Projects Mild custom '51 Pontiac Chieftain

Amazon has most all the Nicop line fwiw

 

Ah, yeah. I had that problem too. Then the kid at the counter invited me back to see what they had in stock. That got me past the year, make, model, and whether or not it had a/c questions for the computer. I chose a 6’ brake line, and declined to buy the extended warranty for it, and was on my way.



Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Unfortunately, it sounds like your local independent NAPA store owner doesn't feel the need to stock the brake line planogram (display assortment) in their store. However, the counter sales rep still could/should have placed an order of whatever brake lines you needed through the DC.

PM sent

 

Not that our local Napa is unhelpful; but that was a "we might be able to order it" item, asked about on the off chance they had it on the shelf. It's only a very small store.

I made a better seal on the pipe sending vacuum to the washer jar (the jar union doesn't have a flare and is an odd size) which resulted in being able to pull a slightly better vacuum (with my little hand pump I could get it to about 4-5" Hg) and managed to liberate a slight dribble from the nozzles when operated from the car.

I took it all to bits again. I took a look but I don't have any brake fluid so took both the seals off (vacuum and also water pump) and set them under a weight whilst covered in Marvel oil in an attempt to swell them up and spread them back out again.

I shredded a pencil and applied the graphite dust to the wiper blades. They move quite well now but I can hear the motor hissing quite heavily along the center of the sweep.

We'll see if I can make any improvement without resorting to a rebuild kit...


Phil

 

That's better

 

A friend had his rebuilt here, maybe you can get parts?
https://rebuildingtricowipers.com/what-we-rebuild

Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Edit: He only rebuilds. Right now I'm trying to see if the rather worn out rubber can be encouraged to swell up a little to take up for where it's all worn away.



Phil

 

That seems to be having an effect so it can stay sat in that overnight.

It's gotten cooler out, too. We'll see how that all behaves in the morning. I put some 2000 grit paper on a sheet of glass and rubbed the valve down so it's again flat, hopefully that helps a little also.

Phil

 

They don't keep brake line anymore? That's plain craziness. I've been buying my brake line at o'Reilly's, they also have the 25' rolls of 3/16 fairly cheap. Depends on what I'm doing if i use it or not. Sometimes it's better looking to use the straight pieces. If you want me to find you anything up this way and send it to you just shoot me a PM

 

I'm sure I could find something but after going to Napa (3/4 mile from the house) I went to AutoZone (3 1/2 miles the opposite way) and when neither had it on the shelf I decided against O'Reilly (9 miles further away) because after that was either another slightly bigger Napa (16 miles further) or then the bigger Napa and another O'Reilly (34 miles the opposite direction), at that point looked at how much fuel was in the tank and went home.

After the Advance Auto closed down with "This store closed but to serve you better your nearest store is at address X", a 60+ mile round trip instead of a 6 mile round trip, I gave up hope.

It was more the annoyance of not being able to find a staple item on the shelf at 2 car local parts stores that made the decision to not look further that day because frankly I didn't have the time or enthusiasm to go burn fuel to go check (because God forbid anybody actually answer the phone at any of these places).

Granted, like I said the Napa is tiny locally- their assortment of trailer lights on the little board takes up about 1/3 of their entire glass window space on the front of the building... The AutoZone is a regular size but their stock room is minimal, instead they have a lot of wasted space up front to put rotating racks of DiY R-134a cans and USB chargers, cheap flashlights and screenwash.

I miss the world I grew up with, the cramped, dusty little shop with the guy who knew exactly what it was you were asking for, even if you didn't, and had a very dusty box of just a few left of the thing you actually needed, right there. Didn't matter what it was, it was all covered in that slightly chunky pale brown dirt that's common to car parts stores and most of it was marked at a fair price. The stuff unmarked was priced on the fly based upon your attitude.
Those stores are few and far between these days, sadly.

Phil

 

Rubber parts continue to soak, it is having an effect.

Phil

 

I can see the day when there will be almost NO local business except for the ones that have to be there (grocery stores, liquors stores, gas stations, etc.). I am in the Florida Keys for the winter. Since Hurricane Irma, everything down here has gotten terribly expensive. Since I got here last fall, I have gotten virtually EVERYTHING from Amazon. From a bottle of Aleve to two 2032 batteries for my bathroom scale. The stuff is less than half the price than it is in the stores here and with a PRIME membership, just about everything arrives the next day. Since I live a relatively well-ordered life, I seldom have to make emergency purchases, so this suits me just fine. Don't get me wrong; I support my local businesses and would prefer to buy local, but they are killing themselves by constantly raising their prices to make up for lost sales. I would pay $1.49 for a marker, when I can get it for $.89 on Amazon delivered the next day; I won't pay $3.95 to drive to buy it at the local Walgreen's, Get used to it; it's the wave of the future.

