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#1
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Resto-Repair Tip: Steering Box Rebuild
The steering boxes in the early Tempests were filled with gear oil to lubricate ball bearings and pitman shaft bushing. As the pitman shaft and steering shaft seals age they begin leaking and steering box will no longer hold gear oil. Filling the steering box with grease will be mostly ineffective as the grease can't flow to where it's needed.
The solution is new seals and pitman shaft bushing. With 101K miles on the car I decided to replace the pitman shaft bushing. The seals and bushing were used on many GM cars of the 60's so they come up on Ebay regularly and the seals are listed on Rock Auto Parts but I didn't see the bushing there. Pitman shaft seal: 5670325 Steering shaft seal: 7802160 Pitman shaft bushing: 266316 I completely dismantled steering box so I could clean all the old sludge out of it. The steering shaft and carriage assembly might be able to be cleaned by soaking in a solvent rather than taking all those ball bearings out. I painted everything while apart. I found a socket to use to press old bushing out. Once new bushing is pressed in the new seals can be installed. The steering shaft is assembled into housing first. I put a little bit of gear oil on both ball bearing assemblies so it wouldn't be going back together dry. The large adjuster plug will need to have its threads sealed or they will leak. I used a brush-on paste. Don't cote all of the threads because about 1/2" sticks out where locking ring goes on. I also made a new gasket for the top cover from gasket material I had on hand. My steering box has been holding gear oil for about 3 years now and hasn't leaked a drop. |
The Following User Says Thank You to cleveweld For This Useful Post: | ||
#2
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Starter Rebuild
A lot more wears out on a starter motor than the brushes. I used the kit in the link below to do a complete starter rebuild. It is a very complete kit.
I removed my original Delco-Remy solenoid end cover and put it on the aftermarket solenoid. See third pic. It fit perfect and doesn't have the extra unused post. The seller has kits for any starter even tractors. https://www.ebay.com/itm/13266899887...MAAOSw4WRbJ~ZV |
#3
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Wow nice thank you for the info.
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#4
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You're welcome! Glad to share. I will be adding more.
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#5
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Please send this information to the Little Indians club Newsletter editor and the president. Sounds like a great tech article for the newsletter, that then can be archived in the tech section of their web site. And the president is working on a parts source list for our cars.
__________________
If you built it, drive it. red 62 Tempest total stock restoration. white 62 Tempest modified, 61 389 Tri-Power, and a conventional drive train. |
#6
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Quote:
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#7
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Is gear lube the factory recommend lube for the manual box?
I bought Champion lube from Ecklers which I have not used yet. When I cleaned and resealed the F/S manual box on my Safari I used a little wheel bearing grease as an assembly lube only. I read several placed that 90W gear lube would eventually leak. BTW, you do awesome work!
__________________
" Darksiders Rule "
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#8
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Quote:
I checked my owners manual and shop manual and neither say what's in the steering box. The shop manual says fluid never needs to be changed but doesn't say what it is. The differential and manual transmissions take gear oil so that's what I used in my steering box. So if what you read is true, will all my new differential seals eventually start leaking? I've never heard of the Champion lube. Is the "00" a measure of viscosity? |
#9
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Sparkplug Wire Loom Bracket
The 4-cyl. sparkplug wire loom is not reproduced. On most originals the rubber coating has dried up and flaked off.
I sandblasted my bracket and painted it silver. I then dipped it in a product called "Plasti Dip" which gives it a rubberized coating. |
#10
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Safari Rear Seat Hinge Repair
When I bought my car the upper portion of rear seat was no longer attached because 5 of the 8 rivets holding the hinges together had sheared off.
I found a company called Jay-Cee Sales & Rivet, Inc. They had the exact rivet I needed to repair my hinges. Rivets have a 1/2" dia. flat head, 3/4" long x 1/4" dia shaft. They are annealed (hardened). I used a torch to head up the end of the rivet and then mushroomed the end with a hammer. I had to buy 100 so I have a few extras if anyone needs some. RIVETSINSTOCK.COM They have any rivet you might need. |
#11
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Keep it going it’s perfect I took my car apart in one day 10 years ago. Now on reassembly it’s like where does everything go? Thank you!!
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#12
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Quote:
The link posted below is for correct style sealant tip screws used on Tempests to secure vent window frames to door window frames. https://www.ebay.com/itm/152795355966 |
#13
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Windshield Wiper Blade Refills
The type of wiper arm used on the early Tempest are called "latch pin". There is a small red button that you depress to remove yoke to insert new refill.
