Rocket Richard

Wow, nice work! You will feel good with everything cleaned up when you get it on the road. Hopefully soon so you have some summer driving time.

Were you able to get at that leak in the trans?

-Rich

Lady72nRob71

Thanks... I will feel great when it is all done, riding firmly, looking spiffy, and A/C dispensing ice cubes in my lap.
However, I dread that it will become dust-caked on the first drive...
Oh well - it will wash off with water...

Warm temps can be had into November but hope to have it done by October for the big shows! Right now and for the next 2 months it will be too hot to drive her during the daylight hours...

I have not attacked the tranny yet but it is on the long list of things to do.
Would i be able to pop those seals just above the pan without draining it?? Or is the fluid level generally below the pan's lip? I never had a tranny pan off.

Lady72nRob71

Well yesterday the brake booster was pulled, but it did not come off without a fight.
I bought a new set of long combo wrenches a couple weeks back to hopefully bust those frozen brake booster nuts loose.
The increased leverage helped break all the 3 virgin nuts loose. The left lower one that was semi-rounded just wanted to round more. So, off to the store to get a nut cracker! That did not want to get close enough to the firewall and only cat through half the nut. So, out comes the dremel and a carbide cutter. Even after the nut was cut completely through, it would not loosen but I found that it would tighten more! So after tightening another third of a turn, it spread apart and actually spun right off.
What a mess….

The other 3 nuts pretty much spun off with my fingers.
So now to get this skuzzy thing boxed up and sent out for rebuild/replate.


The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning up the evaporator box, power steering hoses (were only 4 years old), and a bunch of bolts.
A few compressor brackets were wirebrushed and washed up.
How time consuming all this cleaning is…

Luckily that day was cooler – only a brief time of 100* and lots of clouds. That made those 4 hours much more tolerable.

Olds luvr

Rob, Real deep aren't ya That thing will be real nice when you are done. Keep up the great work and detailed posts

OldsRocket342

I read your interior thread, beautiful work with that and also on this project. It's going to look great when you are done and thank you so much for the project detail you put on this forum they are interesting and informative.

442_Mustang

And now would be the time to install the hidden "Sneaky Pete" Nitrous system!(Just for those shorter onramps...)

Lady72nRob71

Yesterday was little part prep and paint day. I got a slew of brackets, clips, shafts, covers, springs, wingnuts, whoop-dee-doos and doo-dads painted in a rainbow of metal-like colors from Eastwood. For the most part they came out well. Will post pics once I retreive them from the shed.
I painted them outside hung on coat hangers, then let them dry in the shed with the AC on 85 to help the paint cure.
Probably spent a good 4-5 hours out there on and off...


Thanks for the motivating comments...
At this point the project is becoming a drag, mainly from our usual "above normal" temperatures. Progress is slow right now. We all know the devil's in the detail, so that is why every friggin clip and bolt is now getting restored. Talk about AR!!
I know I will be seeking a new front bumper when this project is done. If all this makes the body look like crap, it will be over then.

Geeez, don't pass on any more might-as-wells.
Please?????

kpl70sx

Hey Rob, you might as well replace that heater control valve...oops, sorry. I know you just said not to pass on any more might-as-wells!

Btw, a very large tip of the cap to you for persevering on this project in the blast furnace that is DFW. For those not familiar with our weather, it has been over 100 for the last 10 days and there is no end in sight!!

Come October you'll be cruisin top down to the zone show and you'll look back on this project with (fond?!?) memories, right?

Lady72nRob71

Got a new one in a box o' parts in the living room. That thing is way too ugly to reuse.
Now I have to find my lost BFW to get it off...

It down right sucks. I work in the closed garage which stays at a better 90-95*, but still it is hot, even with fans!
Cold beers are no longer for drinking - they are used more for ice packs.

I hope so - thats the plan anyway.
I would actually be able to open the hood and be more proud of the looks in there...
Unfortunately the looks while on the road will not be any different, but she should drive a lot more precisely and firmer!

