Project creep

[Donald O.]

I needed to replace/repair/restore the clock and the turn signal switch. To make it easy to get to the clock I take the glove box out, see that it needs a thorough going through. I'm looking at the inside heater control box and see that there are NO screws going through the fire wall as all are missing, great. I also notice that the left and right radio side panels should be touched up from wear, fantastic. So next I am going to take the steering column out to replace the turn signal switch and see that the lower bearing and plastic keeper is shot, terrific (I'll have a few questions on that later). Of course I haven't checked the upper column bearings yet, so I'm already preparing to bend over...again.

All I wanted to do was just fix the turn signal switch and the clock.

Don

[Mike T.]

Re: Project creep

Don - I think a lot of us have been in your shoes before, doesn't take much before you start thinking...'well, while I'm in there'.
Not trying to add your already growing list of things to tend to 'while you're in there' but if you do take the column out, now's a good time to think about dropping the pedal bracket for two reasons. One, maybe the plastic pedal bushing is in need of replacement and secondly, if you have a manual trans, it's common to find the actual clutch pedal arm getting loose from the cross-shaft. Typically only takes a cleanup and some welding on the outside to firm it up again. If it's all in good shape, no need to bother with it but if it could use a little attention, having the steering column removed makes it a worthwhile fix.

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

Don - I think a lot of us have been in your shoes before, doesn't take much before you start thinking...'well, while I'm in there'.
Not trying to add your already growing list of things to tend to 'while you're in there' but if you do take the column out, now's a good time to think about dropping the pedal bracket for two reasons. One, maybe the plastic pedal bushing is in need of replacement and secondly, if you have a manual trans, it's common to find the actual clutch pedal arm getting loose from the cross-shaft. Typically only takes a cleanup and some welding on the outside to firm it up again. If it's all in good shape, no need to bother with it but if it could use a little attention, having the steering column removed makes it a worthwhile fix.

Pedal bracket is in great shape. Just lucky I guess. When I did the clutch about 20 years ago I went through all of the cutch linkages, springs, and pedal assembly.
Don

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

Heater box is finished (rebuilt, and restored) and installed, clock is back in, wiper motor back in (working perfectly), new turn signal switch and the column was rebuilt after removal and finding the lower bearing missing and/or destroyed by age, new battery is in and connected (everything works again and it passed the smoke test, none escaped), restored and installed the glove box assembly.
Scrubbed the seats, door panels and e-brake console back to white. I used Simple green, a couple of Mr Clean magic erasers, and a finger nail scrub bush for the crevices. Rinsed thoroughly with fresh water.

Next is new upper and lower radiator hoses, both new heater hoses, new by-pass elbow hose, new hose from radiator to expansion tank and all new hose clamps. But this winter's interior and front half projects are winding down. The only rear half project is new bushes for the strut rods.

Don

[Russ S.]

Re: Project creep

And now you feel great knowing that is all gone thru and in good condition again. Remember to be very careful removing the heater hoses from the heater core or you could be doing it over again. Best to slice the hoses from the heater core nipples.

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

Yep, that's how I removed the heater hoses and the hose from tank to radiator. The engine coolant hoses came off fairly easy. The small by-pass elbow was cut off.
I think the radiator hoses were at least 15 years old, the heater hoses maybe 22 and the by-pass elbow about 3 years old.
Even the battery I replaced was 15 years old, it just had very little reserve capacity left in it.

Don

[Ralph E.]

Re: Project creep

Don, you are making great progress. Did you replace the carpet and/or replace all the light bulbs in the dash yet. Hope you did it when you had the steering column out
You got to love scope creep!

[Mark E.]

Re: Project creep

I call it the "as might as well" syndrome. My quick paint job for a driver eventually turned into a body-on restoration.

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

Don, you are making great progress. Did you replace the carpet and/or replace all the light bulbs in the dash yet. Hope you did it when you had the steering column out
You got to love scope creep!

I did all of the lamps two winters ago when I restored the gauges and dash cluster.
I'll be doing the carpet this summer....I hope anyways.

I call it the "as might as well" syndrome. My quick paint job for a driver eventually turned into a body-on restoration.

