"Bad Gas" -- WTF and gloat

I needed to replace bulbs in the shop lights above my '63 Suburban. This thing's been sitting there for just about ever, while I got more interested in building planes than wrenching on trucks.

It hadn't run for months, other than occasionally turning it over to keep the carburettor wet. I had tried rather hard to start it about 6-9 months ago, and utterly failed. So today I was getting ready to duct-tape a 3-gallon boat tank to the damn thing and just get it running. Before I did I decided to go ahead and play with ether and gas down it's little mechanical gullet -- and damned if it not only started, but kept on running! This is kind of a mechanical marvel, because the gas that's in the tank is more kerosene than gasoline.

So, anyway, I got it pulled out of the shop, tickled my fear of heights by replacing bulbs in my lights (14 feet off the ground -- god, I hate doing that), and got it back in (after it quit, and I had another mild session of flogging it with raw gas and ether).

So, I'm (a) happy that I got the job done, and that maybe it's not as bad as I thought, and (b) puzzled as heck as to why it works _now_!

Reply to
Tim Wescott
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Reply to
JR North

Blew the cobwebs out? ;-)

Cheers! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

Assuming it has a 4 barrel carb, and also assuming that 4 barrel carb is a Holley.

A Rochester Quadrajet only has one float bowl, and a Carter AFB (unlikely on a Suburban) has 2 floats, but not Primary and secondary from my recollection (left and right, not front and back) Same with AVS and Thermoquad.

Stock, the "burban would have most likely been a 283 2bbl or a 230 six, with a possibility of a 292 six or a 327 V8. The 327 would have been a 2bbl or 4bbl Rochester, as Holley was not used OEM untill about '67 (on the Camaro Zapper)

I know, there is a good chance it is no longer stock, and even a reasonable chance it has a Holley 4 pot on it, but that has not been stated, so the "secondary float bowl" is pure conjecture, and a long shot.

Reply to
clare

You likely had the poor thing flooded to death 6-9 months ago and the plugs dried out enough that, using ether, you were able to light the "kerosene" this time.

Second start after putting the new bulbs in the shop it was still slightly warm, so it was likely a BIT easier to get the stuff lit. I'd definitely drain it out and run some fresh gas through it. If you can get a couple cans of Av Gas it works real good for stoage. Two years from now it will still be fresher than 6 week old mogas with ethanol in it.

Reply to
clare
*Snip*.
*Snip*
*Snip*

I foresee a slight issue potentially forming here...

H. :)

Reply to
Howard Eisenhauer

It would start before, but not keep running -- this time I put _lots_ of gas down the secondary, and it kept running. My thoughts went, in order: "OK, it'll stop any time now. Gee, it's sure running a long time on that gas I poured in. Wow, could it be??? Hey! It's running off it's tank!!!" etc.

I know a pilot. That's a good idea.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

According to the information I found, a stock Chevy 'burban in 63 would have come with a straight six or a 283 with a 2bbl. By the block numbers this is a 327 'high performance' engine from the same era, with the non-spread-bore Rochester 4bbl that was used before the Q-jet.

I suspect that the former owner (who was _convinced_ that he was a mechanical genius) put the engine in -- it was cleverly conceived, but poorly executed; I had to make a throttle arm to get it working really right, and at the moment it's one of those "big wad of grease with a fan and carburettor" engines.

At this point if I can get back to a program of warming things up and driving it around the driveway three times a year, I'll be happy.

Here's a picture of the truck, sitting in a driveway that hasn't been mine for nearly 10 years. The driver then got to go for a (20 foot) ride in it yesterday, and thought it was kewl.

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Reply to
Tim Wescott

Tim Wescott on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:11:40 -0800 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

It is November, and Thanksgiving is coming. It doesn't want you to think it is a turkey that you can kill, gut, and bake at 350.

tschus pyotr

Reply to
pyotr filipivich

Same kid who has the web site linked from yours? A bit Spartan even for my tastes, but I do like the way it is secured! Don't worry his \secret\ is safe with me;-)

Reply to
William Bagwell

Nice 'burb. That 327 HiPo should make it move along right smart when all fixed up.

Reply to
clare

I would consider taking very good care of that engine, if I had it (regardless of what happens to the truck over time). There is most likely some info available as to whether the specific type of heads are original equipment for the year of manufacture (I know that info was available in the

60s and 70s). It doesn't look like a gem now, but it could be worth preserving.

As an investment, it's probably going to appreciate nicely as the boys get older. As long as it's not burning a lot of oil or has any loud mechanical wear faults, it's probably better (value-wise) to not even perform any unneccessary repairs, or modify it's present condition.

Perhaps most importantly, I'd keep a good air filter on it, followed by clean oil and gas, and also protected coolant in a cold-season climate.

If you would happen to stumble upon a fuel injection setup of the same vintage (or original NOS parts, valve covers etc), it would probably be best to keep it as an option for future use (rebuild or overhaul time), but not to just install it for the cool factor.

Maybe the only thing I'd consider eventually, would be to try to pressure wash the flat black paint off, or maybe even try baking soda blasting, to get back down to the original orange paint, and possibly touch up some rust spots.

The truck body looks to be fairly solid from a distance, but that hole in the windshield post seems like an odd place for a rust hole, if that's what it is (just to the left of the dash knob marked C.. choke? looks more like a cigarette lighter).

I believe the compression of the fuel/air mixture enhances it's combustibility, and the slightly heated head/cylinder surfaces.. even if the old stuff may be a little slow burning. Octane rating: maybe 10?

Reply to
Wild_Bill

Not out of the ordinary to rust there - there is another peice of steel spotwelded in right about there, and it formed a rust trap, particularly if the indsheild seal leaked.

Reply to
clare

OIC.. I didn't know about the internal reinforcement parts, but I assumed that there was a leakage problem, either around the windshield or the roof/gutter seam.

Reply to
Wild_Bill

The planes that Tim mentioned in OP are model planes, not ones he will be riding around in ...

Reply to
James Waldby

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