Finally. Wanted a Spider..more details!

[wizard124]

I used some of that weather stripping (I had left over from mounting the chin plate) on the heater core and it snugged into its place nicely. The fan and lower part of the box also went back together with no issues.

My new parts arrived including a heater valve, short pipe, fan switch, rubber hoses, and some gaskets. The PO hacked up the hole through the fire wall. And the long pipe took some re-bending in order to gain better clearance from the new short pipe.


I also needed to cut the dog ear off the heater box to be able to bolt the short tube onto the valve. This also eliminates the support bracket for the 2 tubes.


My hope was to add the proper gasket at the firewall but there was no way to do the repairs needed without pulling the engine and gaining access. It seems to me that without proper support of the heater tubes, engine vibration would transfer to the mounting surfaces at the heater core and cause leakage, wear, or some other problem. My fix was to add some cut aluminum screen around the heater pipes and then spray in some minimal expanding hard foam sealant. Not too pretty, but it is up out-of-sight. Tomorrow, after it cures, I'll connect the hoses. Maybe trim some of the foam.

[wizard124]

I connected the heater hoses and added a air bleed "T". My foamed in heater tubes are rock solid (I hope I never have to try and remove them

I bought both the long and short hoses and the bleed T from AutoRicambi. I should have bought one more short hose; I ended up using a piece of the old hose. In my case, FI with the existing "T", the new hose kinked when connected to the intake tube of the heater core. By using the old hose with the pre-formed bend, this issue was resolved.


I took her for a run to pick up my son at school. He wanted the top down...first time I have cruised top-less We took an extended route home. A bit chilly but the heat on the feet was so, so nice. No leaks, fan working with the addition of a new switch. A couple of more problems fixed

[SLOSpider]

Great to have heat . Someone took the heater assembly out of my 73. Its on my to do list to see if the one in the parts car is any good and get it installed.

[wizard124]

In the past couple of days (not many miles..) a clunk coming from the front end has grown noticeably worse. Wobble in the front end....Prompting me to tackle the front end re-build. Earlier pictures reveal cracked boots and I know that 1 lower ball joint is bad.....

It went up on ramps today so I could better assess the job I'm in for. I believe I did a ball joint or 2, years back on my '71. But removing A-arms and bushings will be a new experience A few weeks back, i added 90wt to the steering box and idler. I didn't see any leakage today So those components can be left alone...simplifying the job enormously

I removed the fender well liners and gave it a pressure wash. The metal is in very good condition...shock towers, cross member, quarter panels, etc. There is a factory coating that has held up well. I was able to loosen all the nuts and bolts with the exception of the right lower ball joint nut (darn hard to get a wrench on..I may end up removing the steering arm?). With all the nuts backed off, I hit them with some PB Blaster for a good soak. The tires went back on and it was rolled into the garage.

It will be a few days before I can get back at it. Parts on order. If any one has a good link/bookmark with pictures for this job, please respond. I mostly need info on the spring compression procedure

[RRoller123]

Use an INTERNAL spring compressor.

[4uall]

did this to remove coil spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1akqSJ ... A&index=35

then used this to put back in/on

[RRoller123]

You will find that you can't compress the springs far enough to completely eliminate tension, but you can put a jack under the bottom ball joint/a-arm, and then after compressing the spring as far as it will go withthe spring compressor, raise the jack just enough to hold the stack in position, (but NOT enough to cause the spring compressor to become loose!) remove the bottom nuts, and then slowly lower the jack and the spring will fall away as the lower ball joint releases (probably with a little BAH persuasion). The compressor will stay secured in the spring and you can lift it out. Leave the compressor in there for reassy. Then undo the top bolts and remove that A-arm and you are there. Overall a relatively safe way to do the disassembly.

[RRoller123]

Here is a pic with the jack method shown, and internal spring compressor. Don't use a bottle jack! The floor jack can roll a little to accomodate the geometry changes as the system compresses or extends. A bottle jack might tip over, with catastrophic results! (and hang the brake caliper from a rod or string to avoid damaging the lines)

[RRoller123]

Here's a pic of the finished job, with the liner reinstalled after suspension refurb. I actually used fender washers, not finish washers, and you can see 2 of them here. the fender washers distribute the forces well so you can tghten them pretty strongly and not damage the liner.

[wizard124]

RRoller, thanks for the pics and info. As they say, a pic is worth a thousand words. I need a spring compressor. Otherwise, I think I'm in good shape.

I plan to replace the brake lines, rotors, and pads while I'm at it. Clean and re-grease the front bearings.

A couple of more questions.
I read where it is suggested to grease the bushings, but not to use a petroleum based product. Is lithium grease acceptable?
Use basic wheel bearing grease? Or, use that same tub of Napa Lith-ease grease?

[RRoller123]

Hmmm I have no idea about the bushings being lubed.

[dmwhiteoak]

I lubed mine with anti- seaze as well as the ball joints and tie rod ends. Maybe it will make removal years down the road easier.

[4uall]

For polyurethane bushings, silicone spray is OK, silicone grease (often sold as "dielectric grease") is even better and usually comes with the bushings.

For regular rubber bushings, I'd stick with the old mechanic's trick of hitting them with soapy water (and I mean SOAP, not dish detergent or shampoo), or else a powdered dry lubricant- usually called "graphite" but its mostly molybdenum disulfide.

Rubber bushings are not meant to be greased... when intact and working properly, there are no "wearing" parts- the rubber simply flexes to allow movement.

[vandor]

>I was able to loosen all the nuts and bolts with the exception of the right lower ball joint nut (darn hard to get a wrench >on..I may end up removing the steering arm?).

You can always use a hammer and a chisel or punch to get it to start rotating. Just hammer one of the edges in a CCW direction until it starts to move.

[wizard124]

Just wanted to throw in a quick update. I don't want y'all to think i suffered major burn out and simply disappeared!

The front suspension is removed, A arms separated......awaiting bushings.

Brakes removed. I discovered that one of dust caps was torn. Project creep....awaiting parts.

Removed the front hubs to clean and grease the bearings. More project creep.....needed to replace one of the outer bearings and race.

Decided to paint the shock towers. Very minimal rust but due to all the horror stories..., decided the time was best to put on an extra layer of protection.

Removed and replaced the front brake lines. Had to use vice grips to loosen the brake flare fitting. The flare wrench set i bought from Napa is worthless! The 10mm just strips out the nut.

Re-torqued the crossmember bolts/nuts. Found the right sway bar bushing worn....replaced both sides.

Also, much cleaning, painting, and polishing of parts. Pics to follow...