[DML] 2613 is back on the road

["Farrar Hudkins" <fhudkins@xxxxxxxxx>]

For anyone still curious about my once-on-fire car, it's now up and
running. Bill Robertson came over to Charlotte where I'm vacationing
and brought his tools, hardware, and general knowhow; without his help
I wouldn't be halfway done by now, but we started Wednesday morning
and he was gone by Saturday afternoon.

After installing a custom-made intake manifold and Volvo ignition
distributor the car was running under its own power Wednesday
afternoon. We capped off the injector ports with severed stainless
steel bolts inserted into injector boots and clips I bought from John
Hervey. I also bought my new water pump (with bolted-on pulley), cap,
rotor, shock absorbers, and MSD plug wires from him. Everything but
the shocks has been installed; they should arrive tomorrow.

The water pump was swapped out in a couple of hours. We were very
fortunate that we didn't snap off any bolts: Bill used the technique
of dialing down an air-powered drill to "tap" the bolts until they
turned. This worked on the water pump itself, and on the Y-pipe bolts
we were nervous about. We replaced the Y-shaped coolant distribution
pipe with one without sensor bungs I bought for $1 back at DCS
Gettysburg.

Along the way, we made minor adjustments to the engine compartment --
we tied back all unnecessary wiring, inserted a fuse into the ignition
circuit, and added a second block ground.

I made an interesting discovery: the water pipe that runs across the
bottom of my car's intake valley (the one now available in stainless
steel, or often replaced with a silicone hose) is 3/4" inches on both
ends. Mine is the only car I've seen where this is the case. I was all
ready with a 3/4" to 5/8" adaptor when I discovered it simply wasn't
needed. So I used a 3/4" hose mender and gave Bill the adaptor;
someone will need it eventually.

I've now been driving back and forth to the hardware store buying
stainless steel hardware and such. The car has yet to give me any
problems. Hard to believe it sat for six months without being touched,
after being subjected to flames and baking powder and weather. Many
thanks to Bill, and to any owners in the Charlotte area: I'll be here
until the end of the week if you want to say hello. After that, it's
back to southeast Louisiana on Hervey's "easy rider" shocks!

Farrar Hudkins
#2613

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