Topics

1

General Discussion / Lost steering - Need some input

« on: April 18, 2017, 05:56:46 PM »

Hello -

A few months ago, I was moving my '68 Z28 in my lot.  I was puttling it back into the garage, and I started turning the wheel, and it "let go" for a second, and spun about 90 degrees.  I turned it in the opposite direction, same thing.

I popped the hood and found that the half of the rag joint that clamps to the steering box shaft had slipped on the shaft.  I tried to tighten the bolt, just to get the wheels straight to get the car in the garage, but it snapped off, and I lost ALL steering.  I had to dolly the front wheels and get a few of my employees to help me muscle the car back into the garage, where I put it up on the lift.

Needless to say, it freaked me out a bit.  Thank GOD I wasn't driving the car or I may have ended up with a VERY expensive wreck.

Anyway, I'm aware that many of the vendors out there offer a complete rag joint setup and correct bolt, so it doesn't seem like getting a new rag joint setup should be a problem.

However, may main worry is that the splines on the shaft coming out of the steering box might be worn, and I'd run the risk of losing steering again.  They don't APPEAR to be worn, in that they're fairly sharp and well defined, but my experience with steering boxes is nil, other than removing and replacing a few over the years.

The car has manual steering (hate it, but it's original), and the car is an unrestored driver.  I'm wondering if I should pull the steering box and sent it out the have it checked out and rebuilt.  The car seemed to steer fine before I lost the rag joint, but I haven't driven it much since getting it 2 years ago, and as far as I know, it's the original box (It's a Saginaw, but I haven't looked into the exact ratio or looked at any of the casting dates, if there are any).

Any words of advice from someone who has been there, or has experience with this kind of thing?  Anything I MUST have checked, or look out for?

I want to get it back on the road and drive it this year before tearing it down for some much needed work on the quarters and paint.

Thank you.

Chris Kirk
Monroe, CT

2

General Discussion / '68 Z28 - Need shifter options vs. the original Muncie shifter

« on: May 12, 2016, 10:06:42 PM »

Hello!

After completely overhauling the brakes in the '68 Z28, I finally took it for a shakedown run yesterday.  I bought the car over a year ago from NC, but haven't put any miles on it.  It's a documented numbers matching unrestored survivor (except for a really crappy mid-80s enamel paint job), and I spent the time since purchasing it getting all of the little stuff working...clock, gauges, locks, etc.

Anyway, the car ran really well...BUT, it has the original Muncie shifter, which, IMHO is biggest POS shifter I've ever used.  I constantly miss gears, hit 3rd instead of 1st and vice versa, it's sticky, notchy, and just doesn't work very well.  Granted, it's probably worn out, so maybe I shouldn't be so harsh on it, but the long and the short of it is, I need a new shifter in order to comfortably drive the car.

Is there an option to get a new Hurst mechanism and use the  Muncie handle for originality?

If not, what have others used with success?  Can the original shifter be rebuilt?   If it can, can I expect decent performance from it?

What have others done?

Thanks...

Chris

3

General Discussion / Please help with dash pad install on my '68 Z28

« on: December 14, 2015, 06:46:49 PM »

Hello!
 
Since I have the inst. panel out for the tach rebuild, I decided to replace the dash pad.  The previous owner had at some point removed the pad, covered it with blue vinyl, and reinstalled it.  It looked like hell.

I got it off easy enough.  There were only the 4 studs that fasten the pad to the top of the dash.  There were no other screws to remove.

I reinstalled the chrome trim on the new pad and proceeded with the install.  Of course, the pad is not tight against the dash...there's a 1/2" or so gap where it overhangs the front of the dash, right below the chrome trim.

I looked at the original pad and at the metal dash and saw there had been some screws that fastened the edge of the dash pad to the dash board.  They were missing on the original when I pulled it out, so I never knew that they were there.

So...

Do those screws go in from the back of the dashboard into the pad, or do they go in through the outside of the dash pad into the metal dash, hopefully partially hidden by the chrome trim???

