Well, after almost a year of ownership and enjoying the followship on this site, I am just about ready to begin my project. I bought my Eagle from Nebraska and took a road trip to pick it up. I took a road trip to Wisconsin for parts, Ohio for more parts, and Lansing Michigan for a few more to really round out my stash!
So I couldn't think of a better name for her than Road Trip. I'll post my progress here and incude pics as I go along. For now, I just need to get the garage cleaned out so I have room to work!
Good luck and enjoy the ride! Remember, its not the destination, but the journey, that's important. I thought that seemed appropriate for project Road Trip!
Well put! :hello2:
2 weeks and I still haven't been able to start. my daughter decided she was ready to have her room painted and I've been enrolled in that project. Then I bought cabinets for the garage and I need to get those installed and the garage cleaned up before I can start on the Eagle. Not to mention the other little projects (honey-do's) that need to be finished before I can begin. Sometimes I just want to go on strike! :protest:
Or, maybe I just need to prioritize and give myself a kick in the pants!
At least give us some pics of what you're working with to start off. We need some before pics so we can see how awesome the transformation goes! :)
PICS MAN!!!
Patience please. I'm planning to take some "before" pics this weekend.
How dare you ask for patience! This is the internet. We expect things NOW! :rotfl:
Look forward to seeing the pics this weekend.
Quote from: Prafeston on September 27, 2011, 06:07:13 PM
How dare you ask for patience! This is the internet. We expect things NOW! :rotfl:
Look forward to seeing the pics this weekend.
Call me old fashioned I guess.
It's been at least a half hour, where are those pic's?
Quote from: rollguy on September 27, 2011, 09:38:20 PM
It's been at least a half hour, where are those pic's?
:rotfl:
Really, what an old fashioned dude. He's probably in bed already! ;D
Watch it RAFE! I'm not in bed yet. Ten minutes maybe, but not yet.
;)
Those last 5 posts were hilarious :rotfl:
if he's old fashened does that mean he uses hampsters running on little wheels to power his computer? :rotfl:
What is this, pick on poor old man week! You guys are too much! :occasion14:
I'll take some pics tonight. I had some posted somewhere on the forums already but that was a while ago. I need to take recent pics anyway so I can share what I am doing and so I can figure out how the car goes back together!
Oh come on, you aren't that old. Just good clean fun! :)
We are patiently awaiting your photos.
Come on maddog don't make fun of rohnk.
You should know better. he is so old that he doesn't accept new modern gimmicks like the wheel or fire.
I'm 37, that has to count for something!
That and four dollars might by me a pint of Guiness at the local watering hole!
Quote from: Gil-SX4 on September 28, 2011, 05:48:37 PM
Come on maddog don't make fun of rohnk.
You should know better. he is so old that he doesn't accept new modern gimmicks like the wheel or fire.
well that explains it. :rotfl:
Wheel? Fire?
All I know is last weekend I went camping and we had a wheel fire goin on! Cooked smores and everything! :rotfl:
Finally took pictures today! These are the "before" pictures of Project Road Trip. Right now it is stock and as it came. Not sure if the wheels are original, but they look okay for now. I worked on the carb a bit and got it running better so I can drive it more and run out the gas as much as I can before I get started cleaning and repairing what needs to be done. Take a look!
http://photobucket.com/82amcsx4
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/1982_AMC_Eagle_SX4/IMG_3417.jpg)
Great find man. Looks like it's in really good shape. Jealous of your mudflaps!
Nice modeling pose in that one photo...haha.
I see you are missing the just the front drivers side bumper end cap.
Yeah, all the end caps are shot. I was hoping to find new ones someday but I might try making some from fiberglass. We'll see.
Yeah, my wife the model! LOL
She's really got that car model pose down! :)
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/1982_AMC_Eagle_SX4/IMG_3411.jpg)
What are wrong with the three end caps you do have? They look fine? If you could make some decent looking end caps out of fiberglass you'd have quite a bit of people knocking on your door and probably be able to fund your project! :)
That picture reminds, me its deer season.
Quote from: Gil-SX4 on October 04, 2011, 12:42:27 AM
That picture reminds, me its deer season.
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
The endcaps are cracked pretty badly and barely hanging on. The right rear one disinigrated when I washed the car for the shows earlier this summer. If I ever took it through an auto wash, the other two would surely disappear as well. Good thing I only hand wash the car!
Deer season is right! She does kind of look like a hit and run in that pose!
You never can tell when dirt is the only thing holding it together.
How's it going rohnk?
Still trying to finish my garage! I keep getting roped into helping paint the kids bedrooms and other various projects. After school stuff and work seem to get in the way too. Hopefully soon though!
No rush.. just hadn't heard from you in awhile. Thought I'd see if there was any progress.
I don't know how I missed these pics, I have been following your thread, and missed the pics! Nice SX/4! Love the pose/dear pic. I have an old one of my wife on the Kammback I'll have to dig out.
Thanks! My wife was bing goofy that day and came up with the idea. 15 years of marriage and she is still a model to me!
For the shop, I insulated one wall and panelled it. Then I had to fix some cabinets I bought on the cheap and put them in place. Now I am working on the base cabinets and trying to clean everything up. Hopefully I will be able to move the Eagle in soon and start work on it.
I finished painting my oldest daughters room last night so we will be moving her in this weekend. Combine that with her cheerleading, school play, getting home from work at 6pm, I don't get a lot of time to work on my projects! Not complaining, just having trouble prioritizing!
So the SX/4 looks pretty great on the outside already. What kind of things (at least that you know of) need to be done to it? Do you have any plans for modifications, or do you plan on restoring it to "like new"? Also, is there any rust that needs tending to and have you thought about rust prevention?
Hope you get things sorted out so you can start work on it. I sure wish I had a garage and time for mine right now :'(
There is surface rust in spots all over the body. The underside was good when I bought it, just surface rust again. I hope I don't find any areas that need repair as I do not have a welder but there is a body shop down the street from me.
My plan is to remove all exterior trim, grill, bumpers, lights, glass, etc. and sand the entire body down. I'm also going to remove the entire interior and clean, smooth out and paint all the plastic pieces. The seats and upholstrey will be hired out for covers and the floor will be either vinyl or spray on Lizard Skin coating.
Engine will be removed to be rebuilt. It runs good now, but it is one of those "why not" deals since it will eventually need some attention. I plan to have that professionally built. I 've already ordered a carb and TFI upgrade from GRONK. All hoses, belts and other rubber pieces will be replaced. All brakes will be redone.
Basically a restore, but not a fancy restore. Make it safe, reliable, durable and fun. I plan to use it to drive back and forth to work (70 miles day) and take it on the sand for paly time now and then. Of course there is always a car show or two to attend so we'll do that with it as well.
Just a quick update to those interested.
Started clearing out my storage locker the other day and bringing all the parts home to begin cleaning them up and taking inventory. I have a lot of interior pieces and a couple of complete dashes. I even found an extra spoiler in my parts store!
