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#41
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The last few weeks have been busy. I got the oil changed, all the of the transmission and radiator lines hooked up, the driveshaft in, and belts ready to go.
I just want to say that the driveshaft and rear end on these cars are massive. The driveshaft weighs almost 50lbs. As a recovering cancer patient this is not easy to lift and install! I truly do appreciate how much room there is between the engine and firewall on these cars, it was super easy to get the tranny cooler lines, vacuum modulator line, and oil pressure sender changed! Also, if your oil sending unit wire and cover is cooked or missing (like this car), there's a solution! AC Delco part PT196, $8.99 at the time. Despite GM having used this wire connector and cover for the better part of 40 years, the only cars it is listed as being correct for is a 1989-1990 Olds Custom Cruiser or Buick Lesabre (having had a Cadillac and Olds wagon with 307 I knew this part was used and looked it up for both cars). New oil pressure switch is longer than the factory, but this car is big enough it should have room. My '72 Grandville had stover nuts everywhere on the transmission mount and the crossmember, this car did not. I added them since I like them so much. |
#42
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I want to talk about parts availability and "what should work." The guy I got the car from had a driveshaft made. It cost him almost $600. It's a beautiful piece of work. But the yoke is the wrong one for this car and it doesn't fit. It's almost a tragedy. I was lucky, the rusty green '72 Grandville I parted out 6 years ago had a shaft and I saved it. Who would have thought I'd have needed it after all these years! That's pretty much exactly how this project has gone: "oh, I have one of those! I'll toss it in and see if it works..."
The lower molded radiator hose is listed as "correct" for this car, but it's slightly too short. It fits a Catalina or a station wagon perfectly, and I'll bet it's the same for a '73-76 car. It works... but it doesn't full seat on the timing cover. It needs to be 1-2" longer. It should be fine though. |
#43
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Today was another productive day. I replaced all of the tank vent and feed lines. And as this is a '71, it has that '70-72 EEC system that vents behind the back seat and has a bunch of vent lines. It went smoothly as the car was covered in undercoating back in the day and it saved a lot of the fittings and fasteners from rust. I also started drilling out the broken studs on the manifolds. Man does this job suck.
I ordered a set of RARE manifolds and head pipes, I hope they come in time. |
#44
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Ben M. - That will be one free breathing 350 with RARE HO manifolds! Getting the 2.5" outlets?
Can't wait to hear how it runs! Dennis |
#45
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Absolutely! No sense buying the cheap stuff. I plan to put a 455 back in it at a later date and don't want to bother redoing the exhaust as when I get an exhaust put on a car, it lasts 10+ years. It'll flow well!
I've been trying to free up the master cylinder lines and bolts, only 1 is stuck. I'm going to mix an ATF\acetone mixture today and coat all of the brake line fittings so I can replace all the hoses and wheel cylinders without ruining a fitting on a hard line. The brakes still work but I'd rather not rely on them for the time being. |
#46
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Mixed acetone and ATF in a bottle and squirted it on every single brake fitting under the car. The master cylinder cracked open with minimal effort afterwards. Now I can do the rest of the brakes.
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#47
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Replaced the front brakes today and bled the new master cylinder in preparation for getting it installed. The driver's side brakes were easy to do, but the hoses that I was sold are 4" too short and won't reach the calipers. I about threw a fit when I found that out. Fortunately the existing hoses were in great shape on the driver's side and ok on the passenger's side. The wheel bearings were in superb condition, loads of grease (albeit old) and the new rotors spun around at least 5 times before slowing down. The insides of both calipers were very clean and the old brake fluid that came out wasn't nasty at all. Unfortunately one bleeder screw is seriously rust clogged and I can't get it clear, so I'll just drop by the parts store to replace it tomorrow. I also need more brake fluid as I forgot I did a brake job for a lady friend a few months back and my jug was almost empty. One I do that, it's time to do the rear brakes, bleed them, fix the engine wiring harness, and install the new RARE manifolds (that are supposed to be here tomorrow). Then it'll truly be ready to run.
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#48
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You move yet???
Good luck on the bleeder screw. Most parts stores these days don’t sell parts like bleeder screws. They will sell you a wheel cylinder ( that will likely have a metric bleeder screw in it), or a complete caliper. One thing I really like about GM stuff, is they use stainless caliper pistons. Much less likely to cause a problem. They can get gummed up. POS plastic pistons will get your temper up!!! If the plastic piston ever seized, do NOT. Disassemble the caliper and clean it up, and have some fantasy about thinking that caliper is going to function properly, it’s NOT!
