Maintenance & Enhancements over winter
- Thread starter MHNCO
- Start date
Jim Craik
Lifetime Supporter
OliveR,
If you do come to America, I suggest you make it California, we don't do winter. Today is bright and sunny with 65 degrees. It does rain a little between October and April, last year I lost maybe 5 weekend days of GT40 driving due to rain.
Mike
Lifetime Supporter
That sounds about right for me as well. Not that it breaks but rather just preventive maintenance and keeping it clean.
Mike, just for info yesterday I just wanted to check the front radiator hoses and the parts (I don't remember the name in English) that you tight in order for your hoses to keep in place.
2 of them were a bit loose and when I tightened them they broke !!! I had chances I had some spares in my garage. I verified that parts 2 months ago and all was ok. We had nice and warm weather meaning that the water was hot and the hoses may have dilate ??
Theses front hoses are easy to check/retighten but the ones located at the rear (between the engine bay and the 2 seats) are a bit more complicated...
Others things to check (if you permit me) are the wheels bearings, the direction, the clutch/brake master cylinders (leaks), throttle cable, clutch slave cylinder, Brakes/Clutch lines, bolts that maintain the headers and the exhausts. I have too to retighten often the bolts of doors boxes..
I don't know the type of engine you have in your car but maybe you have to adjust the valves lash (if you have solid lifters) ??. Maybe check too the spark plugs, the spark plugs cable that sometimes move and could touch the hearders..
However I never had problems with front and rear suspension bolts loose.
That's I think the major checks to do on the SPF GT40. I don't write basic things like oil level, water level, etc....
OliveR
I don't think I have quite that much time into mine but it is not far off. I find that cleaning the car takes more time than usual because one needs to be careful with how much you spray or water gets everywhere.
Similar to you Mike, I do like to nut and bolt the car at least once or twice a year. I found in the beginning that the suspension components loosen up periodically although in the past two years that has occurred less and less. Otherwise it is fun to simply put my hands on the car to find things to check, maintenance can be as much fun as looking at it.
Kevin
How can wrenching on a GT40 NOT be fun!
Mike
Lifetime Supporter
Spent a few hours in the garage tonight. Was a little surprised at some of what I found given the limited miles and mundane driving practices. The car never sees weather or track time. Would suggest checking these things to other SPF owners.
Rear axle nuts were finger tight on both sides. The counter sunk bolts on the brake discs on all fours corners were finger tight with one on the left rear actually backed out as I mentioned above. I disconnected both half shafts on the inboard side hoping I could slide them inward and remove the splined shafts. No such luck as the axle splines do not want to slide out. Assuming some sort of tool or puller is required here?
Moving to the front. Right side metal shield for the wheel bearing was fractured and deformed. It was half peeled out. Hoping to come up with something better for sealing purposes.
Bottom side C clip on top right a-arm heim was just laying there. That seems like a factory miss.
Lower ball joint rubber is coming apart. Seems odd given the car's light duty and low miles.
Rear axle nuts were finger tight on both sides. The counter sunk bolts on the brake discs on all fours corners were finger tight with one on the left rear actually backed out as I mentioned above. I disconnected both half shafts on the inboard side hoping I could slide them inward and remove the splined shafts. No such luck as the axle splines do not want to slide out. Assuming some sort of tool or puller is required here?
Moving to the front. Right side metal shield for the wheel bearing was fractured and deformed. It was half peeled out. Hoping to come up with something better for sealing purposes.
Bottom side C clip on top right a-arm heim was just laying there. That seems like a factory miss.
Lower ball joint rubber is coming apart. Seems odd given the car's light duty and low miles.
Michael,
Rear axle nuts need red Loctite. I lost one before I noticed that. Yes you need a special tool from Olthoff to remove/install splined axle in rear. Some owners like Richard fabricated their own tool I believe. I've had Nylos seals get eaten up like yours too. Inner Nylos seems most susceptible to this. I check mine every year and replace when a groove starts cutting into them. How many miles since you last had them apart?
Rear axle nuts need red Loctite. I lost one before I noticed that. Yes you need a special tool from Olthoff to remove/install splined axle in rear. Some owners like Richard fabricated their own tool I believe. I've had Nylos seals get eaten up like yours too. Inner Nylos seems most susceptible to this. I check mine every year and replace when a groove starts cutting into them. How many miles since you last had them apart?
Mike
Lifetime Supporter
Car has ~4000 miles on it. What causes them to wear so quickly?
Red or blue? I would think blue? What about just torquing them each time out like I do the knockoffs? How about the counter sunk bolts on the discs? That would require wheel removal each time to check them ugggg
Red or blue? I would think blue? What about just torquing them each time out like I do the knockoffs? How about the counter sunk bolts on the discs? That would require wheel removal each time to check them ugggg
Jack Houpe
GT40s Supporter
I used blue but any loctite better than none! 
Left CA 3 days ago it was 70 in norcal, got up this morning in AR and its -3. Going to do the same to mine soon as some other projects are finished. I think Jim is pretty close on maintenance verse driving, after the little issues are fixed its really a reliable car.
Left CA 3 days ago it was 70 in norcal, got up this morning in AR and its -3. Going to do the same to mine soon as some other projects are finished. I think Jim is pretty close on maintenance verse driving, after the little issues are fixed its really a reliable car.Doesn't seem like a lot of miles for the seals to be destroyed. Blue Loctite might be OK for axle nuts. I don't have a problem getting them loose with red, but I use a long breaker bar to tighten/loosen them. Haven't had the countersunk rotor bolts loosen. Loctite might help. but heat there may break Loctite down?
Since this thread isn't vehicle specific, I had back surgery December 19th. Started back to work on the car (Raven black '65 Mustang 2+2 built 25 JAN 65) that gave me the back problem on January 1st to fix a turn signal that wouldn't work. One thing leads to another and I'm now in the middle of installing a new wiring harness front to back bumper. Front wiring is in and the back is 90% complete. The correct under dash harness is in the box still. Spent this weekend removing the interior rear fiberglass panels and pulling out the 49 year old wire. Fortunately, the old under-dash wiring is out and in the floor of the garage. Temperture inside of garage is from 30-46 degrees. I don't bend as well as I did before the accident in September. I'm slow but happy.
