Ole SPF148 took her first tow truck ride

[Buzzmobile]

Was driving along after going to get an oil filter to change the oil in old 148 and she gave it up right in 5 o'clock traffic on one of the main streets in town and I was stuck in the center turn lane. Was a mess getting a truck to get her home (I don't have the typing energy to tell you what happened, but took mulitple truck attempts). Anyway, when we got her home 2 thing were apparent. One, the clear fuel filter was bone dry. Nothing in the line to the carbs, so we threw some down the throat of the carbs and she fired right off for a few seconds and quit. Check fuel to the pump...good there. So....off comes the pump. Sure enough, the rod that connects the diaphragm to the "arm" that rides on the cam has sheared off. Problem diagnosed. No name on the pump and just wondering if you guys had any advice on replacement brand and what volume pump I should look for? I am running 2X4 set up. It is a mechanical pump, 427 SO. Any tips or tricks on the change out?

Second thing....I developed a leak of some type of oil based fluid, very clear/yellow. Thought maybe break fluid and when I found where the SPF resevoir (sp?) was, I was horrified...how do I get to that to check the brake fluid level?

Second thing I thought about was hydraulic throw out bearing. I have never messed with one of those and don't know anything about it. Where is the fluid stored and how does the whole system circulate or work? I don't even know if I have one or not...how can I tell. Any other suggestions on what the fluid could be? Obviously, I haven't tried to run the fluid thing down as I was planning on working on the car tomorrow...now I have more to do than an oil change.

Thanks for all the help. Stranded is no fun.

Buzz

[Lowell W]

Buzz,

Well, OK... is the fluid near the center of the car or under one of the corners? If it's yellowish, you're probably right: it's hydraulic fluid; either from the brakes or clutch. Also if it's yellowish rather than clear, it's lilely time to replace it. Locate the source of the leak and replace whatever is causing the problem. If you're lucky, it could be something as simple as the hose from the clutch reservoir to the master cylinder.

The clutch reservoir is on the firewall (at least on my car) and the external slave cylinder, if there is one, is mounted to the rear of the block. If you have a hydraulic throwout bearing, it should be bleedable (?) from outside the bellhousing but changing it would necessitate removing the transmission from the motor.

The brake master cylinder only looks impossible to fill; it's really not. I use a small funnel with a length of hose attached and temporarily zip tie or wire it to the hood prop rod. COVER EVERYTHING WITH RAGS AND WIPE AND FLUSH SPILLS WITH WATER IMMEDIATELY. You should be able to see the fluid level from the outside but if you've never flushed the system, now's a good time to do it. I use about a quart of fluid, bleeding each caliper until the reservoir is just about empty, then refilling the reservoir, starting with the right rear outside, then inside, left rear outside and inside, etc. Bleed each caliper until the fluid comes out clear. You'll want to flush the clutch system too, and if you think the brake master cylinder is hard to get at, wait until you bleed the clutch master cylinder! It can be done, though, and if memory serves me correctly, the bleeder valve takes a 10mm box end wrench.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

Lowell

[Turk]

Buzz,
I can't help you with your brake or clutch fluid , but here are some thoughts on your mechanical fuel pump.

If it is shinny and chrome looking, it is more than likely, you have a cheap made overseas Holley.
I went through two of them in nothing flat. When I called Summit for a replacement they were 30 days back ordered.

How many Big Block Fuel pumps do they sell? Did they all broke down?
When is the last time Summit had anything on back order for 30 days or more?

It seems the new generation of Holley Fuel pumps are sub-contracted to some unnamed company in an unnamed country, and they are POS..

Get a Carter, and be done with it.

TURK
If your pump is not a Holley, my apologies to Mr. Holley.

[millennium200]

Buzz,

I am guessing that you have not had your car very long so here are my suggestions. First call Dynamic Motors (SPF) dealer in Ross, OH at 513-738-4000 and get an owner's manual. That will tell you where all the items you menioned are located and what they look like. Second, you should join SCOF where you can talk to other SPF owners and get additional information. You can sign up and get more SCOF info at


http://performanceunlimited.com/cobra/

If I can be of anymore help, just ask.

P.S. The people at Dynamic know everything SPF, and they are great people to deal with.

[Buzzmobile]

Turk, yes that sounds like the fuel pump I had. no name and chrome. I was just wondering about the summit carters...there are 3 to choose from and could use some help with which one I need. Part numbers CRT-M6905, CRT-M5905P, and CRT-M4539. These are the specific summit numbers for the 3 carter fuel pumps that they carry that will fit the FE. I know the variability is based on pressure and flow, but I don't know what I need as far as PSI and flow. Not a monster engine, just what I would consider a moderate FE. Moderate cam. 2X4 tunnel port. Can you have too much pressuer? Flow too much? My gut says go get the one that flows the most and has the most pressure....too much is never enought!.....BUT I know that is not always the case.