442_Mustang

Ahh... C'mon... I was just givin you sum bizness with the nitrous suggestion.:-)

442_Mustang

Now would be a great time to install a new high lift dashboard and a chrome plated henway!

Lady72nRob71

Henway? Like a highway for hens??
Dash stays in the car during this project. Period.
Now when it comes time to replace the radio............................................. ......

MDchanic

Yeah, but doesn't that add a certain amount of weight?

- Eric

442_Mustang

Yup. A henways about 3 pounds.

Lady72nRob71

The evap box was pretty skuzzy looking but it cleaned up well. I had to use gunk on the inside oily crap and simple green on the rest.



The POA valve bracket was dirty and its paint all damaged.
I carefully wirewheeled the old paint off during wash and after it all dried, I masked the whole box off.


The bracket got a coat of Eastwood self-etching primer and afterwards a coat of underhood black.
It all turned out pretty nice... I am surprised the white paint overspray came off so easily.



The bracket well exceeded my expectations!

Lady72nRob71

Here are a variety of little parts that were done the other day.
I tried to get the colors sorted and parts painted in batches.
I hung the big parts on wires and the little parts on little wires secured to clothes hangers.









All went well except for the detail gray. Its color is more of a bronze and it did not flow right. It ran a lot and took a long time to dry. It does not seem durable either. I need to do some checking on this one…

Lady72nRob71

I can’t believe I spent 3 hours yesterday cleaning, etching, and sorting nuts and bolts…



However, it will be time well spent.
I have printed a picture of this and it will aid me to identifying what goes where after all of them are painted.

I could have dumped them all into a jug and had an outfit strip and plate them. However, I wanted to get the right bolts into the right places later and also I have a budget to stick to. I wanted no lost ones, either.
Besides, the pink egg cartons HAD to go...

442_Mustang

I am very envious at your attention to the detail.I'd need some more hours in the day to work mine up like you do. Very very nice job.

MDchanic

Man, you are insane.

But in a good way .

And to think while you've been doing all this actual restoration, I've been outside today reconstructing the rusted-to-nothing driver's side of my trunk lid opening with fiberglass and Bondo . (My car is not in the same, ahem, category, as yours is, I'm afraid...).

Very impressive. And inspiring.

- Eric

oldsguybry

mannn , it would be a shame if someone knocked that box with all the bolts stuck in it on the floor......oh and dont paint the bolt threads like I did

Lady72nRob71

Thanks. It does make you crazy after a while though. Polishing bolt heads - uh, yea...

Well put at this point...

The bolts and screws are stuck in pretty tight, so all that would disperse are the nuts and washers that are held in by little nails.
Poking them in there tightly helps protect the threads from paint and keeps the heads just above the surface to keep them from sticking.

I will spray them with Eastwoods flat black rust encapsulator, which is tough, fast drying and is . (provided I can ever get a decent time where it is below 90*!)

Rocket Richard

I like the cardboard work... good for painting and storage so you don't lose anything. I am impressed.

Do you have any pics of the space you're working in? LOL, maybe you don't want to show that but from what you've said so far it sounds pretty packed!

-Rich

Lady72nRob71

Okay, I will post one later. It will really show the biggest challenge I am facing.

As of now, the only rooms in my house that do NOT have car parts in them are the master bedroom and the bathrooms.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I find my dark saddle carpets made a nice addition to the tapestry in the washroom, and besides, instructions say they needed to lay flat for a couple months **Cough** i mean hours..

msco123

Rob,
Great looking work and I admire your persistance in this damn heat. Earlier this week, we had a heat index of 116. Worst summer I can remember.
Anyway, I was going to suggest putting your small parts in baggies and labeling the baggies. When I got ready to paint the bolts, etc, I used the top of a styrofoam ice chest. You just stick them in the foam like stick pins.

MDchanic

And why NOT ?

- Eric

oldsmobum

Drain it! Use a clean catch if you want to reuse the fluid. Not sure what seals you plan to do, but it will spare you a HUGE mess in your garage. Those transmissions have a capacity of like 11 or 12 quarts, and even if you drain it you will only get maybe 5 out... Its also a good opportunity to do the filter and its very easy. In my experience they'll leak for ages even when you think there couldn't possibly be anything left... So even after you've drained it be ready for a hot red shower!

