You have to want it

My big ol' '58 really fills up one garage stall. Weather permitting, I roll it out into the driveway so I have more room to work on it.

It's getting colder out, so I'll be doing more work inside the garage. Here you can see I have a decent amount of space to do my front disc brake work on the driver side. I started with this side because I knew I would be getting up and down a million times troubleshooting problems.

On the passenger side, it's pretty tight. I have a cheat method of moving a car sideways using my big floor jack, so I can gain a little more room than this. But it's still not real comfortable.

My point is this: sometimes working on cars can be a bit physically difficult and uncomfortable. So you really have to have a passion for it to put up with inconveniences. And my garage is luxurious compared to some places I have done work.

Back in about '84 I had a '68 Impala convertible project car stored outdoors in Poughkeepsie. I would drive up to there with my little tool box, after work, during the winter, in complete darkness, and get to work. I think I was doing a clutch swap or something. I'd slide under the car, on the snow, on a little plastic sled. Holding a flashlight in my mouth, I'd work until my fingers were numb, then get back into my daily driver and try to warm up again. Go back under and work some more, etc. I think I did this for a week or so, but the thing is, I was just doing what it takes to get it done. You don't do that without passion.


Now I have this great little propane heater in the garage that I got from my good friend Joe V. Ahh, toasty.

Nothing great happens without passion. I know I don't have to do this, but I want to do this. So I make things as comfortable as possible, and I can get stuff done. I love my garage, and I have a passion for cars.

This is why I don't like newer cars

I own this big white truck that I call "the big white truck". Overall I am very satisfied with it. One thing I do not like so much is that it is too new. It's a 1997, so why would I consider a 15-year-old vehicle new?

Well, for one thing, it has power windows. Man, I hate power windows. I hate power windows because they break, or fail to work, while old style hand crank windows never fail to work. I had a Suburban that I replaced 3 window motors on, and I also had an older Dually that had crank windows, which I loved. BTW, each time you replace a window motor, say goodbye to about $100 for just the part.

Needless to say, the power windows on the big white truck broke. The front passenger window did not work from it's switch. It would still work from the driver's door switch, but this was not real convenient for the passenger.



I replaced the passenger side window switch a while ago, at a cost of about $35, if I remember correctly. This did not fix the problem.

My fellow mechanic friend recently diagnosed the problem down to a faulty window lock switch. The window electrical circuit(s) were too complicated for me. Why a window lock switch is necessary, I do not know. If I'm driving down the road, and one of my passengers feels the need to open a window and jump out of it, far be it from me to curtail their liberty with a paternal window lock switch. So of course I have never used this switch, but it's part of the circuit, so I need to fix it.

I got the new switch, again at a cost of about $35. I installed it, and the passenger window now works from the passenger door. But here's the thing: look at this wiring inside the driver's door switch area.

Is all that really necessary? Just because people are too lazy to crank a window handle? Really?


I'll tell you what the reason is; it's because the carmakers have to justify newer cars and higher prices. See, cars have reached the relative end of their evolution. The new car you can buy today has the same basic configuration cars of 50 years ago had. So to get you to buy new cars, they have to pile on dubious new features. Like power windows. That break. Oh, did I mention that the automakers also sell parts to replace all the stuff that will likely break? No, it's true.

Another look at the same wiring. I mean, really?

I guess I hate power windows because I don't understand their complicated wiring, and yes that is my shortcoming. But I also hate them because I feel they are an unnecessary complication that will cost you plenty when they break. Which they will.

Yes, I am a bit of a Luddite, but I just prefer elegant simplicity. No frills or junk. Form follows function.

Perhaps it's my Scottish heritage, and their disdain for frivolity. Perhaps its my many years in engineering, where parts 'left off' don't fail and keep costs low. Perhaps it's my passion for drag racing, where extras just add weight and slow you down. Likely it's all three factors that shape my viewpoint, and I'm ok with that.

Just don't get me started on sunroofs.



I like to have a system for things. Plus Nanatechnology

Here is the '58 in the garage. If the '58 has a downside, it is its sheer size. This thing really fills up a space. See how tight it is in there?

That's what she said.


