Spare parts for distance trips...

[konrad]

So I've read in several posts where folks have talked of having some spare parts on hand for longer road trips, so I plan to put together a tool box to keep in the trunk.  Of course a good socket set (with 6 point sockets) is mandatory, a good set of screwdrivers, needle nose pliers...

But what other tools would be recommended?  Also, what spare parts can you guys suggest to be kept in such a kit?

Many thanks all!

[boatingbill]

Utility knife, electrical tape, emery paper, several rags, spark plug wrench.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

I have more or less an A-B-C arrangement depending on how reliable you feel your car is and the distance you normally travel from home.  It is my personal opinion that a properly maintained car of K-F vintage will be as reliable as a late model used car, but even new cars under warranty have a risk, although slighjt that something will go wrong.  Here are my suggestions:

Kit A - basics

1 Front wheel brake cylinder repair kit, 1 rear wheel brake cylinder (if separate) repair kit.
1 6006 Headlight and 2 replacement bulbs for turn signal/parking light, and rear stop light/turn signals
1 master brake cylinder repair kit
1 fan belt
1 tune up kit for engine (distributor parts)
1 ignition coil
1 instrument panel voltage regulator
If you have a mind to it and your car is equipped with Hydra-Matic, 1 rebuilt starter motor
1 gallon of pre-mix water/anti-freeze
set of radiator hoses (inlet and outlet)
1 set of wiper blades
1 set of tools that include various sizes for open end or ratchet wrench, screw drivers (regular slot), multimeter and kitchen thermometer that has enough of a probe so you can check radiator water temperature
1 pair work gloves
1 quart proper type (high zinc) motor oil.  NAPA dealers are supposed to carry 10W30 Valvoline VR1 or equivilent but I have found many will only special order it.

B - I worry a bit more

Everything in category A plus the following

1 additional front wheel brake cylinder repair kit and 1 additional Rear wheel brake cylinder repair kit (so you have a full set of 4 for your car)
1 additional 6006 headlight and 1 additional front parking light/turn signal bulb and 1 additional stop light/turn signal bulb (so you have full sets of major replacement lights)
1 rebuilt water pump
1 rebuilt generator
1 set heater hoses
1 set of spark plugs
2 hubcaps/wheel discs
1 pair work gloves insullated (so you can hold on to hot things)
1 more quort of motor oil
1 wiper arm and spare set of blades
C- I worry a lot

Everything in A and B categories plus the following

1 set wiper blades
2 more hubcaps/wheel discs (so you have a complete replacement set)
1 complete set of distributor parts
1 set of battery cables (positive and negative)
1 set of lenses for front and rear lights
1 spare gas cap, preferably locking type
Enough of proper type oil for an oil change
1 oil filter for an oil change
1 more set of wiper arm and blades
anything else you can think of.

These are suggestions only.  You can also mix between the 3 categories based on your experiences with your own old car(s).

[konrad]

1 quart proper type (high zinc) motor oil.  NAPA dealers are supposed to carry 10W30 Valvoline VR1 or equivilent but I have found many will only special order it.

Okay, I'm a bit confused on proper oil.  In another thread, two members state to use 15w40.  Larry says to use straight 30 weight...this is the first I've heard 10w30 or high zinc...which to use, and why the high zinc?

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

30 Weight stays the Same when Engine Cool to Start. Some did 30 in Summer, 15-20 in Winter.

Then they made 10w-30w or 10w-40w. When Winter,  Oil Weight around 10w Summer Hot outside it will be the Higher Weight 30 or 40 Weight. It’s automatic best for Summer & Winter.

Most Use Detergent Oil  now Days. I was told by Some K F Members Old Days Non-detergent. Then You need to Drop the Oil Pan to get the Sludge Out.  That’s doin to Much for Originality 40’s-50’s Style.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

When I was at Ford Motor Company Engine Plant #2, I made the acquaintance of an engineer who's speciality was in engine lubrication.  He said that the current grades of motor oil lacked trace elements of zinc and certain other minerals that older car engines needed.  In the case of Henry J engines, for example, the zinc was critical to proper lubrication of the camslhafts and camshaft bearings because of their metalurgy.  At present the current grades of regular motor oil (SJ, SL, SM, SN and the coming SP and SQ formulations) do NOT include the trace elements.  Turns out that the special "racing" oils have these missing minerals.   Valvoline VR1 and Hemmings Motor Oil are among the oils with the required (or higher which is good) levels of the minerals.  I have used Hemmings, but local commercial old car restorer and K-F club member Randy Sargent recommends the Valvoline VR1 as it's levels are a bit higher than the Hemmings offered product.  According to Valvoline, they do not make a 20 weight straight but do make a 10W30 and a 30 weight straight oil.  K-F recommends 20W oil for HJ engines in summer and 30W for the 226 in summer.  Hemmings do not make a straight weight that I know of, so I go as close as possible with the multi-grade product.  Since I rarely drive my HJ during the "off season" (temperature and wether conditions generally allow for year-round driving as a rule here in Tacoma WA) I will use the 30 weight product.  No complaints from the car so far but I druve less than 2,000 miles/year.