Just an example we had a buddies th350 out of his car with no torque converter on. We drained it before we dropped it... We replaced the front seal for the converter, the rear shaft seal and the selector switch seal. We would tip it one way, Fluid would drain out, and we would let it finish. We would tip it the other way, fluid again. back the other way... More fluid! Damn thing bled more than the last girl I dated...

Lady72nRob71

I remember my carpet sitting on the kitchen floor for 2 months during the interior job...

Yes, the heat is making a lot tougher, but I have to go on. Heat indexes here are forecast from 106-110. On weekends when i will be out there a lot i will leave the kitchen door open to let the cool air out there.

Forgot about using foam - would have been easier to poke in. I had originally sorted the parts in egg cartons.

I haven't dissassembled enough yet...
Gotta get the condenser out today so it can be flushed and leak tested.
Might as well strip the firewall - I see some rusty screws......

Shift shaft, speedo cable gear, dippy-stick tube, and mod/gov cover (whichever it is).
If I have to drain it, then i will wait and do those later. I would need someone with a lift to do all that.

Mike77

Nice work Rob. I remember doing all that about 3 years ago. Said the same things not going to rebuild the tranny, not doing the rear, not doing "this and that". I put it back together , drive it for 1000 miles, then!!! Take it a part again ,because now I want to do the "this and that". I can't help it, you can't help it, none of us can help it, because it's the disease we all have. So if you have it apart, YOU MIGHT AS WELL......!!! LOL

Mike

PS Need any A/C help?

Lady72nRob71

I had a high of 108 on my outdoor thermometer!! This sucks… People in the northwest are lucky!!
Anyway, I spent a couple hours doing more little jobs, mostly inside.
I did a bunch of calling around to help decide on what to do with the AC system. Got lots of advice, mostly good. Now to make some final decisions………

I pulled a few more little parts off the firewall, like the AC vacuum can, fan relay, and wiring clip. Vac can was cleaned well and an incorrect screw was replaced for an original style one. Screws and bolts and the clip were cleaned, etched and prepped for paint.
Carb cable bracket was pulled as it will get stripped and repainted.
Dippy stick handle was wirebrushed and soaked in etchant.

When the screws were ready, I poked them in the box and went out to shoot them all with paint about 9pm when the temperature dipped below 95. I let them dry in the shed with the AC on to get it to cure in the recommended “under 90*” temp. I gave them another shot at about 10pm. Paint just about dried in mid air it seems – took a lot of paint to do the job and what made it onto the parts was dry to the touch in under a minute! Geez…



Very soon...
I am debating on whether to send my old A6 compressor to Classic Auto Air for a concourse rebuild and restoration...
OR if I should get that newer "Pro6ten" A6 replacement. I have gotten mixed advice on it.
OR should I get a rebuilt Four Seasons unit from rockauto and take my chances.

I hear with any compressor, the key to long system life is to run it periodically to keep the seals moist.

I will use the cycling clutch POA replacement, as recommended by most shops that have been in the biz for over 30 years. The say the POA is a POS and there must be a reason.

Still deciding on whether to use R12 or 134. After talking to my local "good" shop, using R12 will cost 140 more for the system charge. To use 134, I have to dump 350 bucks into a new 134 crossflow condenser.

Any idea on how long R12 will be available?

Mike77

R-12 hasn't been available since 1997. It's all bootleg stuff. Not made in Canada or USA or EU. But all the third world countries seem to have it. Go figure. I have a 30 lb bottle from the old days bought it for about $80.00 now worth about $1,500.00. If you guy,s were smart you would start stocking up on R-22. Going the same way as R-12.

Lady72nRob71

Well if my local AC shop still sells R12, then I assume it is leagal, but just leftover stuff. When it is gone, it is gone. I will go ahead and do 134.

