DeTomaso Mailing List: July 98, Message #7

Well, I agree. I've been fixing sh** forever it seems! Well, since I got my engine in... I've rebuilt brake calipers, skimmed rotors, new front wheel bearings. Leaking transaxle, stupid horn started blowing and wouldn't stop, turn signals wouldn't cancel, steering rack worked loose, weld on slip joint on steering column broke, etc., etc., etc....
Then I fought with over heating... seems like forever now.

No, I wasn't running too lean (went from 66 to 76 with no change other than a lot of black smoke! No, I didn't have air in the system. No, there weren't any hoses collapsing. Replaced the 3 pass aluminum radiator with a 2 pass 3.5" super duper model from PPC. Same BS...
Convinced that I had a head gasket leak, I pulled them and replaced after scrutinizin' everything, decided that it must have been operator error and wonky head bolts that didn't torque right (long story... ask me over a beer!). Installed mongo new head bolts and torqued nicely to 130. Still getting hot. Would idle all day, but as soon as you starting driving it, even on the highway, the temp would start climbing.

Finally found the problem... My ancient old Mallory Unilite wasn't advancing more than 10 degrees. So I was running muy retarded all the time!
Sent it off to PPC (since they still have all the parts for my ancient old 1985 model and Mallory doesn't) and Dennis Q. rebuilt it.

Wow! Engine runs much smoother, tons more oomph and rpm, and on a run to San Antonio over the weekend, I never went over 190 on the highway and 215 in town. Sigh... I feel much better now. And I thought it was fast before...???

Took it to work today and smelled antifreeze. Water pissing out the front of the engine!!!
It turned out to be a hose clamp installed crooked on a heater hose which finally cut through the hose. Mea culpa.
Fixed that tonight and maybe... just maybe... It'll run at Pocono.

With that on the eve of leaving, I hope the Detomaso gods are smiling on me!
John Taphorn and I will see y'all on Friday!

Tired and finally (I think) ready to go,

Kirby


>If ever the term, "sh** happens",  would apply to a situation this
>would be it . . .Brock Tella, Mike Trusty, Dave Doddek and I'm sure
>many others who race or even driven a car can relate here. . .I
>remember checking my wheel bearings and A-arm bushings about 2-3 times
>before the SS race. I checked it all out in Vegas before the open
>track and again after I had scuffed in the race new tires and again a
>couple times a week later and the day of the Tech Inspection I have a
>"tech failure". The night before I had even mounted my race tires and
>and had a couple guys also check everything again. Sometimes, you get
>lucky and find out like I did it's something you can repair/replace
>easily. . .and sometimes you know as soon as you find you got
>something terminal but in any case whatever the problem it turns out
>to be, it is stressful and aggravating. 
>Hang in there man and soon as you get back from Pocono start getting
>your car repaired for Silver State.
>Don't worry about the money thing for the tires. . .Come to Silver
>State in Sept. and you get those tires FREE. If you sent the check
>I'll return it.   The T-shirts and the decals are a no-cost gift for
>all you guys going whether you race or not.         
>Hang in there man
>MD

Kirby Schrader                  Compuserve: kschrader@compuserve.com
                                            kschrader@slb.com
'71 Pantera #1661             
'90 Thunderbird 35th anniversary special
'78 Longchamp GTS #3001   The wife's...	
 http://mwd.sugar-land.anadrill.slb.com:65080/