Hello Everybody,

   East Pointe, MI though a little bit around there.  My youngest son is a mid-Captain Army officer posted at Selfridge ANG Base, of all places.

 Definitely on the bearings.  There is a noticeably different feel.

  And lastly, Rockauto didn't have that booster a few weeks ago and stated something about there were no available cores for rebuilding.

Rick

 

 

Hello,

  Today was the day to finish the front brakes though it was tedious work that required me to study a good You Tube video quite a few times. The rear drums will need to be turned this week and their design is similar to the front  - they only add a "spreader bar" between the shoes.   This was using new shoes in ceramic friction material and I kept the original Timken tapered roller inner and outer wheel bearings.  As I previously mentioned, the original bearings felt heavier and smoother than the new bearings that I got from Ames.  New grease seals and new wheel cylinders and I used plenty of the heaviest possible high temperature grease. 

  The passenger wheel cylinder required me to fire up my precision "Bridgeport milling machine" - aka my bench grinder.  This wheel cylinder needed some grinding to get it to fit squarely against the backing plate so that the bolts would line up.  New rubber flex hoses – braided steel is not available.  I tightened the lash out of the bearings and then backed off to smooth spinning with no binding and zero in/out play.  New cotter pins and axel caps. 

  The driver's front was first and it took the longest, of course.  The passenger side with the slightly larger wheel cylinder slowed me down for about an hour for the small amounts of grinding but it still went faster than the driver's side.  I had to go slowly with the grinding to not nick the dust boot.  

  I was worried that the drum metal lost to the brake lathe would have made adjusting the shoes outward enough impossible for best operation.  This was not a problem.  The new shoe friction material thickness solved that problem for me.

Rick

  

Looks like you took care of business. 

I have to re-build 4 calipers for my 74 Vette. 

When can you be in Augusta, Ga? 

Pads & drums are good but the 4 brake lines need to be replaced.  Those connector hoses.only last so long.

 

Sound Good?

13 hours ago, Alweeja said:

Looks like you took care of business. 

I have to re-build 4 calipers for my 74 Vette. 

When can you be in Augusta, Ga? 

Pads & drums are good but the 4 brake lines need to be replaced.  Those connector hoses.only last so long.

 

Sound Good?

Agreed with Alweeja, nows the time to replace rubber lines before you bleed the system, saving a bunch of time N work.

Hello,

  Yes, the two front original rubber flex brake lines got replaced with new rubber hoses but I wish that I could have gotten them in braided steel.  

  The rear of the car got put on stands earlier tonight and I pulled the rear drums off.  They will go with me tomorrow for turning on the brake lathe and the rear driver's side brake will start the rebuild process tomorrow night.

  I finally figured out how to remove the upper rear back seat a few hours ago. The reason I got motivated to remove this seat is that I'm looking for the relay that controls the convertible top motor - and I did not find it.  Maybe its behind the driver's left leg kick panel.  I never could get the upper seat cushion loose and I had read somewhere that the seat belt bolts had to be removed to remove this seat.  This is definitely not true.  So, a little stronger tugging in the upper direction got it popped loose and look below to see what turned up - two more build sheets. The sheet with the most discoloration and damage was in the seat cushion springs and got torn up a little in removing it.  The other sheet was laying flat behind a sound deadening separator board between the forward end of the trunk area and the back seat. 

Rick

Congrats on finding the build sheet. There might be one more on top of the gas tank (if you haven’t pulled it yet). It could have also disintegrated over time with it being in the elements. 

Next time you are at Selfridge, look us up! We live in the metro Detroit area. There is also the Pontiac Transportation Museum to check out too.

Edited October 29, 20241 yr by Frosty

Yes, I found the gas tank build sheet when the original tank came down.  It was more of a papier mache mulch than actual paper and no letters were legible. Three usable build sheets have been found in this vehicle.

Will do on looking you up the next time I am in East Pointe and it won't be a long time.  My curly haired, giggly, eighteen-month-old granddaughter is up there and we have a grand time playing together on the floor.  I count up the wooden blocks stacking them higher and higher and then she gets the enjoyment of watching me react to her knocking them down.  And then do it all over again and again.

And yes, I have heard that museum is very good.

Rick

Hello,

  As previously mentioned, the last week has been a busy period of time with my Catalina.  Brakes, brakes and more brakes.  On the pace of not quite one corner per night, I have gotten the drums torn apart, the backing plates cleaned up, wheel cylinders changed out, new ceramic friction material shoes, the crazily hooked springs, nails, retention keeper springs and adjusters back on.   What a CHORRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!!  And I hope I NEVER have to do it again. If I do, I will have myself surgically altered to add two more arms to my shoulders before I begin. I have also never used this many latex rubber gloves in one week.

