Questions

M

Mike Echemann

Guest
<table bgColor="#ffffff">
<font face="Arial" size="2">Has anyone experienced their front tires rubbing up against the shock springs? For some reason my right front wheel is rubbing against the shock spring when my wheel is turned all the way left. If the wheel is turned full towards the right I'm not getting the same rub out of the drivers side front tire/shock.</font>

<font face="Arial" size="2">I recently installed new tires but their BF Goodrich 640-13's so the size is correct. This has not happened to my car before so i'm curious why. I've never noticed that the wheels turn right more than to the left. Does anyone have a guess as to why this may be happening? There is no change in the shock as they have the same spring as before. Could it be these new tires or some other problem I need to address.</font>

<font face="Arial" size="2">Thanks,Mike</font>
 
B

Bihari, James

Guest
<table dir="ltr">
<font size="2">Today I gotback mt one piece front bumper that I had NEL Metal Restoration in Philadelphia rechrome. I chose them because the guy there (Marty) seemed to understand that since this bumper will be in the water all the time, the back (inside) of it needs to beplated as well as the</font>
<font size="2">front (and he said that 5 week turnaround time was a honest estimate of how long it would take).</font>
<font size="2">I can live with the fact that it took 8 weeks (I expected that, but why is it that people never give</font>
<font size="2">you an honest answer about turnaround time, even if you tell them you don't mind if it takes longer?), but the inside of the bumper looks like they plated right over rust. It's all bubbled up</font>
<font size="2">and I could flake off a 2 inch square piece of chrome with my fingernail. It sure looks like rust</font>
<font size="2">underneath, butcould it be a copper layer that looks like rust? I called to complain, and thought I was being nice but firm, and the guy sounded very angry but said I should send it back and that</font>
<font size="2">they would completely redo it AND refund all my money and then he hung up.The trouble is, I</font>
<font size="2">need my bumper right now and now I just don't trust those guys. The front of it looks great</font>but
I'm worried about it rusting through from the back. Anyone know anything about what
the back of a chromed bumper should look like. The whole back looks/feels like bumpy
chrome overtop of styrofoam overtop of rust. You can press your finger into it like styrofoam, then peel off the topchrome layerwith your finger and it looks like rusty
steel underneath. Very odd.

Next question involves carburetors. Bought a rebuilt carburetor and have only had the
engine started up a few times for 20 seconds at a time, perhaps 2 or 3 minutes total,
so the carb is not "broken in" yet. Everytime we turn the engine off, gasoline drips into
the throttle body below the butterfly and then leaks out the shaft/bolt that the throttle
cable attaches to and gasoline drips out onto the manifold. It's a significant amount
and doesn't seem safe. Is this a common problem with these carburetors? Does the
needdle valve stick when it's newly rebuilt? I've already to send the carbuerator back
once due to a missing part and am thinking about trading it in for a new one.

The valve that shuts off the gasoline below the gas tank doesn't seem to be letting gasoline through on mine. Do folks often bypass this valve and look inside the luggage
compartment for gas leaks before starting? Also, how many folks have had fuel pump
failures and opted for an auxiliary electric fuel pump? I assume that mine is the original.
It works fine but the car has not been running for 30+ years.

Somehow I lost the nut that holds the ignition switch in place. I didn't see them listed in
Hugh's catalogue so I found out that a certain size kitchen faucet aereator (spelling?) is
almost the same thread and bought a dishwasher adapter fitting becauser it was thicker
metal and cut it off and it works and doesn't look too dumb. I guess the nut that hold on
the backup lights are also the same thread at the ignition switch. Do other carslike
Volkswagens have the same size ignition switch I wonder?

I have 4 more days to work on my car before I go back to teaching/taking classes a million hours a week. I really wanted tohave the car done this summer and I'm so close! The optometry class scheduled its welcome back picnic at a place with a boat
ramp next Tuesday so I can give rides if it's done. I sure hope it is but problems always
pop up when restoring a car that hasn't been driven for so long.