I also bought a few radios and odds and ends off the auction site to put aside and save for later. I have about 7 radios to choose from now so when the time comes, I can decide which one looks/works best and install it. All the others will be cleaned up and repaired.
As far as work goes on Road Trip, I began labeeling wires and hoses so I can perform the carb swap and distributor upgrade in the near future. I decided to get the car running good again before I look at rebuilding the engine. Finances are tight right now and I need to just work with what I have.
Pics to come when I get further! My garage project turned out great and I am very happy with my work shop now. I just need to take a few pics to share with you fine folks!
Take care and thanks for reading! ;)
Sounds like the work is about to start on Road Trip!
I may be interested in one of those radios when you get the chance to test them all. Mine looks great, but the tape deck doesn't work right. Thanks.
I was thinking about making a mold of my end caps in plaster of paris or somthing of that nature. once thats done all one would have to do is layer in rosin and cheese cloth to the desired thickness. I tried this once with an old eagle side badge... :eaglebig:...it actually turned out looking pretty close to the original when I sprayed it silver. The hardest part would be finding a good material that is strong yet won't bond to the fiberglass rosin preventing it from being cleanly released. after the cast was made mounting harware could be fashioned....Sorry I got a bit off topic but ive been thinking about a frugal endcap fabrication for a while now.
Well it has been a while since I updated this thread so I figured I would tonight.
I pulled the Carter carb off and unboxed the Motorcraft kit I bought last October from GRONK. Everything looks so nice! I'm working on this slowly and documenting what I can along the way. I'm doing the HEI upgrades, carb, plugs, wires, coil and the whole nine yards. I also want to remove as many vac lines as I can. Slow and steady, hope to have it running by next Thursday.
Awesome! Can't wait to see that thing running! I'll give you a slow clap when you do! :)
I don't want the clap! Oh, nevermind, not that kind of clap...
I'll have to get myself set up on You Tube so I can post videos.
More work on the carb conversion today. I don't get a lot of time to work on it continuously with the family, but still getting along. I have the Motorcraft mounted and hooked up the accelerator. I also put in a new fuel filter since it was all disconnected anyway and the other one looked old. I have a lot of vac lines to deal with and can't figure out what everything goes too. I took pictures as I disassembled the Carter set-up so I have a reference. Just so much stuff to hook up and others I think I can get rid of but not sure what.
A lot can go. The only things really that get hooked back up are a straight hose from your dizzy to the engine side of the carb. The one port on top of the carb will go to your canister. And your PCV valve will run hose to the back of the carb. Pretty simple. Everything else pretty much goes. Plug all the holes! :)
Thanks for the info Rafe.
I think I will heed GRONK's advice for now and just cap off anything that was disconnected. Once I have it running and the timing set, I want to run it for a little bit to get some seat time. Then I plan to tear it down and begin a rebuild of the entire car. Not all at once though. I keep changing my mind since this is a project car but I also want to drive it!
Guess I just need to save up some cash and buy another Eagle to drive so I can rebuild Road Trip. Then I can have more road trips!
There is a wagon for sale around me Rohn that is posted as $550. It says parts car or could be fixed to run. Sounds like it just needs some carb work and a valve cover. It's only 45 minutes from me. I'm thinking about checking it out. Has power everything and a center gauge cluster...and a tach!! I figured I could take the carb that came of TQ and get it running...though it did look like it was missing a battery judging by the pics they posted....the rear end looks saggy too, but the car only has like 77k miles on it.
Go for it! Yet another save for you. To think it was less than a year ago you bought TQ and have had two others since then. There just coming out of the woodwork by you.
I've got to clear some bills and pay off a bit of debt before I can "invest" in another Eagle.... unfortunately. Probably won't be till next year that I can seriously look for one unless I get a cash windfall from somewhere. Lottery isn't coming through!
Rafe- careful with that wagon if you expect to try getting it on the road. Not a bad deal for a parts car with those features in good shape, but "77k miles" could be "177k miles", could be "277k miles", etc...
When you do tear down the interior Rohn, you would probably be fine with just cleaning all the trim instead of painting it. Unless they have some kind of stains, it should look decent with some good vinyl/plastic polish or compound.
Teardown from my experience:
-You can start with removing every trim piece from the hatch area to the dash (don't bother trying to remove the dash if it isn't completely necessary, it's a REAL pain).
-Make sure to leave all the screws in their places after you remove each piece, it can be tough to remember where they go if you don't.
-Once that's finished, you can take off the seat covers, remove the rear seatbacks, then the rear seats.
-The hatch carpet should then come out easily as a single piece.
-The front seat frames might be harder to get off, as the bolts might be a combination of factory rust coating and globs of rust lol. Definitely strip that stuff off before you try removing them, and make certain you have the correct size sockets.
-After the front seat frames are out, the front carpet should come off with a bit of pulling and peeling.
-Inspect every inch for rust, and do what you need to get it fixed.
-Apply a good seam sealer over the factory seams or any new weld seams, because this is often where the rust creeps up.
-Paint over the seams, and anywhere else you feel necessary, with a good rust paint. I've had an EXCELLENT experience with Rust Bullet auto paint, because it brushes on like a dream, requires little preparation, and sinks into the rust (which it CAN be used to paint over, as long as it's not loose). However, it is probably one of the most expensive paints you would buy, at $160/gal. For me, 1pt($35) laid two thick coats over my entire rear hatch floor and some sections of my frame. Very satisfied, but any good rust paint should work fine for your needs.
-Polish and clean everything while it is out of the car. It will be a lot easier than doing it in the car.
It's really cool once you see everything coming together and you can start putting the fresh new interior back in. I can't wait to have my humpty dumpty back together again! :rotfl:
Thanks for the tips. I plan to install a black interior and I have picked up most of the pieces. I'll paint my other ones black otherwise. I was also thinking about covering the trim pieces with a really thin vinyl which might look pretty sharp. Of course there wouldn't be any texture to it that way but I think it would look good.
Pulled more vac lines off last night so I probably broke something somewhere. I am trying to figure out where these all go so I can make sense of it. Tonight I hope to hook up the lines to the carb and try starting it. Still confused on what goes where but capping the EGR should make this a little easier.
Quote from: rohnk on March 29, 2012, 12:26:26 PM
Pulled more vac lines off . I am trying to figure out where these all go .
They go here:
(http://outdoortrashcan.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/trashcan.jpg)
^
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:rotfl: :rotfl:
And most of them will!
I think I figured it out finally so tonight after work I should be ready to crank it over and see if it starts. I probably need to do the ECM Test before I try to start it though.
Quote from: rohnk on March 29, 2012, 01:46:55 PM
And most of them will!
I think I figured it out finally so tonight after work I should be ready to crank it over and see if it starts. I probably need to do the ECM Test before I try to start it though.
