Harley Earle ('49 Super)has been running hot the last couple of weeks, so Sunday it got a new water pump and thermostat, and a clean-out of the thermostat housing. It STILL ran hot; in fact, hotter than before. I tried to find a 160-degree T-stat, settled for a 180-degree pellet type. The other thermostat didn't begin to open until 195 degrees adn didn't open all the way until 210 (pot of water and meat thermometer on the top of the stove).

After the road test with the second thermostat, I noticed that the top of the thermostat housing was very slighlty out of line with the bottom half--the holes are a tiny bid larger than the bolts. I'm wondering if that might have kept the new T-stat from opening. I haven't tested it yet on the stove. But what the hell, I just took it out alltogether and that cured the overheating. When the weather turns chilly again, I'll just but it back in (if it tests okay).

Also Sunday I ran out of gas; some little twit at AAA got snotty with me and then hung up on me when I jumped her case; and then a supervisor I demanded to talk to when I called back told me I'd have to pay $25 to bring gas out because I'd used up my freebies. I told AAA what they could do with their service and threw their card over a fence and into a swamp.

Yesterday also the driver's door window got three cracks in it for no apparent reason. I know can get a new replacment, but does anyone have a real original piece I can buy from you?

This morning I discovered that a low-life across the street from me, who has decided I'm his enemy because I refused to take sides in his divorce, syphoned all of the gas I put into Harley Earle after I ran out. Lucky I discovered that before I ran out on the Three Mile Bridge across Pensacola Bay, on which it is illegal (yes! believe it or not!) to break down.

Happy Father's day . . .

Hey Bernard!

Really! The Guy across the street syphoned all of Harleys's Gas!

That's Out Ragious!

I've heard of some incidents, but that takes the cake!

I guess You have one of those locking gas caps on order.

I'm really glad I have a Big Dog.

I have some unfriendly neighbors (a couple of old ladys) they are a real pain in the butt for sure. But not to that extent. I might get a visit from local law enforcement if the dog gets loose or barks late at night at a disturbance.(that's why I have him).

I would go to the police station and make a formal complaint.

That type of nonsence has to cease and desist.

Regards,

Tom Gallagher

Sounds like you're having quite a time!

Generally speaking, you should run with a thermostat. Your heating problems are probably not related to the thermostat itself. Whether you run a 160, 180, 195 or ? it should open and stay at that tempreture. The only real reason for it not to open is air lock. All heavy equipment thermostats are equiped with a bleed valve for the air. I often drill a 1/16" hole in thermostats to ensure the air bleeds off.

Having said that, it's probably not the problem. Have you given her a good flush? The most common problem is corrosion deposits building up and slowing heat transfere.

"This morning I discovered that a low-life across the street from me, who has decided I'm his enemy because I refused to take sides in his divorce, syphoned all of the gas I put into Harley Earle"

What an assh*le! At least he didn't put water in it

I would reply with a bad word also for that guy.. anybody who would touch my 55 buick at the apartments i live at would get nocked out with a big gun.. screw a big dog tom lmfao jk.. sorry to hear that.. are u shure hes not a crack head? maybe thats why he is getting divorced? lmfao? Geez. kc lmfao

Hey KC

In the Middle of the Night the "Big Dog" hears and smells Intruders that we are not aware of!

Thats the difference. Catching the guy in the act.

Tom Gallagher

go pour a bottle of deer lure scent down the grill infront of the windshield on his car so any time he uses heat/defrost he will regret his nefarious actions

LMFAO !!

I've talked to the cops. I haven't been able to get them to do anything on the two occasions when honest-to-gawd crackheads have tried to run me off the road (off a bridge the second time); they aren't going to fingerprint Blue Ugly (my old 94 Dodge van I also suspect he hit) just for gas theft. I'm going after him for being an unlicensed contractor, which he is. In Florida that's a felony.

And yes, there's a locking gas cap already on it.

But oh, boy, the deer scent is tempting. . . .

The old thermostat has a bleed hole; I'll have to look to see if the new one does, when I get around to testing it on the stove. Meantime Harley Earle is running at least a needle-width up into the normal band, and in heavy traffic, about in the middle of it.

Tightning down the manifold-to-head nuts cured the rough running . . . I'm a happy camper again, at least temporarily.

They ALWAYS tell You, You can't take the law into your own hands.

Go down to the station and make a Formal Complaint,explaining that things have not been investigated to your satisfactaion, you don't want to take the law into your own hands but you have to get satisfaction and closure to all these "Shennagagains"

