On 7/27/2024 at 8:55 PM, Last Indian said:

Even a squirrel finds a nut once in a while! I been looking for this noise for two years! JustA stupid dumb luck! I knew the basic area it sounded like it was coming from. There was nothing else left except to tear my back door panel off & see if it was coming from inside the door. So I open up the gas door, as I’ve done before. Stand there looking at it look a moron. But this time I let the door go on it’s own instead of closing it softly by holding it. When I did that I saw it vibrate a little. So I opened it back up & started looking, that’s when I saw the missing bumper. Fortunately I had a spare so I put it in. Took it out, no noise! Thank the lord!

Sometimes the nut that a squirrel finds turns out to be rotten! So the search continued, but now I know! And of course there will be much cussing! And a lot of what the bleep!

First off the two screws that hold the parking brake actuator piston to the knuckle came loose! This setup works inside of the rear disc bonnet like a drum brake. This allowed the one piece shoe to move & get knocked around. Still the worst was that there are 4 small bolts that bolt the one piece genuinely stupid designed wheel bearing/hub to the knuckle. One of the bolts backed completely out & was being hammered by the back of the wheel studs of the hub that’s part of the assembly. Two of the other bolts needed their torques tightened. So basically I need to disassemble the drivers rear suspension down to bare bones a go through the whole assembly. To play it safe I will also need to do the passenger side as well.

 

look for a new post I plan to make about how far backwards engineering has gone in the past 30 to 40 years!

Edited August 4, 20241 yr by Last Indian

Would have gotten away with it if..........It wasn't for you medaling kids!!!!!!

2 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Would have gotten away with it if..........It wasn't for you medaling kids!!!!!!

That’s meddling, not medaling JUSTA!,,, 

 

You’ve obviously been watching too much Olympic coverage! 

Edited August 5, 20241 yr by Frosty

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

That’s meddling, not medaling JUSTA!,,, 

 

You’ve obviously been watching too much Olympic coverage! 

thats what i thought too !!! 

musta beeeee all those stings !!!

talking olympics.... glad my body parts dont loose me a gold  when i do pole vault 

Edited August 5, 20241 yr by 64 kiwi boni

Ok fellas,

I have a question for you all...(that after the last 2 years I'm not surprised that I need to ask 🙄)

I'm sick of being unable top stop the oil weeping from my filler caps after the heads have been rebuilt (it seems there is way more oil being sprayed around in there, some of which is finding it's way past the  cap seals to eventually end up on the exhausts. Not a huge amount, but enough to be annoying. So, in the interests of overall improvements I ordered a set of Edelbrock Signature Series Valve Covers with matching push in breather/filler caps. They look great, and with the push in breathers there is a full ring of metal sound the hole which should help stop the oil weep.

However...they don't seem to bloody fit! The lip around the edge won't actually sit over the heads, ie: they're too short 🤷‍♂️

Running through all the usual checks to make sure the f@#$ up wasn't mine I discovered that-

1. The engine IS actually a Pontiac motor, fitted with Pontiac heads (well, I had to check)

2. The engine IS a 389

3. The product I purchased (ED4453) IS recommended for the above configuration (to be sure, Pontiac 265-455 V8, 1955-81).

So...what gives?

See attached photos for clarity - any advice will be warmly received 😆

 

you will need to cut reliefs for the intake manifold by the looks Paul.... ( trim the edge of the turn down lip on the new covers )and !!!

you motor should not have breathers on the covers it should be selaed as your pvc valve will suck air in through those breathers 

i think the whole idea is so your engine is under negitive air pressure (vacuum) so as to allow for blow by 

justA my though, i have seen planty of motors with breathers 

Well Finally I got the squawk out of the front end of the 64 Bonney!!  Had to buy a shock ahead of time as to not tie up my friends lift, but got the old shock out and as we suspected it was JUNK! Put in the new one and Noise is GONE !! Not real happy with Aldan because their lifetime warranty is that they will rebuild or send a new shock Replacement!! Not a refund of your money. BUT when they sent me my new shock to start with they sent 2 so now I have a Brand new set of coilover adjustable shocks to sell, just need springs to make complete set up!!  Also got a new set of Shoes for the car! Lots of nice comments !! Looking forward to Frankenmuth this year after missing last year due to Heart Attach!😷 Let me know if anyone is going!!

Got up early when its cooler to continue work on the fuel tank vent line and to do some brake line study.  I will be laying in new copper-nickel brake lines soon.   

Rick

 

6 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

you will need to cut reliefs for the intake manifold by the looks Paul.... ( trim the edge of the turn down lip on the new covers )and !!!

you motor should not have breathers on the covers it should be selaed as your pvc valve will suck air in through those breathers 

i think the whole idea is so your engine is under negitive air pressure (vacuum) so as to allow for blow by 

justA my though, i have seen planty of motors with breathers 

Hey mate,

Thanks for that. It is the ends that are too short by @ ⅜", rather than interference with the manifold I think. However, my thoughts were the same as yours - just trim back the lip until it sits just over the gasket, thereby not interfering with the head anymore.

