Help! 78 II has no power to any electrical except headlights and taillights and hazards.

[Noobz347]

Nice

It [grows] on ya, doesn't it?

 

[LILCBRA]

It [grows] on ya, doesn't it?

He may be a little biased :

Had this year not that much time for the II. But last week I started the season (very late). As always you think you will detect some leaks or whatever. I had screw drivers and a multimeter with me. But the nice thing: nothing to do. The II runs like a champ! Pulls great, sounds good.
Here are some impressions:

The third picture is my favorite

 

[Mcmahst]

Did you ever verify the idle vacuum? I still think you have a vacuum leak; it’s why you have the lean condition. Looks like you’re getting the forum’s beauty tips!

 

[extra_stout]

He may be a little biased

Guilty.
But the chrome caps could be a nice option...

 

[LILCBRA]

I wonder if @JackH is out terrorizing the streets of San Diego with his beast now.....

 

[JackH]

I wonder if @JackH is out terrorizing the streets of San Diego with his beast now.....

@Mcmahst Hey guys, ship life has been tearing me a new one lol. I only can work on the weekends now but the valve lash did it. Now the engine no longer sounds like a skeleton dancing and after warming the engine a little, it idles at around 850 rpm. I should mention the car was probably parked for 20 years because they didn't ever lash the valves . I've driven it around the parking lot a few times and even got it up to 35 mph just to see and everything seems fine mechanically. The cooling system is overheating but I got a new radiator cap and the thermostat and gaskets get here monday so they'll be on this weekend or this week if I have enough time. I also redid the valve cover gaskets so the engine is no longer smoking. Brakes work great after a full flush and in a couple of months I'll get a proper tank and new pads and rotors and redo the drum brakes. Thanks everyone for the concern, I'll continue to make progress updates and I fix more and more things.

 

[2Blue2]

but the valve lash did it.

That is good news.

 

[JackH]

Yep... I reckon that'll cause some cooling issues. I'm pretty sure all of the parts are waiting for me at the mailroom if so, she should be put back together and roadworthy by the end of this weekend.

 

[2Blue2]

roadworthy by the end of this weekend.

 

[LILCBRA]

Yep... I reckon that'll cause some cooling issues. I'm pretty sure all of the parts are waiting for me at the mailroom if so, she should be put back together and roadworthy by the end of this weekend.

 

[JackH]

Damn!
I just about got everything figured out and the (hopefully) last component is kicking my ass. I just cannot seem to get this thermostat in there properly. I have read both repair manuals and forums and still no useful advice for what I'm facing which is that when I go to bolt everything back together, the thermostat drops in between the gasket and the water pump, due to it being vertical on the engine instead of laying on top, causing a gaping hole and massive coolant leaks. Is there any solid advice that yall can give? I understand most of yall don't have the v6 so it is much easier but even just hypotheticals might help. If nobody has a better idea, I am just going to run no Tstat since for the foreseeable future, this car will only be seeing max 10 mile drives at a time.

 

[85GTStangGuy]

Somebody here, maybe @Noobz347 , has mentioned superglueing the tstat to the housing. Would that work for you?

 

[LILCBRA]

I'm not sure if this will help but I've had luck with it with different things in the past. Go out and buy yourself a wax toilet ring. Then, once you're attempting to put everything back together, take a bit of wax and stick the thermostat to the housing in a couple different places. It should make it stick well enough to get it installed and it shouldn't cause a problem with it sealing.

 

[Noobz347]

Yeah, turn the housing upside down
Put the T-Stat in the housing (mind it is in the correct orientation)
Put two small dots of Superglue on the rim and let it dry
Install the housing as usual (don't forget the gasket). The thing won't slide around or pop out of position.