I drove my car for a couple weeks without doing the ECM Test Bypass.
Oh, so I don't have to do the ECM Test right away? Cool. I will definately try cranking it tonight then.
Well I tried and it didn't start. It wasn't running very good before the swap so I guess I'm not surprised. I tried it until the battery died, charged it, cranked until it died again, quick charged, cranked till dead. Nothing.
I'm not smelling fuel either so I don't know if the fuel pump is working. Probaby not. I even tried spraying starting fluid down the throat and it did not fire.
Guess I'll wait till the battery is charged and try again. I still need to do the ECM Test which I will do after the battery is done charging and I've tried it again. I think the battery is shot as I only get about 40 seconds of crank time before it quits.
The Motorcraft fuel bowl will take a good 30 seconds of cranking to fill the bowl the 1st time. After that, should be nothing to it.
Make sure your PCV is connected and you don't have any open vacuum ports.
Did all of that and still no go. I also pulled the fuel line apart and found I'm not getting gas to the carb. I also found that the distributor connects directly to the ICM on my car. Not a splice, a direct connection.
You need to make a quick video for us. Show us what you've done and maybe that will help. Of course not getting gas to the carb could be a problem! ;D
You read my mind. The video is currently uploading from my Ipod. It's taking a bit of time.
I show that my distribitor wires go directly from the dizzy to the plug you show in your video. Yours ran up the wire harness and you cut them. When the video loads, look at my setup and tell me what you think. It looks factory, no splices or anything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-biQYuNlmg&context=C41cbb1aADvjVQa1PpcFOOjOpvQqGOLCzNflscBx4o4HuyZcC-Rvg=
or search for "Rohnk's Eagle" and it should come up.
My first ever video so be kind. I don't know why it uploaded with two large black spaces on either side. I recorded it and upoaded it from my Ipod Touch so that may be why.
Fuel pump is about $20. The vacuum port at the intake manifold is where your brake booster connects directly to, and what gives you power brakes. The vacuum canister on the driver side is also for the 4wd switch. The open port on your charcoal canister, I think, should connect at a T where the brake booster line connects to the intake.
I think you have enough parts for a few Eagles!
I have a lot of parts for sure. I need to start selling some of it. Maybe someday.
Ok. As far as progress goes, I bought a new battery tonight so I can crank the engine for more than 20 seconds before the battery dies. Then while my daughter cranked the engine, I poured a little gas down the carb and it spit and sputtered and tried to run. Then I got out the starting fluid and I could run it off the ether and control the throttle by hand. It won't stay running by itself, but at least I got it to do something. I still don't think I am getting any fuel to the carb from the pump.
I guess I'll just replace the pump and see what happens.
First, if you record on your iPod/iPhone etc flip it horizontally and it will get rid of the lines when you upload it. So you'll be holding it in landscape mode.
Secondly, it looked like you had quite a few of the Marchel Fogs...do you have any that are chrome backed? The one I bought have the black back and I think the Chrome would look better. We could switch or let me know how much you want if you have some chrome ones.
Thirdly, I don't think I have the hose you are calling the "Signal Purge" hooked up on my Eagle...the top two ports on my canister are just open and I plugged both ports down on the "CTO Switch". Not sure if I'm doing that wrong or if you're just hooks up different than mine.
Fourthly, I'm not sure what the hoses are that you are talking about that are going to a T and then going into the port where you'll be plugging your distributor into once you get the car started. Are there three ports down on that "CTO Switch" cause I only have two?
I think that's all for now.
All the fog lights I have are black. Some are in rough shape but other are good. They all need a little work which I will get too some day. I have another set with the front covers too.
My CTO is actually a dual switch so there are five port on it. Look in Gronk's write-up and he shows the CTO and how it is plumbed.
I just made another video because I finally got it to run a little bit. The timing is off so it won't stay running but at least it is almost there. I'll borrow a light from O'Reilly's tomorrow and see if I can get that adjusted.
New vid here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alm5zQ88pq4&context=C4d31b19ADvjVQa1PpcFOOjOpvQqGOLCzNflscBx4o4HuyZcC-Rvg=
On the next video, I'll turn the Ipod sideways. Thanks for the tip!
My carb still doesn't like starting up really. Once it's been running for a bit it works good. I think it's a vacuum leak issue.
Also I forgot to mention from the other video it does look like your electrics from the dizzy is already bypassing the ECM...not sure how that works with it not even looking like it is spliced or anything...
Hey Rohn, are you sure you don't have a vacuum leak somewhere? Your's seemed to run exactly like my 4.0 did when I had over looked a vacuum plug. Even if the timing was off it should at least stay running, at least when warmed up anyway. Unless having the computer in the loop with a non ccc carb could reek that much havoc? Or did you do the bypass yet?
My distributor already is wired directly to the ICM from the factory. I looked at the schematic in the TSM I have for 82 and it shows the distributor is supposed to connect to the ICM directly. Not sure how this one works with the computer since I did have a Carter carb with a stepper motor on it.
I've checked a lot of vac places and everything looks like it is capped. I think the tiiming is far off since it bacfires through the carb.
Glad you finally got it running pretty good. Let us know how the Test Drive goes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbqN1ZULDug&context=C4a04ba8ADvjVQa1PpcFOOjOpvQqGOLCzNflscBx4o4HuyZcC-Rvg=
New video showing the vacuum line routing. I also explain the way a three plug ICM is modified for an 82.
Took it for the first drive I've had in it in about 8 months. It did ok but would try to stall when taking off from each stop. Not much power either. I bought a cheap tach from O'Reilys and hooked it up but it didn't work. Not sure what is going on there.
Hmmm, I'm not sure about that port under the choke...seems like it should be used for something. That's where my distributor plugs straight into. Either our carbs are different or one of us is doing it wrong.
P.S. Way to turn the phone on it's side so you have a nice horizontal video! :)
Thought that might work better for the video! A friend of mine mentioned it ;)
I finally got the tach to work so I could dial the timing in. Runs pretty good now but still need a ported vacuum for those CTO lines that are teed together. I set the timing at 10 degrees with the distributor vac unplugged and the idle around 600-700rpm. The tone of the engine was good at that setting so I let it alone. I'm tired tonight so I'll have to try driving it again tomorrow and see if the hesitation from a stop is better.
Have you tried just removing those lines that are T'ed together and just plugging those ports? What do those lines need to be there for?
I finally got the car to run ok after messing around with timing, mixture and idle all at the same time. It still hesitates a bit from a stop but I can keep it from stalling by feathering the pedal.
Went out for a ride yesterday and found a fuel leak. I think it is time to start taking it apart and replacing old lines and begin cleaning and upgrading it. The rear suspension is squatting pretty bad so I'm ordering leafs and shocks for that. The front CV joints are making noise so I'll have to order a set of those. Also needs front coils and shocks. I have all the HEI parts to upgrade the fire maker, so that will be done as well.
