What I Did on My Lunch Hour

[Vic Piano]

Hi Jeff, nice to hear from you, glad you had fun in the Mountains... Feel like making another trip...? We're going up for the Moonshine Festival in October. I've also got several Optima batteries, 6 & 12 volt and they have been fine for a long time... Not sure why this one died but we tried what you suggested yesterday at the auto shop where I take our "new" cars for service, and still no go.

[mrmoose]

Vic, I would love to go, but have sucked my vacation time nearly dry. On the Optima thing, I had a 7 year old one that I thought I had killed.....dead as a doormat....put it on 60 amp charge for about an hour (had to do it on manual as the charger was sure it was dead....then on 20 amp (auto) for a couple hours, and it took a charge. Of course in the meantime I had bought another battery (Optima)....so I gave the old 1 to a friend and it is still working fine. Thought it might work for you to as I'd read somewhere it could be done. Haven't been here (on the Barn) in a long time, so will try to look through posts soon to see what I've missed. Both trucks are down at the moment...34 with brakes and the 41 with ignition....hope to have the 41 up and running again this weekend but we'll see. I like your new Lincoln....beautiful style. Sounds like patience is required again.

[Vic Piano]

Jeff, the '47 Lincoln Continental is not my car... I'm doing a favor for a friend.

[Vic Piano]

It's another beautiful day in Paradise... that is until the afternoon rains come... I think I'll run my usual Friday errands in the '39 LZ...

[Vic Piano]

Can Ya Tell We Are Havin' Fun...

Mike and I played with the '39 CS today, we installed a distributor that Skip set up for me... and the '39 runs sweet... After that, we turned our attention to the '47 LC as it was still experencing fuel delivery problems as well as charging issues... We had gone to the Interstate Battery store to pick up a 6 volt. I had called with all the battery dimentions and they confirmed that they had one. Well, when we got there... not even close to the correct size, size wise. The battery hold down from the LC fell down around the Interstate battery... I pulled a good 6 volt Optima out of our '53 F-100 Panel Truck, we installed it in the LC and fired it up. She was doing fine untill we put her under a load, out on the road, where she was starving for fuel... We got back to the garage and re checked all the fittings from the gas tank to the fuel pump (second fuel pump) to the carb, even checked the float in the fuel bowl... After that, we fired her up and took another test drive... Do we look like we're having fun...

[Steves46]

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Hi Vic. Looks like you guys were having fun. Any improvement after the 2nd test drive? Steve

[Vic Piano]

Hi Steve, glad to hear from you... We've got to get together to finalize the Moonshine Trip plans. The '47 LZ is running fine now (fuel delivery wise) but there is still an electrical problem in that the generator (even though it shows that it is working) will not charge the battery... I installed an Optima 6 volt (that was in our '53 F-100 and working fine). After the two short runs we had with the LC the battery would not crank the starter... Allegedly, the starter motor was rebuilt just before I brought the car to the garage... We'll have to test it next... along with the voltage regulator (which had also tested ok)...

[Vic Piano]

More Flathead Driving Fun...

My wife and I were invited to a party yesterday, the evening air greeted us with low humidity and no chance of rain so, we decided to drive the 39 CS with the top down to the party.

This morning my wife wanted to go to the garden shop at Lowe's and pick up some flowers/plants, etc., so I enlisted the help of the '51 F-1 and off we went. We got back home just in time for the first afternoon rain shower... In-between rain drops and sunshine, we planted some flowers and weeded and fertilized the fruit trees... I almost got the F-1 stuck in the mud on the edge of the Cyprus Head aka swamp on one corner of the property... Guess I need a more aggressive tread on the rear tires, or that 8N I've been thinkin' about...

Yup... I sure do love driving our Flatheads... I hope everyone else is having a Flathead fun filled weekend.

[Vic Piano]

It has been raining almost non-stop for the last two days here, with no signs of letting up... Kind a puts a damper (accent on damp) on driving the convertibles... I took the '47 LC's generator to the shop yesterday, for a rebuild, and today we'll test it with the voltage regulator (that was in the car as well) to make sure everything jives. I picked up the 6 volt battery from NAPA and installed it yesterday. Hopefully these improvements will alleviate most, if not all, of the electrical demons in the car... And it will stop raining long enough to take the LC out for another “test drive”.

[Vic Piano]

Well, no surprise here... the Voltage Regulator from the '47 LC was also toasted... Had to order another 6 volt VR, (should be here tomorrow), we will test it with the rebuilt generator... About the only thing left to test is the starter motor... Oh, I almost forgot... the solenoid on the top and power windows pump motor...