The engine originally had breather caps (old style big buggers), with a draft tube if you can believe it? No pcv set up. I got rid of the draft tube & fitted a crankcase breather instead, just to tidy it up. Had no issues at all, until these heads have been rebuilt. It seems that there is a lot more oil being thrown around under there, some of which is weeping out of the filler caps.

The new covers have push in breathers instead of twist in (same design as the old style though). The lip that is rolled into the covers goes right around the hole, so hopefully will stop any oil transition? Also, the new breathers are push in, which will eliminate the distortion that is around the old covers (& also no cork gasket on the cap, so should seal better🤷‍♂️).

19 hours ago, Bonne61 said:

Ok fellas,

I have a question for you all...(that after the last 2 years I'm not surprised that I need to ask 🙄)

I'm sick of being unable top stop the oil weeping from my filler caps after the heads have been rebuilt (it seems there is way more oil being sprayed around in there, some of which is finding it's way past the  cap seals to eventually end up on the exhausts. Not a huge amount, but enough to be annoying. So, in the interests of overall improvements I ordered a set of Edelbrock Signature Series Valve Covers with matching push in breather/filler caps. They look great, and with the push in breathers there is a full ring of metal sound the hole which should help stop the oil weep.

However...they don't seem to bloody fit! The lip around the edge won't actually sit over the heads, ie: they're too short 🤷‍♂️

Running through all the usual checks to make sure the f@#$ up wasn't mine I discovered that-

1. The engine IS actually a Pontiac motor, fitted with Pontiac heads (well, I had to check)

2. The engine IS a 389

3. The product I purchased (ED4453) IS recommended for the above configuration (to be sure, Pontiac 265-455 V8, 1955-81).

So...what gives?

See attached photos for clarity - any advice will be warmly received 😆

 

This issue has been discussed a few times. I can see the apparent sizing difference in the covers - the originals look pretty beat up where the lip is. I suppose you tried all possible orientations although they should fit either way, being symmetrical on all sides per cover. No extra little burrs or imperfections where the lip fits over the head?

Kiwi is right - sealed covers using the PCV setup is the way to go. To avoid a similar weeping issue (the engine I mean - my own weeping issue is because of the car) from the oil filler cap, I lightly bent the inner tangs down to make the fit really snug - it seems to be working.

I'll be honest here - I never liked the crummy 4 widely spaced bolts that hold those covers down. More bolts would have helped to create an even seal.

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

This issue has been discussed a few times. I can see the apparent sizing difference in the covers - the originals look pretty beat up where the lip is. I suppose you tried all possible orientations although they should fit either way, being symmetrical on all sides per cover. No extra little burrs or imperfections where the lip fits over the head?

Kiwi is right - sealed covers using the PCV setup is the way to go. To avoid a similar weeping issue (the engine I mean - my own weeping issue is because of the car) from the oil filler cap, I lightly bent the inner tangs down to make the fit really snug - it seems to be working.

I'll be honest here - I never liked the crummy 4 widely spaced bolts that hold those covers down. More bolts would have helped to create an even seal.

My leaks weren't from the covers or gaskets, just from the breathers/filler caps.

All sorted now 👍

Solved.

A neat bit of work with the bench grinder & I have a neat (tight) dry fit. 

Put it all together, ran it, no issues.

After a 30mile test drive, absolutely zero oil leaks,

Success...sponsored by Edelbrock 😁. Tidied up the vacuum hose while I was at it, too.

Happy days 😎

oh ! they do look sexy too !!!!

Paul, fitzy touched on it, the tin covers dont get a lot of sealing from the 4 bolts 

i like to use the load spreaders like these on after market tin covers, justA to help that compression along the gasket so to speak  

18 hours ago, wdl182 said:

Well Finally I got the squawk out of the front end of the 64 Bonney!!  Had to buy a shock ahead of time as to not tie up my friends lift, but got the old shock out and as we suspected it was JUNK! Put in the new one and Noise is GONE !! Not real happy with Aldan because their lifetime warranty is that they will rebuild or send a new shock Replacement!! Not a refund of your money. BUT when they sent me my new shock to start with they sent 2 so now I have a Brand new set of coilover adjustable shocks to sell, just need springs to make complete set up!!  Also got a new set of Shoes for the car! Lots of nice comments !! Looking forward to Frankenmuth this year after missing last year due to Heart Attach!😷 Let me know if anyone is going!!

very very nice wheels Wayne 

On 8/5/2024 at 9:01 PM, wdl182 said:

!! Looking forward to Frankenmuth this year after missing last year due to Heart Attach!😷 Let me know if anyone is going!!

I will be at Frankenmuth on Sunday morning for sure. I don't attend the show properly because that is almost always a Michigan Wolverine home game on that Saturday. and I am a season ticket holder. Also, this year we are playing Texas! Big Game for sure!

