OriginalOwner

+1 Stevenc22 ..... make sure you got spark.

Another easy check which has happened to me a couple of times: 

1)  use a file and clean the points.  No need to remove, just a few file strokes to make sure they are clean.

2)  now the IMPORTANT check:  set the clearance of the points !!  My personal experience:  if the point gap is too small, the engine will not start.  Ergo, make sure the point gap is correct.

-------  Once:  a pal's VW wouldn't start.  I had just experienced the problem on my '74tii, so I figured "why not" and checked his points ..... yep, that was the problem, gap too tight.  Re-set the gap, it fired right up.  (Earned some free beer for that one).

SO, #3.  If you're getting spark, and the points are correctly gapped, replace the condenser.  I've had condenser failure in the middle of the Arizona desert (1960 Chevy car) and in Tijuana (1948 Chevy panel truck).  

Cheers,

Carl

Cheers,

Carl

I'm a "keep it as original as possible, as long as possible" kinda guy.

Cheers,

Carl

mint,

I can most definitely rule out one cause of the cracked valve stem:  no deterioration was due to dish soap detergent degradation(s) !!

Cheers,

Carl

Hmmm, the broken valve stem:  I'm thinking it's only about 6 years old ...... which is when a new tire was installed.   And it didn't have an inner metal tube, the stem was very bend-y when pushed sideways.  

Oh well.

Cheers,

Carl

This afternoon I jumped into the '74tii to head out for a cruise on The Pass Road.  I didn't even get to the street, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn.  So I rolled back into the carport.  I could see that the right front tire was very underinflated & mostly flat.  When I attempted to attach the tire pump hose to the valve stem, I could see several large cracks in the rubber of the valve stem.  When I pushed the stem sideways, I could hear air leaking.  I put the front end up in the air and removed the tire.  I again pushed the stem sideways, and it fully cracked, all air escaped.  NEVER EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE, on any car/truck/motorcycle !!!

I took the tire to the local shop and they replaced the stem.  Back at the house, I put the tire back on, aired to proper pressure ...... back to normal.   I checked the other three valve stems:  no cracks whatsoever ..... "just like new."

Definitely something very different/unusual/weird.

Cheers,

Carl

deleted.

I don't know if I should be proud to say it, but I've never adjusted the timing on my '74tii.

THUS, whenever I've had cooling problems, it was the radiator, pure & simple.  I remove it, take it to the shop, it gets it opened up, rodded out, reassembled, reinstalled, Problem Solved.

     Which is exactly what happened to me last September:  the radiator was crudded up.  

Cheers,

Carl

when your most-favorite trusted mechanic calls you up with Bad News and Great News .....  

"So, like, that grinding noise you heard ??  And that big puddle under your 2002 ??  The bad news:  your transmission case has a very minor crack.  The Great News:  no problem !!  An easy fix, I got that minor crack repaired and I'll have the transmission reinstalled by tomorrow, you're good to go !!"

my '74tii has always been one of the lucky ones to always reside in SoCal and be close enough to the original 2002AD in Sunland to scrounge a few parts (still in use).

And close enough to the current 2002AD location in Pomona to scrounge a few more parts (yep, still in use).

Cheers,

Carl

WOW !!  just an hour ago I was cruising around in my blue BOXy-looking CAR and found the ROCK ......

Cheers,

Carl

got one ......

--  and the front rim is no longer as clean as in bygone days .......

Cheers,

Carl

Out cruising around in the SoCal sunshine and this mileage happened for the third time .....

Cheers,

Carl

My recent experience was a crudded-up radiator.  I took it to the local shop, he opened it up, rodded out the core, cleaned the tanks, then reassembled.  Cooling returned to normal.

     The radiator guy said it had more-than-plenty junk in the lower tank and the core.

I also installed a new thermostat, just because it was so easy to accomplish.  No reason not to.

Cheers,

Carl

Here's what I do:

1.  I remove the spark plugs, that way I can rotate the engine by pushing on the fan.

2.  I rotate the engine so that one of the rocker arms (any of 'em) is on the flat part of it's cam lobe (thus the valve is fully closed).  I then adjust that valve.

2a.  Then using my handy dandy chart:  there is also another valve that is fully closed, and I then adjust that valve ........

3.  Then I again rotate the engine to get another fully closed valve.  I adjust that valve, and then it's match according to the above chart.

4.  Then another engine rotation, etc. etc. to get all 8 valves adjusted.

5.  Then I clean the spark plugs, gap 'em, lube 'em, install 'em, tighten 'em, and install the plug wires.

Cheers,

Carl

Ah, another good data point of info from Schnell:  smog devices in CA.

Being a tii, mine never had smog devices, so that would help with cooling.  

Cheers,

Carl

you guys are funny.

Just a few short months ago I had my 3-row Curt Ingraham Silicon Garage radiator core rodded out ...... and that solved all my cooling problems !!   

Don't need to get tropical'ed or shroud'ed ...... at least for now.

Cheers,

Carl

Measurement Accomplished with fan installed, so the measurement is more-than-reasonably close since I am unable to measure directly across the front of the fan due to the radiator.

a)  no fan shroud.

b)  my '74tii has a 5-blade fan .... I had no idea since I've never paid attention !!  And two of the blades are closer together, so I'm guessing it looks sorta/kinda like mvliotta's fan in the above picture !!  Amazing !!

c)  max measured outside dimension is about 13.5 inches  =  343 mm.

----- so I will equate that to 360mm fan diameter

AND THEN, I dug around in my picture file and found a picture of a tii engine ......  and there it is, a red fan with 5 blades, and the lower left blade is off-kilter a bit ...... so I'm definitely learning a lot !!

Cheers,

Carl

I'm learning, Thanks Much !!!!

dlacey,

     lucky me, when I was Penang I never got resonant beat ...... until the Bombay Blue Sapphire kicked in while seated at the E&O Hotel !!

Cheers,

Carl

OK, I don't recall hearing about a "tropical fan" until yesterday, mvliotta educated me.   And that was because he posted a picture of his '02 Temple (see below)   ......   and when looking at his awesome picture, I saw the Red Fan ..... and the Red Fan looked horribly off-kilter and unbalanced with that one fan blade not where it "belongs" in order to bring symmetry & balance & peace & harmony to that system which rotates at high speed .......

AND THEN, while searching around this morning,  I found this picture posted by tdskip on 03 April 2018, of his possible Tropical Fan ...... and holy smokes, there it is again:  that lower right fan blade is much too close to the lower left fan blade, symmetrically speaking ..... which makes it look off-kilter and unbalanced for a rotating system .......

SO, what's up with all that off-kilter design, which I assume is from the factory ??  I'm presuming that the fan is of course properly balanced so as to not quickly destroy the water pump bearings.  But it sure does seem strange to me.

Cheers,

Carl

As a place to start, here's some good reading on the topic. 

My own experience is also noted.   Tiny turns of the little screw inside the tuna can "fixed" my idling problems, both when the engine is hot, and when cold.  Sounds contradictory, but for me it works.

Cheers,

Carl

enjoy the Opening Page picture .......

and then Slide 9 ..........

The Best Classic Cars for Daily Driving - Road & Track

WWW.ROADANDTRACK.COM

---

Want to drive something vintage every day? These are the classic cars to consider.

Cheers,

Carl

Happy Birthday !!!!!!!!

Cheers,

Carl

Happy birthday from another tii !!!!!

Cheers,

Carl

dl,

if you had the New Design of FlexiDipstick, it would have easily navigated that chicane ...... LOL !!

Enjoy cruising Penang, I continue to be jealous.

Cheers,

Carl