So there I was, 16 with my first car, now stranded in front of my buddys
house. And I had NO idea what to do with it. Couple buddys made suggestions
but no help. It cranked but wouldnt start. Had drove it there but now just
nothing. One said I wasnt getting fuel, but how the )(I)(@#U!!XXX would I
have known.... I was a mechanically ignorant 16 yr old.
Anyway I borrowed a few dollars and a bike and rode 3 miles round trip to a
Western Auto store and bought a fuel pump. The clock was ticking since I HAD
to be home for supper- I was the supper maker since my mom had died. Using a
borrowed wrench, started to take off the fuel pump and lo, the bolts were so
loose they were about to fall out.
Maybe it would start if I tightened the bolts. And it did.
Scraped and washed the oil and dirt off , returned the fuel pump, and made it
home.
Nothing like learning through experience.
The car? A 37 DeSoto 4 dr, no first gear but overdrive so I drove starting in
second, sometimes shifting into OD2, sometimes right into third. Anyway-
Might have seemed obvious (the solution) but I hadda get my hands very dirty
and become intimately involved with the machine. Dont think a shop manual
woulda helped here.
Oh yeah. One sunny afternoon I poked around the engine compartment and
discovered this thing that appeared to be loose and sort of rattled. Since it
seemed not to be connected to anything I took a hammer and banged it and
knocked it off.
Seemed to make no difference....
Well the thing was the heat riser counterweight, it may have reduced gas
mileage some but never had any trouble starting it with no counterweight.
Guess that old flapper in the mainifold just sat there and vibrated to
wherever it pleased.
Nothing like experience again, hands on?
When I was teaching, I had a little ditty I handed out that went on for close
to a page. Students HATE to make mistakes of course. Esp when newly at
college.
Anyway the gist of it was, if you don't make any mistakes , you won't make
anything at all. There is NO other way.
And dont we as old car fanatics know it!!!!!
Rotsa Ruck.
L.
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