Was it a wonderful day or what?! Started to wear-in some new road
rubber today!
Thanks for the replies regarding the Weber/smog situation. I
removed the air pump and air manifold, and sealed the holes with Allen key
studs. BTW, if anyone ever needs to do this, be sure to buy fine threaded
studs, not coarse! Hooked up the 'tappet hose' to the air filter, and the
vapor scavenge to the carb vacuum inlet. Figure it might as well have
something attached, and no reason to hook up my non-functional
distibutor's vac. It's running pretty darn well, though I need to do
something about that darn distributor vacuum problem, cause it doesn't
idle very well.
Additionally, I changed out my old rear lever shocks (one was
totally shot) and installed Monroe tube shocks per the conversion that was
posted here on the list previously. I've just a few observations no one
mentioned, and I thought I might. First, my total cost was $60.57, using
Ace Hardware's grade eight bolts & such, and Monroe 5877 shocks. Set
aside some time, because dealing with the road grime caked on the
fasteners on the shocks and axle is quite frustrating! I figure show
people are going to keep it original, so the daily driver type's most
likely to do these conversions, hence the grime. Additionally, I'd
say it would probably be a good idea to replace the U-clamps and nuts that
go over the axle as long as your doing this. I didn't break any while
removing the seized nuts, but it scared me a couple of times (I could see
the U-clamp torsing), and I sure wish I had had new ones handy. Notice
where you need to put your jack stands when you're removing the U-clamps.
When I jacked it up to take the tires off, I started with my first stand
on the axle. Probably not the way to go! Find the bolts and nuts before
you find the shocks! The shocks are easy, found 'em at the first place I
tried. The nuts and bolts can be elusive (tried auto parts places, two
giant lumber yards, and a couple of department stores before someone
directed me to a local Ace hardware). It seems 7/16 bolts are not as
commonly available as 3/8 and 1/2, and 5.5 inch ones are especially rare
(I had to go with 6's).
How did the new shocks work? Well, to tell the truth I probably
should have been replacing my leaf springs, because the rear is still
pretty soft. I know someone mentioned that the Monroes (or an equivalent
I think) seemed too stiff. I would conjecture, possibly incorrectly, that
the stiffness in that case was due more to the springs than the shocks.
The dampening on my set is not all that stiff. In fact, I wish they were
stiffer, but leaf springs are prolly my trouble.
If anyone reads this far, congrats on being very persevering!
-Scott Allen
js-allen@students.uiuc.edu
"At dawn we will face the greatest test of our resolve. But I
say this: though starving, hunger will not weaken us; though diseased,
illness will not cripple us, and though weary, exhaustion will not claim
us. We can fight knowing that all true Reiklanders will forevermore
honour our valiant gesture of defiance, even though our bodies be left to
feed the beasts of carrion.
Mind you...we could always surrender." -Rick Priestly's Siege
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