Cadillac & LaSalle Club Discussion Forum

Hello all,

I am new to the forum (but not to Cadillacs) and I wanted to introduce myself and my new project.  My name is Christopher Winter and I live in Catonsville, Maryland (suburb of Baltimore).  I recently acquired a 1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop.  It is in reasonably good shape, and I believe it was reasonably priced.  I looked at a lot of "rust buckets" before finding this '67 on Craigslist.  In high school I drove a '65 Calais, and a '67 Sedan DeVille hardtop with a white body and black vinyl roof.  My new '67 has a white body and a black vinyl roof so this project is like a high school reunion for me.  This is my first post to this forum so I won't know if the pictures I will attach, will actually do so.

There are some rusty areas on the car that will need some metal repair, and the car will need to be repainted.  Originally the car was Persian Ivory.  It is now suffering from a bad paint job (white) over the original paint.  I am not a big fan of the Ivory so I plan on painting the car another '67 Cadillac color - one of the reds, blues, or grays.

I will do most of the work myself as I have been tinkering with cars for many years and am willing to undertake any automotive chore.  I was written up in the April 16, 1979 Honolulu Star Bulletin for my body-off-frame restoration of a 1960 Chevy Impala convertible.  My recently acquired '67 will not initially get the body-off-frame treatment - it does not need it, and I do not have the space.  Unfortunately, my one-car garage cannot accommodate the '67 so I have to work outside when the weather cooperates.  Being that the temperatures are currently in the 40's, I'll probably get to work on the car one day a week until the Spring.

The car is operable.  The person from whom I bought the car had rebuilt the carburetor, and installed a new fuel pump and filter.  When I picked up the car it was below freezing.  I depressed the gas pedal once, the choke engaged, and the car started.  After a minute, I tapped the throttle and the idle stepped down just like it is supposed to - so far, so good.  I have driven it around the block and it shifts smoothly.  Since I have titled it, but not registered it, I can't drive very far without risking a stop by the police.

The odometer reads 90563 miles.  The car has six-way power front seat (working), power windows (working), power door locks (working), power front vent windows (motors work but vents do not rotate), tilt-telescope steering wheel (working), 3 speed windshield wipers (not working), AM-FM stereo radio (working), power antenna (not working), Automatic Climate Control (compressor engages but the outside temperature is too cold to test), cruise control (not tested), Autotronic Eye (working), the clock, cigarette lighters, interior lights, trunk release and closing mechanism, and parking brake vacuum release all work.  There are no tears in the upholstery or headliner.  One of the four wheel covers is dinged.  Front passenger wheel opening molding is dinged.  Rear bumper is dinged, but most of the stainless and chrome is in good shape.  The windshield has a light wiper blade scratch on the passenger side.  The rest of the glass is intact  All the exterior lights work except the turn signals - might be a bulb, fuse, or flasher.  The emergency flasher also does not work (I seem to recall this is a separate flasher).  I have the shop manual and the Fisher Body manual, but I need a magnifying glass for the wiring diagrams.

Other than a different than original color, I plan to keep the car as original as I can.  I just watched tonight's 60 Minutes segment on Stradivarius violins - the Cadillac of violins so to speak.  I know my '67 will never be worth ten million dollars, but I like to think that I can get my '67 in good enough condition so that it will be around for another 47 years.  I like the idea of preserving the past as a means of conveying to future generations what came before them (I am posting this message on Pearl Harbor Day).

I am going to treat myself to a CLC membership for Christmas.  If there are any forum members in my area who would like to see my car in person, or if there are any forum members in my area who need a hand pulling an engine, or a body, or any other chore, send me an email.

Christopher Winter

Chris,
Hi and Welcome Aboard! You'll find lots of Friendly, Knowledgeable, and Experienced people here willing to share. Good Luck with your project!
                                                                                                                     Bobby
                                                 

Looks like you got yourself a winner!   I owned a 67 Eldorado that I could not garage... just a word of warning, I suggest that you purchase an inexpensive low amperage heater to keep the humidity down in the interior of your car.  Judging from the pictures, it was likely garage kept... in a relatively low humidity environment.  Over time, the interior fascia of my instruments suffered from deterioration from mid-Altantic exposure (that was 30 years ago)--- so like the Stradivarius, you need to regulate the environment to protect that has been saved all these many decades.     Best of luck to you and your beautiful car.  James

All,

Thanks for the kind and complimentary words.  As far as I know, the car was garage kept for most of its existence.  I know to whom the car was originally sold and I have the original owner's manual and "protect-o-plate".  The person from whom I purchased the car believes he bought it from the second owner, so that would make me the fourth owner.  Hopefully, when I research the car's provenance, I will be able to authenticate the chain of ownership.

As the car is outside, I have it covered in 2 overlapping layers of waterproof plastic tarps.  The tarps are covered by an Evolution fabric cover.  The bottom edges of the tarps/cover are a few inches off the ground so air can circulate under the car.  I should be able to unwrap the car at least once a week to allow any condensation to evaporate.  James, thanks for the tip about dehumidifying the interior.  The Baltimore area gets very humid in the summer (and very dry in the winter).  I am thinking that an electric closet dehumidifier (looks like a tube with a cord) might work along with a battery powered fan.

I removed the rear seat (cushion and back) yesterday and I am pleased at the lack of rust on the sheet metal in this area.  However, the seat springs are rusty (photos of seats attached).  I am not sure if there is an easy method of cleaning the springs with the upholstery attached.  Any thoughts?  Since the leather and cloth is in very good shape, I do not want to strip them off the springs/frame at this time, so I may just use a wire brush/wheel and paint the springs carefully with a rusty metal paint after masking off the upholstery.  Note the layers of different material in the third photo (image 3282).  From left to right:  burlap with fine interwoven metal, open weave burlap, batting, cloth, foam, upholstery.  How does this compare to Cadillacs of the '50's and '70's?

According to the 1967 Cadillac Data Book, the seats are a combination of leather and cloth.  The cloth is biscuit tufted Duchess, viscose (rayon) nylon, in the color black.  The upholstery is dusty dirty but there are no stains or heavy wear spots.  Leather is a natural material which can be cleaned with a proper leather cleaner.  The cloth is more of a challenge to clean.  Viscose is made from cellulose and water tends to weaken the fibers.  Nylon is made from petroleum and tolerates water very well.  Does anyone know what the percentages were for the Viscose and nylon content of the cloth?  Can anyone recommend a good upholstery cleaner?  Thanks.

Christopher Winter

Hi Christopher...

Regarding the interior, I urge you to ask the question on the "Restoration" blog... perhaps under a topic such as ... "Persevering and Cleaning 1967 era interior.." and then simply importing your highly descriptive narrative and pictures from this thread.  Your very correct to be concerned about applying any cleaners, as you can unintentionally create a problem that does not exist,  In the meantime, I think your multiple covers and fiber clothe buffer layer are great ideas.  Also, don't make the error of starting and idling your car over the winter... you'll create condensation and acids in the engine and destroy the exhaust system.  Fill the fuel tank, take the car for a ten mile drive (at least) and then change the oil and filter and have the chassis greased. Use a bunch of Armoral on the vinyl top... also, use "Ice" mist product on the rest of the car to keep moisture off of the painted and chrome surfaces. I put "Bounce" dryer sheets throughout the in side of the car, trunk, and in the engine compartment to keep mice out of the car... disconnect the battery, and wait for that "First Warm Day in May."  Best to you... James   

Congratulations on Your new Car! Your Body Plate states 01C so your car was assembled the 3rd. week of January 1967. Your car is very well optioned usually seen on a customer ordered car. Dealers did not order cars with that many options for stock. Regarding your windshield wiper switch I would suggest you purchase a can of electronic tuner cleaner and lube and spray it into the switch and then work the switch a lot. I have experienced this with both my 1961 and 1972 that due to long time non use neither cars switches worked properly but doing this has caused both to return to proper function. Good luck.

Hello all,

I had a chance to get to my car today and removed the rear carpet to inspect the rear floor.  I removed the rear seat previously and found no rust in the seat area.  I was slightly concerned with the floor as the passenger side carpet exhibited signs of mold/mildew under the rubber floor mat (see pictures).  When I removed the carpet, the jute underlayment on the passenger side was deteriorated and the floor had some surface rust that should clean up easily with a wire brush, and the driver's side was unscathed.  So the rear floor and seat area appear to be in very good condition.

I took a whisk broom to the carpet but I think I will need to shampoo it at some point.  Another layer of jute is adhered to the back of the carpet.  I will separate this layer before shampooing the carpet.  The Data Book states the carpet is 100 percent Nylon and the backing appears to be synthetic or rubberized, so shampooing should not be an issue.  Note the tag that I found under the carpet.  Masland was the manufacturer of the carpet.

James L., your suggestion to post my seat pictures and questions on the "restoration blog" has me confused.  I thought this thread was posted on the Restoration Corner forum.  Is there another "restoration blog"?

Bill Y., I do plan to purchase a contact/tuner cleaner - probably DeoxIT.  However, before using it, my approach to non-functioning accessories will be to do some basic electrical inspection (fuses, wiring and connectors, continuity, etc.) first.

My next task will be to inspect the trunk compartment.

Christopher Winter

Very interesting carpet tag. It states December 1968 and your Car clearly is a 1967. A Dec. 1968 date would be for assembling a 1969 Cadillac? Was the  carpet replaced? it should have an August 1966 thru June 1967 date for a 1967 Cadillac should it not?

Bill (and all),

I too, initially thought the carpet label said 1968.  Upon closer examination I believe the red ink on the tag bled so that the last digit is really a 6.  As you can see in the photo, the 19 in 1966 is more distinct than the 66.  The body tag for my car indicates the car was built the third week of January 1967.  The carpet tag indicates December 1966.  This seems logical as I would expect the carpet to be made before the car was assembled.  Imagine - that piece of carpet sat around for weeks(!) before it was installed in the car.  No such thing as "just in time delivery" back then at Cadillac.

Christopher Winter

Christopher,

My name is Vince Taliano from the Potomac Region which covers Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington DC.  Love the '67 SDV!  I used to live in Catonsville and have a '65 Pillared Sedan Deville.  Our Membership Director, Chuck Piel, lives in Ellicott City and has a '67 Deville Convertible.  Small world!  I will send you more info on the Region later but in the meantime, just wanted to reach out and say hello.  If you have any questions or need any local info, please let us know.  Thanks.

Vince Taliano
Region Director
CLC Potomac Region
www.clcpotomacregion.org

Welcome aboard. For the rusty seat springs, you might use a small wire brush to get at the rust.  I found a split grill brush that worked well. Then carefully brush on a flat black restoleum paint.  I put plastic near the seat fabric side to catch the drips. Be sure to thoroughly vacuum everything too  That should get you by for now.

For the surface floor rust, wire brush it and use POR 15 to coat it. 

Great this car has the power vents !
   

Vince, Rob,

Thanks for the welcome.

Rob, I like the idea of a grill brush.  If I can't find a suitable one, I may make one.  I'll post some pictures of what I come up with, as well as what I finally do with the rusty seat springs.

Christopher Winter

Chris, That makes sense about the 1966 vs. '68 on the carpet tag. sometimes photos just do not show the detailed bleeding that can occur over time with moisture. Again beautiful Car.

Hello all,

Yesterday's relatively warm weather inspired me to tinker with my car.  I had not started the engine since before Christmas, so I wanted to give it a try to see if the battery was still OK.  The car started after one additional pump of the gas pedal after engaging the choke - not too bad.  I would like to get my car on the road in the Spring, so I have to register it with the Motor Vehicle Administration.  To get the car registered, it has to pass a Maryland Motor Vehicle Inspection which entails checking of various systems like brakes, tires, lighting, latches, wipers, exhaust, etc.  Over the course of the next two months, these areas will get my attention, but yesterday, I just wanted to run the engine, and test it for oil pressure, vacuum, RPM, and coolant temperature, and to change the oil and filter.

I used a lab thermometer to check the coolant temperature.  The attached photos show the thermometer held by a piece of cardboard sitting in the fill opening of the radiator tank.  The close up of the thermometer indicates about 64 degrees C, which is about 147 degrees F.  This was recorded after the engine had been running for a good half-hour.  The temperature seems a little on the cool side.  Prior to starting the engine I installed a vacuum gauge, and an oil pressure gauge.  The photo with both gauges shows vacuum a little over 20 inches of Hg, and oil PSI about 27.  The vacuum reading seems a little low.  This could be due to a few different reasons like my vacuum plumbing or some engine problem.  The vacuum held steady and decreased when the throttle was opened, as I would expect.  At some future point I will get some fittings that will allow me to plumb the vacuum gauge directly to the manifold instead of tapping off an accessible vacuum Tee.

After running the engine for another quarter-hour, I shut off the engine and waited one hour so that the oil would be warm enough to flow easily, but not hot enough to burn my hands.  The oil and filter change was uneventful.  The oil flowed freely from the pan, but it was dirty.  The car was definitely overdue for the change.  After putting fresh oil in the crankcase, I opened the radiator cap.  Much to my surprise, the cap broke into to pieces.  The cap portion, with the spring, was in my hand.  The gasketed portion was in the radiator fill opening.  Apparently, the vacuum formed by the cooling radiator was sufficient to cause my old cap to break into two pieces.  I had not noticed that the cap was in such poor shape, but looks can be deceiving.  I also noticed that the upper radiator hose had collapsed.  Again, the hose looks OK, but I do not know its age.  So I have added a few things to my shopping list:  radiator cap, upper and lower hoses, and a thermostat.

The photo with just the oil pressure gauge shows a PSI of just under 35.  This photo was taken after the oil and filter change.  The engine was probably not as warm as when the oil pressure was checked before the oil change, but the engine was not cold.  Regardless of the engine and oil temperature, PSI near 27 and 35 at idle seem to be too high based on the 67 Shop Manual which states on page 6-142 that  average idle oil PSI should be 10, and that up to 30 MPH, minimum oil PSI should be 30-35.  I think the manual reference is somewhat ambiguous.  I interpret "to 30 MPH" as meaning from 0 MPH to 30 MPH.  I interpret 0 MPH as idle.  For the moment, I would rather have relatively higher PSI than lower.  I know I need to tune the carburetor.  Curb idle is about 700 RPM, and it should be closer to 500.  I do not think that 200 RPM would have a significant effect on oil PSI (lowering RPM by 200 will probably not decrease idle oil PSI to 10 from 27-35).  Based on my experience, any post-splash lube, non-insert-bearing, non-high-performance GM V8 operates well with oil pressure in the 30-40 PSI range.

My 67 429 has about 93,000 miles on the odometer.  I used an AC Delco PF24 filter which was filled with fresh oil before installation on the engine.  I used a total of 4 1/2 quarts of Super Tech 10w-30 (including the amount in the filter), and 1/2 quart of Marvel Mystery Oil.  The coil to distributor wire was disconnected while starting until oil pressure was obtained at the gauge.  For those of you with mechanical oil pressure gauges and 1949 and later engines, what are your pressures (oil that is).

Christopher Winter

Frankly, I think you're really in great shape.  Idling an engine does not really get it up to the limits of heat generated during 95 degree day with your air conditioner running full blast, and you and your family are stuck in city traffic... so the oil pressure will definitely fall -- a slightly higher curb idle will affect an increase in oil pressure...but I would not touch the carb, until you've road tested it in spring/summer weather. You might have it at 500 rpm sitting in the garage, but you could cause the engine to stall when up to "real world conditions" this summer The vacuum on that engine may be spot-on, and the fact that it's a smooth needle reading as you move up the accelerator is a terrific signal that your valve train and seats are in perfect condition-- you might wish to explore all the engine diagnositic that are possible with that gauge.  Also, you can open the distributor cap on that engine, and peek in and watch your vacuum advance at work IF there is a visible dwell adjust "door" on the cap. Engine temp on the cool side at 147 is about right.  However, and here's my "shade tree mechanic side advice"-- that cooling system, if it's original, all of its component hoses, fluids, etc must be changed, especially if you find you're using the car in Baltimore summer traffic.  So I would suggest you have the radiator professionally cleaned, or ask on this site how to make sure that  crud is out of the inside... make sure air flow to the ac condenser is clean...you don't want to blow a radiator in 695!

James,

If my radiator blows on 695, it won't make a difference because I'll probably be at a dead stop in traffic anyway :)

Seriously though, I am considering having the radiator cleaned out.  As I was taking the radiator's temperature, I looked into the fill opening at the top of the right tank and could see a few rows of the radiator core tubing.  Since the radiator is a cross-flow (left and right tanks as opposed to top/bottom), I could see the coolant flowing through the tubes from the left tank to the right tank.  Some tubes flowed more volume than others so I suspect the radiator is not capable of 100 percent efficiency.  Finding a good shop will be more difficult than removing the radiator.  I will be attending the Potomac Region CLC membership meeting next Sunday and will make some inquiries as to a good shop.

My distributor does have the dwell "door" (one of the greatest inventions since the wheel), but I am not to keen on contorting myself to watch the exciting adventures of my vacuum advance through the door.  A timing light and my vacuum gauge will have to suffice for that kind of automobile entertainment.  A vacuum gauge is a great diagnostic tool.  There is a large fitting and hose on my manifold, behind the carburetor, that I will probably re-plumb with a Tee so I can attach my vacuum gauge whenever I am working on the engine.  Even though I tapped into an existing Tee several inches from the manifold, my vacuum gauge was as steady as a rock and when it moved with the opening of the throttle, it moved smoothly with no needle fluctuation.

As far as temperature and oil pressure are concerned, I agree that I will have to get my car on the road and really warm it up (maybe a Sunday drive around 695 - 47 miles) before drawing any more definitive conclusions.   I am not too disappointed with the readings I got yesterday.  I consider yesterday's oil/filter change a cleaning change.  I will leave the oil/filter in the engine until the car's first thorough warm-up drive and change it thereafter.

Christopher Winter

Christopher, I did mention the vacuum advance because these beasts will run ok even if the advance is stuck or has a rupture.  I use the shade tree method of checking, if it's too much of stretch to visually see it-- just attach a length of hose to it, and with the cap off, suck on the hose... you can get it to  move just a little with the vacuum you create, and you'll know for certain if there is a rupture in the can.  With a working advance, you'll get a nice, crisp acceleration as well as much better gas mileage (relative to a bad vacuum advance).  I recall that when I discovered my 67 Eldorado had a bad advance, and I replaced it, I felt like I had a much better running car.  Regarding cleaning the radiator, I entirely agree with you about finding an honest repair shop, especially difficult if you come in with a forty-six year old car.  THe likely restriction on those internal passages is scale from tape water...usually calls for a chemical bath to remove this stuff, and as you can well imagine, the lose of even a fraction of the cooling capacity can be a massive failure.  Might also wish to check in on the thermostatic clutch fan, if your car has one.  My 67 did.   

If you need a parts car, there is a white '67  4 dr. on a used lot here marked at $3500.
I am in Milford, MI.  The car has been there for months.  To rough for me to be interested, but seems complete.

David

David,

Thanks for the information.  My 67 is in good condition so I am not in need of a parts car.  Eventually I may need a trim or bumper part, but I think I can obtain those pieces without buying an entire car.

James,

I probably misunderstood your reference to the distributor vacuum advance.  I did not interpret it as a diagnostic.  Whenever I need to check a vacuum diaphragm, I usually suck on the can.  With the distributor in the car I would, as you suggested, use a length of hose to see if the diaphragm held.  Speaking of sucking on cans, after a hard day's work on my car, there is usually a cold can in the ice-box on which I enjoy sucking.  How long ago did you reside in MD, and where did you live?

Christopher Winter

Hi CHristopher--- probably best to do this on email:  jglandi@aol.com-- we lived on the Gilman School campus from 1980-85... will provide more personal details if you wish... James

All,

Some of you may recall that I do not have a garage, so my car is outside and covered.  The weather during most of the last 9 weeks has prevented me from doing much with my car, but the days are getting warmer and longer, so I recently had a couple of productive days.

When I bought my car it came with four Cooper Trendsetter SE tires (235/75-15)and one Firestone snow tire as the spare.  Since I do not plan on driving in the snow, I got rid of the snow tire.  A friendly Firestone service center dismounted the snow tire from the rim at no charge.   I could not find a part number on the rim, so I do not know if it and the others are factory original rims.  As far as I can tell, the old black paint on all the rims is original to the rims.  I sandblasted the spare rim, and painted the backside black, and the frontside (under the wheelcover) gray.  The Authenticity Manual states the wheels were gray.

I like the look of the Trendsetter SE tire.  I think the white sidewall is the appropriate width for 1967.  Cooper still makes the Trendsetter SE, and they can be found for less than $85 per tire.  While my tires are somewhat worn, they have several thousand miles left on the tread.  However, the DOT datecode indicates the tires were manufactured in 2006, so I may have to replace them if I plan on any highway driving.  All four of the old Cooper tires seem to be holding air.  I have not had to put air in the tires since I got the car in November.

Since I want to sandblast and paint all the rims on my car, I am thinking of getting a Harbor Freight tire changer for $35.  Has anyone had any experience with one of these tools?  Also, does anyone have Cooper tires on their Cadillac?  If so, which model tire, and how do you like them?

Christopher Winter

All,

The previous owner of my car replaced the master cylinder and the rear wheel cylinders sometime within the last two years.  Since testing the brake system is part of the Maryland State Inspection needed to register the car, I have started work on the brakes, beginning with the rear. 

After both rear drums were removed, a close look at the shoes, backing plates, and other components revealed that I would be spending more money than originally intended.  The passenger side rear brake was dusty, but dry.  The shoes had plenty of lining remaining, the drum was not scored, and all the other parts looked serviceable.  The linings are riveted and the shoes have a Delco Moraine part number.  The driver side rear brake was damp.  I was hoping for a leaking wheel cylinder, but a close inspection with my nose detected the ever-so-slight, but unmistakable, aroma of gear oil.  All the parts on the driver's side looked to be in the same shape as the passenger side, except for the presence of the gear oil.

I resigned myself to spending the money for new rear wheel bearings, and either having a shop do the press work, or buying a press myself.  First I had to remove the axles.  I do not have a slide hammer, so I reversed one of the drums, used it as a slide hammer, and successfully removed the axle with the leaky bearing on the driver's side.  Neither axle would pull out by hand, but using the reversed drum and three lug nits and washers did the trick - on the driver's side.  The passenger side would not come out with the reversed drum, so it was off to the auto parts store for a free loaner slide hammer.  Unfortunately, despite the fact that the store's web site stated that the tool was in stock, it was not.  Nor was it at the next closest store, nor the next.  I finally found one about 9 miles from home.  The tool worked like a charm.

With both axles out of the car, the leaky bearing actually looked OK, and upon rotating the bearing, it felt very smooth.  The non-leaky bearing also felt smooth, but there was a blob of grease that had worked its way past the seal.  I could rock both bearings with the leaky bearing having more side play than the non-leaky bearing.  Needless to say, given what I found, I will be glad that I opted for new bearings.

I removed the bearing retainer on both axles using the procedure described in the shop manual.  This was easily done.  I wish removing the bearing was as easy.  A local shop quoted me $55 per axle to remove and replace the bearings.  At that price, I am well on my way to my own press.  I have a few more shops to call.

For those of you who have had bearings pressed off/on, how much did it cost?  For those of you who have your own press, do any of you have a Harbor Freight model 60604 (12 ton) or 60603 (20 ton) or some other HF model?  If you have your own press (regardless of make/model), do you use a bearing separator or have you fabricated plates as described in the shop manual?

Christopher Winter

"Bearing comparing"

All,

In my previous post, I decided to replace my '67 Sedan DeVille's rear wheel bearings.  Once the decision was made, the next step was to locate some bearings.  I found a Timken catalog, a National catalog, and an SKF catalog, and all three listed the same part number for the bearing (RW509FR).  RockAuto listed the National for about $58 and the SKF for about $80.  I bought the Nationals.  When the bearings arrived, the box in which the bearings were packed stated the bearings were made in China.  In the photo below the old bearing with its ring retainer is on the left and the new bearing with its retainer is on the right.  The bearings are essentially identical in appearance.  The ring retainers are different.  The older ring is thicker.  Both rings have the same internal diameter.  National is owned by Federal Mogul, and they have a technical support phone number which I called.  The gist of what I was told is that the part has become standardized, hence the same part number, and that virtually all such standardized bearings are made overseas.  I was also told that the difference in the thickness between the old and new rings is a function of modern manufacturing.  I do not know if the old bearings are original to the car.  I could not find a part number on any metal portion of the old bearings, but I did find "made in USA".  The old ring retainer did have the chamfer that is called out in the shop manual.