Jim Bihari
 
W

WB6WSN

Guest
<table dir="ltr"><font face="Century Schoolbook" color="#ff0000" size="4"></font>

<blockquote style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<div class="OutlookMessageHeader" lang="en-us" dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Tahoma" size="2">From: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bihari, James
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2005 8:03 PM
To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
Cc: jbihari@optometry.osu.edu
Subject: [amphicar-lovers] Questions
</font>


<font size="2">Today I gotback mt one piece front bumper that I had NEL Metal Restoration in Philadelphia rechrome. I chose them because the guy there (Marty) seemed to understand that since this bumper will be in the water all the time, the back (inside) of it needs to beplated as well as the</font>
<font size="2">front (and he said that 5 week turnaround time was a honest estimate of how long it would take).</font>
<font size="2">I can live with the fact that it took 8 weeks (I expected that, but why is it that people never give</font>
<font size="2">you an honest answer about turnaround time, even if you tell them you don't mind if it takes longer?), but the inside of the bumper looks like they plated right over rust. It's all bubbled up</font>
<font size="2">and I could flake off a 2 inch square piece of chrome with my fingernail. It sure looks like rust</font>
<font size="2">underneath, butcould it be a copper layer that looks like rust? I called to complain, and thought I was being nice but firm, and the guy sounded very angry but said I should send it back and that</font>
<font size="2">they would completely redo it AND refund all my money and then he hung up.The trouble is, I</font>
<font size="2">need my bumper right now and now I just don't trust those guys. The front of it looks great</font>but
I'm worried about it rusting through from the back. Anyone know anything about what
the back of a chromed bumper should look like. The whole back looks/feels like bumpy
chrome overtop of styrofoam overtop of rust. You can press your finger into it like styrofoam, then peel off the topchrome layerwith your finger and it looks like rusty
steel underneath. Very odd.<span class="390530210-16092005"><font face="Century Schoolbook" color="#ff0000" size="4"></font></span>
<span class="390530210-16092005"></span>
<span class="390530210-16092005"></span></blockquote>
<span class="390530210-16092005"><font face="Century Schoolbook" color="#0000ff" size="4">That sure sounds like they just didn't clean and prep the rear (inside) of the bumper. You can't plate over a rusty surface;all surfaces should have been blasted / ground / sanded down to the base steel. Despite what the contact guy "understood", you didn't get a good job. Personally, I'd find another shop, a local one.</font></span>
<span class="390530210-16092005"><font face="Century Schoolbook" color="#0000ff" size="4"></font></span>
<span class="390530210-16092005">
<div align="left"><font face="Century Schoolbook" color="#0000ff" size="4">Ed Price</font>
<div align="left"><font face="Century Schoolbook" color="#0000ff" size="4">El Cajon, CA USA</font>
<div align="left"><font face="Century Schoolbook" color="#0000ff" size="4">67 Rust Guppy</font>
<div align="left"><font color="#0000ff" size="4"></font></span>
 
J

John Friese

Guest
Hello Jim,

My understanding is that it's difficult to impossible to get a good
chrome job on a surface like the inside of that bumper. Certainly,
the rechrome jobs I had done didn't even attempt to do the inside. I
originally painted the insides with a rubberized undercoat paint but
it pulled away after a couple of years as the paint shrank. Now I
just spray the insides with Amsoil rust preventative spray. It goes
on quite thin but leaves a rather thick waxy coating that seems to
hold on. I'd pick away all the loose material and simply spray on a
protective coating. Since it doesn't show and generally doesn't get
touched, your choice of protective coatings is rather broad.

Your carb. shouldn't be leaking outside the body. It's normal for
those carbs to leak into the manifold after shutting the engine off.
There is a small hold (probably clogged) that allows the gas to drain
into that U shaped pipe that comes off the side of the manifold. I
think this was to avoid having the gas flood the engine in case of a
restart. The system is strange but that's the way it was done.

