Car just completed...What things should go wrong in the first few trips?

fleiss75 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 08:17 AM

Like any project, I expect that there should be some problems that will need to be addressed on my first few trips. It took me 8 years to get this thing finished and now I have a total and complete fear to drive it.
Looking for some experience of what typical things go wrong in the first 500 miles..

redmt · #2 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 08:37 AM

Make sure the wheels are tight , the grease in the wheel bearings is fresh and the brakes aren't rusted/glazed over. Make sure your steering gear is tight and adjusted. Everything else you can deal with as it happens.

JBCOBRA · #3 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 08:43 AM

If you smell gas........pull over

charles roybal · #4 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 09:00 AM

Ok...this is familiar... my beast has been on the road since Sept. 2010. You need to trust your building skills..yes things will get lose...come off.ect. Drive...drive...drive ...your car. The more miles you put the more confidant you get in you car. Get AAA in case she strands you...and fix it and get back on the road. or you only feel confidant to driving around the cual-dua-sca & the hood. Most of all ENJOY THE RIDE!!!!!!!!!

mdross1 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-12-2011, 05:03 AM

Take her out for a spin warm it up good, don't venture too far from home.If anything rears it's ugly head you want it to happen close by.My only issues were had the coolant level too high,and had the balance bar for dual master a tad out of adjustment.You may not have any.When you do your first service grab a handful of wrenches and go all over the car.You will feel better about taking it out knowing all is right.Have fun

Arch F · #6 (**permalink**) 01-13-2011, 05:43 PM

I drove a few miles, put it up on jack stands and spent a couple hours under there checking everything.
Repeated this maybe 6 or 8 times. Then with about 250 miles on the clock, I made a 3,000 mile trip from Seattle to SoCal and back. Two very small problems (mine is a Factory Five) 1. Passenger side pipe needed to have the bolts between the header and pipe tightened. 2. A bolt on the throtle linkage (carb) needed tightening. Thats it.

So, check everything until you feel secure, then trust your skills and have some fun.
Arch

Richard Hudgins · #7 (**permalink**) 01-13-2011, 06:18 PM

Folks,

There is one piece of equipment that is absolutely critical in any build. And it is a paint marker.

See Sharpie paint marker for an example.

As you build and do final assembly and a fastener is torqued to spec the last time mark it as such with the paint marker.

Then before you take the car out for the first time look at every nut and bolt.

If there is no paint on the bolt/nut/joining device then you need to fix it.

This method works for any connection even AN oil and fuel lines.

After all connections have a paint mark then you can drive the car for the first installation lap of your test area.

Now I know that a lot of you will think that you do not wish little spots of paint on all of your pretty grade 8 bolts and in particular not on your gleaming ARP bolts that you spent too much on.

Believe me, it is better to have the paint on the connection then it is to have the left front upper A-arm fall off. Or Lower for that matter.

Every A&P mechanic I know uses this method as self QC.

Also next time you are looking at an F1 car notice the little yellow marks on every connection. You will see these marks on the inside of the engines as well.

ratsnst1 · #8 (**permalink**) 01-13-2011, 06:43 PM

this is one that most everyone misses, and its the embedding process of the brakes,all that going around the block going 15 miles an hour or more is fine but when you get to where you think you can really start driving it, scuff your roters and pads and do some hard stops at about 50 mph do 4 or 5 of them , basically get your brakes nice and hot that will let the material on the pads start transferring to the roters giving best possible braking. that is the bigest problem that willwood and bear brakes have with customers, saying there brakes are not working very good, then the rep askes did you do the embedding process, and almost every one says oops no I didnt, then the rep says well there you go then, and then almost never hears back from them.I know this cause it happened to me lol.

AL427SBF · #9 (**permalink**) 05-22-2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Hudgins

Folks,

There is one piece of equipment that is absolutely critical in any build. And it is a paint marker.

See Sharpie paint marker for an example.

As you build and do final assembly and a fastener is torqued to spec the last time mark it as such with the paint marker...

