Winter Vacation, 2016-2017

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I never use the E-brake...I use rubber chocks.  I don't trust that tiny little poorly adjusted parking brake on the drive shaft...lol!

Merry Christmas Frank!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

ARRRGGGGG!!!  Today was the day from hell!

First, this morning I started the rig and no matter what I did, I couldn't get a reliable and steady idle.  I reset the idle mixture screws to Edlebrock factory specs, reset the fast idle cam, and still the idle was too low. 

I checked each spark plug wire and the only 2 remaining vacuum lines and they were all fine.

I used my inductive test pen on every spark plug wire to make sure they were firing...and they were all fine.

I checked every single connection in my simplified engine compartment, and all seems well.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe, because I had to do a lot of leaning on the air intake plenum and inadvertently the distributor itself is that maybe the distributor hold down bolt isn't tight enough and I accidentally retarded the timing?  I just can't figure out why I can't get a steady idle when the only adjustment I made on the carburetor before touching down in Brookshire, TX was the high idle kickdown screw...which I readjusted to right back where it was!

I'm going to check the distributor tightness in the morning when the engine is cool.  So as a preemptive question...if it is loose, which way do I turn it to advance the timing?  Clockwise or counter clockwise?

Also...would a bad ignition control module cause idle stability problems?

AND...that was just the tip of the spear that made this day so crappy!!!

I got it idling well enough, and we hit the road.  At highway speeds it is running great, and no problems at all.

So we stopped at the Flying J in San Antonio to gas up...and Chase Bank froze our debit card for "unusual activity across multiple locations".  Their whole system must be messed up, because no matter what we told them to prove our identity, they insisted that we must come into an actual Chase bank and couldn't do it over the phone!!! 

We spent about an hour arguing with these morons that we were traveling to Arizona like we do EVERY year, and had a motorhome with a tow vehicle...how the heck are we supposed to go find an actual Chase Bank branch to go into and show ID?

They didn't freakin' care!  So we found a Chase Bank in downtown freakin' San Antonio in almost rush hour, and there was no way to get into their parking lot.  So I blocked off one whole lane with the RV and Patti ran inside to straighten it out.

She withdrew almost every penny...and we'll be switching banks after this...probably Wells Fargo.

What a nightmare!

Needless to say we didn't make it all the way to Fort Stockton!!!

We did manage to fill up at a Love's Travel Stop...and are now spending the night at a rest stop in Kerrville, TX.

Holiday plans aren't completely shattered and we can still make it to Tombstone late afternoon on Christmas Eve...IF nothing else goes wrong.

We'll have to make it to Fort Stockton tomorrow...Anthony, TX the next day....and all the way to Tombstone the following, stopping off to gas up in Lordsburg, NM.  That splits the trip up into about an average of 275 miles a day.

What a crap day!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

And in case you are scrolling quickly, I have some questions!

"I'm going to check the distributor tightness in the morning when the engine is cool.  So as a preemptive question...if it is loose, which way do I turn it to advance the timing?  Clockwise or counter clockwise?

Also...would a bad ignition control module cause idle stability problems?"

Spark plug wires are tight and my inductive tester shows that all spark plugs are firing. 

There are only 2 vacuum lines, and both are fine and tight.

Also...at highway speeds everything is running great and smoothly.

Thanks!

Kev

[joanfenn]

Hoping that the rest of the trip is smooth sailing all the way.  Just go carefully and get ready to enjoy your vacation.  Merry Christmas to you all.  Drive safe

[M & J]

When I get to my laptop and off this tablet where i can type faster I'll give you my thoughts.

[CapnDirk]

Kevin:  See if you can put a mark on the distributor stem where it meets the engine (like where the clamp is) and onto something stationary (like the clamp)  This gives you a reference as to where it is now.  Give the distributor a twist to see if it is loose.  If it does turn, you know where the problem is, and where to get it back to where it was.  IT would have to turn quite a bit on its own to make a big difference at idle (by that I mean several degrees.


I would be surprised if it was the ignition module, unless it might be getting low voltage (compensated for by the higher RPM and in turn higher output of the alternator).


My GUESS is it might be getting loaded down with extra fuel at idle pushing past the float or by some other method.  Again, at higher RPM the engine would be able to burn it and run better.

[tmsnyder]

"if it is loose, which way do I turn it to advance the timing?"


Looking down on the engine, you would rotate the distributor counter clockwise to advance the timing.   Do you have a timing light?  It might not be a bad idea to check the timing anyway b/c you replaced the cap and rotor.


"still the idle was too low" 


Is it not responding to changes in the idle speed adjustment screw ?

[ClydesdaleKevin]

It is responding to the idle screw adjustment...but the idle drops unexpectedly once in a while and wants to stall out.

I'll check the tightness of the distributor after my morning coffee.

Kev

[M & J]

One of the things I was going to suggest Kevin for the dizzy is to look carefully for any disturbance on the ring where the clamp bites.  There probably is at least road grime and you might be able to see it it moved by fresh marks before attempting to change it.


On the carb settings, RickF gave a pretty good process for setting the mixture using a vacuum gauge. IIRC, set base idle to spec, then adjust the mixture for maximum vacuum. Chances are the idle will increase so you need to keep resetting the idle screw while you're going through the mixture. Seems like it was on one of the threads about hooking up or using a vacuum gauge. Another thing is reading the spark plugs. I think you drove a ways after it starting acting up. Read a couple spark plugs. Dark tan to light brown is normal, black and sooty indicates too rich of a mixture. You'll have to look at more than one to get a good idea. Another way that's less quantitative is to run a finger around the inside of the tail pipe. If the engine has been running rich for a while your finger will be very black also.
Someone else answered but it's easy to remember to advance the timing rotate the dizzy opposite of the rotor rotation, to retard the timing rotate the distributor the same direction the rotor turns.
My experience with GM HEI modules is either they work, or they don't. And everyone that I've had fail was due to heat related failure and the housing had a melted spot on it. If you do replace it be sure to use heat transfer compound on the bottom. Without it it will definitely fail. Low voltage may be a possibility especially since you had some crispy wires.

