Inspired to get my junk on the road. Well done!!
"Something in the Orange"
- Thread starter like_A_pike
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hcallaway
Well-Known Member
Great read from the beginning.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
nice of ya'll to say! There are some super quality build threads and real talent on this forum.... I'm just having fun really.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
picked little dude up from kindergarten Tuesday with orange car. I think I got some dad points on that one. AND then the rain came back. Looks like at least a week of it so….
It looks like the bolt to the turn signal lever had worked itself out a skosch and was making contact with the back of the steering wheel hub and closing the horn circuit.
See that second set of marks further out from center? I reckon I have to use some locktite on that and one of the retaining ring screws. The pot metal threads in the column are crapping out! Not sure what to do just yet. TBC…
It looks like the bolt to the turn signal lever had worked itself out a skosch and was making contact with the back of the steering wheel hub and closing the horn circuit.
See that second set of marks further out from center? I reckon I have to use some locktite on that and one of the retaining ring screws. The pot metal threads in the column are crapping out! Not sure what to do just yet. TBC…
mygasser
Well-Known Member
poke some epoxy in the threads with a match then carefully drill and re tap them.
neil.
neil.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
I think this is gonna work now. Fingers X'd.
Ok so how does one have a short in the horn bad enough to burn up a relay and an air pump? I mean the horn is blowing so how long would you let that go on, right? Well it happened while the car transport guy had it. So one contractor picks up the car and takes it to Bellingham or somewhere north of Seattle (from east Texas). We were still between houses and had to let them hold it for a couple days and then meet up in Poulsbo where I had a storage unit. They hired a local tow truck to take it on the ferry and meet me. They said late afternoon, I sat at the storage place until 11 p.m. When they finally got there the horn was blowin' it's *** off. LOL I think the poor dude in the tow truck had been trying to get a handle on it but couldn't. By the time I see him, he's about to lose it! (one of those cheapie 150 dbl air horns- inside a ferry ???!!!) . I pulled the negative off the relay as soon as I get my hands on it but it's HOT. It never worked again. My wife was going to accuse the moving co. of screwing the car up but I waved her off cuz I had a suspicion that something I did may have caused it....
a little background;
Turn signal switch; Rants and Raves
So this time I learned that the worn out threads in my pot metal column are probably why I had trouble bolting the first switch in and destroying it. The second switch came outta the box with it's own weird problems that I thought were rectified. Obviously it wasn't and it picked the absolute worst time to fail. So two things going on that led to the continued horn circuit short; 1 loose turn signal switch and 2 a jury rig that ya'll don't know about yet. I'll get to that.
first
Ok so the jury rig. If you read the thread on the attached link, you learn that this second switch had some issues. I thought the dark green wire being backwards was the problem but it wasn't the entire story. Both switches that I procured were made out of some really soft plastic. What I learned was the top end of the switch flexes enough that the top two contacts inside don't actually touch. So while I had a horn and the turn signal cancel was working the rear turn signals and brake lights were not. I noticed that a little bit of pressure with my finger while the hazards were running made them work. Voila right? I enter into evidence exhibit A:
I added a bit of plastic to provide the pressure and not jumper my hot wires. Kiss of death for the horn coupled with that loose turn signal! That head snuck out and kissed the back of the steering wheel hub and that was that. The fix unfortunately requires that the pressure is still applied however! So I went with exhibit B:
That's just a little circle connector with the insolation still on it mounted with the fat end toward the switch. This way that screw stays well away from the hub and I get that little bit of pressure to keep those plastic halves close enough together to make contact. I have a feeling that the manufacture of that backward mounted dark green wire was supposed to provide that pressure. But I disagree that smashing it up against the column is the way to go long term. What d'ya think?
it works by the way, I will keep from handing the car over to a shipping company while I conduct sufficient road tests !!! TBC (actually I hope this is the end of it)
Ok so how does one have a short in the horn bad enough to burn up a relay and an air pump? I mean the horn is blowing so how long would you let that go on, right? Well it happened while the car transport guy had it. So one contractor picks up the car and takes it to Bellingham or somewhere north of Seattle (from east Texas). We were still between houses and had to let them hold it for a couple days and then meet up in Poulsbo where I had a storage unit. They hired a local tow truck to take it on the ferry and meet me. They said late afternoon, I sat at the storage place until 11 p.m. When they finally got there the horn was blowin' it's *** off. LOL I think the poor dude in the tow truck had been trying to get a handle on it but couldn't. By the time I see him, he's about to lose it! (one of those cheapie 150 dbl air horns- inside a ferry ???!!!) . I pulled the negative off the relay as soon as I get my hands on it but it's HOT. It never worked again. My wife was going to accuse the moving co. of screwing the car up but I waved her off cuz I had a suspicion that something I did may have caused it....
a little background;
Turn signal switch; Rants and Raves
So this time I learned that the worn out threads in my pot metal column are probably why I had trouble bolting the first switch in and destroying it. The second switch came outta the box with it's own weird problems that I thought were rectified. Obviously it wasn't and it picked the absolute worst time to fail. So two things going on that led to the continued horn circuit short; 1 loose turn signal switch and 2 a jury rig that ya'll don't know about yet. I'll get to that.
first
thanks for that. I used a little JB weld for aluminum I had for boat projects and that worked pretty good. I used some locktite too! It feels like it's going to stay put now.
