Ups & Downs of Old Technology

[Achto 27,811]

Last night I was plowing snow with my C-145. 25 degrees out, was dressed warm, had my heated gloves on and a smile on my face. Life was pretty good !! Then all of a sudden the engine stalled just like I had turned off the key. . Pushed the old girl in the shop for some diagnostics. Found that I had no spark. Multi meter showed that I was getting "+" power to the coil but no "-".

 

Down side - points were not making a good contact.

 

Up side - No need to buy a new solid state coil, or a new CDI box. Nor did I have to wait for said parts to arrive or wait till morning to take a drive to get new parts. Instead a quick cleaning of the points with some 1200 grit sand paper and I was back in business. $0 repair and only 15min down time. 

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:58 AM by Achto

[953 nut 55,837]

Old technology is the best if you have a person with an old soul around to make it work.         

[ebinmaine 68,444]

8 minutes ago, Achto said:

Instead a quick cleaning of the points with some 1200 grit sand paper and I was back in business. $0 repair and only 15min down time. 

 

Nicely done man!

 

I'd have been out there doing a sage smudge and creating new words for a few minutes....

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,972]

37 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I'd have been out there doing a sage smudge and creating new words for a few minutes....

 

I was gonna say we need pics per the Rules... but then again... do we need this visual on Christmas Eve...?

 

Nah... 

 

[WHX?? 49,177]

1 hour ago, Achto said:

Instead a quick cleaning of the points 

Yep how many times at show with a dollar bill... 

[Pullstart 63,100]

25 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Yep how many times at show with a dollar bill... 

 

The set in that Green White hilo were so burnt, I had to file them pretty much gone to get rid of the burn spot!  No go with a dollar bill for those ones…

[D_Mac 8,714]

Similar thing happened to me today. Cleared the driveway with my walk behind snowblower. After it was clear I decided to hop on the 875 and clear some more down at the end of the driveway. 2 days ago I cleared the whole driveway with the 875. So I get to the end of the driveway and it dies like I ran out of gas. I checked, nope plenty of gas. Went to try and start it again and nothing, dead battery. Push it all the way back to the garage, put the charger on it and it fires right up. When plowing I use a yellow bubble light that plugs into cigarette style outlet wired to battery. When not in use it's unplugged. So I'm guessing my battery isn't being charged when it's running. Am I correct? How do I check that? I left the battery on the charger and it is now fully charged and it starts fine. I have not run it more then a minute or two yet since.

 

Edited yesterday at 02:45 AM by D_Mac

[Blasterdad 2,733]

29 minutes ago, D_Mac said:

So I'm guessing my battery isn't being charged when it's running. Am I correct? How do I check that?

Check battery voltage with tractor off. Check again with tractor running. Voltage should be higher with tractor running.

[Achto 27,811]

11 hours ago, D_Mac said:

So I'm guessing my battery isn't being charged when it's running. Am I correct? How do I check that?

 

With your battery fully charged and with a multimeter connected to the battery, start the engine. Your meter should not drop below 10volts while cranking. If it does then your battery is most likely getting weak.

 

With a multimeter check you battery voltage with the engine running at 3/4 throttle or more. You should show around 13.5 to 14.5 volts at the battery. 

 

If not check all of your wire connections to make sure that they are good.

 

If all connections are good but you still are not charging - connect the multimeter to the battery. Start the engine. Take a wire, touch one end of the wire to your battery negative and the other end to the "F" terminal on the starter/gen. You should hear the engine draw down a bit and the meter should show 14 volts or more at the battery. If this is the results that you get from this test, this would indicate that you have a bad voltage regulator.

Edited 21 hours ago by Achto

[squonk 41,365]

The heck with new technology. I had to replace my 2013 GMC a couple of month's ago. After reading the horror stories from owners of 2015 and up vehicles I went 2 years older on a southern truck. Doesn't matter who makes em anymore. They are all junk. No Eco crap, cam phasers, cylinder deactivation, wet belt drive systems for me

[JPWH 6,100]

I'm with Mike on the new technology. I have had my 2000 Silverado for 25 years as of last month. I hope it will serve me the rest of my life.

[kpinnc 12,562]

46 minutes ago, squonk said:

Doesn't matter who makes em anymore. They are all junk.

 

Agreed. My two trucks are 2011 and 2014. The latter only has 60K on the odometer. I won't buy anything past 2015 or so, and absolutely nothing with a CVT. 

 

...well, maybe a golf cart. 

Edited 19 hours ago by kpinnc

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,354]

@squonk  What did you buy ?

[ebinmaine 68,444]

2 hours ago, squonk said:

The heck with new technology

 

1 hour ago, JPWH said:

I'm with Mike on the new technology

 

1 hour ago, kpinnc said:

 

Agreed. My two trucks are 2011 and 2014. The latter only has 60K on the odometer. I won't buy anything past 2015 or so, and absolutely nothing with a CVT. 

 

...well, maybe a golf cart. 

 

 

Agreed on all...

In fact I'd go even older. 

I've been considering buying another vehicle lately.

If it's a truck it'll be a 1996 or older Ford F Series with the inline six. 

I'd also consider pre 1998 GM or 1994-99 Dodge, in that order. 

[squonk 41,365]

24 minutes ago, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

@squonk  What did you buy ?

2011 Honda Ridgeline RTL

[ebinmaine 68,444]

1 minute ago, squonk said:

2011 Honda Ridgeline RTL

 

Niiiiice. 