So to give myself some working room, I like to roll the car out of the garage and work on it in the driveway. My driveway has some slope to it, so getting it back into the garage takes some doing. The slope is too much to just push the car in by myself. About 10 years ago I tried that with my dragster (a much lighter car) and did in fact rip out a previous hernia repair so that I needed yet another hernia repair on top of it. Yes really. Too bad I didn't have Nana-technology*.

I then mounted an electric winch to the rear garage wall, and I used that for a while to pull the car back in. Eventually I could see how much the wall flexed while using the winch, so I got a little concerned that I was going to pull my whole house down doing this.

I now use the "tugboat" method. I drive my daily car up to near the garage door, and roll the '58 out until they rest bumper to bumper. I can reverse the cars down the driveway in a controlled fashion, and then push the '58 back in with the daily when I'm done. I chock the '58's wheels if I have to move the daily car.

You can see I have refined this method by placing a tire between the cars to minimize scratching and to add a cushioning effect. The problems with this were that it was difficult to place the tire initally, and it would sometimes slip down and just fall under the cars during the procedure.


My final improvement:

I put a loop of rope around the tire that I can just slip over the hood latch mechanism on the '58. This keeps the tire in place, and is easy on/ easy off.
Here's a long shot of the set-up. Yes, I have to get out of the daily a couple of times while doing this to monitor the side clearances and adjust the '58's steering wheel.

I like to have a system for things. Especially things that I have to do repeatedly, or are dangerous, or are tedious. Especially if it's all three.  But so far this has worked out pretty well. No more hernias. Controllable. Simple. Cheap. It's a good system.

*I hear a lot about nano-technology. I don't know what that is, and I don't know why it is such a big deal. My idea is nana-technology. You know, nana, like your sweet old grandmother. The thing is, individually they're kind of weak, so you have to amass a lot of nanas to get it to work. Think about having like 100 nanas, all working at once to help you out with a task. Think about how much you could get done with the combined power of 100 nanas.

There would be some inefficiencies, like some taking a break for tea, and some needing a nap, and probably they all want to watch Golden Girls when it's on. But the sheer number of 100 nanas means something would inevitably get accomplished. They would have the '58 pushed into the garage right quick. Plus they would be bringing you snacks, and knitting you sweaters, and all the other nice things nanas are known to do. I know, the more you think about it, the more you like it, right? Nana-technology.

Photo source: The internets. IDK who took it.

Special tools

On the front disc brake kit, the outside of the rotor is sealed by what is called a dust cap. This keeps dust (or more importantly, water, dirt, and other yucky contaminants) from fouling the outer bearing. The cap has a flange that just presses into the rotor.

Here is the rotor end where the dust cap goes.

Like so. Of course, it is not inserted here, I have it just laying on the rotor. You can see the gap of about 3/16".

The cap just gets (for lack of a better word) pounded into the rotor until it is seated. There is an interference fit that keeps the car in place, it doesn't just push in by hand. The cap deforms a little to fit and remain snug. Normally I would just hold the cap and tap around the edges with a hammer, possibly also using a flat tapered punch, or more crudely, the end of a screwdriver, to really get the flange seated tight.

The thing is, the style of wheel I am using does not cover the rotor end and dust cap. They are supposed to poke through the wheel and be exposed, it is part of the look. So I want the cap to look nice, and not have all these little dents showing around the edges. What to do?


Make a special cap installation tool, of course! I must confess, this is not my original idea. I once bought a special set of wheels for my dragster, and they came with a tool like I will make.


At my local home improvement store, I quickly found a PVC fitting that fit over the cap end, registering on the flange. I will put this on the cap flange, and pound on the other end to seat the cap. Except it's kind of a sloppy fit, the cap doesn't center in the fitting end nicely. The fitting is a tad too big.

Ah, here we go. The other end of the fitting is threaded, so it has a smaller inner diameter. Of course, it is a little too small for the cap to fit in.

I chucked a drum sander tool into my drill press. I started sanding out the threads, around and around. I stopped a couple of times, checking the fit of the cap.

Within probably 60 seconds total, I had bored the fitting out to an acceptable size. The cap fits in nicely.

