No more parades for Baby

[BarryK]

Yesterday a number of people form our Corvette Club got together and were involved in a Labor Day Parade in town. We had a C1, my '65 C2, a C3, (3) C4's including a Calloway TwinTurbo, and a C5. The only generation missing was a C6!

Anyway, this was my first parade and based on this experience it will most likely be my last. Turns out Baby does NOT like trying to drive thru a slow moving parade like this at approx 2-3mph. The clutch was not happy at all since we were moving so slow I was never able to get the clutch fully out - it was let out the clutch slightly to get moving than push it back in to coast a few yards, than let her out a bit to move again a little more than push it back in, etc. We were going so slow I never could just let the clutch out all the way or else I would have run into the car ahead of me! For 2 blocks the street had a slight decline to it so at during those 2 blocks I was able to just let the car roll on it's own and give the clutch a break but still the smell of a burning clutch is NOT a fun thing to smell.

Besides the clutch, with the constant low speed the motor kept wanting to foul and I had to keep revving to clear things out so she wouldn't stall on me. On top of that, the temp gauge starting climbing again to almost the 240 mark. Now, from my past thread a few weeks ago I know the temp sender unit is WAY off and I confirmed that with an IR temp gun so I know that when she was reading about 235* she really wasn't running that hot but it's still not a comfortable feeling seeing it appear that high on the gauge.

So, with having to deal with a manual tranny and clutch at very low speeds, poor idle characteristics on my car, and the temps at such low speed driving and stop and go, it took all the fun and enjoyment out of participating in the parade. I wasn't halfway thru the parade yet and I couldn't wait for it to end and kept searching the side streets for an "escape" route in case things went from bad to worst and I really had to get the car out of there. The problem was that because of the parade which was held in the center of the downtown area they blocked off all the side streets coming into this main Avenue the parade was being held so no escape was possible until the end anyway. I'm just glad I made it thru all the way although I'd venture a guess that I ended up taking about half the life of my clutch with me during this little adventure.

 

[gmjunkie]

Barry Get'r where she will idle and it won't be as hard on clutch!! Parade's and Old Car's are FUN!! Why won't it Idel?? Vac.leak, Timeing, Wore out throddle. shaft, Leaking lead plug in Carb., Too much Cam?? :confused junk!!

 

[stepinwolf]

Hold on

Junkie,

I think you are missing the point here. I also have found myself in this type of situation, and sadly you can't wish the idle to be half of what it normally sees, because of the slow speed the parade is travelling.

Barry is trying to explain that even at the normal idle rpm, the speed the car would be travelling might be twice as high as is needed to be part of the parade. You can't reduce the normal idle speed of 700 to 800 rpm, down to 400, in order to maintain his position in the line.

Don't try and find fault in the engine, if you trying to run it slower then it should be. I have a hot cam in mine, and you had better get up real early in the morning, to slow the speed down low enough, to participate in any parade other then behind the Nascar pace car.

As usual , this is only my opinion.

Stepinwolf

 

[BarryK]

Junk
normally she will idle fine but for some reason with all the very slow speeds she kept wanting to stumble yesterday and almost felt and sounded like the plugs were fouling (not saying they were actually fouling - just that it seemed like it). She would idle ok for a while than start to stumble and I would have to keep feathering the throttle to "catch" it from stalling. After a few revs she would clear up but than after a bit she would start stumbling again. In fact, when I would have to rev her up to "clear it out" she would miss on the first couple of revs and would take a few more revving up to really clear up until everything would smooth out and run right again. than a block or two down the road it would start all over again.
With normal driving on the highway or in town with stop-and-go traffic her idle is fine but in the very low speeds during the parade yesterday she wasn't happy AT ALL and she was making it very plain to me that she didn't like being there.

I tuned her up just a few weeks ago so i know the timing and vacuum are correct and the plugs are brand new also. The cam is stock 30-30 cam as far as I know - it's not a super radical aftermarket cam that would normally have problem idleing.

 

[1KULC7]

Barry,

Parades are made for cars with automatics....boy you are right, stay away from them ESPECIALLY if you have a VERT and the QUEEN and their COURT needs to sit on the back. FOR SURE you will get scratches on the paint, even when you put a towel or blanket down. Leave parades for Caddies, and Linclons....Vettes are made for the open road...

Barry, you live and learn along the way....

 

[BarryK]

.......you can't wish the idle to be half of what it normally sees, because of the slow speed the parade is travelling.

.......at the normal idle rpm, the speed the car would be travelling might be twice as high as is needed to be part of the parade. You can't reduce the normal idle speed of 700 to 800 rpm, down to 400, in order to maintain his position in the line.

thanks Bob, you actually put it in much better words than how I was trying to explain things. This was the major issue on the clutch yesterday and why I couldn't let the clutch out all the way - I would have been going too fast and all the feathering on the clutch wasn't making it happy at all.
The idle was a different issue on top of this but possibly related at the same time - the engine speeds were getting down so low at times that I guess the system just didn't like it and the idle just wasn't staying smooth or up at the 850-900rpm's the L76 motor needs even with the clutch in. Perhaps I was actually fouling the plugs a bit until I'd clear them up with revving the motor up than they would foul again?? I don't know.
She ran fine on the way home though - especially after the '60 C1 and I had a few good runs together on the highway

 

[gmjunkie]

Barry, What Carb.? junk!!