[Froggy1936]

Hey Kev , If it idles properly sometimes and wants to stall at other times  It is definatly not timing unless the vacuume advance is changeing it for what ever reason .  Most likely fuel or air problem dirt at a float needle or  floating around in the carb or fuel pump deviations . Something plugging up air flow , Run with air horn off of carb to eliminate complete air intake syesyem . Good luck , If it remains driveable keep going till you reach destination then look for idle problem    Frank    Merry Christmas

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Thanks for all of your responses!  Everything seems to be running great now, so I'm thinking that I must have gotten some bad gasoline, and a couple of tanks later everything is running smoothly and no idle problems at all.

We drove all the way to Fort Stockton yesterday, gassed up at the Flying J, and then pulled into the Walmart parking lot for the night.  Took the dogs out, did some shopping, etc.

Today we'll be heading at least all the way to Anthony, TX, 260 miles.  But that would leave us a whole 280 miles left on Christmas Eve, which means we would get to the Wells Fargo RV Park in Tombstone until very late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve.  So I'm thinking that we'll gas up in Anthony, and then keep on driving...making it to at least Deming, NM before pulling in somewhere for the night.  The less miles we have to drive on Christmas Eve the better!

Systems are all checked, and we'll be hitting the road shortly after our morning coffee.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Woo hoo!  We definitely had fair winds and following seas on this leg of the journey, and we made great time!

We drove through El Paso (and thankfully all of the bridge and ramp construction is all done...and we sailed right through with no problems around 2pm Mountain Time) and gassed up at the Flying J in Anthony, TX.  Then we hit the road again and made it all the way to the Flying J in Lordsburg, NM!

We were extremely fortunate with the winds on this leg of the journey.  Usually it is extremely windy and I have to keep my speed way down.  This time there was hardly any wind and I was able to drive 55-60 all the way...and coast down hills at 65 or so.  Which is way faster than I am usually able to drive this section of the journey.

We arrived in Lordsburg while there was still some daylight, so we pulled in and are resting up for the night.  I'll gas up the rig in the morning, do my usual checks, fill the propane...and then we'll be off to Tombstone for the holidays!!!

We are only 25 miles from the Arizona border, and only about 130 miles from Tombstone, so it will be a very short drive indeed for us on Christmas Eve!

And we'll get to wake up on Christmas Eve morning in Lordsburg!  Very fitting indeed! 

Kev

[legomybago]

You sure do make a lot of fuel stops!!

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Wow!  All of the wind that we didn't have yesterday sure did hit us today!!!  From the time we left Lordsburg, NM until we arrive in Tombstone, the winds were insane!  Average speed was around 40mph.  Even on the back roads going into Tombstone the winds were rocking the rig and I had to keep the speed down to around 35!  Thank goodness it was only 130 miles!

We are all set up in camp and ready for Santa to arrive for tomorrow morning!!!  The wind was so high for a while that the rig was rocking in camp!  And then a major torrential downpour came through and the temperatures dropped.  So the heater is on.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!



Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

OMG!!! This is unbelievable!!! It is snowing! We are going to have a white Christmas again in Tombstone, AZ!!!

[HandyDan]

Just a little reminder of years past, or more like deja vu.  Maybe this is all the snow you will get.
Dan

[CapnDirk]

WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!  You made it!  And despite the problems.  I remember a quote from a Tim Allen movie "Never give up, never surrender" 


And SNOW!  That's awesome.

[HandyDan]

Kevin, your storm has finally reached Kansas City. Lots of wind and rain.  The KC Chiefs are getting ready to play the Broncos just as the front is going through.  Going to make for some wet seats.  Hope you are having a great time at Tombstone. Any plans on buying a new hat?

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We didn't get as much snow as we did the last time, but it was enough to call it a White Christmas!!!









Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Patti did an amazing job decorating our little Christmas tree!!!





Sampson was not amused. 



The pups weren't crazy about the antlers either.







While most of the presents under the tree were for the furry kids, Patti got some bling from Santa!!!



And Patti bought me 4 really nice shirts from Duluth Trading Company...and a new Recoil dripper designed by Grimm Green!  SWEET!!!



I hope everyone else also had a great Christmas!!!

Kev

[joanfenn]

What?? No guns??

Glad to hear that Santa found you.  Have fun with the rest of your holidays.

[CapnDirk]

With the glowing eyes and the flaming mouth,  I think the cat went straight past amusement to "don't go to sleep tonight!"


Thanks for the pics, after fighting no high beams or windshield wipers for a week, it helps to remind me why I'm working on this thing, and that I'll be able to do it to in another 4 years.


Best regards.

[tiinytina]

Beware of pet pay backs... vengence is mine sayith the kitty and pups! ... LOL...  Snow in AZ.. and yea its 60 here in MD... though the wind there came through last night... think my wind chimes were  blowing sideways from about midnight on... zoicks!

T

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We're having a great time so far, and the pups love walking around the streets of Tombstone with us.  Sampson wants to go out but we are way too close to the roads for that.   Wells Fargo RV Park is literally right in downtown Tombstone.

More pictures to follow.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Tombstone was a blast!  I think it will end up being an annual holiday tradition for us!

We are now at the Western Trails RV Park in Tucson because Patti has her heart set on going to Old Tucson Studios.  We arrived here yesterday and are about to go see the old studio where so many westerns were filmed.

And then tomorrow we get back on the road and meander our way toward Gold Canyon, AZ.

Kev