You forget what it was like

[spidernut]

I've been working on Spiders for many, many years but they've all been 79 or newer until recently. I forgot what it was like to struggle to diagnose problems. here's my latest just for grins and giggles.

1. Failed emissions test because it was running too rich
2. Car overheated during the test because the wire leading to the thermo fan switch had a loose connection
3. Car is backfiring through the carburetor under a load which indicates a lean condition despite the rich condition
4. Checked the "normal" issues
5. Now I get to use the brain cells to try to figure it out

I like the challenge, but hate the struggles. It's like being a newbie again.

[bradartigue]

Funny how time does it to you, I spent a good hours last year trying to get a front hub assembly apart, refusing to look at the book (because I'm so smart). The guy I'm working with had never seen a Spider but took one look at it and took it apart. Duh. Things I've done 200 times...

The overheat story reminds me of trying to get one of my first cars to pass when I moved to Atlanta (the first time) in 1997. I kept going back to get my 1980 (with IDFs) checked to see if it passed. The guy would put this huge fan in front of the car to blow into the radiator, then we'd run it on his rollers for a while. Then it would fail emissions. Over and over. One day I just showed up with a barely screwed on 32ADF and passed.