Canyoneagle's 1979 245

A couple things...

Are you running E10 gas in the car? If so, and there's an E0 station nearby (check the pure-gas.org site), fill up with the E0. K-Jet (and to some extent, LH-Jet) doesn't really like ethanol, especially if the car winds up sitting for any period of time.

The other thing, which ties into the car sitting for some time - K-Jet can develop varnish, which will gum up the control pressure regulator and the fuel distributor, causing a random stutter that feels like one cylinder isn't firing. Both items can be cleaned with mineral spirits, which should help.

Otherwise, nice score. Factory smoothtop M46 wagons are kinda rare these days. Whatever you do, save the car for nicer weather. Not sure if NC uses salt in the winter, but if they do, best to keep the car off the road when they're using it.

-J

Blue245Ti said:

A couple things...

Are you running E10 gas in the car? If so, and there's an E0 station nearby (check the pure-gas.org site), fill up with the E0. K-Jet (and to some extent, LH-Jet) doesn't really like ethanol, especially if the car winds up sitting for any period of time.

The other thing, which ties into the car sitting for some time - K-Jet can develop varnish, which will gum up the control pressure regulator and the fuel distributor, causing a random stutter that feels like one cylinder isn't firing. Both items can be cleaned with mineral spirits, which should help.

Otherwise, nice score. Factory smoothtop M46 wagons are kinda rare these days. Whatever you do, save the car for nicer weather. Not sure if NC uses salt in the winter, but if they do, best to keep the car off the road when they're using it.

-J

Click to expand...

Sounds like I most likely have a varnish issue - what you describe is exactly what I am experiencing.
Great info too about Ethanol. Looks like there are several stations not far from me. Next fillup will be Ethanol free.

I'll take a look at some resources about cleaning the varnish (the usual K-Jet.org , cleanflametrap, etc), and I'd appreciate any info you may have about the process.

Cool, yeah, it happens if the cars have been allowed to sit. With respect to the E10, it's likely that the car pretty much was fed that most of the time, especially if it lived in Seattle, from about 2009 on. On my old '85 245 Turbo, I noticed that the car began running much better once I switched it over to E0. Prior to switching it got to the point where it'd start out running on two cylinders, then three, and, finally 100' later, all four. Liked to stall a lot as well.

I've sometimes had luck by taking the fuel distributor/air flow sensor assembly and dunking it into a bucket filled with mineral spirits, then leaving it there for a week or so. It's not the recommended way of cleaning it as per the greenbooks, but it does work.

-J

Blue245Ti said:

I've sometimes had luck by taking the fuel distributor/air flow sensor assembly and dunking it into a bucket filled with mineral spirits, then leaving it there for a week or so. It's not the recommended way of cleaning it as per the greenbooks, but it does work.
-J

Click to expand...

I like it!
Unless I can source a second fuel distributor/pressure regulator, I'll have to stick with what can be done on a weekend
The car is my Daily Driver.

The fuel pressure regulator that is in there looks relatively new compared to the rest of the components. I need to see if the receipts passed on by the previous owner show a replacement at some point. Either that, or it was cleaned.

The car is doing okay right now - not great, but good enough. Acceleration is slow but I do get there. Hills are a challenge - it runs out of juice and just won't accelerate, regardless of gear.

I am deep in home renovation now, but plan to jump back in with K-Jet optimization early next month.

Blue245Ti said:

A couple things...

Are you running E10 gas in the car? If so, and there's an E0 station nearby (check the pure-gas.org site), fill up with the E0. K-Jet (and to some extent, LH-Jet) doesn't really like ethanol, especially if the car winds up sitting for any period of time.

-J

Click to expand...

UPDATE -
Going to E0 made a BIG difference. It is driving noticeably better. Still needs some attention, but MUCH better now.
Thank you for this suggestion!!!!!!

Cool. Figured that it would.

NP.

-J

Home renovations continue to dominate my time, though I am having fun with it.

