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Larry L - I went to Harbor Freight today and scoped out the engune support bar. I think I see what you mean about the end brackets. They seem pretty sloppy in their attachment points. But it also seems like spacer washers could be installed there to take up that sloppiness, and then the bolt tightened. An alternative to the welding?
It occurred to me, if when using the support bar, you'll need to make some provision to keep the fenders/guards from spreading too far apart after you've removed the radiator, rad mount and everything else that holds the lot together, like maybe put the lower rad mount back.
I'm sure those diagonal braces wont be up to the task, and I can just see the whole contraption crashing in a heap as the headlights splay farther apart.
(';')
Whoa!!! That would be a BAD outcome. But... an easy fix. I'll just put the upper radiator support back on. I started the job today. I can easily bolt that support back on.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP! And thanks for putting your head in the game. Much apprecuated.
If you don't have a welder, Set the HF tool where you want it and then take the whole tool to a welder shop for them to insure that the pivots cannot turn. Or drill a few holes and nut and bolt so it cannot pivot.
If you would want to? Drive over from Palm City to Venice and I will gift you my HF support bar and we can do a trial fit on my car. Interested? It's about three hours one way. PM me if interested.
Update 4/8/2022 - Disconnected battery. Removed grill and two headlights and headlight retainers to gain access to six hood hinge bolts. Removed bolts and hood latch. Removed hood and stored in front bedroom. One man job. Removed custom aluminum radiator cross brace. Removed A/C condenser leaving hoses attached. Now don't have to worry about emptying or refilling R134A. Drained coolant from system. Removed radiator hoses then radiator. Removed two electric cooling fans. Removed PS/H2O drive belt. Removed power steering pump and disconnected hoses from it. Jacked front end up and put on third notch of jack stands. Removed steering rack. Removed brake calipers from front end assembly and hung by safety wire inside the wheel well. That way don't have to bleed brakes when done. Removed lower sway bar vertical links. Supported engine under rear of oil pan with jack stand and bottle jack. Supported front end suspension assembly with hydraulic jack. Removed two front 1 1/8" nuts and bolts and two rear assembly 9/16" nuts from rubber mount. Then slowly lowered it to the ground taking great care that it wouldn't rock backwards into the engine supports. Slid jack out from under assembly, then slid assembly on cardboard out the front. Lifted the assembly onto a four wheel roll-around.
Next is to support engine from above and start tackling the oil pan bolts. All of the above was a one-man job, but... I had gravity working for me. I'm sure it's going to be a lot harder when raising it all back up into place. But, I'll figure it out - I have to. I'm sorry the front suspension and the rod knock dissertation is all is one blog (or whatever you call this).
Hood off, radiator out, twin electric fans out, A/C condensor still connected but out of the way. Old steering rack out - have rebuilt one to put back in. This one is leaking. Engine supported from underneath - temporary until I get engine support bar on top Just starting to lower Lowered to the ground Out of car and on a dolly Ya think I have a problem here??
there is another, where the bloke in Australia let the front end pivot down so he could fix a sump
love to find that one again, as this is my next job
Bob
I've enjoyed reading this thread, though i'm only in my mid 60's I remember (reading about) when labor was cheap and new parts were expensive. Engines were routinely torn down and "overhauled" at the corner gas station, which was different from "rebuilding." An overhaul was a ring and bearing job, usually done at the same time as a valve job. Valve seats were cut down, valve stems trimmed a bit to compensate for the valve sitting deeper in the seat. Valve guides were "knurled " a cross hatch was cut inside the valve guide to tighten up the clearances between the stem and the cast in guide. Pistons were knurled also, to make them fit the worn cylinder better, there were piston expanding springs installed on the underside. Oversized rings were run in cylinders that were de-glazed with a dingleberry hone. Main and rod bearings received new standard bearings, the rod journal were polished with that crocus cloth. The cam bearings were often overlooked which led to low oil pressure. A timing chain set or new oil pump might be installed. The minimum of machining or none at all, was done. Then the motor was re assembled with new gaskets and seals. There were fixtures that allowed for the cylinders to be rebored with the engine still in the frame, which was commonly done. In the event that was absolutely necessary.
All in all, a lot of hand fitting was done. Now the cost for a shop to R&R an engine is so steep that it makes more sense to just have a remanufactured engine installed in lieu of rebuilding the original engine. Actually engines last so long that a car can go through a twenty year long string of owners and never have major engine work done before the car is scrapped.
How long did these overhauled engines last? I don't know, even a brand new car didn't last that long back in those days. I imagine they might have lasted another couple of years, maybe another 30 or 40 thousand miles. Does anybody have experience with that?
