Yea 4 days in a row for car stuff is kind of tuff and with Mary still not her self I felt it best to miss one as the Benson outing will happen next month where the others will not and it was nice to have the older people come out and see the cars & trucks.
I think they really enjoy seeing them. Some of them even got the years right on some of them.

When you do Benson do you take a car or pickup because of the things you want to sell? At least you came home lighter than when you went.
When you go to good swap meets sometimes you come home with more

The kick panels look brand new. I dont remember having a problem when I painted mine but been so long now I could have forgotten. Also being down low who would see them?
My door panels were pretty chalky but I was not keeping them just wanted them to look ok for a little while, it is now a long while
I sanded them and I may have sprayed them with SEM's premotion pre paint that helps the paint bond to whatever it is sprayed on. I know I did than on the dash cover so may have done the door panels too?
I dont remember how bad they were so yours could be worst but the doors have held up pretty good so far.
The other thing would be to coat them in fiberglass rosin and when it sets up spray with hammer tone paint to get some texture if you wanted and then the SEM.
I also know they make a "sand stone" spray paint that would have texture but I think I used it and it did not come out the way I thought it would.
Or you could just sand the rosin with say 320 grit so the SEM would stick and just spray them.
Dave ----

 

Well I know you gotta be able to check in on Mary often and also be available within a few minutes if she needs something. Is she up and walking now? That would be a good milestone.

The first time at the swap meet, I brought my pickup with a fold out table. The second time, I think I brought the truck with no table and just set up my stuff on the tailgate. Then yesterday, which is the 3rd one I attended, I brought stuff in a box in my Mustang and laid it out on a blanket. That is the way Wayne did it as well when he attended the swap meet the first time.

Last night my boots were blue from all the dry plastic dust that was raining down off the sandpaper! Mostly on the back hump, the front part seems less dried out. I'm thinking about the resin and giving it a quick brush coat across the back. Unless scuffing it one more seems like I have finally reached good plastic then maybe I just spray it without going much further into it. These are the only ones I have, because the red interior did not use these, it had the full size plastic panels that go from floor to headliner.

 

Mary is getting around pretty good now. When she first got home she stayed in bed, potty seat next to bed so she did not need to go far.
Then she started using a walker and get around, she is pretty good with it now and at times she will not use it at all when I think she should be.
She mainly needs it to keep her balance as that was the problem she had before she get dizzy. It all has to do with the brain pushing against the skull and now that it has room to get use to the extra room.

I do know she wants to get out of the house and maybe I will help her to get outside for some fresh air before it gets too hot?
Think is we had 3 steps no matter what door you go out but the garage door has a railing she can hold on to and the way she came in from the hospital.

Yesterday when at the cruise she was able to get her own lunch. Think she had a salad with tuna on it from what she told me and I see in the sink.
Janet & Andra went to Olive Garden for me to get Mary dinner as that is what Mary wanted so she is doing much better.
She is only taking aspirin for the pain and a pill when her stomach is not feeling good.
I also know she is feeling better as she is giving me crap on how I am doing things
All the kids have food and are safe, dirty dishes are in the dish washer and so what if the towels did not get washed on Sunday but do on Monday it is not a big deal
Yep she is getting better every day
Dave ----

 

Dave, Great to hear the wife is on the mend and giving you crap about your shortcomings. It's what they do.

John, I was out of town racing all weekend. I had a complete bike and a box of parts sitting out by my car with some prices and my phone number. Works pretty well for me. I didn't sell everything but a few things.

Boy, it was hot this weekend. I think the heat index was 97 on Sunday. Probably drank a case of water over the two days.

Since I wasn't around this weekend my grass is about knee high.

Ya'll have a good week.

 

James that is a good idea. Maybe what I had was too specific, like if you didn't have a 289/302/351w or a 80-86 truck, then you didn't need any of it. It was hot here on Sunday also I think we hit 92 but I don't know what the heat index was. I spent a good bit of the afternoon sitting in the shade, nonetheless when I got home I was so dehydrated that I drank 6 glasses of water within 30 minutes. Our club president Tony was out in the sun all day, directing incoming cars where to park. He rarely takes a break. He did keep a water bottle with him though but I worry if I got dehydrated from doing barely anything he must have been dry as a bone.

Dave I am glad to hear Mary is healing and getting back to her old self. I pray that surgery does what it is supposed to and takes away her headaches and other issues.

I sprayed the SEM blue mist on my seat belt holders, it came out pretty good. That was a total of sanding & washing 4 times, and then before the color coat I sprayed plastic primer. If I run my fingernail across it nothing flakes off or scratches so I think they are good to go. Some of the sanding marks are visible but I am not going to lose any sleep over it.


