Motors How I wanted to be like GOO, and then became more awesome

Urgh spring compressors, I've seen springs with 3 clamps for additional security slip and fire a spring. Was under a car and heard a "Bang...thud, clunk" which makes you instantly freeze check your balls are ok, then cautiously slid out and have a look around to see what happen. Then you think it's easter because you're hunting the hedges for the missing spring

 

One tip I've come across for spring compressors is to get some uber big cable ties and thread them though the spring tighting as you go.

 

Nice toys - but you can also brake the taper on ball joints by tapping the opposite sides of the socket it seats into with a pair of hammers...

 

So no pics, yet. But a quick update. After 2 hours on one bolt in an absurd place in the upper control arms, I broke down and got an impact wrench. Both UCA are off now. While the LCA ball joints are bolted in, the uppers are riveted. Which leads me to one of two conclusions. It was built that way, or someone replaced the lowers at some point. And that's stupid, ball joints are always replaced in pairs.

I'm getting the control arms cleaned up and ready to take in for the bushings to be swapped, at which point I just need to get all the bits primed and painted. Ahhhh, that sound so simple in writing.

I'll update with pics later today.

Yes, I could. In fact one I might have to. But I am trying to limit the amount of banging in 47yo parts.

 

Those ball joint splits known as "forks" can cause more damage than good as they rock the ball joint over at funny angles causing binding and scoring, and you can't tell until it's too late. Just get a good pry bar between the lower control arm and frame to apply downward pressure, then gently tap the side of the locating socket and they pop free, damage free.

 

Oooo Matron!

 

Awesome work, JJ!

I'd be more tempted to take on a project like this if I wasn't sinking so much time and money into keeping my 23 year old Toyota running so can have just ONE car!

 

You mean, they were true before you heated them and polished them with a sledgehammer?

Seriously, nice work, I don't understand a single bit about american cars, but this one looks a lot like the one they built the first batmobile from

 

Originally all the ball joints were riveted in, and they did replace them in pairs. The lower set of ball joints. The upper and lower ball joints don't always get the same amount of ware and they are usually replaced in uppers and lowers or all 4. You would really be surprised on how much play some companies have in their ball joints before they recommend they be replaced. Take a look at Chevrolet I believe it is ( or could be ford) but there is a lot. But I have seen people (not smart ones) just replace one. As for the rivets just take a chisel and cut the 3 rivets out replace with new ball joints insert new bolts done.

 

Hey guys, I'm sorry about the pause and lack of pics. I had to drive out to Kansas to pick up my niece and nephew. The are staying with us for a week as we are the cool, weird aunt and uncle who travel the world. Some one has to make sure they grow up with some culture and science. But it's a slow rainy morning and everyone is reading, so I'l bang out this update.

There will be a little bit of back tracking, since I got the images off my phone and uploaded.


These are the bits that connect the steering knuckle to the tie rods. I primed them with a rust encapsulator and then with a chassis paint. Left is primed, right is finished. Turned out great!.



Driver's side assembly, looking ratty.



The lower ball joint nut with the cotter pin rusted in place. Swearing ensued, as usual.



The spindle removed, blurry. Not even a photographer can get it right with greasy gloves on.



Spring compressor in, and the LCA swinging free. You can see the wonderful collection of grass clippings and dirt that was in the lower spring pocket.



A better view of the mess.



Spring out and free. The part on the left actually sits in the frame, so the right hand side is all you have to work with in terms of spring compression.



I know, it's just a spring, but I hit it with some 80 grit sand paper anyway and then the rust encapsulator. Looks nice and clean.



The LCA bolts, rusted in place. I wish I had thought to stop here and get the impact wrench, but my wife didn't suggest it until they were already removed and I was working not he UCA bolts. I mentioned that I didn't want to invest in an air compressor system at this time, since we still are unclear how long we are in the US this time. She comes back with; " We have both air and electric at work." Ahh, a woman with working knowledge of tools, car assembly, and medieval history. Honestly, it doesn't get better then that.



The UCA ball joint with the rivets.



"Blurry rivet removal, an artistic approach" Limited edition prints available now.



Both control arms, after the rivets were drilled out and now both ball joints are removed. Pro tip: use a punch to start the drill bit when drilling out a rounded rivet. It stops the bit from wandering.

At this point all of the components on both sides are removed, slightly cleaned and the ball joints removed. A few are in various stages of paint. But the remaining task in the "never been done" category are the bushings. I was online, looking at the bushing removal tools out there and let's just say it was quite an investment to make to get 4 bushings out. So I took your advice and that of a few youtube gear heads and built my own.



