I just published out an article on how to restore your fuel system for an In-Situ restoration. It covers the general steps necessary to go over the vehicle and repair, restore or replace the necessary components to ensure that the fuel delivery for the vehicle performs correctly. The article is here: Fuel System Restoration
I'm also still in the processof writing up instructions for working on the brakes of the 1993 explorer. I'm hoping to get that done by the end of the week. I had also intended to write up replacing the shocks on the same vehicle, but it was so easy to do that I had the shocks changed out before I remembered to take pictures.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
The end of brake work for a while....
This evening I changed out the last drum brake on the 1993 Explorer. My neighbor stopped by and watched / suervised. it's always the case that the second time is easier than the first time. I managed to keep in my head all the stupid tricks in regards to the drum brake installation. While the wheel was off I ut in a new shock absorber as well. Again, it was a lessons learned and remembered from the previous installation the other day.
I finished the project up by adding new shocks to the front of the vehicle. This generation Explorer has the shocks next to the springs (rather than inside them) so replacing the front shocks is a no brainer process. Remove the top nut, remove the lower bolt, wiggle out of position. Then installation is the reverse.
So, tomorrow the explorer will go home and it's back to working on the Jensen Healey (that is after I complete the "honey do" list and rebuild the weed whacker.
I finished the project up by adding new shocks to the front of the vehicle. This generation Explorer has the shocks next to the springs (rather than inside them) so replacing the front shocks is a no brainer process. Remove the top nut, remove the lower bolt, wiggle out of position. Then installation is the reverse.
So, tomorrow the explorer will go home and it's back to working on the Jensen Healey (that is after I complete the "honey do" list and rebuild the weed whacker.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
More Explorer Work
After work, a trip to the parts store and getting the small one fed I managed to get out and do some more on the 1993 Explorer. As I mentioned before, the rear brake shoes needed replacing, and since I was pulling off the tires I'd go ahead and add some new shock absorbers.
Well, Monsoon season here is an interesting thing. When we left for Autozone it was raining hard. By the time I got outside it was dry again. And as I was pulling the last of the springs into place on the passenger rear drum it started coming down again.
It's been a while since I did drum brakes. I forgot how cantankerous they can be. I always move slowly when I'm working on them. There's so many moving bits in one spot. So, in approximately two hours I got the shock and the brake shoes replaced on the passenger side. With the rain coming down I had to stop.
Looks like I'll be finishing the rest up tomorrow.
Well, Monsoon season here is an interesting thing. When we left for Autozone it was raining hard. By the time I got outside it was dry again. And as I was pulling the last of the springs into place on the passenger rear drum it started coming down again.
It's been a while since I did drum brakes. I forgot how cantankerous they can be. I always move slowly when I'm working on them. There's so many moving bits in one spot. So, in approximately two hours I got the shock and the brake shoes replaced on the passenger side. With the rain coming down I had to stop.
Looks like I'll be finishing the rest up tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Writing Frenzy
So the past couple nights have been a website & writing frenzy.
For starters, I've rewritten/updated the Jensen Healey Parts Catalog. Now, when you enter your engine#, chassis#, transmission & carb set-up it will display a customized parts list by assembly for the car. I also added in the images of the assemblies. So far I think it's pretty slick. If anyone notes any errors/omissions please let me know. I'm still loading the 5-speed data into the database.
In terms of articles, I added a fourth and final page to the In Situ - Vehicle Maintenance article. Then I wrote up the first article documenting the frame off restoration process: Externals and Accessories. I'm presently working on the second In-Situ restoration article as well as writing up articles that document the process to repair the font disk brakes, rear drum brakes, and shock absorbers on a 1993 Ford Explorer.
For starters, I've rewritten/updated the Jensen Healey Parts Catalog. Now, when you enter your engine#, chassis#, transmission & carb set-up it will display a customized parts list by assembly for the car. I also added in the images of the assemblies. So far I think it's pretty slick. If anyone notes any errors/omissions please let me know. I'm still loading the 5-speed data into the database.
In terms of articles, I added a fourth and final page to the In Situ - Vehicle Maintenance article. Then I wrote up the first article documenting the frame off restoration process: Externals and Accessories. I'm presently working on the second In-Situ restoration article as well as writing up articles that document the process to repair the font disk brakes, rear drum brakes, and shock absorbers on a 1993 Ford Explorer.
