One way to beat the heat driving to or from a summer event is to get it going before the sun comes up. The coolest time of day is just before the dawn and the "heat" gets going only after the sun gets up at a good angle. Bonnie and I used this strategy both going to and coming home from TU 26. Although we were alone driving most of the way north (Mark Theroux from Bishop.) we had lots of company departing from the Mammoth Mountain Inn.
Graf, Thoman, Theroux, Wilkens, Teepen and Mueller groggily joined up and set off for home under the stars. I should have worn a jacket but soon we were coming down off the mountain and by Bishop it was comfortable top-less Tiger Blue. (Not Top down! we did not bring one.) I planned on getting back early enough to work in the afternoon and after a quick stop in Bishop Bonnie and I headed out alone at our own, faster, pace.
We have always been lucky on Tiger road trips. When we have had problems we have been delayed but never disabled. We roared down 395 with the sunrise and light traffic. Always with an eye on the air/fuel ratio monitor I wanted to see if we could make it all the way on the lean "mountain" primary jets in the Holley. Still at 3,000 feet or so climbing the grade at Johannesburg, Blue ripped some backfires. Nasty loud backfires! Getting out of the throttle stopped the percussion and under 3,000 rpm OK but pushing over that rpm and bang bang bang. We cruised through the gardens of Johannesburg and past Red Mountain at reduced speed and now an over rich mixture on the ratio thing. I was sure that the backfires were from the lean jets and now I also had a blown power valve bleeding gas into the engine. This does result in terrible gas mileage by the way. Getting to 4 corners to make changes/repairs was the plan but we were dry in the gas tank before Kramer.
Sometimes being prepared works out. I brought all my Holley spares and had a serviceable power valve and of course the jets. We would soon be on our way! Oh and we had a gallon of gas too. Dan Walters showed up after I got the carb screwed back together and he helped us get the car level so the fuel pump could feed the gas to the engine again. All this before 9:00 am. We topped off the tanks at 4 corners and looked things over. The backfires had blown out the right side collector gasket. I took off from 4 corners confident that we would be motoring into our driveway in 2 1/2 hours in a loud but otherwise OK Tiger. Wrong! ):
What me worry? Not more than a few miles down the road we had to slow for a construction thing going on. This slowing and going allowed me to downshift and run the rpm up a couple times. Loud but no backfire? Try it again and ... choke quiet no response, coast to stop. Right across the road from Mr. CHP who is baby-sitting the construction area. Nice guy and quite helpful. Of course I think I might fix it but really have no clue as to why it quit. Carburetor seems good and lots of gas in the intake. No sparks! Everything seems to be connected on the MSD Digital 6 and coil. LED indicator is on with the key? OK I think, no instructions. Is this why Winston Cup cars carry redundant ignition units and switchable coils?
The CHP called AAA for us and in time we had a (flat bed) Tow Truck which loaded us up and we negotiated a fair $80 lift for the three of us to Whittier. I wanted to take Blue to Steve Hope at H&H to fix the ? and some other stuff. Much thanks to Jere Teepen who let us park the temporarily dead Tiger in his garage until it was (and after it was) picked up and fixed. Jere also gave us a lift home to Irvine and gave us lunch. Tiger people are grreat.
Jere came along shortly after the unscheduled stop as well as Bill Graf and Chris Thoman. They gave what they could to help and we will be forever indebted for the water and helpful advice and ideas. I even demonstrated the lack of spark to them and amused them when Blue did let rip a spark as the key was shut off. They knew it sparked because I really jumped. Also thanks to my wife Bonnie who took the pictures below and the whole thing in stride.
The fix was to replace the coil. An MSD Blaster 2 failed and I suspect was failing when the backfires started. The Digital - 6 is fine. Sorry I suspected it. Probably could have gotten a cheap but working coil at 4 corners. Live and learn and learn and .......
Rick Mueller
