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The Great Completely Rebuild Ms. American 3.14159's Front Suspension Caper

66K views 752 replies 27 participants last post by  Sibian 
#1 ·
Hey All,
It's been some time since we last had a "caper", and a lot of things have happened in the interim.

The latest "event" started the day before Christmas when Lorrie Van Haul and I were on our way home from Livingston, Texas and of a sudden there was a TERRIFIC amount of REALLY heavy vibration. It took about tens seconds to pull over and come to a complete stop. Put the Transmission into Park in order to get out and see what had happened. Thought that maybe a Tire had come apart, but upon inspecting everything under Lorrie, could find nothing wrong!

Got back in, put the Transmission into Drive, started to move and there was a HELLUVA "clunk" and then NOTHING!

Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine was running smoothly in Drive, but we weren't moving.

Put the Transmission back into Park, got out and looked under Lorrie and there lying on the pavement was Lorrie's Drive Shaft.

The Rear U-Joint had come apart.

Apparently one of the "C" Clips had broken, permitting the Bearing Cap to come out of the Yoke on the Differential. That permitted the U-Joint Cross to come out of the the other Bearing Cap and it too came out of the Yoke on the Differential.

Had a friend come tow Lorrie and me home and the Rear U-Joint was rebuilt and everything was copacetic once again.

And then things started getting weird!

Went to do some errands and shopping, and as we were pulling into the supermarket parking lot, Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine died. But it started right up again. It died again while waiting at the same stop light where Ms. American's Clutch Plate came apart some years ago. But again, it started right up. Made it home and just as we were pulling into the driveway, the Engine died again but this time it would restart!

But at least we were home.

Went out the next day, and no matter what was done, Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine wouldn't start.

It was suspected that the "Run" Switch had finally given up the ghost.

So the Negative Cable from the Battery was removed as was the Steering Wheel to make it easy to remove the Instrument Panel, and the "Run" Switch was extracted and put on the bench.

No matter what was done to it, it couldn't be made to fail.

So it was given a complete cleaning, and was installed with all NEW Fittings and Wires.

And then a complete diagnostic was done on the ENTIRE Ignition and Charging System. Everything checked out perfectly. Sill Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine wouldn't start.

Was nearly at wits end when just on a whim the Voltage to the Standard Bluestreak LX-301 Electronic Control Module (ECU) on Lorrie's Big Three HEI System which was shown to be getting 12 Volts when tested, was again tested, but this time WHILE the Starter was cranking and it was found to be receiving only 9.12 Volts!

Aha! The Starter was suspected of dragging and hogging all the Electricity.

Removed the Engine Cabinetry, and then removed the Starter. Took it to Smith Auto Electric where Wesley Smith tested it and sure enough, it was in terrible shape. Wesley rebuilt it and it was gotten back into Lorrie the next day.

Got everything buttoned back up, the Battery's Negative Cable reattached, and Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine started right up! BUT... The Stewart Warner Oil Pressure Gauge showed that it was putting up only 28 PSI of Oil Pressure.

Tapped on the Gauge, and the Needle went up to 38 PSI, but no matter what was done, it wouldn't go up to its usual and specified 50 PSI.

So it was concluded that the Stewart Warner Oil Pressure Gauge that had been installed in 1985 had somehow given up the ghost, probably due to the HORRENDOUS shaking it took when Lorrie's Rear U-Joint came apart.

Ordered another Stewart Warner 2-5/8ths inch diameter Oil Pressure Gauge from Summit Racing and installed it when it was delivered three days later.

Started Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine, and the NEW Gauge showed that there was only 38 PSI of Oil Pressure.

NOT GOOD.

So did some research and found that the Oil Pump on the Slant Six Engine has a Pressure Relief Valve that needs regular maintenance. Should that Pressure relief valve get stuck OPEN, it will keep the Oil Pressure from going up to the factory specified 50 PSI. Had NEVER in the thirty-nine year that Lorrie has lived with me done anything like doing maintenance on the Pressure Relief Valve.

So removed the Hex Plug from the Pressure Relief Valve in the Oil Pump and out came a Spring and a Piston. Both were perfect shape. Cleaned the Spring, Piston, the Bore, and the Hex Plug and reinstalled them. Still could get no more than 38 PSI out of the Oil Pump.

It was at this time that it was noticed that the Frantz Oil Cleaner System (FOCS) Canister was not getting hot, indicating that there was no Oil being pumped through it. On top of THAT, the Oil was BLACK, BLACK, BLACK! Something that had not happened in the thirty-nine years that Lorrie has had the FOCS on her mighty 225 Slant Six Engine.

Thinking that maybe the OLD Hydraulic Hoses on the FOCS was clogged, they were removed. Had to cut them to get them off, and then had to have NEW Hydraulic Hoses made at NAPA. Removed the Entire FOCS, cleaned it and determined that it was not clogged and was in perfect condition.

So it was suspected that the Oil Pump had finally given up the ghost.

Ordered a NEW Oil Pump and installed it when it arrived, and before starting the Engine, the Hex Plug in the Oil Pan was removed and all the Oil was drained out, and replaced with five quarts of NEW 10W30 Valvoline, plus a pint of Marvel Mystery Oil, and a pint of SeaFoam.

Started Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine and still it put up only 39.5 PSI Oil Pressure. AND when the Oil Level was checked, the Oil was again BLACK, BLACK, BLACK!

So there was something VERY strange going on.

The next thing to do was to remove Lorrie's Oil Pan.

Ordered a NEW Fel-Pro Oil Pan Gasket Set.

Drained the Oil out of the Oil Pan again. Removed the twenty-four Bolts holding the Oil Pan to the Block's Oil Gasket Flange. Removed an Engine to Transmission Bracket, and Lorrie's Oil Pan came right out.

Using a 1" Putty Knife, the years of road grime was cleaned off of the outside of the Oil Pan, and there appeared to be about 1/16" of an inch of oily soot in the bottom of the Oil Pan. Started to remove that with the Putty knife and found that what was beneath the 1/16" of oily soot was NOT metal! Got to probing what was there and it turned out to be a 5/16" thick plate of hardened Carbon!

Put the Putty Knife under the edge of that plate of Carbon and pried it out of the Oil pan. It had an indentation in it the size of the Screen Module on the end of the Oil Pump Pick Up Tube.

