Horseless Carriages and Iron Ponies.

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

The petcock I put in was from my parts stash.  Useta have more junk saved up but when we moved back from AZ I had to dump every extra pound I could find.  Man, there's so much junk I miss...    I've got some pack rat in me fer sure.

Leo, I might have to get somethin' like you suggested.  This monster engine breathes through a 48mm Mikuni carb, and it takes a lot of gas to keep that thing runnin'.  Just hope I can afford it... 

[Leo Tanner]

Last Pingle I bought was about a C note.  Sounds like a bit much but wait until you have it feedin that Mikuni.  Other companies offer high flow valves fer lower prices, but I swear by the Pingle.  They come in different gas line configurations so you can get just what you need.  Trust me, it is a worthy investment for a big carb and a big motor.

They look cool too.

[Texas Lawdog]

It's getting about time to get the oil changed in the GMC before I go to Nebraska in a couple of weeks. I need to wash it to get all the fallout from our pecan trees off it. Other than that it should be good to go.

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[Leo Tanner]

If yer goin ta see Del don't bother with the washin.  Rumor has it that he looks down on such activity.

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

If yer goin ta see Del don't bother with the washin.  Rumor has it that he looks down on such activity.

I bet that's true!    Might want ta splash some extra mud on yer truck, too, TL!

That Pingle sounds pretty good.  I doubt they have one at the harley haberdashery store.  May just get a cheap one there and order a Pingle.  Need to find out first whether the tank still leaks.  If it does, probly gonna have to retire it and get a new one.

[Texas Lawdog]

I'm gonna start out with a clean truck, especially the inside. It's almost 800 miles up there one way. It won't stay clean on the outside for very long.

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

Well, I drove out to a shop that said they could get a Pingle, and there wasn't anybody there. Me and the dogs waited, drove around, called an' got the answering machine, went back... No luck. So I called and went to the tank fabricators. Turns out he had my old petcock (and never bothered to call to return it).  I drove over there and got it--it's a Pingle.

Put everything together and put in some gas. No leaks. But it won't start. When I hit it with the ether it'll crank up and go off like a bomb (scared the hell outta the dogs), run a few seconds, then die.  So it isn't getting gas.  The battery ain't great, either. Got it jumped off the truck. Need to go get some more gas in the can to get the level in the tank up.  Maybe I'll pull the plugs and change em'.  What a PITA. 

[Texas Lawdog]

I never minded workin' on other people's stuff when we had the garage, I just hated to have to work on my own stuff.

[Leo Tanner]

Well JD, the positive side is you already had a Pingle and were blessed by the other guy not being open when you were ready ta give him money. (after years of workin on them things I learned ta find the positive side)
If your tank was in fer welding, there could be some slag in there.  I would drain the thing an disassemble the petcock.  Replace the fuel line too.  If you are getting ignition with the starting fluid but not with gas from the tank the next step would be ta check the float valve on the carb.  If you do drop the bowl, blow out the jets while yer in there.  Nothin wrong with changin the plugs, but if it's igniting I'd lean toward a fuel problem.

Another thought...are you using the same gas cap since the repair?  A non vented cap will give you simalar problems.

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

Great suggestions, Leo.  Thanks.  That's an interestin' thought about the gas cap.  I'll see if it's vented.  I agree with you--it's a gas problem, I'm pretty sure.

I got the plugs cause the old ones were crapped out with carbon and needed changin', anyway.  And I figured that even though the problem ain't the spark, anything I could to do get it to fire better would help.  Plus, I want to do the easy stuff before I get into carb surgery.

Earlier, I coulda sworn I saw gas shooting outta one of the jets, but this afternoon it was looking kinda dry in the barrel and I didn't see anything spraying when I opened the throttle.  I'll take another look tomorrow.  Could be the jets're clogged from sittin' so long.  Also, the way the gas feeds from the tank (the petcock is in a bad place), I might need to put another gallon or 2 in. 

Since yer such an optimistic, sunny-side-a-life guy, Leo  I should mention that there ain't no gas leakin' from the tank.  That's a downright blessing! 

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

PS: I swished gas around in the tank and drained it before I mounted it.  And I bought some fuel line and replaced the crossover line in front, but not the line to the carb--was too eager to get it running and it's kinda hard to get in there to change the line out.  Probably was a case of a stitch in time saves nine or some such... 

[Leo Tanner]

Check yer in line filter.  Those 3 dollar plastic ones fer volkswagons work great.  They also let ya know if you got flow.  They aint perty but they sure do work.

[Texas Lawdog]

Maybe the repairs will cure your problem.

[Leo Tanner]

I have been victim ta more "last thing ya'd ever think of" problems than I can count.  If I can help in anyway, it'll do my heart good.

[Texas Lawdog]

I learned a lot by watching my Dad while I was growing up. I got my first car at 14, which was a fixer uper. I learned from my mistakes.  The most headaches for me was building race engines and keep the cars together.

[Leo Tanner]

This will sound crazy, but I think sometimes a vehicle doesn't want ta be fixed at a particular time.  I have banged ma head against the wall trying to get something right and it just won't go.  I walk away from it fer awile an when I get back to it everything goes tagether.  I don't do anything different than I was doin bafore, the machine just decides ta cooperate.  That's why all my stuff has always had women's names.  I can list them all, Jezabelle, Isabella, Sadie, Magnalena and Misty.  Had a car named Betsy and my current vehicle is named after Blaze Starr cause it's a Blazer.

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, That's happened to me a few times. Be sure and don't name any of your vehicles Christine. A friend of mine was helping me build a 327 race motor. We started drinking beer and I don't remember anything. We finished the engine and the guy picked the motor up. He put in his car and took it to Amarillo that weekend to the NHRA drags. He won his class and set ET and MPH records. I never drank beer anymore during the assembly, only when it was finished. I never told the guy what we did. I don't recommend drinking and mechanic work at the same time.

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

I sure appreciate the help, fellas.

I believe in magic when it comes to cars and bikes.  I call it Voodoo Mechanics.  Ages ago I was helping a girl get her car fixed. It wouldn't start, despite all our tinkering. Finally, I told her, "I'm gonna Lay Hands on it, and it's gonna fire right up."  I placed my hands on it for a minute, then told her to turn the engine over, and it cranked up!  True story.

[Texas Lawdog]

A well placed kick usually works for me.

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

A well placed kick usually works for me.

We've often used the BFH technique.