My 71 Duster work in progress

[b-body-bob]

i wonder if anyone still puts stainless liners in these?

The info on SSBC's web site doesn't mention stainless bores or liners, just stainless pistons, tubes, and fasteners. It seems like if anyone would do it, it would be them since stainless steel is in their name.

On the lines, I've had to cut them off so I could get a 6-pt socket on the tube nut, and I've also battled them with vise-grips. I've never really had access to a torch to use heat. Never thought about putting them in the oven but then I'm married so that might not go over so well.

 

[69.5CUDA]

im married too..wife doesnt mind..and even lets me run stuff thru the dishwasher!..ive posted pics in with the lloyd to prove it

i wonder...maybe its a dumb idea but what about a used toaster over for the job?..do they get hot enough?...hell a convection oven microwave would deffinatly get hot enough....just thinking about shop solutions that are small

 

[b-body-bob]

I tried to pop the pistons out, no dice @ 150 psi. Tried turning them with a set of channel locks. One turned, three didn't. The one that turned came out as far as the 2x4 I had in the way. I'm giving up. Now to decide to roll the dice on a pair of mis-matched rebuilds (rock auto has 1 cardone and 1 centric), a set of new replacements (unlikely), or the dr. diff conversion.

I'm leaning toward the the dr diff kit because that lets me go to BBP if I can find a set of wheels around here, and it gets me away from these rare sketchy parts. Apparently the kit includes rotors/hubs for either BBP and SBP wheels, but I need to confirm that so I don't necessarily have to find wheels. It also comes with parts that I have to buy separately if I stay with the 4 piston calipers so that reduces the pain a little bit.

 

[b-body-bob]

im married too..wife doesnt mind..and even lets me run stuff thru the dishwasher!..ive posted pics in with the lloyd to prove it

i wonder...maybe its a dumb idea but what about a used toaster over for the job?..do they get hot enough?...hell a convection oven microwave would deffinatly get hot enough....just thinking about shop solutions that are small

My wife would probably let me use the oven too TBH.

I doubt a toaster oven would do the trick because it has to generate and *hold* the temps for it to have any effect on a steel part.

I might be able to just hit it with my MAPP gas torch, but I see that battle taking a day, then finding out the things are so corroded that I can't use them anyway.

 

[Dr.Jass]

The reason new calipers for the K-H setup exist is because they're the same casting as early Mustang. Apparently the cores drying up was enough to kick someone into gear to cast new replacements, which is somewhat heartening to those of us with multiple setups.

If you're big pattern in the back you might as well have matching bolt patterns. Despite half the room of your trunk, I completely intend to carry a spare in all my cars. Not having to worry about bolt pattern is a big deal on the side of the road at 2AM. So is only having one lug wrench... remember, the small-pattern wheels use 7/16" studs, where the larger pattern is 1/2".

Once again, I've seen various A-body rotors on eBay including big pattern for 4-piston K-H brakes, but I certainly can't speak to their quality. At least one offering was 1/2" studs on the small pattern, for which there is no application, and another was the smaller studs on the large pattern, a similar unicorn. They seem to be machining the same raw casting differently; it's a unicast rotor (no separate hub) in every case I've seen. If that's what you're considering, I'd advise buying four rotors... stuff comes and goes in this hobby, and when it's gone it sucks being left holding the bag. Even the standard K-H replacement rotors could go dodo, realistically... lots of reproduction stuff has in the past couple of decades.

 

[69.5CUDA]

i always wondered about using 1/2 studs and then having a machine shop bore out my SB cragger ss fronts, cause ive had too many of the 7/16 snap

its also the only car ive still considered using the KH's up front as its the "big" SB drums with a 66 b body rear on 15x10s the offset pattern actualy looks good in this case

 

[b-body-bob]

I disassembled the front end other than the LCAs and torsion bars today, and decided to just upgrade the whole thing using the Dr Diff kits. I've found a local pair of BBP wheels for the front too, and the same place has the e-brake mechanism and other miscellaneous parts I need.

I figure the torsion bars will be stuck but IIRC I can pry the LCA back to push the bar out.

I'm going to need to hit Harbor Freight for a pin punch to get the spring pin out of the strut rod too.

