Thrashing for Dearborn to get to the Roundup Nationals

Things are'nt lookin to positive for me makin the RU. I have to see the orthopedic surgeon this Friday, for this bum, left knee. Looks like all my (2) long hall trips this July may be wishful thinkin. I will know more Friday. It appears I don't have to be concerned abt "thrashin for the trip".
I was lookin fwd to it... but, not feeling positive at this point. I suppose everything happens for a reason. I will say, I enjoyed the one's I have attended.

 

Take care of yourself first, and deal with the car stuff later, Everett. Keep us up on how you are doing, and if you can make it.

 

You'll be missed, I hope like hell you'll be able to make it. We've really enjoyed your company the last couple of years. Having a bad knee myself, I kinda know what it's like.

 

Well, need to install a heater core bypass as mine blew its guts out over the weekend. I knew it was starting to go as I smelled some coolant last week but was not expecting the burst In the middle of a 6000 rpm shift.

Used a wet vac to get most of the water off the floor but had to lift the carpet so I could run a fan to dry it out. I am just going to bypass the core for now and will change it out over the winter. Otherwise I am ready to go but because of my schedule will only be around on show day.

Looking forward to meeting everyone -

Mike

 

I got my orange car aligned and had the steering fixed today. (5) years ago when I was thrashing to make the Roundup Nationals in Washington, D.C., I just slapped all the power steering components together and got it to the alignment shop. It never has steered correctly since I put it back together. I guess I should have read the Ford service manual. All of those threads on the center link are there for a reason!! The shop had to remove the (4) hoses off of the control valve, pull the control valve off of the pitman arm, pull the roll pin out of the center link, and then turn the control valve (5) turns back off of the center link. Then they put it back together, then adjusted the sleeves on the tie rods to get the tires back in toe. They went out and drove my car around the block and came back.

Not enough.

Repeat all of the above and back the control valve out an additional (4) turns. Back together and test drive again. Right on the mark.

I then drove the car 15 miles home to pull the steering wheel and center it, then drove it 15 miles back to the shop (they didn't have a steering wheel puller???)

They then aligned the car. They also greased my squeaky upper a-arm bushings. I didn't have a grease gun with a long enough hose on it to reach the grease zerts. Nice and quite now.....and it now drives like a dream compared to the way I had it.

On the way home, the alternator light comes home. I swing by a battery shop. Alternator is putting out zero. So...the thrashing will continue this week as I replace the alternator.

Note: When getting your car aligned, find an old greasy shop with a guy about 65 years old and missing some teeth. They KNOW how to work on these old cars. I took the factory service manual with me. He said, "I don't need it." And he didn't.

 

You gotta get better Everett. Deb and I are looking forward to seeing you again. Think positive we'll put a good word in with the guy upstairs for ya.

 

I'll probably have to put some gas in the tank to make that long haul to the Roundup, after all it's about 7 miles.

 

For your car, the alignment shop shouldn't need a steering wheel puller. There is an alignment mark on the steering wheel & on the shaft. Those need to be lined up, which positions the steering gear input shaft in the center of its travel, driving straight ahead. If you had installed the wheel differently, your alignment is not correct. But if you had incorrectly installed everything else, I guess you could have messed up installing the steering wheel too................but I'm sure you know all that.

 

That was mentioned to me. But...all the steering components (as well as the entire car) was disassembled. I paid no attention where the position of the steering shaft was in relation to the gear box when I bolted it all back together....so any marks would have been useless. I actually didn't pay attention to anything when I bolted the steering all together. Hence....the problem was compounded as I went along. Just basically had to start over, and that is what the shop did. When I took the car to the shop, I had 1 3/4 turns to the left, and 2 1/4 turns to the right. Should have been 2 turns either way. It was THAT far off. Now it it dead on.

 

This heat is really interfering with my to do list., its been over 100 deg all week and today the heat index is suppose to be 110-115deg and no relief till Sunday when its going to drop to the low 90's. "us michiganders aint not used to this" LOL

 

Hey...it is HOTTER here because I am south of you. Yeah....thats it!! I still got out yesterday and worked on my orange car. Update coming this weekend I hope.

 

what kills me is my job, i run a lot of heat sensitive measuring instruments, my lab is 68 deg year round, so being in here 8-10 hrs a day then trying to go out to pole barn and work is quite a culture shock. thanks again Craig for the cross member it worked great. Im taking it tonight to have the dual exhaust installed. hopefully we can make it to the roundup so i can put a face with the name:Handshake

 

Absolutely....looking forward to meeting you and seeing your car.

 

Scared myself today.....took car out to get gas and for a checkout, and the A/C wasn't working....compressor would not come on. I found the problem, and it was my fault, brain fart or old age, can't figure which. I had crossed two of the wires from the compressor and trinary switch. Got it fixed, cool breezes in the Mav. Now, I am ready to go!

 

"... brain fart or old age ..."

Earl, they come with old age. Glad you got it fixed so easily.