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Projects Mild custom '51 Pontiac Chieftain

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by PhilA, Nov 4, 2019.

  1. Johnboy34
    Joined: Jul 12, 2011
    Posts: 1,588

    Johnboy34
    Member
    from Seattle,Wa

    Hopefully it don't come back when real warm. Nice magnified picture too!

    Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  2. TrailerTrashToo
    Joined: Jun 20, 2018
    Posts: 1,289

    TrailerTrashToo
    Member

    Fingers, toes and eyes crossed...
     
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  3. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    Well.
    It's not perfect, it's certainly better than it was. First still sticks slightly on random occasions but 3-4 is much better, and 2-3 is less lumpy.

    I think it'll come out again, I was being cautious not to hit the thing too hard and have it not seal.

    Phil
     
  4. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    Went for a drive today to see how it would behave. Pretty good until it got hot spring in traffic where it stuck in first a little longer than it should have.

    I think I can improve on that, another weekend I'll pull it apart again and redo the 1-2 valve. 2-3 and 3-4 are working very very well now.

    Phil
     
  5. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech



    You can see what it does here. Out of the driveway it got a bit hung up. Bottom of the street changed gear nicely.

    Phil
     
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  6. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201123_200434.jpg
    The paint on the horn lid had dried enough to work with abrasives, so last night I decided to flat it back. It's shiny but far from smooth straight out of the can.
    20201123_200746.jpg
    Dish soap, a dab of water and start with 600-grit paper, gently caressing the surface with the soap acting as a lubricant and surfactant.

    20201123_200932.jpg
    First pass, dried off. You can see the high spots are flatted but the low points still remain gloss. More work required.

    20201123_201344.jpg
    That's a bit better. Sanded down to a uniform texture.

    20201123_201735.jpg
    Repeat but with a finer grade of paper (1500). That'll work as a key and is a nicely flat surface to continue on from. It's a bit cool to be spraying paint but judicious application of heat gun will help that.
    I'll put another coat on and that can harden and I'll repeat the above process. It may take another coat after that depending on how thick it goes on (enamel goes on relatively thick considering how well it flows). It's important to flat the paint back between coats as it goes on thin enough to echo the surface it's sitting on; the effects of orange peel will be doubled if a low point sits in a dimple, making final surface prep more difficult.

    Small items like this are quite nice to work with to create a good paint finish, even just by hand.

    Phil
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2020
  7. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

    Headlight adjustment looks right on. :)
     
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  8. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    It's just a hair low for the roads around here, a bit dark off into the near distance.
    Where they are right now doesn't illuminate road hazards well enough to avoid easily like armadillos and gators, both of which will rip a lower control arm off.

    Phil
     
  9. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201124_193010.jpg
    Second coat of black. That can dry for a couple days. Bought a "Mr. Muscle Magic Eraser" from the grocery store, because that's approximately 3000 grit and as a sponge, is good to give a final rub down before cutting and polish.

    Phil

    Edit: I have had a thought why the gears might be getting hung up, upon reviewing the evidence. I'm going to try and see if my thought fixes it. Watch this space.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2020
  10. bchctybob
    Joined: Sep 18, 2011
    Posts: 5,190

    bchctybob
    Member

    I really appreciate your evaluation and analysis as you troubleshoot your transmission problem. And then to follow through with the parts and pictures, that's what makes this thread especially good.
    As far as the expensive paint job on the horns; if I did that, the first thing I would do is drop a ratchet and it would dent the bell and scratch the paint. Happens every time......
     
  11. I just can't believe the finish you're getting with that "special" paint. Beautiful work!
    Mike
     
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  12. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    Yeah, I dropped the horn body and screwed up the paint on the bottom already....! I quietly redid that without telling anyone though.
    I've been trying to learn with regards to the gearbox. I've had advice from many corners, and I've been trying to piece it all together. I'm missing one small part that I considered moderately unimportant, but it might possibly be the key to this.

    I'll be annoyed with myself if this is because of a two cent part...

    Thanks. Enamel is particularly forgiving to work with, and I'm just doing this for a bit of fun, to see if I can. I've never been very good at bodywork.

    Phil
     
  13. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201127_194357.jpg
    That's them filed under "good enough"

    20201112_212556.jpg
    Better than they were, certainly.

    Next up, fab a bracket to fit them.

    Phil

    Edit: I went to see if I had any steel in the right size to begin making the bracket- answer is no, so I'll have to get some. In-between times I heated the stuck nut on the bracket there and got that removed- then got caught in a massive rainstorm running back to the house.
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2020
  14. Pontmerc
    Joined: Jul 13, 2013
    Posts: 312

    Pontmerc
    Member
    from Finland

    Take long Bolt, saw it half but leave about inch on The other end.now place piece of fine sandpaper between halves and put it in drill.
    Now you have homemade hone , which you can gently honing those valvebody bores.also, take two steel wires, put steelwool between and twist those wires and you have homemade brush.
    Hope you understand My lousy english.
     
  15. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    I had made a smaller version of that to clean the valve guides- I was thinking about it but didn't want to use a metal bolt- if this next troubleshooting does not fix it then I'll probably make one from a wooden dowel because if the paper breaks it does not damage the valve body.