Since the price of having a shop remove and replace the bearings was about half what a new Harbor Freight 20 ton press costs, I bought the HF 20 ton press (model 60603).  Having my own press allowed me to remove the old bearings, and sandblast and paint the bearing covers.  Otherwise, I would have had to have made one trip to a shop to remove the bearings, take the covers home, blast and paint them, and make a second trip to a shop to have the bearings pressed on with the painted covers.  I am sure the press will find many more uses.

The press worked well, but it is not tall enough to remove the passenger side axle wheel bearing unless the press bed rests on the angle iron feet of the press (the passenger side axle is longer than the driver side axle).  In this position the force is transferred through the four bolts that bolt the feet to the press uprights.  I do not plan on making it a habit to locate the press bed in this position, but I do recommend swapping these four HF bolts that come with the press with some grade 8 bolts.

The only other issue I had was with the bearings.  The shop manual specifies that the bearings be pressed on the axle until there is 3 and 3/64ths of an inch distance between the outboard face of the axle flange (lug nut side) and the inner face of the bearing (differential side).  This was not achievable even with considerable pressure from the jack on the press, and I did not want to use excessive force and damage something (or myself).  When a binding point is reached, it is best to stop pushing.  The inner corner of the inner race has a radius that coincides with a radius on the axle shaft.  Even though these radii looked the same, there was probably a difference of a few thousandths of an inch between the original axle and the new bearing that prevented the new bearing from seating on the axle the way the shop manual indicates.  I believe the small amount of space (about .062") that the bearings are off (based on the shop manual specification) will not affect the engagement of the axle shaft splines in the differential side gears.

The axles with the new bearings are installed in the axle tubes along with freshly painted bearing covers, brake backing plates, and new gaskets.  Next stop (no pun intended) is to finish refreshing the rear brakes.

Christopher Winter

Hey Chris! Congratulations on the 67! I think its awesome! I had a 64 Fleetwood and and now have a 78 Sedan DeVille. I cant wait to follow your updates!

Thanks for the qualitative update and infos. Keep us updated.  8)

All,

"brake"ing news part 1

I recently completed refreshing the brakes on my car and wanted to share some observations.

The left rear brake shoes had plenty of lining remaining (as did the other wheels) but the linings appeared to be oily - most likely from a leaking rear wheel bearing (see a previous post).  Rather than trashing the shoes with plenty of lining remaining, I used an old-school method and baked my shoes.  I put them on a cookie sheet and into a 350 degree oven for about three hours.  This forced the oil on and in the linings to migrate out of the linings and evaporate.  The kitchen stunk for a day, so do not do this if you are married, or if you are intending to have a casserole for dinner.  After baking the shoes, I sandblasted the metal portion of the shoes, painted them with high-heat black, scuff-sanded the linings, and wiped the linings with acetone.  The front shoes were not oily so I did not bake them, but they were refreshed the same as the rear shoes.

The drums were sandblasted and painted with high-heat black.  I kept the hubs in the front drums, but removed the bearings, seals, and races before sandblasting and painting.  The bearings and races were marked as sets so they could be reassembled as sets (all parts were kept in order so they could go back in the position from which they were removed).  The races were reinstalled in the front hubs so the front drums could be turned at a local shop.

Before the drums were turned, the shop used a digital drum gauge to measure the drums.  The shop manual states the drums are 12 inches in diameter and that no more than .060" should be removed when the drums are turned.  All four of my drums measured within .004" of 12 inches, so the shop did not have to remove much material.  It is unlikely that at 90,000 miles the drums are never-turned originals, but I once drove from Baltimore to the Ohio state line and only touched my brake pedal twice.  The shoes are stamped "Delco Moraine" and the linings are riveted, and the primary shoes are grooved - all as if the parts are original.  Again, at 90,000 miles I doubt the parts are the ones from the factory, but since the car has hardly been driven in the last 17 years, I think that the last time the brakes were serviced, it must have been done at a Cadillac dealer.

The previous owner replaced the rear wheel cylinders and the master cylinder.  I disassembled these parts, cleaned and inspected them, and reinstalled them.  I was able to bench bleed the m/c using some clear 1/4" tubing and some nylon barbed fittings from Lowe's plumbing department.  The m/c appears to be an aftermarket unit as it does not match perfectly the drawings of either the Bendix or the Moraine m/c in the shop manual.  I originally planned to rebuild the front wheel cylinders as my initial inspection last Fall did not show that they were leaking.  Upon disassembly however, the insides of the front wheel cylinders contained a coagulated gravy colored goo of rust and old brake fluid.  Both front wheel cylinders were significantly pitted so I replaced them.

I ordered from Rock Auto front wheel cylinders and front and rear brake hoses.  The cylinders are Bendix.  The hoses are AC Delco (front) and Raybestos (rear).  All these parts are made in China.  I had to thoroughly clean the wheel cylinders because they were covered in some Vaseline-like rust preventative.  The wheel cylinder bleeder screws are metric (10 mm), and the angle relative to the wheel cylinder on the right cylinder is different from the left such that the bleeder screw on the right almost touches the steering knuckle.  I was underwhelmed by the quality(?) of these parts.  The hoses - from two different manufacturers (AC Delco and Raybestos) - were actually fabricated by the same firm in China.  I do not know if this a good thing or a bad thing, but I will never fly on a Chinese made airplane.

part 2 to follow.

Christopher Winter

All,

"brake"ing news part 2

After disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, and painting all the brake system parts, I finally reassembled everything.  I think Cadillac should have duplicated portions of the wheel/tire section of the shop manual in the brake section of the manual.  The wheel/tire section has the exploded drawing of the knuckle, backing plate, bearing retainer, bearings, etc.  I would have found this useful when reassembling the front brakes since I had torn-down all the parts to the steering knuckle.  Regardless of the section in the manual, nowhere could I find reference to the rubber gasket that was mounted between the backing plate and the knuckle.  These gaskets on my car were firmly encrusted with decades of road grime so I have to assume they are original. 

The backing plates were sandblasted and painted gloss black.  All the small parts and fasteners were cleaned on my bench grinder's wire wheel.  The steel parts were clear-coated.  I did not wire wheel the springs.  I wanted to preserve the colored paint on the springs so they were just wiped down.

Everything went back together without fuss and was torqued to the spec's in the manual.  Before the cylinders and hoses were connected, all the steel lines were blown out with compressed air.  The residual fluid that came out of the lines was reasonably clean - completely unlike the goo in the front wheel cylinders.

Bleeding the brakes was a PITA for me as I do not have a lift.  My driveway is not level so I am reluctant to lift all four wheels off the ground.  I jacked-up the rear, bled the rear wheels, lowered the rear, jacked-up the front, bled the front, lowered the front, and repeated as needed.  I did use a vacuum pump which helped some, but I still had to draft my neighbor to press the brake pedal while I opened and closed the bleeder screws one axle at a time.

I road tested the car, and even took it on the Baltimore beltway (I-695) for two miles.  The car stops, but I think I still have some more adjusting (and maybe some more bleeding) to do.  I should be able to get the feel of the pedal to a satisfactory level.  I have to get used to the feel of drum brakes again.  My current daily driver is a 1995 Impala SS with four wheel disc brakes.

Christopher Winter

nice! Good work.
So, which one is better: AC Delco or Raybestos?

Nicolas (and all),

The two front hoses from AC Delco, and the rear hose from Raybestos are all made by a Chinese firm by the name of Sunsong.  The AC Delco and Raybestos hoses appear to be of the same quality, so I cannot say that one is better than the other.  I can say that the rubber portion of the new hoses appears to have a smaller diameter than the old hoses I removed from the car.  The fittings are English - not Metric - so my line wrenches fit snugly.  The fittings on the new hoses use a separate horseshoe-style clip to hold the hose fitting against the bracket where the steel line and hose connect.  This differs from the old hoses where the fitting itself was made with an integral flange that fit against the bracket.  To me, this indicates that it is either too costly to manufacture a fitting with an integral flange and/or the Chinese manufacturer does not have the capacity to make such a fitting.

Christopher Winter

All,

When I bought my car, the radio worked but the antenna did not extend.  I could hear the antenna motor operate, so I assumed the nylon cable was broken.  Recently I took the antenna out of the car and dis-assembled it.  Sure enough, the nylon cable was broken about 3 inches from where the cable is crimped to the brass ferrule which in turn is crimped on the mast rod (the topmost, thinnest part of the antenna when it is extended).  I removed the ferrule from the mast rod with a utility knife, cutting lengthwise through the brass ferrule.  One of the photos below shows the mast rod, ferrule, and broken piece of cable as taken from the car.  Note on the ferrule a crimp on the left and three crimps on the right.  The left crimp holds the ferrule to the mast rod.  The mast rod has a reduced diameter at this spot.  The three crimps on the right hold the cable.

I searched the web for a replacement mast rod and cable.  I could not determine if the parts I located would fit my '67, so I decided to save   the $30 for the part and shipping, and see if I could repair the antenna myself.  For less than $5 (including shipping) I located some brass tube of approximately the same diameter as the original ferrule.  I used a micrometer to measure the diameters of the mast rod, ferrule, and cable, and found that brass tube with a diameter of 3.5 millimeters was just about right.

One of the photos below shows the common tools I used to make the repair.  The wire stripper/crimper worked well.  One needs to be careful not to crimp with too much force so that the tool does not cut into the brass.  Crimping the brass tube to the mast rod was more difficult than crimping the cable to the brass tube.  At 3.5 millimeters (outside diameter), the brass tube is a loose fit on the mast rod so it took some time to get a good crimp.  The nylon cable is a thousandth or two larger than the inside diameter of the brass tube, so I "shaved" the cable with a utility knife until it fit snugly.  I used a mini tubing cutter to cut the brass tube.  When cut this way, the brass tube winds up with a burr that slightly reduces the inside diameter of the brass tube at the point of the cut.  A 10d, 3 inch finish nail re-sized the cut end of the tube so the cable could be inserted after it was shaved.

Using the wire stripper/crimper has the disadvantage of not leaving the newly crimped brass tube perfectly round.  The slight out-of-round shape prevented the mast rod from sliding smoothly inside the hollow, middle section of the antenna.  A few minutes with 100 grit sandpaper reduced the outside diameter of the brass tube enough to permit easy operation of the mast rod within the middle antenna section.

Once the mast rod and cable were repaired, overhauling the rest of the antenna motor and gearcase was straightforward.  The shop manual does not describe how to dis-assemble the motor and gearcase.  My '67's motor is enclosed in a plastic shell that can be pried off with a screwdriver.  The motor is held in place with two machine screws.  My motor was exceptionally clean after 48 years.  A pinion gear on the end of the motor shaft extends into the gearcase.  The pinion drives a series of gears that operate the cable drum.  The drum is topped by an over-riding clutch mechanism that is responsible for the "click-click-click" noise one hears when the antenna has reached its fully extended or retracted position.  The clutch mechanism is covered by a dome-shaped metal cover (the small circular saucer-like object in the background of the photo showing all the parts).  This cover is staked in place and is easily removed and re-staked.  I cleaned all the components and re-greased the gears.  If you rebuild your antenna, be sure to keep everything in order and don't lose any of the small parts (like the two ball bearings for the over-ride clutch).  The most difficult part for me was re-soldering the antenna lead wire.

My antenna now operates as it was designed.  The only problem I see is finding a station that plays music only from 1967!  Who remembers the Doors?

The following link is for a '60 antenna rebuild.  There are a few differences between '60 and '67, but the concept is similar.  I also want to thank "cadillactim" for refreshing my memory on the theory of operation of the power antenna.

Christopher Winter

edit June 1:  forgot to paste the link - http://www.palmantics.com/cadillac/restoration/antenna.html

I believe you saved yourself 300 bucks reworking your antenna. Great commentary and pictures.  Felt like I was right there twisting a wrench with you!

All,

The trunk closing mechanism of my '67 Sedan DeVille has not worked correctly since I purchased the car.  Today I had a go at rectifying that situation.  Dis-assembly was fairly easy.  The cylinder seems to be OK.  I can pull the plunger out against spring tension and the plunger retracts slowly under hydraulic pressure.  The cable is what I think is the problem.  It barely moves.  It is now soaking in a vat of acetone.  I will let it soak for a day or two and see how it operates.  I believe the cable should move relatively easily in order for the closing mechanism to work properly.

The mechanism was dirty so it got a bath of solvent, a compressed air dry, and a white lithium lube.  The only fuss I had was with the wire for the trunk tell-tale light.  In the photos, this is a white wire with a green stripe that is crimped to a plunger in the mechanism.  I traced this wire back to the passenger compartment but did not find a connector so I cut the wire in order to remove it from the mechanism.  For re-assembly, I crimped on a male and female connector that I will finish off with heat-shrink tubing.  I have both the Fisher Body Manual and the Shop Manual, but I did not find this wire on any diagram detailing the wiring at the rear of the car.  One diagram showed a dark green with white stripe wire coming from the instrument cluster connector for the trunk tell-tale, but the trace did not lead to any other connection.  Has anyone found a wiring diagram that shows this trace completely?  My body style is 68349.

Once the cable is free, I should be good to go.  If the cable refuses to become free, I could use a bicycle cable as I have seen suggested by other posts on this forum.  I have asked one member who worked a few days freeing his cable, how loose it became.  Have others had success loosening a stuck trunk cable, and if so, how loose did you get it?

Christopher Winter

Thanks for your qualitative update.
Do you also have the vacuum actuator in the deck lid?

How is the vacuum line attached to the deck lid?
I need some kind of clip for my 68.
Can you snap a picture?

Best regards,
Nicolas

Hello Nicolas,

My car does have the vacuum actuated deck lid release.  Thursday is the earliest I can get a picture for you, pending the weather.

Christopher Winter

Nicolas (and All),

My trunk was in a funk, it would not go clunk-clunk, what a bunch of bunk, the cable took a dunk, the PB Blaster stunk, the carpet liner shrunk,  my knuckles lost a hunk, my hopes were almost sunk, just to close the trunk!  Is this hobby worth it? - I thunk.

I did get the trunk closing cable free.  The acetone bath was not effective so I spent some time squirting PB Blaster into the ends of the cable.  The photos below show both cable ends in a vise so I could get the PB Blaster to dribble down the cable conduit, and the cable ends secured so I could slide the cable conduit back and forth endlessly until I improved the movement of the cable by several factors.  The closer now works well.

The trunk has the vacuum operated opener.  The vacuum hose is routed from under the dash, under the seats and carpet on the passenger side of the car, to the shelf of the trunk compartment behind the right side trunk hinge box.  Photo 3702 shows the vacuum hose with some red primer on it just behind the receptacle for the jack handle.  At the hinge box a slack-loop in the vacuum hose is formed and held in place by a clip.  From the hinge box the hose is routed through the trunk lid to the locking mechanism in the rear-center of the lid.  The hose is attached to a vacuum cylinder on the locking mechanism which activates a plunger opening the lock. 

Christopher Winter

Hi Christopher,

Thanks a lot for the pictures! Now I know what clip to buy!

But I see some sort of a shield on your trunk lid mechanism. Is this 67 only? I don't remember having seen this in the shop or parts illustration catalog for 68.

I have a spare vacuum actuator for 67 - if yours is bad, you can have it.
(I first bought the wrong one, because the one for 68 is special)
( also have the locking mechanism for 67 and one for 68)

Regarding solenoid and vacuum: I guess the moisture, heat and cold caused problems for the solenoid. Actually, I think a vacuum system is quite reliable once you set it up and don't mess with it again. So a single line to the trunk hidden well behind seats and back panels does seem to be a simple idea...


Best regards,
Nicolas

Hello Nicolas,

I am not sure what you are referring to when you say, "I see some sort of a shield on your trunk lid mechanism."  The photo images are numbered, so let me know in which photo you see the shield, and I will try to figure out an answer to your question.

GM and Cadillac were not averse to changing designs and parts over the years.  On the one hand some parts were used on cars for decades (if it aint broke, don't fix it).  On the other hand, the 1950's seemed like a good time to experiment (hydro-electric windows and seats, electric only windows and seats, hydro-vac and treadle-vac brakes, vacuum accessories, electric accessories, etc.).

As David mentioned, the vacuum trunk opener could potentially have been the straw that broke the camel's back.  There were quite a few components that used vacuum.  If you owned a '67 Eldorado, the headlight doors required vacuum.  I am reasonably certain that someone at Cadillac did a cost benefit analysis between vacuum and electric trunk openers.  Sometimes factors other than strict design considerations may tip the balance in favor of one system over another.  Did the cost of the rubber for the vacuum hoses increase one year, making the relative cost of wiring less expensive?  Did labor contracts change affecting the cost of assembling a wiring harness?  Since I have completely dis-assembled a GM car, I have a feel for the number of individual pieces that go into assembling a car.  Several years ago, I read in a business magazine that GM would cost each component to the fourth decimal place of one cent.  If you manufacture a million or more cars per year, and each car uses several hundred or a thousand fasteners, those fractions of a penny add up.

I appreciate the simplicity of the vacuum trunk release, but dislike the fact that there is not enough residual vacuum after the engine is shut off to be able to open the trunk several more times.

Christopher Winter

Hi Christopher,

well this is probably what happened. I have to admit that one is indeed somehow limited by the amount of vacuum in the system.

I was referring to picture 3703 and 3704. Observe how the vacuum hose ducts behind some sort of a shield and comes out at the top (slightly to the right of the shield).
My hinge does not has this shield.

Actually, I just found in my Fisher Body Manual that this metal shield is the bell crank actuating lever! :-)
The vacuum hose is also routed differently for 67 and 68.  (see picture attached - page 8-9)

Best regards,
Nicoals

Nicolas,

As you discovered in the Fisher Body Manual, the bell crank actuating lever is a rigid piece of metal that is bolted to the hinge.  When the trunk lid is lowered, the bell crank actuating lever makes contact with a roller which is part of the bell crank.  The bell crank pulls on a spring inside the hydraulic cylinder.  This action causes the trunk closing cable to "cock", and when the latch engages the strike, the cable is released - but controlled by the hydraulic pressure in the cylinder - and the trunk lid is drawn down and securely latched.

Christopher Winter

All,

When working on my car, it seems as if I correct or fix one problem, and then another problem arises.  In actuality, I think this has more to do with being very focused on task A, and not noticing or paying attention to issue B.  In any event, I thought my lights were working OK.  The only issue I initially noticed was that the instrument panel lamps did not light-up when I rotated the headlamp switch.

I had a problem with the left front turn signal, and as I focused on that, I failed to notice that a new problem developed with the lights.  When I pulled the headlamp switch knob all the way out, the headlights came on, but the parking lights went out.  When I noticed this problem, I initially thought the headlamp switch was bad, so I removed the switch.  One of the photos below shows my headlamp switch lens as it came from the car.  The upper edge is broken - the pieces just fell out when I removed the switch - and the lower right corner is also broken and a piece is missing.

When I dis-assembled the switch and compared it to the drawing in the shop manual, it was apparent that my switch is missing the spring washer and spacer behind the Guide-Matic control ring.  The switch is also missing the clips that hold the backplate and lens to the housing case.  Aside from the missing pieces, I tested the switch for continuity between terminal number 1 (battery 12 volts), and terminal  6 and terminal 7 respectively.  My understanding is that when the headlight switch knob is pulled half-way out, the parking lights are energized, so there should be continuity between terminals 1 and 7.  When the knob is pulled out fully to energize the headlights, there should be continuity between terminals 1 and 7 (parking lights), and terminals 1 and 6 (headlights).  On my switch, with the knob pulled out fully, I had continuity on terminals 1 and 6 (headlights), but no continuity between terminals 1 and 7, so therefore no parking lights when the headlights were energized.

Given the issues with my headlamp switch and the lights, I ordered a new headlamp switch yesterday.  Hopefully, this will resolve the issue with the instrument panel lights, and the issue with parking lights going out when the headlights are energized.  I am led to believe that sometime in the car's past the headlamp switch was replaced.  I would enjoy hearing from others who may have had similar problems, and if anyone has an intact headlamp switch lens for a '67 Sedan DeVille with Guide-Matic and would be willing to part with it for the cost of postage, that would be most kind.

Christopher Winter

All,

If I live to be 90, I don't think I will ever truly be a Cadillac expert.

I think I have a fairly good memory.  I was a Jeopardy contestant in 1991.  I joke with with friends and family that if I get senile in my old age and forget half of what I know, I will still remember more than most because of the amount of what I currently remember.  That said, I did not remember that my '67's parking lights do not stay illuminated when the headlights are energized, so I may have been premature in condemning the headlamp switch.  Someone from this forum kindly brought that fact to my attention a little while ago.  The new switch I ordered yesterday has shipped, so it will either fix the instrument panel lights, collect dust as a spare, or go back to the vendor for something more useful.  Oh well, live and learn.

Christopher Winter

I thoroughly enjoy reading this thread, lots of interesting stuff to pick up on. Keep the updates coming Christopher!

All,

A couple of weeks ago, I had my car on the Baltimore Beltway for a couple of miles.  The engine felt like it had a mis-fire, so I knew that eventually I should change the "tune-up" complement of parts.  The car came with a new set of plug wires and plugs, so I ordered a distributor cap, rotor, points, and condenser which will arrive in a day or two.

I noticed that the old distributor cap was loose.  Even though the spring-loaded hooks were seated in the notches on the underside of the distributor, I could easily remove the cap by hand.  It seems as if the spring-loaded hooks have hardly any tension.  Hopefully the new cap will be an improvement.

I am considering removing the distributor for a more thorough look, and possibly a rebuild.  If I remove the distributor gear, what is the correct size roll pin to use when the gear is replaced?

Christopher Winter

All,

Since I am waiting for some tune-up parts, I thought I would clean the ignition coil and the terminals of the wires that connect to the coil.  If I am going to refresh the distributor, I might as well refresh the coil and connections.  Photo 3713 below shows the spot on the manifold where the coil and bracket assembly is bolted to the manifold.  The bolts that hold the coil bracket also hold a bracket to which is mounted the throttle dashpot (this prevents the throttle blades from slamming shut), and the transmission switch-pitch/kick-down switch.

While waiting for the paint on the coil to dry, I dis-assembled the switch-pitch/kick-down switch (SPKD).  An earlier on-the-car test of the switch did not produce an audible click of the solenoids in the transmission, so I thought I might have a broken SPKD.  Photo 3715 shows a square hole in the throttle plate linkage.  Into this hole goes a square shaft that is part of the SPKD.  In the center of photo 3719, the square shaft coming out of the SPKD is broken off.  The broken shaft is one explanation for the SPKD not working.  At this point I had not dis-assembled the SPKD completely, and I thought I might be able to effect a repair.

In photo 3723, the pencil is pointing to one of four peened posts that hold the SPKD terminal board to its housing.  The posts are relatively soft, and a small screwdriver removed the peened heads of the posts (photo 3727).  After the penning was removed, I was able to gently pry up on the SPKD terminal board and remove it from the housing revealing the disappointing contents therein.

Photo 3731 shows that not only is the shaft broken on the part that inserts into the throttle linkage (lower right in the photo), but the upper switch contact is bent (lower left in photo), and the moving switch contact actuator is broken into three pieces (lower center in photo) - it should be one piece.  It is times like this when I wish I had a 3-D printer set-up to make small plastic parts.

I searched many Cadillac parts vendors and found a two-terminal switch for a '69 that uses the same housing as my '67.  I thought I might be able to modify the internal components, but the vendor wanted $200, so I passed.  I found another vendor who has two used SPKD switches for a '67, but this vendor wants $168 for each switch - used.  I found yet another vendor who wants $68 for the switch, but I have not yet spoken with that vendor, and do not know the condition of the switch.

