Re: IML: Hot Starting?? 1967 imperial

[Ken W Stephenson <kss37215@xxxxxxxx>]

Reminds me of a major lesson of my life.  Back in '62 my '58 Southampton
392 hemi had over 150,000 miles and developed an internal noise.  Did not
smoke or use any oil.  I was persuaded by a local dealer to have it
"overhauled" at the same time since it had so many miles.  In the
process, they were amazed that there was no ridge in the cylinders after
150,000 miles!  $600 later, a lot of money in 1962, I got it back.  I was
a young technical writer at TRW in Michigan City, IN, and lived in north
Hammond, a round trip of 80 miles daily.  Unfortunately, once the car
warmed up it would not start if it died or you shut it off.  You had to
wait 'till it cooled off.
  
Got the biggest battery at the time, one used in Packards with "Torsion
Level Ride" that wound up with motors.  No help.  Put heavy 6 volt cables
to the starter.  No help.  Tried every starter available. The dealer and
every mechanic were stumped.  I made my commute along the scenic route,
old routes 12 and 20 through the Indiana lake shore dune country, before
it was seized by the government and "preserved".  One morning I stalled
at a stop sign in a very rural little town called The Pines.  An old
retired geezer, about my age now, was sitting back in a chair under the
canopy of a long abandoned, depression era gas station, surrounded by
clothes lines draped with chenille bedspreads that he sold to tourists.  

Within earshot, and without provocation, this total stranger told me the
detailed story of my auto repair adventure, and claimed the guy who did
the job forgot to install half of one of the crank bearings.  When it
warmed up, it was steel to steel, seized until it cooled off.  Being
young and knowing it all, I ignored the old guy, waited an hour or so,
and went on my way.  What could this rural hick know that the factory
trained automotive wizards did not?

My brother Ron's boss was always wanting that car, and after a few months
of grief, I broke down and sold it to him, as is, problem and all.  He
took it to an old geezer mechanic who dropped the pan, turned the
journal, and replaced both sides of the bearing.  To paraphrase Paul
Harvey, you know the rest of the story.  Imagine how the world would be
if we had listened more closely to the old geezers in our lives.  Maybe
even our parents.
 
Ken Stephenson 
            

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