[Amc-list] Grenema - 'A Story of Rejuvenation'

[Brien Tourville <hh7x@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Message: 7

From: JOE FULTON <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Amc-list] Lucky today I hope

 When I started the car, it ran terrible
after sitting for several days.  

I looked under the
hood and found oil/gas mixture blowing out of the oil
filler tube and the same mixture leaking from the fuel
pump.    

I figured that the fuel pump was bad.  The
oil smelled strongly of gas.

I installed a replacement pump from NAPA and changed
the oil and filter.  When I drained the oil there was
probably several quarts of extra liquid (gas) in the
pan.  

It completely filled my large drain pan (which
doesn't fill up when I do a six quart oil change on my
truck).  

The oil/gas mixture was very thin and I hoped
I had not damaged the bearings in the engine.  

After
the oil change I started the engine and the initial
lifter clicking went away soon so I guess I'm OK.  

The
engine sounds strong.

What did I learn?   Check the oil level frequently.  I
had not been doing that because there was no evidence
of oil burning and the engine was tight with no big
leaks.  

The front crank seal or the pan gasket in
front had been weeping but not leaving any spots on
the pavement.  I hope I got away with this one.

Joe Fulton
Salinas, CA


Well, I wasn't so lucky after all.  

The Gremlin makes
a "clacking" sound intermittently at idle.  

It goes
away at higher RPM, but I think I may have damaged
some bearings by running it with diluted oil.  

I'll
check it out next week.  

The good news is that the car
runs much smoother at speed and I can only attribute
that to the newly balanced drive shaft.  

Joe Fulton
Salinas, CA


..



Yeah....'The Spirit of Grem' again -
........weird.......


I'll wager a Tofu Burger it's your lifters sticking,
-  


When I bought my Kammback Eagle out of a New Jersey Auto
Rag, it was being sold because it 'might have an engine problem' .

Car belonged to an elderly Lady, Matilda Feldhaus,
who donated it to her Church when the engine quit
with 43K miles on it..

An Auto Parts Store owner picked it up at
Auction to flip.

It was the 4th of July Day I found the Ad.

Finally got ahold of him via phone - sent
a deposit.

I drove to NJ.

He provided a fresh New Battery.

While the he was in his Auto Parts Shop, I spun the engine - 
three spins it fired.

Sounded like Rock Hammers on the cyl. block - 

"Holy Crap!"...... but .... it wasn't a bad rod sound..
way too violent & metallic........ while the thing
kept running.......didn't explode......hmm..........

Kept the RPM to roughly 2K where it made the least racket,
and suddenly..... engine purred like a sleepy
kitten..lifters had 'unstuck', a condition I'd
read about a week before on the internet.

Wick'd the gas a few - shut 'er down..... .

"Yep.... sounds like a bad rod to me it does..";]


That Brand New Battery was straight 
from his Auto Parts Shop &
 - slightly oversize 'n 'NIce'..

Kammback price was $1,500.00 before I drove to
his NJ shop without hearing about this
connecting rod business.


Climbed out of the cockpit - meandered
back into the Store....




"Sorry..... can't do it - engine sounds bad.."

"..Make me an Offer....." 

"nah..... it won't
be near what you're asking......I'll take
the refund on the deposit.."

:[ "..well, ..make an offer anyway.. maybe
we can work something out...."  

".. nah.........
I can't spend anywhere near your price & 
hope to straighten out the car.."

long pause.........



Come to find out:

The girlfriend was supposed to cover his
Store Mortgage Payment that month but split.



"..look..... no one else has called on the Ad
- I've had it listed for a few months..... 
just give me a figure.."

"....."


I pulled out a quick Ten Tens from my jacket -
..gotta' play fair as the car is pretty nice..

"..this is all I've got - you have the $500 already
I'd sent you, take this - I keep the Battery."


"..by the time I'm done with the car - I'm past $1,500 - best I can do".


He went into his storage  room & paced the floor
for a full minute - the $900 drop in price hurt.

Came back with the Registration, laid it on
the counter.......... "Ok"..... 

"Done".



I returned a week later, slapped on the NY Plates.

He came out of the shop yelling "Wait!!"

"You'll never make it!!  - the engine will blow!?"




I Cracked the ignition - three spins, a purrr
'n a GRINnnnnnnnnnnnn.......vahrROOMmmmm :}
= perfect idle.


Fear, anticipation, confusion, disbelief,
incredulity and a jaw well below stock location..

a heartbreak realization..he smiled..... he's a car guy too..
.... collects Edsel's & organizes a Clubs Run
during the Summer for local Jersey wheels.

It was his mechanic that did the diagnostic and
he didn't know AMC or JEEP engines.



Drove the 2 hours back to New York - flawless
except the rear Plate blew off while on the 
New York State Thruway.

I parked in Town to grab a Starbuck's - 
came back, fired the Engine - perfect..
.."CLICK..!".. the spring for the T-handle
shift broke - can't get the car in gear.. .
wtf..

Car sat overnight in Municipal Parking -
I walked home.


Anyway...... that's MY Sticky Lifter story.





What I suggest you do now is:


Take a real easy up to Eng Op Temp ,
Freeway Flyer pass for sustained engine speed
to break loose anything still hanging on.

Stop at the Auto Parts Store, pick up another round of
Filter and Oil and a Bottle of GM AC Delco E.O.S. Assembly
Lubricant: Part # 10-4021  88862587.



Remove the Oil Filter - throw it away.

Drop the '2nd Flush Oil' - toss it.


Use OIL to lube the rubber
Filter Seal - NOT the E.O.S.


Fill the new Filter with the GM E.O.S. - 
and install.

Fill Crankcase with Fresh New Oil.

The E.O.S. will imbed your bearings & journals
pores and end any further or future skuffing.

Gremengine will then have a skin coating protection for
everything that moves.

Life is Good Again.



milnersXcoupe
  new york






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