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Just Can't Stay Away 1972 142S

I've been using a Compu-Fire ignition on my 142E for years. It's easier to install than the Pertonix and costs less. The only drawback is that it doesn't fit early distributors with 2 piece points.

Edit:

The price has gone up since I captured this image from their website 3 years ago.

Compufire.jpg

http://compufire.com/compu-fire-21101-ignition-module-for-bosch-vacuum-advance-distributors.html
 
I've been using a Compu-Fire ignition on my 142E for years. It's easier to install than the Pertonix and costs less. The only drawback is that it doesn't fit early distributors with 2 piece points.

Edit:

The price has gone up since I captured this image from their website 3 years ago.

Compufire.jpg
Thanks for the link, it looks like they cost about the same as pertronix now. I guess they are still easier to install though right?

After getting engaged, a week in Portland and a week at CES I am finally back home!

Buying the ring caused me to slow the rate at which I was buying parts for the 142 (long term it probably wont't help the cause but she loves the car too)

I came back to some of these throttle linkage clips from someone in Greece. I lost one while I was working on the car so I was happy to find replacements. Using a bent staple seemed really ghetto but it worked until these guys showed up:



It felt great to take the car back out tonight. It took a while to start until I realized that the choke cable screw wasn't tightened so it wasn't pulling on the carb side.



Can't wait to get it out this weekend and keep working on it over the next few months. I'm almost ready for a longer trip... IPD would be a little ambitious but I could see Davis if some local Volvo friends were up for it.
 
Been taking my time resealing the wheels. I did the first 3 since they would go flat almost instantaneously. The driver's front was holding air for about 2 weeks so it is hard to get motivated to pull it apart and put the new spacer and seal in it. Tonight I pulled it off so I can complete the project!

I like the look of the car on the stock wheels:

 
Me too...

Maybe find a set of 164 5.5 inch wide wheels?


Been taking my time resealing the wheels. I did the first 3 since they would go flat almost instantaneously. The driver's front was holding air for about 2 weeks so it is hard to get motivated to pull it apart and put the new spacer and seal in it. Tonight I pulled it off so I can complete the project!

I like the look of the car on the stock wheels:

 
Got that last wheel resealed and installed back on the car.

Took my first longer drive in the 142 this afternoon. Did about 50 miles up to Lake Cachuma and back on Hwy 154. The car did great the whole time. It corners really flat. It could use a little more power up long hills but it does well enough to stay out of other people's way.




I'm getting down to the last few nagging problems... in no particular order so I have a record:

Heater blower motor does not turn on
Front seats don't match
Rust repair to rockers, hood and windshield
Dome light does not turn on
Takes a lot of cranking to get it to start after it sits for a week
 
I had a problem with my weber bleeding fuel off. Everyday it seemed like it needed a few extra cranks to get it started.

The dome light pins in the doors are pretty old n brittle. Mine works but not with the doors.

Can't help you with the blower motor but if it's not in great shape bring it to a electrical shop for a cheap rebuild.




Got that last wheel resealed and installed back on the car.

Took my first longer drive in the 142 this afternoon. Did about 50 miles up to Lake Cachuma and back on Hwy 154. The car did great the whole time. It corners really flat. It could use a little more power up long hills but it does well enough to stay out of other people's way.




I'm getting down to the last few nagging problems... in no particular order so I have a record:

Heater blower motor does not turn on
Front seats don't match
Rust repair to rockers, hood and windshield
Dome light does not turn on
Takes a lot of cranking to get it to start after it sits for a week
 
I had good luck getting all my dome lights (on two 140's) to work but thoroughly cleaning the door switches. It's funny how much better a car feels when the light turns on at night when you open the doors. Give it a shot.

I have also rebuilt two of the early style heater motors. Seems like the most common thing is for them to get gummed up. The motor itself is really weak, so it doesn't take much of a restriction to stop it from turning on at all. Check the switch, too, but so far both of mine were fine. Pull the motor, blast it out with electric parts cleaner, and make sure it spins freely. Then re-lube the lubricating felts next to the bearings. If the bearings are worn, I don't know how to fix that...

Car is looking good.

Got that last wheel resealed and installed back on the car.