I spent most of today working on the pool and on my garden planters. I had to go get another vacuum head, I like one with scrub brushes to get most of the green funk, but I also like the ones on rollers that don't really touch the bottom - that one is better for leaves and large debris. I am hoping to have the pool ready by the weekend. My garden planters were neglected last year and this year so far too, I emptied out the old potting soil and I still need to pressure wash them. I know it is late in the year to start but I think I might go get some tomato plants and get them going.

We had some timing issues this past weekend; when Andre came to meet me before going to the old folks home, when it was time to leave my driveway his car barely cranked over. So I thought maybe too much timing and so I kicked it back a hair and it did start easier. But then he called me up after the show was over and he was back home, he said it ran like crap, would make little pops out the exhaust when he lets off the gas, so I knew it was too far retarded. I advanced it some and then he told me "that cars has ***** like it never had before, I had so much power!" but again, either slow crank or no crank. At some point I may even have turned it the wrong way as I tend to get forgetful and make bonehead mistakes like that. So I brought my timing light to Benson when we were there; my Mustang had not been right either. Timing light on my Mustang showed I was 18 degrees initial advance, I generally like it to be 8. So I set that back where it should be and now it's perfect. Andre on the other hand, his timing marks are no help at all. There are 3 segments with marks in between, so you can probably figure each segment is 10 degrees with 2 degree increments, however there is no marking to tell you which one is zero. I remember having this problem last time and I marked 2 spots, I think if I remember right I marked one and realized it was wrong, so marked the other. But now all I know is there are 2 white marks. Then on the point, there are 3 angled "teeth" and I am not 100% clear which one to use to line up. I think the first and largest one is most likely right. I think I lined up the second harmonic balancer mark on the big tooth, and he said runs great, tons of power, but very hard to crank over when hot. I nudged it a tiny bit back at the food hall and later he told me it ran great and sounded great but still the same issue when hot. I told him I would get with him Weds or Thurs to go over his battery cables, specifically his ground cables. I think we will end up ordering a new one, he said he thinks the end is frayed plus it looks pretty small diameter, like maybe a 6 gauge. I would probably suggest a 4 gauge. His starter is most likely original so it might be time for a new one. Or even a high-torque mini-starter.

I took this pic last year before I got out the white paint. It's just lines with nothing telling you which one is zero!

I've got other car related work for other people to tackle in the next week as well. Doug Hill came across a couple in a 68 Mustang at the food hall, apparently when it was time to leave they didn't have brakes. Doug gave them a ride, meanwhile they got the car towed to their preferred mechanic shop and when they arrived there was a sign on the door saying the shop was closed for the next 6 months. So they had the car towed to their home instead, Doug asked if I would be willing to help figure out the brakes and we agreed on Tuesday as being the best day for both of us. The symptoms are; master cylinder was empty, refilled with fluid, still no pedal. The m/c might be bad or maybe he's blown a seal on one of the wheel cylinders. I guess we will find out. According to the address Doug sent me, they live right off 210 between Food Lion and Sheetz.

Then I am also planning to help Normal put the engine and transmission in his old Chevy C10. I can't remember if it's the original 283, or if the 283 was no good and he got his hands on a 350 instead? But whatever engine it is, will be mated to a 700R4 that he had gone through last year. Just needs a hand putting it in as that kind of work is usually a 2-person job.

Randy with the 67 Mustang is going to tackle a big job; rebuilding the rear differential. He didn't ask me for my help but I made it clear; I have never done this job before but would love to be involved as a helper, just so I can see how it all comes apart and works, etc, in case it's a job I end up having to do someday. He thinks the kit will arrive Friday.

 

When you start5ed messing with Andre's timing I knew what you were going to run into as I was there at 1 time and found the same thing with the marks.
Because it was running and starting good I just left it IIRC. I cant remember if he is still running points or not, dont think so but???
He really needs to do a voltage drop test on all the cables and that will tell him if it is a cable / connection or bad starter.
Or he could just replace all the cables as they are most likely as old as the car and someone said looked small. Dont forget the cable from the solenoid to starter as no one ever changes that one.
Then if it happens the starter is bad.

You young pups and all this energy to do all this work
Now that the heat is here it just sucks the life out of me to do anything. Taking care of Mary does not help either but when you walk out the door and it hits you I just dont want to do anything.
I also think now with the heat any of the fiberglass rosin work I do on the Jeep will start to set up in no time and why I have not jumped back on it.
I do want to get the body bolted back down so I can test the transmission better than just in & out of the garage so I can figure what might need to be done to it.

