Well guys here is the latest on the Bullitt ...
Guys,
As I have mentioned a few times I have been testing the Bullitt after this last set of Major Modifications by driving it to KY. and back.
Each time I have done that something has shown up that required additional attention.
So this last trip to Kentucky I noticed it was making some weird noise again from the engine area.
This was when my brother and I were out in it doing errands.
It seemed to be around 45-50 MPH and when I was running at say 60 MPH the noise seemed to just go away.
Well anyway I never said anything to my brother at all and then on Saturday late afternoon I fired it up to come home.
Did not really hear anything strange so I wondered if the noise was going to return once I got to the highway and around the 45-50 MPH speeds.
Sure enough as soon as I got to the highway and the speed limit was 45 MPH here came the darn noise.
Then the speed limit changed to 55 MPH and I was running at 60 MPH and no noise or if it was still there I could not hear it.
I stopped for gas before getting on the interstate so I would not have to stop again and sure enough as soon as I left the gas station the noise was right back.
So home I was coming and of course I was running late as I stayed longer than I should have visiting.
So I ran 70 MPH some and then decided to get as close to home before Dark so went to 75 MPH.
Really did not hear anything from the engine area at those speeds coming home.
It is like 224 miles one way back home.
As I got much-much closer to Nashville, Tennessee and my speed varying the noise was definitely back and much-much LOUDER.
So as I got close to Franklin, Tennessee the Noise was really Pronounced !!!
I was going to stop at Shell and fill the Bullitt back up but due to the increased noise I decided to just go on home.
(Shell is only 1-mile from my house)
The Low Gas "WARNING" message had already came on as I got to the Franklin, TN. exits.
I pull in the garage and the Noise is a LOUD Screeching Sound as I pulled in.
I left it running and raised the hood hoping I would be able to determine what the heck was making all the racket.
Well I should have known better as you could not tell what component was doing it.
Everything up front on the engine was now New so it could have been coming from any idler pulley etc.
It was pretty darn Hot under the hood so no-way to really touch anything and not easy to get close to anything to determine what was Screeching.
Well if you guys recall I met Jon that owns Lexpro here in Franklin.
So I was going to just take it over to him and let him use his Stethoscope to determine where the LOUD Screeching was coming from.
Of course it was raining that Monday morning.
Luckily it quit raining and by 2:30 PM the street in front of the house was drying up.
So Jon was at his shop and I 1st went to Shell and filled it up with gas.
Then jumped on the interstate to run at higher speeds than on the normal two lane streets to his shop.
My thinking was to get it Hot so the darn Noise would be obvious to him.
Well it worked and when we raised the hood it was making the noise but not real LOUD.
So I got in and barely raised the RPM to like 1,500 RPM and the LOUD Screeching sound was back in Full-Force.
So he was then able to listen to every component on front of the engine.
It was definitely coming from the New Steeda belt tensioner.
The bearing in it went bad !!!
So I made a quick call to George at BRENSPEED and told him what Jon found.
He said let me do some checking tomorrow when everything opens and see if Metco makes a Double-Bearing Tensioner Pulley.
Well I just heard from George and below is his E-Mail to me.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]They due make a Dual Bearing Idler.
It is a 10 rib pulley which will require spacers and longer bolts for the tensioner.
The Spacers I can Get you, the bolts will have to be sourced locally.
I will order the Idler this afternoon our system is currently down being updated.
I will get you confirmation on the pulley once ordered.
George[/FONT]
[FONT="]
So sometimes luck does come into play it looks like.
Metco does make a Dual-Bearing-Idler so George will do his thing and get it off to me per UPS.
I'll get with Jon (Lexpro) and get this New Heavy-Duty one installed.
So once this is done I'll make another trip to Kentucky to my brother's house as a Test Run.
Hopefully this will get the Bullitt back to where it use to be in Reliability for long trips.
I'm very Lucky and Fortunate IMO to have met Jon here locally.
He was the fellow that has done several things for me on the Bullitt.
And he happens to be only maybe 20-minutes from where I am sitting.
It pays to be nice to people is what I have found out from meeting Jon some time ago.
He is really into Very-Fast-Cars.
I'll let you all know how this turns out once the parts get here and Jon does his thing.
Then weather permitting I'll be off for another "Trial-Run" to Frankfort, Kentucky and back.
Terry[/FONT]