'Morning All,
Had a great day yesterday puttering on the '63 during idle times in the shop (don't want to give the impression that I'm not working!) I performed a tune-up, although I decided not to install the new spark plugs, as the ones in the car looked new. A PO had obviously tried plugs, without replacing the points or wires. She now purrs like a kitten - I've never heard a big block idle so quietly. We took our first trip to town (12 mile round trip) and she performed well. I'll be taking Hugh's advice and will change the starter today, as the solenoid appears to be failing. I also noticed the fuel pump is leaking from the vent last night when I put her away. Ahh, the joy of re-animating a car that's been off the road for years...
More sun is predicted for today, so I need to get outside and take advantage of the weather.
Anyway, I pulled the clock out, and having read some excellent information on the web site, had it running in no time. It does appear that some of the holes are badly worn, and it looks like the winding mechanism has been repaired. That little winding mechanism is fascinating... I sat there like an idiot watching it rewind time after time. My poor neighbor wandered in and I'm quite sure he thinks I've lost my mind. I only made him watch it rewind twice.
Anyway, I was very pleased with myself and reassembled and reinstalled the clock. When I reconnected the battery, I was greeted by a buzzing noise in the dash that sounded quite a bit like an alarm clock. It stopped before I could get the battery disconnected, and the clock is now not working. I have this horrible feeling... can anybody tell me it's probably all okay?
I also dug into the gauges. I remember reading about gauge repair someplace, but couldn't find the article on the web site. My '63 FSM is "in the mail", so I was working back and forth between a '62 and '64 manual trying to glean relevant information. I did find the voltage limiter located in the temperature gauge. There was what appeared to be a bi-metalic arm with a charred winding, badly bent out of shape. I tried straightening the arm and aligning the contacts, but the gauges now simply peg to the right (high, hot, and full). Is there an easy fix for this (some Radio Shack wizardry perhaps?) or do I need to look for a new gauge?
Well, I gotta get outside and get to work. Any help appreciated.
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