Thar she blows.....again

Wifey is not happy. Says I must sell it and get a Fiesta. "We're big people now".
:confused:
Trouble is, she's serious.:(:(:(
12 year old son said he will not be seen dead in a Fiesta. Good boy. He also reminded me that as the two of us ran errands in the X yesterday that I commented on how well it runs now and how fun it is and that it's due for a head gasket failure! I did say that didn't I. Jinx.
 
Jeff, how much time did you get out of it?

Hours? Were you hammering on it for a while?

And what did your wife mean "we're big people now"?
Was she talking financials or scales? :confuse2: :)

Question on the next gasket replacement... (if that happens)
Is it possible to braze in additional material in the area of 3 & 4 (like a couple thousandths) prior to applying the gasket to give the gasket a bit more pressure in that area, or is this a totally crazy idea?
 
time to find a rust bucket with a good engine

Something ins't right with that block/head combo. Find a running engine in an otherwise rusted out hulk and transplant the engine. Or contact Matt and see if they have any decent used engines from a salvaged X.

Sorry to hear you are down again Jeff. If I had a spare 1500 I would send it.
 
I'm with Jim D, get a used good motor, or pull yours and gave the block decked. Enough is enough.

Edit: I thought I was impatient when it comes to build/fix downtime, but having had several costly mistakes on the Volvo ( bent valves, broken valves, melted pistons, etc...) I tend to listen to my peers with more experience than I a little more - it's progress not perfection, mind you :)
 
bbrown said:
Hours? Were you hammering on it for a while?
Click to expand...
I probably put another 500 on it, wild guess. I'm pretty gentle, got a tad frisky yesterday but for me that means shifting at 5k maybe.

bbrown said:
And what did your wife mean "we're big people now"?
Was she talking financials or scales? :confuse2: :)
Click to expand...
She means it's time to grow up and drive an appliance and stop living like I'm 17 (as soon as that happens, shoot me)

bbrown said:
Question on the next gasket replacement... (if that happens)
Is it possible to braze in additional material in the area of 3 & 4 (like a couple thousandths) prior to applying the gasket to give the gasket a bit more pressure in that area, or is this a totally crazy idea?
Click to expand...
I have no idea.
 
add another vote for a new engine

really sorry to see this, i cringed when i saw this thread had been updated, hoping someone else was just asking for advice or something... sorry.

not that it matters, but I think swapping in a known good running engine is the way to go. assuming you keep the car, i'd stop messing with this one. just my two cents, best of luck with it.
 
JimD said:
Something ins't right with that block/head combo. Find a running engine in an otherwise rusted out hulk and transplant the engine. Or contact Matt and see if they have any decent used engines from a salvaged X.

Sorry to hear you are down again Jeff. If I had a spare 1500 I would send it.
Click to expand...

Problem is my car IS a rust bucket, so dumping too much into the drive train is pretty stupid. I'd like to keep it, tear it down assess and go from there but the wife is not on board AT ALL. She wants me to dump it and our '91 Miata (currently in storage) and my '98 Intrepid (which ironically I have an appointment for tomorrow to assess a wobble in the steering that I can't put my finger on). That one also has a "vapor lock" condition where it won't restart sometimes after a heat soak wait. Not a big deal to me because it always goes again after a bit. Anyway, she wants to dump all three and buy a "real car" like something a few years old and good MPG. Now I think that's silly because my car is only probably worth $700 as it sits, maybe less. Running well it's probably $1200? Of course if it's running well it's a joy therefore NOT FOR SALE. Even busted it's my hobby and therefore worth more then market value TO ME anyway. The Miata, maybe $2500? Dodge, probably the same. So I could get rid of three cars and collect maybe $5500 to put towards a $9,000 newer car that would make me into a boring sod who watches crappy degrading TV at night.
I guess I could sell 'em off and buy one that one of you guys have RESTORED for me in a few years. I would not hesitate a minute to drop $8k or more on a nice X when I "settle down" (the kids are all on their way). I'll the let dust settle a few days and see what's what.
 
She'll get over it. My wife knows that no matter what car I own, I will tinker with it, that's just the way I'm built. I would never consider a brand new car.
 
Jeff... as Joe says so well...

You are what you are and every single one of us has had the same experience with our wives and registered significant other domestics... or whatever!

After 46 years of marriage (note I did not say happy or blissful... just marriage...) my wife is apparently beginning to realize the same thing about ME.

One thing I have tried to do all along is to keep her happy with the things she WANTS and NEEDS first... and that would include the kids as well. So this '23T Roadster of mine sat for 20 years and then was sold... as I never had the money or the time for ME or my car... and guess what... I became very RESENTFUL over the years. The BIG problem was that I didn't realize it and felt that I needed to sacrifice MY needs and wants for the betterment of the family.

Welp... nobody in this family was starving and everyone got the best that was reasonable and college educations as well... and now...

Well... The Fiat was something she wanted 'cause she had girl friends that had them and I thought it was cool as well. One day she totaled a Honda Accord with it and never wanted to drive it again. I had it repaired, a bumper, nose-piece and RF fender, and then drove it on and off to work over the next 10 years. Then 7 years in hiatus with a bad water-pump and in around '97 I resurrected it and here I am. I really fulfilled what I was WANTING.

I guess she realized it as well that I needed to do what I liked as well and I don't blame her as much as I blame myself for not realizing this earlier. She suggested strongly that I purchase the neighbor's Corvette... and still enjoys the AIR CONDITIONED ride and PARADES and EVENTS that car has taken us to... and when I found that old Model T... she encouraged me to buy it back and was excited about it enough to drag family into the garage (on Christmas Day) to show off all the cars!

