Cue up the theremin music (you know, that other-worldly electronic ooo-eee-ooo music heard so often in old science fiction and horror movies).
Sometime between 6 and 7 PM this evening, after five years of dormancy, I finally was able to fire Grace up. It's amazing how easily a Studebaker will start when you get the distributor in correctly. After finding I had it 180 degrees out of phase and reinstalling it, I found it was still off by 45 degrees (rotor pointing to No. 8 cylinder tower on the distributor when No. 1 cylinder was at TDC). A touch of ether, a press on the remote starter switch, and she came to life, immediately running as smooth as silk.
Of course, I still have more to do before I take her out on the road. I already filled the transmission with ATF, and two days ago, I had all 5 Coker wide whitewall radials balanced. Tomorrow I have to get myself a bunch of new grease fittings for the front end, and I'm going to have to take the heater core out to have it fixed. It's leaking. (Would have been nice if I had had it checked out BEFORE I put it in.) A front end alignment is on the list, too, but that shouldn't keep me from the first show of the season this coming Tuesday -- a small lunchtime affair by the company I work for in Harrisburg, PA, Tyco Electronics.
Keep 'em rollin'
Alan Mende
Hummelstown, PA
I'm not a mechanic; I don't even play one on TV.
Sometime between 6 and 7 PM this evening, after five years of dormancy, I finally was able to fire Grace up. It's amazing how easily a Studebaker will start when you get the distributor in correctly. After finding I had it 180 degrees out of phase and reinstalling it, I found it was still off by 45 degrees (rotor pointing to No. 8 cylinder tower on the distributor when No. 1 cylinder was at TDC). A touch of ether, a press on the remote starter switch, and she came to life, immediately running as smooth as silk.
Of course, I still have more to do before I take her out on the road. I already filled the transmission with ATF, and two days ago, I had all 5 Coker wide whitewall radials balanced. Tomorrow I have to get myself a bunch of new grease fittings for the front end, and I'm going to have to take the heater core out to have it fixed. It's leaking. (Would have been nice if I had had it checked out BEFORE I put it in.) A front end alignment is on the list, too, but that shouldn't keep me from the first show of the season this coming Tuesday -- a small lunchtime affair by the company I work for in Harrisburg, PA, Tyco Electronics.
Keep 'em rollin'
Alan Mende
Hummelstown, PA
I'm not a mechanic; I don't even play one on TV.
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