Boy I am ready for it to be on the road! Have a goal of August 31 (Invasion in Dallas) but would be awesome if it was ready the week before (Hot Rods and Hulas in Grapevine).
Got frustrated today. Got drums turned at auto parts store and I feel like they didn't give all of the bearings/caps that were stuck inside. The number of pieces I have for the front wheel doesn't seem to match the exploded drawing in my book. Will look again after a nap. Also-started trying to clean the engine with a wire brush and some simple green. Would love something more powerful. Any suggestions? I wish there were a magic product-spray on, soak for an hour, hose off.... Now will read manual on how door latch/striker plate/lock mechanism work. The doors won't stay closed - not fun on corners.
yea like said cheap oven cleaner works great just dont leave it on aluminum to long and if the paint on the motor is chipping itll probally take that off also at least it did on my hemi
Simple Green actually works pretty good if the parts you're cleaning are cold. Get a parts cleaning brush for the nooks and crannies. Spray-On engine cleaners (like you find at the big-box auto parts stores) and oven cleaner work better if the parts are very hot. Be careful with oven cleaner. On a fully assembled engine, you could potentially do more damage than good with that stuff.
Your Mercury sounds like it's coming along nicely, they are a great looking model and it sounds like you will be doing "blockies" in no time!
I would recommend warming the engine but you cant do that. Your probably gonna have to use a combination of cleaners (be carefull) it can be done safely.... First Gunk engine cleaner,,,, then Westleys bleech white, then Simple green.... Just rinse it real well between cleanings... WHne you give the drums to the parts people, they hate when the bearings and stuff including grease is inside..... I bet the sabotaged them. I wouldn't trust any psrts, They had to be removed to turn the drums....
Any car sitting that long, it would be cheap insurance to buy new bearings, seals and get fresh grease in the drums.
@mikes51 - I definitely put new grease in. It was so clean compared to the old grease! And I got to try out quite a few soaps trying to wash it off. Installed the refurb'd carburetor today. It runs SO NICELY. Sounds lovely. We were able to turn it around and plan to work on driver-side brakes Thursday or Friday. So close!!!!!
Ha Ha, I know, talk about soap resistant chemicals. On similar subject, if you end up putting fluid in the rear end, make sure you don't spill any of that stuff.
Been a while, but there has been progress. Both doors close (and STAY closed) now, thanks to the hubby. Timing adjusted. Gotta bleed brakes and put some gas in it. Goal of making it around the block by this weekend.
Come by and get my electric power washer to help with the engine cleaning. I got a couple of shirts you can iron while we load it up. That's a joke!
I think the 55 Merc is the most unsung car going. I don't know why. It is an exceptionally cool car! A buddy of mind saved one in NJ. One week before hurricane Sandy hit. The garage it was in was flooded above 2 feet. His Merc(same as yours) is a cool unique ride. I do not see any in my area at all. With exception of my buds. Enjoy!!!!
First trip isn't coming this week. Husband and I bled the brakes tonight and it is all still squishy. He took it for a tiny spin...back and forth in the driveway (it is raining and wet roads plus bad brakes...not great). Need to check out perhaps a new master cylinder, do more research, and/or ???
Still running the drums on all four corners? If so, these older systems love to have the entire brake shoe touching the drum. Sometimes this requires sanding the shoe to exact circumference of the drum. In other words, if just the top or bottom of the shoe is making contact to the drum you will have poor pedal and no stopping power. Most times getting a few miles on the car will allow the shoes to settle in. If your pedal is holding pressure I do not suspect the master cylinder needs replacing or rebuilding. However, err on the side of caution and replace or rebuild the master cylinder. I understand the "nobrakes" handle you have achieved from your other activities but....no brakes in a 5000 pound vehicle is not fun at all.
Good luck on the master. 1-I started with the stock m/c. Hard to stop and always needed to readjust brake shoes tight to drums. 2-then I converted to fatman mustang m/c conversion. Still pretty hard to stop but felt safer. 3-found a gm power m/c with the same bore, mounted to firewall. No changes to drums on all four wheels. Now we are talking! Could actually lock the brakes for the first time.
Well, we replaced the master cylinder (no thanks to MAC's who sent us the wrong bolts and other things I ordered) this past weekend. It stops...better...but not good enough for anything besides around the block. With no children around... and no police.
If you are confident the lines are free from air then it is a matter of brake adjustment and letting the shoes settle in. These drum systems like to have as much shoe contacting the drums as possible. Work on the shoe adjustment.
I had the same experience. My uncle had a few Mercs, almost new. When he drove into town 20 miles away he saw maybe 4 other cars on the road the whole trip. I think those stock brakes were good for their time.
Drove it to the auto parts store!!!! (Irony?) My husband and I worked on it last Sunday. The windows go up and down, it brakes better the longer you drive it, and man, getting used to not having power steering is interesting. And, REVERSE is where FIRST should be! Husband hooked up gauges so we can see the temperature and oil pressure. That's a relief. And last, but not least, I bought it some new shoes. Will try to post pictures of a cruise tomorrow night!
The Jalopy Journal