On the Mustang brakes as much as they / you may not want to do it I would replace the master, rubber hoses and all wheel cylinders as a start.
Who knows how old any of it is and with the master being dry and pedal most likely going to the floor any rust in the piton bore had to hurt the piston rubber.
The hoses break down from the inside out but may show cracks on the outside. Then you may have to deal with metal brake lines too not knowing why the master was empty.
The Jeep had tire wear marks on the fronts and cracks on the rear hoses. 1 wheel cylinder was rusted so it would not release and others showed some rust and that was on a 1977.

If the gear setup is on a 9 inch it should be cake other than the pinion depth as the carrier has adjustable side bearings to adjust the gear back lash and bearing preload.
Any of the other brands to adjust the back lash and preload the carrier bearings like the pinion depth, it is all done with shims.
I had to mess with the rear GM 10 inch in my 86 K5 Blazer a bunch of times because of problems, 2 were my cause
The drag Javelin I did and had no problems but that only went 1/4 mile at a time and with open headers you could not hear if there was a problem or not. And that was an AMC rear axle.

Oh an on the pinion and carrier bearings were they are pressed on and the shims go on first try and remove the bearing without hurting it, not going to happen.
You get a second set of bearings and hone out the inside so they slip on & off so you can adjust the shims and when you have it right you press on the good bearings and check 1 last time.
A lot of fun said no one
Dave ----

 

The heat getting to me too, especially pool work and gardening as I'm just out there with no shade. At least working on car I am in the carport.

I definitely do not intend to rebuild the brakes for this guy, just try to help him get roadworthy again. I hate to see a mechanic shop rip him off, and I know I hate having modern mechanics work on my old cars.

Randy's differential is a 8" so it's basically the same the design as a 9" just the smaller version. So I assume everything you said applies to it as well.

Forgot to mention; on Andre's battery setup he had a cutoff switch installed across the positive side, so he could cut power off in case of any electrical drain. Well it was made of a kind of flimsy thin metal, he removed it and got some improvement. No he is not running points, he put an electronic distributor in it.

 

Up north when we opened the pool you would add pool shock, supper strong chlorine.
It would kill the green slime and vacuum and it was just about ready to use.
1 year I brought home some really really strong chiorine we used in the cooling towers at the hospital. If you got any on you it would start to bubble your skin. That really did "shock" the pool in no time

On the Mustang brakes depending on what is found it might be best that they look into rebuilding the brake system.
I really did not think I was going to do that on the Jeep but the more I got into it it just snow balled into a full rebuild. I did not replace the springs, hard lines or drums but did have to replace self adjusters on the rear as they were missing.
The 02 Durango I am doing the same, rebuild the system, because of the age and 300k is on the brake system.

Do you think that cheap battery disconnect was the cause of the slow cranking?
Dave ----

 

I usually buy the liquid pool shock from Walmart, I used to always buy the powder but there are a lot of advantages to the liquid. But getting the pool ready is a lot more work than just killing everything. Gotta get all the leaves out, and after sitting all fall and winter the water is black and you can't see the bottom very good, so you scoop leaves by feel for a few days. Then start with the shock to help clear the water so you can see better. Once you get most of the leaves out you can start vacuuming but the dead stuff is coating the sides and bottom. You can't vacuum through the filter because just a few feet of movement will clog the filter. So instead set the filter system to waste, and vacuum all you can while it goes straight out the waste valve. In about 10 minutes you will have sucked a couple of inches worth of water out of the pool, so cannot vacuum anymore until getting the water level back up where it belongs. So I have a system; run the hose for 1 hour, vacuum for 10 minutes, repeat - except since I have a well I am not comfortable running that hose more than a couple of hours a day. But now I finally got it about 90% ready, some stubborn still left on the walls and floor, scrub brush will do a better job on that than the vacuum probably.

So Doug and I tackled the brakes today. The couple lives in "Daniel Farms" which is the neighborhood between Food Lion and Sheetz. I got there before Doug and when I pulled up, I recognized them immediately. They are in the club, an older couple named John and Josephine. The husband had a stroke years ago and never recovered much use of his right side, so he doesn't have much strength and hence the need to usually bring the car somewhere else to be worked on (but his mechanic shop had a sign, closed for 6 months). I don't know if Doug knew they were in the club when I was on the phone with him he said "see you Wednesday young man" so I thought it was a young couple he was talking to, but now I realize, that is just how Doug is, he says "young man" often regardless of the age of the person he is talking to.