Monday, September 8, 2008
More working on brakes
So, took the Explorer in today, they ended up swapping the master cylinder as well. Now the brakes work well on the Explorer. Tomorrow I go pick up some fresh drum shoes to finish the job off.
My neighbor across the street often comes across to see what new project I'm working on. Yesterday he stopped over and watched us on the front brakes for a bit. I guess it inspired him, and this evening he knocked on my door asking if I'd be willing to help him if he ran into trouble changing his front disk pads. I could tell by the look on his face that he'd started out thinking this was a great idea, and then got home and wondered what he'd gotten himself into.
So I had him pull his Impala into the driveway, and I walked him through the process. The front disk pads on the Impala (it's a 2001) are insanely easy to replace and we had him off and running (and stopping) in 30 minutes.
On the web site side of the house I published a greatly improved version of the Jensen Healey Parts Catalog Database. You can find it here. I also made some parts for sale pages for various extra parts I've got laying about.
Cheers!
Jody
My neighbor across the street often comes across to see what new project I'm working on. Yesterday he stopped over and watched us on the front brakes for a bit. I guess it inspired him, and this evening he knocked on my door asking if I'd be willing to help him if he ran into trouble changing his front disk pads. I could tell by the look on his face that he'd started out thinking this was a great idea, and then got home and wondered what he'd gotten himself into.
So I had him pull his Impala into the driveway, and I walked him through the process. The front disk pads on the Impala (it's a 2001) are insanely easy to replace and we had him off and running (and stopping) in 30 minutes.
On the web site side of the house I published a greatly improved version of the Jensen Healey Parts Catalog Database. You can find it here. I also made some parts for sale pages for various extra parts I've got laying about.
Cheers!
Jody
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Ford is still on my bad dog list.....
So may father-in-law's 1993 Ford Explorer is back in the stables being attended to. The brakes were, well, toast.... So, I dug into it this morning. He was saying it was the Master Cylinder, but I wanted to make my own independent assessment. Pulled off the front driver's tire. I saw grooves the size of a small country in the rotor. So, we know the rotor's going. Looked at the caliper, the rubber covering the piston's completely shot, and we can add calipers to the list. He had brake pads in the car, so at least I had those on hand.
Dove into the car, removing the caliper, hanging it aside and then tackling the spindles. Now, mind you, this is a 4wd vehicle with automatic engagement and first generation ABS from Ford. As I start removing bits (after a trip to Autozone for parts, and then a stop at Checker for the right wheel hub socket) I find that the wheel hub nut is shot. It appears that the last time it was apart it was reassembled wrong.
So then it's a trip to pick-a-part, the local bring your tools and remove the bit junkyard. With extra bits now in the toolbox I headed home with my buddy Chip in tow (I dragged him out as it's looking like a bigger deal than originally thought and he's a Ford guy.)
Rotors go on easily, followed by calipers/pads.. also pretty easy.... Bled the system out a lot. Took it out for a test drive and the rear brakes keep locking up. It was a pretty hairy and scary drive. Back in the driveay we take the rear wheels off, then the drums (after I finally remembered to release the emergency brake.. d'uh).... turns out the shoes (or what's left of them) are totally cranked out as far as they'll go and were more or less rubbing on the drums all the time. Now, mind you these are supposed to be auto-adjusting brakes.
With the brakes slackened significantly and then reset (you drive backwards and forwards for a bit) we took it on the next drive. Brake pressure is variable at best and we think it's air in the lines. Back to the driveway, bleed everything off again. We've got good brake pressure in the system, so it's time to go around the corner again.
I drive for the first bit and the brakes are ok except at slow speeds, then it wonks over and there's no pressure. My buddy Chi doesn't believe me and wants to drive. 1/2 of a block later and we nearly miss a stop sign. Something's seriously wrong. So, I track back through the system in my head and determine it can only be either the master cylinder or the ABS system.
We pulled out the Haynes manual on the car (I have a huge collection of them. They aren't the greatest references, but there's still good information in them). I was thinking, "well, we'll just put in a new master cylinder and be done with it..."
