72' F250 CS "Rex" Sold! -update

[mcheath]

Thought a checkup was due on how the O'Reilly paint (Colormatch) is holding up on the tailgate. It's done a bit over a year now since being painted and installed. Spent most of that year outdoors in our blazing sun, these last few months it got to move into the garage.

So here's a look at the paint.

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It's not quite a perfect match, was always a little more cream color. That seems to have become more noticeable in the past year.

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Been polishing the paint the last couple of days. The O'Reilly paint does not take a good shine, didn't when it was newer and does not now. (I didn't touch it with wax until three months passed to let it dry well) It's decent looking paint, and it's worn okay, but the color was never correct and is darkening with age and it does not shine up with wax like it should.

In the garage with a nice coat of wax.

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[sargentrs]

I think it looks great!

[Heirloom]

Hard to tell a difference in the pics. I think it looks good as well. Was the paint single stage or base/clear? Thanks for the paint check up!

[mcheath]

It's a single stage, though I put their own clear coat over it. Not sure that was a good idea or not.

Today I took advantage of the nice weather, it was 70 degrees today, and painted the back bumper with a fresh coat of aluminum. Used a can of Rustoleum that I bought in 1982 to paint the back bumper on my 73' Chevy, been using this same can ever since every so often. Still have a little less than half less, so I'm guessing I may never need to buy another.

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Used the AC on the way home from work the other day, crazy weather, and got to thinking about improving it. Here's the idea:

1. Relocate the trans cooler out of the front of the AC condenser.

2. Get a small electric radiator fan from the wreaking yard and put it on the front of the AC condenser.

3. Wire the fan to come on when the AC compressor is on.

I think this will improve cooling at stop signs and idle. Or will it? Any thoughts?

[guhfluh]

Yes, I'd do it. It should vastly improve cooling when stopped idling in gear.

[mcheath]

One small problem is this brace.

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It only will allow a fairly small fan, 7" or so. I might have to cut and modify it, then I think a 10" would fit. Or perhaps do a couple of 7" fans.

[mcheath]

In the middle of a carb rebuild. The truck runs well from a cold start and until warm. It will fire right up and drive away without a bit of warmup, which surprises me. However once warm there is a hesitation off start, and no amount of tinkering has cured it.

The weird thing is that the hesitation is not consistent, it comes and goes.

Pulled the carb, took it apart, it's soaking all night now. I let one side soak for 10 hours and have now flipped it over to get the rest.

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What's up with no choke pull off in the rebuild kit? Mine's got rips in the diaphragm.

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When I pulled the carb I noticed a puddle of oil next to it. Looks like it's been coming from the gasket that sits between the spacer and the manifold. Could that cause the hesitation? I ordered a new gasket to be on the safe side.

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[sargentrs]

What's up with no choke pull off in the rebuild kit? Mine's got rips in the diaphragm.

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Here's the write up I like to use to rebuild a 2100 carb http://hurtle.com/cars/mustang/fixes/carb/ You can read about the choke pull off adjustment there. I thought I remember getting one in the kit I bought but that was several years ago. However, they are available. http://www.carburetion.com/sitesearch.a ... arburetors

[mcheath]

Thanks for that info, that's a good write up.

Soaked the carb parts, sprayed them with carb cleaner, blew out the passages etc. Did some scrubbing with a toothbrush as well.

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A minor fix, the PO had stripped the threads for the stud that mounts the air cleaner housing. I tapped the housing and replaced the original stud with a new all thread from the hardware store. Before I could not snug down the wing nut for the air cleaner, but now it's nice and tight.

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And here it is, nice and clean.

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[mcheath]

Installed it yesterday and drove it to work today. Choke needed some more adjusting, so I did some tonight. Overall it runs a tad smoother, but it's nothing dramatic. Still has the intermittent flat spot on acceleration. Probably ought to spend some time fiddling with timing and carb and idle.

At least it's clean and purty.

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[sargentrs]

Good job, mcheath!

[mcheath]

Thanks!

I spoke to soon on evaluating the effects of the carb rebuild. I did some adjusting last night on it, fast idle cam, choke, mixture, and shazam it ran great today! It still has some hesitation, but very little, and it really runs smooth. Idle is very nice, and it was easier to start all day.

But I bet that gas mileage is still bad. Aw well.

[mcheath]

Nothing fancy, just a new turn signal stalk. Old one was losing the chrome plate, and had rust pits. Searched the wreaking yards forever and never found anything, nor did I want to go with one of the repops at LMC or DC as they have the black plastic end cap.

Heard about Mustangs Unlimited here on the forum, they make a repop for the 67'-73' Stangs that is a double for our trucks. It's only 8 bucks, so I ordered it. Shipping added 8 more dollars, of course.

Nice looking stalk, not exact but close enough for government work. The package claims it may have been made in China or Taiwan. May have? Don't they know?

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[sargentrs]

I bought the same one. Good find!

[mcheath]

Not much happening lately, just driving it to work each day. Running really good after the carb work, best 15 bucks I've invested!

Did go find another brown headrest at Pick a Part this weekend to match the other two.

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Yeah I messed up big time on lining up that seat cover with the middle.

Impressed at how well the truck runs. I've been daily driving it since Sept and it's been 99% reliable. The only breakdown was a loose wire on the coil, a quick squeeze and I was off again.

Also just paid the People's Republik of California™ their annual tribute to allow me the privilege of driving on their (crappy) roads. $175 bucks this year, went up one dollar from last year. What are those of you who live in America paying? To me it seems crazy to pay this kind of money for a 42 year old pickup, but I just live here.

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