Did some research on this and found that Motor Oil WILL have the carbon in the Oil settle out if let sit for a prolonged period of time. You will remember that Lorrie sat for sixteen years (from 1996 to 2012). It was October of 2012 that she was finally back up and running.

So the strange thing that was happening was that in the little over a year that Lorrie has been back up and running, slowly, little-by-little the Carbon that had settled out of her Oil into the bottom of the Oil Pan was being dissolved and being brought back up into suspension. Then when the U-Joint fritzed, the vibration broke up the plate of Carbon and it began blocking the Oil Pick Up Tube going to the Oil Pump. The limited amount of Oil resulted in the low Oil pressure. That there was Carbon in the Oil was what was making it BLACK, BLACK, BLACK.

But Carbon is "soft". Graphite is Carbon and it is used for lubrication. The Carbon in the oil isn't going to harm the Bearing Shells in the Crank Main Bearing or the Connecting Rods. They are all fine.

So Lorrie's Oil Pan was cleaned, stripped, repainted Gold. Lorrie's Valve Cover was removed to inspect the Valve Train. Both the Rotating Assembly and the Rocker Arm Assembly were perfectly clean.

Permit a digression at this point. Since October of 2012, Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine has always been hard to start when it is cold (below 40 degrees). Would have to hook up the Battery Charger for an hour before attempting to start the Engine. Would have to use Start Fluid.

Alright back to the present: Installed the NEW Oil Pan Gasket Set. Installed the cleaned and painted Oil Pan. Installed the cleaned and repainted Valve Cover. Put in four quarts of 10W30 Valvoline Oil in the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Port because it is on the front of the Engine and the Engine is higher in the front than in the back and thus the Oil would run down the Cylinder Head lubricating everything it touched.

Put part of a quart into the FOCS Stand Pipe and applied air pressure to it to force the Oil into the Oil Pump to prime it.

Put in a NEW Filter Element and buttoned up the FOCS. Connected the Negative Cable on the Battery. Turned on the Run Switch. Activated the Start Switch. Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine started immediately and put up 55 PSI Oil pressure.

And she has been running perfectly ever since.

And you might think that this would end the "weirdness", but Noooooo!

Be aware that the Dodge Shop Manual says that the 225 Slant Six Engine holds four quarts of Oil without a filter. Five quarts of Oil with a filter. As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, five quarts of oil were put into Lorrie's mighty 225 Slant Six Engine.

After bringing Lorrie's Engine up to operating temperature, the Oil Pan got hot. The Valve Cover got hot. The FOCS got hot. The Engine was shut down. Checked the Oil Level and there was NO OIL ON THE DIP STICK!

Thought that maybe the Dip Stick Tube was clogged and that whatever was clogging it was wiping off the Oil when the Dip Stick was pulled. So the Dip stick Tube was taken out and a wire was run through it. A String was then attached to the Wire and pulled back through the Dip Stick Tube. Then the String was tied to a piece of Cotton Cord the Cord was pulled through the Dip Stick Tube. The Cord was then tied to a Door Knob, and holding the other end of the Cord, the Dip Stick Tube was moved back and forth cleaning out the inside. The Dip Stick Tube was then reinstalled, the Dip Stick inserted and still there was NO OIL ON THE DIP STICK!

Immediately thought that maybe the Oil Return Passages are clogged and the Oil isn't getting returned to the Oil Pan.

So just to see if Oil going into the Oil Filler Port would make it down into the Oil Pan, another quart of 10W30 Valvoline was added, and the Dip Stick Checked. There was about 3/16" of Oil right on the very tip of the Dip Stick. Remember, this is now with six quarts of Oil in the Engine.

Decided to put in another quart of 10W30. That brought the Oil level up to the "Add One Quart" mark.

Got to doing some research on this, and found that on government vehicles that one of the specification is that they have larger than normal Oil capacities. Not only does Lorrie have a Drop Forged and Shot Peened Crankshaft, she also has an EIGHT QUART OIL PAN!

So the next time we are out and about, am going to get another quart of 10W30 Valvoline to top off Lorrie's Oil Pan.

Alright... With all that said, there is an UP side to all this folderol.

The activity of the past month has rendered me in somewhat better health and am over being sore from working every day on Lorre. Have decided that I am going to try to rebuild Ms. American's Front Suspension.

What is planned is to get her back on the ground, and turned around so that her front end is facing the street. That is so if for some reason I am not able to complete the job, that she can be picked up and towed to Chassis Services in Livingston for them to do the work.

Once turned around, she will be put up onto six Jack Stand with the front End up high enough to be comfortably worked on.

Want to completely disassemble the Front Suspension. Clean and Strip all the pieces. Acquire all the necessary Parts and then reassemble them.

There is an Electric Impact Wrench here and all the necessary tools except for the presses with which to press the Bushing in the the A-Arms. But I can have that done at Chassis Services.

QUESTION: Am I, at this point in my life, capable of rebuilding the 3.14's Front Suspension?

Just turned 75 years old last January 30th. But am feeling good, am up and mobile, and have my neighbor Robert who will help me if something is too big for me to handle by myself

Or am I just having delusions of grandeur thinking that because I was able to handle this problem with Lorrie that I can handle another problem with Ms. American.

Whaddaya think?

Anyone?

Anyway, It's nice to be back posting here after a somewhat prolonged hiatus.

Hope this finds you all doing well.

Take excellent care.

JC
 
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#3 ·
Hey Gary,
Am thinking that if all the parts of the Front Suspension were just first removed, then the stuff like getting the Rivets that hold the Ball Joints in place removed would be simple. Also bolting everything back together would be easier. And once everything that could be done on the bench was done, that reassembling it back onto the 3.14 would be easier than to try to do everything with the parts still connected the old Gal.

And this is not to mention that everything could get nicely cleaned and painted so that it wasn't all greasy and mucky to work with.

And if worse came to worst, I could have someone come and do the reassembly with all the parts being like NEW and easy to work with.

Tim has been to visit me over on the DodgeTalk Forum and he said that YOU could probably do the whole thing in pretty short order. I figure that you're about ten times better at this than am I, so it would take me ten short orders to do it!