Tom Gallagher

Harley Earle is a cool name for a car.. i was thinking of naming my 4 door buick special 55 .. belle.. from the old song bye al green named belle. lol Anyways.. the cops always talk about protecting and serving.. i get sick of them, a simliar incident happened with my brothers car.. some people stole it and they didnt want to do finger print testing on it, why not? hell i dont know. It seems cops these days.. in dallas at least.. and surrounding cities.. love to not work very hard getting criminals, they rather drive thru mcdonalds drive thrus and scan throw peoples licsence plates for warrants ect.. I had a older black female cop keep doing that to me last nite in the 55 buick, and she pulled up next to me to see if my tags are good, and i smiled and go.. no warrants here,, tags good.. and looked at her with a wierd face.. like damn woman ur a hater . lol anyways.. a cheap survalence camera is a good idea.. u can get that and the lil screen at walmart for 100 bucks.. or even cheaper get a cam for ur comp and set up the cam outside. But seriously.. thats a real crappy move bye ur nieghboor, just let karma get him. I live in north dallas, but i grew up in south dallas my whole life.. i know about these haters and crack head types, most people come up to u and congradulate u on ur classic car, share stories, especially the older people, which for me i get a great kick off that because its not everyday where a older person talks to us teenagers and early 20's punks as older people call it lol But sometimes u alway sget that one jackass who wants to swurve past ur car, or come real close to it.. or hell the other day i was at the corner store and this hispanic chick looking fine and ready as ever was cheesing big over my car.. right in front of her man.. and her man looked like a bulldog in the face.. he was damn near drooling.. hispanic women.. weewww.. fine as hell but untrusty and will get u killed. The scary thing is.. she was hitting on me and talking to me so much i think honestly that dude was her brother ( ugly mug) lol Anyways.. alot of women flock to this car.. especially my favorite kinds.. older .. early-mid 30's women and so do alot of people who are jelous of what u have. kc

Hey KC!

All You need to do is get a PUPPY!

Between the Car and the new pooch you will become "Irresistable"!

I don't want to come across as "Ethnic Profiling"
but I have to agree with You in regard to "Latin Females" They are very devoted but at the same time they are jealeous, spirited and very vendgefull. You have to walk a very fine line.
Everything has to be "In Balance"!

Tom Gallagher

Ethnic profiling ha!!! I bet u would have never figured this but i am of middle eastern decent. I can talk about any race and its cool because i give a fair account of both good and bad things of ech race lol I bet u wont believe this.. but both my parents are middleastern and work for the us goverment. MY dad was in iraq for 6 mos and now is in korea for 2 yrs. (he hates it there) anyway.. i am of persian blood. I was born and raised in south dallas around mostly blacks, whites, and hispanics. I never knew anybody my race until i was out of highschool problably. So i got a lil bit of every races behavior in me. I identified with all populaur races in dallas. I grew up in kind of a ghetto area, oak cliff but i dont let my enviorment infect my ways. I now live in north north dallas, and theres alot more middleasterns out here.. but honestly i dont like most of them. the ones who are foriegners piss me off . AT the same time.. i look very caucasian. technically i am, because persians are arians/caucasians. Most people think i am itlaian or hispanic. But i not as yall aready know lol I dont hate any race or gender of people. So i equally judge them all lol One thing i would like to say is that its real unnormal for a kid of my background to be in this hobby. I think im the only one honestly lol I also have to say that i get the biggest kick out of older people , especially ur typical country or southern older whites because they talk to me bout my car, and treat me real well and for someone my age (25) thats rare because us youngins are usually too much of a pain in the arse for older people. So when i do get the time to talk to them about my car i enjoy it very very much.. especially theres stories.. anyways.. im outtie kc

Hey KC the sunshine kid!

You are Absolutely Correct.

Most of the Younger Generation drive those "Rice Burners"with oversized mufflers and a BIG Tailpipe!

Those Modified Beverage Cans sound like "Bee's Sworming a Hive.

The Younger Generation if they are involved with our hobby are into Muscle Cars which is pretty KOOL.

Very Few are involved in Antique cars, let alone Buicks.

It is very refreshing.

I grew up in Newark, NJ the armpit (for the lack of a better word)of the East Coast the birthplace of Ethnic Neighborhoods and Gang Warfare (before it was popular)

I can break things down into two classes.

Hard Working People and the "DO Da's
(Where Do Da' Line Start)

Tom Gallagher

i like it when the younger people build old school street rods , they do some nice work , the little foreign buzz bomb cars sound funny with their trash can size tail pipe tips , an tyres with no side walls , an giant chrome wheels ,

IM totaly against putting that much money into a jap or new car honestly. Oldies are the best.. these days they make cars to break down in 7 yrs, back then they built them to last. I love old cars and i suprise alot of people with my love for classic cars because im so young. People my age and chicks think those rice burners are the shit.. until i come steaming threw, and u can hear that beautiful hum of the nail head, old people turning necks, rubber neckin from down the street until im out of site.. of course i cruise it so i let them get a big long look at it lmfao.. u always get rice burners passin bye reving there engine.. and all i gotta do is roll my eyes , chicks dig these more than the rice burners , and they like them cuz there unique and nobody else has one.. im trying to get my liscence plate numbers to say " getone" or get1 or get1ne
lol kc

hello, Ive been reading this post and just had to reply. my love for cars started with hondas, Ive had 8 or 9 and I dumped alot of time and money into a couple of them. after taking some first place trophies and alot of stupid streetracing I just started getting really sick of it and wasnt sure why. after attending some classic car shows and some local cruise ins I realized it was the people i was sick of. I sold my civic I had won the trophies with and kept one as a daily driver. I was in search of a bubbletop chevy when I saw an ad for an invicta. not knowing what it was I held off for a couple weeks until I did a little research. finally I made the 2 hour drive to look at it, and bought it on the spot. I love the car and the people I meet at the shows. Everyone is so willing to help when I have a question unlike the compact car scene where everything is so secretive and people are arrogant. since i purchased my car a few of my friends have been selling their imports and looking for something older. my point is without being one of the above mentioned people first I probably wouldnt be in this forum now.

I like rice-burners!

I think Everyone should have at least one.

I cut the roof off and remove thecheep seats and instantly I have a mobile Dumpster.

Tom Gallagher