Smooth's ongoing story...
#1
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Smooth's ongoing story...
This October marks my 1 year anniversary with Smooth, my 1980 SA Anniversary Edition with an automatic transmission. I am celebrating this event with her very own build thread. I plan to have it pretty well developed by the end of the month. I hope to look back on this, the first year, as the hardest one.
Thanks to a lot of advice and some spare parts from club members, she has gone from a desert backyard waste (the PO got 'er running and sold her fast) to my daily driver. I have impressed my hubby with her progress (even though I had to hire some of the work out).
I've gotta build my image stash in a dropbox account so I can relate the first year with full illustration. I did shoot a lot of pics. And I have the original craigslisting that suckered me in.
Thanks to a lot of advice and some spare parts from club members, she has gone from a desert backyard waste (the PO got 'er running and sold her fast) to my daily driver. I have impressed my hubby with her progress (even though I had to hire some of the work out).
I've gotta build my image stash in a dropbox account so I can relate the first year with full illustration. I did shoot a lot of pics. And I have the original craigslisting that suckered me in.
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Forward HO. I THOUGHT I would back-build Smooth's thread to demonstrate our history together. No time for that. I am going to start looking ahead, as challenging as it might be. When I actually have some FREE time I will share how we got through our first year.
Right now I have called O'Reilly to arrange to pick up a compression tester loaner.
Right now I have called O'Reilly to arrange to pick up a compression tester loaner.
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What can I say? I am so sad, though I guess I knew all along I was trying my best to get her to limp along on her last leg. I sure learned a lot...
A compression test verified today ZERO compression for both rotors. I was trying to eek out a little more as she was going, with short drives (1/4 mi?) from the driveway. I actually got a little joy ride that probably finished her off.
It's amazing that I managed to drive home, turn off the key, and not even suspect that She would not EVEN TRY to spark the next day.
I don't have a plan now. So it's not the plan to give up. I know there are a bunch of 12As out there, and my husband has been really supportive researching what he can find. Fact is, she's already put us in a financial tight spot, and speculating further investment seems foolish.
PRAY, LAUGH, CRY, Pray some more.
A compression test verified today ZERO compression for both rotors. I was trying to eek out a little more as she was going, with short drives (1/4 mi?) from the driveway. I actually got a little joy ride that probably finished her off.
It's amazing that I managed to drive home, turn off the key, and not even suspect that She would not EVEN TRY to spark the next day.
I don't have a plan now. So it's not the plan to give up. I know there are a bunch of 12As out there, and my husband has been really supportive researching what he can find. Fact is, she's already put us in a financial tight spot, and speculating further investment seems foolish.
PRAY, LAUGH, CRY, Pray some more.
#6
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I don't have a plan now. So it's not the plan to give up. I know there are a bunch of 12As out there, and my husband has been really supportive researching what he can find. Fact is, she's already put us in a financial tight spot, and speculating further investment seems foolish.
Good 12A engines and parts are getting harder to find nowadays. Which is why I ended up swapping to a 13B in mine. Rebuilding yours may be more advantageous, depending on how many of the parts are re-useable. Which you never know until you tear it down. It may be something as simple as stuck apex seals, hopefully.
#7
Village Idiot
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Good luck and keep us posted with status. Lots of great people on the this forum that are willing to help out!
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#8
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She finally was shifting gears at 4500 rpm instead of 3200... Then she kept going up toward 5k not wanting to shift into 3rd. I was evaluating the results of that experiment, when she would not start the next morning.
#9
Sin City Rotary
have you changed the tranny fluid? that may help ... when I first got mine she would not shift into third for nothing .... fluid and some spirited driving and shifting is not a problem anymore
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She had tranny work done AFTER I changed the pan and changed the fluid. So it's been refreshed twice... I AM curious about how differences in her timing are causing differences in her shifting bands?
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She just kinda woke up during her test. I think the flooding settled (though the plugs were still dripping). Everyone reflecting on flooding got me to turn the fuel adjust WAY down. Historically I would always turn the fuel in a lot when she was warm, then she would not start in the morning and I would have to let it back out. Now she's good with it in (where I think it belongs), except for needing a slight choke to keep running. The idle is the most stable it's ever been as the tac reads. I haven't taken her out for a real drive which might clear things up and get her in the zone. The roads are really dangerous right now.
#15
Rotary Freak
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I gotta say that these recent SA build threads are super inspiring...having acquired a 79 not too long ago and started work on it already...I also am an fb auto owner and fully committed to keeping my 85 that way as I feel there is a certain charm to to that car in that configuration. Keep up the good work. I look fwd to reading about your progress as well as seeing some pics.
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