The issue already had seemed to resolve itself, when they put it up on the rollback Sunday they both checked underneath and didn't see any evidence of leaking. But after adding brake fluid to the empty reservoir still had no pedal. Now Doug I have learned is like Andre - he's a pumper. But sometimes that just makes the fluid foam up inside and spread the air bubbles. I'm more a fan of slow depressing and slow release. But at any rate after sitting a day or so the air bubbles made their way up to the top finally and John started to get good pedal feel. So he went out a few times and pressed the brake and it got better each time. He never found any fluid leak. So I looked everywhere else, did not see any wet spots. I'm assuming with normal wear of the shoes it takes more fluid into the wheel cylinder and just never got checked and topped off. He has a weird master cylinder, it requires a wrench to take the cap off. And honestly his fluid looked a little black I would kinda like to go back and suck the old fluid out & replace it with fresh. But anyway I got underneath and we bled all 4 corners, I got good fluid with no air bubbles and Doug & John both said the pedal felt great. John went for a test drive around his neighborhood and came back and reported that he could stop on a dime and give 5 cents change. So that car is roadworthy. This was the 68 Mustang coupe.

Now the interesting part, they have a 65 or 66 convertible also. That is the car I have seen them in before, I had not realized they also had a 68. The 66 has inline 6 with a 1 barrel carburetor, and John said they had problems with it recently. Once it is warmed up, it runs like crap under acceleration. Pop, sometimes die, although it restarts easily when this happens. John says he went through the shop manual and he became convinced that the accelerator pump arm has the pin in the wrong location. He came NY and lived up close to the Adirondacks and had it set for "50 degrees or lower" and that the second hole is for "50 degrees or warmer". I never heard of this but that 1 barrel carb is more complicated than any of my 2 barrel or 4 barrel carbs so I am taking his word for it. Unfortunately we had to remove the carb and do this on the work table. Although removing the carb is an easy job only 2 bolts plus 3 connections (fuel, vac advance, and throttle linkage). But the thing is once we got it there I don't see where the roll pin is doing anything, it wasn't a pivot point. I wish you had been there to see it so you could either agree that something made no sense, or else explain it to me how to works. But Doug and me tapped that roll pin out and put it back in the other hole as he wanted. He did not test drive that one as it had a car cover over it and his vehicle was parked behind it plus you'd need to drive it for 10 or 15 minutes to get it really warmed up for sure before you would know if it is happening still or not. But he said he bets me "dollars to donuts" that this solved his problem. I am however not convinced!

I do think Andre's flimsy battery disconnect had something to do with it, I don't think it would let as many amps pass through it as say a #4 cable, maybe even a #6. But even replacing that did not completely solve it. I will bring my voltmeter with me, hopefully can figure out what we need to fix this for good. A new battery, new cables, and new solenoid would freshen everything up!

 

One reason we never got a pool is all the effort and chemicals for a couple of months out of year. We went to a community pool. My kids swam on the team. Eventually they swam for the high school team. I remember times they had to close the pool because of bottom paint, chemicals, pumps, etc. The community shut the pool down when my kids were older. HOA had differing opinions on cost versus worth. But the swim team was making them money every year. In fact if it wasn't for the swim team the pool was basically empty. So they shut it down and filled it with concrete. Kind of sad they did that. It wasn't our community and it left a bad taste in my mouth about HOA's.

Now, I have a huge "pool" in my back yard. I can go swimming anytime I want.

 

James you are preaching to the choir, I never wanted the expensive or effort of having the pool put in and maintaining it every year, but here I am for 20 years.

I made a little bit of progress on the 83 pickup yesterday, took the speedometer cable off the parts truck and moved it to the project truck. Well, not all of the speedometer cable. The parts truck has a 2 part cable, with a speed sensor connected in between the 2 parts. So I got the lower part (to the trans) and the speed sensor, moved that to the project truck. But not sure how to get the cable off the back of the speedometer, I feel it move a little if I twist it, but it doesn't unscrew like old cables. I can't see up in there very good. I checked the cable from the project truck, that one is in terrible shape with half of the plastic covering burned away from being draped over the hot exhaust, but the part that connects to the speedometer is cracked and some of it chipped away. So not 100% clear how it goes on. Being rainy and yucky out probably will not get any more done on that until next week.

Wanted to go to Andre's yesterday to check battery cables and grounds, but he said it was too hot to work in the garage so that fell through. It's a lot cooler today but I already have other plans!

