7000 mile road trip

[Tom H]

Update: Waited a couple hours for a starter in Hope. Got it, installed it, Hardly would crank. Checked and redid all the grounds, and cables. Still would not crank enough to start. Pulled the starter, swapped it back with my old one, got my money back, called an O'Reilley Auto Parts near Bellevue, WA, Ordered a starter ( 1972 MG Midget) is what everybody stocks, push started it, drove 3 hrs to O'Reilley's . Had a bit of a problem at the border. Border guy said "turn off the car". I said I can't re-start it if I do. He let us go thru. Got the starter and drove to Eleven's (Tracy Skinner) garage in Bellevue. Installd starter and OD solenoid. Kept the old solenoid plunger in place . All works .

Now we're in Tullamook, OR, heading down the coast. Spent a night in KOA near Astoria.

Thanks to Tracy and Ginger in Bellevue and all the others with thoughts and encouragemnt.

Tom

 

[Eleven]

Came home from my business trip to San Francisco at 11 PM to find, in my garage, a pair of legs under a red Alpine shouting at another guy "How about now?"!!

Tom and his friend Bob apparently got to my house about 9 PM with some funny stories about the border controls and getting starters sorted. What takes me a weekend took Tom about an hour to do, nothing like repeating a task to improve time and skills.

They got the new starter in, changed the OD selenoid and swapped out the oil preassure relief valve for mine and then blasted off into the night. They have so much stuff in that car that I had to put boards under the rear tires to get them from grounding the exhaust backing out the car on my driveway (a little steep). Looked like a pair of Okies except they lack the water bag hanging from the front grill.

They also looked like they were having the time of their lives!!!

Have fun guys!!!! (crap, now I have to go back to work...)

 

[Ken Ellis]

Pics, or it didn't happen...

 

[Eleven]

Tom's got a group shot.

 

[Tom H]

"A little steep"?? I don't think there are any two members of this forum that could push an Alpine UP Tracy's driveway!!

And you want proof?

I've attached a pic of me pulling the starter at a motel in Hope BC, and a pic of me ,Bob, and Tracy (he's the big guy) after the work was done,and a pic of me in the Alpine along the Oregon Coast.

Again, a BIG thanks to Tracy and Ginger.

Had another small snag today. We have noticed that the Alpine seemed to be losing power. Going slower and slower up hills. Well late today ,while going DOWN a hill it seemed to have lost almost all power. We pulled over and popped the bonnet. Lo and behold, the aluminum bracket I had made, as part of the Weber carb linkage had worn away. It's a simple aluminum plate with a hole it it that the carb shaft link fits into near the firewall,much like the original carb shaft bracket a SV. Over the 3500 miles since I installed the Weber, the round hole has worn into a slot. The result is that pressing the throttle fully results in less than fully open throttle. Finally on the downhill today, the slot wore fully thru the edge of the aluminum plate and the throttle rod popped out altogether, yielding virtually idle condition no matter how far you stepped on the pedal! Easy fix with some wire wrapped around the shaft and plate.

On to San Francisco tomorrow.

Tom

 

[steven]

Another fix Ive used on various cars over the years was to disconnect the choke cable at the carb and use it as the accelerator. Lots of arm movements but got me out of lots of situations with faulty linkages.

 

[Alpine 1789]

I've attached a pic of me pulling the starter at a motel in Hope BC...

Tom: if this picture is what it looks like, seeing you under the car with only a wheel to save you if the jack collapses scares the hell out of me! I urge you to pick up a set of cheap jack stands at your next stop! I am really enjoying your travelogue and am jealous as hell over your trip; I want you to finish it safe and sound.

 

[Alpineracer8]

Tom:

Wow, what a trip!!! I envy you bigtime for being able to make a trip like that. Have a great time in San Fran and enjoy the rest of your trip!!!!!

 

[Duke]

seeing you under the car with only a wheel to save you if the jack collapses scares the hell out of me! I urge you to pick up a set of cheap jack stands at your next stop!

+100. Hell, let me know your next stop an I will buy some for you. Gonna get killed doing that.

Great story thus far by the way.

1994 - road trip form San Diego to Sula Montana in a 59 Bugeye. There was two of us, close quarters.

 

[bluoval]

remain forever young

Hi Tom Only now did I see your posts. It was a hell of a read. Soo happy for you to do it again.. Hope you took your music libary,so you can kick back and enjoy Johny..Know you are enjoying the journey rather than thinking of the deatination..You are living the dream we have. Most of us lack the do it attitude you posess and we admire you for living the dream that we will never see. Liife is sweet love it and live it. Have fun Earl Bluoval

 

[Tom H]

Update: Made it to San Francisco. Had dinner with my son and his wife and some of her family. Went to Sunbeam Specialties and bought a new OD switch for the tranny. Again under the car and a tough reach , but got the old one out and new one in.

