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Im going to get back to working on little detail things on my '69 442 while still waiting on the engine shop to call, and the next point of focus is the underhood area. I have a couple wires to tape up from when it was in the barn and infested with mice, but other than that I need to just clean, tidy up the wiring harnesses, and replace rusty relays for the most part.
First question...what are the relays, and are they readily accessible to replace? The one on the drivers side fender has a bunch of wires bolted to it which struck me as odd..the others just seem to be bolted to the car and have wires plugged into it.
Second, I have a wire that has an inline fuse, but for some reason that wire doesn't reach the other end..leaving the fuse exposed. Is that right? Should I/can I tape it up?
Lastly, what is the best way to go about detailing it all out. I'm going to take advantage of the fact the engine isn't in there, but this car will be making its rounds at car shows, so I'd like it to look great.
Thanks, and sorry for the long winded three parter.
The DS relay is the horn relay and it is suppose to have a lot of wires coming off it. And for some reason most of the ones I have seen are hanging down like that. I also have a fused wire coming off mine but don't recall what it's for. I'll take a look. The tin foil is a good idea. Can you measure the length of the positive battery cable? Mine was rubbing the exhaust manifold and has worn through making an occasional big arc.
Steve
Second, I have a wire that has an inline fuse, but for some reason that wire doesn't reach the other end..leaving the fuse exposed. Is that right? Should I/can I tape it up?
Full strength Dawn detergent and several brushes of varying stiffness to dislodge dirt and grease. Pressure washer if you have one; if not Harbor Freight and Northern Tool have them on sale all the time and a pressure washer is a good investment for car and home.
Lacquer thinner and good quality shop rags to clean grunge off wires and restore their original color and flexibility. Then use cheap tin foil (it conforms to odd shapes better than the good stuff) to mask it when you paint.
4/0 steel wool or brass wool will clean brake and fuel lines. Use lacquer thinner with it if needed. Wool also works on stubborn wire insulation stains or discoloration.
Someone will know a trick to restore the plastic fender wells.
Paint- cast aluminum and cast iron gray will make such parts pretty again. Satin and gloss black for brackets, aircleaners, frame rails etc. Again, the cheap stuff works just as well as high-buck paint and is closer to what the factory used.
Wiring repair and correction- please don't use cheap plastic insulated terminals. They look cheap and cheesy. Use G-B or Thomas & Betts if you must use those, but ALWAYS use good shrink tubing to cover the colors and make a weather tight seal.
I try to find non-insulated terminals for that reason. They just work better for me. Joe P has some posts on making a good wiring repair.
If you need plugs or insulators, you can often find those in parts store electrical section.
Underhood detailing was always one of my favorite parts of restoration. I must have done something right, because all the cars I was in on underhood never had more than a couple judging points deducted.
As v8al said replace the fuse but not the fuse holder unless it is bad. At the moment it is just the wrong fuse. That fuse is for high speed only blower motor operation.
Your at a prime time to work on worn steering linkage and steel brake lines if needed.
I learned the tin foil idea for wiring on this site, it works really reall
The HOTTEST water you can use also works well for cleaning the engine bay. Consider running a hose directly from a water heater. Post some pics when your done.
I've got a pressure washer and a few different things (Super Clean, Chemical Guys degreaser, Extra strength Dawn) just wasn't sure what the right thing is..especially with wires involved.
I'm curious to see the condition of the paint in there, especially since the car has had a good repaint at some point in its lifetime.
I'll swap that fuse out..and see if I can't find any replacement relays.
Swapped that fuse out, I think I need to still replace the wire. The connector at the relay on the firewall has been cut and replaced at some point (poorly) as well as the issue of the connector not sealing like it should (maybe too short now?)
I think the next thing I do is to just take the hood off so I can get in there and utilize the light. whether I pressure wash first or not, getting in there is going to be a necessity.
Be careful when removing the hood. Mine had a spacer under the hinge on each side. They fell out and one went down into the fender well and I had to unbolt the bottom of the fender to reach in and feel around for it. What a time consuming endeavor that turned out to be.
When I did the engine in my Wife's Riviera a couple of years ago I towed it to the local 25 cent (more like $10 ) car wash and went at it. It was well worth it. Since you have the pressure washer it will probably do just as good. Be careful with the Super Clean..... it will take paint off especially the this chassis black that GM used under the hood.
I towed it to the local 25 cent (more like $10 ) car wash and went at it. It was well worth it. Since you have the pressure washer it will probably do just as good.
What is a magic wand car wash but a pressure washer?🙂
Granted, a car wash that has hot water has some advantage, but pressure washer at home is better than a car wash because 1) you don't have to feed it quarters and 2) you have better control of it because you don't have to worry about running out of time. Plus if the car's at home, you don't worry as much about it not starting because something got wet!
On my foreign cars (lots of plastic) I pressure wash then spray all the rubber parts with foam tire black. Let sit for 10 minutes then pressure wash again. Hoses and plastic parts come out like new. Works for me....Tedd
Finally got around to pressure washing, definitely needed it. Didn't think about the master cylinder not being coated, so now I've gotta wire brush the rust spots off. If I do that and cover it with a wax or something would that keep this from occurring again?
Once that's sorted then I can tackle the wiring, touching up the firewall/crossmember and flipping the battery tray.
That might workfor the master cylinder, but will require maintenance. You could try clear coating it to prevent rust, i did that w my booster to preserve the finish.
eastwood sells a master cylinder spray paint that goes on easy, looks good and is durable. Its like $25 which i think is expensive for a spray can, but after applying it 5 years or so ago, it still looks good so iwould say i would buy it again.
August 6th, 2021, 02:36 AM
