The Sheriff

[67Monaco]

Moser Engineering 1/2x20x1.75" wheel stud fit the 67 disc brake hub. Maybe not perfectly but within +.009". I needed them because I really never felt the lug nuts had enough threads in them with the AR wheels and a 1/4" spacer. Space was needed to clear the caliper. Honestly I could get away with 1/8" but 1/4" was what I could find when I bought the wheels.

Not having a press I had to put on my thinking cap. Normally same sized splines I'd be able to line up and pull back in to the hub or axle flange with the wheel and lug nut. However these are slightly over sized, ever so slight. Actually on paper the should should be exactly the same with just courser splines. Anywho. I solved the problem of having to press fit with e ball joint press. Pretty easy to do. I'll tackle the passenger side tomorrow.

 

[67Monaco]

Well lets see where are we now?

Front studs are done. I no longer feel the wobble / bump in the steering wheel in a 45mpg curve. The lugs have enough purchase now to stay tight.

Transmission is breaking in nicely and I think most of the bugs are worked out of it.

Converted to a Pertronix I and flame thrower coil. Works nice. Not concerned about burning the points as I bypassed the ballast for the new coil. I figured it was just a matter of time. Chucked the points and condenser int he glove box just in case.

Next big issues for it no particular order;

New exhaust
Finally replacing the windshield, need to find a gasket
Resetting the backlight, need to find setting blocks
Front suspension bushings. All of them.
Replace upper ball joints. Found one with torn boot.
Rotors, need new
Rebuild calipers, looks like they're leaking now that they're seeing use

Maybe if I can get these done I'll be comfortable enough to make it to Big Daddy's.



Oh yeah, I did take it up to about 90 the other day, for a second. Smooth like glass

 

[67Monaco]

And now I have flat spots on three tires. Damn near killed a trucker in a mercedes E class that "just got off the road" "after two weeks" decided to turn right in front of me. He simply didn't look. Double right turn lane off I-75, with a two red arrows. In FL you can turn after a stop on the right red arrow I guess. I had the green and he went at the worst time.

I always wondered if the fronts worked well. Now I know. Both fronts locks and the passenger rear. Not sure why the driver rear didn't lock up maybe because I was maneuvering to the left?

Right where the dot is there's now three skid marks heading towards the grass...

Maps

 

[cantflip]

And now I have flat spots on three tires. Damn near killed a trucker in a mercedes E class that "just got off the road" "after two weeks" decided to turn right in front of me. He simply didn't look. Double right turn lane off I-75, with a two red arrows. In FL you can turn after a stop on the right red arrow I guess. I had the green and he went at the worst time.

I always wondered if the fronts worked well. Now I know. Both fronts locks and the passenger rear. Not sure why the driver rear didn't lock up maybe because I was maneuvering to the left?

Right where the dot is there's now three skid marks heading towards the grass...

Maps

Hopefully the harder rubber compound of lower speed rated tires will work in your favor here... the bright side is the brakes have checked out. Sorry you had to deal with this.

 

[67Monaco]

Today's update;

For the first time since 1993 the car has seen the Interstate under its own power. A mere 6.7 miles but it did it happily. I noticed that at 70mph it seemed fast at first but then lazy almost by the end of the trip. Though 3k rpm at 70 kept my attention and had me watching every gauge and idiot light.

The wife and I did it together. She was pretty happy. I was going to let her do it since it was her grandfathers car. She declined. She didn't wanna be the first. Though she did drive it last week and looked pretty much like a teenager doing it. She had a smile from ear to ear.

 

[67Monaco]

Been spending my time lately working on the exhaust. Got a really good deal on a pair of 22" Magnaflows. Paid $25 for the pair. Used yes, but still look very good. I was honestly concerned that they were burned up like a glasspack would.

Got a bunch of 180, 90, and 45 degree mandrel bends on the tightest radius I could. Took the old system I threw on it to simply keep from having open headers way back when. Eek was it ugly. So I got under it and started to look at the bends to get me through the crossmember, ick. With what I had to work with it was going to be jusy as ugly and I'd end up hitting the cross member and the torsion bars again. While fun, it sucks hearing the exhaust hit things while you're driving. Yes I could avoid this by reducing the size of the pipe. But guess what I'm stubborn.

I needed much tighter bends. Like say 2.75 to 3" radius. What to do what to do? I had bends and lots of straight pipe. Ok not lots, but 2 5 foot sticks. I ended up pie cutting the the pipe to get the shape I was looking for. Not the best way to handle it but 3" pipe bent to that radius would bankrupt me.

Needless to say I finally got it done to the point where the muffs are hung and I have hangers welded and bolted in place. I have to get more straight pipe so I can get past the axle and dump where I want it to.

How does it sound though? Well going from 14" chambered to 22" Magnaflows is day and night. I got a little drone @1200rpm but cruising I could hear the whine of the fuel pump and actually heard my phone ring with all the windows down. At 3Krpm cruising I hardly hear the exhaust.

I'm hooked.

