Look around for weekend farmers with old Ford or IH tractors. They might be reticent but they will run on anything that will ignite with a spark. I would probably go 25to 75 or 50 to 50. At the age of the beast do you think there's any internal besides pickup, vent and possibly generator pickup?

Need to tackle the junked up fuel system. Think a SteveVW approach is a good option. Believe a hole in the floor and removing the fuel outlet apparatus, replacing all the old rubber and adding a big filter. This approach is better than dropping this tank it is huge.

Am having trouble locating fuel pick-up. Is it most common for it to be located in the center of the tank? Hate to chop up the floor looking for it.

Duane if memory serves me? (Doesn’t always) they were in the center section but not centered in either tank on the 72.

Course I didn’t care so I don’t have much of a mental picture. I just shot through them and then cut them open to dump sludge and filled with small scrap metal to haul to the scrap yard.

The sludge was not even flammable or smelling like gas. I had in a metal pot and put in the burn pile(unlit) it boiled when I lit the fire?

Sorry couldn’t be more help. You’ve been quiet I was worried you froze.

Well, that Hibernating rodent did not help the situation, you Florida snowbirds might be there longer than you bargained for!!! Might warm up a bit next week, but still too cold and snowy to work on 71 unless in the cabin.

Duane I’m in Minnesnowta. Shoulder surgery. Can’t use for at least 3 more weeks then limited to regain mobility and strength..

I have utterly no advice, and ya wouldn't want it if I did...lol.
But it's good to see you back tinkering with an old bus again.
I went out and fired Buford the '88 up today, let him run for a bit and started his generator and let it run as well. That's as close as I've been able to get to actually exercising him due to the weather and a lack of time. Hopefully that'll change for the better in a couple,three months.
Had a guy come out the other day out of the blue interested in buying him from me-he'd owned a Barth truck camper years ago and saw Buford at the car show in July. He instantly wanted it. But after looking, he told me he couldn't figure out how to get enough room for two teens, he, and his wife in Buford.
I wasn't too unhappy- I'd already told my wife he'd pay a premium to get Buford and I'd start looking for a Breakaway if I lost Buford. There wasn't a question about us being Barthless. LOL

Was reading the 1970 Chevy truck manual, to my surprise, it said there was no park in the transmission on the P30 of that year! Went out and took a look, guess what there is none!!

They also call this transmission the Hydra Matic TH400, geez pays to read the instructions on occasion!

Hey Five-Oh will listen to all advice, I am not an expert for sure!!

The temperature is all the way to 38F, debating if that is warm enough to go do a bit of engine work, would like to try and start this thing this week!!

We have a moderation in weather for a few days took advantage to get out on the 71.

Rewired the distributor and spark plug wires. The old thing fired up pretty easy on starter fluid. So connected an electric fuel pump to a gas can and ran the mechanical fuel pump to a five-gallon gas can. Collected about three gallons of orange stuff that at one time may have been gasoline!! Not sure how much is left in the tank.

So it runs just not well, and not without problems. The carburetor leaks like a sieve, have to take it apart, still not sure of the brand, just sure it is not a Rochester. Assume the float is stuck or the inlet pin is full of gook and jammed open.

Have oil pressure, about 30 pounds at this low RPM speed. The alternator voltmeter also works, but none of the others. Well never let it warm up so not sure about the temperature gage.

The worst problem is the fill tube of the transmission puked out tons of fluid from the top, have never heard of this happening to anyone. Although there is a park on the column it will not go into that position making me think there was not a park in the transmission as the owner's manual says, but that might be a wrong conclusion and it may just need adjustments, I hope!!

Not a great day for ole 71! Was running it, was missing a bit but not too bad. Then it began to clatter, so shut it down. Took the valve cover on the passenger side off. One of the valve rocker arms had come off the push rod, that was bad enough, but to my surprise one of the rocker arms and push rods were completely gone!! Wonder why, guess I will find out soon enough. So now I see dollars signs!!! Need to find a push rod, rocker arm and adjusting nut.

There is a big vacuum line running from the manifold to the back of the coach, not sure what it goes to back there, I disconnected and plugged it and that increased the vacuum in the coach and to the transmission from about 5 inches at idle to 20, no more puking fluid.

During this time did let the engine get warmed up, and the temperature gage does function. Pumped out another 8 gallons or so of orange gas remains.

Pretty worried about the rocker arm missing and why the engine was put back together without it. Off to the hot rod shop tomorrow hope they have the parts I need. The valve cover was hard to remove so my guess is it had been installed quite a while.

Burn a hole in the top of the piston? No problem, remove rocker and push rod it will run pretty good on 7. Check compression on it.

quote:

Originally posted by ccctimtation:
Burn a hole in the top of the piston? No problem, remove rocker and push rod it will run pretty good on 7. Check compression on it.

Hey Tim, did not gage it but there is pretty fair compression in that cylinder dropped my tester and broke the gage!!!

Just had a thought, a smart guy would check the drivers side valves, before searching for parts,

I assume the missing parts are on the INTAKE valve. Intake valve not sealing or burnt piston. Sorry, either one a fairly major headache.

Nick

One never knows what goes on in some folks mind!! Took off the valve cover on the passenger side of the engine. They have not been removed in a whole lot of years, the bolts were covered with an 1/8 inch of grime.

Those of us with no or grey hair remember the 70's gas crunch long lines and prices went up to about 5 times. GM made those engines that shut off 2 cylinders, my bet is the owner of 71 at that time decided that it would save some gas if he turned this 350 into a 262 and took the rockers and push rods off cylinders 5 and 6 intakes. So this ole coach has been running as a six cylinder for a lot of years!!! Maybe as many as 40+.

Hope the lifters were not removed, at least until it is known if it will even run as a V8. Who would have ever guessed and running that way for so long!!!

Added!!!!

Checked for lifters, they are in-place, went over to the local hot rod shop and they had the correct rockers although they are roller type and push rods. Maybe tomorrow will get it reassembled and see how or if it runs.

The reason I pulled the valve cover is because there started a clatter noise. One of the push rods had popped off the rocker arm and was banging around. Pulled that rocker and used it as gage when trying to find replacements for the missing ones. When I went to reassemble it noticed the stud treads were showing a lot more than on the other rockers. Turns out the studs are pressed into the head and this one was pulling out of the head!!

This must have been a common problem on these older 350's. With stud in hand, went back to the hot rod shop, he told me yes, he could fix it just bring him the head. With a smile on his face, he told me that I could fix it in place, just tap out the hole and replace the pressed in stud with a threaded one. He had replacement threaded studs in stock!!

Tomorrows job!!

Don't forget the Loctite.

Seems the paperwork should have been stamped BBH.*


*Bubba Been Here