Carburetors and Welding

Jan 24 - Ben has agreed to come over on Jan 25 with a welder and show us how it is done.  We needed to get some prep work done.  Mostly I had to clean up the areas we intend to weld.  Using a heavy wire wheel on the grinder I cleaned up the side rails.  Not pretty work, but needed to be done. 

John decided we needed to remove the windshield wiper motor.  I think it was related to checking and cleaning the main ground wire for the electrical system.  The motor is nicely tucked up under the dash, behind the glove box.  The main ground wire is behind it. 

After that John set to work on the carburetors.  We know they are an issue because the car ran poorly on these carbs and fine on John's.  They are very particular pieces of machinery.  John showed me the basics which I think I understand.  He found some grit in an area that needs to move smoothly.  We used some compressed air to clean that area and put everything back together.  We will put them on some time soon and see what happens.

Jan 25 - Ben came over with welding supplies.  We spent a good deal of time setting up and figuring out how it works.  I have never welded before and it had been a while for John and Ben.  We wanted to be careful so we took our time. 

We cut some scrap sheet metal and practiced welding pieces together.  It wasn't pretty and took some practice, but we could get two pieces of metal to hold together as one. 

We (Ben) started to attach a real repair piece to the frame rail.  About 2 minutes in we ran out of core wire.  We figured out how to replace the wire but then didn't have the right tip for the welder.  A trip to the hardware store solved the problem, but I was limited on time so our work was done for the day.

I am writing at the end of the second of our two snow days.  I didn't get much work done on the car, but got plenty of exercise shoveling two plus feet of snow.  A large shipment of part arrived, so more new stuff can go back on the car.  I tried installing the new alternator today, but something seems off with the mounts, so I will wait until I have John on hand to help trouble shoot. 

Working on the rust

Jan 10 - Before we can start putting the interior back together, we need to address some rust.  We bought some sheet metal to patch a couple of areas.  We will install new floor pans in both sides, but there is a bit in front of the floors the pans don't quite reach.  We will patch some thinner sheet metal in there later.

First John needed to make a piece to reinforce an area just behind the seat where the rear suspension attaches.  We started with a cardboard template to get us close.  We, John mostly, then cut out the piece and started trimming and hammering to fit.  Just making this piece took hours, but once welded in place it will be solid.  It will eventually be covered by carpet.

 

 

 Between trips to the store for steel and work on the corner piece above, we used most of a day.  We spent some time formulating a plan for rusty frame rail.  It is a U-shaped support, and the bottom part is completely rusty.  The vertical pieces are in decent shape, so we came up with the plan shown in the drawing to the right.  We will weld a small L-shaped piece of steel along the good rail metal down each side.  We will then weld another steel piece to the bottom.  It should be as solid as once we are done.  It will be hard to make the seems line up perfectly, but the top will be covered by the floor and the bottom will be under the car.  It should be solid and good to go.



Jan 17 - I bought the steel we need during the week.  John borrowed a reciprocating saw/sawzall to help with the cutting.  Our main task is the rusty rail.  I think the pictures make it pretty obvious why we need to fix this. 

We started cutting and realized we need a vice.  John actually realized this months ago, but I haven't bought one.  So, I went to Harbor Freight while John stayed and did some cutting.  I used the gift card from Ben and Lydia to pick up a vice and some metal files.  I also went to Home Depot for some lag bolts to attach the vice to my work table.  We screwed some extra wood to the bottom of the table and mounted the vice.  It will come in handy with cutting and bending metal pieces.




When I returned with the supplies, John had already cut the rusty bottom out of the frame rail.  Below is a before and after of the same section. 

The challenge will be getting the metal strip to fit the bottom.  The width is about right for most of the length, but the rail curves up and slightly in at the front.  We cut and bent the piece as much as possible.  There is a lot of holding it in place, checking the fit, making small cuts/grinds, and repeating.  I think in the end we have a piece that will work.  Once welding begins we can hammer the piece into place a bit too.  We also cut and shaped the L-shaped rails which will fit inside the frame. We may be ready to begin welding next week.

