Topics

16

Restoration / Fan shroud plastic identification ???

« on: May 17, 2020, 07:13:50 PM »

Can anyone identify the type of plastic an original '68 small block fan shroud (GM part number 3893812) is made from?

I want to attempt to repair some cracks in my original shroud. There are a lot of plastic repair products out there but they're all specific as to what types of plastic they will repair.

So before I can choose a product, I need to know what type of plastic I am dealing with.

Thanks.....Dave

17

Restoration / Speedometer cable rotating stiffness ???

« on: April 29, 2020, 03:40:14 PM »

I purchased a new two piece speedometer cable for my '68 to replace the original. The original still functioned fine but the connections at the transmission, and where the two cable halves join together, after having been cranked on numerous times with pliers and corrosion from the elements, were looking pretty rough. I tried to pretty the connectors up with some silver paint but they still look bad.

The internal cables on my original spin freely when turned by hand. No resistance whatsoever! The new cable I got is from Classic Headquarters. I can spin the internal cable by hand but there is some resistance. It's noticeably stiffer than the original. And it's really only the longer section of the new two piece cable that's harder to turn. The short section turns free like the original.

You would think that it would be the other way around.....the old cable would be stiff and the new would turn with no resistance.

So my questions are...….are new cables a little stiff at the beginning and it just needs a little break in time.....or should I try lubricating the new cable? If I should lubricate it, could someone recommend a specific product?

Thanks......Dave

18

Restoration / Saginaw speedometer cable questions

« on: April 24, 2020, 12:50:00 PM »

I have two speedometer cable questions. They are in reference to my '68 with a factory Saginaw four speed transmission.
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1) Did all Saginaw transmissions have the two piece speedometer cable? I have the two piece cable and that's what the AIM pg. 322 (see photo below) shows for the Production Engine which I assume refers to the base 327 which I have. It's called out in View A in the upper left hand corner of the sheet.

What is confusing me is that Heartbeat City has the two piece cable but calls it out for a car with cruise control and/or a heavy duty 3 speed. They also show a one piece cable available for Saginaw transmissions. This doesn't jive with the AIM. I would tend to believe the AIM but I'm needing a new cable and want to be sure I am buying the right one.
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2) Also in View A on sheet 322, it shows a clip on the floor board holding the speedometer cable but doesn't call out a part number for it. I can't find any such clip in the parts catalogs. I had a hole in that location on my original floor board so there might have been a clip there at one time. I have the same hole in my new repro floor board.....Does anyone know where you can get this clip?

Thanks Dave

19

Restoration / Steering coupler choices ???

« on: April 20, 2020, 07:00:02 PM »

I am needing a new steering coupler ( rag joint ) for my '68. I have the factory power steering box and a factory tilt column. The worn out coupler I am replacing is a GM part bought at a Chevy dealership in the early or mid 80's. My steering box has the 13/16 inch diameter, 31 spline input shaft with the "flat spot." The GM coupler I'm replacing has the corresponding flat spot.

I want my replacement to be as close in looks as possible to an original GM coupler. I have looked at all or most of the couplers from the usual parts suppliers and things start get pretty confusing.

1) Some say 31 spline and some say 36 spline. I'm gathering the 36 will fit and is the same as the 31 but does not have the flat spot and has five more splines where the flat spot would have been. Can someone verify that?

2) The two bolts in the coupler that I am replacing are different diameters. One is 5/16, one is 3/8. Some of the couplers advertised tell you that they use two 5/16 diamter bolts. I don't know how they can do that since the corresponding holes in the steering column flange are drilled for  5/16 and 3/8. Wouldn't using in 5/16 bolt in the 3/8th hole add slop into the steering?

3) I'm not sure what they are called but I'm referring to the plate that goes under each bolt head that spreads out the load over the rubber disc. My old GM coupler has two of them, one under each bolt. About half of the couplers advertised have the two individual plates like mine and the other half  have a one piece unit half circular unit that connects both of them. I don't know why there are two different styles or which one is correct.

4) Some of the advertised couplers say the collar on the coupler that fits over the steering box input shaft is only splined a 1/4 of it's diameter. Mine is splined all the way around except for the flat spot. Wouldn't splining only a 1/4 of it make for a weaker connection?

