Eddy Myrtle

I haven't had an Audi since our 100LS in about 1970.  Consumer Report said not to buy it and listed several reasons why.  And our car had every one of those things happen.  

But my DiL drives an Audi and loves it.  So apparently they got things sorted.

Yes, Audi's build quality has been top notch ever since the first A8 came out in the mid-90's. There's been nothing between Mercedes, BMW and Audi since, just brand preference. But all 3 will get you at the service department. I've tried to do as much as I can on my wife's A3. But you don't have much choice on the higher end new models.

"Service Position" is a thing you come to Love & Hate about those cars.
But if you're going to work on them you better learn to embrace it.  😈

OK, so it's running. Sounds really smooth. After getting it going the first time I added some more gas and broke in the new camshaft(not really sure what that entails). The engine builder's assistant(he wasn't there) suggested 2000RPM for 20-30min. That's what I did. Surprisingly I'm not seeing any leaks now, maybe when it cools down? If you missed it, I noticed a coolant leak from I think the thermostat housing and an oil leak from the back of the pan after filling with fluids.

Thermostat and Oil pressure gauges look good. Thermostat reads on the 'O' and Oil between 'R' and 'M'. Fuel does not look good though, indicates only just above empty and I've added 10 gallons... I'm going to take out the sending unit and see if I can adjust the float. Any other advice?

The ammeter of course shows nothing, though I have 'tested' it and noticed the slightest change turning the headlights on with the engine off. The aftermarket voltmeter showed 13.9 at idle and 14.1 at 2000RPM, sound about right?

Also, the gas pedal had significantly less travel while running. Got the RPM to about 2500(gently, I did not try and mash it to the carpet) at the end of the break in time, what is max RPM on the 300? I tried the throttle by hand, but of course I couldn't see the tach then... It sounded the same though. I've got helpers coming in the morning, I'll check again then. I'm moving the bed to clean and paint the underside outside.

And the parking brake would pop off by itself. It did this before. Nearly had it run down my driveway into another car in Charleston! Not sure what's up with it, I'll do some investigation.

And finally, while I was sitting there with my foot on the accelerator for 20min I tried the radio. The sound is actually really good. Well OK, maybe good is a bit of a reach, it's definitely acceptable. Put it this way, I don't think I'll be changing the speakers anytime soon. Main reason for the cheap speakers sounding acceptable I think, is the fact that your one ear is 4" from one of them and the other 6" from another. I'm guessing, I haven't measured, but they are close. So there is no need to turn up the volume to where they would distort. I turned up the volume to see, but I didn't get to a distortion level before thinking there is no need to max them out to find out.

I'd keep it to 3.5k for break in.
Just constantly vary the throttle (load) and rpm, even on the highway.

Glad you're getting this sorted Rob!
You definitely deserve it after all you've put into it.

Yipee!!!!  I love a happy ending!  

Edit: Yes, those voltages seem to be about right.

Sac79 wrote

Also, the gas pedal had significantly less travel while running. Got the RPM to about 2500(gently, I did not try and mash it to the carpet) at the end of the break in time, what is max RPM on the 300? I tried the throttle by hand, but of course I couldn't see the tach then... It sounded the same though. I've got helpers coming in the morning, I'll check again then. I'm moving the bed to clean and paint the underside outside.

That is an interesting question.

The bottom end of the engine is quite stout and when properly set up can do 5 - 6000 RPMs. But, a stock carbureted engine will absolutely run out of breath by approximately 3300 RPMs and anything above approximately 2800 RPMs is just making noise.

1986F150Six wrote

Sac79 wrote

Also, the gas pedal had significantly less travel while running. Got the RPM to about 2500(gently, I did not try and mash it to the carpet) at the end of the break in time, what is max RPM on the 300? I tried the throttle by hand, but of course I couldn't see the tach then... It sounded the same though. I've got helpers coming in the morning, I'll check again then. I'm moving the bed to clean and paint the underside outside.

That is an interesting question.

The bottom end of the engine is quite stout and when properly set up can do 5 - 6000 RPMs. But, a stock carbureted engine will absolutely run out of breath by approximately 3300 RPMs and anything above approximately 2800 RPMs is just making noise.