I was glad to hear that things are turning out okay. I used one of those H/F engine support bars to support the rear of the V12 when I pulled the tranny on my XJS. Safety is the most important thing, I'm going to be doing some suspension work on the XJS in the near future. I will keep checking on your progress,
1. since then i have learned that the knurl was a useless process.
2. Circa 48, pal, Terry and I borrowed his brother, Lionel's, 48 GMC pickup to retrieve something from the desert. Als, the con rods began to knock!!! Kione will kin us both. We limped to my house. We went to the oarts place and bolught a set of inserts. In the aproin infront of our twin grages, we dropped the pan and inserted the new shells. wonmder beyond wonder, it worked. Rn fine., We never told Lionel!!
Well Carl, you've got me beat by a couple of decades. My point was that in the past, things were fixed just enough to get them working. I'm on a Antique car forum where everyone that is restoring an old car thinks that they have to completely rebuild the engine. I wonder why, that old car will see little use aside from shows and such. Why not just overhaul it?
I've got some auto repair trade magazines from the 1930's. back then there were some real money saving processes. Valve and cylinder overhauls had to be delivered for 30-40 dollars. The cars were only worth around 50-60 dollars in running shape. Some of the articles on how to increase customer traffic and deliver low cost repairs are very enlightening.
Reminds me of Popular mechanics, magazine. Gus's garage. a popular article. His ingenuity in keeping old cars on the road.
My forst car was a 23 T Ford. Pal and mentor billy was sensitive to connecting rod knocks. He lsot his first T to oe circa Ruidoso new mexico. Sold chep rode home in roy's slick A.
So, dropping the pnand tightening the rods was regulr maintenance for me. If lucky, the cops ha laminated shims, Just peel of a thin layer.. if not, flatfile to fir. Now, I think I fitted tjhe too tight. never could crank it up. Had to push it down hill, jump inm and stickl it in gear/ Rarely did I ever use the electri starter.
Circ 58. I built another T. A speedster, this time. from mostly discarded junk the main part was a derelict remnant of a field trap. Fitted rods, just a tad loose. Much better. Even the electric starter cranked it easiy
The guy that cut my hair resored a T phaeton. . My T would run off and hide from his his was a classy proper restoration
he had a A coupe., it only ran on 3!! One really badly done valve sea.t i conjured a crude repaor. SOg. Gt n on 4!!!!! Both of us pleased, yet amazed.
Update - Was waiting to receive the 9/16" and the 1" self-ratcheting wrenches to do the spring removal. As you may recall I got the 1" threaded bar and the (4) 3/8"x24 bars from Sanchez (thank you, thank you again). After turning the entire assembly upside down, I installed the 1" threaded bar first down the center of the pan hole to the top of the spring tower applying just a bit of pressure by tightening the 1" nut.. Applied lots of red bearing grease to the threads. I chased the threads on all four threaded bars, as they were used previously. And one at a time I removed a pan bolt, chased those threads in the lower A arm, and screwed in the 3/8"x24 threaded bar. Then tightened in the bar with a double locking nut to prevent it from unscrewing when I was releasing the pressure. Had to use a couple of oversized nuts as spacers under the 9/16" grade 5 nut on each bar to allow room for the 9/16" self-ratcheting wrench. Once all four threaded rods and nuts were all installed (all WELL greased up), I then started letting the pressure off the 1" nut, then unscrewing the 9/16" nuts, each until they were loose. Then unscrewing the 1" nut a bit more which put pressure back onto the 9/16" nuts, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat - many, many times. It was a long tedious job, but VERY safe doing it that way. Tips: the self-ratcheting wrenches were worth their weight in gold; use lots of grease; be sure to cinch down the 3/8"x24 threaded rods into the A-arm using double locking nuts to ensure they don't back out when releasing pressure, be patient - your dominant arm and wrist are going to get a good workout.
All of the above was hours and hours of work. Now on to removing the lower tapered ball joint, then to the long bolt to remove the A arm.
Threaded rods I got from Sanchez All threaded rods installed. Ready to start the unscrewing process. Unscrewed completely. Ready to remove all nuts and rods to removed spring pan and spring. Spring and spring plate removed on passenger side Both springs removed!!
Good job, Bill!
Now that you've done it, it's not really necessary to have all the 3/8" threaded rods in the spring pans to remove them, as the function of the small all-thread is to keep the springs in alignment for proper installation and not required for removal.
This will speed up the process by quite a lot.
It is quite a Trepidacious (indeed, Frightening) job the first time, isn't it! But you have prevailed!
(';')
Yes, when I was into the unscrewing process for about 15 minutes, every little noise it was making made me twinge a bit and jump a little. After a while I felt very confident I was doing all this properly. I certainly knew what to expect more on the second side and I whistled while I worked. As a result of this forum and all the YouTube videos I did this job a hundred times in my head. So that made it much easier.