I may explore the 3-D printer possibility as I live close to two colleges that have CAD/CAM, CNC, and automotive curricula.  If by some miracle I am able to reproduce the plastic parts for the switch, I still have to get them re-assembled into the housing.  I mentioned above that the posts holding the terminal board to the housing are soft.  I broke one of them during dis-assembly as is visible in photo 3736.  How to fix?  I can cut off the post and drill out the boss for a small diameter aluminum rod or copper wire, either of which can be easily peened.

I am aware that others have fabricated an SPKD, but although this car will only be a driver for the near future, I would still like the car to appear as original as possible.  Of course, I can drive the car without the SPKD, but what fun would that be?  If anyone has information on an SPKD, or on a '67 parts car (also maybe a '65/66), please let me know.  Thanks.

Christopher Winter

All,

In a previous post I mentioned that When I got my car, it came with 8 new ACDelco spark plugs and a set of ACDelco plug wires.  I replaced the plugs today, but before installing the new plugs, I did a compression check of the cylinders.  The engine was cold.  The choke was blocked open.  All old plugs were removed.  The A/C compressor belt was removed.  The belts for the water pump, power steering pump, and alternator were left in place.  For each cylinder, the engine was cranked until the needle on the compression tester rose no further - about 5 to 7 compression strokes.  My compression tester is a Sears Penske tester with an O-ring seal at the threaded spark plug connection.  The results:

cylinder          reading
---------          ----------

    1               185
    4               193
    6               195
    7               188

    2               183
    3               191
    5               192
    8               181

I have listed the readings in two groups based on the intake manifold runners.  The intake is a split-plane type.  One side of the carburetor (primary and secondary bores) feeds cylinders 1, 4, 6, and 7.  The other side feeds cylinders 2, 3, 5, and 8.  The lowest reading is 181, and the highest reading is 195.  The difference (14 PSI) represents a variation of less than eight percent between cylinders.  The car shows 90,000 miles on the odometer.

If the readings are grouped by bank, the following relationship appears:

cylinder          reading
---------          ----------
    1               185
    3               191
    5               192
    7               188

    2               183
    4               193
    6               195
    8               181

The cylinders at the ends of both banks (1, 7, and 2, 8) read with a variation of less than four percent of each other, and the cylinders in the middle of both banks (3, 5, and 4, 6) read with a variation of about two percent of each other.  The average of the four end-of-bank cylinders is 184.25.  The average of the four middle-of-bank cylinders is 192.75.  The difference of the averages represents a variation of less than five percent between end-of-bank and middle-of-bank.

The shop manual describes the intake runners as being approximately equal in length.  However, approximately does not equal exactly, which is why performance engines strive for equal length intake runners.  I hypothesize that the end-of-bank cylinders are slightly starved for air.  Given that all cylinders have the same amount of time within which to draw in air (the pistons travel the same distance in the same amount of time in each cylinder), the volume of air in the end-of-bank intake runners has less time to reach those cylinders due to the longer path the volume of air has to travel.  The end-of-bank cylinders do not get quite the same volume of air as the middle-of-bank cylinders.  Since pressure is a function of volume, less volume of air in the end-of-bank cylinders would result in a lower reading for those cylinders.

Another consideration is that the exhaust cross-over passage in the intake affects the cross-sectional shape of the middle-of-bank runners in such a way that the volume of air in the runners for those cylinders has its velocity increased resulting in more volume in the middle-of-bank cylinders, and higher readings.

When I removed the old plugs. they were all uniform in color and appearance.  I am OK with the results of the compression check and I am reasonably confident that I can eliminate compression issues when it comes time to tune my car's engine.

Christopher Winter

Mr. Winter,
Your writing skills are fantastic and your attention to detail is unmatched.  Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and observations. 
Corey

Corey,

Thanks for the kudos.

All,

In a couple of previous posts I indicated that I planned to do a thorough tune-up on my car.  I got around to that chore the other day.  The tune-up included the replacement of sparkplugs, sparkplug wires, distributor cap, rotor, points, and condenser.  I also removed, dis-assembled, and cleaned the distributor, and adjusted the carburetor.

The first thing I did was remove the left side valve cover and rotate the engine so that cylinder #1 was at top dead center (TDC) on the compression stroke.  The valve cover was removed so I could keep an eye on the valves to verify the compression stroke.  The timing mark on the harmonic balancer was aligned with the zero degree mark on the timing tab.

With the engine in this position, the distributor rotor firing tab points to cylinder #1.  Before I removed the distributor, I made a mark on the distributor to facilitate its replacement with the rotor in the same position.  When the distributor is removed, it will rotate slightly in a counter-clockwise direction due to the helical cut of the gear at the bottom of the distributor.  When the distributor is replaced, it is necessary to have the rotor pointing a little counter-clockwise so when it rotates clockwise when the distributor is replaced, the rotor will align with the mark made before removal of the distributor.

My distributor was dirty after decades of being in the car (photo 3743).  I believe it to be the original distributor based on the painted vacuum advance canister, and the number on the aluminum band wrapped around the distributor (Delco Remy 1111682).  In order to completely dis-assemble the distributor, I had to drive out the roll-pin that secures the distributor gear to the distributor shaft.  I used a 3/16 inch punch (photo 3748).

Between the gear and the bottom of the distributor is a thrust washer which limits the end-play of the distributor shaft.  I could not find any Cadillac specification for the end-play measurement.  A Corvette forum had a reference from Delco Remy indicating that production end-play measures .025 to .096   My measurement is about .035 (photo 3750).  How important is end-play?  Some might argue that excessive end-play causes the distributor shaft to move up and down (due to the helical cut of the gear) and thereby rotate the rotor and slightly advancing or retarding the timing.  In theory this may be true.  In practice, I think, since the gear on the camshaft that drives the distributor gear rotates only in one direction, there is a constant upward thrust on the distributor gear regardless of engine RPM and regardless of whether the camshaft "walks" back and forth.

Photos 3751 and 3752 show the holes in the gear through which the roll-pin is driven.  One hole is chamfered and the other is not.  The chamfered hole is aligned with the firing tab on the rotor.  There are 15 teeth on my distributor gear.  If the gear is installed 180 degrees out of alignment, the timing will be off by a half gear tooth or 6 degrees at the crankshaft timing tab.

One of the last parts I removed was the vacuum canister.  One of the two screws holding the canister to the distributor would not come out even with a large screwdriver (photo 3759).  I used a grinder to grind the screwhead (photo 3761) which relieved enough tension so that I was able to remove the screw without having to drill it out.

The distributor was cleaned, inspected, and painted.  There are two bushings in the distributor housing within which the distributor shaft rotates.  There was no detectable side-play between the bushings and shaft in my distributor.  Excessive side-play may cause the distributor shaft to wobble as it rotates.  This could affect the position of the rotor and possibly affect timing, but it is probable that this might only occur at high RPM, and if the bushings are excessively worn.

In my next post, I will describe the assembly of the distributor.

Christopher Winter

All,

Photo 3769 shows the top of the distributor.  In the center is the hole and bushing for the distributor shaft.  The breaker plate fits around the outside diameter of the bushing boss.  Also around the outside diameter of the bushing boss is a groove (photo 3773, just above the breaker plate collar).  Into this groove fits a split-spring washer (photo 3774).  This washer is very small and easy to lose, but it retains the breaker plate as seen in photo 3776.

After installing the condenser and points, and the shaft with a new roll-pin, I found it easier to install the mechanical advance weights and springs, and to preliminarily adjust the point gap with  the distributor in a vertical position.  A scrap piece of 1 1/2 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe, held in a vise sufficed (photo 3784).

Photo 3788 shows the distributor cleaned, painted, and assembled.  I left the vacuum canister in its natural finish after cleaning it, but I did spray it with a coat of clear enamel.  The only vacuum pump I have is my lungs.  I sucked on the vacuum canister and the canister stuck to my tongue, so for now I am giving an OK to the canister.

Photo 3790 shows the distributor back in the car next to the refreshed coil.  The coil was cleaned and painted.  All terminals and connectors at the coil and distributor were sanded until shiny, and sprayed with contact cleaner.  When the final connections were made, a coat of di-electric grease was applied.

I do not have a timing light, so the only way I can check the vacuum advance and the mechanical advance is with a vacuum gauge and by how the car runs.  To set the base timing at 5 degrees before TDC, I connected a test light to the positive battery terminal and probed the coil negative terminal while turning the distributor.  When the light changed in intensity, the distributor was in the correct position for 5 degrees advanced base timing.

I put the new wires on the new cap and double checked all my connections.  I have an oil pressure gauge and a vacuum gauge installed in the engine bay, so before starting the car I hooked up my dwell/tach meter and started the car.

The car started immediately and the dwell registered at 29 which I adjusted to 30.  I let the engine warm up and used the vacuum gauge to adjust timing.  I used the vacuum gauge and the tachometer to adjust curb idle, the throttle return dashpot, and the idle mixture screws.  I was able to get a rock steady vacuum reading of 21 inches Hg, but I think my idle is still a little too high.  I took the car for a drive and was satisfied with its performance during the short trip which included two miles on the beltway at 60 MPH.

So far, so good, but I will need to revisit the carburetor adjustments in the near future.  In addition to another round of carburetor adjustments, I have to drop the fuel tank and inspect the sending unit.  Earlier testing indicated my gas gauge is OK, but the sending unit may be bad.  I also have to check the relay for the power windows, all of which work from the master switch, but none of which work at the respective door switches.  I also have to finish installing a new headlight switch.

Christopher Winter

All,

Considering the number of Cadillacs that rolled off the assembly line on a daily basis in 1967, I wonder how many cars were delivered with manufacturing errors?

In a previous post I indicated that I removed the left side valve cover in order to view the valves to confirm that cylinder #1 was on its compression stroke.  Another reason for removing the left side valve cover was noise.  Since I purchased the car, I noticed that there seemed to be some valve noise coming from the left side valve cover.  The noise can be described as a clattering sound, typical of loose valve rocker arms.  The noise was present, although not quite as loud, when the engine was warm.  My mechanical oil pressure gauge always shows good pressure when the engine is running.

When I removed the valve cover, everything looked correct, but the rocker area was dirtier than expected (photo 3766).  I wiggled each of the eight rocker arms by hand.  Some were snug, which would be expected if the valve spring was under load.  Some rocker arms could be wiggled just a little, but the last rocker arm, the one for the exhaust valve for cylinder #7, I could shake easily - it was very loose.  I suspected that this rocker arm was the source of the noise, but what was causing the rocker arm to be so loose?  Was there a bad lifter?  Was the valve stem excessively worn?

I decided to remove the bolt that holds the rocker arm pedestal to the cylinder head.  For '67, Cadillac changed how the rocker arms were attached to the head.  Instead of a common shaft, each pair of rocker arms is mounted on a pedestal.  The bolt that holds the pedestal is also a cylinder head bolt, so before removing this one bolt holding cylinder #7's pedestal and rocker arm pair, I torqued all the other head bolts, none of which budged indicating that they were all OK.  The pedestal holds two rocker arms but the pedestal is not symmetrical.  One arm of the pedestal is for the exhaust rocker, and the other pedestal arm is for the intake.  Each pedestal arm is stamped with an E or an I (photo 3794).  Due to the arrangement of the intake and exhaust manifolds, the valves are arranged in the head thusly:  E I   I E   E I   I E.

When I removed the bolt holding the pedestal for cylinder #7's rockers, there was excessive wear at the side of the exhaust rocker that bears against the end of the pedestal arm.  Upon closer examination, I noticed that the I and the E stamped on the arms were oriented opposite of how they should have been oriented.  The intake rocker was operating on the exhaust pedestal arm, and the exhaust rocker - the one that was very loose - was operating on the intake pedestal arm.  I took photo 3794 after I reversed the orientation of the pedestal.  Of course I could not swap the rocker arms so I still have some noise due to the different wear patterns on the two rocker arms relative to the pedestal.  The noise may subside as the pedestal and rockers arms adjust to their "new" orientation.

Based on the history of ownership of the car, and the condition of the engine, I do not think the engine or heads have been rebuilt.  That leads me to suspect that the pedestal for cylinder #7 was installed incorrectly at the factory.  Has anyone  had a similar experience with their engine?  Or any other assembly?  Does anyone have a pedestal and rocker pair that are in good condition?  Does anyone know if the 472/500 pedestals and rockers will fit the '67 429 (are the rocker arm lift ratios the same)?

Christopher Winter

Thanks for the interesting and detailed posts!

Interesting cause of liver noise! Could well be - where humans work, failures are made!

All,

My gas gauge has not indicated any fuel level since I purchased my car despite the fact that twice I have put 10 gallons of gas in the tank. The gauge always reads Empty.  A few months ago I used the procedures in the shop manual to determine if the gauge or the sender was the most likely culprit.  At that time, the gauge functioned properly based on the tests, so I figured it must be the sender causing the gauge not to register.

I recently dropped the gas tank and removed the sender.  I noticed that a small portion of the ground wire was wrapped in tape, and I discovered broken insulation under the tape.  My first thought was that this might be responsible for the gauge not registering, but alas, when I tested the wire with an ohmmeter, the wire had continuity.  I then noticed that the ground wire was attached to the same terminal post as the sender wire (the wire that goes to the gauge).  This arrangement did not seem correct.  Every illustration or video I have seen that shows a sender being tested, shows the ground wire attached to the sender flange or a separate ground terminal or post, not the sender terminal or post.

I configured some jumper wires and my meter to see if moving the float arm would indicate varying resistance values between 0 and 90 ohms.  I connected one lead to the sender post, and the other lead to the mounting flange.  When I moved the float arm I got a reading between 0 and 2.5 ohms.  The sender does not appear to be original.  It resembles many that I have seen for sale on-line for about $80.  There isn't much to the sender assembly, mechanical or electrical, so I removed the cover of the resistance wire housing, sprayed contact cleaner on the wires and bent the wiper for firmer contact with the wires.  I checked for and found continuity between the rivet at the end of the resistance wire assembly and the sender post, so that seemed to be OK.  I put the cover back on the resistance wire housing and tested again for values between 0 and 90 ohms.  Despite my efforts, the meter displayed values between 0 and 1.5 ohms.  In other words, cleaning the resistance wires with contact cleaner, and thoroughly drying them with compressed air, and bending the wiper for firmer contact did nothing to improve the functioning of the sender.  I can hear the wiper rubbing across the resistance wires when I move the float, but essentially the sender is not indicating any resistance.

As I mentioned, the sender does not appear to be original.  In fact it looks to be only a couple of years old, and I suspect the previous owner was the one who replaced it.  Before I shell out $80 or more for a new sender, does anyone think I have overlooked something, and does anyone know where a replacement sender might be purchased for less than $80?  Rock Auto doesn't carry this sender, nor could I find a listing at NAPA, Pep Boys, or Advance.  USA Parts has one at $80.  Caddy Daddy and OPGI are in the $115 to $120 range.  Thanks for any suggestions.

One positive note is that the inside of my gas tank is nice and clean.

Christopher Winter

I think you found the problem in the first place- the sender wire should NOT be connected directly to ground (and the flange is ground).  Connecting the wire straight to ground will cause the gauge to read at E.

The tests you've done also make sense if the sender is shorted to ground.  The short conducts at 1.5 ohms and when you vary the resistance by moving the float you can get it  down to 0 with the added conduction through the sender.

-mB

Hello Mike,

Thanks for your reply.  The photo showing both wires attached to the sender post is to illustrate how I found the wires.  When I tested the sender, the wires were removed and I had one lead of my meter on he sender post and one lead on the flange.  You are probably correct in your second assertion that the sender is shorted to ground, meaning that the resistance wire assembly is grounding.  I will take one more close look at the assembly to see if I can locate where the short to ground might be occurring before I open up my wallet.  If and when I purchase a new sender, I will test it prior to installation.

Christopher Winter

Very interesting.  That second wire connected to the sender post has to be wrong, but since you took those wires off before testing, that can't be part of the problem.

I bet you can fix the sender- they aren't very complicated and you've done the hardest bit (taking it out and apart).

Did you try testing it with the sender taken apart, like in pictures 3881 and 3882?  There should be no conduction between the sender post and the flange with that shell taken off like that.

-mB

0-30 ohms is the proper resistance range for the sending unit.  If you're only getting 0-1.5 ohms, the sending unit is fried (likely from the misconnection of the wires).

More fun with fuel gauge sending unit!

Hello all,

Since my Cadillac restoration budget is very small, I tend to evaluate the opportunity cost of any parts purchase.  My fuel sending unit was malfunctioning.  A replacement costs about $80.  That may not seem like a great deal of money in the grand scheme of things, but I am sure I will run into a situation when that $80 will be better spent on a piece of "unobtainium" for some other part of my car.

I took a second careful look at my fuel sending unit, and did some more testing.  In answer to mgbeda's post about testing the resistor assembly without the metal housing attached, I did test the resistor assembly without the housing attached (picture 3885), and I got near perfect readings on my meter.  The results of this test indicated that when the metal housing is assembled over the resistor assembly (which is plastic), either the housing or how it is positioned caused the resistor assembly to short to ground, thereby providing no resistance value to the gas gauge in the dash (always on E).

With my meter attached I removed and replaced the metal housing over the resistor assembly (picture 3889), and moved the float arm between its empty and full positions.  If the metal housing was located in the position where the small metal tabs that hold it could be bent over to hold the metal housing in place, the resistor would short to ground.  If the metal housing was slightly out of place relative to the small metal tabs, the resistor would work.  I was finally able to determine that when the metal housing was aligned with the small metal tabs, the conductor from the resistor assembly to the sender post was being pushed to the side and making contact with the pick-up tube.  The conductor is a flat piece of copper that is coated with insulating material.  Apparently, at some microscopic level (I cannot see any break in the insulation with my naked eye), the insulation must be broken just enough (electrons are very small after all) to cause the resistor assembly to short to ground.

My fix for this problem was to cut a short length of nylon tubing, slit it, and position it over the conductor so that the conductor is insulated from both the pick-up tube and the vapor return tube (picture 3895).  When I reassembled the parts, and tested with my meter, I got readings of about two ohms with the float arm in the Empty position (picture 3896), and about 91 ohms with the float arm in the Full position (picture 3897).  Dan LeBlanc posted that 0 - 30 ohms is the proper resistance range for the sending unit, but my research (several sources) indicates that in 1965, GM changed the resistance values from 0 - 30 ohms to 0 - 90 ohms.  The 0 - 90 ohms scale was used until the late 1990s when GM changed the scale to 30 - 250 ohms.

Before the sending unit is installed in the tank, I will connect it to the gauge using the wiring at the back of the car, and see if the gauge in the dash works properly.  If so, the sending unit and tank can go back in the car.  My only concern is how flimsy the sending unit seems to be.  When moving the float arm from the Empty to Full positions, there is enough looseness in the float arm to cause the meter readings to jump.  I am hoping that when the sending unit is submerged in the tank, the gas in the tank will stabilize the action of the float arm.

I adjusted the float arm to a little less than the measurement called for in the shop manual.  The manual states the arm should drop 5 1/4 inches.  My drop is at 5 inches.  The effect of this will be that I will have about one gallon of gas left in the tank when the dash gauge is on E.

Christopher Winter

Brilliant detective work, Christopher.  Now you not only have a working sender but a good story to tell.  Well done!

-mB

Hello all,

1967 Sedan DeVille, 429, TH400, A/C, 90,000 miles.

Over the past several months I have done many repairs on my car - wheel bearings, brakes, exhaust, power antenna, lighting, distributor, and most recently I repaired the fuel tank sending unit which is now back in the tank, and the tank is back in the car with a working fuel gauge in the dash.  I replaced all the ignition components except the coil, but I am confident that the coil is OK.  My timing is set to factory spec, and my timing light indicates that my mechanical and vacuum advance are working (when I rebuilt my distributor, my lung-powered vacuum pump sensed that the vacuum advance was working but weak, it ultimately failed, so I replaced it).

My car starts immediately, and it idles very well.  When the engine is warm, and the choke is off, the curb idle speed is a little above the factory spec.  Vacuum and oil pressure are steady at about 20 inches of Hg and 30 PSI respectively. Even after I removed and replaced my gas tank, the car started in less than 5 seconds.  This indicates to me that my fuel pump seems to be operating OK.  My car has air conditioning, so it has a fuel return line from the fuel filter bowl to the tank, and the tank is vented.  I believe the fuel pump was replaced by the previous owner, and I know the previous owner had the carburetor rebuilt.  Typically, when I start my car, I let it run at idle for about a half hour or more.  The temperature gauge moves to about the first quarter hash mark and stays there.  When I tested the coolant temperature without a radiator cap, the coolant temperature was about 150 degrees F.

I put my car in a dead-level position and checked the transmission fluid after the engine had warmed up, and after shifting the car through the gears.  The transmission fluid level as indicated by the dipstick was where it should be.  The parking break vacuum release works as it should.  When I put a new exhaust system on the car (from the Y pipe back), I fished a stiff wire up the Y pipe to see if the heat riser was stuck in the closed position.  The wire penetrated the pipe a few inches further than the location of the heat riser, indicating to me that the heat rise, even though it is stuck, is open.

Despite all my good efforts, my car has a problem.  When I drive the car (after it has warmed up in the driveway for a half hour or so) it accelerates smoothly and shifts smoothly through all three forward speeds.  After about 5 to 10 miles of driving, either on neighborhood streets at about 30 to 40 MPH, or on the highway/beltway at 50 to 60 MPH, when I come to a stop-sign or traffic light, the car stalls.  Downshifting is relatively smooth, but when the car has down-shifted to 1st, and as it almost comes to a complete stop, the car bucks - sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.  The bucking reminds me of driving a standard shift car and forgetting to step on the clutch when coming to a stop.  If, before the car comes to a complete stop, I shift into neutral, I can usually keep the car running.

When the car stalls, if I immediately try to start it again, it will either restart and stall, or it wont restart.  If I wait a few minutes (about five), the car will restart but I have to put the car in neutral and keep the RPMs slightly elevated to get going.  This problem has occurred 4 times.  The weather was not particularly hot on the days when the car had this problem (much to my chagrin, one of the 4 times was when I was on my way to a meeting of the CLC Potomac Region).

I have considered that I might have a fuel problem (including the possibility that the carburetor was not correctly rebuilt), and that I might have a torque converter or transmission problem.  I have considered vapor lock, but the fuel lines are in good condition and they are well away from the exhaust, and the car does not get terribly hot.  If anyone has any thoughts about my predicament, I would appreciate hearing from you.

During the upcoming Winter, if there are a few mild days, I am considering rebuilding several of the car's components including: alternator, starter, power steering pump, steering gear box, exhaust heat riser, and maybe the carburetor and transmission if these last two components are indicted as the possible cause of my stalling issue.  I may post this message as a separate thread in the Technical/Authenticity portion of the forum in the hope of getting more viewers and responses.  Thanks for reading.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

I want my car to be as mechanically sound as I can make it.  One task yet to do is the repair/replacement of the heat riser valve located between the passenger side exhaust manifold, and the exhaust Y-pipe.  I have replaced the entire exhaust from the Y-pipe back.  I did not replace the Y-pipe because it appears to be in good condition without any holes (there were several holes in the rest of the exhaust system).  When I replaced the exhaust system from the Y-pipe back, I fished a long, stiff wire up through the Y-pipe towards the heat riser valve.  The wire penetrated the Y-pipe several inches beyond the location of the heat riser valve, so I concluded the heat riser valve is open even though it does not move.  However, when I was doing this work, I noticed that the heat riser valve is cracked along the side of the stud that goes through the heat riser valve, on the side close to the engine block (photo 3919).

When the car is running, and I have my head under the hood, I notice a slight ticking sound.  This sound could be valve train noise, or it could be a small exhaust leak.  I want to eliminate the cracked heat riser as a possible source of noise.  This should be a simple task - undo the nuts holding the Y-pipe flange to the heat riser/exhaust manifold, remove the Y-pipe, remove and replace the heat riser.  As most of you know, this is easier said than done.