5) And lastly, not one of the advertised couplers say a single thing about a ground strap being included. I don't see ground straps advertised anywhere. What do you do to complete the horn ground if the coupler you buy doesn't have one?

The attached pictures are of:

1) The GM coupler I'm replacing.
2) My steering column flange with one 5/16 hole and one 3/8 hole.
3,4)  The style coupler with the half circle plate that both mounting bolts pass through.
5,6) The style coupler I believe is the closest to what an original GM would look.

I'd appreciate any input as to what looks most correct and also fits my steering box and column flange

Thanks......Dave

20

Restoration / Getting the correct bell housing finish ???

« on: March 31, 2020, 02:10:46 PM »

Many, many years ago before I knew much about correct colors, I painted my bell housing orange. I know now that the correct finish should be natural aluminum. I'm getting nearer to getting it back in the car now and want it to look correct.

I degreased and cleaned it up the other day. Where the orange paint had worn off, some of the aluminum underneath was bright with a little shine to it. In most places though, it is a dark gray and blotchy.

So after I get the rest of the orange paint off, I was wondering the best way to go about this. I have no problem with painting it. There are a lot of aluminum replicating paints out there......but which one to use? I read some of the reviews on them and some will say one brand looks great while others will say the same brand sucks!

I have a small blasting cabinet with 80 grit glass beads. Is that an option using a clearcoat or some protective coating afterwards? If bead blasting is an option, is 80 grit way to coarse?

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated.

Dave

21

Restoration / Manual transmission mounting pad choices ???

« on: March 26, 2020, 06:07:54 PM »

I need a new transmission mounting pad for my '68 with a manual transmission. The pad that bolts to the crossmember and then also the rear of the transmission. I just need a stock replacement, nothing more.

The last time I bought one of these (a long time ago) they were still available from GM but it looks like not anymore.

I know you can by these from any parts house and I'm sure they're made by many different manufacturers. Rock Auto offers four different brands alone.

Given the load that gets put on this piece, I want to make sure I get a good one. Does anyone have any recommendation as to who makes a good one and who sells it?......or does it really matter and anyone of them would do just fine?

Thanks....Dave

22

Restoration / Problem with new pulley ???

« on: January 14, 2020, 03:09:09 AM »

I have two pulleys on my harmonic balancer. First is the double pulley GM p/n 3744043 for the alternator and smog pump. And in front of that and sandwiched against it, GM p/n 3751232 for the power steering pump.

After having my pulleys sandblasted, I found there was a one inch crack in the alternator groove of the double pulley (3744043) and fatigued metal extending from the crack in both directions. I also found that it was slightly warped. I'm not putting that back on
 
I saw that this pulley (3744043) was still available from GM Parts Direct, AC Delco p/n 03744043 and ordered one.

The new pulley seems fine and it actually slightly heavier than the original but there is one difference and I don't know if this is going to be a problem or not. My photos will help explain this.

The lip on the front edge of the new pulley sticks out 1/16 of an inch further forward than the original pulley. Because the power steering pump pulley is sandwiched against the new pulley, if I use this new pulley, the power steering pump pulley will be pushed 1/16 inch forward. There isn't much distance between my crankshaft pulleys and the power steering pump pulley. There's only about 6 inches of belt between them that isn't contacting either pulley. So my question is......if I use this new pulley, can that 1/16th misalignment across such a short distance be a problem.....like wearing the power steering pump bearings? Perhaps it's no big deal but I want to be sure.

I know original pulleys are available on Ebay but I would worry about possible getting another one that was fatigued.

Thanks…...Dave

23

Restoration / Interior rear view mirror repair questions

« on: June 23, 2019, 02:10:27 AM »

I am trying to save and restore the original interior rear view mirror from my '68 and have some questions.

It has two problems. The glass is needing replacing or re-silvering and the lever for switching the day/night mode is broken.

My questions are...…

1) Is there any place you can get a replacement lever aside from a donor mirror. I'm doubting it but it never huts to ask. I tried gluing mine back together and had exactly the luck I expected......none!

2) Replacement glass is available from Paragon Corvette for $40.00. I assume it's reproduction and wonder about the quality and fit. Anyone had experience with these?

3) Can any place that re-silvers  mirrors re-do do a day/night mirror?

4) Is it true that the glass just fits inside the rubber and that no adhesive was used to hold it in. I didn't know if the yellow substance that came off of the back of the glass and stuck to the rubber was adhesive or part of the mirror backing?