And then I read the manual, and I swear it's the first time I've ever read something like this in a Haynes manual... "If it's a 1996 or earlier to do not attempt to repair this at home, take it to a qualified mechanic.." So it turns out that this first generation ABS system is so "special" that it requires a special factory method for taking care of this. Now this totally sucks. I've never not been able to fix my own cars, why the heck do I need to take it to the dealer?!?!?!
But, thinking that I'd never seen a warning like that before in a Haynes manual (normally they give you a half-asses work-around) I figured that discretion is the better half of valor and we'll take it to a proper Ford mechanic friend tomorrow.
Thus ends the second chapter of the saga of the 1993 Ford Explorer.
Dove into the car, removing the caliper, hanging it aside and then tackling the spindles. Now, mind you, this is a 4wd vehicle with automatic engagement and first generation ABS from Ford. As I start removing bits (after a trip to Autozone for parts, and then a stop at Checker for the right wheel hub socket) I find that the wheel hub nut is shot. It appears that the last time it was apart it was reassembled wrong.
So then it's a trip to pick-a-part, the local bring your tools and remove the bit junkyard. With extra bits now in the toolbox I headed home with my buddy Chip in tow (I dragged him out as it's looking like a bigger deal than originally thought and he's a Ford guy.)
Rotors go on easily, followed by calipers/pads.. also pretty easy.... Bled the system out a lot. Took it out for a test drive and the rear brakes keep locking up. It was a pretty hairy and scary drive. Back in the driveay we take the rear wheels off, then the drums (after I finally remembered to release the emergency brake.. d'uh).... turns out the shoes (or what's left of them) are totally cranked out as far as they'll go and were more or less rubbing on the drums all the time. Now, mind you these are supposed to be auto-adjusting brakes.
With the brakes slackened significantly and then reset (you drive backwards and forwards for a bit) we took it on the next drive. Brake pressure is variable at best and we think it's air in the lines. Back to the driveway, bleed everything off again. We've got good brake pressure in the system, so it's time to go around the corner again.
I drive for the first bit and the brakes are ok except at slow speeds, then it wonks over and there's no pressure. My buddy Chi doesn't believe me and wants to drive. 1/2 of a block later and we nearly miss a stop sign. Something's seriously wrong. So, I track back through the system in my head and determine it can only be either the master cylinder or the ABS system.
We pulled out the Haynes manual on the car (I have a huge collection of them. They aren't the greatest references, but there's still good information in them). I was thinking, "well, we'll just put in a new master cylinder and be done with it..."
And then I read the manual, and I swear it's the first time I've ever read something like this in a Haynes manual... "If it's a 1996 or earlier to do not attempt to repair this at home, take it to a qualified mechanic.." So it turns out that this first generation ABS system is so "special" that it requires a special factory method for taking care of this. Now this totally sucks. I've never not been able to fix my own cars, why the heck do I need to take it to the dealer?!?!?!
But, thinking that I'd never seen a warning like that before in a Haynes manual (normally they give you a half-asses work-around) I figured that discretion is the better half of valor and we'll take it to a proper Ford mechanic friend tomorrow.
Thus ends the second chapter of the saga of the 1993 Ford Explorer.
Monday, September 1, 2008
The show
So my poor little Jensen Healey and I made it to the show. In the last mile there Both she and I started getting really hot. Phoenix gets warm quickly. Even at 7 am she was running hot. Now, mind you, she was running water only at this point as that's all I had on hand last night when I topped off the radiator. We arrived into the parking spot amidst a cloud of steam. Luckily I was there quite early so there were not many people on hand to see her steaming.
A couple folks who were there asked if everything was ok. All I had to say was "An English car overheating, that never happens!" A few laughs and chuckles later and all was ok. I'm afraid the old girl was rapidly upstaged. Minutes after I arrived a beautifully restored MGA pulled into the spot next to me. And then, 20 minutes later a factory 5 ac cobra kit parked on the other side. Talk about pair of beautiful cars creating a bologne sandwich with some "mystery meat" in the middle....
On the whole the old JH was well received, esecially once I explained that she was pre-restoration. Suprisingly enough I didn't hear any "what is it?" comments. The english car contingent was well versed, and the rest of the folks were too distracted by the AC Cobra beside me. Man, I wish the green JH was done.. it will look so pretty.
