Finally!

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Using a spring compressor is not a bad idea .. however I've never found the need for one unless the springs are mounted on struts. I still don't need one then, unless I'm replacing either the strut, or the strut cartridge. Non strut automobiles are a breeze to remove coil springs.


Automatic transmission tools are a pain in the ass to gather up though ( if you buy them ). Orta see the home-made tranny tools I made .. just to save a grand or so I couldn't caugh up. Wasn't a bad trade off making them myself, really, I think it cost me about 3.00 worth of wire used off the spool in the welder, and the junk out of the scrap pile I used to make 'em with probly wouldn't brough more than 10 cents if hauled to scrap. But my tools work .. and the two tools I made for about 3.10 saved me about a grand

I was gonna say something about Yankee Ingenuity, but I figured that wouldn't go over well in Tennessee, so how about Tennessee Creativity. Although I didn't learn about auto mechanics from my dad, I did learn to appreciate making use of spare parts. My first bike was built out of spare parts (and it was pretty much indestructible), and I still have a funnel he welded out of an old oil can. Although I don't tinker on cars, I do tinker with old stereos. A little bit of the old depression values survive - "waste not, want not."

Regards,

D-Ray

[piece-itpete]

So you don't have to write a book hillbilly, is this the way you do it, or do you disconnect the ball joint and lower the oitside of the control arm?

"when i swaped my stock springs out and replaced them with cut Pi springs, i seperated the spindle fromt the ball joint with a jack under it lowered the jack from in front of the car. once it was all the way down i was able to squeeze the spring rotate it and get it out. the PI springs sat in the upper bucket popped into the lower arm getting the spindle reattached was a pain since there was no motor in the car, i had to have three people sit on the car in order to compress the spring.

it was not that bad to do, just when you lower the jack during removal stand in front of the car. Also if you unbolt the top of the shock and leave the lower bolts in, the spring will not be able to fly out very easilly. just drop the arm until the spring is no longer compresses, remove the shock and then pull the spring out."

Pete

[Charles]

A lot to be said for a commercial floor jack.

Chas

[Sandy G]

Redneck engineerin', used t'be knowed as "Shade-Tree Mechanickin'"...

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

How about, I only say nice things about Democrats for a week for those compressors?

Seriously, if you're interested just shoot me an email with details.

Pete

PM me an address if I can lay my hands on them I'll UPS them. Then you can cover the shipping.

[Zeke]

This thread makes me want to buy the smallest body a Mopar slant-six was ever installed in and drive it for 400k miles.

With maintenance, I bet a refurbed engine would do it.

[hillbilly]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

So you don't have to write a book hillbilly, is this the way you do it, or do you disconnect the ball joint and lower the oitside of the control arm?

"when i swaped my stock springs out and replaced them with cut Pi springs, i seperated the spindle fromt the ball joint with a jack under it lowered the jack from in front of the car. once it was all the way down i was able to squeeze the spring rotate it and get it out. the PI springs sat in the upper bucket popped into the lower arm getting the spindle reattached was a pain since there was no motor in the car, i had to have three people sit on the car in order to compress the spring.

it was not that bad to do, just when you lower the jack during removal stand in front of the car. Also if you unbolt the top of the shock and leave the lower bolts in, the spring will not be able to fly out very easilly. just drop the arm until the spring is no longer compresses, remove the shock and then pull the spring out."

Pete

You beat me to writing the book Pete, but thats basicly the way I do them too ( sorta ). I jack the car up some and put a second floorjack under the control arm, break the lower joint lose, remove the shock completely, then lower the control arm very slowly and once the spring is lose I'll pull the jack out from under the lower arm. Then I'll pry downwards on the lower arm enough to pull the spring out. When it comes to makin' do, it seems you do alright. In my case, I have to rely on my backwoods creativity & what little common sense I have since I'm not made of money. Dad always told me I orta be glad for growing up dirt poor because if things had been better growing up .. I'd still not only lack book smarts, but I'd have turned out dumb as a rock to boot.

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

You beat me to writing the book Pete, but thats basicly the way I do them too ( sorta ). I jack the car up some and put a second floorjack under the control arm, break the lower joint lose, remove the shock completely, then lower the control arm very slowly and once the spring is lose I'll pull the jack out from under the lower arm. Then I'll pry downwards on the lower arm enough to pull the spring out. When it comes to makin' do, it seems you do alright. In my case, I have to rely on my backwoods creativity & what little common sense I have since I'm not made of money. Dad always told me I orta be glad for growing up dirt poor because if things had been better growing up .. I'd still not only lack book smarts, but I'd have turned out dumb as a rock to boot.

Lmao!! And thanks for the advice - maybe one of these days I'll get to drive it down there. If I have a face left after this job!

Originally Posted by Zeke

This thread makes me want to buy the smallest body a Mopar slant-six was ever installed in and drive it for 400k miles.

With maintenance, I bet a refurbed engine would do it.

Now we're cookin' with gas! I'd take that bet too, with that strict maintenance. Wouldn't that be a Dart, or did they actually use it in something smaller?

I like Darts. And no accessories to break/fix/find/swear at. Hmmm...

Originally Posted by merrylander

PM me an address if I can lay my hands on them I'll UPS them. Then you can cover the shipping.

Righteous Rob! Did I ever tell you how much I admired Rayburn and Truman?

Pete

[finnbow]

Now we're cookin' with gas! I'd take that bet too, with that strict maintenance. Wouldn't that be a Dart, or did they actually use it in something smaller?

I like Darts. And no accessories to break/fix/find/swear at. Hmmm

I had a 64 Dart with the 225 slant six. The most interesting feature of the Dart (and Valiant) to me was their push-bottom transmission. That engine was definitely bullet-proof. I did all I could as a kid to kill it, but it kept on ticking.

[piece-itpete]

Another useless update.

Haven't done nothin'.

Nothing serious anyway, dangit! I have most of the parts for the front end job in hand, upper and lower ball joints, springs, upper and lower poly bushings, but I haven't had the 2 day time window.

One thing of note - changed the radiator hoses. Simple, right?

WRONG! The water pump and radiator were changed recently, and the dipweed that installed the lower radiator hose must've put it on the water pump before the radiator went back in.

Sooooo, there was no way to get at the clamp screw. None. Fortunately I've become scary with a recip saw, I could just barely get the blade on the screw assembly with the blade hitting the pump on the extension and falling off the screw on the ... um back stroke. (the web says the opposite of extension is 'flexion'). Radiator hoses - 4 hour job!!

That idiot should be flayed and boiled in oil.

Kidding. Just flayed

Good news is I've gone almost 3k miles as a daily driver and it's started every time. For all it's niggling problems I really, really like this car.

It dang well better start, now that I'm down to 1 car!

Pete