Is there any sideplay in the distributor shaft? If so, that can lead to a busted rotor and cap when the rotor starts smacking the cap terminals.
darn fender, I had hoped one of us was doing well.
I thought iwas doing well and all hell has broken loose here too
I don t think I d better get rid of old blue yet, I have to get to the doctor this week and the jeep is on jack stands for the forseeable future
No sideplay, just cheap chinese parts ruining my day
@wesw sorry to hear that. Just the nature of old cars. If you’re not cussin you’re not makin progress! Love/Hate relationship.
I just bought a NOS Distributor rotor off ebay for 30 bucks. So hopefully that’ll fit right up with the old cap and she’ll be back to normal. I’m going to pull that fuel line tomorrow and put some teflon tape around the threads.
Now I’ve just got the waiting for parts blues!
I’m impressed by how much progress you’re making. I think you got yourself a good car to work on. Two steps forward and one back is better than a lot of these projects seem to go, where five years later it has been abandoned and is slowly rusting away. It will be very cool when done.
We tried to warn you…
@MarkM thank you. @Caddyman Haha I’m too stubborn I guess. It’s frustrating because I just need to fix a few things to be able to drive it around. A four drum, basic braking system. A rotor. Engine flush. Patience is what I’m lacking.
Just curious - what brand cap/rotor gave you problems? From what source? Have you tried NAPA? I looked on Rockauto, expected to find several, they only list Airtex/Wells and Standard Motor, neither of which I know anything about.
Have you looked for an old car forum with a Cadillac section? Not that we don’t like trying to help, but I imagine there are a number of folks restoring and driving early '50s Cadillacs that’ll know good sources for parts, tips for overheating, etc.
Thanks texases. Yeah it was the Airtex stuff that gave me the trouble. Right now I’m so angry because I figured a little teflon tape would fix my fuel leak. It didnt.
I undid the line, wrapped the threads with a little and snugged it back up. Drip …Drip…Drip. Took it off, really wrapped it in teflon. Snugged it up. Drip…Drip…Drip… Who wants to come help me push this thing off a cliff.
What kind of a fitting is it? Some aren’t helped with Teflon tape.
Not sure the correct term but I’ll explain it. Its a metal fuel line with a flared out end, and theres a nut on the line with threads on the outside. This screws into the tank which has a hole with threads on the inside, so when you tighten it it couples the flared end in. Theyre all throughout the whole engine in the vacuum lines, etc.
looks like this
That’s what I thought. Teflon tape isn’t meant to work on these. It’s not the threads that aren’t sealing. It’s the area between the inside ‘cone’ of the flared tubing and the matching cone in the tank fitting. One or the other is corroded or damaged.
Here’s a cross section of the corresponding cone:
Yeah. Thats unfortunate because the female end is inside the gas tank.
Any chance the problem is the line? Is the mating surface perfect?
Seems fine when looking at it.
I called a vintage car repair shop and they can take a look in about 3 weeks. As far as it running hot the guy said it might be a head gasket, at which point I might as well rebuild the engine. I thought I was so close to being able to drive it around town on the weekends but its slowly becoming beyond my means in my current life. I put it up for sale on craigslist or trade. Sad to say. We’ll see what happens.
some clogs in coolant system? flush?
I mustve gone to 5 different auto parts stores trying to get a fitting I could put on the tank and then reattach the fuel line, essentially renewing the mating surface the flare of the line attaches to, but nobody made something that had half inch to half inch.
Have you checked on line?
try a heating and air supply house, or plumbing supply