Right now I am in process of removing all the exterior trim and will access rust spots and treat those and touch up the paint as needed. Then shine it up and head for some shows with it. First show is May 18th I think and just about every two weeks after that. Between shows I'll continue to work on the car and improve it's looks and abilities to make a good daily driver and overall fun car.
Oh yeah, right now it barely has enough power to get up on a set of ramps in the garage so I'll have to figure that out too while I'm in there. The plastic valve cover is also on the list of to do's.
Door pins and bushing too. I forgot about those. For some reason, the windshield washer fluid squirter thingy isn't working either. Probably should look into that as well.
More work done tonight. I stripped the exterior chrome pieces and all the trim that I could off and started to take off the front bumper before I got tired. Took off the skid plate too and got a good close up look at the vaccuum switch for the front axle (bumped my head on it).
I also remembered a cardinal rule about using a creeper in the shop. I bought one yesterday to make it easier for me to roll around under the car. The cardinal rule is, they roll! Don't put one knee on the ground and one knee on the creeper to position yourself for standing up. I did the splits and fell on a seat that I had laying out too. At least it was a soft landing!
Sometimes I feel like I am all three stooges rolled into one body. Just darn uncoordinated tonight.
Well, I found out my Eagle had been in an accident at one time. The passenger rear wheel well is dented pretty badly under the plastic flare. Nothing that can't be fixed though. I also noticed that the rear axle seems to be about a quarter inch out of square. The pass side rear tire was only a half inch from the tire and the drivers side is almost an inch clearance. It could be the springs sagging more on the pass side so I'm not that concerned. That would account for the "squirrely" feeling when i was driving it.
Another good rule for those creepers is to make sure you have enough room under the car to roll around on. Sounds like you have the front up on ramps so that helps.
Bummer about the apparent accident.
Today I worked on getting the front and rear bumpers off and investigated a little further into the accident damage. It is just a dent in the rear wheel well and I was able to pound some of it out. I'l do more when I get the tires off and have more room. Should be an easy fix! I am very glad about that.
All exterior trim is now off and I have gotten a good look at the car. Looks solid and only a couple of spots in the corners of the rear windows need body work. I plan to take it up the street to the fella that fixed my other car a couple of months ago. Maybe he can fix it quickly and cheaply as they have all the proper tools. Then I can prime and paint the fixed areas and go from there.
Just a cosmetic clean-up for now. a make-over could come later but the car is in really good shape. I don't think I need to repaint the whole thing unless I change colors. That is still TBD.
You are moving right along man. Glad it sounds like there isn't anything major that needs to be done.
Put up some new pictures today in an April album.
http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20April%202012/
I think I'll start creating monthly albums to show progress or probems I run into. Kind of my build log.
Enjoy! ;D
Build log. I like it. Good idea!
Finally off the ramps last night. I looked all over for a fuel leak and could not find one. I found the tranny is leaking alittle bit, the radiator has a few drips and it appears the transfer case may have a little seaping going on. Nothing major yet but I'll keep an eye on it.
I stopped by O'Reilly's last night and picked up a couple of cans of primer and paint for when I am ready for touch-ups. I also picked up a set of Champion spark plugs and will be getting those installed soon.
Up next, distributor/coil upgrade, spark plugs and new wires. Then I'll re-adjust the carb and timing and see if I can get a little "getty up" in this car.
Completed the distributor upgrade tonight and installed new plugs. I had to run the timing gambit again and adjust the idle and mixture screws a bit. I turned the idle way down once the timing was set and plugged the vacuum advance in. The idle went up to about 1000 rpm so I backed the idle screw off just a hair. After idling for about 5 minutes, I went for a drive and it stalled on me again at a stop. I only took a short drive (about a mile) and by the time I was heading home it would run strong at stops and not hesitate as much from a stop.
The choke is operating properly so I think I just need to drive the beast to get her into shape. It feels like it has more power with the ignition upgrade and new plugs. I gapped them to 0.45 as instructed so I think everything is good there.
Now to order rear suspension components and begin scratching the rust off the bottom. Nothing major, just cleaning off the surface rust and spraying with an undercoating.
Sounds like you're making steady progress!
Believe me, I am trying to make progress! The first show is the 19th of May about 40 miles away and I want to be there with it.
Your you're stalling sounds a lot like mine. It hesitates a lot when it's not warm. I'm hoping it's from the small vacuum leaks I still have around the base of the carb.
Expensive day!
I ordered the standard leaf springs for an SX/4 from Stengel Brothers and asked them to add an extra leaf. Also got rubber bushing to go with them. $150 a piece with 5 leaves. I think bushings were $10 total.
Ordered a valve cover from Morris 4x4 for $115.
Bought Monroe rear shocks and steering damper with flex covers from O'Reilly's for $105.
Also ordered a non-A/C alternator bracket from Kennedy American for $20.
So that is about $550 worth of stuff to keep me busy for a couple of weeks.
Awesome! Can't wait to hear how those springs and shocks turn out! Did you get the air shocks or the sensatrac coil shocks??
Neither. Just regular old Monroe gas shocks. Saved enough on those so I could get the valve cover.
You could've gotten the sensa-trac shocks for about $70 on amazon, they're probably the best ones for it too. Excited to see everything together though!
I may upgrade the shocks later one, right now I just need to replace the originals that are on there. I got the Monroe Sense a matic I think they are called. $27 a piece at O'Reilly's and they were in stock.
With the new leaf springs and extra leaf, the ride will be a bit stiffer anyway. I can always upgrade later to try and smooth it out if need be.
Lots of work today. I took off the carb to gain access to the air injection manifold. Then the air pump came out. Then the air injection manifold. Then I drained the coolant and removed the CTO from the intake. After all that, I took off the valve cover and started in on the A/C compressor. After a bit of work, that finally came out and I called it a night. I worked on it for roughly 3.5 hours in total today so it wasn't as easy as just removing bolts.
The biggest bugger I had to deal with was that little :censored: of a bolt behind the valve cover at the firewall. It was loose, but covered in oil so I just couldn't get a good grip on it to turn it out. Because of the angles my socket kept slipping off it too. What a PITA! I think I'll drill a hole in that thing and hang it on a necklace. Something to tell my grandkids about, "the battle with the oily bolt"! OK, maybe it wasn't that bad. I also found that there was no gasket on the valve cover, just a boat load of RTV. There is also RTV on some of the rockers on the pushrod side. Not put there by mistake I don't think. I have no idea why someone would put RTV on the rockers though.
With the right combonation of tools that bolt only takes seconds.
Does your Eagle already have the aluminum valve cover? If not you should definitely do that while you have the cover off already!
I have the aluminum cover on order. Should be in this week.
Yes MudKicker, I figure you would make that comment! :rotfl: It had me scratching my head for a few minutes. The hardest part was stretching the length of the engine to reach the darn thing.
