General TR Seeking good luck

[NutmegCT]

You're living the dream!

Savor every minute - and share along the way!

Tom

 

[tdskip]

I missed the turn off Ca1. We ended taking it to the end, where it turns into 101. That made us go the long way into Oregon. But the last 22 miles of 1 is unreal. I bet i shifted from 3rd to 2nd or 4th a hundred times in those 22 miles. I cant guess the number of switchbacks, but i know the wheel was never straight. It was like autocrossing, except without the safety nets.
So far we logged well over 2k miles but we dont start back until after Seattle -which we should be Monday.

Hwy1 is every Tr owners dream.

Fantastic!

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

2597 miles to Home/Lakebay Washington without a problem. I was in the passing lane coming over the 4100' pass on I5 and was happy my Tr3 was not one of the lesser cars that could not maintain 75mph up the hill. Our butts are sore and we are happy to be half way. The weather is great. We dont want to go back to Houston heat.

 

[NutmegCT]

Halfway - feels great doesn't it!

"We don't want to go back to Houston heat"

I made that decision about 40 years ago.

Drive on!

 

[tinman58]

Keep on going! You guys are my hero's! Especially your Wife!

 

[TR3TR6]

Jer, you might want to pick up a couple of 2" seat foams to get a little more padding. You guys are doing great!

 

[sp53]

Glad to hear you made it , and well Tex you brought a 90 degree day to Lake Bay and that happens about 4 times a year, maybe. We get a lot of rain here, but the summers and fall are really beautiful.

 

[Geo Hahn]

...We get a lot of rain here...

I spent a week in Tacoma and it only rained twice.

Once for 3 days and once for 4.

Good suggestion on the extra padding for the ride home.

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

Well, not without complete incident. Yesterday when we got off the freeway I thought I smelled something burning. At idle, I could hear a grinding/knocking/rattle -but only at idle. Closer inspection this morning showed a very worn rear bushing in the generator. So I pulled it off and put in the spare from the boot.

Since I had to pull the heat shield to get it out, I also found the cruise control cable clamp had come a little loose and slipped, so I hope I am back to cruising.

 

[CJD]

Spare generator....and clothes for 2 weeks. Now I'm impresssed!

 

[TR4nut]

Spare generator....and clothes for 2 weeks. Now I'm impresssed!

Clothes? I didn't hear him say he packed clothes!

 

[tdskip]

I spent a week in Tacoma and it only rained twice.

Once for 3 days and once for 4.

Ha!

Glad the trip is going so well - and thanks for keeping us posted.

 

[rnpennington]

Hmmmmm. I've never heard of a rear bushing or bearing going bad on a generator :emmersed: Actually I think we both know another guy in Texas that had that problem. Must be contagious .

 

[TR3driver]

Hmmmmm. I've never heard of a rear bushing or bearing going bad on a generator :emmersed:

Happens easily if you don't keep it oiled. It's not only right next to the exhaust manifold, but the fan actually sucks hot air past it.

Last time it happened to me, I was out in the middle of nowhere (near what is now the California Poppy Preserve as I recall). Fortunately, I was able to find a McDonald's drink cup in the trash by the road, and used a piece of it (waxed cardboard) to stuff the worn-out bearing. Got us home ...

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

We did laundry while at Home.
Seattle set a record high of 94 yesterday. We left this morning and stopped in Spokane for dinner with my sister -it was 93 degrees when we got there. We drove the rest of the way across Washington, across Idaho and are in Missoula Mt. We may make another stop on the Snake River on the way home.

The cruise is working fine. The generator seems ok. I put the temporary side curtains on because there is lightening in the distance but getting closer.

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

Today we visited family on the Snake River, Idaho. We are spending the night here in Rock Springs Wyoming. Its been raining for the past few hours. Sometimes hard. Its 57 degrees now. Good thing I brought some side curtains.

For a couple hours the oil pressure was reading 10 or 15lbs low. After the car sat while we visited, it returned to normal. Its odd because it seemed low when i started it in the morning. It was low after I got gas. And low when i pulled off to check the oil level. It was low after I filled up again. Then normal after we visited family -and been fine since.

 

[NutmegCT]

oil pressure? what weight oil are you using? You're sure experiencing temperature changes on your trip.

Say ... are you taking pictures ...? <hint hint>

Tom

 

[poolboy]

Fortunately, I was able to find a McDonald's drink cup in the trash by the road, and used a piece of it (waxed cardboard) to stuff the worn-out bearing. ...

I don't know a thing about the Poppy Preserve...but a waxed cup...that wasn't yesterday.

 

[TR3driver]

.that wasn't yesterday.

True. Think it was probably 1984, just a few weeks after I got my previous TR3A (a birthday present from my late first wife). No houses for as far as the eye could see, and no cell phone. The area is a lot more built-up today and it's still several miles between houses. Nor do I get cell coverage in the Poppy Preserve, even today.

If you ever happen to be in the area at the right time, the Poppy preserve is an impressive sight. The peak only lasts a few days (and some years isn't worth the effort) but there are poppies open for a couple of months. It's about 90 miles NNW of Los Angeles, well off the beaten track.
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627

 

[sp53]

That oil deal is always unsettling. I have taken many oil gauges apart and just tested some, but I can see how that little brass deal inside could get fatigued over the years, so hopefully it is the gauge. I had a gauge once that would go to zero at idle when the engine got totally warm. The oil could be breaking down also. These cars run rich at different time and pollute the oil--- coupled with the heat and constant driving-- I would change the oil.