Like so. Now I can use the fitting-pounding-tool and do a nice installation, while keeping the cap unmarred. BTW, the fitting cost $.98, making this simple and economical, just like I like.

Front brake hoses; nothing is simple

Most people don't realize that when they push on the brake pedal, the pressure in the brake system can spike as high as 1000 psi. The lines in the car are made of steel, or a metallic alloy, to handle this pressure. Brake hoses are flexible links between the brake hard (metallic) lines on the car and the individual wheels. They are necessary because of the movement of the suspension. The disc brake kit we installed includes new hoses. Of course these are for a later model application than the 1958 stockers. And of course they don't just bolt on without some modification.

Here is another look at a stock hose. For all I know, they could be original, making them 54 years old. I have seen brake lines go bad in 10 years. Without even looking closely, you can see major cracking of the outer material. Trust me that brake lines crack internally way before they crack externally. Internal cracks cause flaps of material to block the passageway, leading to uneven brake pressure. This causes a car to pull to one side under braking. When both fronts have this problem, the car will dodge left and right under braking. It's a pretty scary feeling, and I hope you never experience it.

It's hard to see here, but I'm using the pointy ends of my dial caliper to measure the brake hose anchoring hole in the frame. On the '58 the hole is a consistent diameter.

The new hose ends have a unique shape where they fit into the frame, sort of an elongated oval with two flats on the ends. These fit into similarly shaped holes in the frame of whatever car they are designed to fit; this is still a common configuration. The idea is that you can wrench on the hard line fitting without the hose spinning since it is keyed and cannot rotate.

Here I am measuring the rough width of the oval part of the fitting. If this was a constant diameter it would slip right into the frame hole.

Just to confirm the diameter I need I measured the old hose end.

The eternal question is; do I grind the hose ends into diameters to fit the frame, or do I file the new hose end profile into the frame tabs? Normally I don't like to modify parts, because a later replacement will not just bolt on in the field if need be. Of couse you know I don't like to modify the car either, because it is the original 54-year old item. In this case I decided to modify the hoses for two reasons. One, it is far easier to modify the hose ends than the car, and two, I don't expect these hoses to need replacement anytime soon, since they will lead a well-cared for life.


I have the hose secured in a vise. I put a piece of tape over the end to keep grinding dust out. The horseshoe-shaped clip is just a stop that keeps the hose end from slipping too far through the frame hole. It goes in the slot you see. I spread it and removed it to get better access to the hose end.

Here I have my trusty angle grinder at the ready. We're going to grind the top part, above the groove. I ground the angles off and made this top land into a rough circle, going just by eye.

Somehow I have no pic of the finished work, but as I said I was just going for a rough circular shape. This is one case where exactness is not required, it just has to be the right size to fit nicely into the hole. That's what she said.


Here is the original hose anchoring clip. Be careful not to lose this since the new hose doesn't include a replacement. You know how much I dig reusing the original anyway, right?

Incidentally these get installed top-side up as shown. They should put enough pressure on the hose end to keep it firmly in place. If you're doing it right, it should take some taps from a hammer to install. If you have it upside-down, it will virtually slip into place by hand, but will not keep the hose secure and probably just fall off. I like to add a smear of grease to these to ease installation and keep corrosion at bay.


At last, our new hose end is securely in place on the frame. Our nemesis, Mr. Looped-Brake-Line is photo-bombing us, upper right, but it's a desperate measure; his days are numbered, and he knows it.

If you look closely, you can see the horse-shoe clip is the bottom stop, and our original securing clip is topside. The final reason I knew I could modify the hose ends is the flats that are evident just below the horse-shoe clip. I can still put a wrench on these to keep the hose from rotating during brake line tightening or removal.

Just front brake hoses, yet nothing is simple.



The seal problem solved

By finding a cryptic '72' on the edge of the brake rotor, I did some sleuthing. I looked up various 1972 Chevy inner bearing seals on the Federal Mogul website. The site helpfully lists dimensions. There it was, the seal for a 1972 Chevy Chevelle seems correct! A little more measuring and checking the site leads me to find that the rotors and calipers are '72 Chevelle too.

