While I've got the gas tank in the shop for repair and restoration, I'm taking this opportunity to refurbish the luggage compartment. In addition to removing the old sealant from the tank, I've been scraping away 40-year-old body sealant, rust and paint. This is looking like a bigger project than I'd anticipated. The sealant around the joints is disintegrating and breaking off in large globs and will need to be completely removed, the area cleaned, and new sealant applied. But 40 years of sealant, flaking paint and rust will not be easy to clean. Since it's the trunk, and will be hidden by a fabric liner, appearance isn't an issue. I figure I'll scrape and brush away all the loose rust, scrub the area to remove grease and dirt, and then use a POR treatment or rust encapsulator. And probably finish with a coat of gray primer to reinforce the existing paint and coat the bare metal that's been exposed by my scraping.
Here's resource for auto restoration seam sealing: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/seam-sealing.htm. After treating and painting the surface, I'll need to re-apply sealant around the welds in the trunk. Maybe that should go on after the rust treatment but before the primer. I'll need to do a bit more research, but need to get this done quick, since the gas tank should be back from the shop in about a week.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
A case of bad gas
So it was bad gas after all, causing Elsie to run so poorly lately and deteriorate so fast since I bought her. Today I drained the tank, all 10 gallons, and after seeing all the rust and crud that came out with the gas, I decided to bite the bullet and drop the tank. The leak and faulty sending unit need to be fixed anyway, it seemed like a good time. It's a good thing I did! Holding the gas tank, I could tip it back and forth and actually hear the pile of rust flakes sliding back and forth inside. The sending unit was rusted nearly beyond recognition, probably beyond repair.
My friend Austin came over to check Elsie out, and helped with a mini tune-up. I rigged a fuel line to run to a can full of clean gas and we started her up. She ran a little rough, but once the bad gas got burned through, she ran like a champ. Austin adjusted the timing a little, but all in all, she seems fit for service, once the tank's been refurbished and reinstalled.
My friend Austin came over to check Elsie out, and helped with a mini tune-up. I rigged a fuel line to run to a can full of clean gas and we started her up. She ran a little rough, but once the bad gas got burned through, she ran like a champ. Austin adjusted the timing a little, but all in all, she seems fit for service, once the tank's been refurbished and reinstalled.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Driving a Molotov Cocktail
Ever see an exploded muffler? I hadn't until today.
The adventure started with a blissfully quick and painless trip to the DMV to transfer title, register the car and order plates (the Oregon "Share the Road" plates, natch). Before the trip, I'd noticed a bit of fuel leaking from the top of the tank, now that the tank was full, so my next stop was the auto parts store to purchase a couple large gas cans. I figured I may need to drain the gas and drop the tank to fix the leak.
Upon leaving the store, the car wouldn't start; it was flooded. I ran the battery down trying to start it without success. I had to get back to work, so out of desperation, I roll-started it, and it sputtered back to life. It seemed to be running fine, though a little rough, so I headed for home.
On the way up the big hill near my house, I heard a BANG, and suddenly the engine sounded louder. The car behind me backed off a bit. A backfire, okay, not a big surprise given the flooding, car still running okay, so I drove the last few blocks home and into the driveway. Upon closer inspection, I found that the muffler had exploded!
Though an odd coincidence, but unrelated, I also narrowed down the source of the gasoline odor. It's a leak somewhere at the top of the gas tank where the cap and pipe run through the trunk (the fuel intake is behind the rear license plate), as evidenced by the pool of gas in the trunk. So basically, I was driving a Molotov cocktail. Yikes. Seriously. YIKES!
I now have a few more items for my To-Do list:
The adventure started with a blissfully quick and painless trip to the DMV to transfer title, register the car and order plates (the Oregon "Share the Road" plates, natch). Before the trip, I'd noticed a bit of fuel leaking from the top of the tank, now that the tank was full, so my next stop was the auto parts store to purchase a couple large gas cans. I figured I may need to drain the gas and drop the tank to fix the leak.