Photo 3922 shows the nut at the driver side exhaust manifold/Y-pipe flange.  The flats on the nut are very distinct, and it looks like I should be able to remove the nuts (on this side of the car they are both in the same condition) with some penetrating fluid, some patience, and a good breakfast.  Photo 3914 shows the nut on the passenger side of the car - the side on which the heat riser is located.  Notice the lack of definition of the nut.  I think Euclid would call this shape a circle instead of a hexagon.

Aside from penetrating oil, plan A is to try to find a special deep socket designed for removing rounded nuts.  Plan B is to grind or cut off the stud as close to the nut as possible, and drill out the stud.  Both actions will be difficult.  The nut is recessed in the flange and space is limited.  Also, one nut is on the other side of the pipe making it more difficult to get tools into the space.  Plan C is to disconnect the Y-pipe from the resonator, unbolt the exhaust manifolds from the cylinder heads, remove the starter (which I was planning to do anyway), and with the car high enough off the ground, see if I can maneuver the Y-pipe with the exhaust manifolds attached back and down and out from under the car.  Plan D is to cut the Y-pipe near the exhaust manifolds, and spend about $100 for a new Y-pipe.

Once I have the heat riser in hand, I will see if I can locate a local welding shop that welds cast iron.  If the heat riser - I will remove the valve - can be repaired for less than the cost of replacement, that is what I will do.  I recall reading on this forum about someone who fabricated and sold a spacer to replace the heat riser valve, but I also recall that the individual is no longer providing this service, and I do not remember if the spacer was available for a '67.  Knowing that I may need to repair or replace the heat riser, or find or fabricate a spacer, I am hoping not to also have to spend money for a new Y-pipe.  If anyone can shed some light on how they removed their heat riser, I would enjoy reading your reply.  If anyone has a source for a replacement heat riser or spacer that is in stock (other than eBay), please let me know.  Thanks.

Christopher Winter

Hi Christopher,

A couple ideas for getting your rounded nut off.

One is the "miracle" penetrating oil. 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF.  I Learned about it on this forum.  It really works.  Using that I was able to get every exhaust manifold bolt off my '76, including one bolt that a shop had broken off (and left) years before.

I was going to recommend a nut-spliter, but I see you couldn't get one in there.  The garage I worked in many years ago would use an air chisel for something like that.

I think I have seen specialty sockets for rounded nuts, but I've never used one.

Good luck!

-mB

One thing I would use here is firstly find a 6 sided socket that is very close to fitting, like a Metric or even a Whitworth one, and then apply heat to the nut to "loosen" it then use the socket to remove it.

Alternately, use a Dremel tool to grind off the side of the nut to weaken it.

Bruce. >:D

Hello all,

Mike and Bruce, thanks for the replies regarding my exhaust issue.  I will resume my exhaust thread a little later.

Starting on my starter, part 1

While the front of my car was elevated for an exhaust system project (which I will  relate in a future post), I decided to tackle the rebuilding of my starter.  My starter works, but occasionally it suffers from a common problem that when the engine is hot, the starter balks when attempting to restart the car.  There are many posts on this forum addressing this topic, and most of the posts talk about rebuilding or replacing the starter, as well as checking cables, etc.  Since I want to be sure my starter is in fine fettle, I pulled it off the engine and took it apart.

Photo 3937 shows the starter still mounted to the engine.  The starter is not very dirty, but you can see there is rust on the housing.  The front of the starter is supported by a bracket that is bolted to the engine block.  Also, there is no heat shield present, but I think I will find or fabricate one later.  Photo 3939 shows the rear, or drive-end of the starter, and one of the two bolts that mount the starter to the engine block.  The outboard bolt (shown in the photo) has attached to it a braided ground strap, the other end of which is bolted to the right-side frame rail (just visible at the top of the photo to the right of center).  This should provide a good ground between the starter and frame provided the connections are clean and tight, and provided there is a good connection from the frame back to the battery's negative terminal.  You know what they say...you can't be too rich or too thin or have too good a ground connection for your starter!

When I got my starter on the bench it was apparent that it was not original to the car.  I was not very surprised that with 90,000 miles on the odometer the starter had been replaced.  Photo 3946 shows the starter to have been remanufactured by Rayloc (a division of Genuine Parts Company/NAPA), and the solenoid to be an Echlin ST 107 (also a NAPA part).  Under the Rayloc sticker is the original Delco- Remy part number (1998241) which I traced to a 1982 Corvette.  So the starter motor housing, and maybe the armature, are from a Corvette, although I could not find a Delco number on the armature.

Photo 3952 shows the condition of the connections at the solenoid.  Corrosion at the large battery terminal is evident.  This did not prevent the starter from working since power was able to get to the large copper stud.  However, when it comes to electrical connections, you know what they say...cleanliness is next to Faradayliness!

Photo 3953 shows my set-up to measure pinion gear clearance.  When the white wire's free clip momentarily touches the solenoid's  motor terminal (not visible behind the large red clip), the solenoid energizes and causes the pinion gear to engage without spinning the starter motor (note the rubber hose insulating the starter motor field coil connections protruding from the starter motor housing).  Photo 3957 shows the pinion in its engaged position.  The clearance should be a maximum of 140 thousandths of an inch.  My clearance is twice that.  This may be due to wear in the Bendix drive, the shifter fork, or poor quality of the remanufactured part.  I will check the clearance again after new parts (Bendix drive and shifter fork) are installed.

To be continued.

Christopher Winter

hello all,

Starting on my starter, part 2

Photo 3962 shows the commutator end of the starter motor, and what fell out when I removed the commutator end plate.  Out of focus at the very bottom of the photo is a pile of dust that is composed mainly of worn brush material.  Also note the pile of dust to the left of the uninsulated brush wire at the left, and the debris on the commutator.  The inside of this starter was very dirty.

Photo 3965 shows wear on both tabs of the shifter fork.  In a profile view, these tabs are actually worn flat.  This may account for some of the excessive pinion gear clearance mentioned in part 1.

Photo 3978 shows some wear on one of the four pole shoes.  These scratches are from the large part of the armature rubbing against the pole shoe which means either the armature is slightly eccentric relative to the centerline of the shaft, or the bushings in the drive-end and commutator-end housings are worn, or both.  Of the four pole shoes, two had scratches and two looked unscathed.  I thought about trying to remove the pole shoes and the field coils.  I know that the screws holding the pole shoes are difficult to remove.  I do not have a hand impact driver, so I tried using a number 3 Phillips bit and a half inch breaker bar and accomplished nothing except breaking the bit (photo 3979).  Since I am a stickler for cleaning dirty parts, I checked with a professional electric motor rebuilder who told me that mineral spirits were an acceptable cleaner as long as compressed air was used to dry off the parts after washing them.  As advised elsewhere, one should not use carb cleaner, brake cleaner, acetone, or other very strong degreasers as they may break down the insulation on the field coils.

Photo 3983 shows the armature resting in the housing, and the clearance between the armature and a pole shoe.  Clearance here is about 100 thousandths of an inch.  When the armature is mounted in its bushings, there should be about 50 thousandths of an inch clearance between the rotating armature and the pole shoes assuming everything is perfectly concentric.

I will get new bushings for both the drive-end and commutator-end.  Photo 3982 shows both end housings and the old bushings.  The drive-end housing is open on both sides so the old bushing can be driven out.  The commutator-end bushing has to be destroyed for removal.

To be continued.

Christopher Winter

G'day Chris,

Looks like that Starter Motor has been through the wars, and was very close to destroying itself.

The flattening of the Bendix Fork is not that bad, as I have seen far worse that were still working.

As for the mullock that fell out of the starter when you opened it up, I haven't seen that much inside the worst of Starters I have pulled down.

But, you need to check the condition of the Bendix Retainer rings and stops to make sure the Bendix hasn't been hammering itself into the end of the housing.

Bruce. >:D

Hello Bruce (and all),

The Bendix Drive stop collar, retainer, and ring were functioning properly.  They will however be replaced with new parts.

The rebuild kit with new parts arrived today.  The kit is fairly complete which is one reason why I chose to purchase this kit.  Plus, the seller listed his phone number, and answered the phone when I called.  He sounded like an older gent, and graciously answered all my questions and provided some additional advice.

The rebuild kit comes with a solenoid, plunger spring, Bendix drive, Bendix drive stop retainer, collar, and ring, shifter fork, pin, and snap ring, 4 brushes, brush screws, brush holders, and springs, brush holder pins, bushings for both ends of the armature shaft, leather brake washer, field coil lead grommet, and new fasteners for the wire connections at the solenoid including a new copper tube for the field coil lead to solenoid starter motor terminal.  According to the seller, the brushes and bushings are made in the U.S.  The other parts are from China.  I will closely compare the old and new parts bearing in mind that the old parts are from a remanufactured starter that might be 30 years old.

Stay tuned for part 3.

Christopher Winter

Hi Christopher

Thanks a lot for your very informative write ups.
Appreciate it!

I had to restore my starter too. The coal brushes were at the end of their live. Everything else was still in good shape.
I sandblasted the housing and painted it with POR15. That was three years ago - not a single flaw in the paint. Holds up very very nice.

Best regards,
Nicolas

Starting on my starter, part 3

Hello all,

The starter rebuild kit I purchased contained virtually every part needed for a rebuild.  The new parts are listed in reply 65 above.  I erred when I said the brushes and bushings are the only US made parts in the kit.  The Bendix drive is also US made.  Photo 3992 shows all the new parts, on the right, and all the old parts on the left.  A new plunger did not come with the kit, and I doubt this is ever necessary.  I compared all the old and new parts, and noticed some differences

The new Bendix drive is a little longer than the old drive (photo 3996) and the spring is stiffer.  When I noticed this I anticipated that the new drive and shifter fork would alleviate the excessive pinion gear clearance I measured in part 1 of this article (see reply 62).  This turned out to be the case.  When I reassembled the starter and again checked the pinion gear clearance, it measured about .050", which is well within the specification of .010" - .140".

The starter is an electro-mechanical component, so cleaning electrical contacts is as important as cleaning fasteners, shafts, pins, snap-rings, etc.  Photo 3985 shows the clean brush and field coil connections.  The photo also shows the starter housing repainted with high-heat black.

I decided to re-use the old brush holders.  Photo 3999 shows the old (left) and new (right) non-insulated brush holders.  To me, the old holders seem to be better formed.  The bends in the metal are more precise.  I also reused the old insulated brush holders.  These holders are plastic, and the old holders appeared to be "thicker" where it counts.

The armature was cleaned after the commutator was sanded and the shaft was hit with a scrubbing pad.  After blowing out the space between the "windings" with compressed air, the commutator was wiped with contact cleaner.  From what I have read, the consensus is that the mica insulation between commutator segments should not be undercut.  The armature was tested for continuity and shorts.  Each commutator segment tested OK.

Photo 4011 shows the cleaned commutator, and the commutator end plate bushing on the armature shaft.  There is a little play in the bushing but some of that play will get reduced when the bushing is driven into the end plate where the bushing will be slightly crushed.  The drive end bushing was the same.

To be continued


Christopher Winter

Starting (actually finishing) my starter, part 4

Hello all,

Reassembling my starter required a little patience.  Lacking more than two hands, and given that there are four brushes to hold against spring pressure when inserting the armature into the starter motor housing, a little finagling was required.  Since the brushes are held in by two pins that are a loose fit in the pin bosses, I was able to locate each brush, one at a time, over the edge of the commutator.  When all four brushes were over the edge of the commutator, I was able to slide the armature forward so that all four brushes fully engaged the commutator.

Photo 4018 shows the commutator end of the starter.  Aside from getting the brushes located, another item to check is the location of the insulated field coil wires.  The wires should be placed so that the through-bolts that hold the starter together can pass through the housing without making contact with the insulated field coil wires.  In photo 4018, between the 5 and 6 o'clock location (near where the field coil wires protrude through the housing), the insulated wire is positioned so that the through-bolt can pass through without interference.  180 degrees opposite,  the insulated wire needed adjustment - the through-bolt was making contact with the wire - so I removed the armature, repositioned the wire on the brush, and reinstalled the armature.  The through-bolt went in without any interference.

Photos 4028 and 4029 show the starter completely reassembled.  I do not have the GM starter motor tester, nor a carbon-pile device, so on the bench I only tested for pinion clearance and no-load speed.  As mentioned in part three, I think the new Bendix drive and shifter fork account for the pinion clearance of the reassembled starter being well within the Cadillac specification.  The specification is .010" to .140", and my pinion clearance is about .050".  I had to assign an arbitrary scale for the no-load speed test.  The low end of the scale is designated, slow-groan.  The high end of the scale is designated, screams-like-a-banshee.  My starter screams like a banshee, so I am giving a passing grade to the starter until it is back in the car.  I will do some more tests with the starting circuit wiring at that time, but for now, photo 3984 shows what awaits after completing this little project.

Christopher Winter

I had to service my motor because the brushes were used up. Everything else was in good shape.
I also tested it on the bench with a starter battery. If it screams its ready to go into the car. I doubt that any further testing would be needed.
Regards,
Nicolas


P.S: Regarding the brushes: Every old brush will tend to look like a better fit, but thats because over time the brush will get "sanded" by the shaft to fit perfectly. I would not use this as an indication but how much "meat" the brush still has. If the brush's connections are close to the shaft you will replace the brush.

Hello Nicolas (and All),

Photo 4001 shows one of the used brushes that came out of my starter (on the left), and a new brush on the right.  You can see that the old brush is worn.  Notice the concave shape at the top of the old brush.  As Nicolas mentioned, this is due to the brush wearing against the circumference of the commutator - something the new brushes have yet to, but will eventually, do.  Even though the old brushes had a few more miles left in them, I replaced all four brushes with new brushes.  I reused the brush holders because they looked better than what came with the kit I purchased.  Also notice that the bottom of both brushes is angled so that when they are placed on a flat surface (my workbench), they lean to one side.  The angle is by design.  It is so that the brushes locate in the brush holders with sufficient surface contact against the holder as the brushes wear.  As you can envision when looking at photo 4018, the brush end of the brush holder describes an arc about the brush holder locating pin.  The angle provides the best compromise to maintain brush contact as the brush wears.

After my starter is back in the car, the ensuing testing will be to determine resistance in the wiring of the starting circuit.  I will clean all the connections, and if necessary, re-terminate any connections that are beyond hope.  Unfortunately, I am in the middle of removing the exhaust manifolds, so I won't get the starter back in the car for a while.  I have successfully removed the right side manifold, and while I am waiting for the left side manifold to soak up the penetrant (50/50 acetone, trans fluid), I removed and disassembled my alternator, and ordered a rebuild kit for it.  Both of these adventures will be posted here in the near future.

Christopher Winter

Hello All,

In a previous post (reply 59), I was about to undertake removing the exhaust Y pipe so I could get to the heat riser assembly at the right-side exhaust manifold.  When I replaced the exhaust system (except for the Y pipe) a few months ago, I ran a wire up through the Y pipe to see if the heat riser was stuck in the open or closed position.  The wire indicated the heat riser was stuck open.  I had also noticed a few months ago that a portion of the heat riser had broken off, so I decided to replace the heat riser at some point.  I am now at that point.

Photo 3914 shows the condition of one of the fasteners holding the Y pipe flanges to the manifolds.  The other three fasteners were equally corroded.  Based on several recommendations on this forum, I mixed up a batch of acetone and automatic transmission fluid (photo 3924), and from under the car I brushed the mixture on to the nuts and studs and waited overnight.

Two of the attaching nuts still had six distinct flats.  The other two nuts were rounded so I needed to get a special socket to grip the outside of the nut - similar in concept to how a screw extractor grips the inside of a hole drilled in a stuck bolt.  Photo 3928 shows the Irwin Bolt Grip sockets.  Both the acetone/transmission fluid mixture and the Bolt Grip sockets did the trick with one exception.  On the right side manifold - the side with the heat riser - the nuts easily came off the studs.  On the left side manifold, one nut came off easily, but the other stud snapped off even though I was not playing Hercules that day.

With the Y pipe removed, photo 3934 confirms that the heat riser was stuck open, and you can see to the outside of the lower stud, the portion of the heat riser that is missing.  Photo 3935 shows the left side manifold and the broken stud.  I should be able to drill out the stud once the manifold is removed.

I decided to remove the right side manifold first.  This job is easier if the starter and alternator are removed before attempting to remove the manifold.  Since rebuilding both of these components was something I planned to do, removing the starter and the alternator was not an extra chore.  I also removed the two bolts holding the idler arm bracket to the frame, and moved the bracket out of the way.

Due to the angle of the exhaust manifold bolts, the threaded portion in the cylinder head is higher than the bolt head.  I doubted that applying the acetone/transmission fluid mix to the bolt head would be effective.  It is possible for capillary action to cause the acetone/transmission fluid mix to travel uphill, but I was not counting on much help from the fluid.  I waited overnight, and then I used a torch to heat the bolt heads for two minutes each.  When the bolts had cooled off, I used a 6-point, 14 millimeter socket (which fit more closely than a 9/16" socket) attached to a 3/8" breaker bar.  A sharp tap or two on the breaker bar loosened the bolts.  The front two bolts I loosened from above, leaning over the fender.  The back four bolts were accessed from under the car.

Photo 4032 shows the heat riser off the manifold.  I used a torch to aid in the removal of the heat riser from the manifold.  The heat caused the heat riser to crack at the other mounting stud and the valve shaft, so I think the old heat riser was not long for this world.  Photo 4033 shows the manifold with the heat riser removed, but the studs still in place.  The studs are corroded.  I have applied one cycle of heat and acetone/trans fluid to the studs.  I will be lucky to get hem to unscrew.

The left manifold is still in the car.  It has a broken stud where the Y pipe attaches.  I will remove the power steering pump and the steering gear box to get easier access to the left manifold, and hope I have the same luck removing the left manifold as I did removing the right manifold.

Christopher Winter

Hello All,

In my previous post I had successfully removed the right side exhaust manifold, separated the heat riser therefrom, and had put the Y-pipe mounting studs through one cycle of heat and acetone/trans fluid.

Photo 4063 shows the two studs removed after applying a second cycle of heat and candle wax.  My locking pliers did not provide enough bite into the stud so I used a pipe wrench, which worked.  Needless to say, the studs will be replaced.

Having removed the starter and alternator for rebuilding, access to the right side exhaust manifold was good.  For the left side, I removed the power steering pump and the steering gear.  The removal of these two components also provided easy access to the left exhaust manifold.  Photo 4059 shows the left exhaust from under the car.  To orient yourself with the photo, the front left coil spring is at the bottom right of the photo.  The bright cylindrical object behind the loop of the dipstick, is the cruise control from underneath.  The object at the left side of the photo is the rag joint.  You can see how much space is available without the steering gear in the way.  Both the power steering pump and the steering gear (which had a leak) will be rebuilt.

I considered myself fortunate that I was able to get both manifolds off the car without snapping any bolts.  However, my good fortune was tempered by the fact that the left side manifold is cracked in two spots.  Photos 4064 and 4065 show the cracks where the manifolds mount at the cylinder head for exhaust ports 1 and 7.  While it is possible to weld cast iron, I am not equipped to do so, and the cost of a repair may exceed the cost of a replacement manifold.  I have located a manifold about 20 miles from where I live, so I will check it soon.

I have not had any luck procuring a heat riser spacer, so I am in the process of making one.  I have obtained some mild steel bar stock of 5/8" thickness, and will drill it out in the next week or two.

Photo 4071 shows the outboard side of the left exhaust manifold.  Both manifolds were equally rusty.  I sandblasted the right side manifold, and primed and painted it with VHT Flame Proof paint (photo 4070).  This paint needs to be cured.  Since my car is temporarily out of commission, I will cure the paint in my oven - after dinner.

Christopher Winter

Always appreciate these super detailed writeups! Keep up the good work Christopher!

Hello All,

I have a few days before I pick up a replacement exhaust manifold (see reply 72 above) so I took the time to finish rebuilding my alternator.

Alternat(or)e Universe

Even though many components of my car are asymptomatic, rebuilding them provides me with two things:  confidence in the component, and elimination of the component as a source of trouble.

In a previous post I mentioned that I removed the starter and alternator to gain easier access to the right-side exhaust manifold.  The starter has been rebuilt (see replies 62 through 70 above).  This post is about rebuilding the alternator, part one of two.

My alternator is a Delco model 10 DN, part number 1100760.  The rated output of 55 Amps is stamped on the drive-end frame (the front half of the housing), on top relative to how the alternator is located in the car.  The shop manual corroborates that 55 Amps is correct for air-conditioning equipped cars, which mine is.  Based on the amount of dirt inside the alternator, and how worn the brushes are, I suspect that my alternator is original to the car.

Even though the alternator is working - the GEN light in the dash works properly, and the battery is always fully charged - the accumulated crud inside the alternator compelled me to thoroughly refresh this component.  Photo 4021 shows the inside of the slip-ring end-frame.  There is a fine layer of grime over all the components including the stator windings.  Photo 4022 shows the rotor and slip rings.  The slip ring on the right has a couple of grooves worn into it.  I suspect that some debris got caught between the brush and the slip ring, and the grooves were ground into the ring as the alternator rotated.  Sandpaper is not going to fix this so I found a local auto electric shop that turned the slip rings for $10.  Photo 4040 shows the old brush assembly on the left and the new brush assembly on the right.  The old brushes are about half the length of the new brushes.

Despite all the dirt and wear, the fact that the alternator worked, leads me to believe that the electrical components are OK.  I tested the rotor, stator, capacitor, and diodes with my multimeter (which has a diode test function), and all parts tested OK.  Even though the diodes tested OK, all the rebuild kits I found included new diodes.  Unlike my starter rebuild kit, which included all the parts needed for a starter rebuild, none of the alternator rebuild kit vendors that I found had a kit with all the parts for the 10 DN.  One vendor had a rebuild kit that contained diodes, bearings, and a capacitor.  Another vendor had two kits - one containing diodes, bearings, a capacitor, and a brush assembly, and the other containing all the screws, bolts, terminals, and insulators.  The kit I purchased contained bearings, a heat-sink with three diodes installed (photo 4039), three diodes for installation in the slip-ring end-frame, a brush assembly, the BAT and GRD terminals with washers, nuts, and insulators, and the capacitor lead attaching screw with washer, nut, and insulator.  The kit I purchased did not have a capacitor.  None of the kits came with a drive-end-frame bearing retainer or gasket.  I purchased a new capacitor and bearing retainer separately..  The OEM style bearing retainer has a felt seal - like the factory original - but it does not have a gasket like the original.  I made my own gasket.

After complete disassembly - nothing left but the aluminum housings - I degreased the housings, glass beaded them, and sprayed the exterior with Rust-O-Leum clear coat.  Photo 4038 shows the clean slip-ring end-frame with the new diodes and new roller bearing (with integral seal) installed.  Pressing out/in the bearings, diodes, and capacitor is a matter of finding the correct sized sockets or scrap pipe sections so that the aluminum of the end frames is suitably supported.  A vise can be used to do the pressing out/in of the components for both end frames if the vise jaws open about eight inches.  My vise only opens about six inches so I had to use my shop press for the drive-end bearing.  Be careful with a shop press as it is difficult to judge the amount of force being exerted unless you have a really good press with a pressure gauge - ask me how I know.  Also, when pressing in the diodes, be sure to orient the pigtails so the connectors will be close to the studs to which the pigtails attach.  Photo 4075 shows the slip-ring end frame with the heat sink installed, and the scrap of 1/2 inch copper pipe I used to press in the capacitor.  Since the connector on the end of the capacitor lead was too big to fit through an appropriate size socket. I kerfed the copper pipe so the lead would not get damaged.  Just under the copper pipe is a washer that helps distribute the pressing force evenly around the edge of the capacitor.  Not much force is required.  I could actually press the capacitor half-way in using thumb pressure.  The capacitor has to be replaced if it is removed because removal distorts the capacitor.  I removed my capacitor because I wanted to thoroughly glass bead the housing.
.
Christopher Winter

Alternat(or)e Universe, part 2

Hello All,

Photo 4086 shows the new drive-end bearing installed in the clean drive-end frame, along with the old gasket, and my home-made gasket.  Per the shop manual, the screws that hold the drive-end bearing retainer need to be staked as in photo 4087.

