Project Christine slo Hackensteinberg

[theholycow]

How does one attach a ball joint press to the driveshaft U-joint? I just did a google image search and it looks like a C-clamp with interchangeable dies, but I can't figure out how it acts on the U-joint.

[theholycow]

Ok, so I measured the throws in the VW for comparison. Almost exactly the same! It was a little over 4 inches, compared to 4 1/2 for the S10. I may end up cutting the height of the shifter handle when it goes in the Buick, so...the throws ought to be fine.

[theholycow]

I spent an hour and a half working on it today but I just didn't have the energy to work. I:
- drained the T5
- loosened some bolts on the T5: support rods, crossmember, two bellhousing-to-engine bolts
- gave the Buick driveshaft a spray and a few more whacks (still won't budge)
- unbolted the exhaust pipe from the rear of the S10's cat (gotta get it out of the way to get the T5 out)
- attempted to unbolt the S10's cat pipe from the exhaust manifold (FAIL)
- noticed that the S10's windshield washer bottle might work better for the Buick than its original one so I unbolted it and tested where it might fit (found a perfect place if I move part of the AIR emissions system, which I hope to remove entirely).

I'm thinking I'll use the more modern, smaller, probably more effective, probably lighter, and almost certainly more free-flowing cat from the S10 on the Buick. I have to remove both cats and reinstall one on the Buick either way.

I'm sure glad I bought those metric deep sockets. I have no idea how I worked without them.

[1974Alfa5spd]

1. I'd like to put a small tachometer where the PRNDL is. Is there a 2 1/2" round tach that would match my brushed nickel gauge faces?

I once saw a 0-7k sweep tachometer that was about that size, but I can't seem to drag it up right now!
EDIT: It's not the sweep tach I was thinking of, and it's not quite 2.5" (2 5/8") and it's made for a diesel, but it should work (gets a signal from the alternator). Little pricey though.
http://www.amazon.com/AUTOMETER-2-5-TAC ... 41&sr=8-13


You're making me want to go out and buy a Delta 88 right now!

[theholycow]

Yikes, $125.

My tachometer needs:
- brushed/spun nickel/aluminum face
- 2 5/8 would be fine (it's going behind a hole in the dash), but 2 1/2 is perfect
- maybe 4000 or 5000 RPM max. If I was getting a big gauge I could just ignore half of it, but in such a small one I won't want wasted space. If I ever get over 4500 RPM I bet my engine will completely asplode.

I won't find such a beast so I'll just have to settle for the cheapest one I can find that's the right size, I guess.

It will go where the PRNDL is here:

[theholycow]

Found this...getting closer. Style is almost perfect, but it's too large (3 3/4"), it's $66, and it says it's for boat engines...I assume it would work fine with the car too.


I think I could probably actually use it, the numbers would be visible and the lines may be partially visible through the 2 1/2" hole it will be behind, but I don't think I'm willing to risk $66 to find out.

[LHOswald]

i hate the VW style RPM markers that are used on boats as well. x100 makes no sense in an internal combustion engine. if they idled at 100 rpm i guess it would make sense, but they are operated anywhere from 500-1500 at idle and can go from 5000-9000 (in a stock production car). you would already be used to it as i assume your rabbit has the same setup.

[1974Alfa5spd]

My alfa has that setup, so it goes from 10-70 and x100. The mercedes has it from 5-70 and is also x100, which is nice because it idles so low, something like 550rpm in gear.

On topic: I've never seen a prnd2l indicator quite like that. I like it. A lot nicer then the digital display our Yukon has.

[watkins]

http://autometer.com/cat_gaugeseries.aspx

[theholycow]

I don't really care x100 or x1000, same difference to me. To be honest, I had no idea VWs are like that. I'll have to look when I get in and see if mine is.

I too like the gauge style in the Buick. If I didn't love it, I'd just put anything in. I mostly don't care what things look like, but in this case I really love what's there and I'll be personally looking at it a lot.

Autometer doesn't have anything for me. The only thing they have with a spun aluminum finish is their American Muscle series, but the numbers are on an ugly black background, I don't think they have one in the right size, they all go to 8,000 or 10,000 RPM, and they are $200.

I'm going to try to hack a cheap tach. I'll get a gas gauge from a 1980 LeSabre, use its face/needle, use the guts from the cheap tach, and maybe some stick-on numbers or something. The LeSabre gas gauge is huge and the center is blank.