Just everyday normal driving I cant see running the RPM up over 2000 when going from 3rd to 4th gear I may run it a little higher once in a while but with the T18 its not a race truck LOL

I like that the 300 pulls from like 800/1000 up to 2500 RPM
Dave ----

The reason I could not get the RPM above 2500...



Fixed with a new cable which allowed me to remove the bracket's return spring for now.



New Chinese blower motor, works fine.



New tires, one was delivered separately. Wheels are out for delivery today. RWL(there you go Dave) out or in?

White Walls or RWL (raised white letters)?
Can you even get WW any more as I have not seen any in a while.

Any way what wheels and you have a side view of the truck so we can see.
Dave ----

And finally, BB's little cousin...



Yeah OK, not really. You can see where I would have a problem with a snorkel towards the driver's side. But I'll keep my eye open for something that might work.

The driver's side fixed duct came from an EFI model I think(engine was missing).



And then I need some help(as usual). How do I connect the vacuum? I guess the 'fitting' on the cleaner lid is a thermostat that controls the vacuum supplied to the snorkel. Is there a correct way to hook that up? And where do I draw the vacuum from? I have ports on the intake manifold and then the Carb. Which leads to the next question, which port on the carb should I use for the distributor? The one is described as 'manifold' for constant vacuum and no emission equipment, the other is 'timed' for emissions. From what I've read, 'timed' is what I want for better efficiency, even though I have no emission systems. If so, can I use the 'manifold' port for the snorkel system?

I also tried to troubleshoot the fuel gauge, to no avail. I swapped out the gauge with my old(non tach cluster) one and it read the same. I took the sending unit out and tried both gauges at different points. Both read empty and full just fine, but anything in between was below half. So as soon as it dropped below full it would go to below half... I did not think adjusting the float would have made a difference. Maybe the sending unit is bad or just not compatible with the gauges. It's a unit from RA, Spectre I think.

Yes Dave, sorry, RWL, I've not seen true white wall tires in ages either. I'll post a picture with a wheel and tire combo(as good as I can without mounting them) next to the truck tomorrow once the bed is back on.

Sac79 wrote

And finally, BB's little cousin...



Yeah OK, not really. You can see where I would have a problem with a snorkel towards the driver's side. But I'll keep my eye open for something that might work.

The driver's side fixed duct came from an EFI model I think(engine was missing).



And then I need some help(as usual). How do I connect the vacuum? I guess the 'fitting' on the cleaner lid is a thermostat that controls the vacuum supplied to the snorkel. Is there a correct way to hook that up? And where do I draw the vacuum from? I have ports on the intake manifold and then the Carb. Which leads to the next question, which port on the carb should I use for the distributor? The one is described as 'manifold' for constant vacuum and no emission equipment, the other is 'timed' for emissions. From what I've read, 'timed' is what I want for better efficiency, even though I have no emission systems. If so, can I use the 'manifold' port for the snorkel system?

I also tried to troubleshoot the fuel gauge, to no avail. I swapped out the gauge with my old(non tach cluster) one and it read the same. I took the sending unit out and tried both gauges at different points. Both read empty and full just fine, but anything in between was below half. So as soon as it dropped below full it would go to below half... I did not think adjusting the float would have made a difference. Maybe the sending unit is bad or just not compatible with the gauges. It's a unit from RA, Spectre I think.

Dist. gets timing and the air filter gets manifold.

As for the gauge it should be smooth thru out the full swing of the float / arm.
Think of it as a light dimmer, it should dim smoothly not dim a little and then just to almost off.
Dave ----

Rob - Looking good!  

As for your questions, I agree with Dave all the way.

Third!

Rob, you're making a lot of progress, and Progress is Good!  

That looks sharp!

I decided on black side out on the tires. I didn't care particularly either way, I like both looks, but the red and yellow dots apparently wouldn't come off easily...



I added this 'watershield' from LMC. Looks better than a plastic bag, but probably less effective. Also, nothing really aligns and there is no provision for the window crank.



I had some neighbors over to help with the bed and hood. Took a while to get the hood to align. And stay that way after being closed. No where near perfect(none of the panels are), but I can live with it.

The bumpers got some Rustoleum Rust Reformer on the backsides.