My rebuild kit came with a brush assembly.  The brushes are temporarily held in with a small length of wire.  Photo 4081 shows the brush assembly installed in the slip-ring end frame.  The length of wire is just visible at the bottom of the brush assembly.  Thoughtfully, GM provided a slot in the slip-ring end frame so that the length of wire holding the brushes in the assembly can extend out the back of the end frame (photo 4082 - just below the R and F terminals and above the bearing end cap).  Keep the length of wire in place until you completely reassemble the alternator.  When you have just reassembled the alternator - do not rotate the fan/pulley.  Remove the length of wire before rotating the fan/pulley, otherwise you may bend the length of wire thus necessitating disassembly of the alternator (no, this did not happen to me).

Photo 4089 shows the rotor - with the cleaned-up slip rings - assembled in to the drive-end frame with the fan and pulley.  The shop manual shows the correct placement of the two collars that help with the axial location of the rotor within the housing, and the correct orientation of the pulley.  You can also see in photo 4089 that when I sandblasted the pulley, I masked off the groove in the pulley and left the groove in its natural state - no paint or rust inhibitor.  I suspect the belt will grip quite well and intermittent use will keep the groove from rusting.  Until the alternator is back on the car, I have covered the groove with tape to help retard rust.

Photos 4090 and 4092 show the front and rear of the rebuilt alternator.  When it goes back in the car, all the wiring connections will be cleaned and tested for resistance.  Tests will also be conducted to make sure the charging system is functioning properly.  I will probably test the system before doing anything to the voltage regulator.  If all is OK, I will probably clean and repaint the cover of the voltage regulator and blow out any dirt/dust with compressed air, and test again to make sure the voltage regulator is still OK.

Christopher Winter

Hello All,

While waiting on some exhaust issues, I had time to tackle my power steering pump rebuild.  This is part 1 of 2.

My power steering pump seemed to be working OK but there may have been a small leak as there was a good amount of sludge around the pump bracket and front of the cylinder head to which the pump bracket and pump mount.

The shop manual states that the nut on the end of the shaft, and the pulley need to be removed as part of disassembling the pump.  With the pump still attached to the mounting bracket, I put the bracket in a vise so I could remove the nut.  I put a belt in the groove of the pulley, held on tight, and used an impact wrench to remove the nut.  This method worked well. 

Many of you know that one of the difficulties in rebuilding this style of power steering pump is removal of the pulley.  The shop manual calls for the use of Kent-Moore tool J-21883 (photo  4108).  The tool clamps around the circumference of the pulley hub, and the screw of the tool pushes against the pump shaft forcing apart the pulley and shaft.  This works if the tool does not slip off the circumference of the pulley hub.  I don't have a J-21883 so I tried improvising with a 1 1/8" inside diameter split collar, and a two-jaw puller (photo 4095 - note, some photos are recreations after certain tasks were completed).  This did not work for me as the collar, even though clamped tightly, was pulled of the hub circumference repeatedly.

Some of you have removed the pulley in a press with the pulley still attached to the pump, but as some of you know, if the pulley is on very tightly, damage to the pulley can occur.  It appeared my pulley was very tightly attached to the shaft, so I wondered if there was a way to remove the pulley and shaft as a unit by driving the shaft out the front of the pump.  I was able to do this by removing the retaining ring (C-clip) that holds the vane rotor and the thrust plate to the shaft (photo 4098).  With the vane rotor and thrust plate removed, the shaft with the pulley attached can be driven out the front of the pump.  However, this will damage the bushing in the pump body so, if you try this method, get a rebuild kit that includes a new bushing.  Out of the pump body, the pulley and shaft assembly can easily be set up in a press and the shaft can be pressed out with no damage to the pulley.  A 7/8", 1/2' drive deep socket worked well to support the back of the pulley hub while allowing the shaft to drop through the drive end of the socket (photos 4101 and 4102).

After complete disassembly, and removal of the shaft seal and bushing, all parts were washed in mineral spirits.  The bracket, pulley, reservoir housing, and pump face were sandblasted and rinsed with acetone, and then painted.  Photo 4104 shows the cleaned and painted pump body with a new bushing installed,  Photo 4107 shows partial reassembly of the inside of the pump.  At this point I have to press the pulley onto the front of the shaft, so I cannot continue with reassembly because I have to use the end of the shaft as a bearing surface.  I will use a short piece of round or square bar stock between the press bed and the shaft end.  The pulley will be pressed onto the shaft using a socket between the press anvil and the hub face of the pulley.  This arrangement immobilizes the shaft so that virtually all the force of the press is directed to the pulley hub.  My pulley will not engage the shaft, thus no shaft threads are exposed so the pulley cannot be drawn on with the nut.

Christopher Winter

Power steering pump rebuild, part 2

Hello All,

Those of you who do a large portion of the mechanical rebuilding of your car know that some days you are the bug, and some days you are the windshield.  I was fully prepared to press the power steering pump pulley onto the shaft while the shaft was in the pump (see reply 76, above).  Before doing so, I decided to clean the inside diameter (ID) of the pulley hub.

The ID of the pulley hub had been subjected to partial sandblasting when I sandblasted the pulley, as well as overspray when I primed and painted the pulley.  I wrapped a strip of 100 grit sandpaper around a steel rod in a helical fashion (photo 4112).  The rod and sandpaper were a little smaller than the ID of the pulley.  I also filed the Woodruff key because removing the key required pliers which left jaw marks on the key that I removed with a light filing.  After a thorough cleaning (photo 4113), lo and behold, I was able to get the pulley started on the shaft and to engage far enough that the threads of the shaft protruded enough so I could use the nut to draw the pulley fully onto the shaft.  Needless to say I was pleased that I did not have to resort to the press.  By the way, the shop manual makes no mention of pulley installation.  The implication being that the nut draws the pulley onto the shaft.  The manual does remind you to install the Woodruff key.  I suspect that in the first few years of service, the pulley could be removed with the Kent- Moore tool, and that there would be enough threads on the shaft to allow the nut to draw the pulley fully onto the shaft.  With my car, after almost 50 years, the pulley seemed married to the shaft, and the two parts were not going to be rent asunder.

The front of my pump has four bosses that are drilled and tapped for 3/8" bolts (photo 4117).  My guess is that these holes are for other GM models that have a different mounting configuration for the pump.  All the holes are blind.  I installed bolts in the holes (photo 4118) to prevent rust and gunk from becoming lodged therein, and to confound the person who 50 years from now rebuilds the pump (you have to have a sense of humor in this hobby).

Photos 4119 through 4121 show the fully assembled pump on a holding stand.  I put about a half pint of fluid in the pump to see if there are any leaks.  So far, so good.  For those of  you with inquiring minds, I am not too concerned with authenticity.  I painted the pump face blue to help spot any leaks between the pump body and reservoir.  There is an O-ring that keeps the fluid in the reservoir, and I thought the blue would make the red fluid easier to spot in the event of a leak.  The pulley will get a new lock-nut and I will get new hoses.

Christopher Winter

Exhausting details

Hello All,

In my previous exhaust manifold posts, #59, #71, and #72,  I had reached the point where I needed to replace my left side exhaust manifold (the original was cracked) and I had to fabricate a heat riser spacer.  Photo 4115 shows the newly fabricated spacer on the right side exhaust manifold.  I used a new gasket as a template, and machined the spacer out of 5/8" thick mild steel.  A drill press was essential for the successful machining of the part.  The drill bits and 2" bi-metal hole saw I used are still sharp.

After both manifolds were painted with VHT paint, and cured in my oven, I turned my attention to the bolts.  Photos 4122 and 4127 show the condition of 11 out of 12 bolts.  They all had corrosion on the head and shank.  Photo 4125 shows the one bolt that had no corrosion on the head or shank.  I did not want to have one odd bolt so I bought new grade 5 fasteners.  The factory bolts are grade 5.  I think grade 8 bolts are not needed.  The bolts should have a little give so they can move when the manifold get hot.  Grade 8 bolts will resist giving more than grade 5 bolts because grade 8 bolts are made with a greater tensile coefficient along the axis of the bolt.  The new 7/16 - 14 bolts have a larger head.  The factory bolts require a 9/16" socket.  My new bolts use a 5/8" socket..

Photo 4129 shows the heads of the factory bolt (left) and new bolt.  The factory bolt has a flanged or washer head with a relatively thick washer section.  If you look closely at the new bolt, it has a washer style bearing surface under the head, but not as large a surface as the factory bolt.  I decided to use washers under the heads of the new bolts.  I used SAE flat washers instead of USS flat washers because the SAE washers fit the bolt diameter more closely than the USS washers, and the SAE washers have a smaller outside diameter.  They are also slightly thinner.  Photo 4132 shows the washer under the bolt head.  Because the new bolts have a slight washer-like bearing surface under the head, there is a small gap between the flat washer and the underside of the hex points of the bolt.  This should work out OK because the bolt side of the exhaust manifolds is not machined smooth (photo 4133) and the washer can conform to any small irregularities in the casting, as well as heat expansion.

I made some guide pins to help hold the weight of the manifolds while I installed a couple of bolts (photo 4145).  All the bolt holes in the cylinder head were cleaned with a tap.  All the mating surfaces of the head were sanded with a block, and all the bolts were coated with anti-seize.  Within the text of the shop manual, the torque specification for the exhaust manifold to cylinder head attaching bolts is 58 foot-pounds.  At the end of the engine mechanical section is a chart with all the torque spec's.  In the chart, the torque for the bolts is listed as 60 foot-pounds.  My shop manual is an original - not a reprint.  I have come across several errors in the manual, although, in this case, 2 foot-pounds should not be a problem.

I expect to have to re-torque the bolts after a few heating and cooling cycles.  This will be a major PITA because the bolt heads are difficult to access with a torque wrench with all the other parts in the way (Y-pipe, starter, alternator, power steering pump and gearbox).  No wonder its called the exhaust, because working on it has been exhausting!


Christopher Winter

Nice rebuild. Thanks.
I will eventually rebuild those two (alternator, pump) too.

Regarding the heat riser: On mine the little spring is broken. Do you know a place where to get this spring? Or how could I fix this?
Otherwise my heat riser is in good shape.

Hello Nicolas,

The spring is a bi-metal spring - a sandwich of two different metals that expand and contract at different rates.  I will try to apply some heat to my heat riser spring tomorrow to see if it works.  It isn't pretty, but I have no use for it.  If it works, you can have it for postage (Do I recall correctly that you live overseas?)

Christopher Winter

Hello All,

As many of you know, working on an old car that has not yet been rebuilt or restored involves working with greasy, grimy, and dirty parts.  One of the consequences of rebuilding sub-assemblies (like the starter) is the fact that sooner or later, the sparkling clean, rebuilt sub-assembly has to be put back on what still might be a greasy, grimy, dirty car.  Sometimes a clean, rebuilt component has to be maneuvered through a maze of hoses, wires, and tubes which in and of themselves are not a high priority on the clean-up list, but which can brush against a clean component and sully your best efforts at installing a clean part.

Photos 4024 and 4025 show the right side of my engine block looking toward the front of the car and toward the rear of the car respectively.  In photo 4025 you can get a good idea of the amount of accumulated grime after 48 years and 90,000 miles.  I did not want to install my rebuilt starter (or any other rebuilt component) with that mess in such close proximity.

It is one of life's ironies that elbow "grease" is what is needed to remove the "grease"  from the engine.  I cleaned the sides of the block and the oil pan while lying on my back under the car (remind me not to do another car project until I have a garage and a lift).  I used a flexible putty knife, wire brushes, picks, soft brushes, scrubby pads, and thinner.  I was able to remove the transmission lower cover and clean it at a bench (photo 4049).  The cover was then glass beaded and painted.

Photos 4060 and 4144 show roughly the same views as photos 4024 and 4025, but after a little house cleaning.  The improved operational field will make installation of the rebuilt components a little less irksome.  My rule of thumb is that if I touch it, I clean it.  Photos 4046 and 4053 show the starter front support bracket and the left-side engine block to transmission lower cover strut before and after cleaning.  These parts were painted black.  I also clean virtually all nuts and bolts if they are removed and reinstalled.  The engine to transmission strut is an inconsequential part, but each and every part that is refreshed or rebuilt is one less part with which I have to be concerned.

I recall that elsewhere on this forum, a discussion ensued about whether there was a gasket for the transmission lower cover (my car is a '67 with a 429 and a TH400).  Photo 4052 shows the gasket or seal that was installed on the crankshaft cut-out of the transmission lower cover.  Since the transmission lower cover is not sealed to the weather, I can only guess that maybe this gasket/seal was a vibration damper so no annoying rattle would emanate from the transmission lower cover's close position to the oil pan.

One drawback to cleaning the block and pan is that both parts are made from ferrous metal.  Here in Maryland, the week before Christmas was so humid - some days reached 90 percent relative humidity - that surface rust formed on my block and pan.  I crawled back under the car with a scrubby and some acetone and trans fluid and wiped all surfaces to remove the surface rust, and to leave a film of transmission fluid to protect the metal against future surface rust.  Eventually, the engine may get pulled, at which time it will get painted, but until then I am OK with my present efforts.  And I should not have to do as much laundry now that the engine and its parts are becoming less grimy.

Christopher Winter

Right or Left?

Hello All,

No, I am not referring to Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, but to my power steering gearbox.  My gearbox is a Saginaw recirculating ball with power assist model 800.  The casting number on the gearbox is 5687962.  As far as I can tell it is the original gearbox.  While my steering is functional, I noticed two issues with it given the few miles I have driven the car.  The gearbox leaks a little - just enough to wet the exhaust pipe and smoke for a minute or two when the pipe gets hot - and there is a little play in the steering that does not seem related to the tires or suspension.  These two issues, plus removing the gearbox for better access to my left exhaust manifold, hastened the need to rebuild my gearbox.

Servicing the power steering gearbox seems to require a host of special tools.  I have tools like a Pitman arm puller and bearing and seal drivers, but I had to buy a low-scale (0 - 60) beam type, inch-pound torque wrench.  I will have to fabricate a rack piston ball nut arbor, and for seal protectors I can use tape.  Photos 4139 and 4140 show the spanner tool I made using 1/4 inch rod stock, my bench grinder, and my vise.  The spanner tool is used to remove, install, and adjust the adjuster plug in the upper end (the steering column end) of the gearbox.  The adjustment sets the thrust bearing pre-load.

Dis-assembly revealed that the inside of the gearbox was very dirty.  Photo 4141 shows some of the gunk from inside the gearbox, on the end of a screwdriver.  Given the gunk that was in the gearbox, I was not too surprised to find some wear in both the rack piston bore and the rotary valve bore.  Hopefully the wear is not so great that new seals and rings won't work - we'll see.

Photos 4157, 4158, 4159, and 4161 show the gearbox's major sub-assemblies cleaned, re-assembled, and ready to go back in the gearbox.  Respectively the photos show the rotary valve assembly with stub shaft, the sector shaft, the internal side of the adjuster plug assembly, and the rack piston with worm shaft installed.  Two of the sub-assemblies require a good deal of patience and care when re-assembling them.  So much so that many people do not attempt to rebuild their power steering gearbox.  The rotary valve assembly (photo 4157) is a high-precision sub-assembly.  The Cadillac shop manual makes it abundantly clear that if the slightest defect is found in any part of this sub-assembly, the entire rotary valve assembly should be replaced.  Well that was easy for a Cadillac dealer to do in the late 60s or early '70s, but it is not at all easy to do 48 years later.  Nevertheless, because most of the o-rings in my gearbox were decrepit, and there is an o-ring within the rotary valve, I dis-assembled my rotary valve assembly so I could replace the o-ring on the spool valve.  If you are considering doing this to your gearbox, be very careful.  I deviated slightly from the shop manual rotary valve re-assembly procedure based on the video found here:

http://datab.us/UJ-89YhvAXU#Saginaw 800 Power Steering Gear Box Part 1

Note that this video uses the same Saginaw model number power steering gearbox, but from a later model GM car, so there are a couple of small differences compared to my '67's gearbox.  Watch all 5 parts if you are considering rebuilding your power steering gearbox.

The other persnickety sub-assembly is the rack piston (photo 4161)  This is the component with the ball bearings that recirculate around the wormshaft.  The hard part is loading the ball bearings into the rack piston and getting them to stay there when you re-assemble the gearbox.  I used the wormshaft to load the ball bearings in the rack piston, and then inserted a home made arbor while removing the wormshaft.  The wormshaft is assembled to the end of the rotary valve for installation into the gearbox housing, so you need an arbor in the rack piston to keep the ball bearings in place when the wormshaft is removed.  Petroleum jelly is also very useful in keeping the ball bearings in place.  Given all the pieces and parts one has to hold together during assembly, I think an octopus would make a great mechanic.  More detail will follow in my next post.

Christopher Winter

Straight Ahead

Hello All,

Photo 4151 shows the 24 ball bearings from my gearbox.  To my eyes (and my two neighbor's eyes), 11 of the balls are dull/dark and 11 are shiny/light.  It was difficult to determine the coloration of the two balls in the lower right of the photo.  The difference is important as the different shading represents two different sizes of ball bearings, and the ball bearings are supposed to be installed into the rack piston alternating light and dark.  The shop manual stresses the importance of no two same colored ball bearings being installed next to each other.  The shop manual also gives the dimensions of the ball bearings which, in 1967, could be obtained from GM in four different groups varying  on average by no more than two and a half ten thousandths of an inch.  Talk about splitting hairs - on a two ton car!  But then again, Cadillac's reputation was established by just such precision.  I succeeded in getting the ball bearings installed into the rack piston on my third attempt.

As always for me, cleanliness is next to Henry Lelandliness.  Photo 4147 shows the stub shaft which I wanted to clean like all the other parts in the gearbox.  If you look closely at photo 4147 you will see what appears to be a pin at each end of the stub shaft.  In fact, the stub shaft is comprised of six pieces - the splined shaft, a torsion bar inside the shaft (photo 4162a from the web), two anchoring pins (the ends of which are visible in the photo), a locating pin, and an o-ring.  The locating pin locates the stub shaft in relation to the rotary valve into which the stub shaft is assembled (see previous post photo 4157).  The shop manual states that if there is any evidence that the o-ring inside the stub shaft is leaking, the entire stub shaft rotary valve assembly should be replaced.  I had some concern about this because when I cleaned my stub shaft with thinner, and blew it dry with compressed air, some fluid appeared to come out of the shaft.

The shaft looks like it could be disassembled, so I did a little research to see what I could find out about the stub shaft.  I discovered that the stub shaft can be serviced.  Some off-road and racing groups modify the steering feel of the Saginaw power steering gearbox by replacing the torsion bar in the stub shaft with a thicker, stiffer torsion bar.  The only problem for me is the process requires some special (and expensive) equipment that is generally not available for the home garage.  I did locate and contact a former Saginaw engineer who advised me to leave the stub shaft as is because of the specialized equipment needed to service it.  The engineer’s name is Jim Shea, and he was responsible for the rag joint and power steering hose assemblies for all GM cars in the early ‘70s.  He has some interesting papers on steering components here:

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/?cat=4

I will just have to wait and see if there is any problem with my stub shaft to torsion bar o-ring.  Regardless, I proceeded with the rest of the gear box re-assembly.

Photo 4164 shows the gearbox cleaned, painted, and assembled in a holding fixture.  I made two modifications to my ‘67 gearbox based on design changes made by GM on later gearboxes.  The two fillister head screws that hold the ball guide to the rack piston require a torque of 12 foot pounds per the manual..  I replaced the slotted fillister screws with hex cap screws because it is easier to get a socket to stay on hex cap screws while trying to torque the screws than it is using a slotted screwdriver bit (photo 4175).  I also discovered that the shop manual is incorrect regarding these screws.  Page 9-50 of the '67 Cadillac shop manual shows a chart with fastener sizes and torque specifications.  The chart lists the screw size and torque for the rack piston ball guide clamp screws as 1/4 - 20, and 12 foot-pounds.  When I installed the original fillister head screws with the screwdriver bit, and when I replaced the fillister screws with the hex screws, trying to get 12 foot-pounds on the screws just did not feel correct.  The screws behaved as if the torque was too much.  If I had tried to torque the screws to 12 foot-pounds as specified, the threads on the screws would have pulled.  The correct fasteners are 1/4 - 28, and according to several engineering and bolt sites I researched, the torque for the factory screws should be about 6 foot-pounds - half of what the manual calls for!  The hex head screws I ultimately used are grade 5, and I torqued them to 6 foot-pounds and used thread-locker on them.

The other change was the rack piston end plug (not the housing end plug).  This plug (photo 4174) is originally a 1/2 inch square drive cast aluminum plug.  When I was trying to torque the plug to 75 foot pounds per the manual, the square drive adapter slipped out and damaged the plug (photo 4174, left), so I replaced it with a hex head plug which is easier to torque (photo 4174, right).

I used the shop manual procedures to set the bearing pre-load and to make the sector shaft adjustment.  With new rings and seals I was able to get all the adjustments within the specifications called for in the shop manual.  In making the adjustments, a 3/4 inch deep socket fits perfectly over the splines of the stub shaft.  I noticed that when I turn the socket, the sector shaft immediately turns.  This is the case in either direction and is a good indication that there is no play in the gearbox.

Photo 4153 shows the cleaned power steering cooler.  I ordered new hoses, and will clean and re-use the original tower clamps on the return hoses.  Since both the rebuilt power steering pump and gearbox are empty of fluid, I expect it will take some time to rid the system of air. 

Christopher Winter

Chris,

Yes once worked on a 67 DeVille and the flywheel cover was the dirtiest part on the engine.  However because it was grease on aluminum, it sure cleaned up nice.  The tubular brace you had off the car before and after clean up had some small portions of the Cadillac blue paint on the one I did so I repainted them.  What is your eta for roadworthiness?

Hello Scot,

In the past 90 days I have rebuilt the alternator. starter, power steering pump, and power steering gearbox.  I have also removed and replaced both exhaust manifolds.  Until I finish connecting the exhaust pipe through the muffler, I won't start the car, which I need to do in order to check that all the rebuilt components are functioning properly.

After I establish that all those systems are good to go, I will seriously consider rebuilding my transmission.  After that, I expect that the car can be driven without much concern.  However, I will probably remove the carb and intake manifold, and the lifter valley cover.  I will inspect and rebuild the lifters if needed.  I will clean and paint the lifter valley cover and intake manifold.  I will probably also remove, clean, and re-install the pushrods, valve rocker arms and pedestals.

Optimistically, I think an ETA for road-worthiness is this summer.  The car is not garaged so working on it outside is subject to the weather.  Show-worthiness is on a completely different schedule.  I have thought about entering shows with the body/paint as is, and placing a large "BEFORE" sign in the windshield.


Christopher Winter

nice work.

My car is currently also not running. Have removed the carburetor and fuel line and filter. No battery either...

Hey Chris,

I got a chance to go over your whole thread, and I have to tell you that you're doing an amazing job. Both with the repairs and the write-ups. I'll admit that I'm not the most mechanically able guy (yet) and I'll also have to admit I was a bit intimidated my the depth and completeness of your posts, but It's great to have the info. My car has similar issues with the exhaust and valve noise, so I'll be re-visiting your writings in the spring when it's out of storage.

Hello all,

It has been about 60 days since my last post.  With my car outside, I am not able to work on it as much as I would like during the Winter months.  However, since my last post, the components that I rebuilt over the previous 90 day period (alternator, starter, power steering gear and pump, exhaust manifolds) all seem to be functioning properly.  When I started my car around the first of February, I grounded the coil so the car would not start until I saw oil pressure.  A few drops of gas down the carburetor vent and it started and idled well.