Whaddaya think?

JC
 
#4 ·
+1. The process is defined and each a relatively small step; meaning patience and deliberation are greater assets than physical endurance or ability. Go for it. It's a small elephant, eaten like a large one. :tup:

David
 
#9 ·
+1. The process is defined and each a relatively small step;
Hey David,
Have already spent quite a few hours with various implements used to scrape, chip, abrade, pry, and otherwise induce the build-up of fifty years of "stuff" that has over time adhered itself to Ms. American's Front Suspension parts. They are relatively clean already, but would like to see them returned to the condition that they were in when they were first assembled in the Los Angeles Ford Factory. That can only be done if they are taken completely off the vehicle, cleaned, stripped, primed, and then repainted.

meaning patience and deliberation are greater assets than physical endurance or ability.
Well, with Lorrie up and running so nicely, and IF she will just keep THAT up so that there is reliable transportation available, patience and deliberation are no problem for me. On the other hand, physical endurance is a variable amount commodity that relies on a balance of how much exertion VS how much rest one gets. As for ability, THAT factor seems to be a relative. I know that there are things that CAN be done because they HAVE been done. It's the things that I've YET to do that are in question. I mentioned that there is an almost brand NEW Electric Impact Wrench here. Seems to me that it would almost be impossible to get the 3.14's Front End apart with just Sockets and a Breaker Bar. Also, putting it all back together with just Sockets and a Torque Wrench seems to be kind of an invitation to disaster. Will just have to wait and see.

Go for it. It's a small elephant, eaten like a large one. :tup: David
Am feeling more and more confident by the minute!

Another factor that is encouraging is that this "caper" can be done "leisurely", since Ms. American doesn't HAVE to be ready at any kind of "deadline" rate. THAT factor alone almost predicates the doing of it RIGHT, and at an enjoyable rate.

Could certainly use some of THAT, considering that what was just done with Lorrie, though it took since the day before last Christmas till my birthday in January to do it, was all done with the stress and tension of knowing that I was being one hell of a nuisance to my friends and neighbors whose transportation was in need of borrowing, and help picking up and delivering stuff was needed.

Would you believe that it's almost uncomfortably warm and humid here already? And just a day or two ago, it was so cold that one couldn't go outside. Am hoping that Spring is just around the corner.

Am thinking of going out later today and maybe getting Ms. American turned around in the driveway so that if for some reason I am unable to get her Front Suspension reassembled, that she can have her Front End picked up by a tow truck and delivered to Chassis Services where THEY can do the reassembly. It would be impossible to turn her around with all the components of her Front Suspension removed and her facing the other way.

Anyway, thanks for the encouraging response. Can I REALLY do this?

Will just have to wait and see.
What will be will be.
Time will tell.
Be well.
JC
 
#10 ·
Hey Gary,
Well, while eating an elephant is done one bite at a time, eating a mule involves the more chewing one does, the bigger the bite becomes.

The secret is: Not biting off more than one can chew. :)

So here we go.

JC
 
#11 ·
Belated Happy Birthday JC
Hey Mon Deb,
Thanks, for sure. Am probably going to stop counting now. I mean, once three quarters of a century has been accomplished, it all starts to just get about the same from day to day.

It's great to see you again,
In the interim hiatus of the past year or so, have written forty-nine chapters on a NEW book that is at present in kind of a limbo as I'm experiencing a bit of "writer's block" due to having a number of different ways that the plot can go and can't decide on which one with which to proceed. Am torn between the more interesting plot where our hero becomes an evil influence, and the less interesting plot where he continues to be a good guy. The deciding factor appears to be the ending of this book with no conclusive climax and the writing of a sequel where the hero does a bunch of dastardly stuff and then redeems himself in the end. The prospect is daunting!

I think that THAT is why the enthusiasm for working on Ms. American is so attractive. It gets my mind off of the epic of these first forty-nine chapters to where what happens next can kind of grow and mature into more of a clearer course.

been wondering what you were up to!! Now i see, you have been rather busy.
Can tell you that getting caught up on all the stuff that needs to be done and not having anything to do is enjoyable for a little while. Then being idle till one is rested is good, BUT, then one begins to have feelings of uselessness with nothing to which to look forward. That becomes a drag.

Someone said that if one has finished everything that one has planned to do and has time left over, that one has not planned on doing enough. Still, I don't want to leave a bunch of projects half done.

The biggest factor in all of this is that none of us know how much time one has left. I mean all this could go on for another decade or more, or it could all be over tomorrow. You know what I mean?

Anyway, we will see. The road that stretches out ahead is shorter than the distance that we've already traveled. Am thinking that once everything is organized that Ms. American's Front Suspension Rebuild may take a month or so. But maybe not. "I don't know. I just don't know." (Sgt. Bilko as played by Phil Silvers).

Hope this finds YOU doing well.

JC
 
#7 ·
Welcome back - I think you will not only do fine at rebuilding the frontend, but will likely also leave some very detailed instructions to help out some future ford fans - plus maybe inspire a few 'late bloomers' not to let age be a hindrance at tackling new things...seventy-five/schmeventy five, ha...
I wouldnt be surprised one of these years to read about you driving to the pacific northwest to help Gary and Deb put the Shodrod's new quarter panel on or get Ms American painted :)

off topic, but BTW- we got my kids ranger's frontend back on, hes just got to touchup a few areas he missed underneath (ospho/bedliner) tomorrow and pop his fenderwells back in... hes a happy camper- nice little truck for a first vehicle, hope after all this work he will take care of it :) hopefully tonight was the last late evening on the ranger... we are all tired of it I think- the 'dark after work' and cold temps make things a lot less enjoyable- cant wait for spring :)
 
#12 ·
Welcome back
Hey Tim,
Thanks. Got back as soon as there was something on-topic about which to write.

I think you will not only do fine at rebuilding the frontend, but will likely also leave some very detailed instructions to help out some future ford fans
Will for sure have a bunch of JPGs as this kind of thing is very photogenic. :)

plus maybe inspire a few 'late bloomers' not to let age be a hindrance at tackling new things...seventy-five/schmeventy five, ha...
If I had known it was going to last this long, would probably have taken better care!

