Catching up on things, not much has happened with the car in a while. I did manage to run it over 1000 miles but various things have kept me from really logging serious time in it. I never felt good about doing big distance in it and taking it to work was losing its luster so I finally decided to decommission and address the things which were stopping me from enjoying the car.
What'c on the hit list?
- Rad leak
- Sump gasket leak
- Dash electrics to sort out (bad ground somewhere, I think)
- Rebuild rear bodywork support structure
- Find a lasting solution to the self-consuming CV boots
- Re-configure the coolant outlet (output hose chafing on the firewall when pressurized)
- Make some door adjustments
- Improve "weatherproofness" of cabin
- Make the AC functional
- Clean up the engine bay & its wiring & hose routing
- Trim down the wiring harness from the truly extra circuits not being used
- Improve the HVAC performance- specifically defrost on the windscreen
I am hoping that at the end of this, I will kick myself for not starting sooner. Writing all these items down kinda makes it seem like there aren't too many things to do to truly get it functional, but reality is a cruel mistress... I figure it will take all winter. I hope to surprise myself.
Step 1 - Disassembly: Started!
So what to do first? The rad is out now. With all the connections up at the nose, I assumed it was leaking from one of the hoses and for the longest time, DREADED the thought of taking out the rad. Drained the system last week and dropped it off. Got a call that afternoon, pressure testing revealed leaks in its corners. That was disappointing. I should have it back this week though.
All the connections:
Since the coolant was drained, it seemed like a good time to replace the outlet as well. The output hose had 1/4" of clearance from the firewall at ambient temp, but upon pressurizing the system, it would start rubbing the firewall right at the edge of the opening for the removable panel and was starting to wear a groove into it. I wasn't fond of the idea of splitting a coolant hose, so time to do something...
But I couldn't find the piece that I really wanted (because no one seemed to make one which came out in the direction I needed in the space I have. So I got creative. Chuck and Ryan bought a cast one and bent/rewelded it in a more suitable angle. I took that one step further, finding an alu one, machining a step on it, and welding a completely new neck onto it in the needed configuration.
As part of doing this, I blocked access to one of the securing bolts, so I studded that to remedy. Pics tell the story:
Initial Machining:
Initial Fitup:
First Pass Welded Up:
New Outlet Attached:
Hand-beaten Panel to Cover the Gap:
(this is the part which I wish I could have done a little prettier, but my "skills" are what they are and my car isn't going to win any awards anywhere)
I cut up a bike tube and hose-clamped it to the outlet and my airgun, and clamped a plate to the t-stat side, dunked the whole assembly in a bucket of water and pressurized it to pressure test. Happily, it passed with no rework needed!
So I installed it:
Not exactly glitzy and glamorous fab work, but completely functional, and most importantly, it felt great to actually do something productive and creative on the car again.
I am out of town for a few days, but looking forward to spending a bit more time back in the shop.
Chris