1/2 threaded rod: $1.20. you can see where this is going.



and the complete tool, ready to pull the bushing. Total cost? $9. Sweet.



A little anti seize on the treads, a wrench and all that is left is the shell.



Some gentle hack saw action, just to get through the shell. Go slow and be sure not to nick the control arm.



Then just crush the shell with a cold cut chisel and hammer. It pops right out. The front bushing is oval, but the rear is round. The round one popped straight out with the shell.



The UCA is a tad harder. It has the bar that connects it to the frame in between the bushings, so there is nothing to thread the rod through. A box wrench, hammer and heat applied the control arm made this an easy task.




LCA prepped for priming and paint.



Both control arms painted and curing. You can see the forge in the background, along with all the stuff I still need to unpack and organize.



One spindle done, along side the crusty one.



Then it really is just a matter of re assembly. Hammer the new bushings in. Bolt the new ball joints in, making sure to get the proper sized ones on the right control arm. Re install the bumper. Clean up the bolts and nuts. Break out the manual and the torque wrench. At this point I just loosely put it together. The spring needs to be compressed again and installed. The new tie rods need to be installed. The ball joints need to be injected with grease.

But that is all happening next week, after I drop the satan's spawn off with their parents. lol

Edit:


Between the UCA bar and the frame are the shims for caster and camber. Be sure and not lose these! I marked them as to where they came from. That way you can actually drive the car to the alignment shop with out destroying all the work you just did. The putty they used when they installed them was fairly brittle. I simply wrapped them in some masking tape to hold them together while I got the bolts tightened.

 

I know, I know

In the beginning of the the 1960's the Catalina's were used as part of the Pontiac factory racing team. They were available to privateers from dealers with what was known as a the Super Duty options. Then, in 1963, GM ceased all company sponsored racing. The Super Duty options from the Catalinas were taken and installed in the Pontiac Tempest, spawning the very first of the muscle cars, the Pontiac GTO.

 

Looking great, surprising what a lick of paint will do!

 

Well, the demon spawn niece and nephew were here for a week, and we spent the weekend in St. Louis so they could see the gateway arch. Just before we left, my wife got a message that the BIG GUN was rolling off the line and ready. It needs to be in the garage for a variety of reasons, so the worked 14 hours straight to get the front end done. I finished up lunch today, and totally forgot to take pictures.

That being said,



Getting the last little bits swept up.



and sitting pretty. She handles great now, no play in the steering, no wandering. All in all, a success.

I have to decide now, rebuild the rear or pull the motor out.

 

Rebuild the rear. The worst that happens if the engine goes is you buy a new engine. If any of a myriad of components in the rear goes you could be in really deep s***.

Plus, it'll give you more experience with the big Cat's construction before you move to the really complicated bits.

 

^^ The man is onto something.
Reabuilding the rear will also likely reveal more handling shortages that you can address, ensuring that you have all the right bits in the right places before you get to the angry go-fast bits.

 

Heh?

 

Was Alak playing anything decent on Radio Defiance?

 

Just wait. It will be here on Friday. It starts with a "C" and rhymes with "2014 Corvette Stingray Z51 in red/red". lol.

Sadly, we were glued to NPR on XFM. There were too many miles and too many country stations to mess with regular radio. Thanks for turning me onto that show, though. I'll have to check it out on Hulu.

We talked last night, and agreed that the rear end was next. I'm tempted to buy the kit that will change my rear diff into a posi-lock LSD. But right now, the plan is bushings and brakes. Maybe I'll look into new control arms which are boxed in rather then the stamped ones she has now.

 

Surely the rear diff->Posi-lock will be a transmisison/engine build choice? I would do it assuming the cost isn't astronomical.

Good to hear the new 'Vette is on the way, can we have some pics (assuming you're not on a confidentiality agreement of course)?

 

Well, the posi swap is usually a big change. But it seems there is an engineer that designed a small clutch that fits into the rear diff, an easy thing to do while the back end is apart. I'll find the link. Edit: This is what I was thinking of,since I'll need to lower the rear axle anyway to get the control arms out.

The big C car is a production unit, albeit part of a captured test fleet (meaning she needs to give a lot of feed back on any shakes or rattles). There are a few rules, and she's still figuring out what they are since they have changed. All the cars up to now have been pre production prototypes or validation units; while they weren't under an NDA, it was stressed that no pics be taken and no one drive them.