Lame Cherry: Run, Two Chiefs, Run

Yes I only drive Fords before they woke.

As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.

I really think if I was not possessed of this blog, that with a shed, and some capital, I could be content in bringing dead vehicles back to life for a living until Jesus returned as Two Chiefs came alive today.

The trials of the sabotage of Silly Pony are not done. There is heap big things to solve yet, including what needs to be fixed in the accelerator, as that Big 360 when it finally kept running was rapping out at 5000 RPM's , which I did not mind as it did not blow out the soft plugs, I did not blow any hoses and there was not water in the oil or oil in the water, so the engine is thank God okie doke.

The problem with the RPM's is the Squaw man broke the accelerator rod to the foot pedal, as the foot pedal is really high in the cab, like a midget could touch it. Then he had it welded together so it is short.....which is like keeping the pedal depressed..........hence 5000 RPM's from that dumb bastard.

I think we went to town 3 times for parts in just getting this last part of the fuel line hooked up. First it was the hoses I got were too small. Then with all hooked up......no gas was pumping out of the tank after all the line checks. I thought maybe I messed up the installation of the mechanical fuel pump, as if you do not get the rocker arm under the cam which pumps it, it will not work, but when I took it off, I could see the pump was at an angle to the block........so that was not the problem. It had to be the pump.

Next day and 70 dollars later, it was errand day and I discovered I needed more hose clamps, so that achieved.....it too hot the next day, I went to work with TL in installing the fuel pump, which required prayer and Holy Angels and I think I only cussed once as the bolts would not start.

See the fuel pump has a metal arm which must be pumped, so it is under spring pressure to run the diaphragm. I the cam eccentric is so the arm is down, you get pressure on the lever and it will be hell to try and get it started as the gasket will slip as the bolts will too, slip back out.

I put a dab of grease on the fuel pump lever as they said to do that online, for lubrication.

It did not help as this 360 from 1970 has the oil sending unit right there IN THE WAY. There is also the copper fuel line to the carburetor IN THE WAY.

I really did not want to take the oil sending unit off as I tried to move it, (it takes a 9/16th wrench under it or the top metal thing just turns and does nothing) and it was stuck. But as nothing was working, I gave it more break the blessed thing anyway, and it came loose. At least I knew how to get that off now.

So with allot of frustration (online they said I could turn the front pulley on the engine with a socket and breaker bar, but I thought I could hit the starter and do just as good.), I just kept at it and when nothing started or things got tight, I just backed off as stripping threads in an engine block is a big NO NO. As I said, I asked for Holy Angel help, prayed and kept at it, and of all things the hardest one, closest to the oil filter started first. It is far easier to use a socket with an extension without the oil sending unit in the way.

The outside one was the one that would not start, due to the angle and it just was a pisser in trying to strip. As the back one started a bit, I grabbed the pump and pushed on it, heard the arm make the diaphragm wheeze, knew I had it straight, and just like that the other bolt started.

I alternated with just the extension and the socket to get it snugged up, SO I DID NOT BREAK THE CAST ALUMINUM EARS OFF THE FUEL PUMP. Was quite pleased when I put the ratchet on it, that it was almost tight. All those years of milking cows and goats by hand have not worn off in I have some hand strength yet, which is good for shooting pistols.

The fun was just beginning as Silly Pony is a real bastard. Next up we had to put the copper fuel line back on in connecting it. OK Squaw man, had put on an after market fuel pump that did not have a thread fitting, so he pushed the threaded coupler back, put some shit on the threads, and pushed that into a rubber hose and put a hose clamp on it. The one we got, (a Carter) had the right set up, but the intake was low, the outflow is high in the holes. Squaw mans was level in the right one was for the tank, the left one for the carb.

So I put teflon tape on the threads and figured I better put the one on the fuel pump on first as that seemed hardest and it was. I had to take the Distributor cap off because the hose was fucked up in being bent fucky by that Indian in all his Goddamned fixing in that tribal feud, so the copper pipe after I got it started into the fuel pump, was placed under the spark plug wires at the distributor.

