Mark B
Donation Time
Hello all-
I started the Alpine this morning and it sounded like it was missing on a cylinder so I popped the hood to see if a lead was shorting or off. After pulling a few to determine which was not firing, I realized old number four was firing, just not with the same gusto as the others. I immediately shut it down and checked the dipstick, and sure enough, the dreaded milkshake. I opened the radiator and saw the fluid was low and then started it again and headed to the tailpipe. Wonderfully humid and the telltale odor of coolant.
This is all a bummer because on Sunday I changed the oil and topped the transmission and then ran the car to heat it up, intending to adjust the valves. I got it good and hot, but ran out of time to adjust, so I just drove it into the garage and parked it.
The heat soak or cooling process must have done the trick and I can picture exactly what I will find when I pop the head. This is the gasket I repaired with much assistance in Tipp City at the Invasion so many years ago, so I cannot complain too much, and I look forward to swapping it out tonight or tomorrow night. Hopefully my trusty straight edge will reveal I can just apply a new gasket and that I have not warped or over-corroded a passage.
Fortunately, I was also able to pick up a great gasket set from SCC earlier today and gawk at the 2 Alpines and Tiger they had in for work. Nice to have a resource available on quick notice so I can get it back in shape.
I will keep you posted on what I find and let you know if scope creep takes over and I start a much bigger project by saying, "well I might as well...
Cheers
Mark B
I started the Alpine this morning and it sounded like it was missing on a cylinder so I popped the hood to see if a lead was shorting or off. After pulling a few to determine which was not firing, I realized old number four was firing, just not with the same gusto as the others. I immediately shut it down and checked the dipstick, and sure enough, the dreaded milkshake. I opened the radiator and saw the fluid was low and then started it again and headed to the tailpipe. Wonderfully humid and the telltale odor of coolant.
This is all a bummer because on Sunday I changed the oil and topped the transmission and then ran the car to heat it up, intending to adjust the valves. I got it good and hot, but ran out of time to adjust, so I just drove it into the garage and parked it.
The heat soak or cooling process must have done the trick and I can picture exactly what I will find when I pop the head. This is the gasket I repaired with much assistance in Tipp City at the Invasion so many years ago, so I cannot complain too much, and I look forward to swapping it out tonight or tomorrow night. Hopefully my trusty straight edge will reveal I can just apply a new gasket and that I have not warped or over-corroded a passage.
Fortunately, I was also able to pick up a great gasket set from SCC earlier today and gawk at the 2 Alpines and Tiger they had in for work. Nice to have a resource available on quick notice so I can get it back in shape.
I will keep you posted on what I find and let you know if scope creep takes over and I start a much bigger project by saying, "well I might as well...
Cheers
Mark B
