Ran from Georgetown to South Austin to the Four Seasons Hotel. Not a problem. Pulled out of the hotel at noon and 4 blocks later the car died...I mean voltage dropped to zero instantly. Found the neg. battery cable loose and got a push from a couple of guys and a jump start on the car. Car died again and we pulled onto a side street. Emergency brake didn't work too well and as my wife got out of the car it started rolling and the door hit the bumper of a Suburben and wasted the paint on the door edge. Nell jumped into the car and cranked up on the handle to no avail, jumped into the drivers seat and hit the brake. We decided at that point that it was better to take the car home and fix the bugs. Now the trouble starts. We went down 6th street (sounds great with the richochet of pipes between the buildings) and onto Loop 1 North and dead again.
The car died about 7 or 8 times in a matter of minutes. Herky-Jerky like I was on a bucking horse then it would just die. Thought I may have run out of gas since my sending unit doesn't read correctly...nope. Got off at 35th street to Lamar and pulled into a gas station. Filled up but had 6 gal in the tank yet. Needed another jump. Took 35th to 183 North. Lot's of buck'n horse driving on the flyover of 183.
Finally made it to Pep Boys at about 3pm after limping along, dying, restarting, dying, restarting...Fuel pressure was essentially zero at times. Sometimes 3.5, nominally it runs at about 5lbs. It's a Holley mechanical fuel pump going to a 650 D.P.
Battery never would go above 12vdc. A guy at Pep Boys had a little portable handheld alternator tester that he hooked to the battery and I turned the car over. The tester, he said, never read good. So, I might have a bad alternator (even though it's brand new).
Oil was on the intake again so, going to have to replace the intake manifold gasket. When the engine was finished they never put a timing pointer on so, had to tune it by ear. Need one of them.
Decided I have a Missing Timing pointer, missing fuel filter, pressure reading zero (maybe the mechanical pump?), Alternator is possibly shot, Intake manifold gasket needs replaced...that should keep me busy for awhile.
Bottom line, had to call a wrecker ("ound Up" I highly recommend them. They have an approach ramp truck and even with only 3" of ground clearance, nothing touched.) at 3pm. Finally arrived at 6pm. No room in the truck for the wife and I though. So, I now had to call a cab. Finally got home at 7pm...$95 towing bill, $45 cab fare (hardly seems fair?). The Tow truck guy backed up into my drive and actually unloaded the car smack-dab in the center of my garage right off of the truck!
Geez, am I pooped!
Anyone want to help with a few projects?
