TC rear ended and oil lines
Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2000 9:48 am
Attended the TC Motoring Guild meeting last night and have a couple items
to share with you all.
Item #1 Another TC rear ended.
Last October I had the misfortune to have our TC rear ended on the first
day of a trip to Yosemite. While our TC is back together and looking
great I just heard about another TC that was rear ended. The fellow that
bought Tony Henkels TC was hit recently. It is at Mike Goodmans now being
repaired. He apparently was sitting at a stop light on a mid Sunday
afternoon and a 16 year old boy hit him. Got the spare tire carrier,
dented the petrol tank and minor rear fender damage. Did not go into the
bucket like when I got hit. As the saying goes, "Things come in threes."
Hope this isn't the case here.
Item #2 Oil line breakage.
A year or more ago Phil Marino had one of his external oil lines that
attach to the filter crack and spew oil all over. He caught on right away
and had no engine damage but he now uses flexible lines instead of the
stiff steel ones. I forgot where he bought them but of course he improved
upon the design and tells everyone this is the way to go. I figured it
must have been a fluke, that the line would break since, if installed
correctly, they don't move, so shouldn't wear out. Well mine spilt last
night so maybe there is more to this problem. Any thoughts on this? They
are the same lines that were on the car when I bought it and I have had
the car 32 years. The filter is a removable element type so the lines
never get moved or disrupted. What makes them split?
I was not as lucky as Phil in the outcome though. It was about 10:30 p.m.
on the freeway through Orange County (south of Los Angeles). Was going
great and was making a pass around a truck and heard a rapping noise.
Thought is was the truck as it got louder as I got closer. When I got
beside it, the noise did not vary, and realized it must be me so a glance
at the oil pressure gauge showed no pressure. I had glanced at the gauge
regularly before so I had just happened. I shut down and found a shoulder
to pull off on (rare on the I-5 in that area as it is under construction).
With oil all over the left side of the car (shouldn't rust there now) I
popped open the left bonnet and noticed oil all over the area around the
filter. I added two quarts of oil and started the engine and spotted the
rupture. Looking around and seeing no emergency phones, and only 2 foot
from the fast lane of the freeway on a dark curve I decided that I would
chance driving to the next exit or safer spot rather than chance being
hit. Found a break in traffic and got to the next off ramp, parked under
a light and decided to call Pete Thelander who lived about 10 miles away
and had a trailer. He was at the same meeting I was at so knew he was up.
He actually had spare lines in the garage so brought them out. Of course
the fittings did not line up right so spent some time twisting the line to
fit (try it without a vice sometime). Thought of mr badger and his rocks
but didn't think that would solve the problem here. Anyway, got it in and
it idled OK but had a knock if you reved it much. Nursed it to Pete's
house staying under the knock zone and it found a place in his garage. I
was lucky enough to catch him when his NE was in the San Diego Auto Museum
so he had room. He is scheduled to pick the NE up on Thursday so he was
making a run down to my area with an empty trailer anyway. I kept Pete up
till 1 a.m. and he had to get to work the next morning so he deserves
great praise for coming to the aid of a fellow TC'er. Thank you, Pete.
Dave Edgar, TC 5108
to share with you all.
Item #1 Another TC rear ended.
Last October I had the misfortune to have our TC rear ended on the first
day of a trip to Yosemite. While our TC is back together and looking
great I just heard about another TC that was rear ended. The fellow that
bought Tony Henkels TC was hit recently. It is at Mike Goodmans now being
repaired. He apparently was sitting at a stop light on a mid Sunday
afternoon and a 16 year old boy hit him. Got the spare tire carrier,
dented the petrol tank and minor rear fender damage. Did not go into the
bucket like when I got hit. As the saying goes, "Things come in threes."
Hope this isn't the case here.
Item #2 Oil line breakage.
A year or more ago Phil Marino had one of his external oil lines that
attach to the filter crack and spew oil all over. He caught on right away
and had no engine damage but he now uses flexible lines instead of the
stiff steel ones. I forgot where he bought them but of course he improved
upon the design and tells everyone this is the way to go. I figured it
must have been a fluke, that the line would break since, if installed
correctly, they don't move, so shouldn't wear out. Well mine spilt last
night so maybe there is more to this problem. Any thoughts on this? They
are the same lines that were on the car when I bought it and I have had
the car 32 years. The filter is a removable element type so the lines
never get moved or disrupted. What makes them split?
I was not as lucky as Phil in the outcome though. It was about 10:30 p.m.
on the freeway through Orange County (south of Los Angeles). Was going
great and was making a pass around a truck and heard a rapping noise.
Thought is was the truck as it got louder as I got closer. When I got
beside it, the noise did not vary, and realized it must be me so a glance
at the oil pressure gauge showed no pressure. I had glanced at the gauge
regularly before so I had just happened. I shut down and found a shoulder
to pull off on (rare on the I-5 in that area as it is under construction).
With oil all over the left side of the car (shouldn't rust there now) I
popped open the left bonnet and noticed oil all over the area around the
filter. I added two quarts of oil and started the engine and spotted the
rupture. Looking around and seeing no emergency phones, and only 2 foot
from the fast lane of the freeway on a dark curve I decided that I would
chance driving to the next exit or safer spot rather than chance being
hit. Found a break in traffic and got to the next off ramp, parked under
a light and decided to call Pete Thelander who lived about 10 miles away
and had a trailer. He was at the same meeting I was at so knew he was up.
He actually had spare lines in the garage so brought them out. Of course
the fittings did not line up right so spent some time twisting the line to
fit (try it without a vice sometime). Thought of mr badger and his rocks
but didn't think that would solve the problem here. Anyway, got it in and
it idled OK but had a knock if you reved it much. Nursed it to Pete's
house staying under the knock zone and it found a place in his garage. I
was lucky enough to catch him when his NE was in the San Diego Auto Museum
so he had room. He is scheduled to pick the NE up on Thursday so he was
making a run down to my area with an empty trailer anyway. I kept Pete up
till 1 a.m. and he had to get to work the next morning so he deserves
great praise for coming to the aid of a fellow TC'er. Thank you, Pete.
Dave Edgar, TC 5108