NOW - what is better to use - the POA valve or the cycling clutch conversion kit??
About half of the long-time mechanics say it is a POS valve, the other half say they make the system cool better.
The cost of getting mine calibrated, tested, and restored is not much more than an update kit, so cost is not an issue.
For better mileage and compressor life, i would think the cycling clutch would be better.
Any thoughts?

Jamesbo

Hum, I think I will change my phraseology from from somone having a bad case of the "Might as wells" to catching "Rob's Disease."

69442C

Just as an FYI in case you were not aware, when CAA restores the POA, the appearance of the valve will be different. To take it apart, the will cut off a fair amount of the flange and will then weld it back together. I saw one that was done and it looked a little odd. If you are OK with that, then no big deal. If that is a concern, you would need to find a POA that has no rust inside as this is the make or break for CAA working on those valves. Rust inside = it needs to be opened. I had them flush and recalibrate a POA for 134 use and mine was clean inside so they didn't need to cut it open. (car not done so can't comment on who well it works) That was a deal breaker for me if they told me it needed to be cut apart.

You need to paint the rivet heads silver on the POA valve bracket. Sigh ... cutting corners are we?

As mentioned previously, I have a very nice used Evaporator if you still need one and are interested.

Brian

joesw31

This is a great thread! Might as well and the heads and get a valve job, and take off the exhaust manifolds and paint them.

I know what you mean about Texas heat... Its best to work between 6 and 11am in the morning...

Lady72nRob71

Good tips - thanks! If my POA is good, I will let them restore it and calibrate it for a hundred bucks. If it needs replacement, I will go the cycling clutch route. My old POA looks pretty nice inside. Question is, how long will it last if not rebuilt?


I was hoping noone would see that... It will get dabbed later on.

Heads stay on.
If they come off, the engine might as well just be rebuilt! I will wait until it runs bad to do that.
Exhaust manifolds stay on, too. I have so much removed that they can be wirebrushed, cleaned, and brush painted with POR15 manifold gray paint.

Yep. We are famouse for our record-hot-summers.
I will be up bright and early to work and sleep in the afternoons this weekend.

Parts came in from the sand blaster, so i will be painting those this weekend. Did the bolts yesterday and they look great.

joesw31

I know what you mean about the heads... Your 442 will be habit forming according to the Doc...

costpenn

Man, the last couple of day have been unbelievable. On Wendnesday I took my car over to Frank Waggoner's place in McKinney to start the paint/body work - just standing in his shop talking about the scope of work for 30 minutes drained you of all energy.

I've been keeping a spreadsheet documenting time, parts cost, vendor comparisons, and repairs performed on this one (72 442 conv frame off) An astounding 30% of my total time has been spent on fasteners - either finding the correct ones and then degreasing/wirewheeling/detailing them. Hardest bolts (for me so far) to find - the wheel cylinder to backing plate bolts (very short with a bult in washer) and the correct headlight retainer to housing screws - weird short screws with a tiny head on them.

MDchanic

One point to consider is that te A6 clutch is not designed for cycling, while later clutches, used with cycling valves, are. I don't know specifically whether this is a problem, but there's a big difference between the older clutch pulling in, and staying in during the whole drive, and the newer ones cycling on and off, sometimes twice a minute, the whole time the engine is running.

- Eric

roomer

Rob I may not know what I'm talking about here. I have owned two vehicles that were converted from r12 to r134 neither of them seemed to cool as well after conversion. Both used new compressors, condenors etc, in other words done right. My recently acquired 72 convt has also been converted to r134 using new Harrison parts. This was done before I bought the car, looks like it was done correctly. Everything looks new. I live in Mississippi so I know what you are going through in DFW. Said all that to say this, my car only gets moderately cool on max with high fan during the hottest part of the day. The cooling really drops off idling. Back in the early 80s I had a 75 Lesabre convt with the original a/c with r12, it would blow cold enough to keep you cool with the top down and darn near freeze you with the top up! I don't think these vintage units work very efficiently with the r134. Thinking about converting mine back. Also, just wanted to tell you that I am really enjoying your project!