I'll probably throw a spare in the back but doubt we will be far enough away to need it. We'll probably keep it to about a 50 mile radius of home. That covers every where I think we'd want to go in a noisy hot car with 3.91 gears. We've got newer cars for long trips.

 

[b-body-bob]

its also the only car ive still considered using the KH's up front as its the "big" SB drums with a 66 b body rear on 15x10s the offset pattern actualy looks good in this case

I'm going to stay with 14s up front with 15s in the back for the same reason. I think it's looks better.

 

[Dr.Jass]

I figure the torsion bars will be stuck but IIRC I can pry the LCA back to push the bar out.

That's the only way I've ever done it. In most cases, they pop right out. In Stretch's Valiant, it was a fight... but that car has insanely-long torsion-bar mounts for some reason.

I'll probably throw a spare in the back but doubt we will be far enough away to need it. We'll probably keep it to about a 50 mile radius of home. That covers every where I think we'd want to go in a noisy hot car with 3.91 gears. We've got newer cars for long trips.

Distance has nothing to do with it for me. I don't care if I'm two blocks from home or 1,200 miles--standing around completely helpless while waiting for a friend with parts or a tow truck doesn't appeal to me. There are plenty of local screws and roofing nails. Besides, I live on the main approach to the local scrapyard.

 

[b-body-bob]

Got the torsion bar and LCA out of the passenger side. Driver's side is still together because I managed to get a punch stuck in the driver's side strut rod. Apparently captain goofball here used the wrong size. I can twist it with vise grips but it ain't coming out. I'm hoping that I can drive it out from the other side if I get enough parts out of the way. I thought about heating the strut but don't want to start a fire and burn the garage down.

 

[Dr.Jass]

It's funny how that type of thing works... if the car was otherwise together, you could back it to the end of the driveway. In that short distance, the punch would not only come out it, but it would be lost forever.

Have you tried clamping the Vise Grips to punch, and beating on the pliers themselves? Ain't great for the punch, but they don't generally see torsional loads anyhow.

 

[b-body-bob]

It's funny how that type of thing works... if the car was otherwise together, you could back it to the end of the driveway. In that short distance, the punch would not only come out it, but it would be lost forever.

Have you tried clamping the Vise Grips to punch, and beating on the pliers themselves? Ain't great for the punch, but they don't generally see torsional loads anyhow

Yeah I tried beating on the vice grips, no dice. It's hard to get a good bite on the round punch and after a smack or two it starts slipping. I have to be careful, things that are hard like a punch are also brittle in directions other than the intended use.

Those roll pins have to be the stupidest things ever. Unless I'm missing something, a cotter pin would do the job just as well.

I've also considered loosening it up and unbolting it at the LCA to see if I can turn it around to get a clear whack at it but I don't think it works that way. I don't think I could get it loose enough to get the LCA back far enough to do any good. It seems like it would bind up because of the angle of the strut rod.

Worst comes to worst it snaps off and I have to dremel it down to where I can get the nut past it. I'm pretty sure I've got a small ball burr, and sure one of the 3 big box hardware stores around here has what I'd need.

 

[69.5CUDA]

double up the vice grips..if possible 180 out from eachother, then you should be able to beat the punch out

 

[Dr.Jass]

The strut rod goes straight through the LCA, so it won't bind back there if you remove the nut. That gets you halfway home. I don't think removing it from the LCA will accomplish much, though, as you'll further bind the bushings with the rod stuck against the bottom of the control arm.
If it's still bound up front, I'd suggest using a pipe wrench on one of the bushings with the nut at the LCA backed off, semi-hoping that it's bonded itself to the rod over its 50-year history and the rod turns with it. I say semi-hoping because a stuck bushing is a different kettle of fish once you get the pin bore clear. You could also try double-nutting the forward end of the rod to turn it with a wrench, assuming you've got enough free thread... I'm betting not, though.
If that doesn't work, you could always cut one of the bushings on an angle (think Sawzall or air saw here--you probably won't get through it with a knife in a single lifetime), getting close to the rod itself then manually cut it the last fraction of an inch with a utility knife as to not damage the rod. Pull the bushing out (easier said than done) and the rod will just flop around. You'd probably want the rear nut tight during the cutting operation.
I'm assuming part of this repair includes replacing the bushings, of course... and if that's the case, do not use polyurethane on the strut rods. They're literally too stiff, and will beat the ever-living crap out of the LCA bushings ahead of the torsion bars--especially if you use poly in the latter location. Voice of experience here: the Black Bitch had maybe 15,000 miles on a complete front-end rebuild, using all poly parts because gee-whiz magazine articles. When I pulled the front end apart to transfer everything to the beige car, the LCAs were completely trashed. They were ovalled from the poly strut rod bushings not allowing any lateral movement of the strut rods, as Chrysler intended. Almost all those miles were on smooth Atlanta roads and freeways, too, not MI's "surface of the moon" pavement.
The only place I use poly anymore is on swaybar bushings and links. Everything else on the Valiant is OE-replacement Moog rubber, as it will also be on the Challenger and Imperial, other than the latter getting solid K-member mounts. There is such a thing as too much road feel.