She and the family always comes first... but now I have the hobby that makes me WHOLE and GENEROUS with my time and money and self for others and other things. I feel FULFILLED, and only when you are overflowing with this stuff will you fill the same and be a better man for her and your family.

You are an ADULT, not a CHILD, and this is how adults operate efficiently. Take away your (stupid) passion (for these stupid cars) and you will be lacking and possibly resentful as well. If that happens, then at least YOU will know why.

I sit here now at 1:22 am with my wife sleeping soundly but fighting off pneumonia with all that modern medicine can provide. She'd be in the hospital if it were no overflowing with flu patients and is actually better off at home. I have survived cancer for 28 years, two bouts of chemo, one bout of pneumonia, sleep apnea, diabetes, a little PTSD thrown in... OK, a lot of PTSD... and now Pulmonary Embolisms, Psoriasis from head to toe, and some odd thing going on with both shoulders where I can't lift my arms higher than my shoulders... and the Meds I'm on make me sleepy, gain weight, and in one week, all the hair fell out of my head. My eyes have turned a deep blue as well from a light Hazel. Hmmmm! I never had this kinda thing happen before even while on chemo!

I also have 3 sporty cars all needing some FUN work, a DD that is dependable, all the time in the world, and plenty of $$$ to fool around with.

I just don't have my health or even the strength to do anything anymore... and I dunno... resentment keeps creeping into my vocabulary.

We all can't eat on Monday, pee on Tuesday... sleep all day Wednesday, shower on Thursday and then expect to stay up for the next three days and party only to do it all over again. We need to take small bites of everything EACH day in order to be happy and healthy.

I dunno if YOU are the best person to explain this to your wife... but regardless you need to take up this methodology in order to be the best you can be. Your ACTIONS will prove to be the best at getting her to understand your needs, not your words. Its my thinking though that this car and all the issues surrounding it lately has taken you away from doing the other things as well... and its become a MISTRESS of sorts, and she is jealous.

So I say all this Jeff, and I say it seriously... please consider what I have said and also that I have taken up a lot of time and computer memory to post it. We have all been there... this now seems to work pretty damn well for me... and hopefully its not too late to take advantage of the new peacefulness and sense of fulfillment that surrounds this household. Don't let it be too late for you and yours.
 
Thanks for that. I'm in great shape with my wife kids and all. Blessed beyond measure. Silly cars are not nearly as important as almost anything else so either way, all is well. I had to sell off my Midget to pay my kids' tuition a few years back and it didn't bother hardly at all. Maybe I'm a "big person" after all.:eyepop:
I didn't buy the X for transport, I bought it for a hobby so I'm good. She'll be fine.
 
Thoughtful post.

Making sure I have fun with life on a daily basis includes time spent tinkering, or thinking about tinkering :)

I know there are times when my wife gets resentful, so as you pointed out, I have to be mindful of her needs.

What I know for sure is that we only have today, so putting anything off until retirement or whatever, is a recipe for disaster. Health issues that prevent or limit our involvement with our hobbies can come up without warning, so I'll make hay while the sun shines :)
 
Fiat resurrection day. Brian and Brad came over from Detroit area and checked everything out, measured bolts and examined many things. Nothing really stood out as obviously "wrong". Put some blueing fluid on block, used a flat block with sand paper and showed a few "minor" low spots but didn't really feel it was the kiss of death. Few "little" things, chasing the threads on the bolts and studs with the right die. Decided to grind the bolts back and not use extra washers, even though they did not show any signs of having been squished, better to not have them so we ground some length off the bolts. Long center manifold stud stripped (probably was before, explaining leaks at center exhaust ports) That stud didn't have the grip end (head side) nearly as long as the OEM one it replaced, we ditched it for the original (I still had) that cleaned up well and seemed to grab.
Took much longer then I thought but they toughed it out and we finally got to the state of firing it back up. After some timing fiddling it ran alright. Made a weird whistling noise, a high pitched hiss. Figured out an injector must not be sealed well. Way too spent to go in after it any more by then. Might go back out after Michigan/Syracuse are done.
Bottom line is not sure why I keep blowing HGs but at least I have two experienced Fiat guys go over it and now feel like it's getting it's best possible shot at redemption.
Many many thanks, I hope to pay that forward if I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity.
 
Last edited:
Sounds good

I hope this gets you back on the road for a long time Jeff.

And thanks to Brian and Brad for driving over to help you too!! :thumbsup: I know it always feels good to have someone else look things over. Especially another Fiat guy. Its not like we can take these cars to the local mechanic and expect knowledgeable help.
 
Good(ish) News On The Work!

Glad that Brian and Brad could come over to help. You'll chase this down, I'm sure.

I'm experiencing a similar coolant problem with my '79 1500 - the coolant is forced out of the new expansion tank through the new cap, the temp gauge and heater go nuts, but no water in the oil - so I'm watching your posts closely.

I appreciate the struggle with family vs. hobby, it's pretty clear from the previous posts that you're not alone.

Hang in there, you're surrounded by kindred spirits! http://xwebforums.org/images/smilies/sun.gif

Tom
 
Decided to take another look after Michigan win (so ramped up had energy again). Found an intake runner nut a bit loose, snugged up and low and behold the high squeal "leak noise" was gone. Idle good, threw wheel back on and took off. Golden.
Shortened shifter felt great.
MTL back in the gearbox felt infinitely better then the GL1.
Catless exhaust sounds better.
No leaks of fuel or exhaust or intake evident.
Gassed it up.
Drove around block. Could not detect an issue anywhere. Man am I physc'd!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top