siiirhd88
10-18-2007, 03:42 PM
I took the wife's 109 on its first long trip this week, about 450 miles each way to our NC house and return. The casualties: Left side electric fuel pump stopped pumping on 301 at the Potomac River Bridge; left side headlight ring flew away on 295 near Richmond, entire rear of truck covered in a thick dusty oil film at the end of the trip. The left headlight was resting on the front apron.....
It looked like the transfer case was leaking badly, but the oil level was normal. Trans and diff oil levels normal, too. The engine had some oil at the front, but level was normal..... Hmmm? It took a bit of mineral spirits on a rag to cut the oil film, but it cleaned up with Simple Green.
The fuel pumps are mounted on the seat box near each fuel tank, pumping through a check valve to a 'T' in the line that feeds the carb. I think the left fuel pump was overheated by the exhaust pipe, which runs below. That pump had been replaced a few weeks ago after the truck sat idling for a period. I replaced this failed pump in NC with a different style of fuel pump, and mounted it a bit further from the exhaust. It worked great on the way home, which was good since the right side fuel pump died south of Baltimore...... Not a speck of oil on the rear of the truck on the way home, but the engine used three quarts. Go figure.
Today, I built a heat shield over the exhaust pipe where it runs under the seat box, covering the heat shield with Dynomat on both sides. This should deflect the heat from the left fuel pump. I now plan on completely reconfiguring the fuel system. I will mount two Holley electric fuel pumps with check valves in a box between two of the bed outriggers on the right side, at a height near the bottom of the fuel tanks. A station wagon rear fuel tank is to be installed soon and will have its own Holley fuel pump. All three pumps will be well removed from the exhaust system....
The truck averaged 20 mpg. Not bad for a 3.9 V8 with 4V carb. It ran happy at a constant 65 mph, 75 mph at times with the 5 speed and 3.54 RR axles keeping the noise level tolerable. At 65 mph on 95, the engine temp tended to get warm at about 3/4 scale. At 65 mph on the back roads it was mid scale. Wierd.
The truck only got two comments. While filling up near Petersburg, Va. a young soccer mom asked what year it was and took a few photos with her cell phone. When stopped for lunch in Morehead City, NC a guy from a flower shop said "So its a real one, huh?". I wondered what he meant, but didn't want to ask....
Bob
It looked like the transfer case was leaking badly, but the oil level was normal. Trans and diff oil levels normal, too. The engine had some oil at the front, but level was normal..... Hmmm? It took a bit of mineral spirits on a rag to cut the oil film, but it cleaned up with Simple Green.
The fuel pumps are mounted on the seat box near each fuel tank, pumping through a check valve to a 'T' in the line that feeds the carb. I think the left fuel pump was overheated by the exhaust pipe, which runs below. That pump had been replaced a few weeks ago after the truck sat idling for a period. I replaced this failed pump in NC with a different style of fuel pump, and mounted it a bit further from the exhaust. It worked great on the way home, which was good since the right side fuel pump died south of Baltimore...... Not a speck of oil on the rear of the truck on the way home, but the engine used three quarts. Go figure.
Today, I built a heat shield over the exhaust pipe where it runs under the seat box, covering the heat shield with Dynomat on both sides. This should deflect the heat from the left fuel pump. I now plan on completely reconfiguring the fuel system. I will mount two Holley electric fuel pumps with check valves in a box between two of the bed outriggers on the right side, at a height near the bottom of the fuel tanks. A station wagon rear fuel tank is to be installed soon and will have its own Holley fuel pump. All three pumps will be well removed from the exhaust system....
The truck averaged 20 mpg. Not bad for a 3.9 V8 with 4V carb. It ran happy at a constant 65 mph, 75 mph at times with the 5 speed and 3.54 RR axles keeping the noise level tolerable. At 65 mph on 95, the engine temp tended to get warm at about 3/4 scale. At 65 mph on the back roads it was mid scale. Wierd.
The truck only got two comments. While filling up near Petersburg, Va. a young soccer mom asked what year it was and took a few photos with her cell phone. When stopped for lunch in Morehead City, NC a guy from a flower shop said "So its a real one, huh?". I wondered what he meant, but didn't want to ask....
Bob