Then the rear bumper got some cheap Krylon paint. I'm so happy with the result that I'm no longer considering a chrome bumper, we'll see how long that lasts...



And the front bumper got Coke and steel wool! Absolutely amazed at the results. I already used it on the light retainers and can't wait to try it on the window trim. I've read about this many times, but it's the first time I've tried it myself.

Looking good, Rob!

I've not tried the Coke/steel wool trick, but have heard lots of good things about it.  But there is one that uses aluminum foil isn't there?

Anyway, the bumpers look great.  

I had a neighbor over yesterday to help me bleed the brakes, I just couldn't get it firm with the 'one man' tool. The pedal feel is good now, but unrelated, the rotors have been tight from the start. As in difficult to turn by hand. With the wheels on it was easier and they would continue to rotate about half a turn or so without assistance. The truck also rolls easily. I'm sure I remember being able to spin the rotors by hand. Is it a case of new rotors and pads maxing out the space available in the caliper and it will have clearance after initial use, or is something wrong?

Last night I received the lugnuts and installed the wheels. I eyeballed the 'toe' alignment and planned on getting to the tire shop first thing this morning. But I had a bad experience with them mounting the tires and truthfully I don't want anyone else behind the wheel of Eddy...

The guy wanted to charge me over $120 to mount the 4 tires when I usually pay $15 per tire. When I mentioned that he looked perplexed and said he would do me a deal for $100... This was after the tires were mounted, if it happened before I would probably have left. I've done business with them before and have usually been happy, but not this time.

So anyway, I ordered a DIY kit and will attempt to align the tires myself. Eyeballing isn't enough as I found after changing the steering components on my Toyota and going through the front tires in less than 10000 miles!

So with plans changed, I went to get the last couple of vacuum hoses this morning. It still looks kind of busy, but a lot less than before. I guess I could try to tidy up the nest on the passenger fender liner... But either way, I can at least identify everything and know each individual component's purpose.



So with that done, I pulled out of the garage and drove the 7 miles to the gas station with ethanol free. I did a bit of 'bedding' on the brakes. But not easy to do when it takes so long and far to get up to 45MPH... The engine is really quiet even with the window open. I only had wind noise, unfortunately I had left the footwell vents open so even with the window closed there was wind noise... I'll test the cab insulation next time. The next thing I noticed was the weird stutter/vibration in 4th gear. I thought the tires were seriously unbalanced at first. It started at around 30-35MPH and would continue to about 45-50. But if I dropped to third it would be fine, not that I could test 3rd past 40, but it wouldn't do it at the speed that it would in 4th. It would also smooth out if I wasn't trying to accelerate. And then at 50 it would smooth out regardless.

Anyway, I got to the gas station(with the gauge showing right on empty, but with about 6.5 gallons in it) and filled the two cans I used earlier in the month and the tank. The gas was from my yard equipment stash so needed to be topped up. I got 22.5 gallons, so I used roughly 3.5 idling a few times and driving 7 miles... I did idle nearly 30min with the 'break-in' so it might not be that bad. I'll find out in a week or so. With the gauge reading above full I headed back home. Oh, and of course my odo and speedo is off. I'll look into getting that adjusted later. Anyway, heading home I noticed the Temp gauge reading a bit higher, closer to the 'A'. Maybe from sitting at the gas station with the engine off. Same issue in 4th gear coming back as well.

I then took a few pics. I'll get more on Sunday when it isn't raining and I've washed Eddy.

Thanks Gary. I had to start a new post, as the 'insert image' function starts to act up.

Yes, I read about the aluminum foil version a long time ago on FTE. I actually still have the Walmart foil I bought especially for the purpose, but then I read about the steel wool and since I also have some of that(000 grade) I tried it and I'm impressed. It seems it would be easier than foil, but can't say for sure since I haven't use the foil.

Here's a couple more pics of the camber of the front wheels. The suspension definitely evened out a lot. The driver's side is still a little off, but it does have a tiny bit more adjustment to go(I had to adjust them to get the hubs on). The passenger's side is maxed out for these bushings, but the angle looks acceptable to me. If the tires get eaten away in less than 5000 miles I'll look at options to fix it.