Some days you should avoid helping others...

[1 Wild R/T]

So, being a nice guy I rebuilt a carb (for free) for a guy who's working on restoring an old car... He finally gets it fired up & it runs like ****... I get a call "that carb is a POS!!" Being I have some free time I stop by to have a look... The car barely runs, popping & farting, it idles fine & when your on the gas it's fine but anything above 1500 rpm it shakes violently & backfires out the exhaust... Standing outside the car I wasn't sure what was going on, could be the carb but maybe not... I jumped in the drivers seat & just by feeling the way the engine was acting I knew it was ignition related... It's an original prestolite dual point, I pop the cap & the point gaps are both pretty wide, probably in the .040 range, (He had the distributor "restored" by one of the gurus) I close the points down closer to .017 & fire it up.. Better but still not even close to right.... Still popping out the back.. Suddenly it dawns on me, I've seen this before... Headed to my shop & grabbed a NOS condenser... Dropped it in & fired that mother up..... It Purrs & it'll light the tires at will... BTW it's a 68 GTX 440/4-spd that hasn't run since the mid eighties...

Kinda points out why trying to help people over the internet is so difficult, until I sat it the drivers seat I wasn't sure if it was carb or ignition... Over the internet the are a thousand clues we can't see or feel....

 

[kiwigtx]

So, being a nice guy I rebuilt a carb (for free) for a guy who's working on restoring an old car... He finally gets it fired up & it runs like ****... I get a call "that carb is a POS!!" Being I have some free time I stop by to have a look... The car barely runs, popping & farting, it idles fine & when your on the gas it's fine but anything above 1500 rpm it shakes violently & backfires out the exhaust... Standing outside the car I wasn't sure what was going on, could be the carb but maybe not... I jumped in the drivers seat & just by feeling the way the engine was acting I knew it was ignition related... It's an original prestolite dual point, I pop the cap & the point gaps are both pretty wide, probably in the .040 range, (He had the distributor "restored" by one of the gurus) I close the points down closer to .017 & fire it up.. Better but still not even close to right.... Still popping out the back.. Suddenly it dawns on me, I've seen this before... Headed to my shop & grabbed a NOS condenser... Dropped it in & fired that mother up..... It Purrs & it'll light the tires at will... BTW it's a 68 GTX 440/4-spd that hasn't run since the mid eighties...

Kinda points out why trying to help people over the internet is so difficult, until I sat it the drivers seat I wasn't sure if it was carb or ignition... Over the internet the are a thousand clues we can't see or feel....

I hope your 'friend' appreciated your help.

 

[Cranky]

Never real easy to help somebody who doesn't know much about cars....

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I hope your 'friend' appreciated your help.

Pretty sure he did... Frustrating at times, guys spent lots of $$$ having "professionals" restore parts but call someone else (in this case me) when theres a problem... Oh, his professionally restored starter is currently on the bench & the old crusty original is back in the car...

Oh, he also had the alternator restored by another restorer, not the one who did the starter & distributor... The alternator is beautiful & works perfectly, thanks Jim Ridge for being one of the good guys...

 

[eldubb440]

2 things........

1. no good deed goes unpunished

2. 90% of carb issues are ignition issues

 

[Kern Dog]

I can't help it....If I see someone in need, I am compelled to help out.
I have helped jump start dead batteries numerous times. I've stopped to help change out flat tires. I don't pick up hitchhikers though.

 

[autoxcuda]

Friend had same deal with a Hemi George (rip) dual point. He was the guy with tons of inventory on eBay with high prices.

Distributor was pieced together with small block parts and a hedge lodge of other stuff. Another mutual friend straightening it out.

 

[eldubb440]

I've had 2 condensers crap out.........

first time, I immediately tore into both carbs with no improvement; I eventually figured it out

second time, I was all over it...... if you run points, keep a spare condenser in the glove box

 

[33 IMP]

I've had 2 condensers crap out.........

first time, I immediately tore into both carbs with no improvement; I eventually figured it out

second time, I was all over it...... if you run points, keep a spare condenser in the glove box

...if you can find a good one. I think I might trust a 30y.o. one before a new one.....