Edited August 8, 20241 yr by Frosty

Well, Good Luck to your Wolverines !! My niece graduated from there last year with her Law Degree!💓 Rich and I leave on Sunday morning, and I need to get back for a Monday morning Doctors appointment!! Take care and we'll catch up sometime !!

I just wanted to post a follow up, after fitting the PerTronix Ignitor 11. The car has done about 1000 miles since, so safe enough to call "stable".

It really does seem to have finally resolved all of the issues. It starts cold first time, idles down through the auto choke, kicks down to a normal idle and drives away absolutely smoothly.

Hot start - just hold the pedal down ½-¾, and again it starts first go.

Acceleration is very strong, right up until the Hydramatic begins to protest.

I've needed to fine tune the timing though, until I got rid of the pinging. Beginning with the recurved distributor set at 18 º mechanical and the recommended initial timing of 14 º (32 º all in), I've progressed in 2 º increment to my current setting of 8 º initial, giving me an all in total of 26 º. It seems very happy at that.

And the last 3 fuel consumption figures have been dropping - 20.5l/100km, 19.1l/100km, and yesterday 16.5l/100km. This is for general varied driving conditions - around town, highway, with a few hard accelerations thrown in for entertainment purposes. Not bad for a 400ci/360 ish HP 2 tonne cruiser, I feel. Car is running on 95.

I couldn't be happier 😁

So thanks again to everyone who offered advice (and commiserations!) during the long journey to success. An if there is anyone else out there having similar issues - give Jon at PerTronix a call. The car now runs as it should (if not better!).

 

I spent the weekend at the beach 

 

Watch the sun come up over the ocean 

and did fit a bull bar to my ram on Sunday 

On 8/11/2024 at 12:29 PM, wdl182 said:

Well, Good Luck to your Wolverines !! My niece graduated from there last year with her Law Degree!💓 Rich and I leave on Sunday morning, and I need to get back for a Monday morning Doctors appointment!! Take care and we'll catch up sometime !!

What time are you leaving on Sunday? I'm usually there before or by 10 am. I like to walk around when the crowd isn't thick and everyone isn’t trying to get out of town just yet:

Edited August 12, 20241 yr by Frosty

12 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Now that's a view

6 hours ago, Ringo64 said:

Now that's a view

Ringo, if you look close justA to the left of the sun is white island puffing away ( not that you will ever catch me going there!!)

Would be clearer if the maid had cleaned the salt spray off the windows!! but hes a useless bugger !!!!

Edited August 12, 20241 yr by 64 kiwi boni

May have a change of plans may only be there thursday and Friday and head for home on Saturday ! Up in air as of now will keep you posted!

On 8/12/2024 at 9:25 AM, Bonne61 said:

I just wanted to post a follow up, after fitting the PerTronix Ignitor 11. The car has done about 1000 miles since, so safe enough to call "stable".

It really does seem to have finally resolved all of the issues. It starts cold first time, idles down through the auto choke, kicks down to a normal idle and drives away absolutely smoothly.

Hot start - just hold the pedal down ½-¾, and again it starts first go.

Acceleration is very strong, right up until the Hydramatic begins to protest.

I've needed to fine tune the timing though, until I got rid of the pinging. Beginning with the recurved distributor set at 18 º mechanical and the recommended initial timing of 14 º (32 º all in), I've progressed in 2 º increment to my current setting of 8 º initial, giving me an all in total of 26 º. It seems very happy at that.

And the last 3 fuel consumption figures have been dropping - 20.5l/100km, 19.1l/100km, and yesterday 16.5l/100km. This is for general varied driving conditions - around town, highway, with a few hard accelerations thrown in for entertainment purposes. Not bad for a 400ci/360 ish HP 2 tonne cruiser, I feel. Car is running on 95.

I couldn't be happier 😁

So thanks again to everyone who offered advice (and commiserations!) during the long journey to success. An if there is anyone else out there having similar issues - give Jon at PerTronix a call. The car now runs as it should (if not better!).

 

Good to hear a happy ending. We all suffer mechanical woes and bitch & moan & carry on but eventually with enough money thrown at it, things will come good.

My own car is also finally running the way it's supposed to. I only got home this morning from work and am having 2 days off before heading back for some more overtime...to pay for the extra beers Kiwi & I will be enjoying in October. Took GP for a short run and it was a pleasure to drive. Only took 3 years and countless tens of thousands of dollars. You say Pertronix, I say MSD. Same result.

Found 2 manifold nuts in the back that took 1/4 turn, Blind bolts you have to feel. Really thought that was my backfire bang, leaking air.  Quick ride out to pavement N she said...Yea I'm not done with you yet.

Found a starter heat shield in my boxes of spare parts.  Happy!  Also found a spare alternator!!!  Was Very Happy til I realized it has the wrong damn pulley on it.  Can't use it.