That was why I did the wiper motor at this time. With the clock, radio, and heater box and defroster vent not in the way it was the perfect time so would not not have to repeat all the extra labor and replace all the new seals a second time.

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

Uh oh.....

I got all of the hoses on and the engine filled with fresh 50-50 G05 coolant. Cranked it up. And cranked some more. Dang that new battery spins it over, but it doesn't start, it doesn't even fire once. Put the timing light on wire #1 and taped the button ON and cranked, good strobes. OK got spark. By now I should have fuel in the carb so held the choke open worked the throttle, nope no squirts or nor fuel.
Removed fuel line from carb and cranked again....zilch nada nil zippo goose egg.
Dang, not the carb, although I do have an NOS ready to go in my larder. Opened the gas cap to check the sock to see if it had collapsed. Nope, its good. Then it became obvious to what I wasn't seeing.......
yep you guessed it, no fuel in the tank.

Oh well I'll go get 5 gal tomorrow in the jerry can to put in the tank.
Sometimes its the simple basic needs to run the engine; spark, fuel. compression.

I did have a good laugh at my self.
I think I need to bend the float arm to read a bit more accurately... but which way?

Don

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

It got worse.
After I put 5 gal of 93 premium into the tank, about a half an hour later I noticed a small puddle under the rear of the car. Great just before I have to go to work this. I put a 4 gal pan under to catch the drips until tomorrow. I still have an old undamaged o-ring seal for the sending unit, if that leaks again I'll just buy a new gasket. But I remember hearing that the new repop o-rings are not as thick cross-sectionaly. Anybody else hear that?

Don

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

Went to work last night and when I checked on the pan, to make sure it wasn't going to overfill, the leak had stopped. My guess is that it stopped about the time I was leaving for work. My only explanation is the o-ring dried and shrunk without fuel and then re-expanded again after soaking in the gasoline for a few hours. NOTE to self, keep a few gallons of gas in the tank at all times

After I was finished with the wiper/washer I checked it on the bench and all was good, installed in the car and while the wipers still worked flawlessly, the washer didn't do a thing. I removed the two pin connector and I had the required 12vdc on the 12ga brown. I couldn't tell if I had ground on the 16ga dark blue. Jumpered the washer and while running on low speed, I added the required ground to the pump and bingo. The solenoid clicked and a few seconds later, pretty blue fluid was squirting. The driver's side stream went over the windshield and was landing on the soft top deck lid by the passenger rear tire, the passenger nozzle was aimed at the base of the pass wiper arm. I was able to re-aim the pass side to its correct target with a safety pin and 3" cressent wrench. The driver's nozzle would not adjust so after putting a drop of Kroil on the nozzle orafice to soak and free it up, I went back to determining why the switch wasn't grounding the dark blue. Attaching the DMV to the connector for the washer and then went at the switch connector and had 0.3 Ohms or good continuity. Checking the switch between the washer ground terminal and the switch case and then pushed the knob it to activate the switch and the meter remained at infinity or open circuit. So it looks like I need a new wiper switch.

I then attacked why the horns stopped working. The switch is grounding as it should and I have good continuity the the arced connector. I could hear the horn relay clicking though. Tomorrow I'll check the continuity all the way the horn relay. May have to replace that too, I'll know more tomorrow and order the parts as needed on Monday.

Don

[Mark E.]

Re: Project creep

Isn't it fun chasing down all the little things? Fixing the details can be challenging.

Be careful keeping a drip pan under the car to catch a known gasoline leak. The fumes are heavier than air and highly flammable so it's like placing a gaseous firebomb in your garage that will gather along the floor. With fumes and oxygen present, all that's needed is a spark.

For gasoline leaks, a good practice is to immediately stop it then clean up any spillage to eliminate fumes.

[Paul Y.]

Re: Project creep

Maybe want to check the snubber rubber at the differential front also.

[Donald O.]

Re: Project creep

Maybe want to check the snubber rubber at the differential front also.

Ummmm Paul, how would that help diagnose the non-functioning wiper switch for the washers )now that a new replacement has been ordered), or the horns? The relay is good. see my thread on 67 horns I started yesterday.

PS
I rebuilt/restored everything in the back, T/A to T/A about 4 years ago and in doing so, replaced ALL bushes.

Don