Category Archives: Auto Restoration

Chasing Down Leaks – My ’70 Mustang

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One thing I really hate is a leaky car.  I don’t like it when stuff leaks inside the car and I don’t like it when stuff leaks out of the car. 

I have a friend that alway says…”Hey…old cars leak.  That’s just what they do.”   To this I normally just respond with “Yeah…I guess so.”  I say this because he has pride in his work he does on his cars and I’m not going to poke at him about it. 

What I want to say is “Bullstuff!!!!” Not this day in age, there all kinds of reproduction parts and hoses that can be molded and even entire businesses that make custom hoses.  If it’s a gasket that’s leaking you can make your own, there’s all kind of gasket material on the market. 

If you remember back a bunch of post ago, you may recall my power steering issue with my C4 Vette.  Oh…yes…my poor old vette (which now has a new home), leaking everywhere!!!!.  I hated that, but it was all fixable, right down to having a place in town customize a power steering hose ( it didn’t actually get that far, the oddly shaped hose turned out to not be the issue.). 

The reality is that chasing down a leak is sometimes difficult, almost always time-consuming and the likelihood that it will be expensive is high.  So, no old cars don’t have to leak.  

What old cars do do (that’s just as funny to type as it is to say) is vibrate.  My ’70 Mustang is mostly stock parts, with the exception of polyurethane motor mounts, and it will shake stuff loose, is it a pretty raw machine.  A good portion of leaks can be attributed to that alone. 

A few weeks ago, I notice a dime sized dot of oil in my driveway….errrkkk….no I’m not a neat freak, my drive has spots (been meaning to get it power washed), but with my older cars I like to keep an eye out for issues.  So I climbed under the car and looked around and it appeared that the leak might be from the oil plug it’s self.   So I grab my 5/8 ” open end wrench and gave it a bit of a crank.  Now you have to be careful, especially with the type of oil pan I have (aftermarket chrome)  as it can get out of shape if you over torque the drain plug and really leak. I wiped down the pan so I could tell later on if there might be another leak. 

Chrome Oil Pan and Plug

 

A few drives later I noticed another dime size drip. Only this time  it was a bit further back.  OF NOTE:  My driveway is sloped, and pretty good incline at that.  This causes a bit of a problem determining exactly where liquid might originate, that whole gravity thing, ya know.  This drip did seem a bit further back then the last. 

Again I check the oil pan and this time the oil pan gasket between the engine and the block. Nope no oil.  So I go topside and start checking the  valve covers.  And sure enough there, there appears to be a leak in the rear of the left value cover.  Not really a big deal, looks like it’ll just need new valve cover gasket, this 302 engine is wide open in the engine bay with lots of room (nothing like the 84 Vette was to get to). 

Lots of room in this engine bay to work.

 

Valve Cover, you can see the bit of oil grunge along the bottom.

 

 I then recalled that FelPro gaskets were used and I specifically chose the type used on drag cars, designed so that you can pop the valve covers over between heats to make adjustments.  This particular set of valve covers that I purchased when restoring the car came with bolts that tighten with an allen wrench. 

Screw with allen wrench (or hex wrench).

 

 Just in case: 

Allen Wrench/Hex Wrench

 

Hexagon end of allen wrench

 

So I thought…to myself (really….can you think to anyone else?) “I wonder if they are all tight?”  Sure enough they were all loose.  Hence the oil leak.   I tightened them all down, wiped down the engine where I could reach and drove it a couple of days. No leaks!!!  Now I make it a habit to check those every so often.  This is BTW a good tip if you drive your muscle or vintage car.  

Now the latest leak, I noticed a couple of days ago.  I check the liquid laying in my drive (only about the size of a quarter) and it was power steering fluid.  I’m thinking oh…NO..not again!!!  I didn’t even look under the car and went straight to the computer and did a quick search for new power steering parts for my 70 Mustang. What I found wasn’t horrible, as in, well no retirement for me, got to fix up this ‘stang, but bad enough price wise to see if it was repairable. 

So I crawled under the Mustang (or hunk of iron, as my wife calls it…or maybe she was calling me the hunk  :^ ) and took a look.  Yup, there was a leak but it appeared to be coming from the flared steel hose fitting going into the power steering unit. 

Steel hose and the leaky mess.

 

A couple turns with a 1/2″ open end wrench and again wiped down area.   I keep checking back to see if any new leaks appear. 