I was very deliberate to only do one side at a time and I also took a lot of pictures before tearing a brake assembly apart.  This was a big help. To make up for those two missing hands and arms that I note above, I used a large C-clamp to lightly hold each rear shoe on while attaching the shoe to the backing plate.  This C-clamp was not needed on the front drums but the emergency brake lever arm kept getting in the way on the rear shoe of each rear drum. The clamp freed up a hand to keep the lever arm out of the way while the nail went through the backing plate and the keeper got installed.

I got better and more efficient as I progressed through each wheel but the shoes threw me a new problem at the rear of the vehicle.  The metal that each of the four new rear shoes are made of is ever so slightly thicker than the four old rear shoes – no problem on the front of the car shoes.  Think maybe one millimeter thicker, a tiny amount.  Thicker is stronger and better, right?  No.  Being thicker, the notched / forked ends of each rear drum adjuster at the bottom of each brake assembly would not fit over the shoes. So . . . here’s another chance to use one of my precision tools and a chance to set myself on fire again with sparks . . . my four-inch Harbor Freight handheld grinding wheel. The adjuster only needed a little Harbor Freight grinding tool adjustment to fit the shoes and the strength of each adjuster is not compromised.  I had no other choice here except for grinding the inside portion of each notched and forked end a tiny bit.

  I am also now nearly finished making my replacement copper-nickel brake lines front and back.  I have one more short line between the master cylinder and brass distribution block to do.   The copper-nickel line material is so much easier to work with than mild steel or stainless steel and it is DOT approved. The double flares at each end of the line are very easy to make using the Vevor flaring tool.   That tool is foolproof and makes perfect flares in the copper-nickel every time. I need a few large hose clamps on each side of the rear axel to anchor the lines and a few large “Adel” clamps along the driver’s side frame rail to attach the main rear brake line and fuel line. Up until now, these lines have been temporarily laid in along the frame rail with Zip ties.  I also reused the old protective spiral wound spring material from the old fuel lines to protect the new front to rear copper-nickel brake line along the frame rail.  This will prevent small rock and other road debris damage to the softer copper-nickel rear brake line.

Yesterday, I went to a car show in the El Camino, came home and didn’t feel like crawling under the car so I cleaned up a bit of rust on the master cylinder.  I taped off the port threads, etc. and then shot it with a clear coat to prevent rust.  This new master cylinder is ready to be bench bled to remove air.

 A few weeks ago, back before the Cat underwent media blast, I had to disconnect the car fuel line, the battery connections and fuel pump electrical power from the LS engine PCM to move the car for blasting.   And I finally got back around to redoing those connections late yesterday.  It took me a bit to remember which PCM wire and engine ground went where and I didn’t have my wiring connection cheat sheet with me.  As normal, the PCM kicked on the fuel pump to prime for three seconds and the fuel rail gauge quickly settled on 60 PSI.  My OBD2 code reader showed power available at the data link port.  A quick touch of the starter purple wire to the battery and the engine roared to life with fabulous oil pressure on the analog gauge and a steady 650 RPM in the OBD2 streaming data. 

It was glorious.

Rick

Hello,

  Yesterday, I finally got around to using the build sheet and Fisher Body tag to find and study the Cat's Pontiac paint code - "47" or some say the later "73" is equivalent.  Also known as "Verdoro Green Poly" - also = PPG Ditzler 2095, GM manufacturing code WA3771 and Sherwin Williams “2612”.  I went to Sherwin Williams Automotive Paint today and had them mix me up a little.

  The paint on the carboard below lacks the thinner reducer and the liquid would lay flatter if it was reduced and on gray primered metal . My wife and I both like the color and it appears that the car might go in for paint a week from this Friday.   I wanted the small sample of paint to know, that I know and that I know that I want this as the repaint color. 

If I had purchased enough of the paint, reducer, hardener and clear coat today to paint the whole car, I would have departed the store $1630.46 poorer.   And this was not their top of the line product variety.

One picture below is without the clear, the other with, of course.

Rick

Hello,

  What book, Service Manual or Fisher Body Manual describes how to remove the dashboard cover on a 70 Catalina?  I have both of these but they say nothing about the dashboard.  Neither does the Haynes manual.