I have a couple of guys that I am paying to keep the momentum, and am spending any spare moment doing whatever I can. I've been demolishing walls, pulling carpet and pad, demolishing old plumbing, pouring concrete, installing new plumbing, doing basic electrical work, and on the list goes. I am hoping to be able to start installing wood floors and tile this weekend, with the goal of moving in by the end of the month. I'm on a deadline, as the new tennants who are taking over our apartment move in April 1.

In the absence of new car-related photos to share, here's what I've been up to:

Expanding master bedroom - converting 3rd bedroom into master closet by eliminating old closet in 3rd bedroom - relocating entry into master.



The hallway the day we bought the house:


And after the first weekend.


Alot has been done since that demo photo, but it gives a sense for the extent of work.

Last night's project: tapping new laundry supply lines to the existing master bath lines and capping the old laundry lines:





Drywall is going in, so the place is taking shape.

No real updates on the car, but I did find/buy a partial k-jet from a '78 (fuel dist, air meter, lines/injectors, cold start injector/line) to use as needed. I'm thinking of rebuilding the fuel distributor (or sending it to Colin in Australia to exchange for one of his re-built units).

The idea is to keep any work on the car limited to weekends since it is my DD.

Car is running okay, but I desperately nee to sort out (what I think is) the K-jet varnish issue.

I'll get more updates coming once I dive into the used k-jet stuff.

Until then, the home renovation is coming along very well

At last some more car stuff....

This just arrived today. Plucked it off of Ebay for pretty cheap. Apparently from a '78 244 that threw a rod at 200k.

I plan to pull the fuel distributor and either rebuild it myself, or perhaps send it to one of the few specialists I am aware of to do it right.
I'm inclined to take a run at it myself, but I also don't want to f#$%ck it up.

According to k-jet.biz this model was used in the 80-82 240 models, which doesn't seem to align with the claimed '78 model year. Further searching shows it to be CIS, which I do not have.
More research to follow......

I can't see the number plate on the one in my car, beneath the intake manifold and behind the boot - should these be relatively compatible (perhaps a question to ask in a new thread in maintenance/nonperformance)?

Minor update - I was able to spend a little time working on the car this weekend - changed the oil/filter (200 miles or so with seafoam in the oil), and finally got around to installing the splash pan.
I also drilled and tapped the bumper for the OEM air dam that I had bought from T'Ber IMPOLVO. I tapped for 8x1.25 body bolts with captive washers, and the install went very smoothly. That thick aluminum commando allowed for 3-4 full threads and the bolts tightened nicely. FWIW I did not have a 17/64 bit so drilled with a 1/8" and it tapped fine in the aluminum.
I did not paint it, as I'm contemplating options - black or factory 125-1 orange. I'll do that when it comes time for me to address the other painting/body needs that the car has (buttcheeks, hood clearcoat peeling, etc).



I'm hoping to get some time very soon to get into the K-Jet system.

In other news, the PO has finally received the title, so I can register it in NC and get the title in my name

The road ahead - waxing nostalgic, or perhaps just different?

Just a few thoughts as I contemplate the time ahead with my car......

My goals for the car are to have a fun daily driver that handles well and has enough oomph for fun, spirited driving.
At risk of getting expelled from a site founded on turbocharged Volvos, I would personally prefer to go the other direction - I want to stay naturally aspirated (***gasp***). I'm not seeking huge power, nor am I after an "ultimate" N/A build - AND I'm not in a hurry - this will take shape over years, not months.
I draw my inspiration from the rally cars of the 70's and 80's, before they became the technological powerhouses of today.
But I guess that is just part of who I am - I am a more "analog" kind of guy (as I type on my computer - ahhh paradox).

So, as time goes on, I would love to move towards a fun car that makes me smile - and one that does not require a computer to diagnose.
I for one do not automatically assume that technology is the end all.... I know it can add convenience, but at the expense of complexity.

