79 Skyhawk

[AusRs]

i would also pull the front fenders off and have a good look around at the bottom of the inner fender ,rust appears to be a big issue in that place
easy enough to treat when the fenders are off ,if no rust paint it to make it last a lot longer

[Monzadude]

Patrick1151 I'm going to keep the caps for now. I'm not sure what all i'm going to need to put it back together. If I manage to get a whole new set and don't need these ones your welcome to them. I'm learning what a pain these parts are, so anything to help make life easier for someone else. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.


Bill

[patrick1151]

Ok, thanks. We may be able to get someone to make them. Dave from Dave's Vega village told me that he looked into it one time and they wanted $8 a cap. OUCH.

[Monzadude]

So now I'm really getting into the engine bay and cleaning up all the rust. After cleaning a section I've been spraying it with a rust inhibitor. Other wise after a day or two it's starting to show surface rust again.The passanger side is basically done except for the return line from the charcoal canister. Now that the canister is gone, what do I do with that line? Is it going to hook up to the new carb? Leading directly to the gas tank, I know I can't just leave it like that.
Now the drivers side I'm having a problem with. I can't get to all the rust with the brake booster and everything in the way. I'd remove it but i've never done that before. I know I can do it but what am I getting into? Is it hard to bleed the air out after or is it just a matter of bleeding all the brakes on the car?

I gave the passenger side a quick spray with some paint to see how it will look. I used some old high temp paint I had. I was thinking of using this stuff so the exaust won't wreck the paint. I noticed that the worst parts for rust are near where the manifolds and pipes run. Good idea or waste of money?

[patrick1151]

I have never done the the booster either, but I heard they can be difficult. You may need a vise to do it.

[Monzadude]

I don't know all the codes for these cars but is the c06 the glass roof? This is Skyhawk S. Just a base model. I just got it in June. Must be a different car your thinking of. If the C06 is the glass roof, I'd love to see one of those up close.

patrick1151 You were asking about the caps for the control arm bushings. Turns out I'm going to need them still. If I hear of any I'll let you know.

Bill

[fyrftr50]

Bill
The C06 is an Astro roof-equiped Skyhawk.

[Sirshredalot]

The booster is easy.

Hardest thing is getting the pedal rod undone...which is about a 10 minute job.

Simply unscrew and cap the brakelines, unbolt the whole booster/master cylinder assembly and pull itout with the pedal rod still attached.

Bleeding the lines is easy as well.

What i liketo do is get the whole car on jack stands and all four wheels off the ground and off the car.

After the booster/master cyl. is backon...fill it with fluid after the lines have been connected and open all the bleeders....
Keep filling the resovoir if it gets low but you shouldnt loose much fluid.

Watch the bleeders for air bubbles....youwant to see a steady flowing stream of brake fluid coming out...and once theyre all flowing ....tighten them all back up going from longest to shortest lines.
Ex: Pass rear, driver rear, pass front, driver front.
Dont pump the brakes...youcan suck air in the lines that way making it a long process....just let it bleed its self.

You shouldnt have to "bench bleed" the master cylinder as it will already have fluid in it...just keepthe cpon it when removed and maybeplug the lines to the master cylinder too if you have some fittings sitting around....if not...autozone or most parts stores sell the plugs for cheap in their brass sections.

BE CAREFUL!!!!...brake fluid will RUIN paint.

[Monzadude]

Thanks. That's kind of what I thought but if I'd just done it I'd have been wrong and made a big mess.lol. The proportioning valve just comes off as well? You said not to pump the brakes when bleeding them. What about one of the hand held bleeders that use a small pump and save the fluid? Or just let them bleed slowly?

Bill

[Sirshredalot]

Yup the prop valve just comes off too....

i would just bleed them slowly....AKA: Gravity Bleed.

What you can also do is go to the parts store and get some one way bleeder screws witht the check valves...That way you can pump the pedal a little and not let air back in the lines.
I always put teflon tape on my bleeders so that they dont freeze up.

I dont really like the vacuum bleeders because Ive really never been able to get them to work....and because gravity bleeding works so well.

God bless
-Shred

[Monzadude]

So the car's almost done for now. I'm just going to do a little every winter. This winter I got alot done but that was the worst of it.

I had a 4 barrel on the car but started having too many problems with everything else. I decided to put the 2 barrel back on for now so I can focus on the important stuff and come back to the 4 barrel later.

The rear main started to leak on the first start up so I had to change that. It was a new experience and seem to have worked.

The power steering pump blew so I got the pump out of my old car today. I think I had the lines on the steering box backwards. I'm not sure this would cause it but that's all I can think of.

All the front bushings are new as well as the upper and lower ball joints, the inner and outer tie rods. Also the idler arm and the stabalizer links.

The engine bay is rust free and the engine looks alot better. There's no more oil leaks.I put on new valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket and the rear main oil seal.

There was a rip in the drivers seat so I had it fixed. A local guy put a new panel in. It looks great. It should, it took him for ever to get it done.

The car goes in on wednesday for a full front end alignment and the exhust is being done. I have exhust on it right now but it's just cobbled together so it's not deafeing.

That's all for now. I'll probably try the 4 barrel again in the summer.

Bill

[fyrftr50]

WOW, what can I say, you've had a busy summer and the transformation is stunning. Great job BIll, I'm so envious of the work you've put into it. Like night and day. Cheers!

[spyder_xlch]

Nice job. Just paint the rear spoiler and gas cap.

[Monzadude]

I'm not sure i'm going to paint the spoiler and gas cap. I kind of like the black on silver look. The car isn't going to be painted for atleast a year or two so I've got lots of time to decide.

I still have to get new spark plug wires. The ones on the motor work fine but aren't the right ones for the motor and they're not all the same. Some are different colours and way too long for this engine.

I'm just waiting for a little more cash so I can get the new wires and finish cleaning up the look of the motor.

The car goes in tomorrow for the alignment and to get the exhust finished.
I can't wait so I can drive it alot more. It's still too loud to go very far and the wheels were just aligned with a measuring tape.

So far I like the look of the exhust. It's a single pipe to the muffler and 2 pipes from the muffler. I got the muffler and tail pipe assembly from the same person I bought the car from so it was made to fit these car nicely.

It sounds good so far but I'll know better once the front of the exhust is fixed.

Bill

[spyder_xlch]

Black on silver looks good, it's just that the black spoiler looks like you bought it aftermarket in gel coat and put it on. Know what I'm saying? Of course seeing it from the back and getting the whole picture does look alot better.