5) How is the rubber attached the stainless steel body of the mirror? I had soaked my mirror in hot water to soften the rubber to get the glass out and in the process, most of the rubber detached from the body of the mirror. An inch and a half of the rubber at one end will not come loose though. On the part that did come loose, there doesn't seem to be any trace of adhesive.

Thanks..…..Dave

24

Restoration / Rear shock upper mount plate questions

« on: March 27, 2019, 02:14:57 PM »

I have three questions about the plates that bolt to the bottom of the trunk floor and that the top of the rear shocks mount to.


1) Would the little bit of these plates that you would see inside the trunk have spatter paint on them? The fact that the spatter paint was applied on the Fisher Body side of the plant.....and that these plates show up in the AIM (the Chevrolet side) would tell me they were installed after spatter paint. I just want to verify this.

2) What is the correct finish of the plates? The ones I bought have what looks like EDP coating on them. The ones shown on HBC's website look like phosphate.

3) The AIM shows PN 3905569 Washer-Sealing to seal the bolt holes in the plate to the trunk floor and some kind of cement (No. 63) to seal the big hole in the plates to the trunk floor. Is this anything special or can you just get by with a little strip caulk to do all of the sealing?

Thanks.....Dave

25

Restoration / Brake Metering/Proportioning valve plunger question!

« on: February 23, 2019, 06:58:19 PM »

Mine is a '68 with power front disc brakes.

I had my Metering Valve (or Proportioning Valve depending on what you call it) rebuilt by Brakeboosters.com a couple of years ago. I'm just now getting ready to fill and bleed my restored brake system for the first time.

I know that when you are bleeding the brakes that the plunger on the back of the Metering Valve has to be pushed in in order for fluid to flow to the front brakes. I've read where you can have someone helping you push it in or put a clamp on it.

My question is.....just how much force does it take to push that plunger in??? I tried doing it by hand and it wouldn't move......I put the valve in a vice and gently turned it and the plunger still won't budge. I had wood between the valve and the vise jaws to protect the valve and it started crushing the wood instead of moving the plunger!...….That amount of pressure not moving the plunger hardly jives with someone being able to push it in by hand.

I'm not sure how to precede here. Do these things stick? I'm afraid of putting any more pressure on it for fear of breaking something.....Any thoughts are appreciated?

Thanks...….Dave

26

Restoration / Incorrect starter brace ???

« on: February 03, 2019, 04:03:20 PM »

I am trying to figure out what is the correct starter brace for my car.

I have a '68 originally with a 327 but the engine block that is in it is a 350 from a '76 Impala. In all the years I've owned it, it never had a starter brace but I would like to put one on.

I have the 12 3/4 inch 153 tooth flywheel and a Delco Remy starter #1108368 1F 1 1

The brace you see in these pictures is from Heartbeat City and is a genuine GM.....part number 3965589. It is what HBC calls out for a small block with a 153 tooth flywheel...….It is about an inch too short!

I'm not sure where the problem is. Either the part number they call out is wrong or.....the stud on the starter I have that the brace connects to is in a location different from where it would be on an original 327 starter or...…..the brace mounting hole in the block is in a different location than a '68 327 block or....some combination of the above.

Whatever the reason, I would still like to find the correct brace (if there is one) that will work with the block and the starter that I have.

Thanks.......Dave

27

Restoration / Side window glass installation questions ???

« on: January 07, 2019, 06:07:46 PM »

This is my first time (zero prior experience) at installing the hardware on the side glass and then installing everything in the car. The glass is all new Pilkington. All of the hardware is original to the car except the one roller at the very bottom of each quarter window which are new.

1) How much should you tighten all of the connections to the glass? I have the special wrench for spinning these nuts on (with the two slots each). Should you tighten just till it feels firm? My concern is over tightening and cracking the glass.

2) All of the mounting holes in the glass are the same diameter as the original glass and are 1/16 inch larger than the hardware that passes through them. It's not a tight fit. So you have 1/16 inch wiggle room at each connection. This means you can wiggle your roller plate assemblies a little before you tighten them down to the glass......So my question is do you fully tighten them before installing the windows in the tracks or do you leave them loose enough to wiggle and them fully tighten them after they are in the tracks?