Ok so the jury rig. If you read the thread on the attached link, you learn that this second switch had some issues. I thought the dark green wire being backwards was the problem but it wasn't the entire story. Both switches that I procured were made out of some really soft plastic. What I learned was the top end of the switch flexes enough that the top two contacts inside don't actually touch. So while I had a horn and the turn signal cancel was working the rear turn signals and brake lights were not. I noticed that a little bit of pressure with my finger while the hazards were running made them work. Voila right? I enter into evidence exhibit A:
I added a bit of plastic to provide the pressure and not jumper my hot wires. Kiss of death for the horn coupled with that loose turn signal! That head snuck out and kissed the back of the steering wheel hub and that was that. The fix unfortunately requires that the pressure is still applied however! So I went with exhibit B:
That's just a little circle connector with the insolation still on it mounted with the fat end toward the switch. This way that screw stays well away from the hub and I get that little bit of pressure to keep those plastic halves close enough together to make contact. I have a feeling that the manufacture of that backward mounted dark green wire was supposed to provide that pressure. But I disagree that smashing it up against the column is the way to go long term. What d'ya think?
it works by the way, I will keep from handing the car over to a shipping company while I conduct sufficient road tests !!! TBC (actually I hope this is the end of it)
A56
Street Survivor
Those guys at the starting line must be fans with their orange shirts.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
I always wanted one of those shirts!
like_A_pike
that's not factory
I endeavored to finish the circumnavigation of the Olympic Peninsula today. It’s only 330 miles but it took me 13 years to complete. I just had the southwest bit to do really and it was a beautiful day. So my daughter and I went to the beach up at Kalaloch. I think car clubs do it in a weekend sometimes. We should wrangle up all of us west end A bodies and do it together. It be pretty cool on like a West End Thunder weekend. Anyway, it went well here are some highlights;
If I can get the blue mutt roadworthy enough, I would be up for the ride
like_A_pike
that's not factory
Funny, I was out getting firewood near Humptulips a couple weeks ago and a group of about 100 Porches passed by going north on 101. I've seen bikers and Vettes do it too and thought, 'why can't we?' Keep me (us all) posted on your progress!
like_A_pike
that's not factory
like_A_pike
that's not factory
Saturday I left it in the street all day with a bunch of other old cars and today used it like a yard tractor…
desperate times call for desperate measures…
like_A_pike
that's not factory
Took the wife’s dry cleaning and my daughter to town in it Thursday. As the kids grow, baby seats are getting moved around our daily drivers. Orange car gets the hand-me-downs. But she is now sitting high enough to see out the window and rides are much more fun! But the voltage gauge showed that the alternator stopped charging earlier in the trip. About 12 volts. Got home on battery power and went after that field cultivator housing that broke last time. (April’23 I think) i took it and the contact out and replaced. The collar where the contact sits over was slightly misaligned. It was completely broken last time. I’ll have to look back to see if I wrote anything in that.
Then I noticed the connection at the voltage regulator was kinda sharp and leaning on a wire harness. So I adjusted that somewhat. And now the gauge reads 14ish again…. Back on the road.
Then I noticed the connection at the voltage regulator was kinda sharp and leaning on a wire harness. So I adjusted that somewhat. And now the gauge reads 14ish again…. Back on the road.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
This was last spring actually. I tried repairing the plastic collar and then got in touch with Speedmaster to buy just the plastic holder or assembly. They had me send in the alternator and they changed the field cultivator with a slightly different shape…but it still has this diminutive collar isolating the mounting screw from the field current!?
stay tuned!
Electrical is my Kryptonite(i have several lol)Great pics, especially of daughter ans starfish. 
like_A_pike
that's not factory
Somehow we have avoided any frozen precipitation so far this winter. These last two weeks were well below freezing however and the frost was enough for the county to put out some salt. I got one last errand trip in but it is on jack stands for the winter projects now.
So the main thing I want to do is adjust the front suspension. I raised the car off of the bump stops years ago but failed to loosen the adjusters when I did. The car kinda hangs up in the air after lifting it since then. And there are a bunch of bumpers and boots and bushings to replace up front. I’m not planning on doing the LCA’s but I’ll take a look at them.
Also the front brakes are getting kinda sticky. The pads are good but they don’t seem to be releasing as much as they should. The rub is I’ve never known what they were. But I think I have a pretty good idea after the only post on FABO called help me identify my calipers seems like they have what I have. Looks like a mid ‘70’s single piston disk setup. Anyway more on all this as I get into it.