Forgot to mention something. When I drained the coolant, it is a dark green color and smells sweet as it should. However, the coolant that came out of the intake manifold is rust brown. When I cut off a couple of hoses, I found where rust has settled in the lower portions of the hoses. Looking in the radiator cap, I can see the inside of the radiator has a layer of rust all over the core.
It hasn't been leaking and I don't think it is plugged, so I think I will take it out and have it pressure tested in a bath to look for any weaknesses. They'll also flush the radiator and run through a mixture they have the removes rust and cleans up any debris that has been left behind. The last radiator the guys did for me came back looking brand new and they showed me a bucket of sludge that came out of it. This one looks a little worse than the old one back in teh day. We shall see.
Sounds like you are moving right along. I never have gotten up the guts to remove the valve cover. I don't know how to drill and tap the wholes and I'm a little worried about the while progress.
Quote from: rohnk on April 22, 2012, 11:39:39 PM
I have the aluminum cover on order. Should be in this week.
Yes MudKicker, I figure you would make that comment! :rotfl: It had me scratching my head for a few minutes. The hardest part was stretching the length of the engine to reach the darn thing.
I guess i only mentioned that a have dozen of a dozen times. Even took pics and posted myself one handing it. Haha
Quote from: Prafeston on April 23, 2012, 12:23:29 AM
Sounds like you are moving right along. I never have gotten up the guts to remove the valve cover. I don't know how to drill and tap the wholes and I'm a little worried about the while progress.
It's not as bad as you think Rafe, just needs a little massaging to remove. Drilling and tapping isn't necessary at all, unless a bolt is broken or threads are stripped. Really just a matter of removing bolts and replacing the gasket.
Rohn, how much will it cost to have a mechanic do that for your radiator? If it's costly enough, you always could just go with one of those $200 shiny aluminum radiators from eBay that captspillane got for his. It's the best way to upgrade the cooling system, which would be very good for such an old engine.
That valve cover bolt at the firewall is really annoying to remove, but it's worlds easier with a 3/8 u-joint and extension on your socket.
I thought there were 1 or 2 holes that had to be tapped...what year Eagle do you have?
Baskinator, it is a radiator shop located in teh back of a dirty warehouse building that not a lot of people know about. The guy is a scrap metal hauler and works on refurbing radiators as a hobby with the help of his sons. His boys have probably taken it over by now. It has been probably 7-8 years since I was there.
Anyway, the cost should be around $60. He will first clean it up and then dunk it in a tub of antifreeze and pressurize it looking for bubbles. If he doesn't find any, they clean it up again and run his "cocktail" through it for a few hours. After that, they rinse and repeat reversing the flow if it is obstructed at all. Then they clean it up, dunk again to look for air leaks, fix the leaks and shine it up and paint it.
Takes about a week to get done but it is mostly the time it takes to run the cocktail through it. I can't say for sure, but I think the cocktail is a rust remover/scale dissolving solution. All I do know for sure is that the fluid runs through like a greyhound after a rabbit when they are done.
Quote from: Prafeston on April 23, 2012, 03:37:31 AM
I thought there were 1 or 2 holes that had to be tapped...what year Eagle do you have?
Yes, some of the holes will probably have to be tapped when you switch to the aluminum valve cover. I had never tapped anything before, it was actually very easy. Mine did not need to be drilled at all.
Ah, you're right, I didn't realize you meant when switching to the aluminum cover. Mine is a later 258, which already had an aluminum one. In that case, drilling and tapping will probably be a pain and will take careful work. My biggest concern would be hitting a water jacket, especially if you're not prepared to replace the cylinder head or at least JB weld it.
Rafe, mine is an 82.
I'm not worried about drilling and tapping the head. I've done that kind of stuff before. If it cracks, it cracks. Nothing I can do about that. If it did though, this project would become a long term project and I would pull the engine and start over basically. Then I could build up the block the way I want it and upgrade all the internals. Probably go the stroker route if I had to go that far.
But alas, none of that should have to happen on this one. :-X
Worked for a couple of more hours tonight. I was able to wrestle the AC cooler from in front of the radiator and removed the alternator, thermostat and radiator hoses. I'm going a little further than just taking off the air pump and AC compressor which I am glad I did. Found two problems. The lower radiator hose has been rubbing on the power steering resivoir and has two very soft spots. Almost enough to put my finger through. I also pulled the thermostat and found that whoever worked on this car didn't believe in buying gaskets. The thing was so full of RTV that it was stuck about half open and rusted. I had to use a pair of pliers to seperate it from the block it was so well RTV'd in there. Lucky it didn't leak.
Anyway, alternator came out tonight and I am working on the brackets that are in there now so I can convert over to non-AC bracket. I think I can move the power steering resivoir up as well but not sure if I am missing something like a special bracket or something.
Dang Rohn, you are really diggin in there! Sounds like you are doing it right though. Hope the process of putting everything back together goes smoothly!
Well it goes like this. I'm planning to do project X and now that is half done it is only a little more work to get project Y and now Project Z might as well be done since it is in the open now.
One thing leads to another. If I didn't get this far into it, I wouldn't have found the problems. I'l make every effort to finish the job in a month and with all new parts and gaskets. I'm taking the alternator in tomorrow just to be run and checked. Should be ok, but why guess? Take it in and be sure.
Nothing done today. Had to go to a school function of my daughter's. I did take a couple of pics and add them to my April build log though.
http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20April%202012/
and my dinosaur ribs came in!
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20April%202012/44369A5E.jpg)
Haha Dino ribs!
Quote from: rohnk on April 24, 2012, 09:40:37 PM
and my dinosaur ribs came in!
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20April%202012/44369A5E.jpg)
Those look like half the rack that used to tip over the Flintstone-mobile!!
Yeah, but his probably were easier to chew! :rotfl:
My new valve cover came in as well. Just a few more parts and pieces to get, clean up the bock a bit and everything can start going back together.
Took the EGR out tonight and finished the disassembly on the AC/alternator brackets. I found that the front of the block is covered in about a half inch of sludge! That old cover has been leaking for some time now. Anyway, I started cleaning around the mounting area so I could figure out where things fit. Then MudKicker posted a picture for me and viola! It all made sense.
I also removed the heater hoses and one of the AC hoses tonight. That was two hours worth of work and I was pooped. Back at it again tomorrow night I guess. I'll be able to start putting it back together soon and make sense of how things should be routed with that AC gone.
I plan to set everything out on the floor this Saturday and take a picture to show what all was removed in this emissions/AC delete. Hopefully someone else can use something from my experience to help them later on.
After all, that's why we are all here! To share our experiences and learn more about our cars.
No work yesterday, but I got a few things done tonight. Finally finished cleaning the old RTV off from the valve cover seat. Had to cut the air injection hardline at the converter since the u-clamp holding the pipes together was too rusted to wrench off. Also had to cut off a brace holding the line to the exhaust pipe. Then I removed the two air conditioning lines that were left going into the driver side firewall.
