Paul Masson's 71 Grabber

Thanks Micah! It feels pretty good to have it on the road, but they're never "done"...

 

Oh, I know. A year after putting mine back together, I'm driving around with a laptop plugged into the computer doing data logs. Getting close ....

Enjoy your car. You should be proud of keeping that survivor on the road. Your cowl repair was impressive. Looking forward to your Showcase post!

Micah

 

I've put about 100 miles on the car, trying to get confident enough to make the hour-and-a-half long drive to a National show for the weekend. I have a slight rumbling/thumping sound that I can feel in the whole car, but it goes away when I turn to the left. I've jacked the car up, run it with the P/S dipstick out and cycled the wheel lock-to-lock several times. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear my engine and exhaust was solid-mounted the way the car sounds... until I turn left even a few degrees from center.

Anyway, the car is driveable, just not as smooth as it should. The alignment is in spec. I was right there under the car while it was being done.

Here's a picture of the car with my buddy's 77 Pinto with a 289 lurking under the hood...

 

Somewhere the engine, transmission or exhaust is touching chassis...

I've seen right side motor mounts that squished enough to be metal on metal... Were yours replaced???

 

The engine and Trans mounts have been replaced and I was suspect of the "modern" composition of the mount material being too rigid, but the sound and vibe goes away if you let off the throttle, OR turn the wheel the slightest to the left.

 

How about in reverse???

 

Not really sure. I typically don't drive around in reverse... I haven't noticed anything in reverse.

 

I asked about reverse as usually if it's a motor mount the amount of vibration will change...

 

I might just put the original engine and tranny mounts back in it. Nothing wrong with them other than they could stand to be painted...

The car is a dream to drive, as long as I'm going left. Maybe it's a sign that I should be running NASCAR with it??

It also goes away immediately when I let off the gas, regardless of the direction I'm steering.

 

Well six cylinder engines did race in NASCAR during the early years, though I doubt a 200 Maverick could hang with a 308cu in Hudson sporting Twin H Power...

 

True enough...

I'm going to check the torque on the centering spring adjustment nut on the control valve. I really think it's in the steering. The car makes the noise when turning right and requires quite a bit more effort to turn right.

 

If it's the P/S valve, I'd think the noise would be gone without belt on pump...

 

If I drive it without pump running, how likely is the ball stud to jump out of the control valve??

Other than that, you might be onto something!

 

Ran it without the PS belt. No change.

 

Unless badly worn or severely misadjusted the ball stud can't jump out of the valve... If that were true Ford would have been thru multiple lawsuits... If it were really possible it'd jump out of place on the first large pothole you hit, P/S operating or not...

I dunno what to think your problem is at this point..