I wouldn't be surprised one of these years to read about you driving to the pacific northwest to help Gary and Deb put the Shodrod's new quarter panel
The biggest problem with THAT would be to find someone to feed the cats while I was gone.

on or get Ms American painted :)
There's so much more that needs to be done before the frosting on the cake. You know that only the Wind Wings work and only the Passenger Side Front Window still rolls down. The rest are in dire need of refurbishment to make them work properly. AND then there is the issue of the non-existent Window Gaskets. That's not so much a matter of being hard to do as it is being a matter of hard to afford.

off topic, but BTW- we got my kids ranger's frontend back on, hes just got to touchup a few areas he missed underneath (ospho/bedliner) tomorrow and pop his fenderwells back in...
This is the son that can or cannot drive yet?

he's a happy camper- nice little truck for a first vehicle, hope after all this work he will take care of it :)
Seeing as to how he put all the effort that he has into it, he most likely WILL maintain it well.

hopefully tonight was the last late evening on the ranger... we are all tired of it I think- the 'dark after work' and cold temps make things a lot less enjoyable.
That's almost universal. Unless one has a comfortable working environment, it's tough to have fun doing the work. I one time had the occasion to visit the AJ Foyt Facility. It was like a surgical operating room. Tiled floors, clean, clean, clean, and every possible thing that one could ever hope to have with which to build cars. And his Indianapolis Race Cars were immaculate. Not a speck of oil, grease, or dirt on anything. Am envious seeing as to how what happens to Ms. American and Lorrie Van Haul is done out on the driveway only when the weather is good.

cant wait for spring :)
+2.

Got up this morning and it was just humid here, but the temperature is dropping again which makes the humidity go away, though everything is damp. Supposed to have an 80% chance of rain today, but Spring is (hopefully) just around the next corner.

Anyway, may or may not get Ms. American turned around today. If it rains, will probably spend the day straightening up around here. There are things that need doing, but if they don't get done it doesn't matter.

Hope you guys up there in the Northern tier of States warm up a bit soon. This Winter has been a booger.

HIT

JC
 
#8 ·
Winter just gets started and i'm ready for it to be over. Might not be so bad if it wasn't for the darkness so early. Glad to hear the son is getting his truck put together. I'm sure that project is getting old.
 
#14 ·
Welcome back JC
Hey MJ,
Thanks. It's great to be back with the old gang.

and glad you are feeling well!!:tup:
Actually, I have been feeling REALLY good for some time now. Last visit with the MDeities was last August, and at that time all the indications were that this liver issue had gone into a bit of a remission. Have another appointment with them this coming Thursday, and am going to be picking up the results of the latest blood test tomorrow. If all the numbers are still normal (and there doesn't seem to be any reason to believe that they won't be), they might just conclude next Thursday that I may have outlived the attack of the killer immune system. Will just have to wait and see.

Good job on Lorrie!!:)
It has just taken the resolve to stick with it and take care of whatever happens as it happens. It has been somewhat of a hassle at times, but Lorrie always responds to what ever massaging she gets. The only problem with all this is the amount of trust and confidence that I have in her.

The NEXT thing with Lorrie is to try to figure out how to get better gas mileage. She is getting less than ten MPG, which isn't all that bad when she isn't driven any more than she is, which is just around town, but when it costs over $10.00 for a 30 mile round trip to Livingston, THAT'S a drag.

Anyway, it's raining here today and tomorrow, so Ms. American's "turn-around" is going to have to wait.

Hope this finds YOU doing well.

JC
 
#17 ·
Hey All,
The weather has finally straightened up around here and so tomorrow will find Ms. American being taken down off of the Jack Stands on which she has been sitting for a goodly number of months and put back on the ground.

Am going to air up the Right Front Tire which has gone flat, start her up, turn her around and put her back up on the Jack Stands in preparation for her complete Front Suspension Rebuild.

Presently Ms. American is under a plastic sheet held in place by a "poly-tarp". BUT have just recently acquired a heavy-duty, water-proof Canvas Tarp from Tractor Supply ($75.76).

Am going to make up an arrangement where by the plastic sheeting will go over the entire passenger compartment and be held in place with the NEW Canvas Tarp.

The Canvas Tarp will have a heavy nylon rope attached at each corner Grommet. Each Nylon Rope will have a loop on its other end and instead of tying these two ropes in the front and two ropes in the back together, they will be secured together with a heavy-duty Bungee Strap under some amount of tension.

This will make removing and replacing the Canvas Tarp and plastic MUCH EASIER.

Also, have a QUESTION: Lorrie Van Haul had, during her rebuild, a NEW Stewart Warner Fuel Gauge and Sending Unit installed. This assembly has its own 12 Volt power supply which goes through a Switch. When the Switch is on, the Fuel Gauge register how much fuel is in Lorrie's Gas Tank. BUT, when the Switch is off, it STILL registers how much fuel is in the Gas Tank, but when it gets down below 1/4 full, there is a discrepancy between what the Fuel Gauge registers when the Switch is OFF and when the Switch is ON with the Switch's ON position being the accurate indication. My question is: How come the Fuel Gauge registers ANYTHING without it having any power to it? Inquiring minds want to know! :)

Anyway, another bit of NEWS: Met with an ophthalmologist yesterday and made an appointment for a Vitrectomy to be performed on my left eye!

Remember when we were kids, we used to say: "Cross my heart, and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!"?

Well, that's what's going to happen with this Vitrectomy.

This is necessary in order to do what is called a "Broad Internal Limiting Membrane Peel in the Surgical Repair of an Idiopathic Macular Hole".

The surgeon is going to stick two needles in the right side of my left eye and two needles in the left side of my left eye and then cut a slit between the needles. The needles keep the slit from getting any longer.

He will then remove the vitreous gel from the eyeball and then fill it with a fluorescent green dye.

He will then remove the green dye which will have stained the macular membrane so that it can be seen under ultraviolet light.

He will then reach in through the slits and with a pair of forceps, do what is called a "pinch&peel" of the macular membrane. He will be able to see that it is completely removed when no more dye can be seen under the ultraviolet light.

He will then inject Sulphur Hexaflouride gas into the eye in what is called a "gas/fluid exchange".

I will then have to lie face down for five days, getting up only to eat, shower, and take care of bodily functions.

