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SUCCESS!

To: spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: SUCCESS!
Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 20:39:50 -0400
The '68 sputtered back to life today... thanks for everyone's suggestions!

That's the good news.  Now its time to focus on some more expensive projects...

Took it around the block, the brakes seem to be firm, though not as tight as I 
would have liked.  Upon close examination of the valves, I noticed that a 
semi-circular keeper ring had come off of valve #7, and was sitting next to the 
spring.  Can this be fixed without pulling the head?  Is there a way to 
compress the spring, perhaps by blowing compressed air into the cylinder?

On the first trip, which lasted about 90 seconds, I ran through all of the 
gears, with no apparent problem.  Then I shut it off, since the temperature 
guage was rising rapidly.  (How do you confirm that the water pump is pumping?) 
 After a bit of time, I restarted it to park it in the garage, and when I tried 
to engage reverse, there was a grinding sound, and with the clutch still 
depressed, the car started moving.  Same thing with first and second gear.  Is 
this more likely an issue with the hydraulics, or could it be the release 
bearing?  Or even better, is this problem common to long-dormant vehicles, and 
will just go away?

Other things to fix include tachometer, turn signals, horn, brake lights, 
reverse lamp, door panel fit, bonnet release mechanism, front end (front left 
tire made contact with the body on a sharp turn) and probably a bunch of other 
things I haven't discovered yet.

Nice way to end the weekend.

As for carb-whacking, one properly placed whack caused a disnitegrated o-ring 
from the older jets fell out.  Perhaps this was causing some fuel starvation.

Regards,

Charles
'74 Midget
'68 Sprite
Bloomfield, NJ
cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com
"How about we duck inside for a Hen?"

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