The solenoid shut off valve should work just fine. If yours doesn't,
I would buy another. I've heard of some people fixing their old ones
but the two on my cars always worked ok.

I've never found the need to install an electric fuel pump. The
mechanical ones work fine on my cars. If yours is ancient and you
don't trust it, it can be rebuilt or replaced.

John Friese

White 67
Red 67






--- In amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com, "Bihari, James"
<jbihari@o...> wrote:
> Today I got back mt one piece front bumper that I had NEL Metal
Restoration
> in Philadelphia rechrome. I chose them because the guy there
(Marty) seemed
> to understand that since this bumper will be in the water all the
time, the
> back (inside) of it needs to be plated as well as the
> front (and he said that 5 week turnaround time was a honest
estimate of how
> long it would take).
> I can live with the fact that it took 8 weeks (I expected that, but
why is it
> that people never give
> you an honest answer about turnaround time, even if you tell them
you don't
> mind if it takes longer?), but the inside of the bumper looks like
they
> plated right over rust. It's all bubbled up
> and I could flake off a 2 inch square piece of chrome with my
fingernail. It
> sure looks like rust
> underneath, but could it be a copper layer that looks like rust? I
called to
> complain, and thought I was being nice but firm, and the guy
sounded very
> angry but said I should send it back and that
> they would completely redo it AND refund all my money and then he
hung up.
> The trouble is, I
> need my bumper right now and now I just don't trust those guys.
The front of
> it looks great but
> I'm worried about it rusting through from the back. Anyone know
anything
> about what
> the back of a chromed bumper should look like. The whole back
looks/feels
> like bumpy
> chrome overtop of styrofoam overtop of rust. You can press your
finger into
> it like styrofoam, then peel off the top chrome layer with your
finger and it
> looks like rusty
> steel underneath. Very odd.
>
> Next question involves carburetors. Bought a rebuilt carburetor
and have
> only had the
> engine started up a few times for 20 seconds at a time, perhaps 2
or 3
> minutes total,
> so the carb is not "broken in" yet. Everytime we turn the engine
off,
> gasoline drips into
> the throttle body below the butterfly and then leaks out the
shaft/bolt that
> the throttle
> cable attaches to and gasoline drips out onto the manifold. It's a
> significant amount
> and doesn't seem safe. Is this a common problem with these
carburetors?
> Does the
> needdle valve stick when it's newly rebuilt? I've already to send
the
> carbuerator back
> once due to a missing part and am thinking about trading it in for
a new one.
>
> The valve that shuts off the gasoline below the gas tank doesn't
seem to be
> letting gasoline through on mine. Do folks often bypass this valve
and look
> inside the luggage
> compartment for gas leaks before starting? Also, how many folks
have had
> fuel pump
> failures and opted for an auxiliary electric fuel pump? I assume
that mine
> is the original.
> It works fine but the car has not been running for 30+ years.
>
> Somehow I lost the nut that holds the ignition switch in place. I
didn't see
> them listed in
> Hugh's catalogue so I found out that a certain size kitchen faucet
aereator
> (spelling?) is
> almost the same thread and bought a dishwasher adapter fitting
becauser it
> was thicker
> metal and cut it off and it works and doesn't look too dumb. I
guess the nut
> that hold on
> the backup lights are also the same thread at the ignition switch.
Do other
> cars like
> Volkswagens have the same size ignition switch I wonder?
>
> I have 4 more days to work on my car before I go back to
teaching/taking
> classes a million hours a week. I really wanted to have the car
done this
> summer and I'm so close! The optometry class scheduled its
welcome back
> picnic at a place with a boat
> ramp next Tuesday so I can give rides if it's done. I sure hope it
is but
> problems always
> pop up when restoring a car that hasn't been driven for so long.
>
> Jim Bihari
 
M

Mike Israel

Guest
I know my bumper was acid washed in a vat for a few
days before replating. They only did the outside.

