What did you do to your 2002 today !

[ray_]

Well you can step into that with both feet. ^

 

[fastricky]

What no Barney post today? Someone is slackin'... ?

[Mike A]

31 minutes ago, ray_ said:

 

 

Noooooo.

 

Hard to beat the clean utility

[ray_]

Yeah but.....

 

[dlhoovler]

I finally got the car back on its wheels after about a month on jack stands (Barney I ain't). One rear subframe mount was original, and the other was dated 1985. The trailing arm bushings were original, and the brake hoses were approaching 20 years old. Plus the front rotors were really grooved, and I'd never liked the feel of the Metalmaster pads that were on it.

So I tore into all of that when I should have just been putting the car into winter storage, but I wanted to get as much done to get it ready for Mid-America as possible - - the few weeks between getting it out of storage in late March and the event, with Easter in the middle, made me skeptical of my ability to get it done in time. And I'm glad I did it now.

While I was in there, I discovered that one wheel cylinder was leaking and the other had a seized piston, and the brake hose bracket on the front passenger inner fender had detached from the fender due to an ongoing self-lightening regimen.

But it's all back together now. Still ugly (my plans to clean and paint stuff were kicked down the road a few more years), but it's back together. Regular TRW pads and rubber subframe mounts. Urethane trailing arm bushings because I already had 'em; the rest of the set up front has been in there for more than 15 years with no complaints. Stainless brake hoses from BluntTech I won as a Mid-America door prize about five years ago.

I took it for a brake-bedding test drive this evening, and I'm pleased. I'd forgotten how tight an '02 was supposed to feel. Much crisper cornering, and the ride still doesn't seem harsh. I do need to track down a right rear brake that's locking up on hard braking, but it's either adjusted too tight or that new wheel cylinder I found in the trunk was older than I think and is sticky.

But that'll be a job for the spring. I'm taking it to storage on Thursday before the next round of snow hits...

-Dave

Posted from my phone.

[zinz]

9 hours ago, dlhoovler said:

right rear brake that's locking up on hard braking, but it's either adjusted too tight or that new wheel cylinder I found in the trunk was older than I think and is sticky.

 

Glad to hear you hunkered down and got those pesky chores done before the long winter's sleep.

 

I'm a believer in replacing brake components in pairs... replace both sides at one time.  Invariably the older part will not function like the new part.  In your instance, perhaps you can back off the adjusters a bit on the side with the new cylinder and it will compensate enough.

 

Just a thought...

 

Ed

[dlhoovler]

Ed, I did replace both sides, but one of them was a "new" wheel cylinder that I found hanging out in my trunk. My best guess is that it's been chilling/baking there for about a decade. My other, used, spares were all junk (pitted pistons and bores), so I bought one for the other side. I'm wondering if I should have just ordered two new-new ones; it's the side with the trunk-find cylinder that's locking up.

 

-Dave

[zinz]

9 minutes ago, dlhoovler said:

I did replace both sides

 

dangit... my bad for not catching the details. Hmmmm... well, your theory of "new" old parts holds water.  That cylinder rattling around in the trunk probably has rust inside from disuse; especially if the bleeder port was open to the elements.  

 

Wheel cylinders are pretty cheap, and now that you have new hoses on them, replacing the suspect one shouldn't take even an hour.  I'd say do it now, while the procedure is still fresh on your mind

 

[jp5Touring]

Replaced valve cover with newly powdercoated one. Still need to install catch can. whew,

 

[BarneyT]

We picked up Mike’s touring from painter and moved it back to shop to start rust repairs...

[dlhoovler]

A follow-up on the sticky rear brake: I backed off the adjusters a bit (though they were barely contacting the shoes as it was) and loosened the relevant parking brake cable by a couple of turns at the lever. After that, mashing the brake pedal at about 45 mph locked up both front wheels and left a couple of even black marks on the road--no more of the car trying to hip-check the curb. I'll take it!

 

-Dave

[Simeon]

So, being back from outer space, I thought that I would share my mystery mishap which I am going to fix this weekend (courtesy of a new door glass from W&N). 
 

My wife came in and told me that my window was smashed and while I was surprised (and swearing under my breath) I was expecting it to be either the front or rear windscreen as we were expecting a storm with ‘potentially damaging hail’. I was literally getting up to put the car away before it started when she came in. 
 

Imagine my surprise to find it was the driver’s door glass that was smashed and absolutely no sign of what it might have been. I have heard stories of automotive glass randomly shattering but given that I think it was original to the car you would have thought that it would have worked out all of its stresses and environmental issues (we have had lots of weird weather lately). 

 

[D.martijn]

Today I did some more....welding!

Repairing/threating the front frame rails.

 

We had already replaced the rear section close to the drivers side floor, so we removed the original plate where we previously welded the new one onto. Some rust between the two sheets but overall not too bad.

 

Threated the inside with Brunox after wire wheeling/grinding the inside + an extra coat of Corroless anti rust primer

 

New plate clamped into place

 

And spotwelded, wow this thing is so awesome. Can't imagine having to plug weld these. I'm spoiled haha ?

 

And the rear section welded + finished

 

There is also a little metal clamp on the rail that holds the wiring loom going to the alternator and/or starter.

The old one was a bit rust so a new one was made!

 

On to the next side, same deal. Removing the old plate, making a new one and spot welding it in

 

 

Finished result!

 

 

Glad we removed the old plates 

[man_mark_7]

Very clean! Well done.

 

Does anyone know what the rectangular hole with the circular hole next to it, and the other two holes nearer the rear of the car along the axis of these strips, are for? On the passenger side of my '73 they are all empty. I can't see the square hole and the adjacent circular hole on the drivers side, are they under the battery tray & what are they for? 

 

Thx!

[FunElan]

Played a little morning hooky from work and drove Angeles Crest Highway in my sh*tbox