I can say… right now…. that my 70 Mustang doesn’t leak….I don’t think!!! 

So now I stand corrected, sort of.  Old car do leak, hey new cars leak!!  However, they don’t have to stay that way.  

Tips: 

1.  Check under your muscle or vintage car for any liquid (hey…it’s ok if is just water from you AC..usually) on a regular basis. 

2.  Get under the hood and after your ooo’ss and aaahhh’s at your magnificent creation, tight things up. ( I always ooo  and  aaahhh!!!) 

3. Get the car up in the air “”SAFELY”” and check the fittings you can’t see or reach from the top side. 

4. Chase down the leaks and clean the area to make checking for a continued leak easier. 

Thanks for reading. 

Tim

MOPAR’s 318 Part IV

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Sorry MOPAR fans, I got sidetracked.  Let’s continue with the Dodge’s use of the 318.

Dodge didn’t get a V8 until 1953.  That first engine was a Hemi with 241.3 cid and only 7.1:1 compression.  They called it the 241.  It was improved upon for the next couple of years and very cool names like, Red Ram and Super Red Ram.

Approximately 1956, Dodge began using the 315 with the Polyspheric chamber. (Here is the link from my earlier post on the Polysheric head:  http://wp.me/pKHNM-gy)

It wasn’t until 1960 that Dodge began using the 318.  This was, again, the Polyspheric chamber, and it came in two versions in 1960, a 2 barrel and a 4 barrel, with 230 hp and 255 hp respectively (of course) and both a 9.0:1 compression (that pretty good compression rate).  The 318 was used in the Dart Seneca, the Pioneer and the Dodge Phoenix got the larger of the two 318s.

The 318 carried on through out the ’60s with  the horsepower hovering between 230 and 260.  Of note during that time was where the 318 was used.  I was surprised to find, such as, in 1968 the Dodge 440 Coupe used the 318 (not the 440, which even non-MOPAR peeps know about that one).

The most cars sold by Dodge was the Dart throughout the 1960’s.  There were actually 3 sub-models of the Dart, the Sencea which had 3 different trim levels, the Pioneer which had 5 different trim levels and the Phoenix which was the most upscale sub-model with 4 trim levels.  The engine options were either the 225 slant six or the 318.

Here are a few pics:

1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix

1960 Dodge Dart Pioneer

1960 Dodge Dart Seneca (I love the fins!!!)

At the beginning of this series I mentioned that I had 1970 Dodge Dart and that it did have the 318 with a manual transmission.  There was only one version of the 318 for 1970 and it was has 230 hp and 9.0:1 compression with a bore and stroke of 3.91X3.31 in.  That made for a pretty quick car, as light as it was.

Well, I bet you can guess what comes next. Yes a sharp decrease horsepower. By 1972 the 318 was reduced to 150 hp and by 1975 the drop was to 145.  1976 was the last we saw of the 318 used by Dodge.  The 1976 Dodge Dart was the last year for the Dart, but it went out in a big way being offered with a Police Package Code A38.  One of the options in this package was the 318 and it regained some of its muscle to the tune of 220 hp.

This concludes the series on the MOPAR 318.   If you’d like to offer up an engine to see more information on drop me a comment here or email me at timsweet@cox.net.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

dodge 318 performance

Mom & Pop Racing Teams Highlighted

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This site is getting a lot of hits and as all of my readers know  it’s not a commercial enterprise..as in I don’t sell anything, nor do I have sponsors.  I do it for fun.

A few months back while I was surfing the web I ran across a web site that offered to find small “Mom & Pop” racing teams sponsors for their companies.  I read the site and I thought it was a really cool ideal.  Then I got to thinking, which is often a laborious effort, and more times than not ends in some sort of less than optimal situation, I’d like to do something like that. Small draw back…..oh you know what’s coming…..Average Guy, Average budget….hell most of the time I can afford my this hobby of mine either.  So there won’t be any cash involved. (Hear that?!?!!??!  That’s the sound of internet browsers slamming closed!!!)

Well if you are still with me, here is what I’d like to do.

I’m going to add a portion to this site called “Mom & Pop’s Racing Corner.  I’d like to feature the small racing teams from anywhere in the in the world from time to time.  What’s in it for me?  Nothing.  What’s in it for the racing team?  Some recognition outside their local areas.  Maybe you get noticed pick up a sponsor or even a couple fans!!!