Took my first longer drive in the 142 this afternoon. Did about 50 miles up to Lake Cachuma and back on Hwy 154. The car did great the whole time. It corners really flat. It could use a little more power up long hills but it does well enough to stay out of other people's way.




I'm getting down to the last few nagging problems... in no particular order so I have a record:

Heater blower motor does not turn on
Front seats don't match
Rust repair to rockers, hood and windshield
Dome light does not turn on
Takes a lot of cranking to get it to start after it sits for a week
 
I had a problem with my weber bleeding fuel off. Everyday it seemed like it needed a few extra cranks to get it started.

The dome light pins in the doors are pretty old n brittle. Mine works but not with the doors.

Can't help you with the blower motor but if it's not in great shape bring it to a electrical shop for a cheap rebuild.

Do you think the problem is that after sitting the fuel drains back to the tank and has to be pumped back up? Would a little one-way valve fix that? More importantly would it catch fire lol?

I had good luck getting all my dome lights (on two 140's) to work but thoroughly cleaning the door switches. It's funny how much better a car feels when the light turns on at night when you open the doors. Give it a shot.

I have also rebuilt two of the early style heater motors. Seems like the most common thing is for them to get gummed up. The motor itself is really weak, so it doesn't take much of a restriction to stop it from turning on at all. Check the switch, too, but so far both of mine were fine. Pull the motor, blast it out with electric parts cleaner, and make sure it spins freely. Then re-lube the lubricating felts next to the bearings. If the bearings are worn, I don't know how to fix that...

Car is looking good.

I'm going to try cleaning the switches in the doors tonight. I remember them being really hard to push in when I let looked into this problem. I know the fuse and bulb I are both good. The switches are the only remaining part of the system.

Regarding the heater, when I hit the heater switch the lights momentarily dim so that leads me to believe that the switch is good, the motor just can't overcome the restriction from being gummed up. Iirc the motor is at the top of the heater stuff behind the dash. Is there an easy way to access it? I did the heater core on my 780 and this looks a lot easier but if you have any pointers I would love them.

Thanks guys!
 
im not sure. i just noticed how fast my car started up with the SUs compared to the weber 32/36.

i actually need to take my blower motor out too. im not sure on the actual procedure, there are green books available online for free viewing. ill have to look for the link.


Do you think the problem is that after sitting the fuel drains back to the tank and has to be pumped back up? Would a little one-way valve fix that? More importantly would it catch fire lol?



I'm going to try cleaning the switches in the doors tonight. I remember them being really hard to push in when I let looked into this problem. I know the fuse and bulb I are both good. The switches are the only remaining part of the system.

Regarding the heater, when I hit the heater switch the lights momentarily dim so that leads me to believe that the switch is good, the motor just can't overcome the restriction from being gummed up. Iirc the motor is at the top of the heater stuff behind the dash. Is there an easy way to access it? I did the heater core on my 780 and this looks a lot easier but if you have any pointers I would love them.

Thanks guys!
 
DO IT! i drove my 144 to IPD last year. It did great! if i go this year i hope to have the 145 done so i can camp out 1 night on the way up & down. if not maybe just drive the 144 or 855.

IE: i wouldnt consider davis FAR ;-)

I'm almost ready for a longer trip... IPD would be a little ambitious but I could see Davis if some local Volvo friends were up for it.
 
Do you think the problem is that after sitting the fuel drains back to the tank and has to be pumped back up? Would a little one-way valve fix that? More importantly would it catch fire lol?

I'm gonna say yes, when mine sits for a week it'll start right up and burn whatever's in the bowl, then die until you crank new fuel through the lines. A check valve should be just fine to remedy the problem. All my carb'd scooters use a check valve to prevent this so I assume you'll be fine(this is my first carb'd car). I can tell because I ran my tank dry once and it's about the same 20-30 seconds of cranking until fuel gets back up there.

Love this build, keep it up.
 
DO IT! i drove my 144 to IPD last year. It did great! if i go this year i hope to have the 145 done so i can camp out 1 night on the way up & down. if not maybe just drive the 144 or 855.

IE: i wouldnt consider davis FAR ;-)

Does the 144 have an OD? Davis is like 5 hours from here so I would feel bad for all that high RPM cruising. The car would probably be fine though.

