El Camino project car

[Eye of the Tiger]

YEAH SCREW ME

How about you screw your brake caliper

[CaminoRacer]

I tried, but the bolts I bought at autozone didn't have a metal sleeve. Need to go back and get that.

The outer pad dug into the hub part of the single piece rotor, about 1 mm deep. I think it'll be okay but next brake job I'll replace the rotor.

Tires are mounted and balanced. First shop couldn't reverse mount them like they need to be, so I took it to Discount Tire and they did it for me. The guy there probably didn't like me much since I ordered the tires from Tire Rack instead of buying from them.

[68_427]

I buy on Tire Rack as well, then bring them to my friends shop and put them on myself. 




CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP

[CaminoRacer]

1/2" steering adapter is too short, should have known better.

Not a big deal, I had a 6 bolt spacer sitting around so I tossed that on as well. It's probably 1/2" as well. The wheel has a ~1" deeper dish than the old wheel, so it should sit in the exact same spot. I just need to run to the hardware store tomorrow to get the correct length buttonhead screws and it'll be ready to go.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I tried, but the bolts I bought at autozone didn't have a metal sleeve. Need to go back and get that.

The outer pad dug into the hub part of the single piece rotor, about 1 mm deep. I think it'll be okay but next brake job I'll replace the rotor.

Tires are mounted and balanced. First shop couldn't reverse mount them like they need to be, so I took it to Discount Tire and they did it for me. The guy there probably didn't like me much since I ordered the tires from Tire Rack instead of buying from them.

'Da faq did you get reverse mount wheels fur?

[CaminoRacer]

Wheel is on.  Tach is moved to a better spot - saw the Roadkill Garage guys put it on the left side of the column and realized if I put it on the right side, I could see all the stock gauges and the turn signals again. Rotated it so the sweep is a perfect 180 degrees.

[Eye of the Tiger]

ur numbrs is sideways

[CaminoRacer]

ur numbrs is sideways

NO U

[CaminoRacer]

Been reading up on bumpsteer. Looks like the tie rod location on A-body spindles is too low, so raising it up 0.5" or so will help eliminate bumpsteer. Best way to do this is with a tall lower ball joint. I already have a tall upper ball joint, but didn't replace the lowers since they're press-in. Autozone should have a ball joint press (big C-clamp) to make that job bearable.

Eliminating bumpsteer should help stability under heavy braking and obviously mid-corner bumps. The tall ball joints should also further improve camber curve and roll center.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Maybe get new spindles with race car geometry. Extendo balljoint could be sketchee, eh?

[CaminoRacer]

New spindles are $1k plus the cost of C5 brakes. Otherwise I would do that. Howe ball joints are supposed to be stronger than stock even though they're taller. They better be since they're $80 each.

[Eye of the Tiger]

New spindles are $1k plus the cost of C5 brakes. Otherwise I would do that. Howe ball joints are supposed to be stronger than stock even though they're taller. They better be since they're $80 each.

Okay, coool.



still shud get spindls n c5 bakes

[CaminoRacer]

New breather. I've been getting a bit of oil coming out of the PCV gasket and onto the other valve cover. Not sure if that was due to choked breathing or if it needs a tighter gasket. Went with a larger K&N breather as Step 1, if it still leaks I'll get a new gasket.



Much breath

[Eye of the Tiger]

Blow by, man

[CaminoRacer]

Blow by, man

Should be going into the intake, not onto my pretty valve cover!

[CaminoRacer]

Jealous of this camber curve. Need more money for fancy parts...

[CaminoRacer]

Apparently O'Reilly's has Wix oil filters. I did not know this before.

[Eye of the Tiger]

O'Reilly gives me many free tiny screwdrivers.

[CaminoRacer]

I happened to notice this paragraph in my ignition box manual. I wonder if that's the cause of the run on/dieseling that occurs occasionally. Problem is, I installed the ignition two years ago on the other engine and it never had a problem. Only on my current engine, which also has a higher compression ratio. Maybe it's only getting enough current for a weak spark after shut down, which combines with the high compression to fire a couple times? And the spark just wasn't strong enough to do anything on the lower compression engine.

[CaminoRacer]

Going on 5 hours for my front end refresh. Can't get the damn lower ball joints out. Need to take the lower control arm off, but can't get one of the bolts off. Gonna have to buy an electric impact wrench.

[CaminoRacer]

Btw the ball joint press from autozone is garbage. It's not big enough to get both sides around the ball joint.

[CaminoRacer]

Btw the ball joint press from autozone is garbage. It's not big enough to get both sides around the ball joint.

So ball joints are outside of my toolset. Actually messed up one of the new ones, just a $70 mistake

Changing plans, just gonna get stock replacement BJs and take them to a shop to get installed. My camber curve won't improve but I am also replacing the upper control arm bolts so I'll be able to get more caster than before, along with the current -1.5* camber. (The previous plan was to back the camber down to -0.75* to get more caster. The decreased camber was going to be offset by the improved camber curve)

[CaminoRacer]

Uber'd to autozone to get stock style ball joints and then uber'd to a shop to get them pressed in. Got the driver's side lower arm reinstalled, need to get the passenger side done today. After that, just need to go back and swap the driver's side upper arm. I'm saving that for last because I'll need to disconnect the steering column and I'm lazy.

New springs. 650 lb instead of 550 lb.



New (old) upper control arms. The dirty ones prevent the suspension from drooping fully. I got a little more caster with them, but it makes coilover adjustment a PITA since the preload is too high.

[CaminoRacer]

Finished!

The stiffer springs seem to actually ride better. It's more planted and controlled.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Finished!

The stiffer springs seem to actually ride better. It's more planted and controlled.

[CaminoRacer]

Yesterday was another frustrating couple of hours. I was going to swap the new billet tie rod adjusters on, but had a ton of trouble with the tie rod and then my measurement was off so I thought they were too short to get the right toe adjustment. I ended up putting the stock adjuster back on and that's when I realized my measurement was way off somehow, since the wheel was hella toed in.

Today I had the great idea to leave the tie rod end hooked up and just toe the bitch all the way out until the adjuster came off. We'll see if I can get the new ones on now.

[CaminoRacer]

Done.

[CaminoRacer]

Best alignment possible was -1.1 camber, 4.1 caster. Good enough. Car drives great.

[CaminoRacer]

Finally replaced the bent fuel pump yesterday. Went ahead and upgraded from a rubber line to an aluminum hard line while I was at it. Much pretty, very like.

[shp4man]

Finally replaced the bent fuel pump yesterday. Went ahead and upgraded from a rubber line to an aluminum hard line while I was at it. Much pretty, very like.

Nice!