Typical Car Story Foibles ... Just a long goofy story about my day.

This weekend I started getting "The Yellow Monster" ready to go to "Fabulous Fords Forever." The show is two weeks away (April 22nd) and I have done NOTHING to clean and prep the car.

I hooked up the pressure washer (for anyone who doesn't know ... I clean carpets and upholstery plus several other related aspects for a living, so I have the "Big Van" at my disposal at all times) 600PSI and near 200 degree water does wonders on most anything car related when it comes to cleaning. I got the car on jack stands so I could blast off the undercarraige, engine bay, suspension, etc etc.

In the process I noticed I had a axle seal leak on the P/S and since I already had the wheels off for a good cleaning ... I figured I'd just as well get that taken care of right now.

I called around and NAPA said they had my seal in stock so while Queenie was out running errands in that area of town, I pulled the axle and Queenie stopped by to pick up the three dollar seal. She arrived home and the new seal was "different" noticeably wider than the old one which didn't seem like a big deal, but it also seemed larger in diameter. I break out the caliper to see what's up. Sure enough the thing is .045 larger than the old one (Too Much for press-in fit.)

Back nearly ten years ago when the 4.11:1 third member was swapped in, the guy I had doing it with/for me (side note: I knew a lot less then than I do now) anyway he put in new axle seals ... so at this point I'm not 100% positive the one I just took out is exactly right either, it sure looked smallish and light duty to me.

By now I'm also deciding I should get new brake shoes since there was some oil on the old shoes from the leak ... then obviously the drums come into question as well. I called around a checked the net for new drums which seemed to be 80 to 90 dollars each and no one had them in stock.

So off I go to Car Quest toting my brake drums and the two axle seals (for comparison.) I walk in the door and to my surprise my most desired parts guy Don was standing behind the counter with no customers in front of him. I walk up and say, "Don If I asked for an axle seal for my Mach1 what would you bring out here to me?". Don looks it up and brings it out ... guess what ... it's different than either of the two I have in hand. It's as thick as the NAPA seal, but It's only about .012 larger in diameter than the one I took out (good for press in fit) and obviously about .030 smaller than the NAPA piece. I'm pretty happy and since both sides were replaced years ago (with this light duty version) I figure I just as well replace both seals while I'm at it so they are the same. Don confirms the drums can be turned so I pay up and walk out with my new seals leaving the drums with Don.

I get home and install the first seal in the P/S and re-assemble the axle ... then go to the D/S and pull the four nuts off and all at once it hits me ... I Don't have the brake drum to use as a tool to get the axle OUT. I Mickey Moused around for a few minutes and decided I'd save time and frustration if I just went back and got one of the drums.

However as I was Mickey Mousing I managed to take a real good look at the Brake Cylinders and I decided they were most likely the ones Ford put on the car back in 1973 (sure looked that bad to me.) So what this gave me was an "arguably" reasonable excused for a return trip to see Don.

I returned to Car Quest, plead stupidity to Don, and asked if I could "borrow" one of my drums for a few minutes. Don got me the brake cylinders (I had decided I needed) and I walked out with my purchase and a brake drum.

Got home had the axle out and the drum returned to Don in less than 15 minutes. I finally (and quickly I might add) replaced the seal and re-assembled the axle.

By now it was getting a little late in the day and Queenie was starting to do Taxes ... somehow I was at the point where doing taxes seemed like a nice change of pace.

We got Taxes finished, Sadly I need to send in another $2,600.00 [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img] ... but atleast taxes are done.

Now I must quit typing and go install brake cylinders and shoes ... then carry on with Car Show Prep [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Hope I didn't bore you all [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MonsterMach on 4/9/07 10:52pm ]</font>

That was very well written and I hope you get the Pulitzer... [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

Good read man! Good Read! I'm stuck assembling the 66 nad can't find my old thread....
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The good news in all that is it's not an engine swap etc you're dealing with this time. It's more straight up stuff that makes sense. [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] Have fun at Knotts!