    And trust me, there's nothing wrong with your English! It is far superior to my Finnish, of which I can speak zero percent. (I guess, in truth, I'm sorry you had to learn English to talk with us.)

    Phil
     
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2020
  16. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    No pictures because frankly, y'all seen it all before but I dropped the valve body out again and had another go at the burrs on the valves, took my valve guide hone and carefully rubbed the bores.

    Result now it still sticks after it's been left to heat soak but it can now be made change gear by snapping the throttle shut.

    A significant improvement, so it'll come out (again) and I'll polish the governor valves (should have done that this time, didn't think to).

    Phil
     
  17. fyrffytr1
    Joined: Dec 20, 2016
    Posts: 833

    fyrffytr1
    Member

    I am following this thread. Hopefully I can retain enough information from it to help with my 50 Silver Streak project. I may have missed it somewhere in the 36 pages but did you do anything with the stock gauges after the car was converted to a 12 volt system? I am fortunate that the 50 gauge cluster will accept aftermarket gauges so I will install them when I do the 12 volt switch.
     
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  18. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    Yes sir, I did. The temperature and fuel gauges each have two coils in. One connects to battery, the other connects via the temperature sensor and fuel tank sender.
    If you connect them to 12V they'll catch fire (not being any exaggeration, they will burn).

    The easiest way is to get a little 12 to 6 volt converter and connect the BAT terminals to the output of that and connect the ignition power to the converter.

    If you get an electronic one it has the excellent advantage of always being at 6v, regardless of battery condition and engine RPM, so the gauges will read the same with the engine off, idling or on the highway.

    The radio was a little more involved to convert.

    The rest of the car then is simply light bulbs to change once the starter solenoid*, generator and battery are swapped.

    I put my battery in the trunk, a 12V doesn't fit in the engine compartment very well at all.

    Phil

    * Starter motor can remain, just swap the solenoid. The motor itself will handle 12V fine and cranks the engine over very effectively
     
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  19. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    Started work on the horn brackets, which is involving removing rivets and all manner of drills and stuff. (Aka I didn't take many photos).
    20201129_155331.jpg
    Made a hood prop though because previously I would hold the hood up higher (the springs are tired) using one of the bolt heads to hold it in place. I wasn't happy with that so I took a sleeve shank bolt from my Tin Of Random Nuts And Bolts and adjusted it to suit.
    20201129_151248.jpg
    Sawed the head off, made two recessed pieces at the bottom that a 7/16" wrench holds and cleaned it up nice.
    20201129_151735.jpg
    It replaced one of the panel bolts.
    20201129_151748.jpg
    The hood prop can't now slip out. Significantly more "parked at a show with the hood up" friendly, which does happen because people are interested in looking at a straight-eight, funnily. You can elbow it and it doesn't shift.

    Phil
     
  20. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201130_194731.jpg
    I bought some steel and started playing with hammers and fire.

    20201130_200619.jpg
    Bent a bracket up to shape.

    20201130_201409.jpg
    More fun, got it all drilled out.

    20201130_203837.jpg
    Stuck it in place and discovered that measuring in that space is difficult and I'd made it about 3/4" too short.
    It did at least prove that most of it was correct, the angles and such so I'll redo that and get the new horn mounted in.

    Phil
     
  21. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201203_181649.jpg
    Well, that looks just fine and dandy.
    They're loud, too.




    Phil
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2020
  22. pivir123
    Joined: Feb 15, 2015
    Posts: 40

    pivir123
    Member

    This is so interesting. Great job!
     
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  23. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201204_171007.jpg
    Tonight's position. Greased the prop uj's and eyeballed the axle, which is going to get a bottle of stop leak/shut-up-treacle dumped into it tomorrow, which will have to do until it gets a rebuild.

    Oil change, brake adjustment tomorrow morning.

    Phil
     
  24. pivir123
    Joined: Feb 15, 2015
    Posts: 40

    pivir123
    Member

    This is so enjoyable. Thank you.
     
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  25. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201205_104523.jpg
    Yuck. Sender unit was leaking. At least, I think that's the sender unit under that blob of dirt.

    20201205_112128.jpg
    Better. Turns out it was loose. Tightened it up a little, we'll see if it continues to leak.

    Phil
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2020
  26. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    Oil changed, suspension greased, brakes adjusted, rear axle topped up, fuel tank not leaking.

    Ready to go!

    20201205_152321.jpg

    Phil
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
  27. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    20201205_180905.jpg
    76 miles. Half a tank of fuel. One breakdown. Unforecast rain.

    Phil
     
  28. Phil...I got so excited watching your thread, today I just had to buy a straight 8 Pontiac of my own. I always wanted a coupe. I love the '50 grills the best! Mine's a straight 4 with the hydro. 50pontiacdash (2).jpg 50pontiacoupefront (2).jpg 50pontiacouperear.jpg 50pontiacside.jpg
     
  29. PhilA
    Joined: Sep 6, 2018
    Posts: 2,061

    PhilA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Hydro Tech

    Very nice! Got any plans for it yet?

    Phil
     
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  30. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member


    Time for a DONUT run yet? :rolleyes:
     

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