Kimjon Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 The steering stops had previously been cut a lot shorter by someone else to allow for a better turning radius (weirdly impalas aren't renowned for their nimbleness...go figure?). However, my wheels were hitting the inner guards long before the stops where anywhere near touching - in fact the steering arms were about 15mm short of the stops! So a bit of creative thinking to turn this situation around and turn it into a positive... by using a bolt inserted into the stop, I now have adjustable steering stops...yay!!! If only every problem could be solved for 50 cents like this one... I'll chuck some more weld in there later to tidy it up (more a vanity thing) to create a captive nut that wont turn, its mechanically locked as is... so it's not going anywhere. The other nut is free to turn and will be locked up (basically a double nut) when I find my maximum turning arc without rubbing the tyres. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kimjon Posted October 20, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 20, 2019 For some weird reason the lower two bolts holding the steering box had crush tubes, but the top bolt didn't? This was pinching the chassis rail inwards...not cool!!! So I turned up a crush tube on the lathe, gave it a nice 45° chamfered edge to take a weld and solved that problem. So, my to do list from the certifier is getting smaller by the day. A couple loose ends to tidy up here and there...but pretty much done. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 Took it for a thrash around a very winding bumpy road today. Bump stops are brilliant now, don't even notice them coming into play...but zero guard rubbing now. My steering limiters were a bit too big, so I've dropped out the extra nut. Works sweet! So overall, greatly improved things from how they were. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 Small win...glovebox light now works 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 Solved the main oil leak mystery And with a free gasket courtesy of Mike, the motor now appears to be free of annoying oil leaks. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kimjon Posted December 18, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 18, 2019 Yes!!!!! No reason why it shouldn't have, but I live with an irrational fear towards all things vehicle related that others have to approve... #wofphobia 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kimjon Posted December 19, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 19, 2019 New shocks in front: Rides like a dream now on new shocks, plus all new ball joints and springs all done within the past 6 months. And legal as fuck! WOF/REG/CERT...fuck yeah! 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kimjon Posted December 23, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 23, 2019 Okay, I'm totally over working on cars right now...its time to go enjoy this thing and hit the streets. 20 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 Machining. More machining.. WTF??? You crazy cunt, it's in sideways!!! Oh, not so crazy after all. Pretty... Mmmmm PCV valve goodness. Just going my part for the environment (like I'd really lose sleep over fake news like man made climate change). I'm just sick of it leaking oil on my shed floor. Just gotta hook up a catch can or route it into my intake vaccum to get rid of my crankcase vapour and problem solved. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 Just brought this. Did a bit of Google searching and it looks like it's going to do the job. I'll install my machined fitting into this hole, by the distributor. There was a "down draft tube" here on the original motor, basically the predecessor to a PCV system. It was a simple tube that runs back and exits out by the transmission to atmosphere (aka dumps oil on the road, drive, shed floor). As you drive air rushing past creates a venturi effect and sucks out blow by gases and any oil mist. My motor had the down draft tube cut and bent around for clearance purposes on the firewall. The seal has fallen to bits and it wasn't connected to anything, so blow by was exiting here and causing an annoying oil drip. The catch can will collect and separate the oil, and vent the gasses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 This is what was floating around the valley of my motor: The 3x little chunks were lose inside the valley under the inlet manifold. The larger "seal" was just flopping around on top, in the hole pictured in the above post. No wonder it was leaking oil eh! This part will replace all that shittyness. Its held down by a through bolt (this isn't the bolt I'll actually use, so stand down internet warriors). There's already a threaded hole for it in the block, left from the origonal down draft tube that's supposed to be there...very convenient, so that's what it will bolt down on and then the o-ring creates the seal. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 Picked up a couple carburetor spacers at kumeu. I've decided to use this one (below). No real reason...but I just like the secondhand one better, it feels solid, with nicer finish and just looks better made to me. I brought a nipple to go into it. Marked out. Drilling it so I breakout the centre of the 2 first holes. My manifold is edelbrock dual plane, so I've drilled and ported so both sides/planes will get the shittyness of the blow-by fumes equally. I used liquid epoxy (cold weld) to seal the 3/8" ID hose to 1/4 BSPT fitting to avoid vaccum leaks. That liquid epoxy is magic stuff, its fuel resistant and I've sealed fittings into petrol tanks and 20 years later not a single leak. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 Made this today, I'm testing out a potential offset option. Only way to see if my idea is heading in the right direction is to mock up a wheel with this to check clearance. And offered up to the rear hub Boom! Like a glove!!! Theres still 10 plus turns of thread engagement on the wheel studs, so pretty happy with that. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 Fuck yes! The pcv valve solved so many problems. 1) oil leak from rear of engine, where old road draft tube was = gone! 2) Stinky engine smell that permeates the cabin = gone! 3) heat sink to carburetor issues causing fuel evaporation = gone! Well my 20km return trip with 4 stop/starts didn't have any issues, so maybe prematurely judging this one...but I'm calling it a win. I ended up blocking the road draft tube hole and using a more traditional setup out the valve cover. Main reason was due to oil separation. Someone removed the can inside the valley that separated oil from gases prior to exiting the road draft tube. They did this to fit the edelbrock manifold. If I used this port without the separator I'd suck shit tons of oil out this port and into my carburetor. So I went to the rocker cover, as it has a splash guard in place already for this purpose. Makes you wonder why modern cars don't use a pcv valve system...oh, hang on... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Solving a truly 1st world problem, cup holders (lack of). Not totally in love with it. Mainly the fact the radio and temperature gauge was already there, but I never would've put it there...but because it is, it may as well stay. Additional ugliness of the cup holders...mmmm...not sure. Will slap it in and remove later if it really annoys me? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimjon Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Did the other side, but I don't think it really needed doing...gaskets looked okay. But at least that's one thing to not worry about eh? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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