Trina's been very happy with her 12 Pilot.  

[tunahead72 2,437]

31 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

... I'd also consider ... 1994-99 Dodge ... 

 

Be careful of that series, especially with one of the Magnum engines.  I'm no expert at all, and I don't remember the details, but we had a '96 with the 5.9l V-8, bought new.  It was a good truck generally for us, and lasted a bit over 200,000 miles before it started developing difficult to diagnose electrical problems.  But they apparently had known transmission issues (got mine rebuilt at 138K, no problems after that), and "plenum" issues that caused it to run only fair for the last 50K or so (look up "plenum fix" in some of the Dodge forums for more info).

[ebinmaine 68,444]

Just now, tunahead72 said:

 

Be careful of that series, especially with one of the Magnum engines.  I'm no expert at all, and I don't remember the details, but we had a '96 with the 5.9l V-8, bought new.  It was a good truck generally for us, and lasted a bit over 200,000 miles before it started developing difficult to diagnose electrical problems.  But they apparently had known transmission issues (got mine rebuilt at 138K, no problems after that), and "plenum" issues that caused it to run only fair for the last 50K or so (look up "plenum fix" in some of the Dodge forums for more info).

 

Quite true. 

I like the body style of those but the purchase possibility would be a distant third to the distant second of the GM to the Ford. 

IMHO that 300 is a top contender for THE most reliable engine ever made. 

 

[MainelyWheelhorse 566]

I'm kind of 50/50. Nothing I own with wheels is newer than 1992. There is definitely pluses and minuses to either. the oldest is my 84 Yamaha Enticer. It has been sitting since last winter. I started it this winter with no issues, on last years gas. Both tractors start easily, and run in colder temps than I thought they would. There's been little hiccups here and there with the tractors but nothing big. My mother has got a 2013 Pilot which she loves, that is coming up on 200,000 miles with no issues but wear due to age. This question reminds me when my father bought his 2016 F150. The dealership asked him if he wanted insurance just for the 6 computers in it....

Edited 16 hours ago by MainelyWheelhorse

[squonk 41,365]

1 hour ago, tunahead72 said:

 

Be careful of that series, especially with one of the Magnum engines.  I'm no expert at all, and I don't remember the details, but we had a '96 with the 5.9l V-8, bought new.  It was a good truck generally for us, and lasted a bit over 200,000 miles before it started developing difficult to diagnose electrical problems.  But they apparently had known transmission issues (got mine rebuilt at 138K, no problems after that), and "plenum" issues that caused it to run only fair for the last 50K or so (look up "plenum fix" in some of the Dodge forums for more info).

Chrysler products were always weird with the electrics. When I was working at CPJE dealers in the 80's,I figured Joseph Lucas' younger brother came over to the states after WWII and got a job with the Dodge Bros. 

[8ntruck 7,099]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

IMHO that 300 is a top contender for THE most reliable engine ever made. 

 

I'll also nominate the 225 slant six for that catigory.

[Beap52 867]

1992 GMC K2500 is my daily driver. I always carry a spare ignition control module in the glove box.  When control module dies, it will leave you sitting on the shoulder of the road--if there is a shoulder. Only takes a few minutes to replace.  Electrical can be a challenge.  I had a intermittent hard shifting issue a while back.  Transmission shop found that a wire was chaffed coming from computer to transmission across the bell housing.  Keeping clean grounds (and adding additional ones) on vehicles as well as Wheelhorses is part of my maintenance.

 

My 1947 and 1971 vehicles both still use breaker points. I have a timing light, dwell meter, and other small tools needed to keep them running. Some have suggested going electronic ignition but I still like getting out the old tools off the shelf even though I have to refer to my notes on how to use them. 

 

Two of these vehicles I've owned for more than 50  years.  My plans are to keep all three until I no longer need them.

[kpinnc 12,562]

7 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Agreed on all...

In fact I'd go even older. 

 

We have a Toyota household I guess. 2011 Tacoma, 2014 Tundra, 2012 Rav4. 

 

But even the once exceptional Tacomas now are having massive problems with new (2020 and newer) engines. The new Tundras just are not the same either. Not to mention both my trucks were built in Texas- but now they are moving production to Mexico. 

 

All I can hope for is that my vehicles last the rest of my life. I don't want anything newer. 

[Horse Newbie 7,120]

I run a 1998 Chevy K1500 Z71 Silverado.

280,000 on the clock.

 

Had a sun gear or something like that replaced in the transmission somewhere around the 100,000 mile mark… not sure.

 

Transmission guy said a common problem with that year as the gear was made out of cheap metal or plastic ( not sure which)

 

He replaced with an aftermarket gear made with a higher quality metal and assured me that I would have no more problems with that.

 

Just made a trip from Monroe NC to Cowen WV and avg 16.9 mpg at mostly 80 mph.

 

Libby keeps saying I need a newer truck… no thank you.

 

And besides now that people have bought up most of the square bodies, they are now going nuts over the era of Chevys and GMC that my ‘98 is in.

 

I have heard that the 5.7 liter Vortecs in it are real reliable, although plagued by  pesty rear main seal oil leaks.

 

For now I can live with that.

Edited 9 hours ago by Horse Newbie

[tunahead72 2,437]

On 12/24/2024 at 7:57 PM, ebinmaine said:

... I'd have been out there doing a sage smudge and creating new words for a few minutes...

 

I just learned a new term, thank you Eric and thank you RedSquare, this place is always a great classroom!