Today, after six weeks of dormancy, I started the car again because I needed to move it so I can rebuild my transmission.  Likewise, I grounded the coil, saw oil pressure, and dribbled some gas down the carb vent, and again the car started immediately and idled well.  Before I started the car (around the first of February and today), I checked the battery with my DVOM and observed 11.99 volts at about 47 degrees Fahrenheit.  The clock in the car appears to be the only current draw, and apparently it is not drawing much current.

So even as the weather warms, I am putting my car out of commission again so I can rebuild the transmission.  During the little time that I have driven my car, the transmission seems to have shifted OK.  The only problem I  noticed is that when the transmission is warm, the car will buck and stall when the transmission has downshifted to first and the car approaches a stop.  This problem may or may not be transmission related.  My switch pitch/kickdown switch is broken and not connected.  I need to get it fixed by the time I finish the transmission.  In any event, the TH400 is 49 years old, and I know that the car sat for a few years during its life, so a rebuild can't hurt.

I once saw a TH400 dismantled in under 11 minutes (out of the car), but I have no desire to set any rebuilding records, so I will take my time.  I am also limited on space.  I live in a little row house in Baltimore County that was built in 1939.  The style of the house incorporates a 1-car garage built into the lower level at the rear of the house.  Photo 4214 shows my garage full of tools, supplies, and lots of stuff - so much stuff that I had to build a little shed recently (photo 4215), so I could make room in the garage to work on the transmission once it is out of the car.

Photo 4212 shows the driveway where I will park the car when I pull the transmission.  My driveway is not level.  It slopes from the garage to the street and it slopes from right to left.  This always makes for a challenge whenever I jack up my car.  I have jack stands rated at 6 tons, but I won't use them for the transmission project because I feel they will have to be set so high that the car might not be stable on the sloped driveway while I wrestle the transmission out of the car.

Without a lift, the car has to be raised high enough to lower the transmission and pull it out from under the car, clearing the exhaust, frame, and whatever else might get in the way.  I had enough scrap wood to make a set of ramps (photo 4217) and some crib blocks (photo 3923).  I drove the car onto the ramps which raised the rear of the car about 9 inches.  I jacked up the front of the car and put three crib blocks under each front tire.  This raised the front of the car about 19 1/2 inches off the driveway (photo 4222).  The set-up may look a little rickety, but as I always shove my car side to side and back and forth to test stability, this set-up is solid

My floor jack's lifting range is not sufficient to raise the front of the car as high as I did with the jack resting on the driveway.  I thought about getting a saddle extension for the jack, but after trying something similar with wood blocks, and finding the wood block extension insufficiently stable, I made a large jack base on which I can place the jack and securely gain about 8 inches of height (photo 4220).

I am not sure that I have enough clearance based on the fact that the transmission removal adapter for my floor jack adds a few inches of height.  I may need to modify the adapter based on a few preliminary measurements.  I know I have enough room to separate and lower the transmission from the engine, but I am not yet positive that I have enough height to clear the frame side rails.  I may make a trestle to support the rear of the engine and pull the transmission forward under the trestle.  I will cross this bridge when I get to it and post photos.
Getting the car elevated was the first day's chore.  The next day's chore will be to drain the fluid from the transmission, and disconnect all the parts attached to it (driveshaft, shift linkage, cooler lines, speedo cable, etc.), and figure out if I need to modify the transmission removal adapter, build a trestle to support the rear of the engine, and or raise the front of the car a few more inches.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

The goal for the second day of my TH400 rebuild was to get the transmission out of the car with both it and myself intact.  Since I am posting this message, you can assume that I still have all ten digits on my hands.

The transmission removal procedure in the shop manual makes the process sound like a piece of cake.  I ran into trouble with two of the steps outlined in the shop manual.  The transmission lower cover, the part that covers the lower half of the ring gear and torque converter, could not be removed on my car without loosening the exhaust Y pipe nuts at the exhaust manifolds.  The shop manual does not mention that the Y pipe needs to be loosened.  It is possible that I have an aftermarket Y pipe that is not bent the same as the factory Y pipe.  In any event, keep this in mind if you have a '67 rear wheel drive model.

The other trouble I had was with disconnecting the cooler lines.  To provide better access, I removed the modulator.  I have a set of line wrenches which I used, but even with the line wrenches and enough room to swing them, the fitting attached to one of the lines twisted the line.  I cut the cooler lines using a tubing cutter (photo 4232) and will plumb a new connection when the transmission is replaced.

In my previous post, I had a concern as to whether or not the front of the car was high enough off the ground to be able to get the transmission out from under the front of the car while the transmission was still on the jack and jack adapter (photo 4229).  Pulling the transmission from under the front of the car required me to construct a support for  the rear of the engine that would allow the transmission, on the jack, to pass through.  I originally envisioned some sort of trestle, supported at the sides, and holding up a block under the oil pan.

I had to discard this idea because there are too many steering and exhaust components in the way.  Having recently read an engineering textbook, I decided to make a truss to support the rear of the engine.  A truss is a series of triangles joined together.  I don't have space for a series of triangles, so my truss consists of just one triangle (photo 4236).  I made a u-shaped cradle out of 2 x 4 lumber that contacts the oil pan rail and not the pan bottom (photo 4233).  The truss supports the cradle (photo 4234).  The bottom ends of the truss are wedged into the crib blocks that are holding the weight of the front of the car, so they are virtually immovable (photo 4235).  The weight of the back of the engine - maybe 200 pounds - bears down on the cradle.  This force would ordinarily want to force the top of the truss in or out, but since the top of the truss is locked in place by the weight of the engine bearing down, and the stationary positioning of the bottom of the sides at the crib blocks prevents the sides from moving out, nothing can move given the load.  Not only did the truss provide sufficient support for the back of the engine, more importantly, the truss allowed me to pull the transmission from under the front of the car, through the truss.  I did have to remove the torque converter, and tilt the transmission forward.

The transmission removal took me all day.  I must have crawled under the car and back out again 30 to 40 times.  Leverage suffers when you are lying on your back, so procedures that can be done quickly when standing on your feet, take more time when lying on your back.

At least the hard part is done (until I have to install the transmission) so now the fun part starts - disassembling, inspecting, cleaning, assembling.  The fluid was reddish-brown, and there is a faint burnt odor, so I think my friction components are due for a change.  Hopefully there will be no surprises when it comes to the hard parts.

I have the shop manual, as well as Cliff Ruggles' TH400 book, ATSG's TH400 book, and a Chilton manual covering 1967 cars.  I just bought the Ron Sessions TH400 book, used, on Amazon for $12.  This book is usually hard to find at a reasonable price, but there were a few of them on Amazon as of Wednesday night, March 23rd.  There are also TH400 manuals on the CLC Modified Chapter website, so there are plenty of references available.  Next up,  disassembly of the transmission.

Christopher Winter

Hi Christopher,

Nice work!  8)

You have built yourself some great ramps. What an idea. I have to keep this in my mind.
Best regards,
Nicolas

Hello all,

The goal for the third day of my TH400 rebuild was to get the transmission disassembled as far as the removal of all the components from the case was concerned.  By the end of the day, I wanted a bare case.

My first chore was getting the transmission on my workbench.  Since the transmission was on the floor jack and transmission adapter, I raised the whole works to its full height.  This put the transmission just a few inches below the workbench surface.  I was able to wrestle the tailshaft onto the workbench, and then lift the front of the transmission onto the workbench.  Despite being drained of fluid and having the torque converter removed, the transmission weighs a little more than this 60 year-old cares to heave in one go from the floor.

Even though the transmission was drained, enough fluid remained in the case to cause a mess upon disassembly.  I put an old towel on my workbench and put the transmission on the towel.  I also had a bunch of old rags available.  Before long, I had all the internal components separated from the case.  Photo 4259 shows the rotating parts.  While disassembling the transmission, I examined the parts as they came out of the case.  I have a first-half-of-the-model-year '67, so the filter in my transmission is the rectangular box type with the "flying saucer" pick-up, not the "broiler pan" type of filter that flops around..  Photo 4240 shows the pick-up for the filter.  Photo 4239 shows the inside of the pan, and you can see where the filter pick-up contacts the pan.  Also notice that the pan has a depression in this area - commonly referred to as a "heel print".  The heel print is the lowest part of the pan so it makes design sense that the pick-up is located at the heel print.  I am curious if anyone knows why GM switched to the "flop around" filter in mid-model year.

You can see that the pan and the fluid  in it are not full of sludge.  The transmission was fairly clean, with no observable metal shavings, or friction bits floating in the fluid, but the fluid is brown.  Photo 4266 shows a sample of the old fluid and a sample of new fluid on a white piece of paper.  Given the color of the old fluid, I think it was time for a rebuild.  The fluid did have a slight "cooked" aroma, not burnt, but not minty fresh.  The bands and drums show evidence of heat, but nothing too severe - just what I would have expected on a 49 year old, 90,000 mile transmission.

Before the rotating components are removed from the case, the input and output shafts' endplay needs to be checked.  Photos 4250 and 4252 show my dial indicator set-up to measure the input shaft endplay, which measured .019", which is within spec.  A dial indicator is one of the few special tools one should have when rebuilding any transmission.  Mine is 40 years old and American made.  The TH400 does not require many special tools.  Other than a dial indicator, the only other special tool I would recommend purchasing is a good bushing driver set.  Just about every other tool one might need can be fabricated from threaded rod, nuts, washers and bolts, C-clamps, guitar strings, old pipe fittings, etc.  Photo 4277 shows a slide hammer I made to remove the pump from the front of the case.  Some people beat on the stator shaft with a rubber mallet, or they pry the pump out with a big screwdriver levered against the inside of the case, but I wanted to be more subtle.  Photos 4248 and 4249 show how I used a 3/4 inch socket to depress the kick-down/switch-pitch connector tabs to aid in removing the connector from the side of the case.

At the end of the day, I had a bare case.  My plans for the next episode of my transmission rebuild call for cleaning the case and extension housing, and prepping the parts for paint.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

The goal for the fourth day of my TH400 rebuild was to get the transmission case and extension housing prepped for paint and primed.  Even though the transmission case is aluminum, it still required a lot of cleaning after almost 50 years.

Photo 4265 shows the extension housing (behind cross member) before being subjected to a scrubbing with paint thinner.  This chore is very messy, but necessary for a good rebuild.  As I have been known to say, cleanliness is next to Henry Lelandliness.  I use a mortar pan which has plenty of volume for parts and solution, and helps contain the solution and sludge.

Photo 4267 shows the extension housing after the thinner bath.  It is much improved, but not yet ready for paint.  Photo 4278 shows the case after its thinner bath.  You can see that the aluminum is still dirty/stained.  Also notice that I plugged the holes in the case (on this side of the case, from left to right, the speedometer opening, the kick-down/switch-pitch connector opening, and the shift yoke opening) in preparation for sandblasting the case.  I plugged the holes in the other side of the case, and found a bucket lid that fit the pump opening in the front of the case.  I also installed the pan and governor cover, and masked off the tail housing end.  All the plugs were placed to minimize entry of the abrasive when the case was sandblasted.

Photos 4279 and 4280 show my home-made blast cabinet and the transmission case inside (the photo with the case inside was taken after I sandblasted it, hence the pump opening is not covered).  Having a blast cabinet has been extremely useful.  I had most of the material for its construction at hand.  I had to buy one 4 x 8 sheet of OSB, gloves, toilet flanges (to mount the gloves), and a siphon feed sandblast gun (cost of parts under $100).  Photo 4283 shows the improvement I made to the end of the pick-up tube of the siphon feed gun.  The end of the tube was not perforated as seen in the photo.  I "Swiss Cheesed" the tube and the difference was night and day in the ability of the gun to draw abrasive.  Photo 4282 shows the tube inserted through the side-bottom of a 5 gallon bucket.  The bucket holds about 50 pounds of abrasive.  I have both glass beads and coal slag.  I used coal slag on the transmission case.

Photo 4281 shows the case after sandblasting.  I rinsed it with acetone, and used brake cleaner to flush the internal passages.  The brake cleaner revealed that there was still a fair amount of oily residue on the case, so into the "parts washer" it went (photo 4284).  After a soak in the parts washer, with hot water, Spic n Span, and Dawn dish detergent, I rinsed the case with a hose and nozzle and blew it dry with compressed air.  Well, it smells great, but there is still enough of an oily residue on the case that I will have to repeat the parts washer process, or buy some more brake cleaner, or contact my local transmission rebuilder to see if they have an aluminum-safe hot tank.  Then the case should be ready for paint.

My TH400's case seems much more rough and porous than the aluminum Powerglides I have rebuilt.  The surface of the case feels like cast iron, even inside the bell housing area.  Perhaps this is why the case is still holding a residue after all my efforts.  Well, I want the paint to stick, so it has to be clean.

For my next installment (day 5), I hope to have the case primed, and begin the disassembly and inspection of the internal rotating components.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

I had a few hours available for the fifth day of my transmission rebuild, and I was able to take a good look at the condition of the friction material, steels, bushings, washers, planetaries, and pump and gears.

Photo 4296 shows one of the bands from the transmission.  As can be seen, the color of the band is very dark brown, possibly indicating some heat damage.  Also in the photo, although a little difficult to see, are some pock marks where the friction material has come off the band.  Photo 4303 shows one of the friction clutches, and it is evident that some friction material has worn off the clutch.  This particular disc is one of the worst.  Photo 4297 shows some other friction clutches that do not have as much wear - the manufacturing stamps are still visible.  Overall however, it is time to replace all the friction material in the transmission.

Photo 4300 is representative of the clutch pack steels and drum that are subject to friction.  There is a slight discoloration to the steel surface, but no blueing of the steel.  The discoloration will probably clean up with some sandpaper.  Like the clutch pack steels, the other hard parts in the transmission - shaft splines, drums, drum hubs, roller/sprag clutches, and gears - all seem to be in good, reusable condition.

Photo 4305 shows the lip seals from one of the drum assemblies.  While pliable enough to be turned into pretzels, the seals are not pliable enough to return to their original shape.  The drum pistons that are sealed by these seals were easily removed with the seals in place.  A properly fitting and functioning seal should provide a little resistance to the removal of a drum piston.

Photo 4316 shows a bushing in need of replacement.  Several bushings showed scuffing and wear, so I will get replacement bushings.  Many transmission rebuild kits do not come with bushings, so scrutinize the contents of any kit that you purchase.  You may have to buy the bushings separately.  Like the bushings, many kits do not come with thrust washers.  A few of the washers in my transmission show wear similar to that of the bushings, so the washers will get replaced.

One operation that needs to be done when disassembling any transmission, including my TH400, is the compression of the clutch pack springs, so that the clutch pack drum piston can be disassembled.  Photo 4308 shows a piston being held by the green springs which are held by a retainer which is held by a snap ring (with its opening toward the camera).  Photo 4310 shows the assembly in my press with a scrap of PVC pipe.  The cutaway is for access to the snap ring with snap ring pliers.  When the snap ring is removed, the press is released, and the retainer, springs and drum piston can be removed from the clutch pack drum.  A gentle touch is needed on the press as the springs do not compress much.

There will be many things that need to be measured before, during, and after the assembly of the sub-components and entire transmission.  I plan to record all the clearances and specifications.  One measurement is seen in photo 4317.  I used a hand-held vacuum pump to draw 16 inches of Hg on my vacuum modulator.  The vacuum held for 4 minutes before I released it.  The modulator is the original style, with the adjustment for altitude.  I don’t know if it is the original modulator.

I will need a rebuild kit with everything except the clutch pack steels.  The steels do add to the cost of many rebuild kits, so it will be more economical if I don’t have to buy them.  However, getting some of the other parts like bushings and washers from the same kit vendor may not be possible without getting the steels as well.  To minimize shipping charges, I would like to get everything from one vendor  I should be able to get all the parts I need for about $200.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

I was able to procure a rebuild kit for my TH400 transmission that did not include the clutch steels.  This saved a few dollars that I applied to purchasing replacement Torrington bearings, thrust washers, and a bushing kit.  I purchased the kit and other parts from Fatsco Transmission Parts in New Jersey.  With shipping, the cost was about $223.

My transmission is the variable pitch version of the TH400 found on '65 through '67 Cadillacs, Buicks, and Oldsmobiles.  As such, there are some differences between my '67's TH400, and '68 and later TH400s.  Photo 4321 shows the two bushings that are found in the stator support shaft (part of the transmission oil pump front cover).  The bushing on the left - a new bushing - is .500" long.  The bushing on the right - one I removed from the stator support shaft - is .400" long.  The shorter bushing is needed because it has to clear the two oil holes in the pump cover used for the variable pitch stator - as seen in photo 4329.  My rebuild kit did not have this shorter length busing, nor could I find any kit that did.  The kit contained two of the .500" length bushings, one of which I modified by grinding it down to .400" long.  Photos 4330, 4333, and 4334 show the process of marking the bushing with tape used as a guide, grinding the bushing using my drill bit sharpening grinding wheel, and comparing the newly ground .400" long bushing with the .500" long bushing after a little scraping and filing of the edges of the ground bushing.  Photo 4335 shows the bushing installed.

When a bushing is installed, there is a slight crushing of the bushing - bushings of this type are an interference fit in the bores.  After bushings have been installed, it is important to check the fit on the shaft that will be supported by the bushing.  In this case, the two stator support shaft bushings support the transmission input shaft.  Photo 4336 shows the forward drum and the input shaft.  The two shiny areas on the shaft are where the shaft is supported by the bushings.  Photo 4339 shows the transmission oil pump front cover with the stator support shaft, assembled over the forward drum and input shaft.  I was able to rotate the pump cover easily with no apparent looseness.  Bushing clearance should be in the .002" - .008" range.  Mine felt like "buttah"!

Christopher Winter

Thanks for the update! I am sure your detailed pictures will be of value to someone in the future.

Hello all,

Due to work, I have only had a little time to work on my transmission.  However, I have rebuilt most of the sub-assemblies, and I started reassembling the transmission today.

While I do not find rebuilding transmissions very difficult, I do find that paying attention to little details is important.

Photo 4319 shows the spool valves and bushings from the valve body.  It is important to keep these in order, so I used a piece of fluted molding to keep the valves and bushings from rolling off my workbench.  All metal parts were cleaned in thinner, and then rinsed with acetone and blow dried with compressed air.  Parts were reassembled using transmission fluid and or petroleum jelly.  Petroleum jelly will dissolve and mix with transmission fluid at operating temperature.  Petroleum jelly also has the benefit of holding parts in place.

I replaced all the bushings in my transmission.  Photo 4343 shows the two original extension housing bushings adjacent to the new extension housing bushings.  The new bushings are longer than the original bushings, and my rebuild kit came with only one new bushing.  Considering the operating conditions of the driveshaft yoke in the extension housing, I wanted to have two bushings in the extension housing - like Cadillac originally installed - in order to support the yoke fore and aft.  Photo  4345 shows the two new bushings on the driveshaft yoke.  I cleaned the yoke and the bushings slid on with no noticeable play.  When the bushings were installed in the extension housing, the yoke would only slip past one of the bushings.  I needed to hone one of the bushings in order to get the yoke to slip through both bushings.  Most bushings get "crushed" when installed in their bores, so either my extension housing was a little out of spec, or one of the bushings was a little too thick.  I suspect the later because I encountered the same condition with the sun gear shaft bushings - only one of the sun gear shaft bushings fit over the mainshaft, and I had to hone a bushing.  The important point is to check that everything fits properly, and that clearances are within specification.

Given that there were some recent posts on this forum regarding driveline vibration, I think having two extension housing bushings really helps align the splined end of the transmission output shaft and the driveshaft yoke, eliminating as much as possible any excessive run-out.

Photo 4354 shows that my dipstick protrudes about 1.5" below the pan rail.  I took several measurements of the dipstick.  Photo 4355 shows the original 0-ring that seals the dipstick tube, and the new dipstick tube boot that came in the rebuild kit.  The boot seems like a good idea, but it appears to be too thick to use with my dipstick tube in my transmission case.  I will probably double-up on the o-ring.  Photo 4358 shows the distance between the end of the dipstick and the full mark on the dipstick.  This information allows me to know where the full mark is in relation to the pan rail should I change the relationship of the tube and the case.

Photo 4360 shows the reassembled gear train which consists of, from left to right, the output shaft, the output carrier (containing a planetary gearset), the reaction carrier (containing a planetary gearset), the center support (with sealing rings), and the splined ends of the sun gear shaft and mainshaft.  The washer and locking pliers are used to hold the assembly in a vertical position when installing the 40 pound assembly in the case.  The gear train assembly makes contact with a selective thickness thrust washer that rests against the case.  Photo 4367 shows the thrust washer that is original to my transmission.  Two of the three tabs are notched (this may not be to visible in the photo) - at the 10 and 6 o'clock positions.  Per the shop manual, this indicates that the washer is .094" - .098" thick.  I measured my washer with a micrometer at .095" thick.

Before dis-assembling the gear train from the case (at initial tear-down), I measured the end-play of the output shaft and obtained a reading of .000".  There should be .003" - .019" of end play.  My rebuild kit supplier listed a thinner selective thrust washer, but it is not available from the supplier.  I installed the rebuilt gear train in the case this afternoon and checked the end play.  Unfortunately, the end play is still .000", which is not enough, so I will need to find a thinner selective.  The factory offered a washer (with no tab notches) measuring .078" - .082".  This will work for me.  I just have to find one.  I have removed the gear train from the case, and hope to find a usable washer soon.

Once the washer arrives, and hopefully restores the end play to specification, the rest of the reassembly should progress rapidly.  The direct and forward drums, as well as the pump and valve body have been rebuilt


Christopher Winter

Hello all,

I was able to obtain a thinner rear selective thrust washer for my transmission.  While searching for the washer, I stumbled upon a tech article written by Randall Schroeder, a member of the Sonnax Industries technical staff (the link is below).  The article discusses clearances (other than clutch pack clearances) for the TH400, and points out that the GM information is lacking for some of the measurements.  Compared to the article, my Cadillac shop manual specifies two of the four clearances discussed.  So how careful does one need to be when rebuilding a TH400 for stock use?  If practicable, I tend to err on the side of thoroughness, so checking additional clearances seems like a reasonable thing to do.  I also consider how an assembly functions when operating, in order to evaluate the value of the extra effort.  In addition to the clearances discussed in the Sonnax article, I will also consider clutch pack clearances.

Photo 4376 shows the gear-train in my DIY holding fixture (the output shaft goes through a hole in the bucket).  The Sonnax article discusses how to check not only front end-play at the input shaft (photo 4250) and rear end-play at the output shaft (controlled by the washer I just bought), but also end play between the two planet carriers, and between the forward clutch hub and direct clutch drum (see article for photos).  The article did not discuss why GM did not include these additional clearance checks, but after reading the article, I think it is worth the time to double check these clearances.

Photo 4380 shows the reaction carrier (the front planet set) planet gears.  These gears are helical cut gears.  The planet gears in the output carrier (the rear planet set) are also helical cut gears.  Helical cut gears are used because they are quieter than straight cut gears.  Many high performance Powerglides and TH400s use straight cut gears.  The axial load (front to rear) on straight cut gears is relatively negligible, whereas on helical cut gears, there is a relatively greater amount of axial load.  As the helical gears rotate, the torque load wants to push the gear backward (or forward) in addition to rotating the gear.  Even though there is a planet pinion thrust washer for each of the four planet gears in each carrier, when the planet gears are pushing on the planet pinion thrust washers, it is conceivable that the carrier is subject to the thrust forces as well.  So, end play clearances are important enough to consider, as far as my rebuild is concerned.  The shop manual has a specification for the planet pinion thrust washers and mine were within spec.

Clutch pack clearances are also important.  Photo 4377 shows my direct drum with the clutch pack steels and frictions installed.  If clearance is too small in a clutch pack, there will not be enough space between the frictions and steels when the clutch is not applied.  This may allow excess heat to build up and could result in burnt frictions and contaminated fluid.  However, you will probably get neck-snapping shifts - for a few hundred miles.

If clutch pack clearance is too big, you may not get sufficient contact between the frictions and steels when the clutch is applied.  This condition can also cause frictions to burn prematurely because the frictions and steels are always slipping, thus generating excess heat.  You may feel this as a long drawn out shift between gears.

