Engine Room: "Aye cap'n, Scott here!"

Here are some pics of the engine compartment, where I've done quite a bit of work lately.

The quickie battery terminals are scheduled for replacement soon, probably with cable savers from NAPA. I also need to work out a battery hold-down.

As you can see, there's typical battery tray rust, doctored up with a piece of plywood. But, except for a few pinholes in the front floor, that's the only significant rust!!

I found the grommet that's supposed to keep the positive cable from rubbing on the firewall missing. Until I get a real one, I've put two layers of slit gas line hose around the cable, and secured them with electrical tape. I hate to think what would happen if that one grounded out!! Fortunately, I found the insulation undamaged.

Don't have a pic, but I found Bob Hoover's favorite part, the grommet for the fuel line in the forward engine tin, intact & pliable! Fuel pipe in perfect shape! It'll do for now, but I'll probably do a Hooveresque bulkhead fitting in the near future. Changed fuel lines using correct 5mm German hose, & located the filter before the pump, under the Bus.

The carb, a 30 PICT-2, has what looks like a welch plug on the back of it that will weep a tiny bit of gas if you pump the pedal a few times. I've applied a few layers of old-fashioned gasket shellac (the brown stuff) to see if that will cure it temporarily. I've also discovered that the rearmost stud has stripped out it's hole in the carb base, & it's impossible to completely tighten the base. Seems to run OK though; need to take a vacuum reading to see if the base gasket is leaking. I expect I'll need to replace this carb.

Found the coil flapping in the breeze. A huge lag screw had been stuck into the threaded hole for the coil bracket, just enough to keep it from falling out, & the whole assembly was swinging from it. I removed the lag screw, retapped the poor, abused threads 1/4-20 SAE, & screwed the coil down. I'm sure it's much happier.

With a tune up kit from Bus Depot, I replaced the plugs, points, condenser, & cap. Set the 009 (blech) distributor at 7.5BTDC; I'll get the timing light on it later. Plugs were black & icky; whether from excessive running w/choke in winter, or carb issues, I don't know yet.

Put on nice, shiny fresh air tubing (2" preheat hose from NAPA) which you can see in the wide shot of the engine.

Oil change, valve adjustment, new valve cover gaskets, Inspected air cleaner & found it clean as a whistle, put it back on.

DW is now a "Bus Widow; I've been up late, having too much fun, too many nights. But, she's taking it well... hasn't complained once about "the other woman"!

Richard