__________________
1977 Black Trans Am 180 HP Auto, essentially base model T/A. I'm the original owner, purchased May 7, 1977. Shut it off Shut it off Buddy, I just shut your Prius down... |
#49
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Brake bleeder screws aren't that hard to find, I just double checked listings at several auto parts chains and they have them to fit a '71 Pontiac.
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#50
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I have to get this car running so I can move it out of the garage since no one will haul this heavy of a car that doesn't run.
I found a load of bleeder screws at AutoZone as Dorman sells quite a few. I eyeballed the self-bleeder set that has a check valve but figured it'd be my luck to get the one that Q&A passed with the check valve in wrong so I stuck with the standard bleeder. It bled perfectly fine. I replaced the master cylinder and found... the one on the car has a much deeper hole in the piston vs. the replacement master (which are otherwise identical) and that the booster rod with adjustable screw will not allow the new master on. That was frustrating as hades, but fortunately I cleaned out the old master and it bled and functions correctly, no rust or nastiness in the chambers or passages. I took the back brakes apart and lets just say that drum brakes are totally like riding a bike: do it once successfully and you can almost never forget how. Of course, I found the brake line to the driver's side has a bad line... at the clip. It's been bad for a while as the line was dry as a bone. So I'll have to replace that line (I wonder if an Impala is the same as you can get them... and a '73-77 Pontiac big car is also listed as available) but I can't do it right now as I don't have time. I bled the front brakes and all the nasty fluid came out as did the bubbles. So the brakes are... almost done. The backs are adjusted but with no fluid aren't exactly going to work well. The parking brake line does appear to be functional so there's that too. My RARE package was delivered last night after I had gone back to the apartment I'm staying in. T-minus 5 days to get this car running, exhaust and starter electrical is all that's left, then firing it up! |
#51
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And they did arrive! I'll be installing them later on.
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#52
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Cool! I love those RARE RA manifolds! Looking forward to seeing it move under its own power.
Dennis |
#53
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Got the passenger side in. Such a nice fit! Tomorrow I fix the starter wiring, install driver's side manifold, and it should be ready to run.
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#54
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Looks great Ben...one down...one to go.
Dennis |
#55
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The other day was electrical day. I pulled the harness out and found all sorts of surprises, the washer pump was cut and spliced (by twisting the wires together...) and the main power feed had a splice in it that just was a wire twisted together on both ends covered in electrical tape. I pulled back the crusty solenoid wires and added new wiring to re-route the solenoid wires to the front of the block like the '73+ cars did as you can't use the "through the manifold" tube with the RARE manifolds. I ended up using factory style vinyl wrap to cover everything up and make it look pretty. Then tested it with a multimeter, the engine cranked as it should, the coil voltage is good in both Start and Run positions (and goes away when the engine is turned off), and the indicator lights all work on the dash.
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#56
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I installed the driver's side manifold. RARE is out of flanges so the car gets to run open headers here a while. They are a thing of beauty. The driver's side installs through the bottom of the car, quite easily I might add. I will say that if you need to do anything with the starter you are better off pulling the manifold. There is room... but not much.
I primed the fuel pump with a MityVac and fresh gas with no trash came out of the line, amazingly enough for a car that had an empty gas tank in the dirt for 10+ years. I built a new vacuum harness for the ventilation, transmission, and distributor connections. Electrical checks are all done now and the engine cranks and the distributor sparks as it should... but with a dead battery it doesn't get enough fuel into the carb to run. New battery today and it should run (VERY loudly). I have put it on the ground now, first time it's been on its own wheels since I bought it. It's got a ghetto lean in the back, the springs and shocks are worn out. If ANYONE has a set of flanges they can overnight me this week I will pay you for shipping and send back mine when they arrive in a few weeks, I need to get exhaust on this car to drive it as I'm sure people will be angry having to listen to the music of a 350-2bbl with no exhaust... |
#57
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#58
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Nice to see! I gather the exhaust is still not hooked up?
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#59
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Nope! I need the flanges for the exhaust and they weren't in stock.
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#60
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Are those flanges specific to those manifolds??? Could flanges from an exhaust shop be used???
Are you driving this car to your new location??? Let me know if you get through Oklahoma. My town is on I-40, about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City. I'll buy lunch!
__________________
1977 Black Trans Am 180 HP Auto, essentially base model T/A. I'm the original owner, purchased May 7, 1977. Shut it off Shut it off Buddy, I just shut your Prius down... |
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