Found the old sw was OK, but when John Roseby overhauled this tranny I think he used too many shim washers when he installed the switch. As a result, with a little wear on the shift mechanism, the switch no longer closed when in 3/4. I still installed the new switch but only after removing the thickest of the 4 washers.

All is running fine now. Great using CA freeways with OD working. Did the tourist things in SF . Now heading East. Should be in Copper Mtn, CO by Sat evening. Hope to make the Colorado Onclave on Sunday.

Still having problems with OPR valve! I have a photo to show that even the one I got from Tracy sticks- sometimes closed and sometimes partly open. Over the years on this forum I have read about people with "sticky OP gauges". I think they are really cases of sticky OPR valves. It's a problem that needs resolution!

Oh ,and about getting under a car with little support: Yes, I know and am almost always careful. I think the spare wheel was pretty minimal protection , but it was the only time I used such min protection. All other times I used BIG/ solid support. Last 2 times under the car I simply ran the front wheel on a curb, which provided enough clearance to get under.

One more thing. I am 100% sure that the OD solenoid was bad. Wild coincidence that the tranny switch quit working just 2 hrs after replacing the solenoid!



Tom

 

[Ken Ellis]

Tom, sounds like a great time, and you've got the gremlins wrangled for the moment.

I'd be happy to forward another OPR valve for your inventory, if you let me know when/where to send it. (Large diameter version... non-adjustable, though.) I've found that a NAPA 1516 filter is small enough in diameter to provide easy access for removal or adjustment of the valve, if that's something that adds to the challenge for you.

If space is too tight for jackstands, I might suggest some wheel chocks instead. Then you can use your spare to stack on top of the other (removed) wheel, which would give enough protected height to keep your head out of the equation. Also, jackstands alone on asphalt will likely sink in without boards underneath (more to carry) so the wheel weight distribution is probably better.

Keep the shiny side up...

 

[RootesRich]

I'd be happy to forward another OPR valve for your inventory, if you let me know when/where to send it.

Ken, if Tom needs another OPR valve, you can send it to me and I'll get it to him Sun morning at the Colorado Conclave.

 

[Tom H]

I don't need another OPR valve. The one I have from Tracy is working OK- since I pulled it once and actuated it a couple times. But I am pretty well convinced that ALL of them have problems sticking sometimes.

We're now in Winnemucca NV. Car ran fine today. Once warmed uo the Oil pressure stayed right at 40 from 2000 to 4000 RPM. OD is super! Glad to have it back, especially nice when driving across NV, UT, CO, NE, IA, etc!

Tom

 

[RootesRich]

Good to hear Tom. See you Sunday!

 

[Tom H]

Made it to SLC. Beautiful drive across northern NV, but had to put the top up due to rain as we approached SLC. Hoping to connect with Robbo while passing thru. OP, OD, all fine.

Tom

 

[Robbo]

We had the pleasure of connecting this evening in salt lake city. Albeit too brief, it was great to hear the stories of this journey and see (and hear) the car first hand. This adventure sounds like a ton of fun! Very envious! I got some more valuable advice too. my alpine is sitting waiting for a rebuilt head so we couldnt do a quick photo of two red rootes in utah. If we dont connect in the am tom, safe journeys and happy motoring. We look forward to your next post! Ping me when you get back.

 

[Tom H]

Update: Made if from Salt Lake City to Copper Mtn CO, yesterday. Almost all eh way with the top down. Had to put it up in Vail- too cold and too much threat of rain at the top of Vail pass. But it was delightful driving thru Glenwood Canyon with the top down.

Made it to the Colorado Conclave in Arvada (just west of Denver) today. Great British Car meet. Musta been 500 cars or so. about a dozen Tigers and 5 or so Alpines. Met Jarrid Gross (Rootes racer) , Rich Vose (Rootes Rich), Donna Kelly (Voodoocavegirl) , Mark B, and many others. Great time swapping ideas and comparing notes.

Having a little problem shifting. Clutch does not disengage well. It helps to pump the clutch pedal. I may have gotten some air in the line. I had let the fluid get a bit low. I did a brief gravity bleed at the Conclave, but maybe did not do it well enough. I'll look closer in the morning.

I'll be giving the Alpine a rest for the next several days, before heading back east next Sunday.

Tom

 

[RootesRacer]

It was a pleasure to meet Tom after quite a number of years of internet correspondence. Meeting Rich Vose, Kevin Tapply, Mark B, Donna VoodooCavegirl and Rex Funk (and others) was also very nice.

Great showing and superb weather too.


Edit:
Oh and Tom, you can use my tools and garage to do a proper bleed on that slave cyl if you are so inclined (the fab offer for your failed linkage is also still on the table).

 

[RootesRich]

Nice meeting you all this morning as well. Let's all get together at least one last time before the snow starts flying.