Refills can be found on Ebay using search words "LP-15 Wiper". Most packaging for NOSR blade refills show how to install new blades. |
#14
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I used Plastic-Dip to refurbish the spark plug wire looms on my Bonneville, it works well and was easy to do. Those indented hex head were probably used on many GM cars of the era, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up some spares on your next visit to the junkyard.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Stuart For This Useful Post: | ||
#15
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Thank you again!! I ordered the bolts and screws you recommended on eBay. This will save me a ton of time during re-assembly. realizing what I will need for re-assembly I have to stop during just to order little pieces of hardware. I’m actually getting excited about putting my car together now.
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#16
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Sheetmetal Screws
Quote:
The sheet metal screws used to attach all front end sheet metal are a #14 x 3/4" indented hex head screw with a 3/8" head. A #14 is the same as a 1/4". This size is also used to attach fan finger guard. Below is a link for this hardware. I also have a few of these available with washers if you know how many you need. https://www.ebay.com/itm/401544365727 |
#17
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Keys Cut To Code
After searching for 3 years I finally found a tailgate lock for my 62 Tempest wagon. As I expected, it did not come with a key. I already knew that a good locksmith with Curtis code books could punch out a new key using the 4 digit code stamped in door, trunk and liftgate lock cases.
I decided to look on Ebay for a key blank before searching for a local locksmith that could cut it to code. I stumbled across an Ebay seller who will supply a repop GM key and cut it to code for $9.99 + shipping.(I just realized seller now has shipping included in price). You just need to find his listing that covers the code range for your key and select it from a drop down list. Seller has listings for primary and secondary keys. I had my new key 3 days after ordering. The seller guaranties keys will work as long as you give him the correct code. I put the new key in the lock and it did not work! I sprayed WD-40 into the lock and blew air into it to blow out any excess. I put the key back into it and wiggled it around for a couple seconds and it opened. The lock was stuck from sitting out in the elements for decades and not being used. https://www.ebay.com/itm/20347695278...3ABFBM8s-eueRh |
#18
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Wiper Motor Repair
My wiper motor continued running after switch was turned off. I had to unplug power to it to get it to stop. According to the Tempest shop manual the problem is most likely the park switch.
So I drilled out the 8 rivets that hold the wiper assembly together. After separating the 2 halves I could see the park switch on bottom side of terminal board and it had a piece broke off. I attempted a repair by soldering a small piece of flattened copper wire to replace broken piece. I didn't trust my repair as a long term solution. I spotted an NOS Delco wiper terminal board on Ebay and bought it so I could do a proper repair. It came with screws and nuts to mount it. I had to solder the motor wires to the new terminal board. I had rivets to reassemble the 2 halves back together. My rivets have a flat head as opposed to oval but nobody will see the bottom. I was able to use the 2 gears that I have but I did see NOS gears available on Ebay. |
#19
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Carburetor Rebuild
About 4 years ago I rebuilt my Rochester model BC and it has never run right. Car has been idling a little rough and stalling when I slow down.
I recently tried to buy a rebuilt carb. on Ebay and that didn't work out when they sent me wrong carb. I used a Delco Rochester rebuild kit initially. I decided to try and rebuild my carb again this time using a new Walker kit. As I removed carb and dismantled, this is what I found. Carb to manifold gasket wrong with center hole too large. I found a gasket I can use amungst my stuff that has metal inside. The incorrect gasket was paper and half of it stuck to intake when I tried to remove it. The vacuum tube from carb base to choke housing had no packing under the hex nut. I didn't know one belonged here till I read the Tempest shop manual more thoroughly. The Walker kit comes with this thick packing. I also applied some clear silicone where the choke tube goes into carb base to prevent vacuum leakage there. I didn't even know till yesterday that the Delco Rochester kit came with a tool for setting floats at correct level. The shop manual shows this tool as J-9190. I previously had not made any float level adjustments. After everything was back together I started the engine and it idled smoothly but had a gas leak where the filter goes in. I put a large 1" wrench on it and it felt snug but I cranked it down tighter and was able to stop the leak. This morning I drove the car around town for about 5 minutes and it didn't stall!! I'm thinking that the vacuum leaks were causing stalling and idling issues. I need to read the shop manual more thoroughly when doing a job like this so that I don't miss important things like the choke tube packing. |
#20
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My Dad always sad "When all else fails, look in the manual for instructions."
__________________
My Pontiac is a '57 GMC with its original 347" Pontiac V8 and dual-range Hydra-Matic. |
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