Getting Ready for a 1,500 Road Trip
No buyers for my '65 Valiant convertible here in Mexico, so i plan to drive it back to California next week. So far changed the oil/filter and air filter. Tomorrow will replace the heater hoses, fuel filter. Today purchased a spare fan belt, a used 14 inch tire for a spare (have all new rubber on the vehicle) and two cans of flat-fix.
After what just happened at my last stop today I might install a new set of points/condensor I have in storage somewhere around here:
I drove all around town today, made about twenty stops altogether. Last stop was at a friend's house just to say hello. When I left his place, drove about 50 feet and the motor just suddenly shut off (I just re-filled the fuel tank an hour before). I tried to restart once and noticed nothing was firing so I walked back to my friends house and borrowed his volt meter.
The battery checked out with 13 volts. Then I checked the main fusible link under the hood (last time this happened that was the problem) but I did find 12 volts where it entered the firewall. Checked the coil with ignition on and found 6 volts. Checked the ballast resistor with ignition on and it had 6 volts on one end and 12 volts on the other. The horn and headlamps were working. Checked the hot wire at the alternator and it had 12 volts. Gave up looking for short circuits Got back in the vehicle and cranked it a little longer than usual (it usually fires up instantly) and it started up and I drove it home (about a five minute drive). I hope this doesn't happen again on my road trip. I hate problems like this that come and go on their own-makes me nervous.
No buyers for my '65 Valiant convertible here in Mexico, so i plan to drive it back to California next week. So far changed the oil/filter and air filter. Tomorrow will replace the heater hoses, fuel filter. Today purchased a spare fan belt, a used 14 inch tire for a spare (have all new rubber on the vehicle) and two cans of flat-fix.
After what just happened at my last stop today I might install a new set of points/condensor I have in storage somewhere around here:
I drove all around town today, made about twenty stops altogether. Last stop was at a friend's house just to say hello. When I left his place, drove about 50 feet and the motor just suddenly shut off (I just re-filled the fuel tank an hour before). I tried to restart once and noticed nothing was firing so I walked back to my friends house and borrowed his volt meter.
The battery checked out with 13 volts. Then I checked the main fusible link under the hood (last time this happened that was the problem) but I did find 12 volts where it entered the firewall. Checked the coil with ignition on and found 6 volts. Checked the ballast resistor with ignition on and it had 6 volts on one end and 12 volts on the other. The horn and headlamps were working. Checked the hot wire at the alternator and it had 12 volts. Gave up looking for short circuits Got back in the vehicle and cranked it a little longer than usual (it usually fires up instantly) and it started up and I drove it home (about a five minute drive). I hope this doesn't happen again on my road trip. I hate problems like this that come and go on their own-makes me nervous.