We spent the end of the day trying to clean up the side rail on the driver's side.  We will clean it, paint some rust inhibitor, and weld a new thin strip of metal on top.  That too will be covered with carpet in the end, so solid structure is the goal - aesthetics are secondary.

John also worked on the console.  Sadly, the radio was beyond our talents to save.  Sorry, Noogit, but this is where it ends for the radio.


Jan 18 - I wandered into the garage to tinker a little before watching the NFL playoff games.  I am watching them now while I write.  I wanted to remove the master cylinders for the brakes and the clutch and the bracket that holds them.  There were three hydraulic lines to remove first.  The first two (brakes) on the left were no problem.  The third (clutch, pictured on the right) on the right was a different story.  There is very limited access, so I could hardly get a wrench on it.  I had to turn it a little, spin the wrench around, and turn a little more.  Each one of those got me one third of a rotation.  It did eventually come off.

The eight bolts that hold the whole thing in place came out relatively easily.  I also had to remove the tops of the pedals from the push rods.  (I often wonder as I write if I am using the correct terminology and imagine John cringing when I don't.)  I removed the bolt holding the top of the pedals together so I could get the pedals out.  I removed the whole assembly and took the master cylinders off the bracket on the work table. Pictures below show the before and after removal.  The hole in the second picture is where the pedals pass through. 

Fortunately the metal underneath is dirty but in good shape.  No repair needed there.  I cleaned up the removed parts using the wire wheel and put a quick coat of paint on the bracket. 

I also removed the windshield wipers and cleaned them.  The black paint on them came off easily.   It is slow going with the rust and new metal, but enjoyable.  I still plan/hope to drive her this summer.  That seems realistic at this point. 

Body and suspension/steering

John and I rang in the new year by working on the car a bit.  With the newly refreshed trunk ready, I reinstalled (for the last time?) the gas tank and filler.  You would think she is fresh off the factory floor.

John began trying to figure out the passenger floor and support rails.  The floor itself is long gone and the rails underneath have some rusty spots.  Completely removing and replacing the rails is the best option, but it can be very tricky and is outside my comfort zone.  We will instead fit and weld a piece of steel.  It won't be pretty, but it will be structurally sound completely covered once the new floor pan is in place.

 John managed to cut the steel so it fit almost perfectly (for our purpose) into the existing rail.  That kid is wicked smart.  With the steel support set in place, to be welded later, John started to fit the floor pan.  He says it fits well and minimal cutting and shaping will be required.  Putting it permanently in place will require more welding.  Since all welds will eventually be covered, we are confident we will be up to it.  We will also need a little sheet metal to close in the front floor area. 

We also worked on the front cross member and steering rack.  We picked the better of the two steering racks, replaced the boots which keep the oil contained, and added some fresh oil.  We took some measurements to center the steering rack, and loosely installed it in the car.  It bolts to the cross member, so it is just in place and held by bungee cords right now.  

 Now freshly painted and with shock absorbers installed, the cross member was ready to be bolted back on.  I cleaned the bolts and put on the new pads.

We used the floor jack to help hold it in place while we got the nuts started.  It was an awkward, two-man job, so I have no pictures of the process.  One of us had to hold the bolt in place from the bottom and make sure the pads stayed in the right place while the other got the nuts started from the top.  Tightening three of the four nuts was relatively easy because access was easy.  The fourth nut was perfectly tucked behind one of the lines to the oil cooler (thanks again Nigel!), so John had to loosen the oil line before the fourth bolt could be secured.  Given the importance of this particular piece, we took the time to do it right.

It is really great to be installing new and improved parts.  It also means it is time to open the wallet again.  John's favorite lines: "We should replace that to be safe.  It is fairly cheap.  It is only (insert $8 - $70 here depending on the part).  I will add it to the next order."  I mean, um, thanks for all the help John.  I couldn't do it without you.

I ordered some tires from Tire Rack that arrived today.  I don't know exactly when they will be installed, but they were priced right, so I went ahead.


Up next - more body work and maybe time to try welding.