1979 automatic

[94touring]

Front subframe dismantled and new cones and hi los installed.  Engine taken apart, cleaned up, and repainted.  Need to grab some more black to do the side case. 

[Stormymonk]

Making a lot of progress!  This is great.

[94touring]

Yeah hoping the radius arm kit gets here so I can finish off the rear subby.  I need to try and fab up some fuel and brakes lines from front to back, then I can get on the subbies and continue on from there. 

[94touring]

Head back on and torqued up, gaps set, other items cleaned and fitted.  Pretty much ready to be dropped in.  Was missing an alternator so I stole one off of my shelf.  I made that coil bracket also out of some polished aluminum laying out back. 

[Mudhen]

Not familiar with any pins.  8.gif

This little guy:



That goes in here:

[94touring]

Rear radius arm kit finally got here the other day.  Don't know how many of you have done one of these, but unless you have a ream the exact diameter it's probably impossible to do.  Luckily I had a piece of pipe the right size laying around.  Got the other side of the rear subby together.  In the morning I will fabricate the rest of the brake lines and get this thing on the car, well right after I run brake and fuel lines from rear to front.  Front subby is ready to go in also, however I don't have new bushings like I thought was in my orders for the lower arms.  But those can wait.  I've been digging through boxes of parts and keep finding things that are missing.  I guess that comes with the territory of buying a car in boxes.  I tore apart the master cylinder and will order a new seal kit for it, as it's the dual line and I'd rather run that than the single line I have in the shop.  Windshield wiper motor is being soaked to be taken apart and redone as well.  Lots and lots of little things. 

[Mudhen]

I just got the rebuild kits for my radius arms the other day - have blasted/POR'd the arms and was going to try to find a machine shop to get a reaming from... :-X

What did you mean you had a pipe the right size??

[94touring]

I had some scrap pipe that was the perfect size to hit out the old bearings and plastic tube.  Took the pipe and used a hammer to bust everything out. 

[Merlin]

Do you have the ream?

I have one that I made into a reaming tool for those bushings. I can bring it by or ship it to anyone that wants to borrow it.

[sparetimetoys]

What size reamer does it take?  I may know of a place that just may have a reamer or two laying around.  :-[

[Merlin]

13/16th"

I got the one with the longest shaft possible and used the bearing as a support for the reamer. Drilled and tapped on the back to connnect a bolt to drive the reamer with an electric drill.

[MtyMous]

Merlin, I may have to borrow that from you in the near future. I'll be doing this job rather soon and didn't know I'd need to be reaming anything. Lesson learned.

[94touring]

Rear subby is officially done.  I had to go get a flare tool to do the brake lines.  Way back when I did flur I rented the tool, it was broken, I told the guys and showed them where.  So fast forward all this time later, I go there rent it, open it up, still broken.  50.gif  Ended up just buying one from the other store.  Anyways, had to fab up a couple pins for the arms for the hand brakes and go through spares to find some fittings that would work on the lines.  Also lost in the deal was the hand brake brackets off the rear hubs, so I had to go through some old parts and dig out a pair.  I was hoping to put the subframe on the car, but ran out of steam after it was all said and done.  Back in a handful of days...



 

[94touring]

Subframes in.  Brake and fuel lines and steering rack in also. 

[94touring]

A little more done today.  I think I'm to a point where I can place another order of things I need that are missing or broken.  Got the harness in, its a little hacked up in places but not too horrible.  Redid the lower dash and assembled the shroud with gauges.  Cleaned up the heater box and it needs some tlc on the face plate.  The switch panel is pretty rough too. 

[94touring]

I was placing this new order and as always I add way more than I plan on.  I also realized this car didn't come with seat belts or keys for the door handles, so those will be new also.  Trying to source a mk4 steering column shroud also.  Everyone is out of stock on those at the moment.   

[MtyMous]

Looks like it's really starting to come along.

[94touring]

Well I went out today, but I'm getting sick and it hit 109 degrees in the shop, so I wasn't really feeling it.  The parts from minispares came in though so I wanted to do something.  I rebuilt the master, though they sent the wrong insides.  The spring was too short and the plunger was slightly too big of a diameter.  Not sure how that got mixed up.  But the rubber seals were the same size, which is all I needed really.  I got the bushings on the front lower arms and dropped the engine in.  The engine was a BIATCH to drop in. The auto box is bulky front and has this tab thing up front.  It was a disaster but finally got it in there.  I broke the fuel pump inlet pipe in the process.  As a matter of fact I finally had to take that off to be able to tilt it to get it to drop down.  Not happy with all of that.  I put on new bushings for the radiator shroud that were shot, and a new speedo cable.  I started to put the rear drums on but damned if the studs are too short.  Didn't catch that one.  I might have a set of studs around somewhere but not sure.  Also happened to have a brand new inner pot joint that I put on to replace the one that was missing.  I was too hot and crappy feeling to take pictures.     

[MtyMous]

Either way, it sounds like you made some pretty good progress.

[94touring]

Ok pics finally.  I went back out today and got the front suspension on.  I ended up having to make a trip to the hardware store to pick up some needed bolts/washers/nuts that were MIA.  New bushings on the tie rods also. 

[wevebeenhad]

I would paint those calipers engine red, or the same as the car. Just a little extra something  77.gif

[94touring]

Brake lines all done.  Had to make a few more.  Had one try and strip on me in the master, not cool.  Engine steady in, exhaust headers in, dual carbs just kinda hanging out for now.  Radiator in, and the pedal assembly....  Anyone notice anything funny about the pedals that came with it?  This car is an automatic but yet I got these with the car.  So I modified them.   8.gif  Put on a new brake sensor for the lights too. 

[94touring]

Well this stupid master cylinder I rebuilt holds pressure for a little bit, then randomly falls to the floor.  No leaks in the system otherwise.  Last one I tried to rebuild did the same thing, so I'll be buying a new one and never rebuilding one again.  Got the auto shifter in and figured out where the linkages go.  I've never worked on an auto before so it took some scratching of my head to figure it out.  Rad hoses on.  Carb and exhaust bolted down.  Tomorrow is more of the same. 

[tsumini]

Is it a bean can type?
If so I'd be glad to check it out with my bench test rig. See my 1960 austin project reply #26. I've honed two and replaced the seals and neither have had a problem except one had cracked solder seam which was easily repaired.

[tsumini]

OK I see it's a later model. Test rig should still work.