Tess, Don't fiddle with the throttle linkage. Save that for last, if at all. Mark
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tess McMillan Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 10:18 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [alfa] The Light at the End of the Tunnel Well.... She runs! She runs, and that is just insane. The engine sounds better the more I drive around the block. I am so incredibly stoked. I think I have a stuck brake caliper, though, as the car does not roll downhill when in neutral, nor does it maintain momentum forward when I shift up. I tried scrubbing the brake pedal while I was accelerating, but so far that has not helped. I now can hear the fuel pump running -- somewhat loudly, I hope that does not portend disaster -- when the car is running. Right alongside my noisy throwout bearing.... The 'pocky' sound I was hearing eventually just faded away. The fuel gauge, which worked when I first added gas and then stopped working after I'd started the car a few times, is now working again. John Brase had made the suggestion of de-varnishing the injectors by starting the car daily for a few days, and in my case, it took 2 days. Today I went out and got more gas and more injector cleaner with the intent of letting the sucker run for a while, and much to my surprise, after I added the doctored gas the car started easily and ran fairly normally. I still have to go back and do the things I skipped over. For example, changing the oil. "WHAT?!", you scream. In my defense, no matter how hard I tried I could not get that drain plug off. I tried jacking the front end to reach it with both arms and still no dice. So I ended up topping up with just a little bit of new 5w30, thinking maybe heating everything up by driving the car might help loosen the plug .... And I promise to change out the spark plugs once I figure out what to buy. The throttle linkages need to be fiddled with. I would like to follow Biba's suggestion of checking the fuel pump and filter. If I can figure that out. And I need to bleed the brakes. Baby steps. Baby steps. BTW, I'm not sure what one does to get new tabs when a car has been sitting for a while (like years). Will I have to go through the inspection again at the State Patrol? I guess if I need an emissions inspection I have to get a Trip Pass to do this. I hope the rest of you are enjoying as much as I am the very interesting and elegant troubleshooting suggestions being proffered. I have learned quite a lot so far, from "jiggle siphons" to what triggers the fuel pump. I thought Michael Tiefenback's post about co-opting the cold start injector was quite a trick. But I don't know whether to applaud Michael Liu or not for introducing me to Harbor Freight (which turns out to be about a mile from my house.) I walk in there and find I simply cannot leave. Then I make excuses to go back. I've been there four times already. How can you not be mesmerized by a place that stocks at least four different kinds of mini soldering devices that supposedly run on butane? I see the light at the end of the tunnel! (Let's hope it's not a train....) Keep the suggestions a-comin'! THANKS!!!! Tess in Bellevue, WA USA -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected] ----------------------------------------------------------- This message contains confidential information intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above and may contain information that is legally privileged. If you are not the addressee, or the person responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you are hereby notified that reading, disseminating, distributing or copying this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message by mistake, please immediately notify us by replying to the message and delete the original message immediately thereafter. Thank you. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender specifies and with authority, states them to be the views of DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC.. -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected]