3) As I mentioned above, the rollers that sits by themselves at the bottom the quarter windows are new. These rollers are turnable by hand but are very stiff. I tried to work a little lubricant into them and they loosened just a little but they are still very stiff. Are they supposed to be stiff like this or supposed to turn freely?

Thanks....Dave

28

Restoration / Roof rail blow out clip angle ???

« on: November 26, 2018, 10:56:48 PM »

After re-riveting my roof rail blow out clips back on to the roof rail channels, I noticed that the angle of the blow out clips in relation to the channel is different on the long and short channels.

On the long channels, the clips are bent back and are touching the side of the channel. On the short channels, the clips are not bent back nearly as far and there is an 1/8 gap between the clips and the sides of the channels...….These are the original clips going back on the original channels. I don't think anything got bent along the way.

The only reason this concerns me is I wouldn't want the window rubbing against the clips on the short channels because the clips are sticking out to far. My side glass isn't installed so I can't check.

It's no big deal for me to remove the clips on the short channels, bend the clips back, and then re-rivet them. Before I do that, I want to find out if it's possible the clips are correct just as they are and there won't be any window rubbing. I don't want to fix something that isn't broken.

Thanks......Dave

29

Restoration / Roof rail weatherstrip channel installation ???

« on: November 26, 2018, 04:32:42 PM »

I am wondering about how to properly position the three sided stainless steel roof rail channels that hold the top of the window weatherstripping seal?

I have my original channels screwing back into their original holes in the body but the oversize screw holes in the channels allow for a lot of adjustment.

When you are doing the final adjustment of your side windows, is tweaking the position of the roof rail channels part of the adjustment process or do you fix them in place and adjust the windows to wherever the channels are. (I have never adjusted window before!)

Using the impressions left in the channels by the oversize screw heads as a guide, I can get the channels pretty much right back where there were originally if that's the way to go.

I've also been told to put the headliner windlace in place and then push the channels against it and use that as a starting position and then tweak it if needed.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks......Dave

30

Restoration / Distinctive Industries brand headliner - need some opinions !!!

« on: November 04, 2018, 05:51:13 PM »

Before I start this, let me say I have ZERO experience with headliners other than removing my original. I've never put one in, never seen anyone put one in, or even seen a reproduction in person before!

I picked up a Distinctive Industries brand headliner from Ecklers warehouse in Titusville, FL. The kit included the headliner, sail panels already covered, and sunvisor material. I opened the box while I was there for a quick look to compare the appearance to a piece of my original GM. It was a good match appearance wise. In the photo below, the three small pieces are sitting on the Distinctive sunvisor material.

After getting it home and really looking it, here's what I found..... and need some questions answered.

1) Compared to headliner sample pieces I got from TMI, PUI, and Legendary, the Distinctive was the closest in appearance to a piece of my original GM headliner that was tucked under and had never seen the light of day......The pattern of the TMI and PUI are correct but both have a little duller sheen than the GM piece.  The Distinctive's sheen was spot on the GM. The Legendary sample was nothing like the GM......So appearance wise, the Distinctive is great!

2) Out of the box, the Distinctive has a very strong vinyl odor! Exactly like if you took a brand new vinyl shower curtain out of it's packaging and how strong it smells....I couldn't take smelling that every time I got in my car...….Is this normal? Do all brands smell that way out of the box and would it fade over time?

3) My biggest concern is how you would mount these sail panels. The original GM's had four brackets fastened to the back of the sail panel. A clip went in the bracket and then the clip was pushed into holes in the sail panel structure of the body. The distinctive sail panel has no brackets for the clips to fasten to. There are patches of reinforced cardboard on the back with small holes in it. My guess is maybe you are supposed to put your clips in these holes. The problem with that is that first off, you need four clips per side and there are only three holes, the holes are too small to put an original clip in, and the holes are close but not in the same position as the clips on the originals. Two of the at least an inch off! I have no idea how I would mount these.

So I'm needing opinions on this Distinctive headliner and sail panels. Is what I'm seeing here (and smelling) here the norm with all manufacturers or should I return these and look for something better?

Thanks.....Dave

ps....For what it's worth, I measured the thickness of all the samples I have here. I'm not sure if the differences are significant.

                         TMI  .0210 inches
Distinctive Industries  .0220 inches
         My original GM  .0235 inches
                         PUI  .0240 inches