Lowell,

I will be looking into the fluid more here this week. Yes looks like more center origin. I have yet to really try and pin it down. I will be working on it this week and will keep you posted. I am not even sure I have a hydraulic clutch, I think it is cable. And I don't know about the the throw out bearing...haven't checked it out.


Guys, thanks for the advice. I will see what I come up with here and get back to you.

Buzz

[Turk]

Buzz,
I think you want aboout 6 lbs or so of pressure. You may want to check with Summit. I thought there was only one Carter Mechanical available for an FE.

They can be more factual than I can.

TURK

[Flyin_Freddie]

Buzz...your clutch ain't cable activated....trust me on this! You're really a rooky at this, aren't you? No prob...we were ALL rookies once.

Almost any mechanical fuel pump will work, provided it's for an FE block. With a moderate cam and dual 4's, I'd be sure I'd and tell Summit what you're runnin'...and Yes, you can get too much pressure. Your SPF dealer - either Dynamic in Ohio, Reed Motorsports in New Orleans, or Olthoff Racing in Charlotte should be able to steer you in the right direction. Have you asked them...?

Your fluid leak could be coming from a several locations....but the most likely ones are your clutch slave cylinder, your clutch reservoir, or even your transmission. You'll need to get under the car to tell...lift, hoist, or even a floor jack and jack stands will do the trick. But, please don't climb under the car without supporting it on jack stands!

If it's your clutch slave cylinder...it'll be leaking from the black rubber boot on the slave cyclinder located on the driver's side of the bell housing. If this is the case...there's two possible fixes.
One is your clutch push rod is too long
and just needs to be adjusted. This changes your release point on your clutch, so be mindful of that. What happens is it's not allowing the clutch fork to fully release and the residual pressure is forcing fluid past the seal. Simply shorten the rod a little through the adjustment nut and then check out your clutch travel and release point.
The other possibility is that your slave cylinder needs rebuilding...but it's most likely a misadjusted clutch.

If it's your clutch reservoir, it'll most likely be the black rubber hose running from the reservoir to the clutch master cylinder...it's a known problem. The hose just needs to be replaced. But, again...check with one of the SPF dealers for the right hose. It's NOT just a length of black rubber hose...trust me on this! The wrong hose can complicate your problem, and cause other related issues as well.

If it's your tranny...it'll most likely be leaking from the speedo cable fitting. There's a little trick to sealing this up. You'll need to remove the speedo cable from the tranny by unscrewing the silver threaded cap. Then using an alcohol soaked rag, wipe the cable off around the collar and a couple of inches up the cable. Make sure it's oil free and as clean as you can get it. Then, using some clear silicone sealer, smear a thin coating around the cable where the plastic cable housing goes in to the silve ferrule of the fitting. This will seal this part of the cable which is usually where it's leaking. Then, screw the collar back on the speedo fitting and re-tighten. Also...make sure there's a O-ring in the fitting...if not, you'll need to replace it as this is another source of leaks.

If it's not coming from one of these locations, I'd be surprised....but, let us know. There's other locations, too, but these are the most likely on an SPF.

Hope this helps... SCOF is a big help, too, and don't discount it. There's a lot of knowledgable SPF owners over there and they can help a lot. There's also a lot of others over there, too...but...well, hell, you'll see. But they're a good source of help...especially for new SPF owners...and lots of fun, too!

Keep in touch...and let us know what pans out.

[Buzzmobile]

hey there Freddie

funny you should get involved in this thread. This would be the VERY SAME car that caused a little crow to be consumed, or at least you had to buy a meal or two for Downtown Jesse Brown and company. Yes, I am a new cobra owner, but have wrenched on a few, huh um, chevies in my day. Honestly, I picked up the car and just started driving the pi$$ out of it. Until yesterday, I haven't even been under the dang thing, so yeah....a little new to the ford side of things and never owned a SPF before now.

For starters, I am addressing the fuel pump issue and will get back with everyone on the leak. Talked to my local speed shop that carries Carter pumps and they said there were 3, and steered me to one that puts out 6 lbs and 120 whatever volume per time frame (I don't know the units right off the top of my old shrunken brain).

Thanks for the replies. Should have the pump tomorrow. Will get it thrown on and then start hunting down the leak.

Buzz

[Flyin_Freddie]

Heck yeah, I remember #148...Downtown had some fun at my expense over it...! How could I forget..? I knew he had it up for sale ... didn't know it had sold...

Well...good for you! #148 seemed to be a great car....didn't get to drive it, but it looked sweet when I took a look see in February in Austin. Yepper...looked good indeed. You'll find Fords not a helluva lot different from chebbies...sh-h-h-h-h, can't say that word too loud over here. Could get dangerous, y'know...!

