Moore_rb's 66 Ebay Patrol (re)build thread

[Esteban]

Great detail in those pictures! And excellent problem solving.

[moore_rb]

Had a few hours this morning to spend on the Marty Robbins machine under a nice overcast sky, so I finished getting the exhaust system all hooked up, I installed the starter and alternator, and began removing 50 years worth of hacked up wiring...

One of the problems I've had with this Patrol since day one was that every time I hit the starter button, the engine would crank until it either started, or until the battery died (or until I unhooked the battery)

I assumed it was the starter solenoid sticking, so I took it all apart and found that the plunger rod that slides the starter gear in and out was way out of adjustment, so I got that corrected, hooked everything back up, and now it cranks (and stops cranking) just like it should. Then I got to work on that wiring...

Nice thing was that when I was done removing this bird's nest:



It still looked like the factory wiring was all still there - all nice and wrapped up in the original looms. LIke most of the mods on this rig, the alternator conversion was very poorly wired in, so I will be re-doing that harness, as well as re-routing all the guage-feed wires on the driver's side of the engine compartment, and I will probably re-wire in the rear harness to the taillights and brake lights.

Not much else to show picture- wise. I did take one shot of the engine compartment, and it is looking a lot cleaner than it did when it had that 50 miles of extra wiring going every which way...

[RiverPatrol]

I never knew that there was any kind of 'adjustment' for a starter solenoid. 'Splain please?

[faux40]

Could that adjustment involve degreaser and a hammer? Because a hammer will "adjust" most things and the degreaser is like icing on a cake!

John

[moore_rb]

I never knew that there was any kind of 'adjustment' for a starter solenoid. 'Splain please?

No "s'plaining" is possible without visual aid... luckily I still had one of my spare starters taken apart (this was how I actually discovered that the plunger I am talking about was too long in the Green machine's starter)

and ok, it's not really the "solenoid" that is adjustable... The solenoid is the electric switch at the front of the assembly, where all the wires connect (identified below with the red lines). The plunger assembly I am referring to is behind the solenoid (Blue lines - the starter on top shows it all hooked up, the starter below shows if pulled apart. To take this apart, there are 2 -10mm bolts that hold it to the ear on the starter housing, then you twist 90 degrees to allow the small T-shaped piece to disengage from the starter gear engagement fork located inside the ear, then pull apart.

The little t-shaped piece is on a threaded rod that turns in and out (green lines), and the jam nuts hold it in place once the length is set. The rod on the 66's starter was adjusted out to almost 2 inches, while my 2 spare starters were each 1.25 inches ...luckily, I had the extra starters handy to compare to- it made this repair really easy.

so, when I saw the discrepancy in this measurement, I assumed it might have something to do with the issue of the starter not disengaging when I released the starter button, so I re-set the length of the rod, tried it, and it worked...

I never cracked open the P-engine manual, so not sure if any of this is covered in there- I figured it out just by doing the visual comparisons, head scratching, and deductive reasoning.

[RiverPatrol]

Thanks! that 'splains it just fine.

[sleepyzzz]

very good. glad you got it figured out

[moore_rb]

10 hours of sanding, cleaning, masking, mixing and spraying, and I finally have matching doors and side vents...





I had EXACTLY enough paint left in the can the previous owner gave me to finish these parts up.

I'll let the new paint cure for a couple weeks, then I'll wet sand the whole Patrol with 1000 grit paper to blend it out, and then buff, polish and wax...

[RiverPatrol]

Ooooo…shiny.

[sleepyzzz]

looking good