Like Goldilocks, there is a point where clutch pack clearance is just right - not too small and not too big.  Some rebuilders use a rule of thumb that there should be about .010" clearance per friction.  In the TH400, the forward and direct clutch packs use 5 frictions each.  The intermediate clutch pack uses 3 frictions.  So, the rule of thumb suggests I have .050" clearance in the forward and direct clutch packs, and .030" clearance in the intermediate clutch pack.

The Cadillac shop manual for my '67 TH400 does not specify what the clutch pack clearances should be.  The Automatic Transmission Service Group (ATSG) specifies .010" per friction, so the clearances should be as above.  In Ron Sessions "How to Rebuild and Modify the Turbo-Hydramatic 400", the clearance for the forward clutch pack is given as .030"-.070", for the direct clutch pack the clearance is .040"-.080", and for the intermediate clutch pack, .040"-.100".  Two different references with differing specifications for the same assembly is not helpful.  Although, for the forward and direct clutch packs, the ATSG and Sessions' specifications overlap.

One way to remedy this, as I mentioned above, is to consider how the parts operate.  The clutch packs work when hydraulic pressure is applied to a piston behind the clutch pack.  The piston compresses the steels and frictions.  The distance the piston travels can be measured for each of the clutch packs.  Photo 4374 shows a dial indicator used to measure the intermediate clutch pack piston travel.  Instead of hydraulic pressure, the piston is actuated using compressed air.  Knowing the piston travel, and the thickness of the steels and frictions, and the location of the snap ring groove in the clutch pack drums or case (the snap ring is the ultimate limiting factor in clutch pack travel), I can determine which of the recommended specifications is best for my application, or I can decide on a different specification.  I want this rebuild to be the only rebuild of this particular TH400.  I want the car to shift smoothly, like a Cadillac should.  I also want to get long life out of the transmission fluid.  All these factors need to be considered.

When I did my initial tear-down, the frictions in the forward and intermediate clutch packs looked OK.  The frictions in the direct clutch pack looked burnt (very dark brown with material flaking off - photo 4303).  When I reassembled the direct clutch pack and measured the clearance, it measured .005" which is too small.  The steels in the direct clutch pack measured about .093" thick.  Thinner steels (about .077" thick) are available.  I want to thank fellow CLC member Bruce Roe for sending me some thinner steels which allowed me to adjust the direct clutch pack clearance to a more reasonable .053".  Photo 4381 shows the thick and thin steels side by side.  The .005" clearance with all original steels and new frictions would have resulted in a burnt clutch pack at some future point - just like the original clutch pack was burnt.  One thing to keep in mind is that thinner steels will get hotter sooner than thicker steels, so if you mix thicknesses within a clutch pack, you may want to consider placing the thinner steels at the piston and or pressure plate end of the clutch pack where there is more metal to help absorb heat.

All clearances except output shaft and input shaft end play can be checked before the transmission is partially assembled.  The output shaft end play can be checked after the gear-train has been installed and the center support snap ring and bolt are in place.  This end play is controlled by the three tab washer that resides at the rear of the case.  Photos 4383 and 4382 show my set-up for measuring the output shaft end play with a dial indicator.  The shop manual calls for this measurement to be done in the vertical position.  With my recently acquired thinner washer, my TH400's output shaft end play is .008".  This is within the shop manual's specification of .003' - .019".  If you need to adjust the end play by selecting another washer, at least you only have to remove the center support snap ring, and the center support bolt, and lift out the gear-train in one piece.  Be sure you have a holding device as the gear-train weighs about 30 pounds.  This is a lot of weight to hold with your fingertips.  I removed and replaced the gear-train four times before I was satisfied everything was OK.

To measure the input shaft endplay, the direct clutch pack/drum assembly and the forward clutch pack/drum assembly, and the pump have to be installed in the transmission.  Input shaft end play is controlled by a selective thickness washer between the pump and the forward drum assembly.  Washer kits are available that have a few washers of varying thickness.  If you need to adjust the input shaft end play, the pump will have to be removed.  Removing the pump is easier than removing the gear-train because one does not install the pump o-ring until after the input shaft end play is checked, making the pump easy to remove.

The clearances on my TH400 are good to go for my purposes.  The next phase of my rebuild will be to install the remaining components (servos, valve body, solenoids, governor, speedometer drive, shift linkage, filter), button up the extension housing and pan, and paint the transmission.

Christopher Winter


(http://www.sonnax.com/articles/408-playing-with-transmissions-setting-total-endplay-to-prevent-th400-gear-train-failure)

Hello all,

As the old saying goes - ninety percent of the work can be done in ten percent of the time, but the last ten percent of the work takes the remaining ninety percent of the time.

I have a few additional tasks to complete before finishing my transmission.  I worked on a few of them during the last few days.  One task was to clean and paint all the fasteners that hold everything together.  I used a wire wheel on my bench grinder to remove all traces of rust, and debris in the threads.  Bolt heads, nuts, washers, and retaining clips were primed and painted.  Conceptually, this is an easy task, but it is time consuming.  There were about 4 dozen fasteners that each required cleaning, priming, and painting.

Generally, if I remove a part, it gets cleaned and painted, so another task was stripping the drive-shaft, and sand blasting the transmission cross-member and transmission mount.  These parts were in turn primed and painted.

If you have been following this thread, you will know that I had to cut my transmission cooler lines because the lines had seized in the fittings.  Photo 4232 shows the cut ends of the steel cooler lines attached to the case.  What I didn't observe until I took the time to clean these parts, is that the fitting in the case is brass, but the fitting with the steel tube is steel.  When I disassembled and cleaned the parts, the bore of the steel fitting was corroded around the steel tube.  My plan to re-plumb the cooler lines is to install a short length of tubing into the case, and place a flare-union between the short length of tubing and the remaining length of tubing going to the radiator.  Photo 4390 shows some of the parts.  From left to right:  the case fitting, the short length of tube with its fitting, a fitting for the union end of the short length of tube, the union.  I cleaned the bore of the steel fitting and I will use anti-seize in the bore when the parts are assembled.  Note also that I left the union-end of the short length of tube un-flared.  This is in case I have to adjust the length at final assembly.  Not shown in photo 4390 is the remainder of the cooler line which is still in the car.  I had to put a fitting on the line, and then double-lap flare the tube while under the car (photos 4384, 4389).  The fittings here will be used to connect the lines to the union.  The lines and the cooler in the radiator will be flushed before they are connected to the transmission.  The lines for my '67 TH400 are 3/8".

Inside all TH400s is a solenoid that controls downshift when the throttle is mashed (kickdown).  Earlier GM transmissions did not have a solenoid.  Those models used a rod attached to the throttle linkage and connected to a valve in the transmission.  The kickdown solenoid on the TH400 is activated by a switch connected to the throttle linkage.  The switch energizes the solenoid which controls a bleed orifice in a hydraulic circuit.  Additionally, my '67 TH400 has the variable pitch stator in the torque converter. so there is another solenoid that controls fluid flow to change the pitch of the stator.  Both solenoids are inside the transmission case and are submerged/bathed in fluid.  After decades of use, the insulation on the wires that connect the solenoids to the connector on the side of the case, becomes very stiff and brittle.  Any handling, such as removal of the solenoids, may cause the insulation to crack.

Photo 4392 shows the cracked insulation on my kickdown solenoid's wire.  Photo 4391 shows that the wire was so stiff and brittle - like a piece of uncooked spaghetti - that the wire broke.  Hoping not to have a repeat of this calamity with the stator solenoid, photo 4394 shows that I was able to slip heat-shrink tubing over the original wire to reduce strain on the conductors, and to keep the old insulation from breaking off and falling into the fluid.  An ohmmeter showed the same resistance value before and after the heat-shrink tubing was applied.  The solenoid also worked well repeatedly when connected to a 12 volt battery.

I am the world's worst solderer, so I did not think I would be able to repair the kickdown solenoid.  Fortunately, just the other day I bought a '66 TH400, so I removed the kickdown solenoid from the '66 transmission.  Photos 4395 and 4396 show the solenoid before and after cleaning.  After cleaning, The '66 solenoid worked as well as the '67's when tested.  The resistance value is slightly less than the '67's, and the bleed orifice is a couple thousands of an inch different in diameter, but the connecting wire appears to be in good shape.

While I was under the car flaring the transmission cooler lines, since there is plenty of space without the transmission installed, I noticed a few other small jobs that I might tackle while the space is available.  Hope I don’t get too sidetracked.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

Finally, after numerous interruptions (I helped a friend completely redo her kitchen), and waiting on some parts, I finally completed the rebuild of my TH400 and installed it in the car (see my next post for the results)..

Nothing is ever easy in the old car hobby.  To wit, the photos below show the issues I had with the transmission oil filter.  When I bought the car, the previous owner supplied me with a new Fram transmission filter.  I noticed a number of differences between the Fram filter and the original style AC Delco filter, so I bought another filter manufactured by ATP.  Photo 4407 shows the three filters.  On the left is the ATP filter, made in Taiwan.  The middle filter is the Fram, made in China, and the AC Delco filter is on the right.  The AC Delco filter is stamped AC PF-160, and with a GM part number (5579822).  I don't know if the AC Delco filter is the original 1967 filter, but it seems to be a genuine GM part.  I searched the web for the GM part number and found a couple of eBay sellers with NOS AC Delco filters for $55 and $80 respectively.  The ATP filter and the Fram filter are in the $20 range.

A close look at the ATP and Fram filters shows how they differ from the AC Delco filter.  The ATP and Fram filters use steel tubes for the pick-up, and canister to case tube.  The AC Delco uses copper.  Photo 4409 shows that neither the ATP nor Fram filters' case tubes are chamfered.  The AC Delco tube is chamfered.  The significance of this is that the TH400 case is aluminum.  steel is harder than aluminum, so any irregularity in the ATP or Fram tube will likely scrape aluminum from the bore in the case whernthe tube is inserted.  The chamfered, copper tube of the AC Delco tube is more likely to conform to the bore without scraping any aluminum..

Another big difference between the ATP and Fram filters, and the AC Delco filter, is the location of the puck-up flange.  Photo 4412 shows a square against the AC Delco filter's pick-up flange.  The gap between the square and the canister body indicates that the pick-up flange sits lower in the pan.  In fact, the AC Delco filter is designed to touch the bottom of the transmission oil pan in the area of the "heel print" (photo 4417).  The heel print is the absolute lowest part of the pan, so if the transmission leaks, or the car is put through a violent maneuver, the location of the pick-up flange should allow the transmission oil pump to draw fluid without cavitating.

Photos 4413 and 4414 show the square against the canister body of the ATP and Fram filters.  Notice the gap between the pick-up flange and the square in  both the ATP and Fram filters.  Neither of these filters will touch the pan bottom in the area of the heel print.  Will this be a problem for my transmission?  Probably not, given how I drive.  The point of course is to illustrate the problem with aftermarket parts.  How much more would it have cost to make a filter just like the AC Delco filter?  Probably less than $5.  To make matters worse, I tried installing the Fram filter using a new o-ring.  Despite chamfering the edge of the case tube, I could not install the Fram filter.  I then measured the case tubes of all three filters with my micrometer.  The AC Delco measured .750".  The Fram measured .760", and the ATP measured out-of-round, averaging .747".  I installed the ATP filter with a new o-ring.

Half way through model year 1967, GM changed the filter style in the TH400 to a "broiler pan" type that is secured by a shoulder bolt that screws into the valve body.  The filter to case tube for this type of filter is usually plastic, so a precision fit is less an issue.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

Completing the rebuild of my TH400 left me at the point of bench testing it.  Being able to prime the pump, fill and check the converter, check line pressure, and check for leaks is advisable before the transmission goes back in the car.  This can be done as the following photos show, but in this case, my “dynamometer” wasn’t up to the task.

To test the transmission, I needed to duplicate the action of the engine in so far as it rotates the converter.  Photo 4397 shows an old saw blade I obtained, in which I inscribed an equilateral triangle.  Photo 4399 shows three notches that I ground into the circumference of the blade at the vertices of the triangle.  The flex plate on my ‘67 attaches to the converter using three bolts located at 120 degree intervals around the converter.  I welded a socket to the arbor hole of the blade and attached the blade to the converter (photo 4418).  My dynamometer is an old 1/2 inch drill with a no-load speed of about 600 RPM.

Photo 4424 shows the drill attached to the socket/blade.  With the drill running, the pump can be primed, the converter can be filled, and the cooling circuit can be checked as shown by the tube full of fluid in photo 4420.  The TH400 has one pressure test port on the left side of the case.  I attached a gauge (photo 4422).

Unfortunately, the no load speed of my drill, and or the drill’s torque was insufficient to generate more than ten psi on the gauge.  Without enough pressure, I had no band apply for reverse, so I could not get the output shaft to turn in reverse gear.  The output shaft did turn in all forward gears.  I did not notice any leaks.

Going with the theory that my drill did not have enough power to fully duplicate the engine, I put the transmission in the car (photo 4425) thinking the engine will certainly have the power to fill all the hydraulic circuits, and pressurize them.  the only question was how much additional fluid was needed.  When a transmission is rebuilt, all the hydraulic circuits are usually dry, the converter may only be half full, and the cooling tubes are probably dry, so it pays to follow the manufacturer's procedure for filing and checking the fluid level.  Even though I primed my pump and converter, I still needed about 2 1/2 quarts of fluid once everything was warm. 

I have to admit, I felt like Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein when the car moved when put into gear - "its alive!".  I took the car for a spin to the local snowball stand and got the car up to about 35-40 mph.  The car shifted smoothly through al gears.  Some of you may recall I had a problem with the car stalling when downshifting at a stop.  I theorized the problem may have been related to the absence of the switch-pitch/kickdown switch at the carburetor.  I found a working switch a couple of months ago and installed it along with my rebuilt transmission.  The stalling issue seems to be resolved as well as the idle speed seems to be more tractable.  My guess is the stator is now in the correct position at idle.

My first transmission rebuild post is dated March 21.  It has been about 140 days since I started my car.  I grounded the distributor primary, and cranked the engine to get oil pressure.  This took three 10-second engagements of the starter.  I then dribbled a few ounces of gas down the carburetor bowl vent, pumped the gas pedal twice, and the car started on the first crank.  My mechanical vacuum gauge showed about 22 inches of Hg, and my mechanical oil pressure gauge showed about 30 psi.

I parked the car on an old, white, shower curtain liner so I can see if there are any annoying leaks.  I still need to plumb in my pressure gauge so I can observe the transmission pressures while driving, and install a tachometer so I can see when the car shifts under different driving conditions, but in the meantime, its time for a beer.

Christopher Winter

"...meanwhile it's time for a beer." Well deserved.     Harry

very nice!
Luckily the 68 Trans has a simpler filter. Someday I will also rebuild my trans, it shifts nice but is leaking at the output shaft seal.
What is your next project?

Hello Nicolas,

I plan to do a few test drives and check the operation of the transmission with a pressure gauge and tachometer installed.  If all goes well, I will disable the car (yet again) and remove the intake manifold, valve lifter cover, valve rocker arms, pushrods, and lifters.  I will clean all of these parts including  disassembling and reassembling of the lifters, and check for wear.  I also plan to borrow a scope and view the condition of the camshaft gear.  If the nylon on the gear teeth  has been eroded away, I may have to consider working on the front of the engine.  If the gear looks OK, I will move on to bodywork after putting the valve train back together.

I keep reminding myself that at some point I should be enjoying driving this car, not just repairing it.

Christopher Winter

So some interesting post from you to be expected in the future!
I just did a compression test (see my thread) which turned out good. So I will not remove anything, expect the valve covers. Need to replace the seal. I also need to check the nylon on the chain. Just to be sure.

Currently I am working on tires and A/C.

Hello all,

My current chore on my '67 is cleaning the valve train.  The plan/goal is to remove the rockers, pushrods, and lifters, and clean everything.  Part of this process is the removal of the carb and intake manifold.  The manifold has been sandblasted and painted.  I do not plan to rebuild the carb at this time.  The previous owner of my car told me he had the carb rebuilt.  Based on the way the carb looks, and how the engine starts, idles, and runs, I have no reason to doubt what he told me.

However, when I bought the car, I noticed that the air conditioning (A/C) idle speed-up diaphragm was not connected to the carb.  On '67s with A/C, the A/C power servo sends vacuum to the idle speed-up diaphragm.  The diaphragm has a rod connected to a link which, when actuated, opens the throttle a small amount raising the engine idle RPM.  This design is to help the engine stay cool when the A/C is on, and the car is idling (which might occur in traffic on a hot Summer day).

Photo 4457 shows the idle speed-up diaphragm re-attached to the carb.  There are two problems.  The first problem is the end of the idle speed-up actuating rod is not connected to anything.  The link to which the rod is supposed to be attached was installed upside down (I have to assume by the previous owner's rebuilder).  With the choke and fast-idle linkage installed, I could not right the position of the link.  I had to loosen the choke/fast-idle linkage in order to get the rod linkage in the correct position.  Photo 4460 shows a wider view of the right side of the carb.  The upside-down link is in the middle of the photo.  The hole into which the idle speed-up rod goes is just under the mid-point bend of the secondary air valve rod.  Photo 4462 shows the link in its proper position, but not yet attached to the idle speed-up rod.  Photo 4463 shows a screwdriver pointing to a tab on the idle speed-up link that operates a tab on the throttle shaft.  This is how the throttle plates are slightly opened when the idle speed-up diaphragm actuates the rod, which moves the link (shin bone, knee bone, hip bone, etc.).

The second problem was that my idle speed-up diaphragm did not respond to vacuum.  I suspected that the diaphragm itself was no good, so I went looking for a replacement assembly.  I found a replacement assembly on-line, but the vendor wanted about $100.  I considered buying a generic pull-off assembly for $10, but I would have to modify it and or the rod from my original idle speed-up assembly.  I decided to have a go at repairing the diaphragm assembly.

I was able to dis-assemble the assembly, and I discovered that the diaphragm was in fact no good.  I cut a piece of bicycle tire inner-tube to the diameter of the assembly housing and used contact cement to attach the rod to the inner-tube/diaphragm.  Photo 4461 shows the pieces.  The old diaphragm essentially disintegrated.  The inner-tube rubber and the rod are glued together at the right of the photo.

Photo 4464 shows the re-assembled idle speed-up assembly, which, when I apply vacuum to it, moves the way it should.  Photo 4465 shows the assembly on the carb with the rod end correctly located in the link.  There are two small jam nuts on the rod.  These are for adjusting the idle speed when the A/C is operating.  The adjustment should be made after all other idle adjustments have been made.

Hopefully, this repair will hold up long enough so when I work on my A/C system, the idle speed will respond appropriately.  We will see.  In any event, not having spent $100 on a replacement idle speed-up diaphragm assembly, allows me to spend that $100 on other things, like a hydraulic lifter removal tool because my lifters are stuck in their bores.  They rotate and move freely - but they won't come out by hand.  Just another day under the hood.

Christopher Winter

Hey Christopher

Do you know how to remove and replace the kick down switch case connector in the transmission? (I guess the 67 version is identical to the 68).
Mine has started to leak some oil.


Also my cable has broken off in the connector.  Do you know where to get the kick down switch cable connector and the case connector for the TH400?
I found something listed on opgi, but I don't know if these parts would also be correct for 68 th400.
https://www.opgi.com/chevelle/11980/
https://www.opgi.com/chevelle/G241657/

Best regards,
Nicolas

Hello Nicolas,

It is virtually impossible to remove the kickdown case connector from the outside of the transmission case without damaging the connector.  You will probably have to drop the pan.  Once you have access to the connector from inside the transmission case, you can use a socket (3/4 inch/19 mm) to safely remove the connector (see the attached photos).  The socket evenly depresses the plastic tabs on the connector.

I am not sure I understand what you mean by, "Also my cable has broken off in the connector".  Do you mean the wire?  OPGI's case connector is too expensive.  Also, I think the Chevy wiring harness would be a waste of money for your '68.  You can probably get the case connector at transmission rebuild kit suppliers.  I found one on eBay here:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/181397856832?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true, for much less than OPGI, and it appears to include the o-ring.

The '67 connector is a two-prong connector (for the kickdown and the switch pitch stator), and I have only two wires from the carb-mounted switch to the case connector.  '68's use a one-prong connector, so I have to think you have only one wire from wherever the switch is mounted (gas pedal? firewall?) to the connector.  Check the wiring diagram in your shop manual.  If you have only one wire, grab a couple of meters of the appropriate gauge wire and make the repair yourself.  If the plug-in connector at the end of the wire is still intact in the case connector, you can probably remove it and reuse it.  I think it is rubber to keep the connection free of water and road debris.  Post some pictures if you can.  Good luck.

Christopher Winter

ok, very good! Sorry, yes I meant wire not cable.
Yes the 68 has a single wire. There is a switch on the carburetor which just applied +12V to this orange wire running to the kick down switch inside the trans.
My problem is that the connector inside the pan is leaking oil and the connector outside the pan has a broken wire just at the point where the wire exits the molded plastic. So I can not solder a new wire one. Would need to cut the molding.
I probably only need to change the o-ring. Glad you mentioned this, have not know this.

Thanks for your picture.

Hello all,

I have made some progress on my valve train project.  After removing the carb and manifold, and getting sidetracked with a small repair to the carb (see previous post #105), I was able to concentrate on cleaning the valve train area in the cylinder heads, and the valve lifter area.  This is a tedious job with the engine in the car, but with patience and perseverance, the job can be done.

Having replaced the valve cover gaskets several months ago, I knew that the valve train area in the cylinder heads was dirty (photo 3766).  After removing the valve rocker arm pedestal mounts, and pushrods, I knew that to effectively clean the cylinder head area, I had to remove the valve spring assemblies as well.  Since the cylinder heads are still in place, I had to hold the valves closed using compressed air.  I made an air hose adapter for the spark plug holes (photo 4486) so I could fill the cylinders with compressed air (photo 4483).  I also plugged the oil drain-back holes at the ends of the cylinder head and the pedestal mount holes to minimize my cleaning solution draining into the block.

Even though the compressed air (40 psi) will hold the valves closed regardless of the position of the piston in the cylinder, it is recommended that the piston be near the top of its stroke.  If something goes wrong with the air supply, the last thing I needed was to drop a valve in a cylinder.  Since I work alone, I had to insert a "measuring device" into the cylinder and rotate the engine by hand to note when a cylinder was near the top of its stroke (photos 4488, 4489).  This was a bit of a hassle as I had to get under the car to turn the engine with a breaker bar using a bolt in the crankshaft snout, and then get up to look at the position of the measuring device - so back and forth several times for each cylinder.

Photos 4485 and 4484 show the before and after spring assemblies.  Along with cleaning the spring assemblies and the cylinder head area, I installed new umbrella-type valve stem seals.  The original seals are plastic, and they were very loose on the valve stems (the car has about 90,000 miles on the odometer).  The new umbrella seals were a nice snug fit on the valve stems.

As far as I could determine, with the valves seated I could not detect any side to side play at the valve guides save for one valve.  While stem to guide clearance should be checked with the valves off the seat, I am at least encouraged that the valves appear to be straight, with little guide wear when viewed in this fashion.  The tips of some of the valve stems show a little wear, which is not the case with the valve stem end of the valve rocker arms.  I will describe what I did with the rocker arms in my next post.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

In my previous post, you can see in photo 3766 that there is a good deal of sludge in the valve train/cylinder head area.  I knew this was the case, but as I delved deeper into the valve train, it became painfully obvious that my engine suffered from too infrequent oil and filter changes.  In addition to the sludge, I noticed when I removed and cleaned the spring assemblies, that there was corrosion on the valve stems between the top of the guides and the keeper groove (photo 4483), even though the valve stem tips showed little wear (photo 4484).  On the other hand, the tips of the valve rocker arms that contact the valve stems showed a good deal of visible wear and corrosion.