 

On the pool it sounds like you dont cover it for winter? Up north you had to cover it or it would fill up with leaves and sticks from trees over head.
Cover was a pain but well worth it. Fasten a pillow in the center and then cover over it. The pillow would push up the center to keep water / snow to a minimum till the cover came off in the spring.
To keep the cover tight over winter we would fill half way or a little more milk jugs with water. Remember they freeze and why only half way, and hang them around the outside on the tie cable that held the cover to the pool.
Come spring you then got the leaves and stick off the cover, pump off any nasty water on the top of the cover and keeping half the jugs on the cover 2 people would walk the cove off along with the left over leaves and nasty water.
Lay it out flat and wash off and when dry fold it up till fall.

Most of the time because of the way the pool was closed, you shocked it before closing, you could see the bottom. Fill the pool and get the pump put back in place. It is brought inside for winter, shock pool and vacuum and you were good to go.
Maybe 3 days at most to open the pool ready for swimming but the water was so cold you did not want to go in. You would need a few weeks of high temps and sun to get the temp up on the water.
Yes there is the chemicals, testing and vacuuming but I dont remember it being all that bad.
Mary asked when we first moved here if I wanted a pool and because I was working I would not have time for it and where would we put it as it would be far from the house and need a fence around it so I said no.
Now being retired I kind of wish we had one, oh well.

Yea James you got a BIG POOL in your back yard, You even put your boat in it

You know when you said at the food hall where they lived I was thinking of them but I only knew of the rag top they have.
I am guessing the 68 has a dual master cylinder were both sides low / dry?If the rear chamber was empty and power brakes the seal could be bad on the master and letting fluid into the booster.
Think that is what happen to Andre's bird and I know that is what happen to my Javelins booster and why it has to be rebuilt.
If no booster pull back the rug inside and see if it is wet. I have seen that happen and on my 86 K5 Blazer with hydro boost the hydro system seal let go and soaked the carpet with 2 qt ATF as I had to get the truck home and it was also the power steering.
I just cant see the master being that low from the shoes wearing. I know the front drums are a bitch to pull to check the wheel cylinders but I would check them all as the fluid had to go somewhere.
Dave ----

 

Well you know Fords are weird with the front reservoir feeding the back brakes, and the back reservoir feeding the front brakes, but the one that was empty was the front reservoir. At least if I understand Doug correctly, which I only have a 50/50 chance of understanding him anyway. But John said he checked where the master comes in to the passenger compartment and it was dry. And we saw no evidence of leaks anywhere. But you said the same thing I said - so where did the fluid go? PFM? No one knows. I only knew of their 66 convertible also this was the first time I saw that they had a 68 coupe. He has more Mustang posters, clocks, and paraphernalia than I do, apparently has owned Mustang's his whole life.

My pool is in-ground and it's a kind of weird shape, sort of like an L. Instead of a basic rectangle it has an offset area about 6 or 7 feet out that goes the width of the shallow end. So you probably would have to have a cover custom made. And then no way to attach it unless you made some anchors in the concrete. But yes it absolutely fills up with leaves and twigs and debris. And frogs and turtles even. If it's royal pain in the you know what.

 

On the Stang I would keep and eye on the inside of the wheels for wetness and any brake lock up when putting the brakes on as a sign of a bad wheel cylinder.
I still cant see the shoes wearing that much and not grinding, to lower the level that much to loose brakes.
If mine I would do more digging to find out why it was that low.

You are most likely right on a custom cover for your pool because of the shape.
Any way to maybe lay a large tarp over the pool to keep the crap out? A few pavers around the edges to hold it in place. You may need to pump any water off it so it would not "fall in" but my dad would need to do that to our pool too when it was not frozen.

I will have to ask a friend that have in ground pools at both or their houses, what they do for covers?
I am also sure they have someone come to take care of the pools, I know she said they do for the pool at the NJ shore and I cant see them not having the same done at the not shore house.
If Mary was feeling better next weekend we were going up to SI NY for a birthday party and then talk was to go to the shore for a day or 2 but that has been shelved, still not feeling good enough yet.

Yesterday I took Mary to a training work out as she does not feel good enough to drive and today she is going out for lunch with girl friends so she is getting there.
Dave ----

 

Sorry to hear she is not feeling up to a road trip yet but it is a good sign that she is going to the gym and hanging out with the girls. Slowly but surely. We are planning a road trip to NY next month, Tom's son Kurt is graduating and we are going up for that. Probably will be the last time I set foot in NY as there will not be any other reason to go up there again.

We had 6 club members go to the car show at West Johnston, but John & Josephine were not among them so I did not get a chance to recheck their Mustang. Turnout overall was kind of low, around 50 or 55 I would estimate, I am sure the chance of rain kept many home. We only got misted on twice, not really even a sprinkle, less than that. But the sky looked threatening most of the day.