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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Electropneumatic Fun


Dual Air Horns
Originally uploaded by The Put-Man.

As many of you know, I own a 1974 Fiat Spider.

The car is currently marooned, not running in my garage due to many back-ordered bits and pieces. Last weekend I went ahead with doing what work I could, while I wait for other parts to arrive from around the country.

One item I decided to work on was the car's horn.

Back in the day, Fiat called the assembly an "Electro-pneumatic Horn", which the rest of us would call an "Air Horn". It consists of an air compressor, a few hoses, and two air-horn trumpets. When working properly, it provides a crisp, bright, immediate and very distinctive bark of the horns. Perfect for scattering crowds of espresso drinking loiterers in the town piazza.

Mine horn, however, sounded more like an elderly wounded goose.

As it turns out, only one of my dual horns was making noise. I assumed it was because the air compressor wasn't pushing out enough air, so I pulled it apart. I cleaned it, lightly lubed it, and put it all back together, fully expecting the reward of a bright, loud horn - justification of a job well done.

Ready to test.

No difference.

Bad words muttered under my breath.

Well, the hoses looked pretty old. So, I pulled them off. Broke the original plastic "Y" connector. Got a new "T" connector and new hoses from Home Depot. An hour later, hoses cut to fit, I got them installed.

Ready to test...

No difference.

One bad word, said fairly loudly.

Unbolted both horns from the grill area. After scraping a knuckle, kicking the car, and then cursing; I pulled the horns out, and looked down the trumpets. One had what appeared to be a spider's nest blocking it. After screaming and throwing it out in the yard, I found my lighter fluid, and approached it with caution. One short horn-barbeque later, I felt sure I'd killed any stray arachnids, and picked it up to examine my progress. After screaming and throwing it into the neighbor's yard, I got heavy gloves and picked up the still-red-hot horn. I melted a new hose connecting it.

Ready to test...

No difference.

String of bad words shouted.

Well, now it was time to get serious. I'd noticed that the base of the trumpet where it attaches to the horn housing had what appeared to be a lock-nut...it seemed that the trumpet assembly screwed into the base. AHA! Something ELSE for me to take apart! Easier said than done, I ended up bolting the assembly to my work bench so that I could leverage my crescent wrench enough to break the nut loose. Unscrewed the trumpet, and found...absolutely nothing of interest inside the base housing.

Screwed that sucker all the way back in. Then with a stroke of inspiration, I put the compressor hose nipple in my mouth and took a deep breath.

Ready to test...

No difference.

Loud, frustrated, guttural roar with no discernable words.

It occurred to me briefly to wonder WHY there was a locking nut. Shouldn't you just screw the trumpet ALL the way into the base?

I didn't know.

With fresh inspiration coursing through my veins, I UN-screwed the trumpet two full turns. Nipple in mouth, I blew HARDER.

(Turns out, by the way, when the compressor nipple is in one's mouth - the trumpet is in one's ear. That's a helpful hint for the next time you're working on an Italian air horn.)

Fucker worked great.

Now I just can't hear anything in my left ear...

New trick is now getting BOTH horns tweaked (by adjusting how far they are screwed into the horn base) so that they EACH get the SAME amount of air-throughput. How to do this without constantly hitting the horn button, I'm not sure.

I quit that night, because at 10pm, my neighbors seemed to be getting twitchy.

...and I still can't hear in my left ear...

Monday, April 16, 2007

On The Road Again


Bella Lives!
Originally uploaded by The Put-Man.

"Bella", my '74 Fiat Spider, is once again mobile!

Yes, under her own power!

New & Improved - now with brakes!

She has the Banshee-wail of a failing water-pump bearing...you can hear me coming from half a mile away...and after an hour or so of driving, one ends up feeling a bit grimy and smelling of motor oil...but that's all part of the classic sports car driving experience, right?

She looks GREAT from 30 feet. "Nice" from 10. But closer?

Sit in her...and you worry she'll collapse into a pile of rust at any moment, which is always a fun thought at 75mph, while leaning through a turn...

Dang if I could figure out how to un-bolt the brake flex hoses. Left the old ones on for now, but suspect these are the culprits of some minor fluid loss, and slight spongy feel to the brakes.

Saturday at Auto Zone, while buying a new battery, the clerk had no idea what a "Fiat" was, and seemed genuinely shocked when it came up in his system.

Ah, these young punks.

Still have a brake light problem - the actuator switch feels HOT, and the lights are always on. Is there an adjustment, or a trick? Or just replace it? Not an expensive part, but a real booger to get to.

Looking to replace the water pump, brake light switch, timing belt, v-belt, and front shocks this weekend. Also got the new IAP air cleaner assembly. Need to figure out the brake flex-line hoses. Need to figure out a warm idle adjustment....

Need more time driving it!

Wheeee!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Burger-nirvana


OrderUp!
Originally uploaded by The Put-Man.

This place is fast becoming a favorite. Not so basic that you throw your own trash away, but not so fancy that you get a waiter. You order from the counter, a classic white tile and slate countertop affair. With classic lines somehow evocative of a 1950's burger joint, the bamboo hardwood floor and multicolored wall menu keep things contemporary. The main interior wall is a split personality - half over scaled B&W winter portrait of an ash forest, half mirrored wall reflecting the three exterior window walls - looking out under a cheerful red awning that shades sprightly little tables with red market umbrellas tucked between boxwoods.

Nearly idyllic.

The only discordant note is the presentation of the food - paper wrapped burgers, plastic soup bowls, and disposable plastic utensils make an elegant and clean setting feel vaguely like a trailer park picnic. Taste the soup though - and you'll change your mind. The chicken tortilla has some kick (this is after all San Antonio - home of kick-ass Tex-Mex). But it's an understated heat that keeps it's distance and doesn't overwhelm the fresh avocado topping, nor does it leave your taste buds numb to the real treat.

The burger.

Oh yes. This is a BURGER...ia...

Get rid of the paper. It just gets in the way. Pick it up, and you notice two things right away - the heft, and the bun. This burger clearly has REAL BEEF in it, lovingly ensconced in the perfect burger bun. The baker who made this bun clearly loves his beef. This isn't some undersized supermarket bun, this is sized correctly, sized BIG, and it’s FRESH.

You can feel the softness, allowing the proper degree of bun flexibility so that the burger construction flexes, doesn't fall apart and crumble in your hands. The insides of the bun are toasted for a light, fresh crunch. The lettuce and tomato are a crisp counterpoint to the melted blue cheese and thin-sliced bacon.

Normally I'm not a fan of thin sliced bacon, but this is done right, and achieves a consistent crispness that crunches "just right". The burger is meaty without being too fatty, or in your face with HOW MUCH of it there is. The flavor of the beef is excellent, and coalesces with the bacon, blue cheese, and bun to recombine into something greater than the sum of it's pieces.

Burger-nirvana.

All too quickly the experience is done, leaving you with some greasy paper, and thoughts about when you can next make an excuse to come visit.