Wootdog
Member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2013
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- My Car
- 1971 Mach 1
1967 C10 Step side
1979 Z28
2002 Silverado LT
All,
A little back ground here. When I acquired this car a few years ago, it was in bad shape. Floor boards rotted through, not running at all, what you hear about everyday on here. It was a project that was never finished. Upon looking it over, it had a rebuilt engine in it but the tranny needed some work. All the seals were dried up from sitting for the last eighteen to nineteen years. It shifted real hard on the FMX automatic at high revs. If you let up on the gas while going down the road it would shift easier. Well I got the trans rebuilt and it still shifted hard and of course the brakes were a pain in the rear also. Hard to stop. Well I had the trans shop due a vacuum test and of course it was real low. I believe around 11-12 scfm. I was told the cam was too large. I had never open up the engine to see it that were the culprit. Well, I bought a vacuum canister which helped the brakes somewhat and the shifting between the gears. But of course it shifted hard and at higher rpms. I ran it like that for years. I don't drive it a lot.
Anyway, I finally splurged and put in an electric vacuum pump from Stainless Steel Brakes last weekend. I hooked up the pump to the canister and the brakes worked a lot better but then the trans would not shift at all. So then a couple of days ago, I put the transmission line for vacuum back on the hot rod canister and just had the brakes going to the vacuum pump. Everything now works like a new car. I wish I had done this years ago. Then today, I changed out the steering gear which was leaking and had some slack in it for a new one. This car seems to have woke up. It is such a pleasure to drive, I am going to just drive it for awhile. Now the wife can't call it lawn art for awhile because I am actually driving it more often. Just thought we all needed some positive reinforcement for a change.
Kerry
A little back ground here. When I acquired this car a few years ago, it was in bad shape. Floor boards rotted through, not running at all, what you hear about everyday on here. It was a project that was never finished. Upon looking it over, it had a rebuilt engine in it but the tranny needed some work. All the seals were dried up from sitting for the last eighteen to nineteen years. It shifted real hard on the FMX automatic at high revs. If you let up on the gas while going down the road it would shift easier. Well I got the trans rebuilt and it still shifted hard and of course the brakes were a pain in the rear also. Hard to stop. Well I had the trans shop due a vacuum test and of course it was real low. I believe around 11-12 scfm. I was told the cam was too large. I had never open up the engine to see it that were the culprit. Well, I bought a vacuum canister which helped the brakes somewhat and the shifting between the gears. But of course it shifted hard and at higher rpms. I ran it like that for years. I don't drive it a lot.
Anyway, I finally splurged and put in an electric vacuum pump from Stainless Steel Brakes last weekend. I hooked up the pump to the canister and the brakes worked a lot better but then the trans would not shift at all. So then a couple of days ago, I put the transmission line for vacuum back on the hot rod canister and just had the brakes going to the vacuum pump. Everything now works like a new car. I wish I had done this years ago. Then today, I changed out the steering gear which was leaking and had some slack in it for a new one. This car seems to have woke up. It is such a pleasure to drive, I am going to just drive it for awhile. Now the wife can't call it lawn art for awhile because I am actually driving it more often. Just thought we all needed some positive reinforcement for a change.
Kerry
