Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy

The new brake lines have been fitted and the brakes are now back together. They have been bled and just need a final adjustment on the shoes and we're good to go. There does not appear to be any leaks, which to be honest surprises and amazes me at the same time.

The fuel and temperature gauges haven't been working when I turn the ignition on. When they both fail this is a sign that voltage regulator on the back of the instrument cluster has likely failed. This unit converts the 12V from the battery to 5V needed for the gauges and a new one is on it's way from RockAuto.com. Boy, those people have just about everything you need at the best price too, they ship it really quickly and don't rape you in delivery fees either.

After struggling for a couple of days I managed to get the instrument cluster out from the dash, the speedo drive was hooked on the wiring loom. In the process I manged to break off and lose, several of the pins from the circuit board. There are 10 pins, 5 on each side that control the various instrument and warning lights and you can't get new ones. Several internet forums suggest the following method to resolve this by soldering flying leads directly to the circuit board in place of the pins and using your own connector to replace the OEM one.

I opted for RadioShack 6 position connectors (part numbers 274-226 for the male and 274-236 for the female). I bought 5 reels of different color 18 gauge wire just to make it easier to match up to the factory wiring. using 12 inch lengths of wire, I soldered the male connector to the instrument cluster and the female to the wiring loom.

Several of the lamp holders and lamps were broken too, NAPA has the holders (part # ECH LS6501). New ones are on order along with new long life lamps.

So this is how Uri does it...

When trying to work with steel brake pipe these 2 tools are invaluable. They take a bit of time to get the hang of them but after a few practice bends you too can achieve the factory look.

Here is the new pipe freshly installed, along with a new hydraulic hose.

The windscreen wiper switch has been fixed. A good squirt and soak with PB Blaster and I could start the turn it. 24 hours later and it was like new. Reinstalled into the car and bingo I now have working wipers. Fitted new blades today, was hoping to get some decent ones but in the end had to get the cheapest brand they had as that's the only ones they had in 15". The last of the brake parts should be arriving this week until they do I'll carry on with the electrics trying to get some dashboard lights working.

Illuminating

Headlights and tail lights are now working. The floor mounted dimmer switch was seized solid and the headlight switch on the dash had seen better days too. The local auto store carried both parts in stock and for less than $30 I replaced both switches.
I've removed the windscreen wiper switch and it was also seized (are you sensing a theme here??? I guess that's what happens when you leave a car standing for several years). A quick squirt with some PB Blaster  (much better at freeing rusty parts that WD40) and some judicious vise action and it's freed up a bit. Whether it works is another matter. You can't get new ones and have to rely on NOS or used parts and both are pretty pricey.
Brakes are coming along, the first set of new parts arrived this week including new front hydraulic hoses and wheel cylinders. I've ordered some new steel 3/16" brake line and a couple of bending tools and expect that to arrive tomorrow. Meanwhile I've started stripping the rear brakes and I'll get the order in for the new parts this weekend too.

Now featuring bonus Dartiness

Not sure where the time has gone since my last post way back in 2010 and i can't be bothered to think about it in order to write it here, afterall if it was that important I'd have blogged it at the time right??? Anyhoo there's a new member of the family that was acquired through the online tat bazaar that is ebay. It was in town and I bid and won it without even going to see it. Thankfully when I did roll up to view it and handover my deposit it was in better shape than I thought. It's a '67 Dodge Dart GT convertible and here it is in it's new home. It needs a bit of work as it's stood for about 3 years. It came with a new convertible roof that need fitting as the current one is shot, which explains all the leaves inside.

It's got a 225 slant 6, shame it's not the V8 but if it had been it would have cost me twice as much. They built this engine in various guises for nearly 40 years so there's plenty of parts available.

I couldn't drive it home because there were no brakes. The seller had fitted a new master cylinder but couldn't get the brakes to bleed as it was leaking. With Mrs P's help we found out there was a leak coming from the front left steel brake line. Obviously the brake nut was seized solid so a pair of newly acquired vise grips and bingo, the nut came lose and cracked the pipe in the process. The trick to getting the driver's side wheel off is to know that the clever engineer's at Dodge used a left hand thread on the wheel nuts. First car I've ever owned with that and again if it wasn't for the mighty internet I'd have been tightening when I should have been loosening!

Spent the rest of the day stripping the front drums (yes you read it correctly no disc brakes here!) to find that the wheel cylinders were shot (no surprise). Ordered the new parts online but now need to beg, borrow or steal a pipe flaring tool and pipe bender so that I can make up some new steel brake lines.

The list of things to fix is growing a plan of attack is forming. Neither front headlamps nor tail lights work so it's likely to be the switch. Also the windscreen wiper switch is seized so need to get that operational, but instead of doing any of those things I cracked out the metal polish and made the chrome bits all shiny/

It does start but won't idle very well but that's probably bad gas where it's been sitting so long. Indicators and brake lights work.

Plan is to get the brake sorted asap and get it basically road worthy then drive it for Fall, then over the winter I can get going on the rust and the floor pan in particular.