So if you want to play here is what I need:

1.  Name and size of your racing team

2. Details on the vehicles you race…i.e., cars, and trucks (other types might be considers but NO…ABSOLUTELY  NO…..LAWNMOWERS!!!!..unless they are really cool) like engine, mods, horsepower, transmission, you get the idea.

3. Type of racing (oval, drags, drifting)

4. A brief paragraph (or longer if you desire) on history and resent racing results and even next event you are going to attend.

5. Include some way for a reader to contact you. (email, facebook or other social media)

6. Include some pictures. At least one of your vehicle. It would be really cool to show the drivAdd an Imageer(s), owner(s), pit crew, engine builder, stuff like that.

I’ll select one every two weeks or so, depending on the response and run the information in that corner.

It’s going to be fun to introduce these small racing teams and learn more about their cars and their type of racing.

You can drop me a comment here and I’ll get back to your or just email  me directly at timsweet@cox.net with your information.

This should be fun.

Thanks for reading

Tim

My Coupe taking of from the line. Before the new paint!!!

The New Vette & Missing the Crossfire

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Before you judge me…LOOK!!!!!

2007 Corvette

Wait…LOOK AGAIN!!!!

Side view

Another View

And one more…..

The LS2

Yes the 1984 C4 Crossfire has a new home.

But  in its place is the 400 hp LS2 powered 2007 Corvette.

She has a 6 speed manual trans mission, Z51 suspension, leather and power everything, key-less entry and starting and a host of other cool stuff.  I’ll go into more detail in the next post.

I thought I’d miss the ’84 more then I do, it will be going to a good home and hopefully will stay a Crossfire.  The ’84 goes with twice as many miles on it then when I bought it, lots of new, original parts and some improved and a really awesome stereo, it’s a better car then when I got. It deserves to be a show car and not a daily driver/grocery getter/race car (drags and auto cross)/show car.  But it did them all very well, with the trophies to prove it.  It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about that middle ground technology that was a huge advance from the older cars, a first of its kind in many ways and a stepping stone to technology that is in the replacement Vette.

I’ve heard from a lot of guys (pssstt…when I use the word “guys”  I mean all genders….just wanted to be clear ) that really miss driving their older Vettes, there’s really nothing that can capture the rawness of that kind of driving.  I’m bit luckier then those guys because I can still jump in to my ’70  Mustang (thanks to a very understanding better half) and get that feeling of old school nothing but metal and tires driving.  I think that alone makes it easier to let the ’84 go.

Thanks to the guys up at Dynamic Crossfire Solutions in Chandler, Az (http://www.crossfireinjection.net/) and all the guys in my Corvette club – Arizona Corvette Enthusiasts (ACE) http://arizonavette.net/, they helped a ton with my learning curve…HEY  GUESS WHAT GUYS….I’m going to have a bunch of new ‘stuff’ to learn.

So get ready loyal readers, (all three of you!!!!).  I’m going to take my average skills, average tools, and now below average budget and take on new technology.

But where to start????!!!!????

I’ll be back to you on that.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Corvettes Classic and New-ish

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Well, I’ve been preoccupied over the past week with …ok…don’t shoot me, you classic car lovers…….working a trade for a 2007 Corvette with my 84 Corvette.  Yeah, I know..WTH???  

I know, I know.  I love my 84, it’s unique and the value has increased since I’ve purchased it.  But there is a desire to upgrade.  This isn’t the first time I’ve considered getting another Vette, I actually considered a trade for my Mustang for a second Corvette. 

I have to admit the recent troubles with my 84 does play a small part of the desire to replace it.  And this 2007 Black on black C6 with 4oo plus hp, with a 6 six speed manual trans, with only 40k miles.  Still under factory warranty.  But the price was just unbelievable.  The original deal fell through because we couldn’t agree on a good price for my Vette.  But it looks like I might have a second shot at it tomorrow. 

Even if, it’s hard to get rid of my first Vette and there is always the concern that you’ll regret it later.  So I figured, I just add a third car to my stable!!!!!…..oh….that’s funnier then you might think….considering  how UNDERSTANDING my wife has been with my current stable of classics….but even I know that’s way…yea…way too much for even a saint such that she is.  “Love you cutie”  (just in case she gets really bored and actually decides to read my dribble.) 

So I’ll catch you all up by the end of the weekend. 