[konrad]

Okay, so I really only intend to drive this car from spring (Aprilish) to fall (Early Octoberish), though I will probably start and run it for a bit every few weeks during winter storage.

Which VR1 formulation would you recommend in that case, the 30W or the 10W30?

[joefrazer]

Was the engine in your car rebuilt? If you don't know, then it's probably best to use 30W oil. It'll give good performance and provide more even oil pressure when engine speeds vary. A rebuilt engine has tighter clearances which means there's less opportunity for oil to escape. Maintaining oil pressure is critical in a KF engine and poor pressure has caused more than one to fail.

A good rule of thumb is that an engine should have 35 lbs of oil pressure at 35 mph.

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

kaiserfrazerlibrary ,

Thanks for the Update on Oil. I will try Valvoline VR 1 next Oil Change.

Thanks for The List for Long Distance Runs. We talked at the National about backups & Murphy’s Law.

My Two longest runs was KF Nationals St. Louis in 1986 & Queen Mary in Long Beach 1989. St. Louis I did like Normal & No Problems. L A My Old Town I had to Get it Right. I had even one Extra Spare = 2 & Most Everything on Your List. Fun Part was Judging I put Everything under the Trunk. Now some Folks asked if I was a Vender & selling Parts.

Important to Me for that National I had a Friend with Trailer on Standby Call. If I had Problems He was on His way. If I was down in Flagstaff,  He would come Load the Dragon & Off to The National.

All was Good. I got to Speak at The National to Thank All Club Member’s that Help Me Find My Original Twin All Vinyl Dragon. Owner still in Our Club didn’t want to sell. I said Ok I got a Very Good Famous Twin’s.

[konrad]

Was the engine in your car rebuilt?

That I'm not sure on.  This car was once part of the club...it belonged to a collector in MI who had several Kaisers/Frazers.  Larry found it in an older quarterly, from 2004 at a meet in Auburn IN, so the restoration is older than I thought it was, and the VIN was already in the CircleKF registry.  Country Classic Cars (where I got it) had no information other than it was originally titled in MI.  Larry was speculating that the owner had likely passed on, and the car had been sold at auction.

(Above edited to show new info from a recent convo with Larry...I had thought he said it was an event in Albany...it was actually in Auburn, IN and in '04...not '06 or '07)

[konrad]

Valvoline VR1 and Hemmings Motor Oil are among the oils with the required (or higher which is good) levels of the minerals.

Jack, speaking of higher levels of zinc being good, for a 30 weight, would this maybe be a better choice?

https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Oil-10631-supplement-additional/dp/B00INXYZH0/ref=pd_cp_263_4/138-7053975-3618866?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00INXYZH0&pd_rd_r=153ce755-e7bd-4328-aa2a-bc3d4d691f21&pd_rd_w=gaIjQ&pd_rd_wg=d92Nr&pf_rd_p=592dc715-8438-4207-b7fa-4c7afdeb6112&pf_rd_r=J20EGXFCS0YAZE7VYG11&psc=1&refRID=J20EGXFCS0YAZE7VYG11

I know it shows for use in engine break-in periods only, but it has two and a half times the zinc as the VR1...or would that be overkill?

[Thomasso]

Zink is a pressure additive and is necessary in any flat tappet engine.  Have seen many flat cams because of improper oil.  There are many zink additives available.  i use ZDP.  Low spring pressure of our engines makes them less vulnerable than some, but why take the chance.

[Terry T]

consider ROTELLA T1 30w   $12-15 at TSC

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Regarding the Rotella oil, according to Shell's Customer Service people Rotella was re-formulated last year.  The PPM of zinc was dropped to 850 ppm, same as Quaker State's oils (Shell and Quaker State are owned by the same company).   This is NOT enough of a zinc level to do the job on tappets, bearings and camshaft in our cars.  As I stated in another forum topic, with ANY oil for an old car, check with the oil company's customer service department for the PPM on Zinc; it needs to be around 1,400 or more to be truly effective.  Both the Hemmings and the Valvoline VR1 type olis are above the threshold.  If the customer service department for the oil company you may want to use can't tell you what their zinc ppm is, I would stay away from it.

[MarkH]

...................................But what other tools would be recommended?  Also, what spare parts can you guys suggest to be kept in such a kit?

Many thanks all!

I put a lot of travel miles on the Chevelle back in the day and usually carried a small assortment of spares, fuses, alternator, belt and assorted ignition parts, etc. Also a gallon of water (mix in the winter) and a clear siphon hose, jug being either for radiator or dumping the water & siphoning gas.
The gallon jug & hose were used more than all the other stuff combined, either for overheated cars or out of gas cars, one time myself.