 

[b-body-bob]

I fought it out. I pounded from the other end but could hardly get a hammer to it no matter what. Eventually I just kept turning and pulling and pulling and turning and it popped out.

I couldn't get my LCA shell remover tool to work. It's been a decade since I used it and mostly what I remember is if you get it put on there right, it'll pull it no problem. If not, it won't. I think my problem now is finding the piece parts I used to cobble together the receiver cup part of it. Worst case I beat it up with the air hammer with a chisel bit until it gives up the fight.

FWIW that old blue gTx I had came with fresh poly bushings throughout. It didn't take long before they were replaced with rubber. Too harsh, too noisy. I've been using rubber everywhere this time too. I'll guarantee you the last time those LCA bushings were replaced was 51 years ago and one of them looked near new. They'll never wear out in my lifetime.

I think poly bushings are used mostly because you don't need special tools to deal with them, and you can leave the stupid LCA shell and the LCA shaft sleeve where they are. That, and they come in colors. People like colors.

I finally got the front end high enough to notice that it has a chrome at one time oil pan on it. Hopefully this motor will last a couple of seasons and I can swap it for a proper small block and 4-speed.

 

[b-body-bob]

double up the vice grips..if possible 180 out from eachother, then you should be able to beat the punch out

Something that would've made the whole thing easier would've been if the pin hole was on top and bottom and not side to side. There is nowhere to swing a hammer with it turned that way.

Or I could've been a little less stupid and not got the punch stuck to begin with.

 

[b-body-bob]

I've got a stack of heavy boxes out there now with my front end/brake kits. I didn't look at the rotors but they should be about 10 lb each, I looked at the label on the ones that arrived yesterday and one is 50, the other 30. I'm glad I get to install it all a piece at a time and not all at once.

There's a lot of cleaning up ahead of me though. I haven't mentioned it yet, but the car sat on concrete, and it looked like animals lived under it. Or maybe that's just dust that gathers. Fur, cobwebs, etc, everywhere. I wish when we first got it running I would've put it near the hose and gunked the whole thing but I didn't so now I get to lay under it and wipe at it with prepsol and old worn out bath towels.

 

[69.5CUDA]

just get a air compressor wand crank up the presure and blow the crap out from under it....been there done that and its just what gets under a car no matter where its parked...even in the rafters!!!!

as far as the front end goes..one of the happiest swaps and easiest ive ever done on an a-body was to have a fully detailed, painted and all new parts front end assy with engine bolted to it and slipped it in the way the factory did it...it was amazingly simple...to the point of just being dumbfounded as to why id ever done an engine swap or a front end any other way.....the only "hard part" was steering shaft alignment

 

[b-body-bob]

Yeah that would be the easy way to do it, especially since my motor's on a plate. My wife will go nuts if I keep taking things apart though. I've got a road runner to show you why.

I extracted the LCA shells yesterday. I've got tool to do the job but it's still a PITA.

In one case it slid behind the shell



In this case it bit into the shell.


Here are all the tools involved.



You can see in that one shell where the lip of the tool bit into it.

Probably the best tool investment I have. I don't think you can buy them anymore. It came from US Car Tool. This is the 4th car I've used it on.

 

[Dr.Jass]

My wife will go nuts if I keep taking things apart though. I've got a road runner to show you why.

Ah, yes... the mechanically-separated chicken.

"But darlin'... baby... honey... love of my life... I go to these lengths to ensure you'll be safe." Extra style points awarded for pulling the "Jake Blues" eyewear maneuver after saying it.