I'm gonna say yes, when mine sits for a week it'll start right up and burn whatever's in the bowl, then die until you crank new fuel through the lines. A check valve should be just fine to remedy the problem. All my carb'd scooters use a check valve to prevent this so I assume you'll be fine(this is my first carb'd car). I can tell because I ran my tank dry once and it's about the same 20-30 seconds of cranking until fuel gets back up there.

Love this build, keep it up.

I might go ahead and try this, the car gets driven 3 times a week max so it would be easier on the car if it fired right up.
 
No OD and he had real short tires as well.

B20's love to spin, but make a lot of noise.

What would you feel comfortable cruising at all day? 3500 seemed to be fine yesterday. What is the max you would rev the engine to?



As soon as I wrote that I went out and looked at the car. After sitting for a day there is still gas in the clear fuel filter by the fuel pump. I will check it on Wednesday and see if that has retreated back towards the tank.

NO_SPRK was absolutely right about the door switches, after lubricating and manipulating them back and forth the dome light comes on for the first time since I bought the car! Thanks man.


I think I'll be cruising ebay looking for nicer ones but at least I know where the problem is now.




I love fixing nagging little issues like that!
 
I'm going to try cleaning the switches in the doors tonight. I remember them being really hard to push in when I let looked into this problem. I know the fuse and bulb I are both good. The switches are the only remaining part of the system.

Regarding the heater, when I hit the heater switch the lights momentarily dim so that leads me to believe that the switch is good, the motor just can't overcome the restriction from being gummed up. Iirc the motor is at the top of the heater stuff behind the dash. Is there an easy way to access it? I did the heater core on my 780 and this looks a lot easier but if you have any pointers I would love them.

Thanks guys!

Glad the switch thing worked out for the doors. Feels almost like a new car now, right?

As for the heater, it's not as much of a pain as in any newer car, but it's still a hassle. The blower sits right on top of the heater core housing, and it's wedged in between the hole in the cowl, and the heater core. My '68 142 with no AC has a vertically split heater core housing, so you can remove the front part of it, leave the core, and snake the blower out from the front. I did it in about 20 minutes last time.

My '70 144, which had factory AC, has a horizontally split housing, so in order to get to the blower, you have to drain the coolant and pull the whole heater core/blower as a unit. It's substantially more work than on the non-AC car.

Good luck!
 
No OD and he had real short tires as well.

B20's love to spin, but make a lot of noise.

I always try to shift around 4000rpm because it gets loud. On the freeway I cruise around 3500rpm. Are you saying that I could bump both those arbitrary self-imposed limits up? What's the highest you would rev a stock B20?

Glad the switch thing worked out for the doors. Feels almost like a new car now, right?

As for the heater, it's not as much of a pain as in any newer car, but it's still a hassle. The blower sits right on top of the heater core housing, and it's wedged in between the hole in the cowl, and the heater core. My '68 142 with no AC has a vertically split heater core housing, so you can remove the front part of it, leave the core, and snake the blower out from the front. I did it in about 20 minutes last time.

My '70 144, which had factory AC, has a horizontally split housing, so in order to get to the blower, you have to drain the coolant and pull the whole heater core/blower as a unit. It's substantially more work than on the non-AC car.

Good luck!

It does feel brand new now, nothing more depressing than getting in a pitch black car.

My car has the horizontally split housing even though it doesn't have AC. Maybe its an old vs new 140 thing? I'll save that project for a long weekend when I am feeling really inspired!
 
I used to mercilessly rev my pv. It loved it. Obviously that's a b18 but still. Day-to day do what feels comfortable, but definitely don't be afraid of pushing those limits.
 
I always try to shift around 4000rpm because it gets loud. On the freeway I cruise around 3500rpm. Are you saying that I could bump both those arbitrary self-imposed limits up? What's the highest you would rev a stock B20?



It does feel brand new now, nothing more depressing than getting in a pitch black car.

My car has the horizontally split housing even though it doesn't have AC. Maybe its an old vs new 140 thing? I'll save that project for a long weekend when I am feeling really inspired!

I buried the needle down the Yuba gap in the 70 145 BW35 / 430:1's.

Over 7K rpm I think the valves floated.
 
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