tie rod ends. After "hopefully" all this work gets done, I'm going to replace the rubber fuel lines at the fuel tank though firewall, and run a AN style fuel line from the pump to carb, I'd feel pretty safe with that set up. If anyone (Lou) has the thread size on the pressure side of the pump and the inlet at the Thermoquad Id be happy... |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I wanted to have a look at the stub axle bearings...(they were clearly greased beautifully on their last servicing I found, and in excellent shape), but I'm not sure when that was? and the grease seal looked aged on it's exterior, so I dug in. I could also feel back/forth movement when moving the yoke by hand that I didn't like. My suspicion was correct, the drive flange end of the axle is tired, so I'm searching for a replacement now. I'm not sure if you can see in the pictures, but along with the obvious wear, the hard surfacing on the splines was also damaged and starting to pit. This also explains my "clunk" sometimes when going from forward to reverse. I also posted a picture of a great pair of extended length "internal" snap ring pliers that I finally purchased just for doing this job. They worked great.
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid...
Edited by dkarnath 2020-07-20 11:37 AM
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | Dan,
You can send those to Dutchman (as samples) and have replacements made. Email them ahead of time and send them pictures...that's the kind of stuff they do frequently. The drive flange likely will have matching wear...they can do those too.
Edited by LCAC_Man 2020-07-21 6:59 PM
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Expert
Location: Cottage Grove, OR | Len, that is good information for when the supply from parts coaches disappears. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | They are just west of Boise, so not to far away for you guys.. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I'm not sure I want to find out the cost on that route Len, but good to know....I think people will be pulling old FMC's out from behind the barn for a while yet...but you never know.... |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | I think you would be surprised...this stuff isn't that expensive...those are short shafts so not much material involved. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | This is good stuff.
Cept I'm replaying the 'Theme from Shaft' song in my head over and over... "...long shaft" no "short shaft" do-dee-do-dee-do'... "you say this cat Shaft is a bad mother? Shut your mouth..."
I digress. Carry on.
Terry
#846 |
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Regular
| So a cautionary note on DOT-5 that I am struggling with. I replaced almost my entire brake system (everything except springs, pads, drums and hard lines) then flushed with Alchohol to be safe and then installed the DOT-5. Still trying to find an air bubble so I pressure bled they system again and all of my purple / blue DOT5 is now colored like normal brake fluid. I am not sure where the reaction is happening but something in my system is causing the DOT-5 to discolor. I have not called the manufacturer to get their thoughts, but what I have heard from my classic car friends is that this happens, and that it is best to test what kind of brake fluid you have with a sample and some water. If it separates you have 5 and if it mixes together you have 3. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | Did you flush/bleed out the hydrovacs with the alcohol? |
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Regular
| I did flush the system with Alchohol after I replaced the MC, Brake Boosters (both) the Brake Cylinders and all the rubber hoses. And I ran more than 1.5 gallons of DOT-5 through because of this discoloration (I would bleed the system, and then do an idiot check after a couple of days and the fluid would be discolored). Thing is I tested the DOT-5 when it discolored and it had nothing in it, it just had lost the color. I put water in as a test on the discolored, and it separated, and I even put in DOT3 and no effect. Very very bizarre. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I've never used DOT-5 in anything, so I have zero experience with it. I just did a disk brake conversion on my '53 Willys jeep, I though about using DOT-5, but I chickened out and used ol 3. |
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Regular
| Dan, its a weird thing. Some people are rabid about using it, and some people are completely against it. I think the upside is that it doesn't attract water and for vehicles that sit, it helps (but doesn't not completely prevent) internal rust. I have also heard people complain that it doesn't work well in their system (seems to be anti lock issue but to me that makes no sense). It is crazy expensive, and I have left about $30 worth of oil on the ground due to my mistakes on putting the brakes back together. I scored on a profession pressure pot which really makes brake bleeding super easy, and flushing is now a lot less of an issue as I just put in the alcohol in the pot. Anyway, a53 willy's Very cool. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | I use DOT-3 in everything...it's dirt cheap and you can buy it at any truck stop.
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | This is what I've been working on in my free time for the last 4 months, since Covid started basically. Hence the slow #324 updates....
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid...
But with the Oakridge rally dead line creeping up, I've got to get going on a few projects on 324, and it is 100 degrees here now too, so.....lol |
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#324