I stopped at Lowes and bought six of the 1/4" pipe plugs to cap the holes in the exhaust manifold where the air injection manifold bolted. I also picked up a 3/8" plug for where the CTO went into the intake. I used loctite just to lubricate the plugs going in as there is a lot of carbon in the threads of the exhaust manifold. It is only good to 300 degrees so it will burn off rather quickly.
Then it was time to clean shop and put away all my tools. Oh yeah, I also took out the wiper motor to make room for the new valve cover install.
Tomorrow I have to pick up some heater hoses and a new gasket for the carb. Then it will be a day of installing the hoses, alternator bracket and alternator, and tapping the two holes for the new valve cover. All my holes line up except for two on the driver side so I am going to just tap those two and use 1/4-20 bolts in the rest of the holes.
Tapped two holes on the driver side of the head tonight for 1/4-20 helicoils. That way I have 1/4-20 threads all the way around on my valve cover. Once that was done, I cleaned all the removed and no longer needs parts off the bench and installed the new valve cover. Heater hoses will be next, then carb, then alternator. I'm also cleaning the battery tray off and plan to prime and paint some areas under the hood just to freshen it up. I took all the electronics off the pass side fender so I can clean it and organize a bit better.
Should be done under the hood sometime next week. Pictures are in my photobucket account and linked in other posts.
Lately I've been cleaning brackets and painting them just to clean things up a bit. Installed the thermostat last night and started putting in new hoses. Sometime today I'll get the alternator back in and start tightening things down. The project is going well. Taking the AC and air pump out has made a lot of room.
I've been using a wire brush to clean the inner fenders and expose the rust areas. I'll treat those and spray with primer and paint before it is all said and done. More pics tonight!
sounds like you are ding a great job Rohn. Keep up the guys work...summer shows are right around the corner. My first one is next weekend.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20May%202012/ACA22A87.jpg)
Made good progress this weekend. Carb back on, alternator in, hoses routed, right side inner fender cleaned up and painted. Sure glad I bought those wire wheels for the drill to clean rust off things. Really shines it up.
With the AC delete, the new bracket fits just fine but I don't have the right bolts for it. I used the bolts from teh old one and it was a little long so I put a spacer on it and it worked perfectly. I'll change it sometime down the rode but for now it fits and I can run the engine with it. I forgot to pick up a new alternator belt though so I'll be doing that this week. If you look close at the picture for the May album, you'll notice that I used hose clamps that do not require a wrench. They have plastic tabs on them so you can tighten everything by hand. I like them and I hope they hold up. Time will tell. If they break of come loose, then I'll just replace them. Link below.
http://photobucket.com/sx4may2012
Rohn, your engine bay is really cleaning up nicely man. Looks great. Man, I really need to get my aluminum valve cover on!!
When you do it, remove the washer wiper motor. It makes the job much easier.
So I've read. I'm still more worried about tapping! Also I just need a good time to have the car out of commission for awhile...especially if something goes wrong when I'm doing it.
Almost done with the engine mods! I have all the wiring back in, wiper motor in and radiator filled with a clean-out solution and water. All I need is a belt for the alternator and I can fire it up! I also finished a little project for my air cleaner cover tonight.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20May%202012/F82BE92A.jpg)
Also, thanks to Jim for sending me the under hood light. I got it tonight and cleaned it up already so I can paint it and get it in before the show on the 19th. Still a lot of work to do before then as I haven't even touched the drivers side of the engine and I need to put all the exterior lights back on.
:P
Forgot to mention, new pics in the May album, check it out!
http://photobucket.com/sx4may2012
Love the addition man!
I wish it would photo better but it is so white that it turns hazy and you can't see the detail. Maybe I'll rub a little charcoal over it to get into the grooves and make it stand out better. It is definatley different though.
Tonight didn't go as planned but at least....... she is running again!
On the first start, the hose for the intake manifold was not seating properly and peed coolant all over the place. I fixed that and tried again. Once up to temp, the lower radiator hose let loose and coolant all over again. So I pulled the power steering resivoir and found the lower rad hose fitting was rusted up. I cleaned it off really good, installed the hose, refilled the radiator and tried again. This time success! No leaks.
I also adjusted the fuel mixture by turning both screws all the way in. Then I backed them out two full turns of the screwdriver. I also lowered the curb idle until the dizzy advance stopped pulling vac and adjusted the timing to 8 degrees. Now when I plug the vac line into the dizzy, the engine speed does not change at idle which is exactly what should happen.
It will be another week before I can drive it, but all should be well now.
Thanks to Jim for the under hood light. I haven't installed it yet as I can't find the connector to plug it in and I need to clean the hood anyway. Please enjoy these before and after pics!
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20May%202012/9C2B800A.jpg)
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20May%202012/6F11C6C5.jpg)
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20May%202012/DCBD2EF1.jpg)
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20May%202012/281D53D9.jpg)
when i get off work tomarrow i'll take a pic of the connector for the one on Survivor.
Cool thanks! There was one on the car originally as there are screw holes in teh hood for it but I'll be darned if I can find the wire and/or connector. I hope they didn't cut it out.
Anyway, I spent about 6 hours on the car today. I primed and painted the inner right engine compartment, sprayed the entire front end in front of the radiator and behind the headlights. Look a lot better and is clean which is what I was trying to do.
I also try to rebuild the windshield washer pump but it just doesn't have enough strength left in the magnets to turn anymore. It was all rusted inside too which cleaned up easy but still doesn't work. Oh well, I'll order one and be done with it I guess. At least the old one looks nice now!
I did a little detail work as well by painting the lettering on the overflow tank, evap canister and washer fluid bottle. Makes it a lot easier to see them. Also the evap canister is labeled right on it where each line goes. I couldn't see that before because it was dirty and dark. Pics of today's work will be in the May folder on photobucket soon.
I believe the holes are there for the hood light on every Eagle, mine had them also without having the light. The connector on my wiring harness was grouped with another connector and neither were attached to anything. My new light worked right away and all I had to do was hook it up to the existing connector.
Thanks Baskinator, that's good info. I think I found the connector tonight as well. Single red wire into a connector that was tucked up under the main harness. I didn't plug it in since there is no bulb. I broke the one that was in it as sent by Jim. Whoops!
Found the original horn when I took the front end apart the other day. I finally got around to seeing if it worked today and I wired it to the battery. When I touched the terminals, I didn't expect it to go off, but it did! Scared the mess out of me too. Something about seeing sparks on the battery and hearing a loud beep just made me jump! Our husky got up and walked around the car to see what I had done and I think he was sleeping at the time since he looked a little ragged and looked at me as if to say "Alright, knock it off!"
Good times....
Haha, I usually beep at my dogs on purpose!
If you want to test the hood light, it uses the same bulb as either the rear brake light or rear turn signal, can't remember exactly which one.
sorry i haven't got the pic for you yet but digital cameras and the rain don't get along so well it's supposed to clear up tomarrow, if it does i'll be able to get it for you.