Deb

yeah im with yah all the way on that one i spent the whole day today removing hedders and reinstalling them for their trial fitment before they go off to ceramic coat. Through this process I found a broken over run collar on my starter , wich ruined the drive, the fact i need only 4 angled boots for the plug wires, and having no idea how the heck I will get a socket on my spark plugs as the new hedders are really close to them and the heads have recessed plugs . BUT on the lighter side , i finally got my 1.75 hedders i have been waiting for, found out my starter is bad AGAIN, and that the hedders fit the chassis quite nicely after all the hard work they put into them for me . They dont touch the frame or scatter shield etc.
I also got my rear pro stock spoiler installed today as well so I can take it back off to get my paint work done in a few weeks. Good lord where does it ever end? Shoot forgot about makin the alum interior too grrrrrrrrrrr oh well sounds like fun anyway !
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Yes Deb that is true and I'm glad of it.

Down side was the "Foibles" weren't over even by this morning when I typed that [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]

I got up from this seat and walked out to the driveway and got started.

First thing I did was open up the Brake Cylinder boxes and guess what ... they both looked exactly alike (except for one didn't have the "Flaire nub" in the bottom of the fitting) needless to say they should be identical "mirror images" of each other. This was an unhappy realization, not to mention that one of them would likely not seal very well for me anyway and Car Quest is closed today.

This was also about the time I noticed both cylinders currently on the car were Identical to each other, but opposite mirror images of the two I had just purchased ... odd huh

Back to the net ... Checker was open and had both cylinders, so I pack up and head down there with both of mine to see what shakes. Turns out the one Car Quest sold as "Right Side" was good ... the one they sold as "Left Side" was seemingly another right side with the wrong fitting ... so I bought the correct left side cylinder from Checker and headed home.

I pulled the Right Side cylinder ... which by now I could see was a left side cylinder someone in the cars history had forced onto the right side and in the process tweaked the brake line out of shape to make it work and on top of that I later discovered they had stripped the threads on the flair nut to boot ... I was just lucky it was sealed up and stayed working I guess.[img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

While installing the right side cylinder I couldn't get it to start onto the threads and after examination the thread damage was obvious ... so I had to cut the end off the line and look for a new nut Which I did not have in 3/16" ... off to the Junk Yard to snag a couple of flair nuts and back home. Break out the double flair kit and I was right back in business.

In the end I did get everything together and ready to go ... just need the Brake drums tomorrow and then bleed the brakes.

What an extraviganza ... All put in motion over a three dollar oil seal.

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MonsterMach on 4/9/07 10:24am ]</font>

mustang42782 ... Between all we have here ...

I have to use end wrenches on a few plugs myself.

And NO ... it doesn't end.

Good news here is it only cost me about $95.00 and I end up with new oil seals and brakes in the rear. Since I did new rotors and loaded calipers in the front last year in April ... the Mach1 should be aced out for a while ... on those counts anyway.

Amazing what one little nut or bolt or in this case, seal, will put a person through isn't it?! The upside as you said is it wasn't costly, only time consuming.

You're right, it never ends!

Deb

Hey larry been there myself my sister just got a 73 montego for me to tinker around on so I should have alot of these types of situations coming up btw you dont happen to have a 2100 or 2150 laying around do ya?

OK ... I'll wrap this story up.

I picked up the Drums ... one was reported "out of round" but it cleaned up in the process ... I can't imagine that had been a good thing for the brake system even though I couldn't tell anything about it from the driver seat.

I got a refund on the "Weird" cylinder which Car Quest counter help identified as being for "European" applications with that fitting.

I refilled the differential which was indeed low due to the leak ... checked the tranny oil level ... greased up the front end ... put a new filter on the motor and fresh jug of Mobile 1.

Queenie ran the pedal while I bleed the brakes ... I also checked to verify that my re-done double flair is sealed up.

I do believe all systems are go ...

Now to actually start cleaning the old girl up ... the Mustang that is, not Queenie [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

And BTW ... dbu8554, I don't have any Carbs hanging around. Infact I have very few parts at all, I pretty much just keep what I need for use and that's it.


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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MonsterMach on 4/10/07 11:04am ]</font>

Wow, I think this the the most ready for Knott's you (or I for that matter) have ever been!

Of course I cant make it, there's that whole, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean thing in the way [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Tell anyone and everyone I said hello. Ironically, for the first time, mine is actually ready too....just way too far away LOL
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