Oh..here’s what we are looking at.  Drop me a note and let me know what you would do!!! 

2007 Vette Trade or not too Trade????

 

Another view...give you view....trade or not to trade???

 

I have a fun give way coming up  as well as some more auto factoids and a quick fix for my Mustang. 

Thanks for reading 

Tim 

Corvette Consternation Part 2 Electrical

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So I bring the Vette home and the steering feels pretty good and although my 70 Mustang has power steering (I had been driving that all week..yeah..I know..”poor baby!!!”) there really is no comparison between the two.  I get home and park it for the night.

Next morning I’m up early going to wash both cars, so jump behind the wheel of the Vette to pull it forward a bit and…..nothing!!!   No power, nor lights, no key in the ignition buzzer, nothing.  Hey, there wasn’t even a clicking noise when turning the key.   I’m think great..what could I have left on that would kill the battery that badly.  Answer was nothing.

Now if you’ve some of my earlier entires, you’ll recall that electricity and I mix like, um….like..um…Amps and water!!!!   As long as it stays in the wire and gets from switch to device and nowhere else, I’m good.  Have that perfect universe interrupted and I’m not hanging with that.  I hate electrical work.  I hate thinking about, hearing about it and living through it.  And this isn’t limited to car, but that’s my topic here.

So I get out and raise the hood, but for I get to far I see a huge spot of fluid laying under the car.  Right about now I’m starting to get that…”all old cars should be crushed” thought running through my head and then..”I’m gonna find the guy that did that work, right now, on a Sunday and drag his happy but out of church (if such a demon would be allowed in one) and rub his noise in my…yeah…you guessed it….power steering fluid!!!    (Breath…breath..that was two weeks ago….come one now..simmer dow…………..HEY IT STILL FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY!!!!   Ok….ok…better now, it’s over and it turned out….OH>>>WHOA….don’t tell them now they won’t read the next two posts and your rating will drop below 2 reads a day!!!…Yes…Yes must get a grip!!!!)

So I started up the Mustang (they sit side by side together in the driveway nose to butt – have to back the Vette in or it won’t clear the end of the driveway) and maneuvered it over to the Vette so I can jump it with jumper cables.  I have a fairly new jump box but it never really seemed to work, and then I lost the power adapter ( stupid electricity) and it just sits in my garage.  I hook the cars together with jumper cables and allow the Mustang to run on high idle.  Get in the Vette and …nothing… not even single dash light.  The charging when on for some time before I could get the Vette to turnover and she started up, but she wasn’t happy.  I took the cables off and then for some unexplained reason I turn the vette off.

Crap!!!  So I turned the key, but I already knew how that would because there was still no key in the ignition buzzer..nope….and no click of the starter solinoid…and that would be a triple “Crap”!!!!  It took just as long to get her started again only this time I wasn’t going to turn it off.  I drove it over to the guys that put in the rack and pinion steering (of course it’s Sunday and I call and let some one know I was leaving it and to put it inside.  At this point I wasn’t happy, the power steering leak on a new system and now an electrical issue!!!!

Next day was a Monday and I called up  my friend Tim and said, “Hey..uncool to find fluid leaking and my electrical system is  f ‘ ed (short for fried….yeah right).

In the end it was just a hose that didn’t get tightened, oh and my alternator was in fact f ‘ed (short for fried).  The alternator came that afternoon and the car was ready the next day.  And that is that…end of ……………..yeah…nope…..I wish!!!!!

If you can guess what’s next, I’ll send you a DVD.

OH..here is the new rack and pinion all clean and nice looking!!!

New Rack and Pinion This was taken today 8/31/2010

Thanks for reading and yes Steve Sears..you have to wait  for tomorrow for the rest.

MOPAR’s 318 Part III

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You may only have ever heard the name Imperial with the name Chrysler in front of it, but there was a brief period when it was its own company…sort of.  In 1955 Chrysler spun off the Imperial as its own separate marquis in an attempt to compete directly with the Cadillac and Lincoln luxury marquees offered by General Motors and Ford.  It was to be a luxury branding.

Beautiful ’55 Imperial (not a Chrysler…well not one on paper)

Imperial continued as its “own” company until 1975. Even though it was always sold in Chryslers dealerships, it was, on paper, a separate its own company. From 1976 to 1978 no Imperials were made, at least by name the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham was the name plate used at the time.

