terc #6

[marlinh]

I'd also be happy with one.

[irowiki]

PM me your mailing info and I'll see what I can figure out for the actual shipping costs!

[dlb]

yeah, that's an excellent price for shipping. i'll definitely take it if that's the case. i'll PM you my address.

[Petros]

irowiki,

you will need one of those vac advances for the '84 DLX, we can install it when you get to my place. It should improve the hwy economy. Bring one for me too if you have any left!

[irowiki]

Wow, I was keeping one spare for the wagon I would eventually buy anyway! I have three left, dlb and marlin have dibs on two, and if mark doesn't want the one I offered him I'll bring it up.

[Mark]

Thanks, but you'd better keep it. A distributor with actual working vacuum advance would just make me check my timing every few days just to make sure the rare and miraculous diaphragm-without-holes still works.

[c_j]

some parts for dlb if he wants them:

parts and more parts.JPG

Sorry, the Tilting Terc trailer is not included in the offer.

[dlb]

yes please to all those. i've also found a few more things i need so i'll send you a PM in a bit.

[irowiki]

Had a nice surprise right before we left on our trip!

[dlb]

haha, nice. i should report that the new vacuum unit i bought from paul showed up and i'm very pumped to get it in the car eventually.

been busy with work though and haven't made much progress in the last week. so far i've replaced the rear wheel cylinders and park brake cables, antenna, radiator, both rad hoses, front sway bar collars and one bad bushing, inner and outer tie rods, strut cartridge and strut mount on one side, complete exhaust system, and shifter bushings. also lubed the heater controls, repaired the heater resistor pack and charcoal canister, and replaced a few burnt out light bulbs. still waiting to get the other replacement strut cartridge. once i get both struts in, i can put the brakes and new CV axle on, and then it will be on to the engine, carb, and trans oils.

[marlinh]

That's quite the to-do list.

[dlb]

just another update. i replaced the bad CV axle the other day and when i did, no gear oil came spilling out. i had the one side jacked up but i was still a little alarmed so i leveled the car, removed the filler plug from behind the driver CV, and stuck my finger in. couldn't feel anything. cracked all the drain plugs and put the old gear oil into an empty oil jug. there was only about 2.25 L in there and the trans should have 3.9 L. i was a little scared but the car had been sitting for at least a few years and there was a visible trans oil leak so i figured it probably drained slowly in that time. also, while i couldn't test drive the car due to the brakes being frozen, i did start the car and let it idle with the shifter in neutral and did not hear any whining or growling, and it shifted into all gears ok, so i was pretty sure the trans would be alright. i filled it with new gear oil and hoped for the best.

finally got both struts in. i had troubles with a few strut cartridges popping when i released the spring compressors. on the first one, i released them using a ratchet but on the second and third i used an impact gun. i was very careful with it, backing off each side only a few hits at a time and alternating between both sides so that they were even, but maybe it was still too much, too quick, because the fourth time i used a ratchet again and it worked. lesson learned.

after the struts were in, i put the knuckles on and replaced one ball joint, lubed the front brakes and installed them, bench bled the recently rebuilt master cylinder i got from mark, installed it and bled all the brakes. i found a pinhole leak in one of the rear steel lines and the other one looks almost as bad so i will replace them next. installed the rear sway bar i got from c_j, filled the rad with water for now, and started the car for the first time in several weeks. stepped on the throttle a few times, cranked the engine for about 10 seconds, and it fired right up. tested the brakes, they felt solid except the park brake is still not as firm as it should be so i'll look at that some more. went for a short test drive and the car drove really well, transmission included (for first, second, and reverse, anyway). that meant i was able to move it out from under the trees and into the car tent. no more working in the rain, soaking all my damned tools. hoo-ray!

[dlb]

replaced the rear steel brake lines the other day and went for cruise around the block. the engine ran strong and the trans shifted into all gears well but the temp climbed up pretty fast so i booked it home before it got too hairy. the gauge was up to 3/4 when i shut it off. a few days later i pulled the rad and put a hose in it to check for flow and all seemed well there. replaced the thermostat and rad cap and went for another drive and it was better but still a little hot. the gauge tended to sit just slightly above halfway and would climb a bit higher when taking hills fast so i wonder if there is just some air trapped in the line right now. i'll keep checking and filling the rad and see if it doesn't solve itself.

i also adjusted the valves and replaced the valve cover gasket. checked the dizzy rotor for spring-loaded play and it was good. pulled the dizzy and replaced the o-ring and installed the new vac advance diaphragms irowiki sent me. put the dizzy back in, set the timing to 10* BTDC. checked the compression again to see if adjusting the valves helped with the low compression in the #3 cylinder (it was 190, 200, 150, 190 when i first got the car) and it did! this time they were 162, 170, 170, 162. i forgot to hold the throttle open on this test so the #s are all a bit lower but the important thing is that the #s are all within a very small range.

even with new bushings, the gear shifter was still a little sloppy so i pulled it out and looked at the grooves on the large ball that the guide pins sit in. they were pretty badly chewed up so i used JB weld to build the worn areas back up. after it had set i used a coarse file to smooth and even it. put it back in yesterday and it made a world of difference. i'll take pics if i ever have to do it again on another terc.

[irowiki]

Might still be a clogged radiator, does cranking the heater to the max help at all? Upper radiator hose?

[dlb]

yeah, i've thought about it still possibly being the rad. i think c_j has another rad i could try so i might do that if it still runs hot even after all the air seems to be out of the system.

both rad hoses were replaced too, so i think that leaves air in the system, clogged rad, and head gasket as the suspects. i'll try working through them in that order.