Let us know how the fuel pumpenzee works out...then we'll tackle the fluid leak. I forgot...did you say where the puddle is located...? Center of the car...nearer the front versus the back...left side, right side...? You know as well as I do the location really helps narrow it down. I know a ton about SPF's...had mine for almost four years now! Luv it as much today as the day it was delivered!

[Buzzmobile]

OK, ole 148 is making noise again. Turk, good call on the Carter pump, nicely made. Works fine. Running like a champ.

Looking into the fluid leak, looks like out of the clutch slave cylinder on first inspection. Cleaned everything up and now basically waiting for more leaking to get a better idea of where exactly it is coming from. What type of fluid for the clutch ...? brake fluid. Anything special? I really do need to get a manual for the car, but any help would be great. I found the door in the wheel well to get to the clutch master.

Thanks
Buzz

[Flyin_Freddie]

...check out the play in the clutch push rod. You should be able to wiggle the clutch push rod a little...should have some play in it. If not, then it's too long...possibly because the clutch has been misadjusted. There's actually three adjustment points in the clutch travel...the rod, the stroke length on the master cylinder, and then the pedal height in the driver's footwell.

If there's no play in the push rod from the slave cylinder to the clutch fork, then there could be constant pressure on the slave cylinder piston....which forces fluid around the seal, into the dust boot, and onto your garage floor eventually. (Ask me how I know this...go ahead!) Anyway, if you'll shorten the clutch push rod a little, this relieves this pressure and presto!...no more leak.

Check this out and let us know what you find. I'm thinkin' this is the source of your leak. Hope this helps...

[jrussell]

Buzz,
Look up Clois Harlan in your neck of the woods around the south Tulsa area (Broken Bow or Broken Arrow, I don't remember which). He is extremely familiar with FE's & is a really good guy to get to know. I also would suggest you check into SCOF as my friend Freddie recommended earlier.
Also, in the newer cars, and quite possibly in your car also, there is a "door" on the inside of the drivers side fenderwell just opposite the master cylinder that will allow you much easier access, so take a look.
Now, about my friend Freddie! Boy, was I glad to see him post here, because I was sure he had been kidnapped by UPS and sent to the wilds of Borneo, or maybe the New Zealand! Freddie has been missing and a few of us (me) have been worried about him. Glad to see he has returned!
Also Buzz, you HAVE to make plans to come down South in 2005 to join us at the Annual Texas Cobra Club meeting, to be held this year the last weekend in March. We had around 80 cars last year, and will have more this year, so look up the thread under "local clubs", go to Texas Cobra Club & join us.
Good luck with the car,
John Russell
SPF #586

[Buzzmobile]

John,

Good to hear from you. Yes, I would love to come down. I met you and a bunch of the Texas bunch in Tulsa this year. I was parked 2 spots away from your car at sonic. Yeap, also know Clois.

OK what type of fluid for the clutch....just good old fashioned brake fluid?

Thanks
Buzz

[jrussell]

Buzz,
Thatt's an easy one, just use the same fluid for both. I had a feeling you had found our corner at the Mid-American.
JR

[Bill Wells]

flush the brake and clutch system and replace with DOT 4, NOT Dot 3...you will have higher boiling temps with '4' and better hot weather, hot driving performance . bill.

[Buzzmobile]

Well, cleaned everything up and wiped down all the dirty surfaces after doing the fuel pump change and the oil change. I put fresh card board under the car and have been in and out for the last few days....not a drop. I don't see anything leaking. Nothing on the card board.

The leak started a few days before the fuel pump went. Could there have been lubrication in the fuel pump that spit out on the floor? Looked over the slave cylinder again, dry as a bone. Nothing from the trans. I spent almost an hour under her today just looking around. Pretty interesting for a new ford owner. Just the differences in how things are designed. I looked for the casting numbers, but could not see them behind the starter. Casting dates on the engine E3 and 68. I assume it is a hydraulic engine. That is a relief if so, because I have no cam specs. Does not sound noisy or like any solid lifter engine that I have had. Anyway, just weird. A few days before the FP goes, I get a leak. Change that out and now no leak. I have yet to get into the clutch master through the trap door, but clutch still feels fine. What ever it was/is...it looks like it stopped for now.

I'll keep you posted if anything new happens. I think I'll go drive the beast around a while.

Buzz

[Flyin_Freddie]

Sounds like the fuel pump was easy enough, huh? And, no, there is no 'lubrication' in the fuel pump, but since you didn't 'xactly where the leak was in relation to the car, it is indeed possible the fuel pump was the source of the leak. The cardboard idea was a good one...let's wait and see if the leak returns....they don't fix themselves, y'know....and see where it appears to be coming from.

I've made the last several Texas Cobra Club annual meetings in Austin....always look forward to this as it provides a destination in the middle of the cold months, and hell, the parking lot parties are worth the drive, candidly...!

Look forward to seeing you there...and DT's car, too!