It's All In The Springs!

When I purchased BG she tilted a little to the left, like there was a 500 pound driver in the driver's seat even though she was empty.

Like the Model T and Model A Fords, BG has leaf springs. However, unlike the Fords which have two transverse springs (one over each axle), GB has four longitudinal springs (two on each side, or two in the front and two in back).

After first checking to see that the front bumper and the rear bumper were parallel with the body parts, I measured the distance from the garage floor to the bumpers. The left rear was 1/8 inch lower than the right rear. The left front was 1/2 inch lower than the right front. So I jacked up the left front until the bumper was level. The back was level too. So the problem is the left front spring.

Now, how do you solve the problem? Maybe that depends on how the problem occurred in the first place. Did the spring weaken with time or was it battered somehow (pothole, curb, etc.)? Do I buy one new spring or do I have the original bent back into shape?

The Windshield Wiper

I took the Blue Goose out of the garage today because a friend was going to bring his visiting grandson over to get a ride. He did. We did.

Afterward while she was out in the sun I thought I would check the windshield wiper. Sure enough no vacuum was coming out of the rubber hose that fed from the engine to the metal tubing that runs up the side of the windshield. I took the fitting off of the intake manifold and checked it. It was fine. I checked the rubber hose. It was plugged. You know what it was plugged with: a ball bearing. I put everything back together and still no vacuum at the wiper motor. Then I thought the metal tube was plugged. I reamed it out with machine wire: vacuum at the end of the metal tube but not at wiper motor. I checked the rubber hose between the metal tubing and the wiper motor. You know what? It had a ball bearing in it too. Go figure! Everything worked. Well, not quite. A loud hiss emanated from the on/off switch when it was on and the wiper didn't move. If I moved it manually one way, it moved back under vacuum. The wiper motor needs rebuilding. A rebuilt one cost $125 with the core sent in before hand. I think I will do a little snooping before buying a rebuilt one.