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Thread: My Wife's '56

  1. #151
    Registered Member WagonCrazy's Avatar
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    That is far more simple to replace than the whole engine from say a bearing going bad. Get some video of you guys driving it and post that soon.
    1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
    1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

  2. #152
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    Not much progress to report in the last few weeks. We've been busy with family issues and health issues. My wife and I both came down with something. It had all the symptoms as Covid except no fever. I don't know what it was but it took about a week to get over it.

    You won't believe a problem that appeared after I got the engine running. The chrome thermostat housing started leaking. There was a thread all about leaking housings a few weeks ago. So I removed the chrome one and replaced it with a genuine '56 cast steel housing. I blasted it and painted it silver and covered it with high heat clear. It looks right a home on the aluminum intake. No leaks now.

    The next step is to break in the engine. Being a roller cam engine it has directions for driving it to break it in. We had about a week of cold weather and I'm not driving a convertible with no top in freezing weather. Yesterday we got a 75 degree day. We got to go for our first ride. We drove it about 30 miles to fill the tank with ethanol free gas. I ran and drove pretty well. No major problems. (sorry didn't get a video)

    But there a few minor problems. The transmission position wire came loose from the instrument cluster. It still needed a little adjustment but it doesn't work at all now.

    I bragged about no electrical problems, but for safety sake I still remove the negative terminal when the car is parked. One day I hooked up the terminal and heard something start running. The heat/ac fan was running. The switches were off. So I pulled out the fuse and will check it out later.

    When I first hooked up the battery I checked the Raingear wipers and they worked. But when I got ready to put on the wiper arms the wipers don't work. The windshield washer works and they are on the same fuse and switch. I stuck my head under the dash and there are a lot of wires under there. I may have to pull the instrument cluster to see the switch to see if there are any loose wires.

    So we are making a little progress and finding a few bugs to repair. I'm just ready for more warm weather.

  3. #153
    Registered Member WagonCrazy's Avatar
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    Encouraging to hear you got it out for a long drive. These are typical post-wiring troubleshooting issues Tabasco. Stay with it. Troubleshoot one circuit at a time and reduce the urge to get distracted. Think the circuit through. 99% of the time it's human error or oversight on how you did some aspect of it. You'll get it.
    1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
    1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

  4. #154
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    I remember the grief a loose bulkhead connection on the main harness caused on my 56 when finished.

  5. #155
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    I'm sure it is human error. I never did so much wiring on a car before. I'm not surprised that a connector wasn't done right or a ground came loose. I'm relieved that most of it is working. Now to fix the few problems and start cruising.

  6. #156
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    My 56 survived my teenage years because the wiring was too screwed up to be driven on the street.

  7. #157
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    Well it has been 9 months since I gave an update. I has been a rough year. My wife has developed heart problems and vision problems. She has been my only helper through this build but she is not able to help much any more. So the car has not had any more work for a few months.

    I have a cousin who calls every few months to see how I am doing. He called last month and asked how the car was coming along. He came over and in a few days we corrected most things need to get it road worthy.

    My wife finally got to ride in her car for the first time in years. With her vision problem she may not get to drive it again but he she sure enjoyed riding in it again.
    56 back on the road 4.jpg

    We have gone about 100 miles so far with no major problems It still has a few bugs to work out but we should be cruising in it next spring when it warms up. The only big thing left to do is get a new top installed.

  8. #158
    Registered Member WagonCrazy's Avatar
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    That's great news Tabasco. Great that you got your wife out in the car for a cruise. Keep doing that as often as you can.
    1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
    1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

  9. #159
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    Super Tabasco! I'm sure your wife appreciates your hard work and the 'ride'.. hopefully by spring your and her health issues will be behind you both and you can cruise the nice days away!~

    .. and the car looks great ...

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