Rant over. Moderators : please feel free to delete this.

 

I hear you. I will spend money at our local independent places first. I believe in supporting our local businesses when I can, particularly as a few large chains moved in, undercut everybody until they closed and then bumped the prices up- in the past ten years here the price of groceries has over tripled. Bad weather does have an effect. The only thing that's remained stable is gasoline, oddly.

Anyhow. I cleaned the wiper motor out.

I cleaned the silicone grease out and oiled up with mineral oil.

Top valve was cleaned the same.

The paddle fitted a little more snugly but ultimately not as well as it needed to.


Firm to push in but not forming a particularly good seal.

Reassembled it moves well without load but gets really badly hung up with the wipers attached to the spindles.

Rebuild calls.

Phil

 

I figured I would add a vacuum canister to see if the added volume would help. Nope. (Yes, I know it's before the pump)

It got dark so I decided to arbitrarily set the headlight aim. Put the car on the street which isn't lit very well and adjusted then for maximum throw with minimum glare.
Also put the parking brake on and added some heavy load for a few hundred feet to the engine and transmission. Result, a sizeable cloud of smoke then it cleared nicely, returning a much better idle.

Needs an oil change, the cap has a bit of mayonnaise in from only being run a short time and the oil has gone quite dark and dirty (fully expected).

Getting there slowly.

Phil

 

Had a thought on the same tangent so put the parking brake on, chocked the wheels and set the car in Drive with the engine warm; brought the revs up to the stall speed of the fluid coupling and set the timing for for highest engine speed.
Only did that briefly, about 5-6 seconds because that's a lot of torque and a lot of heat to be generated very quickly.
Set it in N and let it idle a few minutes afterward.

It's definitely more peppy now, that's likely down to today's fuel (ethanol free 87) needing to be set to something other than the factory spec for ignition.

Phil

 

Just went out to investigate a strange problem with the ignition- likely combination of it all- now the engine has significantly more low end torque. It'll screech the fan belt briefly if revved from about 1000 to 2000 RPM. This is a good thing. I got it set up right!

Phil

 

Replaced the dash indicators with model 57 bulbs. Begone flickering LED's.

Tach still stutters so the rest of it still got problems, as known. Tax refund filed...

Phil

 

Small things right now.


The top brake adjuster locknut on the driver's side didn't put up much of a fight.


Scrubbed it down and dunked it in some funny gunk.


From there it came out clean.


Finally given a protective coat.

I think I could be allowed to advertise this as "nut and bolt restoration".

Ha!

Phil

 

Have you found new leather for the wiper motor?

Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Many years ago when absolutely nothing was available for those wiper motors, I tried dipping the flapper in Berryman carb cleaner for about 1 minute … worked like a charm. I wouldn't try it today unless I had a spare, working motor, though.

 

Not yet, my in-house accountant says that I must wait until the tax refund clears.

Phil

 

What's a tax refund

 

Ah the heady days of business taxes. I remember those days. Still got the ledgers.

Phil

 

Can we talk about cars now Phil? Going to the tax preparer is about like cutting open an oil filter on a new engine, scared to death!!

 

Making headway....hey, I just realized your car has the same paint colors and same arrangement as my old 57 Pontiac.
Can't remember what the paint names are tho....been way too long.

 

That's a nice looking car! I know the tints had changed by then, mines a late 50's Starmist, which reappeared in name several times and places as some quite different blues. The original on mine was a more stormy-sky blue than the cheerful baby blue it is today.

I was driving home last night, thinking about the future of the Chieftain. I said to my wife that I was considering loading it up with sound deadening and decent seals and making it a quiet, comfortable cruiser.
She said it would be better if it could lay frame.

She surprises me sometimes.
Now I'm wondering if it would actually go that low...

Phil

 

Sure, it only depends on how much work & money you are willing to put into it.

Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I hear you there, for sure.

I think I'm going to expend my effort on just getting everything up to scratch first. Got a long way to go yet.
However, I should have a couple new parts coming soon which should improve running and general reliability.

Phil

 

Low yes, lay frame no. Would look like a stranded whale.

 

I'm actually quite happy with how it sits right now- I'm already concerned that it won't clear the stupid speed bumps that were put in locally. Big rubber ones were installed, the old guy in the house next to one complained about the noise they make so they ripped it up and made an asphalt one- twice the height! They lost the orange road reflectors along the top edge in the first day, and the top is full of scrape marks.
We had one outside our old house and yes, if people drive over them fast they make a lot of noise. But, isn't that the purpose?

Anyhow, I think it'll be staying where it is for now, there's more important things on the list.
I bought a new distributor swash plate (that the points mount to) to replace the bent and wobbly one in mine, hopefully that'll reduce the misfire and improve reliability.

Phil