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I've had 2 condensers crap out.........

first time, I immediately tore into both carbs with no improvement; I eventually figured it out

second time, I was all over it...... if you run points, keep a spare condenser in the glove box

Like I mentioned above, I'd seen it before... Back when I was in High School I worked a a shop doing minor repairs & watched the older more skilled guys... One had a Impala in his stall, wouldn't run banging & popping.. He sold them a timing chain... And eventually figured out it had a bad condenser... My first time seeing the ugly side of auto repair... Saw quite a bit more in that shop before I decided it was time to move along...

Second time was around 83, same deal, the tech was sure it needed a timing chain.... I mentioned he should try putting a condenser in it... He scoffed... Did the timing chain then put a condenser in it...

Third time I had a Duster towed into my shop, I'd gained a reputation as being pretty good on old Mopars.. They had already put a timing chain in the original 15K mile engine... Then put a new engine in the car... And it still wouldn't start... Oh, did I mention they had transferred the untouched original distributor to the new engine... Yeah, condenser... Took my less then twenty minutes & these people thought I walked on water...

 

[eldubb440]

Like I mentioned above, I'd seen it before... Back when I was in High School I worked a a shop doing minor repairs & watched the older more skilled guys... One had a Impala in his stall, wouldn't run banging & popping.. He sold them a timing chain... And eventually figured out it had a bad condenser... My first time seeing the ugly side of auto repair... Saw quite a bit more in that shop before I decided it was time to move along...

Second time was around 83, same deal, the tech was sure it needed a timing chain.... I mentioned he should try putting a condenser in it... He scoffed... Did the timing chain then put a condenser in it...

Third time I had a Duster towed into my shop, I'd gained a reputation as being pretty good on old Mopars.. They had already put a timing chain in the original 15K mile engine... Then put a new engine in the car... And it still wouldn't start... Oh, did I mention they had transferred the untouched original distributor to the new engine... Yeah, condenser... Took my less then twenty minutes & these people thought I walked on water...

did they even cost 5 bucks back then?.....and what, 5 minutes to install it?.......knowing what I know, that would always be where I start

 

[Geoff 2]

Time to find a new friend?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

did they even cost 5 bucks back then?.....and what, 5 minutes to install it?.......knowing what I know, that would always be where I start

More like $1... The highlighted part is the key... And they don't always act the same, the one today was the first time I had one run... It wasn't completely failed, just failing... The other two wouldn't run but they sure bang ed & popped & farted a lot...

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Time to find a new friend?

Naaa, he's a good guy, just doesn't know quite as much about cars as he thinks... But there are plenty of things I don't know too.....

 

[eldubb440]

More like $1... The highlighted part is the key... And they don't always act the same, the one today was the first time I had one run... It wasn't completely failed, just failing... The other two wouldn't run but they sure bang ed & popped & farted a lot...

both mine were running, barely

 

[moparedtn]

This story reminds me yet again of the hope I always have when reading of the good guys like @1 Wild R/T -
namely, the hope that there's a younger version of him that he's influenced/helped along the way to becoming
the next generation of "good guy" as well.
The hobby is depending on that happening, hundreds of times, all over the globe...

 

[66 Sat]

I can't help it....If I see someone in need, I am compelled to help out.
I have helped jump start dead batteries numerous times. I've stopped to help change out flat tires. I don't pick up hitchhikers though.

Not even long legged, pretty females?

 

[Demonic]

I don't pick up hitchhikers though.

I did once. The guy asked if I was afraid he was a serial killer. I said the chances of two serial killers in the same car was astronomical.

I help out friends and family. Most appreciate it.

 

[BB BELLA]

post #5 pretty much nailed it

no good deed goes unpunished, I need to learn to say "I can't do that"

 

[Nxcoupe]

I usually end up with all the problem children that no other shop wants to touch, or it came from another shop that's thrown their hands up on the car. Being 'that guy' is what got me the career I have now. I really enjoy that feeling of accomplishing something that up to this point, hadn't been done. Couple that with the satisfaction of helping someone who was in need and that's what keeps me going. I like helping younger guys along too. They need encouragement and some guidance with patience mixed in, but I like to share what I know.
I'm not right all the time, but I will always try to help and I learn from my mistakes.
Good job wildrt!