Messages

1

Kaiser Forum / running an electric fuel pump

« on: February 07, 2024, 11:33:06 AM »

Hi all,
We here in Canada have just been dealt a blow:  ethanol is now allowed in all levels of gas.  Until a few months ago, premium gas didn't have ethanol, so we had fewer vapour lock worries than drivers in the US. (It's also generally colder here, so that helps, too!)
My '53 Manhattan has the regular mechanical pump and a switched electric fuel pump.  Am I better to run the electric pump all the time, or only in times of sputtering?  The car does seem happier when I run the electric pump full time, but will that keep vapour lock at bay?

2

Kaiser Forum / Re: handbrake cable

« on: November 07, 2022, 02:58:19 PM »

Here's what the old one looked like, for reference's sake.  132 inches long, 1/8 inch cable.  The new one has about 8 inches of rubber sleeve behind each boot.  I forgot to take a picture of the new one, but it was a thing of beauty!

3

Kaiser Forum / Re: handbrake cable

« on: October 26, 2022, 10:42:58 AM »

So, I got one for my '53 K from George.  It came fast and fit perfectly.  Fifty bucks.  All good!

4

Kaiser Forum / handbrake cable

« on: July 19, 2022, 09:02:39 PM »

Do any of you know if and where I might find a secondary handbrake cable?  (That is, the one going from the yoke back to the drums).

5

Kaiser Forum / 1953: early or late?

« on: July 19, 2022, 02:09:14 PM »

Hi all,
My '53 Manhattan is missing its serial number plate in the door jamb.  Is there another way of knowing whether it's an early '53 or a late one?  I'm looking at getting the front end rebuilt and the early and late kits seem to be different - I don't know which one to get.

6

Kaiser Forum / Re: cold idle

« on: January 31, 2022, 07:05:27 PM »

Well, what do you know?  Good call!  I must have a habit of blipping the gas after starting. (Another bad habit to break...)

7

Kaiser Forum / cold idle

« on: January 28, 2022, 04:44:14 PM »

Hi folks,
I had my '53 Manhattan out for a spin today - the first sunny dry day in many weeks - and, as usual after starting, I had to sit for perhaps five minutes with my foot on the gas to keep it idling while it warmed up.  If I don't keep some gas going at a moderate idle it will die.  Is this normal for these cars?   My only other "old" car was a '66 Beetle;  it had a stepped cam on the choke that would hold the engine at a higher idle until it warmed up.  There seems to be nothing on this K carb that would do that.

8

Kaiser Forum / Re: No hills for Manhattan

« on: October 11, 2021, 07:54:16 PM »

Just an update:  I changed out the fuel filter and, voila, all is good again.
Simple things will sometimes do the job, I guess.

9

Kaiser Forum / Re: No hills for Manhattan

« on: June 10, 2021, 11:09:11 AM »

I changed out the fuel filter and that seems to have helped a lot.
On another possibly related topic, a story:

About two years ago I had my mechanic install an auxiliary fuel pump in the fuel line back by the gas tank, to be run off a switch mounted where the old "courtesy light" switch is.  The courtesy light switch didn't do anything, so I figured I wouldn't miss it.  The way he installed it, the pump can run without the ignition being on.
The pump is very quiet and I thought it would be useful to have a light down there beside the switch so I couldn't forget and leave it running or something, so last week I installed a light that goes on when the pump is running (hooked up to the same switch terminal as the pump). 
So I took the car out to try it:  the light works great in the driveway but doesn't work out on the road.  "What the heck?", says I.  Back in the driveway it's working again. Eventually the idea dawns:  the light (and the pump) are only working when the door is open!  I disconnected the light - not the problem, pump still only works with the door open.
Now, I didn't change anything on the switch when I put in the light, so that brings forth an absurd notion:  Have I only believed that the pump was working for the last two years?  Have I been using a "placebo" pump all this time?  How could I not have noticed this?  How did my mechanic not notice this?
Bizarre.
The strange thing is that I'm almost sure that I have turned the pump on pre-ignition before and heard it running, with the door closed.  How could wiring and the way it works change?

10

Kaiser Forum / Re: instrument voltage regulator possibilities

« on: June 10, 2021, 10:44:51 AM »

My friend wants to see if he can remove the old innards from one of these things and put new innards in;  we're not talking about whether or not they can be adjusted.  I'm wondering if any of you have one that doesn't work that you could send me, one that he can experiment with.  I'll pay for the postage!

11

Kaiser Forum / Re: instrument voltage regulator possibilities

« on: June 08, 2021, 03:39:03 PM »

I had two at one point but I've lost the one on the left - the "new" one that I bought a couple of years ago is one the right, and didn't work any better than the "old" one.
Anyway, it's one of these, a non-functional one, that I'm looking for.
Thanks

12

Kaiser Forum / Re: instrument voltage regulator possibilities

« on: June 07, 2021, 08:24:28 PM »

He needs one to try first, but if it works he'll rebuild anyone's. (For a modest fee, I suppose!)

13

Kaiser Forum / instrument voltage regulator possibilities

« on: June 07, 2021, 04:40:07 PM »

Hi all,
Does anyone have an old, non-functioning Kaiser '51-'53 instrument voltage regulator that they might be willing to send me?
A friend of mine is a vintage radio guy and he thinks he can rebuild the things with new guts inside but he needs a guinea pig to experiment on, and I don't have an extra one.
Thanks!

14

Kaiser Forum / Re: Hydramatic behaviour

« on: May 12, 2021, 10:45:44 AM »

I won't be much help, I'm afraid:  I'm in Canada, near Vancouver.

15

Kaiser Forum / Re: Hydramatic behaviour

« on: May 07, 2021, 06:53:10 PM »

Wow!  Nice work, and quick, too!  I can't wait to do some light reading!
Thanks, from all of us.