That's cool. Thanks maddog.
I think I found it though. Can you tell me if your wire is red on the wire harness side. It is just a single wire connection with ground coming from the body.
yes it is red but as for the ground i'm not sure but here is the pic.
(http://i44.servimg.com/u/f44/14/94/93/40/pict0240.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=258&u=14949340)
Ok, looks like the one I found so I think that's it. I'll try it soon.
The ground comes from the housing being screwed to the hood. Which is why they corrode so much I think (current being drawn through the body of it).
That's the one :) If the bulb's good, it will light up as soon as it's plugged in.
Well tonight I finally got the front pass fender sanded, primed and painted in just the very front of it where I found a hole after using the wire brush on it. Whoops! I also put the front end back together (minus the bumper) so I can take it for a drive soon. Now on to the body work and getting it shined up. I won't make the shows I was hoping to for this weekend and next, but there are plenty of others coming this summer.
Well, today I got around to taking out the drivers side leaf spring to replace it with the ones I ordered back in April. Come to find out, they sent me a set of springs for a wagon! They are 2" longer than the SX4 springs I was supposed to get. I also ordered them special with a leaf added. I emailed the company about the situation and I am hoping they will exchange them. In the meantime, I guess the Eagle will stay up on the jacks until I can get this resolved. I hope it doesn't cost me alot or take much time since there is a car show next weekend that I want to take the car too.
Lesson learned, when placing an order over the phone, always check the parts you get in right away!
Dang man...that sucks! And yeah, you've had those for while. Guess you should have checked sooner. It's the worst when you are going to install a part and it's not till you have everything removed and ready to put in that you realize it's the wrong size or part or whatever!
Good news on my leaf springs! Stengel Bros will swap me the ones I have for SX4 springs built the way I wanted. They said they have on order in for another set just as I requested so somebody else out there is upgrading there suspension. All I have to do is send the wagon springs back and they will send me new ones.
Bad news, it probably won't happen within the week so I won't be making any car shows with it this weekend. Kinda sucks because I've been working hard to be ready for this weekend. Oh well, there will be other days and other shows.
Quote from: rohnk on June 04, 2012, 02:55:51 PM
Good news on my leaf springs! Stengel Bros will swap me the ones I have for SX4 springs built the way I wanted. They said they have on order in for another set just as I requested so somebody else out there is upgrading there suspension. All I have to do is send the wagon springs back and they will send me new ones.
Bad news, it probably won't happen within the week so I won't be making any car shows with it this weekend. Kinda sucks because I've been working hard to be ready for this weekend. Oh well, there will be other days and other shows.
How much did those rear wagon springs cost you?
$300
Wowza!! Ok, was just curious. I'll stick with my 42 dollar Shackle lift for now! :)
You could also try adding a couple Cherokee leafs. They are plentiful in the wrecking yards, and you may even find one with aftermarket lifted springs.
Rafe,
I ordered them special though with a leaf added. Otherwise they are around $105 a piece and add shipping. Think of it this way, you'll probably never have to buy another set unless you go heavy off road or over load the vehicle all the time.
Rollguy,
I was thinking of that, but I already made the investment and the shop is working with me to swap out with what I need. I'm out a little for shipping, but otherwise it is a good deal.
Thanks guys!
Quote from: rollguy on June 04, 2012, 06:59:37 PM
You could also try adding a couple Cherokee leafs. They are plentiful in the wrecking yards, and you may even find one with aftermarket lifted springs.
Rollguy, will the Cherokee springs work on the small Eagles? Any particular year of Cherokees? Grand Cherokees too? Thanks.
Quote from: vangremlin on June 04, 2012, 09:19:09 PM
Quote from: rollguy on June 04, 2012, 06:59:37 PM
You could also try adding a couple Cherokee leafs. They are plentiful in the wrecking yards, and you may even find one with aftermarket lifted springs.
Rollguy, will the Cherokee springs work on the small Eagles? Any particular year of Cherokees? Grand Cherokees too? Thanks.
I am not sure. I usually just use the Eagle main leaf, and replace/add leafs from other vehicles that are the same width. I remember reading somewhere that the Cherokee has the same width, and maybe even the same length as the Eagle.
No, Cherokee leafs are not the same length. You must use the Eagle top leaf. That said, the Cherokee leaf pack works perfectly. When you remove the top leaf from the Cherokee pack the second leaf is longer than the second leaf of the stock Eagle springs. This supports the old Eagle leaf spring much better and it does a great job at returning the Eagle back to the height it belongs at.
On an SX4 the extra length of the XJ second leaf is critical. Broken SX4 leaf springs are extremely common. Its much more of a problem for Spirits, Kammbacks, and SX4's because those leaf springs have a short second leaf. The long top leaf gets unusually fatigued and they often break where they continue past the second leaf all by their lonesome. That's not a problem the Station Wagons and Sedans have. I've never had a station wagon leaf break but I've had multiple SX4 top leafs break.
You made a very good decision in ordering a modified leaf spring. All the original SX4 top leafs are in danger of breaking and a straight replacement doesn't address the design flaw.
when i swapped the broken pack on Eagle Eyes i used a pack from a Cherokee and they were same length. the only difference was that the front bolt holes on the Cherokee spring packs need to be enlarged a very little bit.
Quote from: vangremlin on June 04, 2012, 09:19:09 PM
Rollguy, will the Cherokee springs work on the small Eagles? Any particular year of Cherokees? Grand Cherokees too? Thanks.
The small Eagles (SX4s and Kammbacks) are two inches shorter. The Cherokee leafs only work on station wagons and sedans. This thread is discussing his Kammback.
Quote from: captspillane on June 05, 2012, 02:35:07 AM
On an SX4 the extra length of the XJ second leaf is critical. Broken SX4 leaf springs are extremely common. Its much more of a problem for Spirits, Kammbacks, and SX4's because those leaf springs have a short second leaf. The long top leaf gets unusually fatigued and they often break where they continue past the second leaf all by their lonesome.
The main leaf on my SX/4 broke near the axle
My new springs came in last night and look great. They have a much nicer arch on them compared to the original worn out ones. I didn't get to install then tonight since I had a problem with a broken rubber gas line at the tank. I lost about 2 gallons on the floor and all over me before I finally got a new hose on to drin the gas into a catch can. Then I had to work fast to replace all the lines back there before my catch cab filled up. Total of about 6 gallons got loose but I reclaimed 4 of it.
So now I have all new rubber hoses at the tank and a new roll over valve in place. Tomorrow I'll be ready to start with the leaf springs.
Can't wait for you to have this thing all back together again!
Quote from: rohnk on June 12, 2012, 10:43:29 PM
I had a problem with a broken rubber gas line at the tank. I lost about 2 gallons on the floor and all over me before I finally got a new hose on to drin the gas into a catch can. Then I had to work fast to replace all the lines back there before my catch cab filled up. Total of about 6 gallons got loose but I reclaimed 4 of it.