What this is supposed to accomplish is to close a microscopic hole in the macula of my left eye which has rendered me blind in the middle of my left eye. I can see around the periphery of that at which I am looking, but what I am looking at is obscured by a black dot.

This procedure has a 98.9% chance of remedying that situation with the first surgery and a 100% chance of remedying it with a second surgery, though the vision in my left eye will never be 20/20.

Was told that the surgery will take a couple of hours, that it will be done under local anesthesia, meaning I will be awake while they poke my eye with needles! They say that it won't hurt, but that I will see all kinds of weird things like lights flashes, colors and etc.) which are supposed to be quite beautiful, much like fireworks or psychedelic light shows.

If this is successful the vision in my left eye will be much improved. If it isn't successful, will completely lose vision in my left eye and will have to start wearing an eye-patch like a pirate or the Hathaway Shirt Man!

This is all supposed to go down on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 in Houston.

A full description of this procedure can be found here:

Elsevier

Will keep you updated on developments relating to everything.

Hope you guys are all doing well.

Take care.

JC

PS: Was doing some research on NEW Door Handles for Lorrie Van Haul and came across THIS:

https://home.comcast.net/~robmorg/oldmh/oldmh.htm

Some of these are just exquisite! :)
 
#22 ·
Hey Gary,
Thanks. This is going to an adventure. Since there is hardly any vision in my left eye as is, there is very little to lose by having this done. And HEY! It might even work! :)

JC
 
#20 ·
JC,

Sorry to hear bout your eye problem. Hope everything comes out OK.

It reminds me of when I had a similar diagnosis many years ago. They found that I had some crossed nerves between my optic nerve and rectal area. Final diagnosis was that I had a sh!tty outlook on life... :frown:
 
#24 ·
JC, Sorry to hear bout your eye problem. Hope everything comes out OK.
Hey Mr. K,
It has been an ongoing problem for a number of years and up till recently there was nothing that could be done about it.

It reminds me of when I had a similar diagnosis many years ago. They found that I had some crossed nerves between my optic nerve and rectal area. Final diagnosis was that I had a sh!tty outlook on life... :frown:
LOL! You're lucky that it was your optic nerves and not your taste buds! :)

BTW, Ms. American is once again sitting on the ground on her four tires. BUT wouldn't you know, it stormed here yesterday and early this morning, and now it has gotten cold again.

Anyway, I'll hang in here if YOU'LL hang in there.

JC
 
#25 ·
Ok that was too much info my eye hurts and i have goose bumps running down my spine. lol
Hey mon Deb,
The ophthalmologist gave me a printout of the webpage that was referenced and I read it carefully, looking up each and every word that I didn't know for its definition.

It took me a couple of days to get through it, BUT when I met with the guy who is going to do the actual surgery, we had a nice long talk using all the correct terms. He was kind of surprised but he seems to be quite competent.

My conclusion is that I'm going to be in good hands.

Good luck with the surgery JC!
Thanks. I'm confident that everything will be fine, and as I told Gary, I have little to lose.

AND, I'm going to be going to the Post Office later today to pick up my NEW Stetson 178 Glasses frames:

Buy Stetson Eyeglasses Online | Stetson 178 Eyeglasses Frame | OrderYourGlasses.com

After the surgery, will be able to have NEW lenses made for the first time in a number of years.

If the surgery doesn't work, I'll get to wear an eyepatch which in some circles (like the pirate community) is quite fashionable. :)

Hope this finds YOU doing well.

JC
 
#27 ·
Good Luck JC....
Hey Mr. MJ,
Thanks. This procedure is still over a month away. Isn't supposed to happen till April 8, 2014. Lots can happen before then.

it looks like I may eventually be a candidate for this surgery as well!! I am currently going through "Posterior Vitreous Detachment" and in the left eye it's pulling the Retina with it....UGH!!:(
Your surgery would be a bit less complex than this though. PVD is quite common. Happens as one ages. The ophthalmologist who is going to do the procedure noted that I have what YOU have in my right eye, but it has just started and needs no attention at this time.

Hope all goes well for ya!!:tup:
At this point, it's an "everything to gain and nothing to lose" situation. So thanks for the best wishes.

Two days ago, Ms. American was put back on the ground and I was all hyped up to get started on her Front Suspension Rebuild. Then it thunderstormed TWICE and got cold again. So here I am sitting inside where it's warm, wasting a limited number of days left doing nothing useful on the old Gal other than contemplating the procedures. I'll bet I've rebuilt the WHOLE Front End of the 3.14 a dozen time in my imagination so far.

Anyway,
We'll just have to wait and see.
What will be will be
Time will tell,
Be well.
JC
 
#28 ·
Hey All,
Went out and put a gallon of gasoline in Ms. American's Gas Tank.

Started her up and brought her up to operating temperature.

Shut her down.

Tried to air up the Right Front Tire. It wouldn't inflate.

Jacked up the Right Front and took the Wheel off.

The Tread on the tire was completely loose.

Put the NEW Spare Tire on.

Took the 3.14 off of the Jack.

Started her up, backed her out into the street, drove her to a neighbor's driveway and turned around.

Came home and backed her into the Driveway.

She felt fine!

There MAY not be anything wrong with the Front Suspension. The strange feeling that was interpreted as being a Ball Joint going bad MAY have been just the Tread coming off of the Tire!

Ms. American may not need her Front Suspension rebuilt after all!

Am going to get her up off the ground and do a thorough inspection.

It might be that she just needs NEW Front Tires. She has ONE now as the Spare was Brand NEW, having never been on the ground.

Will get another one for the Left Front and put the one that is on the Left Front now in the Trunk.

But today, the old Gal started right up and she sounds REALLY good.

She is much easier to drive than is Lorrie. Easier to steer.

Lorrie has such big tires that unless one is moving, one can hardly turn them.

Am going to be asking some questions about how to test the various components on the Front End to see if they need replacing, but that won't happen till she is once again up off the ground.

Right now, my neighbor Robert is using the Jack Stands to work on his 1996 Suburu Legacy GT CVU-Joints.

Anyway, as was mentioned previously, it MAY be that there is nothing wrong with Ms. American's Front End. Am gladdened by THAT prospect, but on the other hand I have gotten myself all enthused about doing the rebuild that it will be a bit of a disappointment not to have to do it.