Upon leaving the store, the car wouldn't start; it was flooded. I ran the battery down trying to start it without success. I had to get back to work, so out of desperation, I roll-started it, and it sputtered back to life. It seemed to be running fine, though a little rough, so I headed for home.
On the way up the big hill near my house, I heard a BANG, and suddenly the engine sounded louder. The car behind me backed off a bit. A backfire, okay, not a big surprise given the flooding, car still running okay, so I drove the last few blocks home and into the driveway. Upon closer inspection, I found that the muffler had exploded!
Though an odd coincidence, but unrelated, I also narrowed down the source of the gasoline odor. It's a leak somewhere at the top of the gas tank where the cap and pipe run through the trunk (the fuel intake is behind the rear license plate), as evidenced by the pool of gas in the trunk. So basically, I was driving a Molotov cocktail. Yikes. Seriously. YIKES!
I now have a few more items for my To-Do list:
- Repair fuel tank leak
- Replace muffler
- Tune up/determine why gas mixture is too rich
Thursday, February 23, 2012
First Drive Observations
I got a trip permit this morning and took Elsie down to get gas and tires. The gauge has been showing empty, but it turns out the tank was almost full, which means the gauge is not working for one reason or another. It's not an electrical problem; the car only has 2 fuses, and all other electrical works. Now I just need to worry about the age of the fuel that was in there, and the condition of the tank and fuel system.
Overall, the car is running really well, and now that she's got new tires, she handles well too. The handling and transmission are just like an old VW Beetle from that era (complete with gas smell in the cabin). The steering wheel seems to have more play than the owner's manual suggests, so that's something else that needs to be checked out. She's got pep, that's for sure, even for a 1.9L engine, and the engine feels strong and consistent.
I am a little concerned about the gas smell inside the car. It used to be common in my VWs, but not sure if I should be concerned. I found an old recall notice regarding corrosion in the spare tire well that could cause holes to form in the tank, which could be the source of the odor. Inspecting/replacing the fuel lines and filter, and flushing the tank, are on my short list, so I'll see if I can find the source then.
It's interesting how many folks want to talk to me about the car. It happened when Justin got the Barracuda, and now with the Corona. I've met three people in the past few days who used to drive Coronas from this era.
To Do:
- Troubleshoot fuel gauge malfunction
- Flush or replace fuel tank
- Inspect fuel system, replace lines and filter
- Investigate source of gas smell
- Adjust steering wheel
New Tires
80,479 miles
Total Price: $290.96
Original tire size: 6.15/155-13
Recall Notice: Fuel System, Gas Tank Assembly
| Make : TOYOTA | Model : CORONA | Year : 1969 |
| Build Dates : 1969-02-01 - 1971-12-01 | ||
| NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 78V002000 | ||
| Date Owner's Notified: 1978-03-27 | Date Received by ODI: 1978-12-09 | Date Added to Database: 1979-10-12 |
| Manufacturers Involved: TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | ||
| Manufacturer's Responsible for the Recall: | ||
| Manufacturer Campaign Number: | ||
| Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | ||
| Potential Number Of Units Affected : 131046 | ||
| Summary: FUEL TANK COULD DEVELOP CORROSION DUE TO A MIXTURE OF ROAD SALT AND WATER IN THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE CORROSION COULD CREATE A SMALL HOLE IN THE TANK AND ALLOW THE GASOLINE TO SEEP INTO THE SPARE TIRE WELL. | ||
| Consequence: | ||
| Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT ALL SUSPECT FUEL TANKS. IF CORROSION OR PERFORATION IS PRESENT, THE TANK WILL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED AS NECESSARY. IF NO RUST IS PRESENT, THE SPARE TIRE WELL WILL BE PAINTED WITH ANTI-CORROSION PAINT. | ||
| Report Initiator: ODI | V Report | |
| Regulation Part Number: | Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number: | |
| Notes: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES.SYSTEM: FUEL; FUEL TANKS.CONSEQUENCES OF DEFECT: IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT, FUEL LEAKAGE CAN LEADTO A VEHICLE FIRE, OCCUPANT INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. | ||
http://auto-recalls.justia.com/toyota/corona/1969/78v002000/
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