I tried painting inside with Por-15 clear but it was
not adhering well. Kind of like paint on slick
plastic. Instead, I simply used Eastwoods version of
waxoil which worked really nicely as a protectant for
this area.

If outside looks good I would just clean up the inside
and cover it with waxoil type stuff.

--- "Bihari, James" <jbihari@optometry.osu.edu> wrote:

> Today I got back mt one piece front bumper that I
> had NEL Metal Restoration
> in Philadelphia rechrome. I chose them because the
> guy there (Marty) seemed
> to understand that since this bumper will be in the
> water all the time, the
> back (inside) of it needs to be plated as well as
> the
> front (and he said that 5 week turnaround time was a
> honest estimate of how
> long it would take).
> I can live with the fact that it took 8 weeks (I
> expected that, but why is it
> that people never give
> you an honest answer about turnaround time, even if
> you tell them you don't
> mind if it takes longer?), but the inside of the
> bumper looks like they
> plated right over rust. It's all bubbled up
> and I could flake off a 2 inch square piece of
> chrome with my fingernail. It
> sure looks like rust
> underneath, but could it be a copper layer that
> looks like rust? I called to
> complain, and thought I was being nice but firm, and
> the guy sounded very
> angry but said I should send it back and that
> they would completely redo it AND refund all my
> money and then he hung up.
> The trouble is, I
> need my bumper right now and now I just don't trust
> those guys. The front of
> it looks great but
> I'm worried about it rusting through from the back.
> Anyone know anything
> about what
> the back of a chromed bumper should look like. The
> whole back looks/feels
> like bumpy
> chrome overtop of styrofoam overtop of rust. You
> can press your finger into
> it like styrofoam, then peel off the top chrome
> layer with your finger and it
> looks like rusty
> steel underneath. Very odd.
>
> Next question involves carburetors. Bought a
> rebuilt carburetor and have
> only had the
> engine started up a few times for 20 seconds at a
> time, perhaps 2 or 3
> minutes total,
> so the carb is not "broken in" yet. Everytime we
> turn the engine off,
> gasoline drips into
> the throttle body below the butterfly and then leaks
> out the shaft/bolt that
> the throttle
> cable attaches to and gasoline drips out onto the
> manifold. It's a
> significant amount
> and doesn't seem safe. Is this a common problem
> with these carburetors?
> Does the
> needdle valve stick when it's newly rebuilt? I've
> already to send the
> carbuerator back
> once due to a missing part and am thinking about
> trading it in for a new one.
>
> The valve that shuts off the gasoline below the gas
> tank doesn't seem to be
> letting gasoline through on mine. Do folks often
> bypass this valve and look
> inside the luggage
> compartment for gas leaks before starting? Also,
> how many folks have had
> fuel pump
> failures and opted for an auxiliary electric fuel
> pump? I assume that mine
> is the original.
> It works fine but the car has not been running for
> 30+ years.
>
> Somehow I lost the nut that holds the ignition
> switch in place. I didn't see
> them listed in
> Hugh's catalogue so I found out that a certain size
> kitchen faucet aereator
> (spelling?) is
> almost the same thread and bought a dishwasher
> adapter fitting becauser it
> was thicker
> metal and cut it off and it works and doesn't look
> too dumb. I guess the nut
> that hold on
> the backup lights are also the same thread at the
> ignition switch. Do other
> cars like
> Volkswagens have the same size ignition switch I
> wonder?
>
> I have 4 more days to work on my car before I go
> back to teaching/taking
> classes a million hours a week. I really wanted to
> have the car done this
> summer and I'm so close! The optometry class
> scheduled its welcome back
> picnic at a place with a boat
> ramp next Tuesday so I can give rides if it's done.
> I sure hope it is but
> problems always
> pop up when restoring a car that hasn't been driven
> for so long.
>
> Jim Bihari
>
>
 