So the main thing I want to do is adjust the front suspension. I raised the car off of the bump stops years ago but failed to loosen the adjusters when I did. The car kinda hangs up in the air after lifting it since then. And there are a bunch of bumpers and boots and bushings to replace up front. I’m not planning on doing the LCA’s but I’ll take a look at them.
Also the front brakes are getting kinda sticky. The pads are good but they don’t seem to be releasing as much as they should. The rub is I’ve never known what they were. But I think I have a pretty good idea after the only post on FABO called help me identify my calipers seems like they have what I have. Looks like a mid ‘70’s single piston disk setup. Anyway more on all this as I get into it.
There are greases specifically for brake caliper sliders. I have a tub I bought well over 30 years ago that cost me then around $50. They come in small disposable squeeze packs for single use. That might fix your brake caliper sticking issue. The other possibility is that your piston is sticking, which requires a rebuild -- or new caliper.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
Front sway bar out and clean. Those old bushings were a mess! The car handles well with what I suspect is an original part. Maroon overspray in places! So I don’t see replacing it at this time. I’m prolly going to get the new ones in before the final round of paint.
The brakes loosened a bit after cracking the bleeders. Is there any way of telling if the residual pressure valve is still on the front chamber of the master cylinder without popping the line off? I assume the disc brakes were added but unsure of the master cylinder .
mygasser
Well-Known Member
press the pedal to apply the brakes, let go and that's when the brakes hang on yes? so.... make it hang on then crack the flexi hose at the chassis end. if the brake still hangs on the flexi is almost certainly breaking up internally holding the fluid pressure.
neil.
neil.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
Curious front end issue. Ideas wanted
Post #15 in that thread, maybe the most inclusive description you could find on the subject of calibrating adjustable strut rods, inspired this winter's project. I'm working through loosening everything up and found the driver side seized up. I used a bottle jack to raise and lower the LCA and that side would not move at all. The bottle jack was raising the car off of the jack stands instead of cycling the suspension. There is a thread on that subject too but unlike the OP in there mine released when I backed the adjuster all the way off. I have the UCA bump stops and shocks out, I've loosened the struts and the adjusters but I have yet to be able to cycle the suspension by hand. I may still have the LCA in a bind fore or aft.
I've ordered a pickle fork to pry the upper ball joint out of the arm so I can replace the dust boots. I have found a recommendation for the Energy Suspension 5.13102G boots. but that is from a 10 year old thread. Thats about the time when everyone was complaining about how poorly boots seemed to fit just about any tubular UCA. Anybody have a more recent experience with any other boot? Let me know!! Oh and I can't figure out how that C-3711 tool is supposed to work exactly. the manual says jack up the LCA, which I understand helps line the lower ball joint stud up with the upper stud. But then I don't get the washer recommendation to protect the threads. Does this tool screw onto the upper threads and push against the lower stud? and where exactly am I smacking the steering knuckle with a dead blow hammer??? Thanks in advance!
to be continued
Post #15 in that thread, maybe the most inclusive description you could find on the subject of calibrating adjustable strut rods, inspired this winter's project. I'm working through loosening everything up and found the driver side seized up. I used a bottle jack to raise and lower the LCA and that side would not move at all. The bottle jack was raising the car off of the jack stands instead of cycling the suspension. There is a thread on that subject too but unlike the OP in there mine released when I backed the adjuster all the way off. I have the UCA bump stops and shocks out, I've loosened the struts and the adjusters but I have yet to be able to cycle the suspension by hand. I may still have the LCA in a bind fore or aft.
I've ordered a pickle fork to pry the upper ball joint out of the arm so I can replace the dust boots. I have found a recommendation for the Energy Suspension 5.13102G boots. but that is from a 10 year old thread. Thats about the time when everyone was complaining about how poorly boots seemed to fit just about any tubular UCA. Anybody have a more recent experience with any other boot? Let me know!! Oh and I can't figure out how that C-3711 tool is supposed to work exactly. the manual says jack up the LCA, which I understand helps line the lower ball joint stud up with the upper stud. But then I don't get the washer recommendation to protect the threads. Does this tool screw onto the upper threads and push against the lower stud? and where exactly am I smacking the steering knuckle with a dead blow hammer??? Thanks in advance!
to be continued
Last edited:
mygasser
Well-Known Member
hit the knuckle where the taper of the joint goes through, same as you would removing a track rod end end. i wouldn't use a pickle fork if the ball joint were to be reused again for risk of 'loosening' the joint, just my preference.
neil.
neil.
340sFastback
Well-Known Member
Heavy hammer hit knuckle hard it shocks the joints they pop right apart. Pickle forks is the slow hard way to do it.
like_A_pike
that's not factory
Good point!
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