Moved all the winter equipment (snowblower etc) to where the summer equipment (lawn mowers) was stored and vice versa. Changed the oil in the lawn tractor. I've been having a problem with my Lawnboy push mower (which I hardly use anymore) for the last year or so. It'd run for 30-40 seconds, sometimes up to a minute then quit. It would usually start right up. I pulled the carb apart and cleaned it. No change. Did a Google search and apparently on these Honda engines a bad spark plug will do the exact same thing. Found a Youtube video of a mower with the same engine stalling like mine. A new plug solves the issue. Never heard of such a thing. I'll pick up a new plug tomorrow and see what happens. Apparently heat does this to the plug. Also removed the plow from my Jeep, added fuel stabilizer to the snowblower and generator and ran them both for a few minutes, started a scrap metal pile to take to the dump and called it a day.
We sell and service Honda small engines at work. As soon as a customer comes to my counter with Honda running issues the first thing I suggest is a spark plug. Second is "Are you running premium fuel"? Hondas seem to eat spark plugs like no other small engine, and regular fuel is a carb killer on all small engines but Hondas seem to be the worst. We sell and service Honda, Kohler, Briggs and Kawasaki.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
Crappy cell phone pics. Boy, you sure don't get much of a camera in a $40 phone!
And yes, it is paradise. I was alone because my wife's health and cool temps aren't a good combination. Besides, it was mostly a weekend where I was getting set up for the summer. Installed the demand water heater (but obviously not time to pressurize the plumbing yet), set up some of the solar panels, planned a few little tweaks to make it just a bit more comfortable for her visits so really it was not a weekend for her to be there anyway. It's one of our busy times at work right now so it was nice to go to the total opposite, nothing but silence. My cell phone works intermittently, we have zero electronic devices there so I don't even know the forecast from one day to the next. I spent a lot of time in the Summit catalogue, and that might not have been the right thing to do! Now I'm wondering if someone makes a 5 speed I could bolt in (without any cutting) to make my car more usable on the highway.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
I spent a lot of time in the Summit catalogue, and that might not have been the right thing to do! Now I'm wondering if someone makes a 5 speed I could bolt in (without any cutting) to make my car more usable on the highway.
OK, now you are talking here about the 5 speed. I mean, the Muncie is nice and original and all that but I like the sound of the 5 speed or 6 speed for cruising. I have interest in this as well so I hope you continue to research this area. Is Tremec the only trans that would possibly fit or is there other possible solutions?
I wonder if the Speedo Stat would work with a manual trans?
-- Edited by 68 Grande on Monday 29th of April 2019 02:46:55 PM
There is a guy who has regularly put a 5 speed in a 62 without modifying the floor, I think he uses a Richmond. Shifter fits almost stock. Would likely work in a 66? Search on Chevy talk or 348-409 for Richmond and posts by PVS409. He has detailed posts with great pics of the shifter and install. I know your floor is different but I doubt it is smaller than the xframe floor?
-- Edited by DonSSDD on Monday 29th of April 2019 04:27:45 PM
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Finally got my 70 single piston setup home from Edmonton. Did a little mocking up today.
Was hoping the Corvette rotor cliff gave me would clear the new pads. A little tight, a little shave of the outside pad and it's all good. I might resist going overboard on this job and do nothing except repack the bearings (which look ok), add new bearings seals and a set of speed bleeders in the calipers. If they leak, then I'll redo them. Of course I'll need new studs as these rotors mount on the outside of the hub. I could buy the new correct 69-70 Centric "mount behind" rotor, but I already have that one good Vette piece! Thanks Cliff! Vette rotors are cheap these days anyway.
But ...with this single piston disc brake setup, I cannot use the 65 steering arms, I must use what it came with, which is a 3 bolt arm. One bolt holds the caliper bracket. So I'm going to do the full on "Ackermann Fix". It involves using a 67-70 Drag link, tie rods, idler arm and pitman. It's a lot of work, but I'll end up with a car that steers and stops much better. I've ordered all those parts, including a quick ratio steering box. During a little clandestine "Test drive", I was alarmed at how poorly the 65 steered. And it's more than just worn parts at play here.
Call me crazy, but I do enjoy this work.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Mark, your retirement is making me terribly envious!
Curious what type of quick ratio box you ordered? Did the 65 have power steering on it?
Jake, the 65 has PS. I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but I just ordered a box from POL. The price seemed good...we'll see. An AGR quick box from summit is a lot more money. At 3-3.25 turns lock to lock, it's probably the variable ratio box. The AGR I have in my 67 is 12.7:1. The new box should at least be an improvement from the stock pinkie steer 19:1.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Ran to the border and picked up my 11" bellhousing I bought off ebay out of Chandler Arizona. And of course he put it on ebay only a couple of weeks after I was actually in Chandler shipping home a Muncie I bought in Phoenix......
Oh well, that's how it works.
One step closer to my 11" clutch changeover anyway.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
Sometimes luck finds you. I have been searching for a rear speaker grille for my 64. Found one on ebay and its my buddy that lives two miles away. Hes happy to see me and my greenbacks and i go home happy with a minty piece. He is also a CP member to boot.
I did a post on the 62 forum on Paul's (PVS409) posting on Tremec's and Richmonds on 348-409, it has some great pics and very detailed info including the lengths of the various trannies.
I'm not familiar with later than xframe 64 floors but this info may be of help.
Don
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Couldn't resist. Put the sidecover together with the combs and spring. Mocked up the bench seat shifter along with the correct rods, levers and mount I got from Carl. Shifted it back and fourth though the pretend gears while making small block engine sounds. Pulls strong...
The shifter will need some TLC.
Carl, I went and got those shims today...
Sent the 70 Delco Moraine calipers out to John Stuart Power Brake in Stoney Creek. Had bad corrosion on the pistons. Back in a day, rebuilt for 60 bucks each. Great place, highly recommend them.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Couldn't resist. Put the sidecover together with the combs and spring. Mocked up the bench seat shifter along with the correct rods, levers and mount I got from Carl. Shifted it back and fourth though the pretend gears while making small block engine sounds. Pulls strong...
The shifter will need some TLC.
Carl, I went and got those shims today...
That right there is B body art at it's finest!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