[Vic Piano]

Ok, so I get the Generator and "new" Voltage Regulator back and install them yesterday afternoon. I got in the car, turned the ignition on and pushed the starter button... NOTHIN', not even one crank... This goes back to that "never assume" anything. I specifically asked the guy at NAPA if this battery had be tested and charged... His answer was an emphatic "YES"... No, the battery wouldn't even take a charge. You would think (and it shouldn’t be a stretch), that for $110.00 plus a core, NAPA would (at the very least) check to see that the battery was charged… I reinstalled my Optima 6 volt and the car cranked right over... Now, it’s back to square one with 6 volt batteries...

[BILL WZOREK]

Vic:
I don't know about down there but here in NEWENGLAND ( for those that don't get fall Foliage ) Napa will pick up & deliver / if you can remember the person that told you it was all set you should request that he or she come out to pick up the Battery
so he or she can see your displeasure in there professional preformance!!!!!

That way they can see what a big Michael Waltrip /Napa supporter you are!!!
O NEVER MIND LOL LOL

[Vic Piano]

Bill, I bet it's looking colorful up there... better enjoy it before the snow starts falling... I just got back from the NAPA store, I returned the battery, got a refund and a core charge added to it. They asked me if I wanted them to order another one (they had 4 in the warehouse) I told them thanks, but no thanks... Looks like CARQUEST will be my next stop... Oh, to my knowledge... they (NAPA) don't deliver to individuals, only to shops...

[Steves46]

Vic, sorry to hear about your hassle with the battery. If CARQUEST doesn’t have anything available, I got my truck’s 6v from Advance Auto Parts. See you Saturday. Steve.

[Vic Piano]

Steve, CARQUEST just call back and told me they have a "new" one... I might be able to pick it up this afternoon... We'll see how that one works out. See you on Saturday.

[Steves46]

Good deal! I would have them place a volt meter on it before you leave.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Vic Piano

Ok, so I get the Generator and "new" Voltage Regulator back and install them yesterday afternoon. I got in the car, turned the ignition on and pushed the starter button... NOTHIN', not even one crank... This goes back to that "never assume" anything. I specifically asked the guy at NAPA if this battery had be tested and charged... His answer was an emphatic "YES"... No, the battery wouldn't even take a charge. You would think (and it shouldn’t be a stretch), that for $110.00 plus a core, NAPA would (at the very least) check to see that the battery was charged… I reinstalled my Optima 6 volt and the car cranked right over... Now, it’s back to square one with 6 volt batteries...

Jeez Vic, two weeks of depending on other incompetents to figure-out for you whether any of your batteries (or theirs') are charged-up or not. You could buy the vom below at Harbor Freight for five bucks and still have enough left to buy more pizza. Surely that volt meter comes with instructions. I'd bet they even offer a cheap battery charger with instructions, too. DD


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[Vic Piano]

Hey Coopman, speaking of incompetents’... how have you been? I haven't had any snide remarks from you in a while... Tell me, were you out driving your Flathead or were you underneath it in the garage polishing the backing plates? The meter you pictured is exactly the one I've got, imagine that… in fact, I used it, after I installed what I was told by NAPA to be a freshly charged battery... only to find out that it was no good... I guess that's what I get for trusting the guy at NAPA... At any rate, the fun will continue here at the garage this weekend as we prep our Flatheads for the trek up to the Moonshine Festival in Dawsonville, Georgia on October 24th, just a short trip, 600 miles each way with the “Don’t Follow Me. I’m Lost Tour” adding just about 200 miles more. Sorry if you can’t relate to actually driving a Flathead more than just around the block. Oh yeah, PIZZA is defiantly on the menu.
Question for you, what brand of polishing wax do you prefer?

[Vic Piano]

Mike showed up bright and early at my place, with a pair of water pumps for my '39 CS... (one pump on the car started leaking and I had given a set I had to another friend for his "A" V8 project). Steve and Don also came over to play. We fired up the '47 LC and got it running long enough for the driver’s side water pump to start throwing water... After that fun, Mike and Don had to take off, leaving just Steve and me to indulge in our ritualistic PIZZA... While we were dining alfresco, a '47 Merc Coupe pulled into the parking lot, and we made a new friend! The Merc is a Street Rod, powered by a Ford 302 with automatic transmission. Sorry, I didn't get any photos of the car but I'm sure it will be back at my garage in the not too distant future. Yup, fun with Flatheads, friends and PIZZA... It's a blast.

[Vic Piano]

This morning I was moving cars/trucks around so I could do some cleaning in the garage and mow some grass. The '47 LZ fuel pump (third one) lost prime again over night... After I got her started and drove her around the block a few times, I shut her off.

After about an hour, I tried to fire her up again and... You guessed it... the fuel pump had lost prime again... This is a mystery to me, I don't know why the fuel pumps (like I said, this is the third one) all loose prime in this car. Once the fuel pump(s) are primed they work fine... At this point, I think the only logical solution is to install an electric fuel pump. I'm thinking it should be the primary and just block off the stock mechanical pump... Any viable suggestions are appreciated.