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[GMCnet] Grand Junction - Gypsum - Frederick [message #180797]

Sun, 19 August 2012 08:38

USAussie

Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia

Karma: 6

Senior Member

G'day,

I've been having problems connecting to cyberspace for a few days so I couldn't check in. At any rate we're safe and sound sitting
on Emery and Michelle's driveway in Frederick.

We had a nice time visiting my Cousin and a great evening with Tom and Cynthia Logue. They own one of the GMC's that's in this years
calendar. Nice looking unit.

For some reason I didn't sleep very well the night before we left my Cousin's place in GJ, we didn't pull out until just before
lunch. Drove past a Taco Bell and since Helen hadn't had her favorite (Chalupa) we stopped. At any rate after lunch I drove for
about 20 minutes and I got real dozy. Stopped, walked around the coach a few times - did some jumping jacks and off we went. Didn't
help much so we only made it as far as Gypsum and I decided not to chance falling asleep. Spent the night at a nice place and took
off the next morning for Frederick.

As I had noted earlier the little Facet pump plumbed into the AUX tank works well at sea level and on level ground; climbing steep
grades results in the fuel running to the rear (Main) tank. This reduces the help the Facet pump can provide battling vapor lock. It
has to work harder to suck the fuel out of a half empty AUX tank. To overcome this problem I filled up at Costco in Gypsum to the
max. I learned that the check valve in the wheel well wasn't working properly as I left a patch of gas under the charcoal canister
when I pulled away from the pump.

We then proceeded to Vail. As we started up hill our speed dropped and when we hit 30 I dropped it into "S" and it accelerated
slightly t0 35 and up the pass we went in the right lane with the emergency flashers blinking. NO PROBLEM!

Going down was also a non event thanks to the 80mm calipers on the front and middle disks and carbon metallic pads. Every so often
I'd just touch the pedal for few seconds to slow down.

I had planned on stopping at Silverthorne and filling up again but when I checked the fuel gage in MAIN and AUX it read full and
damn near full so we continued on. BIG MISTAKE! I forgot how inaccurate the reading can be.

As we proceeded up to the Eisenhower Tunnel Helen had her iPad on her lap and read out the elevations. Everything was OK until we
hit around 9000 feet. Same drill in the right lane - in "S." The first time the engine hiccupped I switched to AUX and everything
was fine - FOR AWHILE. When we hit 10,000 feet (give or take a bit) the fun began. The engine would surge as if it was starving for
gas (which it was) but it kept running. With the entrance to the tunnel in sight, as I began to breathe a sigh of relief - IT
STALLED. Fortunately I was in the far right lane and thanks to my auxiliary vacuum pump I stopped. I sat there for about a minute or
so and switched back to MAIN and hit the key. Fortunately it started right up and I immediately put it in "L" and off we crawled at
about 10-15 mph. We made it to the entrance of the tunnel and I shifted up to "S" until I got a bit more momentum up then into "D."
The trip down was no problem.

Bottom line: the Facet pump plumbed in between the AUX tank and the selector valve works in steep climbs IF you keep both tanks as
full as possible.

Regards,
Rob M.

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426