Will keep you all updated as developments occur.

HIT

JC
 
#29 ·
hopefully after inspecting everything, it was just the tire- maybe shes messin with ya for spending all that time on Lorrie :)

I had to replace a tierod end and idler arm on my mercury this week, so freaking cold here cant get the garage warm much...if its up near 30 its no so bad to work in, but when its 20 degrees with the heater gulping a gallon/hour it just aint fun... had to put a battery in tonight, thought it seemed like it was cranking a bit slow this AM, had to get a jump after work. heater in the office at work quit today, was like 40 in there, was out in the substation about half the day, couldnt have been over 20, then out swapping a battery at 10:00 after running some errands... man I'm soooo tired of winter this year... freeze/thaw has destroyed many roads paved even just last year, my driveway heaved nearly 3" like a curb in front of the garage, my buddies garage is busted all too hell, had to file 1/2" out of a door striker just to get his door to stay shut, the 4 corners of his garage heaved bad enough you could get your fingers between cinderblocks, is sidewalk/steps pushed 2" 'downhill' from where they were poured 20 years ago...soooo much rain/freeze cycles this year its tearing up all kinds of stuff. one stretch of road downtown they were actually running a paver over last week as water was draining across it- road had deteriorated so bad it was wrecking cars...it now looks about like the first road Lightning Mcqueen paved in 'Cars', but at least its passable. sooooo, sooooo, ready for spring...but no, this weekend/early next week calling for about another 8" of snow :( dont think ive seen snow on the ground this long continuously since I was a kid- but we had 'global cooling' scientifically proven back then :)

best wishes on the eye surgery- amazing what they can do these days- but glad Ive only had to read about it- so far :)
 
#30 ·
hopefully after inspecting everything, it was just the tire- maybe shes messin with ya for spending all that time on Lorrie :)
Hey All, and especially Tim,
SURPRISE! Found this. Had already begun "The Great Completely Rebuild Ms. American 3.14159's Front Suspension Caper" thread.

I had to replace a tierod end and idler arm on my mercury this week, so freaking cold here cant get the garage warm much...if its up near 30 its no so bad to work in, but when its 20 degrees with the heater gulping a gallon/hour it just aint fun... had to put a battery in tonight, thought it seemed like it was cranking a bit slow this AM, had to get a jump after work. heater in the office at work quit today, was like 40 in there, was out in the substation about half the day, couldnt have been over 20, then out swapping a battery at 10:00 after running some errands... man I'm soooo tired of winter this year...
Hey Tim, just got through looking at the AccuWeather web page. They are predicting that it is going to be GORGEOUS here till Christmas! Oh, how I hope that is so. A mild winter would be so welcome.

freeze/thaw has destroyed many roads paved even just last year, my driveway heaved nearly 3" like a curb in front of the garage, my buddies garage is busted all too hell, had to file 1/2" out of a door striker just to get his door to stay shut, the 4 corners of his garage heaved bad enough you could get your fingers between cinderblocks, is sidewalk/steps pushed 2" 'downhill' from where they were poured 20 years ago...soooo much rain/freeze cycles this year its tearing up all kinds of stuff. one stretch of road downtown they were actually running a paver over last week as water was draining across it- road had deteriorated so bad it was wrecking cars...it now looks about like the first road Lightning Mcqueen paved in 'Cars', but at least its passable. sooooo, sooooo, ready for spring...but no, this weekend/early next week calling for about another 8" of snow :( dont think ive seen snow on the ground this long continuously since I was a kid- but we had 'global cooling' scientifically proven back then :)
I know what you mean. Next we're going to be daily warned about the Global WARMING "Ice Age". :) Climate Change can be a beech!

best wishes on the eye surgery- amazing what they can do these days- but glad Ive only had to read about it- so far :)
As it has turned out, all that folderol about eye surgery turned out to be fraudulent.

Nonetheless, it seems redundant to start a NEW thread when this one is already in place, so what is going to happen is that when something is related to the Brake Lines, it'll be reported on the OTHER "caper" that we've got going. When it is something related to the Front Suspension, it'll be reported on THIS "caper".

How's THAT for getting a "jump start" on relevant matters? And it's only taken almost a year for it to happen! :) My, my, how time flies.

BTW, would you believe that a BRAND NEW Wagner Lockheed 15/16" Left Rear Wheel Cylinder has been found? And it's only $13.00 with FREE shipping. Am going to order it this morning. Says it will be here by December 11, 2015.

Will have to redo Ms. American's Left Rear Brake Assembly, but it'd be worth it to have both Rear Brake Assemblies having Wagner Lockheed Brake Cylinders! :)

Take care.

JC
 
#33 ·
Hey Mr. MJ,
Know what you mean. But you just have to READ about them. I'm having to actually DO them!

Am going to make a concerted effort to get all the painting done today, then get the Rear Brake Lines made and installed tomorrow so that Monday will see me working on the Front Suspension Caper, which will start by removing the Front Brake Assemblies including the Back Plates.

Am feeling really good physically, which leads to feeling really confident about rebuilding the Front Suspension.

Will, as usual, keep you all updated if, when, and as progress occurs.

JC
 
#35 ·
Hey All,
Friday Afternoon Update:

Just got done Ospho-ing the Spindle Connecting Rod Adjustment Sleeves. They are going to get a number of coats of Ospho before they get painted. They are drying even as this is being typed.

Cleaned, stripped, and painted the Clamps that go on the Spindle Connecting Rod Adjustment Sleeves. They look brand NEW!

Cleaned the Nuts, and Bolts that go in the Clamps. They have a nice patina.

Cleaned, stripped, and painted the Grease Caps Gloss Black.

So it looks as if we are at the transition point where we go from The GREAT Replace Ms. American 3.14159's Brake Line Caper to The GREAT Completely Rebuild Ms. American 3.14159's Front Suspension Caper.

The ends of the Spindle Connecting Rods that fasten to the Steering-Arm-to-Idler-Arm Rod (aka the Center Link) have the same kind of Connector as does the Center Link. If the Center Link's Connector is worn out, the Center Link has to be rebuilt.

QUESTION: How does one know if the Connectors on the Spindle Connecting Rods are still good?