To date my favorite car was my beloved 1972 Datsun 240z that I owned from 1983-1990. I wish I never let that one go. I had become intimately familiar with it, and loved the tactile process of tuning it - yes the love/hate relationship with twin SU dometops (at least they weren't the flat tops)

So, my '79 245 has been flushing me with nostalgia for the analog motoring experience.

No +T envisioned here.
No EFI swaps....

Perhaps I'm choosing a less traveled, more challenging road, but it is the one that calls.

Okay, enough waxing nostalgic....

Before I even think of the days to come (with DCOE Webers envisioned), I need to get the K-Jet to stage 0 so I can enjoy what I have to its fullest in the mean time............

K-Jet and suspension are my next tasks.

Junkyard scores for the holiday weekend

Went to the Durham LKQ Pick Your Own Part this morning, knowing of a few particular cars that had arrived within the past few days...

First up was a 2002 BMW 530i, which was shod in 2 piece BBS RS 740 (Style 42) at 17"x8" ET20. Tires are more or less shot, and the wrong size.
As you can see, at least two of the rims need some serious refurbishing, and all 4 need some form of work, but for just over $100 for the set, I figured it was a good bet.





One of the rims had badly bubbled/flaked finish - it will require a full refurbishing

Another arrival to the yard in the past 2 days, a pretty clean Mazda 3. I plucked the seats for $45 on the chance they might be able to work in the 245. If not, I figure I can sell them on.

Got the tires removed from the rims this weekend...

Soon I will begin the wheel refurb - stripping, sanding, repairing/filling and painting.

I'm on the fence about the paint - contemplating either black centers or go with OEM style silver. I have also considered gold centers, but not sure.

I think the black would be nice with the car.
Once I get into the rims a little, I will decide if I'll be able to go for a polished rim/lip or silver paint (depending on the depth of gouges / amount of filler I will need).

So, alot of elbow grease to come. I'll post pics of the process.

test fitted the passenger seat out of the JY Mazda 3, and it will be pretty straightforward to install - I just need to have some basic brackets fabbed up.

Nice score with the wheels and seats. Do those seats have any tilt adjustment for the bottom cushion?

I have a 2010 Mazda3 and the drivers seat is very comfortable and supportive, but the pass seat doesn't have the same amount of adjustment and can feel "flat" after longer trips.

oldschoolvolvo said:

Nice score with the wheels and seats. Do those seats have any tilt adjustment for the bottom cushion?

I have a 2010 Mazda3 and the drivers seat is very comfortable and supportive, but the pass seat doesn't have the same amount of adjustment and can feel "flat" after longer trips.

Click to expand...

The passenger seat does not have any tilt adjustment for the bottom cushion - only recline. The driver's seat has bottom cushion and lumbar adjustment.

Back from vacation, and into a slow groove with any house renovation work - just baseboards and caulk now...

I made progress this evening on the seats. The driver's seat (Mazda 3) had brackets mounted to the rails with thick rivets/bolts. I drilled them out and removed the brackets. Looks like the installation will be pretty easy - simple fab work of the necessary brackets - nothing complex. If I can't cobble them together with my limited workshop capacity, I'll make some measurements and draw up some simple fab diagrams and have them made.

Here's a shot of one of the riveted brackets, before, and after...





And the seat ready for new brackets:



These seats had quite a bit of electronic stuff underneath - probably occupant sensors and other stuff - I removed all of that, along with any mounting hardware.

In other news, I soaked the rim bolts with PB BLaster and hope to get those removed this weekend. I picked up another type 42 17" center with bolts for $39 on Ebay - the bolts alone would be $75 or so plus shipping, so it was a good score for the project.

ditch k-jet...

ncbrock said:

ditch k-jet...

Click to expand...

I definitely want to do a carb/cam swap at some point - been watching your project with keen interest!
Maybe we can get a Triangle area cars -n- coffee meet soon to get a closer look