However, in 1981-1982 Chrysler was looking for a luxury model to add to its line up and decided it would try it again. The new luxury car would be named the “Imperial”.  This was in fact a K car but let’s not dwell on that.  What was really important was the latest Aerospace technology that was being used under the hood for the first time in a car.

1983 K Car Chrysler Imperial EFI

 

The Imperial was the first car fully fitted with a continuous-flow injection system.  Oh and the workhorse engine they choose to make this historical leap…yup the one, the only 5.2L, V8….318, thereby, making this a historic event in the auto industry and for the 318.  This new fuel delivery system was monitored by a combustion computer and adjusted the fuel/air mixture to the driving conditions.  The idea was to improve gas mileage.  The 318 was able to produce 140 hp and 240 ft lbs asphalt gripe and go from 0 to 50 mph under 10 seconds.

EFI Set Up from a 1982 318

Unfortunately the design was flawed.  There were issues with the fuel, octane content and vacuum connections (not unlike issue with GM’s Crossfire engine used in the 82 GM models and including my 1984 Corvette).  It was so unfriendly that customers began trading the Imperials in 1981. It reached a tipping point and Chrysler recalled the 318s and most were fitted with a two barrel carb instead.  It is difficult to tell but according to some sources the 318 Imperial may have been fitted with 2v or 4v carb, producing 130 and 165 horsepower, respectively, in 1982 and 1983.

Either way the 318 had been the center piece for a leap forward in design…ok…ok…there was a leap and then a fall and then a backwards somersault.  Nonetheless it was historical.

Thanks for reading.  Next up with the how Dodge used the 318

Tim

Dodge Super Bee

The Super Bee was only available with the V8 318 engine (270 horsepower (hp) and the buyer could choose from either a four-speed or …

Auto Factoids for 8/22/2010

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Very like week this week. 

OH….the Corvetttes at Carlisle is a huge event going on over in Carlisle PA.  I might make it there one of these years. 

For all you caddy lovers on 8/27/1902 the Cadillac company was born.  Yup it was its own company. 

This sure isnt' what one thinks of when they think of a Cadillac

 

Oh and this was the olds from around that era: 

1897 Olds.

 

London, England had an auto (and plane) historical event this week.  Charles Rolls was born on 8/27/1877 (Rolls Royce). Beside creating the an iconic car, they did plane engines and more. 

1903 Rolls Royce

 

Thanks for reading. 

Tim

Auto Factoids for 8/8/2010

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8/8/55 – test of first solar car.  William Cobb  created a prototype, but it was only a 15 inch model. Basically, an electric current was produced that in turn powered a tiny motor. The motor turned the vehicle’s driveshaft, which was connected to its rear axle by a pulley. I couldn’t find a pic of this one.  However, Alan Freeman developed the solar-powered car  in 1979 that you could actually put a human in.  Here’s the pic.  (It’s really just a bike…I think.)

Alan's Solar Car.

 

8/11/66  Chevy introduced the Camaro.  There is some discussion on whether there is such an animal as a 1966 Camaro, they  were, build in 1966 but sold in 1967.   Here a  pic.

8/15/56 Packard no longer producing cars in Detroit.  Previously the Packard company bought Studebaker and tried to keep the Packard name a live in 1957 by reworking a Studebaker and give it the Packard name.

1956Packard

 

1957 Packard...looks alot like Studebaker

8/21/1897  Oldsmobile becomes a company. Of course the company is no longer in business another icon gone.

1897 Olds

Thank’s for reading.

Tim

Wrenchin’ Tip Engine Swap 8/15/2010 Label It!

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Now the Mustang is a fairly simple machine, even the electrical system is easy to work through. Pls note, I hate electrical problems and I equally dislike having to chance them down and I don’t care how simple it is.  My 84 Corvette is nothing short of a nightmare. 

Keeping this stuff straight is hard to do.  Now tearing out an engine doesn’t necessarily mean you are starting out with all new wiring, but it could.  A tip I use is to label everyone single wire with (normally) white duct tape. 

Like so: (not white duct tape!!) 

This actually reads: Starter Relay. (Yeah...spelling issues..like you haven't noticed!!!)

 

This is eXtremely handy.  For example there are no less than 18 different wires just on the driver’s door for the Corvette.  I’ve taken the door apart so many times for repair, that I started leaving them labeled. 

Of course you can use this for hoses, lines and parts. 

Thanks for reading. 

Tim