The backlog of your humble servant

People come over to look at the car and ask me "How long to get it back to running & driving?" I hear the question as: [to put the engine back together and reinstall it if I had all the parts?] So I say I could get it back in place in a couple weeks. That is not a fair calculus of what remains to be done - so here is my backlog of work-to-do:

 

  • Engine
    • pistons - they are out, but the rings are gobblarnjimmyjammed into the grooves
      • either remove all of the rings/ring pieces from the pistons and replace with new ring - you can translate 'remove' [apply solvents, lubricants, fires, and beatings until they let go of that crack they are holding onto] (a couple weeks)
        • or
      • replace the pistons & rings with new and press the new pistons onto the old connecting rods (not counting ordering + shipping - I need to find someone with a press, or figure out how to get them in place with my vise, anvil and a hammer)
    • cylinders - there is rust that needs to be dealt with
      • either rehone them and call that good enough (a couple hours)
        • or
      • take the block to a machine shop and have them rebore (an hour to drop it off - ??? until they call me back - an hour to bring it home)
        • or
      • ignore it and just appreciate a good smoke screen as she runs
    • crank & cam - looks pretty good, so I will probably just replace the connecting rod bearings when I put the pistons back in
      • but if I take the block to a machine shop they can remove them and wash them - then I replace the bearings all around (a couple hours – or - have the machine shop reinstall before they give it back)
    • balancer pully – if I stand 10 feet away and squint it looks fine
      • replace (30 minutes)
        • or
      • ignore and appreciate the nostalgic wobble that comes at idle and gets worse under power with driving an old car engine that is out of balance
    • oil pump - seems fine - I might take it down a bit to make sure ... it is a pretty simple thing but mostly I would like to avoid trying to get the line from the pump to block disconnected from the pump or recreating that thing
    • timing chain – only slightly wiggly and a just a skoosh rusty
      • replace it (a couple hours)
        • or
      • again – machine shops are very handy people to know
        • or
      • ignore it and appreciate the challenges of setting & maintaining timing on an old car
    • block - is fine, except for gunk in the cooling galleys
      • either clean it out with solvent / brush / hose (a couple hours of unspeakable mess + an hour of clean up)
        • or
      • get the machine shop to wash it and paint it while they are reboring (???)
        • or
      • ignore it
    • heads - are probably fine, except for dirty cooling galleys, but I know I have valves that need service
      • remove the valves, relap, replace the seats, and reinstall the valves (a few days to a couple weeks)
        • or
      • have the machine shop do all that - when I have them do the bore they can wash and paint the heads and then service the valves and replane the block + heads (???)
        • or
      • decide it is fine and put what I have back in - appreciate the sound of a wonky valve train, the rich smell of leaky intakes and the rumbly noise of leaky exhausts
    • manifolds - are probably fine ... i have cleaned them good enough. If I take the block to get done, I can give the intake & exhaust manifold baths plus some paint at the same time
    • starter -
      • probably needs to be rebuilt (a couple hours - I have 2 of them already, and honestly there is not much to them)
        • or
      • replaced (30 minutes)
  • cooling system
    • water pump - it probably works, but it has been sitting bone dry for years ... so I do not trust it
      • replace (an hour once I have the part)
    • radiator - wait a sec ... did you find the radiator??
      • buy a new one + hoses & install (an hour once I have the parts)
  • fuel system
    • carburetor - seems to function and is not disgusting, but
      • replace (30 minutes)
        • or
      • rebuild (a few hours - I have never done one in my life ... so it could take me 3 days)
    • fuel pump & filter - replace (20 minutes)
    • fuel lines - replace - including starting over several times because I bent the tube the wrong way or split the tube when I went to flare the fitting (a couple weeks)
    • gas tank – had 1.5 gallons of varnish in it, and looks fine from the outside, but I will assume it has rusty gunk in the bottom
      • remove the pickup & replace that, and then service the tank with 2 or 3 batches of fuel tank restorer stuff – they sell this stuff in sizes meant for motorcycles & tractors … not 20 gallon car tanks (a couple days + a couple of hours to deal with the mess)
        • or
      • get a radiator shop to do that for me (a couple weeks)
        • or
      • replace the tank with a new one (90 minutes)
        • or
      • ignore it and suck whatever mother nature has left me into my new fuel lines, pump & carb … this seems like the most foolish of options – but I have done sillier things
  • exhaust … wait a sec again … did you find an exhaust?? Oh yeah – I remember I sawzalled that rusty semi-tube like stuff off the bottom and took it to the dump months ago
    • trailer the car to an exhaust shop and have them do a rebuild from manifold to tail pipe (a couple weeks)
      • or
    • drive the car without an exhaust while avoiding the local police and state patrol to an exhaust shop and have them do a rebuild from manifold to tail pipe (a couple weeks) – around here, I suspect someone will call 911 before I make it 1 mile from my home
  • electrical system
    • generator
      • probably needs to be rebuilt (a couple hours - once again ... I happen to have 2 of them, not much there to work on, and these are made to be serviced)
        • -or-
      • replace with alternator and wire that and eliminate the voltage regulator - so all that stuff needs to be re-terminated too (a couple weeks)
    • distributor (and that stuff in and around that place right there)
      • clean up the points, replace the condenser, and put that back on (a couple hours … not counting how long it takes me to figure out how to get the timing back straight)
        • or
      • replace with HEI distributor (a couple hours)
    • spark plugs & wires are probably fine
      • replace (30 minutes)
        • or
      • ignore and when I have trouble keeping it running then I can laugh about my foolish resistance to perform such a cheap and easy task