What size and type of screw did the General use?  Regular sheet metal?  Chrome plated, or ?

Was the purpose of the chrome trim to partially/totally hide those screws?

Also, the plastic fasteners that are supposed to hold down the side edges of the dash pad don't really stay secure in the factory hole.  Do most people end up using a spot of glue or ?.   

I looked in the factory assembly manual, but couldn't find anything about the dash pad.

If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks...

Chris

4

General Discussion / '68 Z28 instrument housing - paint?

« on: November 25, 2015, 12:52:48 AM »

Hello!

Since I have my '68 Z28 laid up for a brake system overhaul, I decided to pull the cluster to have the tach rebuilt (wildly inaccurate) and to fix the dash light.

The original housing is not in the best shape...the upper corners on both sides are broken off, there's a small piece broken off the bottom and missing, and the entire housing is stained and scratched.

I know that Camaro Central sells a repop housing, but only in black but with the correct chroming, so it has to be painted.

Has anyone ever painted a plastic dash part using the paint that CC sells?  I'd like to replace the housing, but only if the paint is a fairly decent match with texture that doesn't look completely out of place.  Also, I'll have to mask off the chroming, and I'm not sure what the result will look like after painting.

Anyone have any experience with painting plastic dash parts?

Thanks...

Chris

5

General Discussion / Dash lights - Test for headlight switch?

« on: November 18, 2015, 04:58:14 PM »

Hello -

Since I have my '68 Z28 off the road for a brake system rebuild, I thought I'd tackle the non-working dash lights as well.

Yes, I read the thread on Camaros.net on how to fix your dash lights.  Here's where I am at the moment -

I pulled the instrument panel, went through all the steps, and found that I have no power going to the panel from the socket.  I know that the lights work because I used lines w/alligator clips to run power to the panel, and it lit up like a Christmas tree.

Question -

Should I simply assume that the headlight switch is bad and replace it?  I know that if the rheostat on the switch goes bad, it won't feed the dash lights.

Are there any other tests I can run to test if the headlight switch is bad before I buy a new switch?

Thanks...

Chris

6

General Discussion / 2 different rotors on my '68 Z28 - which is correct?

« on: November 03, 2015, 07:54:06 PM »

Hello -

As is typical, what started out as a "simple brake check to make sure the car is safe" turned into a "complete system overhaul with 100% factory correct date coded parts", or at least that's what I'm now shooting for.

Anyway, here's 2 pics of the rotors that came on my '68 Z28.  From what I understand, the 2 piece is the correct design.  Is that the case, or were both types used with different time frames, or ?.

The "hat" from the 1 piece is rubbing on the inside surface of the rotor, so my guess is that I should go with a 2 piece.

Any disadvantage to the 2 piece?

Thanks...

Chris

7

General Discussion / Is this the correct metering valve for my '68 Z?

« on: October 26, 2015, 03:32:51 PM »

Hello -

Now that I have the brakes torn apart, I decided to rebuild everything, which also include the metering valve.

I recall reading somewhere that there was a slight difference between 67 - 68 valves and a '69 (I know that 70 is different).

Is there a difference?

I've included a picture of my metering valve.  I checked with the Musclecar Research Group when ordering the kit, and the owner said that he wasn't aware of any differences between 67-68 and '69.

Thanks...

Chris

8

General Discussion / '68 Z28 Redoing my brakes - bleeders on the MC?

« on: October 22, 2015, 01:54:02 PM »

Hello -

I'm starting the brake system redo on my '68 Z28.  I'm going with new lines, hoses, wheels cylinders, rear shoes and hardware, and a correctly date coded booster and correct master cylinder.

The correct MC has bleeders on the body.  I realize that these bleeders are there to help eliminate any air trapped in the MC due to the upward angle of the booster mount.

