Tech Session 2016
We were thinking Spring upon arrival at the Birchwood Grill
in Kenosha, Wis. but mother nature had other plans for Saturday, April 30. The wind blew cold as I hurried inside for a
cup of coffee. I was soon joined by 24
CTCC members. The only TBirds to be seen were two retros.
Pete Kramer drove a Cashmere 2005 and your scribe a Blue 2002, just out
from a long winters nap. Members in attendance were Dan Anderson, Bob DeLucas,
Jim Elijah, Joe Esdale, Joel Greenberg, Art Hahl, Peter Hauser, Len Keil, Joe Kraatz, Kami Woody, Pete Kramer,
Jerry Michna, Dan Mrozek, Ron Pavlak, Jerry Peterson, Dave Pagorski, Andy Rominiecki, Gary Smithe,
Ken Smizinski, Bob Sroka, Len Vinyard,
Bill Werth, Bob Wenderski, and your
scribe.
After filling up on the buffet breakfast, we caravanned over
30 miles of Wisconsin backroads to Ron Schneiders shop and car collection in
Franklin. His family operates Leons
Custard in the Milwaukee area. Ron can
be seen wearing a green jacket in the pictures.
Dick Murray and three of his friends from AACA joined us. Dick contacted Ron to set up the tech session
site and car collection viewing.
We pulled up our chairs for Ken Smizinskis Tech
Session. A 1961 Ford Country Squire with
pristine woodgrain was behind him and a 1960 Country Sedan wagon to his
left. Ron has a soft spot for Ford
station wagons as he recalls family vacations in them traveling to
California. Kens first topic was a
discussion of the electric fuel pump. Ken uses an Airtech E80125, available at
OReilly Auto Parts. This pump has
proven to be durable and eliminates priming and vapor lock problems in 1955 and 1956 teapot carburetors. This pump is a
must on 1957 E Birds with 2- 4 barrel carburetors. Heat from under the intake manifold leads to
hard starting. The Airtech pump has a
double safety. If the ignition is off,
so is the pump. If the pump is not
turned off, fuel leaks into the
manifold. The crankcase may fill with
gasoline. Oil keeps the rings sealed,
gas does not.
Kens next topic of discussion was the necessity of using SF
rated oil, with zinc in cars made before 1984. Using oil without zinc will lead
to cam failure in the first 300-1,000 miles 90% of the time. The camshaft and
lifters flatten out. He passed around a
damaged camshaft for all to see. This is
a problem with Y blocks as no oil leaks down on the cam. Lead additives and octane boosters are not
not advised. Marvel Mystery Oil is good
for dissolving rust. Seafoam is good in carburetors,
especially those not run for awhile.
The tech session concluded, we put away our chairs and
viewed Rons car collection in three buildings.
The assemblage concentrated on prewar Fords and race cars of the 50s
and 60s. There was a Bobtail Cooper
that raced in the Bahamas in 1984. In
addition to the station wagons described above, there was a 1959 Ford, 1970 Torino Squire, and 1936 Ford woody. A
DeSoto Airflow and a 1936 Lincoln Zephyr shared the building with a Plankington
Zephyr Road Tractor, designed by Brooks Stevens. Ron had 1932 Ford V-8s. both 2
door and 4 door phaeton. Six 1936 Fords
were in the collection.
In the next building we saw
a1973 Jaguar XJ 12 5.3 lite and a 1953 Jaguar Mark VII, a brass 1914 model
T and a T speedster. A 1977 GMC
motorhome and a 1949 Lincoln limousine, a custom model with no rear quarter
windows was joined by a folding house trailer, designed by William B. Stout in
1937-38.
In still another building was a 1944 stainless steel Aerocoach bus. A streamlined Bill Stout design, it was
powered by an International Harvester
490 that would run on gasoline or LP gas. The ten ton Aerocoach was built as a unibody
motor home, having a shower and kitchen.
We thanked our host and a steady rain followed us home
By Jim Wilson
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