Batt, bulb, brake.

[rustyrotor]

Getting a 78 LMI back on the road.

Hot rod drivetrain, otherwise bone stock.

A few niggles, and a major issue:

It's backfiring, hard, on opening and steady throttle out of one cylinder. I still have not yet dumped out the 18-month old gas.
Dyna in place. The plugs and wires are at least a decade old but look just fine. Really.
There is some pre-ignition in the other cylinder under heavy acceleration.

The batt is toast. Do any of you have the magic code for the elcheapo riding mower battery? Or should I go with a ($) lighter, smaller, gel batt? Or...Either way, who's got the cross ref?

The headlamp reminds me of a Bic being flicked at a Stones concert.
Is there a modern bulb with much greater output that WILL NOT overpower the bone stock, original, harness, altenator, regulator etc.

And the HUGE issue...the integrated brake system is totally marshmallow, the pedal is barely returning, and it's clearly been leaking.
Full rebuild, right? I'm not qualified so will take it to the dealer. Any observations or suggestions? Inexpensive upgrades?

Anything else?

 

[john zibell]

Since you have the Bosch starter, you need the big battery. My preference is the Westco 12V30 http://westcobattery.com/.

For the dim headlight, set up two 30 amp relays with a fused line direct from the battery. Use voltage from the stock system to trigger the relays. Someone will probably provide a reference to a schematic somewhere. Most auto parts places have the three prong headlight connectors so I just use spade terminals to access ground and the switching power for the new connector and relays. That way I don't have to cut the original harness, and everything is still operative if you need to go back to stock.

Mushy integrated, try bleeding first. If that doesn't work, you may need to rebuild or replace the read MC.