QUESTION: And if they are NOT still good, how does one go about making them good? Do they too have to be rebuilt?

Made an effort this morning to contact FCRC Machine (aka Rare Parts) about rebuilding the 3.14's Center Link, but they kept getting an error when trying to access the Debit Card Account. Have sent them an E-Mail to see how to straighten out that situation.

Am taking a bit of a break, and will be going out to see if Ms. American's Sway Bar can be removed. If it doesn't turn into a long ordeal, may even try to get the Shock Absorbers removed from the Front Suspension.

Anyway, things are going along at a reasonable rate and pace. Will keep you all updated if, when, and as procedure or progress occurs.

Take care.

JC
 
#36 ·
Hey All,
Friday Late-Afternoon Update:

Went out and tried to take Ms. American's Left Front Sway Bar Connection apart. The Nut was on so tight that not even the Great Neck Electric Impact Wrench could budge it. Part of the problem was that there was no way to hold the Bolt from turning when turning the Nut, nor any way to keep the Nut from turning when turning the Bolt.

The next GREAT step in the development of the human organism will be the growing of a third arm and hand.

Nonetheless, we are a tool using creature, so out comes the tools. With the help of a C-Clamp to hold the 9/16" Box End Wrench on the Nut to keep it from turning, and with the help of a pair of Vise Grips (wonder why a single Vise Grip is called a "pair"?) to hold the 9/16" Wrench from turning, thus:



It was just a matter of using a 9/16" socket and a 2'-0" Breaker Bar, to get the Nut to let go of the Bolt, and then the 9/16" Socket on a Ratchet to get the Bolt and Nut to part company, leaving THIS:



At the point at which this JPG was taken, I am right at my limit, but still have to get cleaned up. It is that little task after the limit is reached that is what is causing my physical condition to improve. It's a "No Pain, No Gain" type of thing.

Will use this same procedure to remove the Right Front Sway Bar Connector tomorrow. May even get the Brackets that hold the Sway Bar in place to come off.

BTW, that is some kind of heavy Sway Bar. It's bigger than an inch in diameter. It may be even 1-1/4".

Anyway, have been up since 1:00 a.m. Didn't get out till about 10:00 a.m. because it was too cold, and it's going to freeze here tonight. Have to go cover the Philodendrons and bring some potted plants inside. Then am going to load the Wood Burning Stove with some of the burnable trash collected over the Spring, Summer, and Autumn to where all that has to be done is to light it. We'll have a nice warm house in the morning.

In the meantime, will keep you all updated if, when, and as procedure or progress occurs.

Stay warm and dry.

JC
 
#37 ·
JC, It looks like the hole for the bolt in the lower control arm for the sway bar bolt is wallowed out. Comes from the bushings going away or improperly installed. It can still be used. just need to be sure the bushing is installed correctly.
 
#38 ·
JC, It looks like the hole for the bolt in the lower control arm for the sway bar bolt is wallowed out.
Hey Mr. 63,
Not knowing what it's supposed to look like, will just have to compare it with the Right Front Control Arm Bolt Hole. May have to have it welded properly. Will take special notice of that.

Don't know if you are aware of it, though it has been mentioned a number of times here on FMF, but Ms. American was apparently in a fender-bender at some time before she came to live with me.

The evidence of that is:
1.) There is some obvious body work done on the Right Front Fender.
2.) She has an improper set of Cast Iron Shorty Headers, indicating that probably the Passenger Side Shorty was damaged and both Headers got replaced. The "improperness" being that the ones on the old Gal now are the Headers for a Tri-Power, because the Carburetor Heat Fitting Hole is on the Driver's Side, and the Carburetor Heat Fitting Hole on the Passenger Side has a "delete" welded into it.
3.) The Left Front Brake Back Plate was a different color compared to the other three Back Plates.
4.) The Heater Assembly was badly installed, a situation that I rectified by doing it right. The bad installation involved a lot of "weather proofing putty" to seal it up. AND
5.) The Left Lower Control Arm has a boogered up Shock Absorber Mounting. Am going to have THAT welded up, maybe reinforced when it is finally extracted. Will have the wallowed out Sway Bar place addressed when having the Shock Absorber Mounting location fixed.

Comes from the bushings going away or improperly installed.
Again, my inexperience with this particular instance keeps me from knowing how it SHOULD be. But the Bushings were all in place when they were removed yesterday, so it MUST have been because they were improperly installed. Will have to find out the proper way of doing it.

It can still be used. just need to be sure the bushing is installed correctly.
Will have to find out how that is done. Thanks for the heads up on this.

It got down to 30 degrees here last night. Won't be warm enough to work outside till about 10:00 a.m., but will be out taking the Right Front Sway Bar Connection loose just as soon as it is warm enough.

Anyway, am looking at all that needs doing as it is realized that it needs be done. There has to be a way to do all of this, but am not able to figure it out till we get there.

Will keep you all updated if, when, and as procedure or progress occurs.

JC
 
#41 ·
The bar itself may not be able to be removed without first removing at least one of the lower control arms?
Not sure about a 64 but a 61 is that way. Scott...
Hey Scott,
Nice to see you. How have you been?

Just went out to see if the Sway Bar will come out if the Brackets and Bushings are removed, and can't tell. It has some strange bends in it which may or may not make it possible. It might be able to be "snaked" out one side or the other, but maybe not. Will just have to wait and see.

Anyway, thanks for the response. Hope you are well out there in San Antonio.

Take care.

JC
 
#40 ·
Hey All,
Saturday Mid-Morning Update:

Took a 9/16" Wrench, a 9/16" Socket, a Ratchet, a Breaker Bar, a C-Clamp, a pair of Vise Grips, and a pair of Gloves out this morning, and in five minutes had the Right Front Sway Bar disconnected from the Lower Right Front Control Arm. Spent over an hour yesterday doing that to the Left Front Sway Bar.

As Mr. 63 mentioned, the Sway Bar Bolt Hole in the Lower Left Front Control Arm is "wallowed" out as seen in this JPG:


Compare that with the Sway Bar Bolt Hole in the Lower Right Front Control Arm shown in this JPG:


Will have that repaired at my friend Dale Gallier's Welding Shop in Livingston when the time comes.