N

nelson625@aol.com

Guest
<table style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff">
Jim -

Just to give you more information to stick in the hopper. Regarding the back side of your front bumper, I routinely spray paint the backside of the bumpers on several antique cars, including the Amphicar with aluminunm paint. Prior to doing a routine respray,if Ifind a situationsuch as you describe whereareas on the backsideseem spongy and/or you can peal off the chrome with a screw driver or your finger, then I judiciously wire brush the suspect areas with a brush on an electric drill to get down to essentially "clean" material. Don't have the brush turning in a direction that will tend to peel any chrome off toward the edge of the bumper. Rather, rotate it in the other direction as you do it. For me this works well. Keeping track of how it looks and seems to be doing, since the Amphicar gets bathed oftener than most antiques, you can decide how often you ought to do a respray. I am sure some of these other products e.g. POR-15, or the waxy coating will work also. I just have notused them in this regard since the foegoing has worked well for me for a lot of years.

I had some problems with my mechanical fuel pump. At least, that seemed to be the problem. On two out of state Swim-Ins - Celina and one other, I recognized that I needed to get to the bottom of it so to speak. I took the caruretor apart pretty completely, but could notfind the problem, though it could have been a passageway blocked that I did not see. I am not an expert onCarburetors or even on Carburetion theory. At any rate, with almost all Antique cars, as well as carbureted vehicles which are not driven regularly, Iinstall an electric fuel pump. On my Amphicar, I initially put an electric fuel pump in line with the mechanical pump and powered it with a push button. However, after enough "holding the button on periodically" because the mechanical pump was evidentally not working properly, I decided to wire the electric pump "on" permanently. For 5 years now, it and the mechanical pump have been "on line" and I have had NO further problems. If the diaphragm on your mechanical pump is cracked or ruptured then you should take it out of the fuel circuit completely as there is a likelihood of pumping some fuel down into the crakcase. With all my antique vehicles,when I am still utilizing the existing mechanical pump which is usually the case, the electric pump is on a push button wired through the ignition switch. This way, even if the vehicle has set more than a month, I simply get in, as I do with my Amphicar, turn on the ignition and with the Amphicar the "Emergency Start" button, wait about 30 seconds, pump the accelerator 3 or 4 times and it comes to life every time. I have a 1948 Ford Woodie that sets for 4-6 weeks on occasion. I turn on the key, hold the button for about 30 seconds, pump the accellerator 3 or 4 times and am ALWAYS rewarded with an almost instant start. ( by instant I mean in 2-5 seconds) The beauty of the "priming" system is that it does not deplete your battery unduly as you grind away on the starter and does not wear on the starter bearings and components. An electric fuel pump ideally should be located near the tank so as to push the fuel. If your car even "thinks about" being subject to vapor lock, having a full time electric pump pushing the fuel will almost guarantee this cannot happen. Others can probably advise you better, but I would recommend a fuel pump with only moderate pressure 3-5 lbs or so. Too much pressure can overwhelm the float valve in the carburetor. Somewhere in our literature, the fuel pressure specs for the OEM mechanical pump are probably stated which can give you an idea concerning the fuel pressure desired. Such pumps are apt to cost about $35 to $50. There are more expensive ones, but the Triumph engine does not require anything fancy - just reliable.

I believe you also mentioned a question about the electric turn off on the fuel line beneath the tank. This is a simple item to replace, but probably also to clean or take apart. I am not sure, but I recollect others have said it is easy to disassemble and clean. It should not drip or leak down into the bilge. If yours does, then if you are unable to stop this, you should replace it, but it is a valuable component which when operating properly assures that no fuel flows by gravity or otherwise into the carburetor once the ignition is turned off.

Vic Nelson with the '67 Aqua "Split Personality" near Daytona
 
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