Air leaks seem to be a problem on most Bricklins. Mine would hold air for a
few weeks when I first got it, but developed leaks and lost air much more
quickly over time. I have done lots of troubleshooting (Terry recommends
putting soapy water on all connections and looking for bubbles), but I have
never been able to get it to hold enough pressure to open the doors for more
than 3 or 4 days now. One place that you may not think to look and that soapy
water won't find is the check ball inside the pump. There was some corrosion
inside my pump that kept the ball from seating well.
I put on one of the electric pumps that Terry sells. I first used it as an
auxilliary then removed the vacuum operated pump when that failed. It works
great. Pumps up the tank from empty in a couple of minutes. Now I never worry
about air pressure. The doors always work. The only caution is that it can
run your battery down. I put a switch on mine so I can turn it off whenever
the car will sit for an extended period.
Scott Isensee
|