Have been doing research on who makes the best Ball Joints. PST has a lot of negative feedback around the Internet. Moog and Raybestos have a lot of positive OLDER feedback, but lots of negative NEW feedback.

Have watched the propaganda by Moog and Raybestos, and if what they say is the way it really is, Raybestos seems to be better designed. What Raybestos says is BAD about Moog's design, Moog says it GOOD about their design.

From those of you who KNOW about this kind of stuff, who do you think is the best?

Anyway, Lorrie Van Haul is going to take me out and about this morning.
The NEW Front Wheel Cylinders are supposed to be at the Post Office. Have some shopping to do. Am going to get a NEW pair of Work Gloves at Sayco Hardware. Am going to stop and see Tim Bryant at the A Bit Personal Computer Shop to see how he is doing.

Will be back between 12:00 Noon and 1:00 p.m. and am going to Ospho a bunch of well rusted parts in preparation for painting.

Will keep you all updated if, when, and as procedure or progress occurs.

TC

JC
 
#42 ·
Hey All,
Saturday Late-Afternoon Update:

Got Ms. American's Sway Bar Brackets removed! Broke the Bolts loose with a 9/16" Socket on a Breaker Bar, and then screwed them out with a Ratchet.

Scott was right. There is no way to get the Sway Bar out without taking down at least one of the Lower Control Arms. So the Sway Bar is just lying there loose awaiting the day when it is free, and can be cleaned and painted. Am going to be cleaning and painting the Brackets and cleaning the Bolts. Have already taken JPGs of them for a Before&After portrait.

So we are one step closer to having the Front Suspension Disassembled.

Will keep you all updated.

JC
 
#43 ·
What a hassle. I got my front end put back together, sans swaybar, before I realized the trouble I was in. I tried for at least a couple hours cumulative before calling Greg Donahue. Cant get it back in the car without dropping one of the arms. As such, I guess you cant get it out either without cutting it.
 
#45 ·
Hey Mr. W,
It's at a time like this that it helps to cultivate the attitude that the reason we're doing this is because it is enjoyable fun, and thus mistakes are just a way to have MORE enjoyable fun! :)

I don't think that this is something I could do for a living, and the times that something absolutely needed fixing and it HAD to be fixed pronto or else, all the philosophizing about it being enjoyable went right out the window.

BUT, all the skill and finesse' acquired while having fun is of GREAT use when something is in dire need of repair.

Anyway, "All's well that ends well." (W. Shakespeare)

Thanks for the response.

Take care.

JC
 
#44 ·
You might also consider making a mental note of the direction of the bends so that you are sure of reinstalling it in the correct orientation when the time comes to put it all back together! It may be possible to install it upside down as you will have the lower control arms off at the time and not have them for reference to make sure the bends clear. No need to ask me how I know that?


By the way, I am in Austin rather than SA.


Scott...
 
#46 ·
You might also consider making a mental note of the direction of the bends so that you are sure of reinstalling it in the correct orientation when the time comes to put it all back together! It may be possible to install it upside down as you will have the lower control arms off at the time and not have them for reference to make sure the bends clear.
Hey Scott,
GREAT heads up! Thank you so VERY much. Will do that. Probably put an "L" on one end, and a "R" on the other with the sets of punches that belonged to my father.

No need to ask me how I know that?
Which relates to my awakening this morning with a bit of trepidation about putting Ms. American back together properly.

That JPG of the "wallowed" out hole in the Lower Left Control Arm at first was taken to indicate that it got there by something not being quite right. But got to thinking about it, and cannot figure out HOW the only thing that would do something like that would be the Bolt that goes through that Hole.

Got to looking at the Bolt. It shows no evidence of being what wallowed out that hole. Besides, the Hole looks like it was done on purpose!

Remember that it was previously mentioned that the old Gal had had a Right Front Fender Bender. That among other things, might have required a NEW Sway Bar. And after installing the Right Front Suspension Assembly, whomever was doing the repair found that the NEW Sway Bar was a bit longer than the OLD Sway Bar, and decided to modify the Lower Left Control Arm to make it fit.

My intention of having that repaired by welding on it MIGHT make it to where it won't go back together.

Leaving it be the way it is isn't going to hurt anything because all the forces involved are vertical, not horizontal. The Sway Bar doesn't appear to have to move sided to side. It just moves up and down.

Am thinking that as long as the Washers on the Bolt can't go through the Hole in the Lower Left Control Arm, that it will be all right.

If anything, might want to weld up the ORIGINAL part of the Hole around the wallowed out part. Whaddaya think?

By the way, I am in Austin rather than SA.
Aw Geeze. I hate it when THAT happens. Sorry about that.

Thanks again for the reminder about the Sway Bar orientation.

Anyway, all seems to be going well so far. Will keep the updates coming.

Take care.

JC
 
#47 ·
You can be certain I always keep in mind this is a hobby we do for fun. But by the time this all transpired, I was done with dealing with those springs. The fact I had to take one back out and put it back in made me pretty sad for awhile. We made it though :smile2:
 
#49 ·
You can be certain I always keep in mind this is a hobby we do for fun. But by the time this all transpired, I was done with dealing with those springs. The fact I had to take one back out and put it back in made me pretty sad for awhile.
Hey Mr. W,
Know what you mean. Figuring that the toughest part is done only to find out that it has to be done again has to be a MAJOR disappointment.

Had a somewhat similar situation just the other day when installing the Rear Flexible Brake Line Hose. The forward end of it had to be attached to the Bracket that secures it to the Frame before attaching the rearward end to the Junction Block on the Rear Axle.

Got it all assembled, took it out, only to find that it was attached to the Bracket backwards! Well, it is no big deal to change THAT, so took it apart, turned the Bracket around and installed the Clip.

Went out to once again install it, only to find that once the Hose was threaded into and tightened to the Rear Junction Block, that the Bracket was on the wrong side of the Hose to fasten it to the Frame! Fortunately all that had to be done was SPIN the Bracket around, but the point was: That there were two things that could be done two ways and in both instances I had done each of them the wrong way! Zero for Two! :(

We made it though :smile2:
The only way to fly! :)

It's time to go eat. Hope you are having a nice weekend. Take care, you hear?

JC
 
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