[fattie]

Originally Posted by mike nixon

it sounds to me like you need to give the car a major tuning.

mike

what do you mean by major tuning ?

heres what i had planned.

fuel filter ( where is it ? )
spark plugs and wires ( what do you reccomend )
valve cover gaskets
water pump gaskets ( ive got some coolant leakage around this area and i think thats what it is )
coolant flush
belts ( where can i get em ? )
thermostat ( what temp ? )
new hoses ( where i can get em? )
dist cap and rotor button
points ???? i have no idea where they are and how to do em
oil change and filter and pan filters ????
fuel additive ?
alernator
starter
power sterring flush ( how do i do it ? )
anything else im forgetting ???

ive got a question about the rear main seal , i wanna replace it with a new one because i heard there made of rope and break easily.

and today i did notice the exhaust hada touch of blue to it so im guessing im buring oil. but i got it changed back in september and have oil put a few hundred miles on the car and i checked it today and it doesnt look like ive lost barley any.

one more question, the midle wire on the dist cap leads to a little cylinder with 2 wires , one is + the other is - , what is this ? a coil ?


thanks guys i wanna get this thing running good enough to be a dd. thanks

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by fattie

fuel filter ( where is it ? )
It's right on the front of the engine, on the driver's side of the water pump.

spark plugs and wires ( what do you reccomend )
Champion RJ12YC or equal for the plugs, you should be able to get a decent wire set at any good auto parts store.

valve cover gaskets

water pump gaskets ( ive got some coolant leakage around this area and i think thats what it is )
It could also be the water pump itself leaking around the shaft, so check that as well.

coolant flush

belts ( where can i get em ? )
Again, a good auto parts store should have them.

thermostat ( what temp ? )
180 degree thermostat is probably right.

new hoses ( where i can get em? )
The auto parts store should be able to get them, otherwise try the Performance Years catalog - look at the top of this page for a link.

dist cap and rotor button

points ???? i have no idea where they are and how to do em
They're inside the distributor cap, along with the rotor. Again, available at the auto parts store.

oil change and filter and pan filters ????
Steve P. can comment better on changing the transmission filter than I can.

fuel additive ?
There's a lot of snake oil out there - I like Techron additive, if you think you need it. It may be a better idea to just go ahead and rebuilt the carburetor.

alernator
starter
Unless the car won't start or hold a charge, they're both probably working okay and I'd leave them alone for now.

power sterring flush ( how do i do it ? )
There are two hoses connected between the power steering pump, a high pressure supply and a low pressure return. The return hose is just held on with hose clamps while the supply hose has special ends on it. One way to flush the steering system is to disconnect the return line at the pump and stick it in a bucket. Then, turn on the car, and as the old fluid pumps out the end of the hose add fresh fluid to the pump until you see fresh fluid running out the hose. Then stop the engine and put the hose back on, and top off the pump. You have to be careful you don't run the pump dry which could damage it.

anything else im forgetting ???
New air filter. Check for cracked or dried out gas lines, all the way from the engine back to the gas tank. Also check the vacuum hose from the distributor to the carburetor.

ive got a question about the rear main seal , i wanna replace it with a new one because i heard there made of rope and break easily.
To get to the rear seal you pretty much have to take the whole thing apart. Unless it's dumping oil out the back of the block I wouldn't worry about it. Even if it is leaking a little, I'd still leave it unless you're going to pull the engine and do a total rebuild...it's not a big deal for an old car to drip a little bit here and there. Throw a piece of cardboard on the garage floor to soak up the excess.

and today i did notice the exhaust hada touch of blue to it so im guessing im buring oil. but i got it changed back in september and have oil put a few hundred miles on the car and i checked it today and it doesnt look like ive lost barley any.
It's not uncommon for these cars to blow a little blue smoke when they're old. It may be worn and dried out valve seals in the heads, but it could also be worn rings. Unless you're killing mosquitos every time you drive it, again I wouldn't worry about it for now - you should be able to make it run fine even if it's burning a little oil.

one more question, the midle wire on the dist cap leads to a little cylinder with 2 wires , one is + the other is - , what is this ? a coil ?
Yes, that's the ignition coil.

thanks guys i wanna get this thing running good enough to be a dd. thanks

Judging by your questions, it sounds like you're pretty new at this old car stuff...I'd suggest getting a book on beginning auto repair and doing some studying. The problem is most auto repair books these days probably don't have a lot to say about older cars with carburetors and ignition points. Check with the local library to see what they have first, at least that's free. A set of factory shop manuals for you car would be real good to have. You can find originals at swap meets, on eBay or from online dealers, or you can get reprints from Performance Years or other sources, and there are copies on CD-ROM these days. Another idea is to look for an old Motors or Chilton manual at a swap meet or used book store. They can usually be found pretty cheap, and they have a lot of good general information. Each edition covers six years' worth of cars, so you don't need to find one from the exact year as the car - as an example, I have a 1973 issue of the Motors manual on the shelf here and it covers all the way back to 1967.

[fattie]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Judging by your questions, it sounds like you're pretty new at this old car stuff...I'd suggest getting a book on beginning auto repair and doing some studying. The problem is most auto repair books these days probably don't have a lot to say about older cars with carburetors and ignition points. Check with the local library to see what they have first, at least that's free. A set of factory shop manuals for you car would be real good to have. You can find originals at swap meets, on eBay or from online dealers, or you can get reprints from Performance Years or other sources, and there are copies on CD-ROM these days. Another idea is to look for an old Motors or Chilton manual at a swap meet or used book store. They can usually be found pretty cheap, and they have a lot of good general information. Each edition covers six years' worth of cars, so you don't need to find one from the exact year as the car - as an example, I have a 1973 issue of the Motors manual on the shelf here and it covers all the way back to 1967.

yea , im deffinitly new at the older car stuff. im only 20. i do have some basic automotive knowledge. i can do all the work myself , the only thing im iffy on is the points. can anybody answer my questions though ? thanks