Now where to dump the outlet. Behind the rear tire in the wheelwell, In the stock location at each corner, or either side of the tank at the bumper. I've ruled out through the body for the most part.

 

[65sporty]

Any pic's of the system?

 

[67Monaco]

mmmm no?. I'll try to get a couple tomorrow. not much to look at just a bunch of mig welds. It would have been better with a tig. But you use whatcha got.

 

[67Monaco]

Both sides need to be loosened up and leveled out so they're both equal but I had to bolt it up and get it out so I could change the oil in the minivan.

I've pretty much settled on exiting the exhaust thusly. It's the only thing that looked good to my eye. The wood is 1/2" spacers taped tot he frame-rail so I can get some clearance and not hear any rattles when I'm done. The straps are holding the pipe up in place while I mock everything up. The pipes are cut on the same angle of the torque boxes above them.

Have a steel hanger that you don't want to be so ugly looking? I hate when I see them straight and simply welded to the pipe. Nope I wanted a nice hook/curve to match the pipe. Don't have a hydraulic press nor a vice. Don't have room for a press, and for some reason a vice is something I'm very picky about. I'm also very cheap so hence why I don't have a vice.

I do however have a ball joint press. You've seen it previously do work pressing in studs into spindles.. It's becoming my go to.

Little help from the Bessey 45 degree c clamp to hold it in place, a large socket to provide some space for a bend and away we go. Lock it in, put some pressure on it, move the hanger to get a new bite on it to tighten the bend. Rinse and repeat.

Second bite.

Third bite.

Finished bend. These will be trimmed, then welded to the pipes strapped up earlier in the post and bolted to the frame.

As an aside, have a cheap portable bandsaw? Don't wanna pay more for a stand than you did for said saw but need a stand? Take the cover off and simply clamp it to your work surface. Save yourself some dough. Yes I like the Bessey 45 degree split clamps.

 

[Fratzog]

You demonstrate a lot of ingenuity with limited tools. The results will look first class.

 

[67Monaco]

Thanks, but first class, mmmm no. We'll just say functional.

 

[Fratzog]

Thanks, but first class, mmmm no. We'll just say functional.

No need to be modest. Your attention to detail is commendable and it's very nice work by any standard.

 

[67Monaco]

Got to the point where I finally wanted to drive it today.

Sounds oh so good. Now I want to tone out the carter fuel pump. Couldn't hear it before. Now it buzzes even with the windows down. Sounds good. I like it. No exhaust fumes rolling in to the car at stops. I'm happy.

Brakes were a failure today though.

Report is here. Fire... Brake fire that is

Onward and up ward.

 

[67Monaco]

Pic of the pads once they cooled down. I guess the green line is where they got hot. when I took them out of the caliper they looked basically brand new.

 

[67Monaco]

So I have one last weld to do on the exhaust to finish it out. New stainless band clamps showed up for the mufflers. I like 'em better than u-clamps.

New stainless fuel tubing spool showed up as well. Need to reroute the fuel away from the exhaust. Since I have enough I may replumb the rest of the car.

Calipers arrived. Waiting on new hoses and pads. So I'm still about 2 weeks out from rolling again.

Rotors are turned and the guy noted noting out of the ordinary as far as hard or soft spots. He did say that was the last time for them though.

I may look in to using 2wd jeep Cherokee rotors down the line. just have to locate the proper bearing to fit the spindle. Wilwood makes a caliper bracket and a four piston caliper. Or I can mill the bracket myself for that matter. That would solve the unatanium brake parts issue for good.

 

[carrman]

Bill, wouldn't it be easier to find a set of '73 spindles, hub, rotors and calipers? Ball joints too... Then you'd have really common parts, and I bet you could sell that Budd stuff for decent money. Hell, new Budd ball joints go for $800 a side.

 

[commando1]

Bill, wouldn't it be easier to find a set of '73 spindles, hub, rotors and calipers? Ball joints too

That's becoming harder and harder, in itself.

 

[67Monaco]

What I need to do is start investing in bad disc ball joints. Get a stock pile of the castings. Since Stan made me realize that it's the castings that have the value.

Figure out how to pop that joint out, mill the socket for a new and replaceable style.


1. Buy ball joint
2. ?????
3. Profit.

Then I'll retire... pfft.

 

[commando1]

Get a stock pile of the castings. Since Stan made me realize that it's the castings that have the value.

No need. Give a China Trade Representative (They're everywhere) one old casting and tell him you want a 1,000 of them "exactly like this".
He'll come back with a quote of about $1.63 each.

That's how 440 Source got their heads. Sent over an Edelbrock and said, "Make them just like this. No drawings. No specifications, No anything.

 

[cantflip]

No need. Give a China Trade Representative (They're everywhere) one old casting and tell him you want a 1,000 of them "exactly like this".
He'll come back with a quote of about $1.63 each.

That's how 440 Source got their heads. Sent over an Edelbrock and said, "Make them just like this. No drawings. No specifications, No anything.

You left out the part where they find a way to make it so every single one of them has some sort of flaw built in.