Lavron's '64 Build Thread

[ArkansasComet]

Car is looking great Mike! I love the grill emblem!

[lavron]

Car is looking great Mike! I love the grill emblem!

Thanks Jim, glad to see you back.

I will post this over in the Electrical section as well along with the wiring diagram, but keeping it attached here as well.

https://youtu.be/8JKD-MSgNCE

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

Was out messing with the exhaust issue on the Comet at the end of the day today, started it up to see if I was making any progress, it sat and ran for a few minutes as I walked around the car listening for unusual noises then it shut off on its own and wouldn't start again, I just packed it up and came in the house, didn't sputter like it was running out of gas, the fuel pump was still operational it was like the key was turned off.

I guess tomorrow I will try and figure out the issue, if I was a betting man I would say the flux capacitor failed (aka the ICM) but before I bad mouth the part I will check it tomorrow, I might be paying for using dark side engineered parts already, maybe I will slap something besides a Standard Motors module in there if that turns out to be the issue.

Anyone know if there is justification in buying more expensive ones like the MSD 5596 or the Accel 35361 or even the Summit branded 850100? Or am I better just buying a case of 4-pin modules?

I don't know if that is the issue but when I was a younger man I worked for a well drilling company and I was driving their GMC 1/2 ton on a parts run and it shut off the same way while driving down the highway.

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

Went out this morning did a couple of tests, no blown fuses, power to the ignition module pink wire, no spark out the coil wire. Took the "Flux Capacitor" off and took it to town and had it tested at O'Reillys said it was bad and just exchanged it for a new one, I told him I didn't think I got it there but I guess he was just going to send it back to Standard as a failed unit under warranty, I guess kudos to O'Reillys. Brought it home and installed it and the car started right up.

May still see about getting an MSD unit or similar and putting in and keeping this new one as a spare, may need several spares

Getting ready to go out and try and get a brace made for the exhaust now that I started yesterday and put an end, hopefully, to the squeaking, scraping, rattling. I have an idea of how to make it just getting out and doing it now

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

For some reason, it is taking forever to process this video, it is not that long, so hopefully, by the time anyone clicks the link below it will work, if not try again later I guess.

https://youtu.be/9Y0OXiUyUJY

I will eventually get all this together right and will be pretty much rattle free.

See Ya,
Mike

[SASSY]

Link doesn't work Mike

[lavron]

Link doesn't work Mike

Yes really having trouble with YouTube right now, I am going to try and reupload it right now (which takes hours, our upload speeds are really slow, "thanks CenturyLink")

See Ya,
Mike

EDIT; Link is fixed and you should be able to see the video now https://youtu.be/9Y0OXiUyUJY

[lavron]

I had to take my wife to the ER this morning so spent half the day sitting in the waiting room wearing a face mask, wife is ok having some sort of inner ear issue that was causing her to be dizzy and nauseous.

Got home and put her to bed for a while so I went out and tried to put my new plug wires on the Comet, they sent me the wrong style connectors on the distributor side so I will have to try and send them back and get the right ones, I think I need to tell them I want '72 wires because I think the later distributors had the tower connectors instead of the sockets, my distributor cap looks just like a points cap.

With that failed I decided to back the Comet out and sweep the leaves out, while it was sitting out in the nice fall day I removed the two extra flasher modules that were just dangling under the dash by their ground wires, still waiting on the new sockets to arrive for the new flasher units so I can get them mounted permanently.

I really love this little Comet, it has been sitting for several days but it fires right up like in the video ;

https://youtu.be/9Y0OXiUyUJY

I still think that the slow initial crank is because this battery is too small, I bet before it is all over I will be switching it out

Do you guys think it could be anything else that makes that slow first crank, it always starts. Pretty much one stab on the gas pedal to set the choke and off she goes, I guess it has been way too long since I drove a carburated car, gotten kinda used to FI I guess (not that I want to change to FI), with most of the rattle gone it seems so much more like it needs to open up and run down the highway, of course, I need to get the left rear tire switched out before I do too much (remember I drilled a hole through the sidewall ), I have a new tire ready just need to switch it out.

See Ya,
Mike

[A/FX]

Mike,
Your starting hesitation could be the cables from the battery to the starter /solenoid or to ground. I cannot remember what size cables you installed. My battery is trunk mounted using
2-O welding cable for the positive side and 1-O for the ground. I have no issues with hesitation. The multi strand welding cable carries amperage much better than regular battery cable. I also have a grounding cable mounted from the unibody to the engine, the unibody lugs are welded.
Jim

[poboyjo65]

I agree with Jim. I've never had a smaller battery drag at the first, but after it spins a while it might slow down quicker than a bigger one. lots of times an engine will speed up a little when cranking when the fuel finally hits the cylinders on the first crank of the day.

[Joe Travers]

Start with the simple things.
Had a check engine code thrown this morning on a Jeep for open/loose connection in generator control circuit.
Cleaned the positive battery terminal and no more check engine light/code.
Check and clean/tighten all connections first.

JT

[popscomet]

any loose connection will get hot or warm,,crank on it and touch connections,,,you might find it ....those quick fix battary cable ends to the battary posts are the world worst to get loose or corrode,,,altho I have had a factory made end loosen inside the lead clamp.....

[lavron]

Thanks guys I will go through and check all the connections.

The wire is #1 AWG welding cable, I soldered all the ends on, the only one I can't remember is the one that goes into the main breaker if I tinned the wires with solder or not before I put them in the breaker and tightened them, it seems like it didn't have that hesitation originally so it might be something has worked loose, all the branches that come off the mainlines were pre-made cables but that is no guarantee of anything.

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

Followed you guys advice and went out and checked the connections, found some that needed a little tightening, starts good now

https://youtu.be/D-lZ_EHEGVY

Video is short just a bit over 3 minutes.

See Ya,
Mike

[Joe Travers]

Good deal, Mike!

Speaking of electrical problems, today I went out to crank the Comet and junked a corroded cable after a no start.

Wish me well, the Jeep problem reappeared today after disappearing on a trip across town yesterday. Tomorrow I'm cleaning the alternator ground cable at the block. It's pretty cruddy. 'Tis the season for electrical problems

JT