some of you may have read my post in the General Truck Talk forum about my stuck clutch but now for a real problem (I started a a new thread in here at the suggestion of a moderator and my apologies to the forum - when I originally posted I realized immediately that my thread should have been in another forum but I am a new guy and just messed up). While it was cold today (upper 20's) and snow was forecast for the late afternoon, I couldn't resist driving it out of the garage after 20 years. I left it running and was not to concerned about it rolling anywhere because of the dragging brake and of course the flat spots on the tires. Once out in the driveway, I emptied out the back of it pretty much except for the left rear fender that I have to put on and some other tools and parts and also cleaned out the garage so that putting it back in and working on it would be easier. I checked it every now and them to make sure it was not overheating or anything else bad was going on and it was fine it was running nice and smooth - purring like a kitten as they say. When I went to put it back in the garage, I goosed the throttle a bit and it ran rough and coughed and spit a bit and then died. I thought maybe out of gas since there was not much in it so I drove down to the local general store (in my other truck) and bought a couple a gallons. Put it in and went through the under the hood starting procedure since there is no choke. Wouldn't catch so I got out the ether again. Still wouldn't catch but every now and then it sounded like it might start. I kept trying then it started to backfire through the carburetor. Now when I try to start it it makes some very sharp knocking noises that really worry me. I did notice that the fuel filter is pretty well cruded up and will replace that tomorrow. I am concerned that it would fire on the ether which sort of makes me think something has happened to the spark. This has new points, condenser and coil and new wires 6 years ago but there has been no use since then. Then there is that knocking noise, wtf could that be? This engine (216)was totally rebuilt in the early eighties and has less that 20K on it. So now it is sitting in the driveway and wouldn't you know it, the forecast is not good as in more snow and really cold temperatures. I know lots of folks won't use ether for fear of damaging something and I wonder if that is what happened. I'll be putting the new fuel filter in today. I'm a bit bummed and would have drink if it didn't make the acid reflux flare up.