My question is this - on every brake system overhaul I've ever done, I've always bench bled the MC...filled it up with fluid, and either blocked off the line ports or routed lines back into the reservoir, then pumped the MC piston until there were no more air bubbles in the lines or coming out of the ports in the reservoir.

Wouldn't bench bleeding before installation eliminate the need to use the bleeder ports on the MC?  If not, how would air get into the MC after the bench bleed, assuming I keep the reservoir full enough to cover the ports during installation?

If I can avoid spilling paint-eating DOT 3 fluid all over my newly semi-gloss painted MC, I'd like to do so.

Thanks in advance...

Chris

9

General Discussion / Found an 814 alternator at Carlisle - need opinions

« on: October 03, 2015, 09:18:49 PM »

Hello -

Whilst at Carlisle, I got to talking with a guy while digging through some alternators.  I mentioned to him what I was looking for, an 1100814 alternator for my '68 Z28, and he said that he had one at home.  Of course, he knew exactly what he had, so the price was not cheap...$1000 to be exact.

He just sent me some pics of the alternator that I've attached.  Obviously, if I'm going to drop a huge pile of money on what is normally a $60 part, I want to make sure that it's EXACTLY what I need to make my car completely original.

The date code is 7H2, which is a late '67 alternator for use on an early '68 car.  My car was built in the 2nd week of April.

Will this alternator be out of place on my car?  I have no sense for the lag time between an alternator's production and when it was actually installed on a car.

Also, anyone think it could be a restamp?

Thanks...

Chris

10

General Discussion / New (but correct) MC - painted black, bare, or ?

« on: August 24, 2015, 07:42:14 PM »

Hello -

I've given up trying to solve the problem with my right rear brake locking up by going at it piecemeal.  Since I want the car to be as correct as possible, and most of the brake parts on the car should be replaced anyway, I bit the bullet and ordered a correct date coded booster and disc brake coded MC for my car, along with all the missing brackets for the prop. valve and splitter block, along with all new steel lines and hoses.

Question - how should the MC be prepped for a correct engine compartment?  Is it painted black, or left as a bare casting.  If it's bare, would painting it with cast iron paint be a no-no?  If it's painted, are the bleeders painted as well?  Anything else I should know?

I've heard that the booster should be left the original gold finish, so that's what I'm going to do, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks...

Chris

11

General Discussion / 68 Z28 anyone make pre bent stainless lines for the proportioning valve/splitter

« on: August 23, 2015, 11:23:01 PM »

Hello -

Getting ready to install the correct booster, MC, and proportioning valve/splitter brackets on my '68 Z28.

Does anyone make pre-bent stainless lines for between the MC and the proportioning valve and splitter block?

I've searched all of the usual suspects (Ricks, Year One, Classic Industries, Ebay), and I can't find any...

thanks...

Chris

12

General Discussion / '68 Z28 Need pic - prop valve/splitter mounting and line layout

« on: August 17, 2015, 08:12:48 PM »

Hello -

When Jerry looked at my '68 Z28, he remarked that I was missing the brackets that mounted the proportioning valve and line splitter block to the power brake booster.  Right now, they're just hanging in place by the brake lines.  I've since ordered the correct brackets from Rick's Camaros, but I'd like to see a pic of how they're supposed to be set up.

Also, I'd like to make sure that my lines are run correctly.  I've attached a pic of the setup I have now, although I already have the correct MC on order.

Forgive my ignorance, but on every brake system I've ever set up, I had the line for the rear brakes (the smaller, rear reservoir) feeding into the proportioning valve;  As I understand the valve's purpose, it is to restrict brake fluid flow the to rear brakes so as to prevent them from locking up before the front brakes.  Please excuse my ignorance if I'm wrong.

As the system is set up now, the front brake lines (large front reservoir) feed into the proportioning valve.  Is that correct?

Thanks in advance...

Chris

13

General Discussion / '68 Z28 - rear pass side drum brakes are sticking...don't know why

« on: August 13, 2015, 09:34:48 PM »

Hello!

