Signet-ficant Other

This afternoon, I walked to NAPA and bought a replacement seal. The wrong seal, as it turned out. It wasn't their fault; I got some bad cross-reference information. I gave them the part number. Further research showed that number was for a Chrysler axle, but not an 8.75". Thanks, RockAuto. :doh:

On the bright side, I got home and within 15 minutes found the right seal (four of 'em, actually) stashed in the basement. Hence, I was able to continue working on the axle. I installed the LH brake assembly and axle and touched up the paint a little. After getting it everything assembled, it appears that I've got a slightly-bent RH backing plate. :doh: That's the kind of thing you'll only find once everything's put together. I'll try more gentle forms of persuasion first, but rest assured I'm not above a couple of hammer blows to try and straighten it. I'm not sure how big a problem it will be; it's not really bent that badly. Of course, it's also A-body-specific, but luckily I've got spares if I need 'em.

Then came time to install the brake lines. I went with Fine Lines stainless ones so they'll keep their incorrect appearance for years. :D They needed a little tweaking to fit, but not as much as I initially thought: On A-bodies, depending on the year the distribution tee can be in one of two places. Obviously the lines are different, but the distribution block is as well. Mine is from a '72, so it's further away from the pinion centerline than earller ones. What was strange is that the tee that I took off that very axle did not fit the lines--like, not even close. I think it was a later B-/E-body tee, but I didn't bother to verify. The lines would've required mangling to install, assuming the LH one was even long enough. I didn't keep the original (?) lines to compare shape, but they were probably hand-bent to fit. Luckily, hoarding was my friend for once--I found the correct tee among my stash. I gave it a quick detailing and finished up the installation.

This bit's done for now, at least until we get it in the car to weld the perches. After the engine's had some reasonable running time, maybe 100 miles or so, I'll swap in the 4.10s... and then we begin Gigglefest. :dance:

Sorry for the dark pictures, but I still wasn't feeling well post-NAPA so I took a nap for a couple of hours. I was working outdoors and didn't finish up with the axle until after sunset.

Posed with the "strip" wheels:

100_1726.JPG


Brake-tee detail:

100_1727.JPG


Front quarter view:

100_1729.JPG


I bolted on the rear wheels for effect. They look like steamrollers, but they're only 8.5":

100_1733.JPG

100_1732.JPG

100_1731.JPG
 
Pitter Patter, you've been at 'er. Can't wait to see this project come together :xl:
 
I finally finished the four-speed tonight. :dance:

Yeah, I went a little overboard detailing it--especially when one considers the life a transmission leads beneath the car. Add to that the constant ass-kicking this one's going to take, and making it pretty seems outright lunacy. A lot of thought actually went into the finish, such as leaving two side-cover bolts natural. That's because although the trans would've been painted as an assembly had the factory done it, it's likely any bolts holding clips would not have been installed prior to paint. There'd have been a mask for the speedo gear adapter hole and the backup light switch. The vent probably would've been painted, as would the front of the case.

I think I covered in detail the work that went into it parts-wise in a previous post, so the detailing work was all I wanted to mention here. I'm pretty happy with the results.

100_1741.JPG

100_1743.JPG


I'm so happy with the results, in fact, the sumanombotchin' thing is on display in my living room. :D

"Soooo... why is it red?" you ask. Well, the engine is going to be red (much of it already is) and the Lakewood explosion-proof bellhousing already was red (I freshened it, though). Decades ago I fell in love with the factory press-release photo of a 440 Six Pack engine with its A727 painted to match, and have always wanted to do something similar:

ministry1.jpg
 
Last edited:
well done doc..you did it pretty much as i would have done it..tho im no fan of painting assemblys but rather paint every part seperately then assemble, it looks the way thefactory would have done it "if" they took the care we wish they had

the only thing id change is instead of natural, clear coat just to prevent rust...i love to see shit detailed out like this

some day ill get a chance to do a full di-dion tube and transaxle from an alfa..cause its a work of ART

75_3.gif
 
69.5CUDA said:
paint every part seperately then assemble, it looks the way thefactory would have done it "if" they took the care we wish they had...
Click to expand...
The bolts, washers, reverse detent assembly, side cover, main case and tailshaft housing were all painted separately, then assembled. If you mean leaving natural-color bolts and washers throughout, I've seen hundreds of engines done that way and hated every single one. They look way too busy; might as well put some big pink polka dots on the background area of the Mona Lisa. The factory way looks much better... you take it in as a whole, and only notice the important details.

If the factory had painted transmissions, this is nearly exactly how they would've looked. The vent and the end of the shift-fork detent studs would've probably been red, though. The bellhousing face would likely have been natural, since they very possibly would've painted engine/bellhousing/trans as a single assembly.
 
Dr.Jass said:
If you mean leaving natural-color bolts and washers throughout, I've seen hundreds of engines done that way and hated every single one. They look way too busy; might as well put some big pink polka dots on the background area of the Mona Lisa. The factory way looks much better... you take it in as a whole, and only notice the important details.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100% The Guy who had the Oakland before Mark rebuilt the engine and painted it Pontiac green. He had all the bolts anodized with a silver zinc coating. It looks like complete ass but at least the coating can't be removed or painted over. The paint chips right off with the slightest effort.
 
Dr.Jass said:
The bellhousing face would likely have been natural, since they very possibly would've painted engine/bellhousing/trans as a single assembly.
Click to expand...

They were painted as a complete assembly, but no paint was applied beyond the rear of the block with a small amount on the leading edge of the bell.
 
oh no in a case lik ethis i would have painted the bolts to match as well, but the "unfinished" bolts woulda got clear coated to retain the look, while not rusting

as for painting bolts seperate colors..no..ugh no..theres few times you can get away with that..the one that speaks to me most is the case of gold zinc bolts on an all aluminum trans/transaxle type of deal...