Many thanks,

Rick 

Hello,

   My Catalina departs for paint on Thursday for three months in paint jail.  Cost?  $4000 down, $3000 more at completion in January and I buy the paint for $1000-1200 whenever he needs it, probably January.  I get complete body dings / dents fixed with skim coats of filler, blocking and sanding, engine compartment new paint, underside of the trunk and hood lids, door jams, headlight fascia, valance panels, rear marker panels plus all of the typical external surfaces, of course.  The owner of the shop came out to look at it late today after the other shop that painted my El Camino declined to paint the Catalina - the Cat needs too much body work for a shop that makes most of its money doing insurance repairs.

  It will kill me being without this vehicle to work on.  Though I do have some external body trim that needs slight straitening, sanding and polishing.  I will find something to do and all of your cars here will help to keep my spirits up.

Rick

 

Our collection of crumbling dinosaurs keep your spirits UP???

I feel like finding some rope when I read that Kiwi is looking at yet ANOTHER car.

Anyway, you'll be right. You must have endless little bits to clean up whilst the Cat gets colour.

Fitzy,

  For some people, this is a morale-boosting, therapeutic treatment - me included.  Other people spend money on booze whisky, drugs, gambling, tobacco, wild women and then simply waste the rest of their cash.  LOL!!!

  I chose to do stuff with old cars . . .   

Rick

1 hour ago, B52bombardier1 said:

Fitzy,

  For some people, this is a morale-boosting, therapeutic treatment - me included.  Other people spend money on booze whisky, drugs, gambling, tobacco, wild women and then simply waste the rest of their cash.  LOL!!!

  I chose to do stuff with old cars . . .   

yeah what he said ....but can i justA do a little beers and wild woman ????? that sounds fun 

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

I feel like finding some rope when I read that Kiwi is looking at yet ANOTHER car.

sorry Rick, Fitzy justA doesnt get it.... building cars is a release ! its a way of passive realxation !!! with the bonus of being able to stand back and look at your achivements 

AND

these girls are worth some serous money these days !!!

not to mention the fantasic sense of achivement and pride that comes with making some thing cool 

Edited November 13, 20241 yr by 64 kiwi boni

9 hours ago, B52bombardier1 said:

Fitzy,

  For some people, this is a morale-boosting, therapeutic treatment - me included.  Other people spend money on booze whisky, drugs, gambling, tobacco, wild women and then simply waste the rest of their cash.  LOL!!!

  I chose to do stuff with old cars . . .   

Rick

Well B52bombardier - I was once told that when a man has had too much wine, women, and song, there is only one thing left to do. Give up song.

 

10 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

sorry Rick, Fitzy justA doesnt get it.... building cars is a release ! its a way of passive realxation !!! with the bonus of being able to stand back and look at your achivements 

AND

these girls are worth some serous money these days !!!

not to mention the fantasic sense of achivement and pride that comes with making some thing cool 

Justa get's it just fine!!! Whatcha talkin about??  I have other issues right now. 

I love it! Apparently, "I don't get it."

Maybe I DO get it. But get what?

Deep..

Hello,

  Well . . . its now in the hands of the painter.  For three months, at least.

Rick

That’s exciting 👍

So what color is it supposed to come back as? I'm sure primer/bondo is not considered a real color by most folks - other than the rat rod crowd.

Can't wait to see it bro!

It will return as the 1970 Pontiac "47" paint code known as "Verdoro Green Poly" - also Sherwin Williams paint code 2612.  This is the original color for the car. See below. The first picture is the paint without clear coat and the last picture is with a still very wet coat of clear.

Rick

I have long been fascinated as to how factory wheels & factory paint colours just look so right on certain cars. Imagine a BMW in Rick's green colour - yuck, or Rick's Cat in silver - it'll never work yet painted as they should and they will both look good.

Factory wheels (Rallyes or Ford 12 slots) just look nice. Cragars & period correct alternatives also look just right. In my opinion, wheel selection should be subtle with a very discerning eye.

They pay designers to come up with certain colours & wheels for a reason.

Your Cat is going to look just right when it returns.

Hello,

  With no Catalina here to work on - it's gonna' be stuck in paint jail a while - my posts will be less frequent.   But not vanished completely.  I'm am going to restart my cleanup of the stainless trim pieces, bumpers and headlight bezels while the car is away.

  I stopped by the paint place that has the Catalina on Friday and I feared they had not started working on it because it got pushed way into the back of the shop two weeks ago. But indeed, they are working on it and it is not being neglected.  

 I had been looking for a set of rear wheel skirts for a while and these NOS skirts showed up on Ebay a few weeks ago - arrived yesterday.  They were listed as for a 69 Catalina but they appear to also work for a 70.  I had no idea how the latching mechanism would work on these but its plain to see now that they are here.  These panels will go with me back to the paint place on Monday for a fit check to my Cat.

  Can anybody tell me if I wasted my money on this set of skirts?

Rick