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Re: Another successful (?) test drive...

To: "George P." <ygpz4re@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Another successful (?) test drive...
From: Douglas Braun <doug@dougbraun.com>
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2003 22:58:19 -0400
At 09:48 PM 7/1/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>Drove the Spit again tonight - longer drive, probably 20-25 miles.  Here's 
>what I noted:
>
>1.  At idle (about 1500 rpm), oil pressure was around 45psi.  Again started 
>high, then dropped when fully hot.  I don't think this is a concern.

Your descriptions of the oil pressure (here and in your previous message) sound 
entirely normal.

>3.  Near the end of the drive, in traffic, it was getting hot - 3/4 mark and 
>above.  At this temp, it seems like it would idle at 1500 rpm all day long.  
>But it cooled once I got out of traffic.  Could I have a coolant circulation 
>problem?

Could be a partly blocked radiator...  You might try one of those super flush 
kits, the kind
that comes with two chemicals: a cleaner and a neutralizer.  I think these have 
an acid
that actually dissolves scale, instead of just detergent like the one-part 
flushes.

And if you use a 50-50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze, you will never 
get scale again...


>Other than those things, it ran pretty well.  Still a bit weak in power in the 
>lower revs. 

I think the "power band" of most aftermarket cams is exaggerated.  The Spit 
engine
will always be a bit weak in the lower revs.  If you somehow got it to have a 
lot of low-end
torque, it would have no high end at all.


> Oh, and back to the "dieseling/run-on" problem - my Dad suggested colder 
>plugs.  Would that help cure that problem??

After some normal driving (as opposed to idling in traffic, etc.), remove a 
coupl eof
plugs and check their color.  Refer to the handy color picture chart in your 
Haynes book.

Doug Braun
'72 Spit 

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