I hung out, got to talk to some nice folks and eat donuts. Since this was a "sports car" event there was a mixture of different English cars, a showing from the local Mazda group, some Corvettes, one '57 Chevy, and a smattering of really rare cars. I spent a while talking to the man who owned the '57 Chevy Bel Air. He was a really nice fellow and his car was beautiful. My favorite sightings at the show were an immaculate Sunbeam Tiger, a DeTomaso Pantera, a TR8, the '57 Chevy, a pair of gorgeous 50's Corvettes, and a Ferrari 400. All the cars there were noteworthy, I just specifically remember those specific vehicles. While there was a Sprite there, I didn't see any 3000's while I was there. I wish one had shown up.
On the way home I had to stop for gas & water to keep the old girl running. The closest place was the Danny's Family Carwash over near Highland and 24th street. While I planned on just dumping some water in the radiator to ensure I got home they wouldn't let me. A fellow from the shop came clear across the parking lot with a collant mixture to drop into the radiator. So kudos to them for keeping old cars on the road. If you're in the area, fill up there or get your car washed/detailed!
The ride home was "exciting" not because of spirited driving, but because I wasn't bright enough to put gas in the tank when I was at the gas station. With my fuel sender being questionable, all I know is that somewhere near 1/4 of a tank is really empty. I was vascillating back and forth around the 1/4 measure the whole ride home. The old girl got me off the highway and to a gas station before running out of gas. In the middle of the ride home I had a minor failure. As I was scooting down the 51 at ~70 miles per hour the driver's side rear view mirror went slack and turned from the wind. Before I could do anything I was was watching it disintegrate on the highway behind me as I sped ahead (using the central rear view mirror). The important thing to remember is that the parts falling off of this car are of the finest British manufacture. :)
All in all, a good day.
A couple folks who were there asked if everything was ok. All I had to say was "An English car overheating, that never happens!" A few laughs and chuckles later and all was ok. I'm afraid the old girl was rapidly upstaged. Minutes after I arrived a beautifully restored MGA pulled into the spot next to me. And then, 20 minutes later a factory 5 ac cobra kit parked on the other side. Talk about pair of beautiful cars creating a bologne sandwich with some "mystery meat" in the middle....
On the whole the old JH was well received, esecially once I explained that she was pre-restoration. Suprisingly enough I didn't hear any "what is it?" comments. The english car contingent was well versed, and the rest of the folks were too distracted by the AC Cobra beside me. Man, I wish the green JH was done.. it will look so pretty.
I hung out, got to talk to some nice folks and eat donuts. Since this was a "sports car" event there was a mixture of different English cars, a showing from the local Mazda group, some Corvettes, one '57 Chevy, and a smattering of really rare cars. I spent a while talking to the man who owned the '57 Chevy Bel Air. He was a really nice fellow and his car was beautiful. My favorite sightings at the show were an immaculate Sunbeam Tiger, a DeTomaso Pantera, a TR8, the '57 Chevy, a pair of gorgeous 50's Corvettes, and a Ferrari 400. All the cars there were noteworthy, I just specifically remember those specific vehicles. While there was a Sprite there, I didn't see any 3000's while I was there. I wish one had shown up.
On the way home I had to stop for gas & water to keep the old girl running. The closest place was the Danny's Family Carwash over near Highland and 24th street. While I planned on just dumping some water in the radiator to ensure I got home they wouldn't let me. A fellow from the shop came clear across the parking lot with a collant mixture to drop into the radiator. So kudos to them for keeping old cars on the road. If you're in the area, fill up there or get your car washed/detailed!
The ride home was "exciting" not because of spirited driving, but because I wasn't bright enough to put gas in the tank when I was at the gas station. With my fuel sender being questionable, all I know is that somewhere near 1/4 of a tank is really empty. I was vascillating back and forth around the 1/4 measure the whole ride home. The old girl got me off the highway and to a gas station before running out of gas. In the middle of the ride home I had a minor failure. As I was scooting down the 51 at ~70 miles per hour the driver's side rear view mirror went slack and turned from the wind. Before I could do anything I was was watching it disintegrate on the highway behind me as I sped ahead (using the central rear view mirror). The important thing to remember is that the parts falling off of this car are of the finest British manufacture. :)
All in all, a good day.
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