Tumbleweeds 49

[Ryan_M]

Looks great. Keep those pics coming!

[scoutpilot]

[size=12]Looking gorgeous.[/size][/b]

[Tumbleweed]

I'm officially legal now - look out Colorado here I come!

[Tumbleweed]

Oh yea - typical registration office toung lashing - the office told me to clean my tag up with steel wool or I might get pulled over for a rusty plate. I told her yes I would take care of that right away

[Kirkski]

I love the fact a lot of states allow the use of vintage license plates. Of course communist Rhode Island doesn't allow it, they can't make money on it apparently. As a license plate collector this is really great for me!

Thanks for the pics!!

[Tumbleweed]

Looking forward to the Colorado Fall Color Tour. Now to drive Smokey around town and a few rough roads to see if anything falls off or breaks for the next few weeks.
It was almost 100 degree that day by the way - radiator spit out a little coolant and I think I got a vapor lock? When I got home it sputtered a little and I looked under the hood - the glass AC filter bowl was only half full and it appeared that the gas level was fluctuating up and down!! I wonder if I am boiling the gas out?

Going to use some insulation on the fuel line from Summitt to see if this helps.

Overall I was very pleased with the maiden voyage!

[RICKG]

WOW!! You really kicked it in high gear the last couple of months! See ya at the FCT!

[athawk11]

George,
Almost looks too crisp to take on the wild trails of Colorado.

Very nice.  Congratulations.

Burping a bit of coolant may be that you just over-filled it a bit.  I've had this happen to me also...but only after I refilled, or replaced the coolant.  Then it doesn't do it again.

I looked back at your fuel lines in past photos.  You look like you did a good job of keeping them away from the manifolds.   100� is even hard on a modern vehicle, so I don't know that I would be too concerned just yet.  The float could need a slight adjustment, or something else minor.  I once had an issue with my filter.  I didn't tighten the screw enough.  The screw that pinches the glass against the top.  I was drawing in some air and had a stumble. 

Were you at a stop during the stumble...or on the throttle?   

[1955CJ-5]

Over at the Model A forum I learned that tin foil and clothes pins on the fuel line can help stop vapor lock....looks good too!!

[1955CJ-5]

Or maybe a grapefruit...

[Tumbleweed]

Thanks guys

I think that I may have overfilled a bit. I drove it around again tonight and no boil over. I did have the same issue with the fuel filter bowl after the engine warmed up. The fuel level in the filter bowl was half full. I felt the fuel lines and they were cool. I may tighten the clamp a little more and make sure I am not sucking in air. I did notice the the carb was really warm almost hot. Is it normal for the carb to get hot?

I'll try and avoid any big rocks on the tour!

[Dutch_Jeeper]

I think it is normal for the carb to get hot because of where it sits. Gasket provides some insulation from direct heat transfer. But heat radiating from the manifold is quit big. Top of the carb should be significantly cooler then the bottom half though.

If you think it's a problem or for ease of mind you could use heatwrap like they use on the manifolds of turbocharged cars to minimize heat radiation from the manifold to carb. But if it was a big problem they probably would have made some kind of heat shielding straight from the factory.

I can imagine it could cause some problems if your in a region with constant high temperatures.

No doubt though about things running cooler is better for performance, efficiency and keeping your engine healthy wheter it is the engine itself or any parts attached to it. Modern non corrosive coolant is alot healthier for old engines then just water like they used in the "old days" and we pour that in happily along with the right modern oils so fabricating some heat shielding to keep the carb cooler could'nt hurt either. It' s not a matter of "it works so why bother" but if you can improve it with minor reversable modifications, why not.

Fabricate something yourself similar to heatshielding between manifold and the brake cilinder on the vaccuum powerbrake unit in modern cars. Or find some of that double sheet insulation they use between exhaust and floorpanels in modern cars.

[BMIC]

My compliments on your 49 3A project, nicely done!

[Kirkski]

That really looks great, well done sir!

[Tumbleweed]

May just be the Texas heat but my 53 wagon never had this problem of fuel starvation.
Of course the F head may react a bit different in hot climate. I am still going to check to see if I am sucking in air from the AC filter bowl.

I can't believe how much fun driving the  3A is. I got so many waves and honks last Saturday.

Called Beachwood canvas and they gave me about a 4 - 5 week lead time on a top so I may have to make a a homemade top to keep the snow/ rain off my head. Mike said they already got done snow in the high country.

Thanks guys for all the compliments. Now I'm looking forward to seeing other CJ projects.

Thanks again

George