The valve rocker arm assembly on my 429 engine uses a pedestal system instead of a rocker shaft.  The rocker arms are mounted in pairs, and are held on by a bracket that mounts under the pedestals (photo 4466).  The pedestals and brackets are held in place by cylinder head bolts.  When a camshaft lobe pushes up a lifter and pushrod, the rocker arm pivots on a fixed pedestal arm and the valve stem tip of the rocker arm pushes on the valve stem actuating the valve.

Photo 4470 shows the wear that I found on nearly all the valve rocker arms.  The rocker on the left shows a little wear, but the rocker on the right shows a great deal of wear. as well as some corrosion/pitting.

What to do?  I priced replacement rockers and found them to be more expensive than I cared to pay right now given that I am not rebuilding the engine.  At this point, I also had to consider what I might encounter when I got around to inspecting the lifters, again, trying to avoid an engine rebuild at this time.  I decided to refresh the surface of stem-end of the rocker arms using a sharpening stone used to sharpen knives.  This was a laborious task, all done by hand, but I was able to restore a nice finish on the rocker arms, as can be seen in photo 4475,  The before rocker is on the right, and the after rocker is on the left.

All the pushrod ends of all the rockers were OK.  However, the rocker surface where the rocker pivots on the pedestal arm, and the corresponding surface on the pedestal arm itself showed wear and corrosion on several of the rocker arms and pedestals.  I obtained some small Dremel wire, abrasive, and buffing wheels (photo 4526), and used some valve lapping compound to remove most of the corrosion and wear on the rockers and pedestals (photos 4527 and 4528).

Keeping the parts organized is important for a job like this.  Photo 4468 shows a little fixture I made for keeping the rocker components in order.  I had so much "fun" doing the valve rocker arms, I can hardly wait to tackle the lifters!

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

In a clean engine, the valve lifters should lift out of their bores by hand, or with the aid of a small pick tool or magnet.  Well, even though my lifters rotated in their bores, and moved up and down an amount equal to the cam lobe lift, the lifters did not want to come out of their bores without the use of the tool in photo 4476.

Photo 4456 shows why the lifters were stuck.  Sludge like this is a result of too infrequent oil and filter changes, and neglect of the PCV valve.  Similarly to my clean-up effort in the cylinder head area (see post 109), I cleaned up the sludge in the lifter area by blocking the drain-back hole, and while leaving the lifters in place, used a cleaning solution and a shop vac to remove the sludge.  Photo 4482 shows the area in need of a final pass, but before that task, I removed the lifters with the aid of the tool.

Photo 4494 shows the tool in action.  The assembled tool will not fit through the pushrod holes in the cylinder head, so the lower part of the tool was unscrewed from the shaft of the tool, and the shaft was inserted through the pushrod hole and reattached to the lower end of the tool.  The lower end of the tool is essentially a collet that expands into the rim of the lifter.  For most of the lifters, this placement worked OK to remove the lifters.  Some of the lifters were very stubborn, so I removed the spring clip from the lifter, and inserted the collet into the spring clip groove of the lifter.  This placement is more secure, but one runs the risk of losing the spring clip down an empty lifter bore, so I only used this on two of my lifters that I could not remove any other way.

Once the lifters are out of the car, it is important to keep track of them.  Photo 4495 shows how I organized my lifters.  Two things come to mind - I’m glad I like cottage cheese, and I’m glad I don’t have a V-16!  Not only do you want to replace the old lifters into their respective bores, but when you take a lifter apart, all the parts for that lifter should stay together for reassembly.

Photo 4478 shows a dished lifter.  A new lifter will have a slight crown which unfortunately, none of my lifters had.  Again I was faced with the dilemma of buying new parts or refreshing old parts.  I priced new lifters from about $40 to $100 for sixteen.  While this is reasonable, for me it did not make sense as there is a chance that new lifters might adversely affect my old cam, and then I would have to replace the cam, at which point I would rebuild the engine.  Since I am trying to avoid an engine rebuild, I will re-use the old lifters (after rebuilding them) and assemble the entire valve train with assembly lube.  Keep in mind that the engine was running quite well despite the dished lifters and all the sludge in the valve train areas.

Photo 4511 shows the 9 pieces that comprise a lifter for a 429 engine.  At the far right is a spring clip that holds everything together.  With a clean lifter, once the spring clip is removed, the innards of the lifter can easily be slid out of the lifter body (far left).  In case the innards get stuck - and Cadillac must have had good reason to think they would - a special Kent-Moore tool, as seen in photo 4498, can be used to dislodge the lifter innards.  The tool is a J-4160, but I refer to it as a “Slam-It”.  A lifter is inserted into the tool upside down, and the tool, with the lifter in it, is slammed on a wooden surface.  The concept works, but since I don’t have the tool, I improvised with a socket (photo 4506), slamming the socket and lifter together on my workbench, coaxing the plunger and innards out of the lifter body.

In photo 4511, the lifter parts from left to right are:  lifter body, lifter plunger (shown upside down), check ball, check ball spring, check ball and spring retaining cap, plunger spring, metering disc, pushrod cup, spring clip.  Each of the nine pieces was cleaned in degreaser.  The lifter and plunger bodies were also cleaned with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper soaked in degreaser.  Brake cleaner was used on stubborn varnish, and everything was rinsed in acetone and dried with compressed air.  Reassembly will be described in my next post.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

Reassembling the lifters requires some attention to detail.  Perhaps the most critical step is to make sure the check ball and check ball spring are working properly.  I don’t think it is necessary to drown the lifter parts in engine oil.  I think that just the small amount of oil residue on your fingers is sufficient for reassembly with the exception of filling the plunger per the shop manual instructions.  The fit between the lifter body and plunger is so close as to engender capillary action to lubricate the sidewalls of both pieces.

The reassembly procedure in the shop manual works perfectly well.  Photo 4512 shows the plunger (upside down) with the check ball and check ball spring in place.  Bear in mind that the check ball is covering a hole in the plunger.  Be careful not to lose these very small parts.  Be sure the spring is oriented vertically.  In photo 4511, the check ball and spring retaining cap is in the middle of the photo.  This piece goes over the check ball and spring, and snaps in place into the bottom of the plunger.  Once the plunger, check ball, spring, and retaining cap have been assembled, I think it is a good idea to check that the spring is actuating the check ball correctly.  To do this, I used a small piece of brass tubing and gently poked the check ball through the hole in the bottom of the plunger.  Photo 4514 shows that you can observe the action of the check ball and spring through the slots in the retaining cap.  The check ball spring is very small so it requires very little force to compress - be gentle.  If you don’t get this step correct, the lifters will not work properly.

Photo 4515, 4516, and 4517 show the plunger spring placed on top of the plunger (shown upside down), the lifter body being placed over the spring and plunger, and the lifter body being compressed to check the spring, and to check for free movement between the lifter and plunger bodies.

Photo 4518 shows the assembly right side up, and the extent to which the plunger sticks out of the lifter body.  At this point, per the shop manual, the plunger is filled with oil.  The manual says to jiggle the check ball with a piece of wire.  I did this with the brass tubing as seen in photo 4519.  Again, hardly any force is required to move the check ball off its seat against the check ball spring’s pressure, so be gentle.  What happens when the check ball is jiggled off its seat is that air is released through the hole in the plunger creating a small vacuum.  Oil is pulled into the space between the plunger outer wall and the lifter body inner wall, and the plunger moves down into the lifter body of its own accord (photo 4520).  All that remains is to drop the metering disc into place, followed by the pushrod cup and retaining clip (photo 4523).  To facilitate installation of the retaining clip I used a small socket, but you could use a pushrod.  Do not overfill the plunger.  If you do, you will have a difficult time trying to depress the plunger to install the retaining clip.

Christopher Winter

Hey Christopher

Thanks for these interesting posts!
I would have thought that after so many years the lifters would not be in tolerance with the specs anymore.  But I am sure you have checked that too.
So basically, if they are not worn out there is no reason to replace em?
Why did you think that new lifters would damage your cam? (different hardness of the lifters?)

Regards,
Nicolas

Hello Nicolas,

Under normal engine rebuilding circumstances, I would replace the cam and lifters.  In my post (reply 111) I show a dished lifter and mention that good lifters would have a "crown" which would allow the lifters to be rotated by the cam lobes.  I am re-using my old lifters because they have "mated" with their respective cam lobes, even though they are dished, and it is possible that the lobes may not rotate the lifters.  I am trying to avoid an engine rebuild at this time.

All my original lifters moved up and down in their bores, and were able to be rotated by hand.  This is primarily due to the fact that the lifters are in the direct path of the oil gallery, and are constantly flooded with oil under pressure.  And, there is hardly any side loading of the lifters.  Virtually all lifter wear occurs on the bottom of the lifter where it contacts the cam lobe.

My concern with new lifters and an old cam is that when the new lifters are pressurized when the cam lobe is lifting the lifter, the un-mated surfaces of the lobe and lifter may cause accelerated wear of the old cam's lobes.  Again, trying to avoid an engine rebuild at this time, so wish me luck.

Christopher Winter

Quote from: savemy67Hello Nicolas,
I plan to do a few test drives and check the operation of the transmission with a pressure gauge and tachometer installed. 

I keep reminding myself that at some point I should be enjoying driving this car, not just repairing it.        Christopher Winter 

I had not until today read the entire TH400 rebuild story.  Glad those steels sent
solved the clutch pack clearance problem.  Really appreciate your information that
the 2 input shaft bushings must be of different lengths, no one including the parts
suppliers seem to be aware of this.  Since my TH400/425s go into my own cars,
bushings don't get replaced unless they are definitely flawed, rare in this trans. 
Perhaps I have never replaced an input shaft bushing, but I did have a trans start
squealing as soon as the engine was started, think its still on a shelf around here. 
Likely the wrong bushing blocked the oil hole.  I will be carefully checking this on
future work. 

What I was wondering, was if that 67 has done some road miles to prove in all the
work?  Did the stator switch get fixed, so high stall was activated at idle?  That
switch is eliminated in my cars with the electronic control. 

Decades ago I stripped a lot transmissions for a scrap yard, so they could get
top $ for the bare aluminum case.  My reward was/is a big inventory of TH400
internal parts.  A lot of subtle TH400 changes (not affecting operation) were
made over the 60s and 70s.  I try to take a pair of transmissions from those 2
decades and combine the best parts into a single optimum (my opinion) trans. 
Changes include boot dipstick, later pan/filter/tube (metal), wider rear thrust
bearing, swapping plastic spring retainers, swapping 9 element intermediate
roller clutch, swapping plastic sun gear thrust washer with rear thrust metal,
using teflon insulated wire on earlier generation (higher resistance) solenoids,
rubber seals on servo pistons to avoid case wear out, upping the direct clutch
to 6 frictions, converting early (switch pitch) TH425s to later higher volume
pumps, converting later cases to 8 bolt pumps and switch pitch, swapping in
O ring style output shafts, sealing TH425 chain covers, some custom parts,
and finally an electronic control to replace and outperform the OEM switch. 

A few special TH400 tools were purchased, but a lot more were created here. 
It started with engine and trans supports and special jacks, then all manner of
time savers for internal work.  And some assembly hints.  When it was installed
there might be some fine tuning of the shifting and speedometer gearing. 

When I moved, one tool now allows me to continue this sort of work long after
my retirement.  Bruce Roe

Hello Bruce,

Time flies whether or not you are having fun.  I can't believe it has been almost two years since I put the TH400 back in my car.  I have put very few miles on the car since.  In the Fall of 2016, I refreshed my valve train (see previous posts).  Shortly thereafter, I got sidelined by work, and a couple of large projects around the house.

I poured a new concrete driveway, and I am about to put the roof on a new carport before the end of the month. I do all the work myself - no contractors - so it takes me longer to complete a project than if I paid someone.  However, I am usually satisfied with the results.

Once the '67 is settled in the new carport, I will resume working on it so I can get a few hundred miles on the car before Winter arrives.

Christopher Winter

Quote from: savemy67Hello Bruce,
Time flies whether or not you are having fun.  I can't believe it has been almost two years since I put the TH400 back in my car.  I have put very few miles on the car since.  In the Fall of 2016, I refreshed my valve train (see previous posts).  Shortly thereafter, I got sidelined by work, and a couple of large projects around the house.

I poured a new concrete driveway, and I am about to put the roof on a new carport before the end of the month. I do all the work myself - no contractors - so it takes me longer to complete a project than if I paid someone.  However, I am usually satisfied with the results.

Once the '67 is settled in the new carport, I will resume working on it so I can get a few hundred miles on the car before Winter arrives. Christopher Winter 

At least the work is proving out for you, satisfying results are everything. 
Retirement is no guarantee of enough time.  To-do list here is scary, but
did manage over 5 years to clear this area and erect everything in this
pic, someone else poured 48 of the 62 concrete pillars involved.   Bruce

Hello all,

It has been a while since I have posted anything about my car here on the restoration corner section of the forum.  My last series of posts described my adventures with the valve train on my 429 engine - a dirty job, but someone had to do it.

In the interim, work and a couple of large projects around the house took over my schedule.  One of the house projects was pouring a new concrete driveway.

My old driveway was placed in 1939.  It was cracked and spalled in a few places, and heaved in one area (photo 4612).  The surface was exposed aggregate.  It was very rough, so it made maneuvering a jack a bit of a challenge.  Of greater concern was the fact that from one corner of the driveway to the diagonally opposite corner, there was a difference in height of about 18 inches over a distance of 33 feet.  Every time I raised a car with a jack, I had to consider how the car and jack were going to shift when the car was both raised and lowered.  I also had to consider whether it was safe to use jackstands, or would I need to use crib-blocks depending on the task (see reply 88).

Photo 4605 shows the driveway.  The right rear (in shadow) was the high spot.  The left front (in the foreground) was the low spot.  I wanted the new driveway to be level, side to side, for a distance of 20 feet - about the length of my car.  I did put a slight pitch in the 20 foot section, from back to front, but not so much as to cause a concern when using a jack or jackstands.  The remaining 13 feet of length follows the topography of the lot.  The new driveway is approximately 10 feet wide by 33 feet long, and a minimum of 4 inches thick.

Photo 4824 shows the soil under the old driveway after the old driveway was cut up and hauled away.  This clay soil had not seen the light of day in 78 years.  There was no re-bar or wire mesh in the old slab, but it was about 7 inches thick.

Photo 4848 shows the soil after grading and compaction were completed, and the forms were set.  The grading was done by hand.  The compaction was done by automobile and a hand tamper at the corners/edges.

Photo 4856 shows the crushed rock base and re-bar in place.  The base was compacted using a flat plate compactor.  The re-bar is held up by plastic "chairs" into which the re-bar snaps.  Since I used fiberglass reinforced concrete, I probably could have used wire mesh, but as diligently as one might work during the pour, a lot of the wire mesh winds up at the bottom of the slab.  The re-bar chairs help keep the re-bar where it does the most good.

Photo 4981 shows the end result.  At 10 feet wide, no control joints are required across the width.  At a length of 33 feet, I placed control joints at 10', 20', and 30' from the back end of the driveway.  I cut the control joints with a 7 1/4" diamond blade in my Skillsaw.  The concrete cured in November of last year, and after about eight months, not one crack is evident.

I don't pour concrete driveways every week, so there are a few minor imperfections.  I can live with these imperfections, especially when I consider that the entire project cost me less than $2000.  Now that my car has a place upon which to sit, it needs a roof over its head.  In photo 4981, you can see the beginnings of my carport construction (the subject of my next post).  The carport will be built with steel strut, sided with vinyl siding, and roofed with metal panels.  It is intended be temporary.  It will be very light, but very strong.

Christopher Winter

Very nice work, hope your back is still fine.  Bruce

Hello all,

In my previous post I described my driveway project. In the last photo accompanying that post, you can see some of the steel uprights for my carport in place.  I planned to use steel strut for the entire frame of the carport.  I was lucky to acquire several 20 foot lengths of strut at no cost, so I was able to complete the frame of the carport, having only to purchase 2 ten foot lengths.

Photo 4985 shows how I was able to take advantage of three steel columns that support my porch.  Since the columns are virtually immovable, a good deal of rigidity is imparted to my carport frame by use of the columns.  Photo 4998 shows that all the joints of the frame are assembled with 1/2-13 fasteners of various lengths.  All the fasteners are SAE grade 5, and after all the final adjustments were made, every fastener was torqued using a torque wrench so that I could establish uniformity of tension throughout the frame.

Photo 4991 shows the finished frame.  The roof frame consists of three trusses, upon which rest six purlins for the attachment of the roof panels.  In this photo you can see that I installed threaded rod diagonally to the corners of the frame just under the trusses.  The threaded rod can be tensioned with turnbuckles (photo 4996).  When I adjusted the turnbuckles, a great deal of rigidity was imparted to the frame, especially to the front.  Photo 4991 also shows that the uprights on the left are anchored to the driveway slab.  The uprights on the right are driven into the ground about 20 inches, and the front two are encased in piers that are filled with concrete.  I can hang my body weight (about 170 pounds) on the middle of the middle truss with no discernible deflection of the truss.  The engineering load specification on the strut, when used as an upright, is 660 pounds at 72 inches unbraced.  My uprights are 84 inches but are braced in 4 places.  My back-of-the-napkin calculations indicate the frame should support a snow load of about 4000 pounds.

I installed 1 x 2 battens every two feet to facilitate the installation of siding (photos 5003, 5004).  Photo 5009 shows the siding completed on the sides and gable end of the carport.  The all metal roof was installed using stainless steel bonded washer screws (photo 5032).

If my roof was decked in plywood or OSB, installing the roof panels would have been easy.  As it was, because I was installing the roof panels onto slotted strut purlins, I had know way to see from the topside of the panels where the slots were, and where the steel was.  So I drilled through the solid sections of the purlins from the underside of the roof, and located the screws from above.  I used a step flashing arrangement where the carport roof meets the siding of the porch.  After three rainstorms, I had to tighten two screws out of about 220.

Photo 5033 shows my ‘67 ensconced in its new carport.  I installed ten 150 watt equivalent LED floodlights at 5 locations that provide about 23,000 lumens.  I have several high pressure sodium bulbs, so if I come across some ballasts at a good price, I may upgrade to about 50,000 lumens.

Believe it or not, this is a temporary structure.  Conceivably, I could dismantle it and transport it to another location.  However, I am not going to do that anytime soon.  The purpose of this long awaited project is to get the car undercover so that I can proceed to work on the body regardless of the weather.  It would be great to have a big enclosed garage with a lift, but I don’t have one, so I built the next best thing â€" all in for less than $750.

Christopher Winter

Christopher, Looks good with plenty of light and room to work. Weather be
damned.      Harry

Nice job!

Did you endure any scorn from the neighbors regarding your carport?

The reason I ask is because my neighbors would go absolutely ballistic if I tried to build the same kind of structure on my driveway.

very nice!

Looking forward on your posts about the next work you do on the car.

Hello Scott and Nicolas,

Thank you for the compliments.

Before I began my carport I discussed the project with my neighbors.  My neighbors are easy-going, and they had no issues with my project.  In turn, I try to be a good neighbor by tackling every project I do with an eye toward doing a professional job.  And, I don't fire up the compressor much before 8:00 AM on Sunday :)

There was a thunderstorm this afternoon, and I was bone dry while working under the hood.  I removed my carburetor today for a rebuild.  That will be the subject of my next post.

Christopher Winter

Hello all,

I have read many posts on the forum wherein members lament the fact that their cars do not idle well, but run above idle speed satisfactorily.  My issue is the opposite.  My car starts with alacrity and idles quite well, but once I am on the road, the car still exhibits some signs of poor driveability.

The previous owner replaced the fuel pump and had the carburetor rebuilt.  When I repaired my fuel tank sender, the sock was clean and the inside of the gas tank was spotless.  I have a new filter element in the glass bowl, and a new sintered bronze element in the fuel inlet of the carburetor.

Despite the fact that the previous owner had the carburetor rebuilt, I noticed that the A/C idle speed-up diaphragm was not connected, and the control link to increase idle speed was incorrectly installed (see reply 105).  Given that the carburetor rebuild may not have been 100 percent, I decided to rebuild the carburetor.

My carburetor is a Rochester Quadrajet, number 7027231, which indicates it is for a 1967 Cadillac (the year of my car).  The carburetor was not too dirty, but upon dis-assembly, I did find a few issues that are common to the Quadrajet.  I set up a dial indicator to check the primary throttle shaft for play (photo 5058).  With the throttle blades held closed, I had about .020” of play in the vertical axis, and not much in the horizontal axis.  With the blades open, there was noticeable play in the horizontal axis.  The secondary throttle shaft had no discernible play in any direction.  Given the play in the primary throttle shaft, I rebushed the primary shaft (photo 5065 â€" notice the bronze bushing around the end of the primary throttle shaft) using the tools shown in photo 5066.

Since the throttle body of the Quadrajet is aluminum, machining it with the special tool was a quick procedure.  The long bolt and washer was used to drive the bushing into place.

Another check I performed was the flatness of the air horn and bowl.  I laid a straightedge across the air horn and bowl surfaces and found gaps between the straightedge and the castings (photo 5044).  Both the air horn and bowl are slightly warped, but in the same direction.  Based on the impressions in the air horn to bowl gasket (photo 5061), made by the tiny cast ridges on the top of the fuel bowl, all the small passages look as if they were sealed properly.  I can trace the tiny casting line around all of the passages and chambers (photo 5063).

Another issue common to Quadrajets is leaking fuel wells.  Photos 5059 and 5060 show where I put an ounce or two of lacquer thinner in the float bowl and the accelerator pump well, and placed the bowl over a paper towel.  Overnight, there was no sign that the thinner leaked out of the bowl.  The day on which this was done was very humid â€" relative humidity was in excess of 80 percent (it was a three-beer day) â€" so I wasn’t worried about evaporation.  Lacquer thinner is a little denser than gasoline, but I think the densities are close enough so that if the lacquer thinner did not leak overnight, I probably won’t have a problem with gasoline.  For as many posts on the Internet that show the wells being repaired with epoxy, there are as many that show the epoxy failing.  The alternative is to drill and tap the wells (two primary, two secondary, and one accelerator pump) and install threaded plugs.  A tedious task indeed.

When I dis-assembled the carburetor I noticed the power piston seemed to be a little sticky.  This may be the cause of my poor driveability.  The power piston is vacuum actuated against spring pressure.  As engine demand/load increases and vacuum drops, spring pressure overcomes vacuum, and the power piston is pushed up by the spring, thus raising the main metering rods in the main jets, allowing more fuel to flow.  This is the heart of the Quadrajet design, but it must function properly.  I thoroughly cleaned my power piston and the bore in the bowl in which it rides.  Photo 5063 shows the power piston with attached main metering rods installed in the fuel bowl.  FYI, from the introduction of the Quadrajet (1965 for Chevrolet, 1967 for Cadillac) through the early ‘70s, 4 different retainers were used for the power piston.  My power piston is retained by a brass sleeve that expands against the inside of the power piston bore.

There are lots of tiny passages in a Quadrajet.  Cleaning them thoroughly is a must.  Some rebuilders will go so far as to remove the idle tubes in order to clean the idle passages.  Since my car idles quite well I did not do this.  I used CRC carb cleaner in an aerosol can with the little straw which was effective at concentrating a burst of cleaner into the many tiny passages.  I also used guitar string to make sure all holes and passages were open.  These efforts were repeated a couple of times.

Next up will be re-assembly and adjustments.

Christopher Winter

nice, I almost did the same fixes to my Quadrajet two years ago. However, I did not replace the shaft bushings.

Regarding the drivability problems: Did you already check the distributor? Shaft play? Mechanical advance? Advance curve? Vacuum advance?

Best regards,
Nicolas

Christopher,

I have read this entire thread and have really enjoyed it! I recently have joined here and also have the same '67 hardtop. Quick question. My AC seems to run even in the "off" position on the dash indicator lever. When I switch it to "vent" (far left lever setting) it still seems to run. Have you experienced this?

The fan (not the AC) should run on low speed even when turned off to keep the duct work dry so you don't get instant fog on the inside of your windows when you DO turn the AC on.  This feature has been a constant source of questions and complaints for over 50 years.   :)

Ahhhh. Got it. Thanx GN.