That will get it to run … then to drive it …

  • flywheel
    • remove it and have it resurfaced (a couple weeks)
      • or
    • ignore it and enjoy the clatter of a wonky clutch engagement
  • clutch
    • replace all the serviceable parts (a couple hours)
      • or
    • ignore it and hope the clutch holds while I enjoy even more clatter
  • transmission – shifted while under no load fine, but when I drained it I did not collect very much fluid and I did get a fair amount of grape-nuts on the magnetic plug
    • rebuild it myself (a few weeks)
      • or
    • have a transmission shop rebuild it (a couple days)
      • or
    • ignore it, refill it and reinstall while I hope it works … it is probably fine … really … some nostalgic nonsense about how rugged these things are … unhunh
  • drive shaft – rusty, but it seems fine … might as well replace the bearings (20 minutes)
  • rear differential – leaked all over the floor where I got it and has not leaked a drop since I have had it home …
    • replace the gasket and refill (a couple hours)
      • or
    • replace the open dif with a limited slip + replace the gasket and refill (a couple hours)
      • or
    • ignore it and count the days until it burns up since it is bound to be just a touch dry
  • brakes – pedal went to the floor when I first got it and since removing the master cylinder not one drop of hydraulic fluid has leaked anywhere
    • replace brake lines - between these and the fuel lines I should get pretty good at using a bender + flare tool (a few weeks)
    • replace the brake assemblies (a couple hours)
      • or
    • resurface the drums and rebuild the innards (a couple of hours plus a few days to get the drums back)
      • or
    • replace the front brakes with discs (a couple weeks)
      • or
    • ignore it, replace the e-brake cable and reattach the coupling, and use that (along with first gear) as the only means to stop – note to self: make sure life insurance is up to date
  • tires – I have 2 ancient snow tires on the back with some tread, and one bald ‘poly-ply’ tire on the front that holds air, and another one that leaks flat in 2 days
    • replace at the tire shop (a couple hours)
      • or
    • ignore and get good at slaloming around the road as well as knowing where all the air compressors in town are located

I will have to replace the ignition key somehow – since I don’t have one for it. That should get me ‘running and driving’ such that I can get body & chassis work done. Rear glass and doors that held closed would be nice. Maybe with a straight-ish drivers side front fender, 2 headlights, and some fresh paint while I am at it. Oh yeah – and windshield wipers.

 

Comments

  1. Tractor BoyDecember 23, 2021 at 12:19 PM

    Seems you have plenty for a machine shop to do. They will love you - at least the owner will love you. You could hone the cylinders yourself. Much of the work you COULD do, but do you want to? If not, then hire it done.

    ReplyDelete

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