 

[BarryK]

Collin, yep, I was thinking the entire time that this would have been a LOT easier with an auto trans. I would have loved having Paul67's beautiful PG car in this parade rather than mine.
At least with a coupe I don't have to worry about hauling the parade Queen and her sitting up on the rear deck and getting scratches.

As you say, live and learn............ I always seem to have to learn everything the hard way though, especially when it comes to the Vette. Sheesh, can't I learn just ONE thing the easy way just once??!! I mean geez, don't I deserve a break at least once?

Well, there WAS good news from yesterday though - at least the carpet on my floor is FINALLY dry from all the rain and leaks from Carlisle......

 

[BarryK]

Junk

original stock holley (that HAS been rebuilt within the last year)

 

[gmjunkie]

I mean geez, don't I deserve a break at least once?

Yes Barry You Deserve it, Head on Down to the Super M Supper Club!! junk!!

 

[BarryK]

well, that was a retorical question but thanks for the positive remark

 

[gmjunkie]

OK I 'm not a Holley man!! Some people are!! I never could get one to work for me!! If it was a Q-jet or AFB I could poss. Help!! But Look at your wait's under roter, sometimes them sticking can make it load up or stumble,miss. and run a little warm!! junk!!

Junk

original stock holley (that HAS been rebuilt within the last year)

 

[paul67]

FINALLY, the reason GM offered Powerglide in a C2! I have been wondering for so long....

 

[BarryK]

FINALLY, the reason GM offered Powerglide in a C2! I have been wondering for so long....

yes Paul, I guess the question has finally been answered

 

[Ron Miller]

Barry, I had the same experience in my '65 coupe several years ago, and like you decided then that parades were not meant for manual transmission cars, especially ones with a 3.08 highway differential like my coupe. After slipping the clutch for 5 or 6 miles, I vowed then that never again would I drive the coupe in a parade.

Since then, I've been in several parades with my '66 'vert and it's like night and day, as you might suspect. The automatic is made for easing about town, which I do a lot of, and makes parade driving a breeze, especially with the 3.36 rear gears. Plus, the top down is the only way to go in a parade, makes visibility and waving lots easier.

Paul, you're right, that's why the auto was offered in the Corvette, and it also makes about town driving much easier. My avatar photo (at the CF site) was taken while I was in a local parade!!

 

[BarryK]

Ron

I'm very glad to hear that with both yours and Bob's experience that it wasn't just me or my car.
BTW, I can't possible imagine having to try the same thing with a 3.08 rear gearing. My car has a 4:11 rearend but with the torque range on my L76 it doesn't help with low speed driving as the car really has no power to talk about until approx. 3500rpm. If I was at 3500rpm I would have run into the Vette ahead of me and than ran over all the people walking in the parade.

 

[Ron Miller]

Ron

I'm very glad to hear that with both yours and Bob's experience that it wasn't just me or my car.
BTW, I can't possible imagine having to try the same thing with a 3.08 rear gearing. My car has a 4:11 rearend but with the torque range on my L76 it doesn't help with low speed driving as the car really has no power to talk about until approx. 3500rpm. If I was at 3500rpm I would have run into the Vette ahead of me and than ran over all the people walking in the parade.

If I was at 3500 rpm I'd be flying!!:eyerole

 

[Lucy64]

I had my 64 vert in the National Cherry Blossom Parade this past spring and I know exactly what you say. I have an automatic (TH350) in her but my major problem was the temp. Even in the cool spring my temp got up there with my modified 420+ HP small block I put in this past winter. I transported a VIP and that 2-3 mph and stop and go really had me worried. Other then that I really enjoyed all of the attention I got, BUT NEVER AGAIN.

 

[BarryK]

yep, once was ok for the experience, but never again with this car.
When we finally get the C4 my wife wants that will have an auto tranny so I'll be glad to use that for future parades

 

[Vette66AirCoupe]

From the guy in the C-1 who was playing cat and mouse with you on the way home after the parade, Baby sounded mighty fine and none the worse for wear! However, for all of the reasons yuo've stated, my '66 big block stayed home and the '60 rolled in the parade. Just imagine if it was hot instead of the nice mid '70's weather we enjoyed? It was nice having one example of each generation except for the C-6 anyway so I'm glad you stuck it out as the only C-2 in the parade. Maybe next time we should line up in order, descending or ascending, doesn't matter. By the way, for those of you who aren't from Delaware, our Senator Joe Biden who intends to run for the Democratic nomination for President of the U. S. greeted all of us personally as he walked against the tide slapping hands. Ole Joe has a '67 roadster home in the garage! Imagine that, a Corvette guy in the white house! Instead of a chicken in every pot it would be a Corvette in every garage!