So I figure it is time to hook up the coupler to the carburetor. Three times I tried and 3 time I backed out the coupler so not to strip it. Angle was all wrong and now the coil was in the way by a fraction of an inch.

So there is one big bolt on the coil holding it to the engine, put a 9/16th wrench on it, tapped it with a hammer and it came loose. Moved the coil at an angle to get it out of the way and went to work on the fuel pipe again.

Shoved it all the way in to the carb at the flange, got it straight and started tightening the coupler up. Tightened the fuel pump nut up, but not too tight, finished up on the top coupler, and started putting the snaps back on the distributor cap, and tightened up the coil bolt. Of course now the copper fuel line had a half inch to spare. Wonderful Silly Pony thing.

Attached the extra fuel filter before the fuel pump fuel filter with all that shit in the gas tank we washed out, and we were about ready to go.

Put the oil sending unit onto the filter piece, put the electric wire onto the unit, rechecked things and everything was hooked up.

Asked TL to stand there and see if gas was going into the first filter as it was see through. Cranked it over, as I have been doing allot of cranking on Two Chiefs the past weeks and I was wondering about battery life and I think I need a new charger.......another story.

I was about to give up and TL said there was fuel going into the filter.

Thank God Almighty.........first time in weeks something was doing what it was supposed to do.

Put some gas in the carb. Started again, Two Chiefs fired, but kept acting like he was flooding.

So I get out, see wonderful gas in the filter, put more gas in the carb, and get in and this time he fires and runs a bit.

Get out for more carb gas. See a slight leak out of that shitter coupler the Squaw man had gunked up, so put the 1/2 inch wrench on it and gave it a bit more, like a quarter turn as I do not want to strip threads and tried again to start the old boy.

Pulled the choke, cranked him over and with that he came to life. Was kind of amusing as TL was shocked and stepped back. Of course shit was flying in whatever shit was on the engine, from dirt to whatever, engine exhaust and TL was wondering "Why are you revving that engine up so much?"

It was not me, it was the accelerator rod and the fast idle must be set way to hell and gone. We ran him about 3 minutes like that.......put in another gallon of antifreeze which with that big Ford fan, got blown around some, and I have to dump in another gallon we will pick up tomorrow, but with that, I turned Two Chiefs off and declared victory. I was not about to try and start him again as the idle is too fast and if he did not start, I would be pissed. It is best as JYG and all people know........get something going and then leave it the hell alone so the rest of your day is not ruined.

So that is where we are at in Two Chiefs. It is an uplifting feeling, bringing something that was about to be crushed and sent to China back to life. It was way too much work for the resources I do not have and I was getting depressed after the 70 dollar fuel pump as money does not grow on trees as people do not donate as they should here at the blog. I think the first thing I told TL was, "It was not money wasted as the pick up came alive".

There are lots of other things to be done, but TL had it about right in, "We get that class shard seat cover gone, change that front tire and we should be able to drive him around". I added that we don't have brakes but, yeah, we can kind of coast around things until we get those lines bled in one of the next phases.

I'm not a JYG and I doubt without God I will ever be a Tractor Whisperer, so my talents are not that great in getting things going again, but TL and I have done something that 999 people out of 1000 could never get done all with God's help. We have Two Chiefs going and he will continue to improve after 5 years, abandoned to the elements, after being sabotaged in the worst way.

I cringe at all this pick up has yet to teach me in God, in the brakes and wiring......and yes those two broke out windows which will be a new adventure..........and I hope to God there are no more surprises in this Indian wagon to fix as I would like to have the thing to drive before the EMP hits and the rest of you are watching me drive by with the other people who got some prehistoric pick up, instead of a new gazillion dollar cell phone to lie to you about how many other worthless people are texting you.

I don't think I have any more pictures to show you to illustrate what we were doing. I have to go research about setting the fast idle or what to replace that throttle arm with so it is not rocket launch volumes of fuel every time I try and start this old boy as I need him gentled and ready to travel as we did enough snow trekking last winter.

There is nothing worse in life than stripped, rounded or rusted bolts..........except fixing something someone else tried to fix before and really messed things up.

- Lame Cherry