Richard is right on as usual. In the aerospace biz we call that torque-striping. Anything that gets torqued gets a torque-stripe, and it is applied right across the mating surface boundary. We then shake, rattle and roll the hardware to simulate the ride up - early shuttle vids show those guys being bounced around like they're on a circus ride. We then inspect those fasteners afterwards and see if we have a broken torque-stripe (rotational slip). If we do then we know it wasn't torqued properly or the torque spec was too low. You can do the same thing after your 1st cobra indoctrination on pavement. Just because it didn't break on that 1st trip doesn't mean something hasn't loosened up.

DAVID GAGNARD · #10 (**permalink**) 05-22-2011, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Hudgins

Folks,

There is one piece of equipment that is absolutely critical in any build. And it is a paint marker.

See Sharpie paint marker for an example.

As you build and do final assembly and a fastener is torqued to spec the last time mark it as such with the paint marker.

Then before you take the car out for the first time look at every nut and bolt.

If there is no paint on the bolt/nut/joining device then you need to fix it.

This method works for any connection even AN oil and fuel lines.

After all connections have a paint mark then you can drive the car for the first installation lap of your test area.

Now I know that a lot of you will think that you do not wish little spots of paint on all of your pretty grade 8 bolts and in particular not on your gleaming ARP bolts that you spent too much on.

Believe me, it is better to have the paint on the connection then it is to have the left front upper A-arm fall off. Or Lower for that matter.

Every A&P mechanic I know uses this method as self QC.

Also next time you are looking at an F1 car notice the little yellow marks on every connection. You will see these marks on the inside of the engines as well.

+100..........been doing this for years, I also use some of my daughters finger nail polish in contrasting color to mark stuff along with a Sharpie......that way I know it has been torqued/tightened down....when building something over time, it's easy to forget what you have tightened and need to tighten...one quick look and you know.....
Again +100...........

David

mic n gill · #11 (**permalink**) 01-17-2011, 09:42 PM

snake bite rings a bell

SunDude · #12 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 09:13 AM

You will be unable to stop smiling. :-)

Rick Parker · #13 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 09:27 AM

1. Fuel line connections & float levels to avoid leaking fuel.
2. Oil full & at correct level, Coolant full and ALL connections checked.
3. Brake line connections (you want to be able to stop!)
4. Electrical connections (you don't want to be stopped at the shoulder of the road).
5. Wheel alignment.
6. Headlights AND most importantly Brakelights & Turn Signals.

Run engine in driveway or garage for about 1/2 hour before going out on the road. Check for leaks both fuel & oil before leaving. Take cell phone and have tow truck phone number.

7. Most importantly, smile and bask in the fact that you created it yourself, that is overwhelmingly satisfying.

fleiss75 · #14 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 09:37 AM

Took the car out and the first turn the rear end made a clunk like you wouldn't believe. Legs went numb and ran it back to the shop...they forgot to put the shims in the trailing arms, then took it out again and it started to smell and smoke like the car was on fire, ran it back to the shop and the clutch went out..I guess that is what I get for taking 8 years! Fuel...not leaking...Alignment...tomorrow..oil level...check...coolant full...check. Brakes...check, lights..check. I have towing, thanks to Robin at Classic and I put a bluetooth stereo in so cell phone CHECK.

vector1 · #15 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 09:51 AM

take short trips at first and don't forget the cell phone.

fleiss75 · #16 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 10:15 AM

Nice to know...this is normal...but the smile has not left my face..except when I though the car was going to catch on fire...then I looked more like a chicken with my head cut off running around the car :>)

emberglo66 · #17 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 11:59 AM

Have fire extinguisher available

dallas_ · #18 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 01:04 PM

Sounds like fun!

Make sure the differential has fluid also.

PFSlim · #19 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 01:17 PM

Make short trips, take a cell phone. Bring back occasionally and tighten things up. Keep looking for things to work loose - they do.

Good luck.

Paul

Tommy · #20 (**permalink**) 01-11-2011, 02:36 PM

Much good advice above. The way I see it, there are three mechanical problem areas where you don't want to drive the car even a short distance. They are problems with steering (i.e., suspension, wheels, steering, loose seat), brakes (even and reliable), and fire (electrical shorts or fuel leaks). Engine problems that could leave you stranded in an intersection or on a dangerous road could also be dangerous, but might be tolerable just to get home under the right conditions. Most other problems cause inconvenience at worst. Be sure you've got the big three under control and you should be OK.