Or, I might go with a larger tach in the gas gauge spot and put a smaller gas gauge where the PRNDL was.

[1974Alfa5spd]

Or, I might go with a larger tach in the gas gauge spot and put a smaller gas gauge where the PRNDL was.

Your selection of gauges just shot up by about 90%.

[theholycow]

Or, I might go with a larger tach in the gas gauge spot and put a smaller gas gauge where the PRNDL was.

Your selection of gauges just shot up by about 90%.

Word. Then the hard part is the gas gauge. I'd probably have to hack the existing gas gauge to fit there. Maybe I'd use its guts behind the entire PRNDL face/needle. I could say that 'L' stands for 'low gas' and 'P' stands for 'plenty'.

Edit:
Plenty
Really, there's enough
Nothing to worry about
Depends how far you want to go
Low 2 go far
Look for gas now

Edit 2: Aw crap, I have to reverse that, I just realized the gauge goes in the opposite direction.

Edit 3: Ok, got it:
Park it or get gas
Really, get some gas
Nothing to worry about
Depends how far you want to go
Looks fine
Leave the gas station, it's full

[1974Alfa5spd]

Or, I might go with a larger tach in the gas gauge spot and put a smaller gas gauge where the PRNDL was.

Your selection of gauges just shot up by about 90%.

Word. Then the hard part is the gas gauge. I'd probably have to hack the existing gas gauge to fit there. Maybe I'd use its guts behind the entire PRNDL face/needle. I could say that 'L' stands for 'low gas' and 'P' stands for 'plenty'.

Isn't it an electronic gauge? Any unit from glowshit or autometer should work. Or even from one of the marine brands.

[noob5,000,000]

+

[theholycow]

Isn't it an electronic gauge? Any unit from glowshit or autometer should work. Or even from one of the marine brands.

...but it wouldn't match.

U-G-L-Y it ain't got no alibi it's ugly!

Have you ever heard me care about something looking nice? I know it's weird since I usually don't care but this is possibly the only time I've ever cared.

Anyway...


1. I don't need to find pedals. The S10 clutch pedal will be perfect. I figured out how to make it fit and I don't know if a pedal exists that would work better. I think it will be a little close to the brake pedal but it should be ok.

I just thought of a couple things. I have to mock it up again and see if there will be room for my knee to come up at the top of the clutch pedal's travel. I'm afraid the dash or the steering wheel could get in the way. The dash may also get in the way of the pedal arm itself.

The whole assembly will be inside the car more than it was in the S10. On the S10, there was a sandwich: clutch master flange - firewall - clutch pedal frame. The clutch master will penetrate the firewall in the Buick. Luckily, the flange comes off:

I'll just have to flash around it. I might make a flashing out of sheet metal, or I might make a rubber boot out of something like a shifter boot or a roofing Witch's Hat, which is made for sealing pipes that stick out of roofs.

Here's approximately where it will go.


I had to trim some extra bits off the clutch pedal frame for it to clear the fuse block in the car. I decided to rig my angle grinder up into a sort of shop tool. Kids, don't try this at home!


Before I got the clutch figured out I tried trimming the S10's brake pedal bushing. I am terrible at freehand stuff but I was confident that I could do this one. I was wrong. Luckily I won't be using this anyway - I neither need to, nor am able to.


Here's what it might look like if I did use that botched brake pedal and the clutch pedal right next to it without the clutch pedal frame:


They look good there but they're way too close.


I won't be doing that. I'm mounting the clutch pedal more to the left, and the brake will end up about where the brake is in that picture.

Here's where the clutch pedal will be. Unfortunately I forgot to get everything in the picture but I was just trying to photograph the way it just barely clears the fuse block. I'll probably put a guard between the pedal and the wires coming off the fuse block so it doesn't abrade and fray the wires.


2. I got the driveshaft off the Buick. I guess the stuff I sprayed yesterday did its job because it came right off today. I stuck a crowbar in it and barely touched it when it came loose.

3. I got one of the bolts off the exhaust manifold -> cat pipe. I have no clue how to get the other one off unless I can get like a 2 inch cutoff wheel for the dremel. Maybe I can do that, actually.

Bad news: My wife just randomly got pissed off at me. I asked if she wants to go to the air show this weekend. She said no way, and then didn't want me to go. While searching for some kind of reason to give me why I shouldn't go she cited her friend's birthday party that I wasn't going to anyway...pfft, women...