I recently went through my '68 Z28 to get it ready for driving.  The rear brakes were shot, so I installed new shoes and wheel cylinders (old ones were leaking), and had the drums turned. I took the car for a short ride, and after about 10 minutes, the car started shuddering badly. I drove it slowly back to my shop, got out of the car, and saw smoke pouring out of the pass side rear wheel. I put the car on a lift, pulled the drum, and it appeared as I may have installed the parking brake hardware incorrectly. I straightened everything out, and took it for a ride. Same deal after 5 mins. Shuddering car, smoking pass side rear brake. Pulled the drum, and all appeared well except for the spring on the bottom of the shoes, the one over the adjuster. It appeared slightly bent. So I ordered a brake hardware kit from Napa, installed it, took it for a ride, and have the SAME DAMN PROBLEM, shuddering and a smoking pass side rear brake.

At this point I'm at somewhat of a loss. I've done more than a few GM drum brake jobs, and have never had a problem.

The shoes are installed correctly.  Short shoe facing the front of the car, long shoe facing the rear.

I'm thinking that it might be the MC.  I had a '57 Chevy 1/2 ton truck a few years ago that had sticking front brakes with a disc brake/under floor dual well MC conversion. Turns out that the truck had been sitting and rust had built up in the return port in the MC, so the fluid couldn't return.

I do know that this car was not driven a lot in the past few years, so the same thing might have happened.

What stumps me is why only 1 wheel is sticking.

The parking brake works corrects, and the car seems to roll freely with the brake off.

Anyone have any idea what could cause a drum brake to continue to stick?

Thanks...

Chris
Monroe, CT

14

General Discussion / WHOOO HOOO!!!! She's a REAL Z!! (Just like I thought...)

« on: July 23, 2015, 01:33:43 AM »

Jerry MacNeish just left my shop.  Spent a few hours with him while he went through my '68 Z28.  Really nice guy.  Had an interesting conversation while he did his thing.

He said that it was "a nice survivor", with matching numbers on the engine, tranny, rear end, rims, carb, and distributor.  The booster, MC, fan clutch, radiator, and a few other pieces are not, all of which I knew.

I did all my homework before I bought the car, so I wasn't that worried, but it did eliminate any doubt at all as to the car's authenticity.  The car is not perfect by a long stretch, but it's solid, it runs, drives, and stops, so I can drive it as is for now.

Chris

15

General Discussion / Please help...this time it's the temp gauge, 68 Z28

« on: July 20, 2015, 04:09:24 PM »

Hello!

A few weeks ago, I was able to get my fuel gauge working with the help of some comments and pics from other users here.

Thank you.

Now I'm trying to get my temp gauge to work.  I found out the hard way that the fuel gauge was not working because the wiring was incorrect, so that may be the case for the temp gauge as well.  I've attached a pic, and I hope that someone can set me straight if the wiring is incorrect.

NOTE:  I've since added a ground to the bottom terminal of the gauge, as it appears that it should have a ground based on the pics I was able to find.  If the gauge is not grounded, it pegs full hot.

Here's what I've got...

Gauge is brand new from Rick's Camaros.

Their website states that the gauge is NOT internally resisted, so I need a shunt resistor, which I ordered from them and installed as well, as shown.

The sending unit is well grounded in the block.  Resistance between the brass body and the block is +/- 1 ohm.

The resistance for the sending unit itself is about 750 when cold.  I warmed the engine up somewhat and now it's reading about 160.  From what I understand, that range is correct for a factory sending unit, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Rick's website says that the gauge is rated for between 55 and 225 ohms(??!!!) - a range that does NOT match the sending unit ohms. 

With the gauge hooked up as shown, with the ground, the gauge will only go to less than 1/8 warm when I run the car for 15 minutes or so, which should be fully warmed up, or very close to it.

Can someone please:

1)  confirm that I have the gauge wired correctly
2) confirm the resistance range for the factory sending unit
3) Let me know if I'm missing something

Thanks...

Chris