So now I have all new rubber hoses at the tank and a new roll over valve in place. Tomorrow I'll be ready to start with the leaf springs.
That is odd, because there should be no fuel leaking from any of the hoses when they are disconnected (other than a little that is in the hoses). If there was pressure in the tank, maybe. The hard lines go in the top of the tank (fuel sender and pickup), so the tank would have to be full and with pressure to force the fuel up to the top of the tank through the hard lines. I believe you did, but I can't imagine how you could have gotten a gas shower.
I'm with you Rollguy. That is why it was such a surprise to me. I know the tank is about 3/4ths full right now and it could have pressure, but with the bad rubber lines, I would expect it to not hold pressure.
The one that was draining was the lowest hose that comes off the front of the tank. To the right of it is the grounding stud and above/behind it is another line that I think is the return. There was some gas in this line too but not much.
The fuel was flowing right out the front of the tank like a water hose.
I got the drivers side leaf spring in tonight. That was quite a bit of work! Anyway, I measured it before taking the old ones out and the top of the wheel flare was 30.5" with the old springs. With the new springs, it is 34.5"! That is at least a 2" lift over stock and the rear is level or just a bit higher than the front. It looks much better sitting up where it belongs. Tomorrow I'll get the other side on and then start on some other part of it.
Rear suspension is complete. The car now sits level and looks great. It runs very good too. I was able to squeal the tires coming out of the garage! Nice..
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20May%202012/AE398809.jpg)
Quote from: rollguy on June 12, 2012, 11:56:10 PM
Quote from: rohnk on June 12, 2012, 10:43:29 PM
I had a problem with a broken rubber gas line at the tank. I lost about 2 gallons on the floor and all over me before I finally got a new hose on to drin the gas into a catch can. Then I had to work fast to replace all the lines back there before my catch cab filled up. Total of about 6 gallons got loose but I reclaimed 4 of it.
So now I have all new rubber hoses at the tank and a new roll over valve in place. Tomorrow I'll be ready to start with the leaf springs.
That is odd, because there should be no fuel leaking from any of the hoses when they are disconnected (other than a little that is in the hoses). If there was pressure in the tank, maybe. The hard lines go in the top of the tank (fuel sender and pickup), so the tank would have to be full and with pressure to force the fuel up to the top of the tank through the hard lines. I believe you did, but I can't imagine how you could have gotten a gas shower.
I tthought the lines on the small Eagles came out of the front of the tank, whereas on the wagons they came off the top. If my memory is correct then, gas would start to come out if the tank was more than about 1/2 full.
Its looking great Rohn!
Thanks Rafe. Still a ways to go but I am having fun with it. The age I am now (38) must be something about it. I don't get too upet when I can't get something done on the car, I work steadily and try to do something with it every other day, and I actually care to take the time to do thing right. Not just slap it together and call it good.
My neighbors really want me to go with them to Silver Lake. I have some front end work to do since it feels squirrely and I need to make spacers for the rear shocks since they are now topping out. Maybe by August I'll be ready to hit the dunes!
Not much has been done in the past couple of weeks. I had a terrible review at work and was basically told to change how I do everything or out I'll go. Which is fine, but they don't know what I do to begin with and have no idea to tel me what to do going forward. Classic case of set-up to fail so they can fire me and get in some kid for half the money. inconsiderate persons.
Anyway, here is the new picture album for July. Not much there, but there is a bit of surprise. Take a look!
http://photobucket.com/sx4july2012
Hey hey!!! Once you pop you can't stop...or so the saying goes! :)
Congrats! Twins!!!
Nice! Is that another SX/4, or a sedan?
It's another SX/4. Saw him eying that one in the For Sale section! :)
Look for new thread to start in a minute or two. It'll be called "Double Down".
I toook out the rear interior piece tonight that covers the rear speakers. When I looked in, I thought the car had been on fire! The corners and joints of the rear are covered in a sticky tarry substance. It doesn't have an odor to it really but it is shiny and sticky. Was there some kind of sealant AMC used in assembly to seal the rear ends of the SX4's?
http://photobucket.com/sx4july2012
July's album above for those interested. I found my build sheet too! It is stuck to the inside of the rear interior trim piece and held on with some kind of sticky tar that is the same stuff that is all over the joints in the rear. It is hard to see in the pictures, but maybe some of you have seen this stuff too?
I believe someone posted some sort of tar stuff like that on some shots of their engine. They thought it had been on fire at one point too, but I think it's some sort of silicone stuff they use around electrical stuff. Don't remember the reasoning.
Whatever it is, it is a mess! I have a can of Acetone that will cut through it (I hope). Otherwise I'll sprinkle it with baking soda to try drying it out so it doesn't stick to anything else.
With a break in the 100 degree weather today, I finally was able to work on the car a bit more. I found out about a car show this Saturday which is the same one I went to last year with my Eagle. I wanted to go again, but took a different direction instead.
My daughters helped me clean up the back of the car and I decided to remove the rear seat and throw out the carpet. I also started scraping the sealent the factory used on all the joints in the rear of the car. What a mess that stuff is! Sure has worked well over the years though. I'll remove what I can and then reseal with a heavy silicone before priming it. No plans to paint the hatch area, just primer. It will get covered again someday anyway.
If I get the lights put back in and a spoiler instead, I might take it to the show as a WIP.
Oh yeah, I also finalized my paint idea. Being unemployed now, I am going to keep it simple but get some flair on it as well. The car will stay white primarily. The bottom of the doors and all exterior plastics will be black. Keeping the chrome trim around the windows. Grill will be black with silver highlights. All emblems will get repainted. For the flair, I plan to paint the power buge on the hood a gloss black with silver outline. down the sides of the car, I want to put a red and blue pinstripe about a half inch wide. On the roof I want to paint the AMC flag or the American Flag. I'm also building a roof rack out of an older style wagon rack.
Tonight I cleaned up the 81 a little bit and set the hood back on top of it so I could get it outside. Then I moved the 82 (Road Trip) over in the garage so I could have more room to work. I stripped all the plastic interior from the sides and took out the headliner. Then I worked on the passenger side seat and removed it. I've been working in the hatch area removing all the sealer the factory used at the panel joints. It is just a lot of tarry stuff that has gotten gross over the years and I'd like it gone as part of my cleanup. Really a lot of work for nothing, but it is neat to see just how good that stuff has worked over the years to protect the bare metal. It was applied on the bare surface and then was sprayed over when the car was painted. I also see that they were not very careful when they sprayed the parts that nobody would see and there are runs all over the place. Too much paint is a good thing in this case.
Here is a pic of the hatch area where the fuel inlet is. It shows the before and after of my cleanup efforts. Lots more to do as I take out the carpet up front too.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/rohnk/SX4%20Project%20July%202012/C1AB8063.jpg)