IRON..ive done all that a few times too..but want to detail out one of mine soooo bad, down to RE factory zink coating all the hardware. the red springs with the konis inside
 
69.5CUDA said:
i would have painted the bolts to match as well, but the "unfinished" bolts woulda got clear coated to retain the look, while not rusting
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I did. I also clear-coated the backup-lamp harness clips, even though they're plated/dipped. As I mentioned, the only things not clearcoated are the front face of the transmission case, the input shaft, and the output shaft. Even the bearing retainer has a couple coats of engine clear on it.
 
I went outside to work on the drivetrain some more yesterday, including assembling the rear axle. First thing I wanted to do was paint the drums, so I grabbed my trusty Pioneer cast-iron paint, popped the cap, and saw a harbinger of how my day would go:

View attachment 20160
Click to expand...

I've asked before, but I can't find the thread: Can you share more details on this Pioneer paint.
The closest thing that I've been able to find in searches is Pioneer Engine Enamel in Universal Gray.
And I don't think that's it.

I also remember the "cooking" process to get it to lay down and look pretty much like the part is just bare cast iron.
I think the same thread included the whole rebuild process that you gave when I asked.

Damned if I can find it though. I've got my 8 3/4 with a 489 sitting in the middle of my garage ready for tear down and I started thinking about everything I need and the first thing I thought of was your Pioneer paint trick.
 
Annnnnnnd, as soon as I ask, I find it.
At least the paint info.
Pioneer T-58.

Still can't find the rebuild thread. But now that I've said that....
 
T-58 or T-58-A is the part number. For some reason, it seems to have the "A" on it these days, but it hasn't changed.

As far as the baking process, either move the oven out to the garage or make damned sure all the gear oil is gone. It's still going to smell a little, but it's not terrible if the casting is mega-clean (such as with new drums). I let it cook around 350° for half an hour or so, just to make sure it's heated throughout. Shake the paint prior to removing it from the oven, and spray as quickly as possible after it's out. The paint will essentially dry as it hits, and with the heat having the iron's pores a little open, it "soaks in" a little, leaving good detail. Two coats is enough; you have to try very hard to run or sag the paint with the heated metal. Obviously, you don't need to move it around to paint the inside, so it's pretty simple. Just make sure you get the flange edge well; it's easy to miss being so close to the ground. Pay close attention while painting; on a freshly blasted case it's nearly impossible to tell where the paint is and what's raw with the Pioneer paint. You'll see.

For ultimate durability, put it back in the oven and bake it again for another half hour. Expect your family to want you dead. It takes a couple of hours to dissipate.

If you do the drums and want the "factory styled wheel" look, they slathered red paint on the faces of the drums. When I did Stretch's, I sprayed red rather than the sloppy dripping-brush factory method. It still looks pretty good well over a decade later.
 
wait...your telling me that red drum who the fuck took a paint brush dripping with paint to it look is a factory option?!?!?!?

i have done a bunch of parts ala the oven bake, i ran into one issue.....when doing aluminum it seems the paint ends up VERY brittle on "slick" parts..rough cast items are never an issue
 
69.5CUDA said:
wait...your telling me that red drum who the fuck took a paint brush dripping with paint to it look is a factory option?!?!?!?
Click to expand...
Not an option, per se. If the car had styled wheels rather than plain steel, red paint was poorly slathered on your drums just prior to the wheels being installed. You could neither order it nor delete it.
 
In the several months that've passed since I last posted in this thread, I've not been totally idle. I've not been jamming on it either, for that matter, but much has been accomplished.

It all started when I installed the camshaft the first time. With the Milodon gear drive, it's a hassle in general and with mine it's an even greater hassle (more on that later). The cam absolutely must be degreed, there is literally no way to install the gear drive without doing so. No dots or marks to line up, etc., and every cam requires a different setup. The "straight up" position on the old cam was nowhere near the same as with the new one. This involved pullers and installers in my case, and it was such a pain in the ass I momentarily considered going with a double-roller chain drive. I persisted and won the day... quite literally the day because I was not done messing with timing the cam by a damn sight.

The plan was to drop the lifters in and measure for pushrods, but of course I had one lifter with a bad roller so I didn't want to commit until I replaced it. I'd already bought a set of Comp rollers, but turns out those will not clear an unmodified block... so I was back to trying to use the lifters I already had. That turned into a week-long exercise in futility; no one I contacted could even say for sure who made the lifters; certainly nobody had a replacement. I returned the Comps and ordered a set of Chet Herbert lifters, claimed on their website to drop in and clear factory blocks. Don't fall for it. They will not clear a factory block in a single one of the lifter bores. At least they were less-expensive than the Comps, but I was back to searching for a set of drop-in lifters. Comp offers a set, for something like $200 more than the first Comps. The only other option was custom lifters... or grinding the God-forsaken block.

It's important for me to remind you, dear reader, that I like this car but I don't like it that much. I'm also trying to stay within my stated budget on this rig, so both of those options went out the window, and out came the camshaft, rotating and reciprocating assemblies, and the die grinder... and the long process of grinding, checking, cleaning, lather, rinse, repeat began. Not difficult work, just tedious. While I was in there and had the die grinder out anyhow, it seemed a good time to do some cleanup work around the oil drainbacks, clearing away rough spots and casting flash to expedite the Royal Purple's return trip to the 9-quart pan. Satisfied with the results, I commenced a thorough block cleaning and approximately 63,282 cans of brake cleaner later, I was ready to reassemble what was already fuckin' built once.

I'll scrape up the pictures from this era a little later. There aren't a billion of them, but they detail nicely what was required and the final results.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

SiteLock

SiteLock
Back
Top