In hindsight, this makes perfect sense. 1972 was the first year front disc brakes were standard in Chevys. But the spindle geometry for '72's probably had not changed too much from 1958. So the best parts to use in a conversion for '58's would be the ones closest in age, the 1972's. Now I get it.

Here is the seal I need. My local parts store had two of them for me by the next day. 1972 parts are not exactly falling off of parts store shelves, but the point is I can get them, if needed, and certainly more quickly and easily than 1958 parts. I'll get a couple of extras to have on hand, along with inner and outer bearings.  I plan on keeping a box of spares in the trunk, just so I can be self-sufficient on trips and such.

Before you drop the inner bearings in the hub, add more grease. It would be difficult to have too much. Seriously. If you forget to put the inner bearings in before the seal, you'll likely damage a brand new seal taking it back out. Fortunately I did not forget the bearings.

Place a small block of wood on the seal, and pound on it with a hammer. This keeps the seal flat, and prevents you from driving the seal too deep. It's a ton easier than chasing around the outside edge trying to tap it in with just the hammer, which is a good way to dent it and damage it. Sometimes the easiest way is the best way too.


Before final assembly, I painted the calipers and backs of the rotors with satin black paint. They come bare cast metal, so I want to keep them from rusting up and looking nasty.

So there it is, the seal mystery solved, and our brakes are ready for final, final assembly. This is good, since I'm in the mood to bend up some brake lines.

The seal problem

I'll go into a little more detail about the front disc brake inner bearing seal problem. I have not been able to contact the kit manufacturer; I assume they are having problems from Hurricane Sandy down in NC.

First we'll take a quick measurement of the seal OD. It's 2.634 (all dims in inches). Note the engraving on the dial caliper, I'll get to that later.

Here is the rotor area where the seal goes. It measures 2.400.

 Subtraction shows the seal to be too big by a monster .234. This is almost 1/4", no way this is the correct seal. I didn't need to measure with a dial caliper to see the interference, but there's a reason I did.

Here's the inner part of the spindle where the seal goes. 1.874. Write all these numbers down for future reference. I mean I did, you don't have to there at home. 

 There's a little thumbscrew on the dial caliper that can fix the jaws. You can just see it upper right in the photo. I used it here.

I can then insert the fixed caliper into the ID of the seal. The seal is hard rubber here, so measuring it accurately is difficult. The caliper jaws are used as a go/no-go gauge to see if the ID is near correct. The caliper slides into the seal with just a little drag, so we know the seal would wipe on the spindle correctly. If it fit the rotor.

Here is a side shot of the seal. This metal outer ring must sit down flush into the machined area of the rotor. I had it jammed in behind the rotor, and it caused major mechanical binding, as you can imagine. I am not familiar with a seal that has a protuding lip like this either. I just don't get this. 

What I did get is an accurate set of numbers. Now when I get in touch with the manufacturer, I can speak about the problem in concrete terms, not just guesses or vague statements. I can tell them exactly what I have, and exactly what I need, down to the thousandth of an inch. Thinking about this, I am going to go back and measure the seal width, and the seal seat in the rotor, so I have those too.

If I have to, I can now troubleshoot this myself. I can bring my caliper to the auto parts store, and physically measure seals right there, until I find the correct one. Only need the correct ID, OD, and width. This is part of swapping non-stock parts.

 

Here is my dial caliper cleaned and resting in its case (the cigar is not part of the story. It's really not part of any story, it just "is". Try to ignore it).

I inherited the caliper from my late father, and it is one of my most prized and cherished possessions. It measures to the thousandth of an inch (finer with some interpolation). Not everything needs to be measured with this accuracy, but many times close enough is not good enough. I am reminded of my dad whenever I use it, since it has "EF" engraved on it. It is on extended loan from a once-prominent manufacturing company in East Fishkill where he used to work.

Even if you had one and didn't know how to read it right, you could write down some numbers from it and bring them to someone that could figure things out. Now digital calipers are available for as little $10 (!) from Harbor Freight Tools, and being digital, you have the number right in front of you, no adding up the different scales.

Finally, like I alluded to, having real and accurate numbers gives you authority when you visit a parts store. You tend to be taken more seriously when you declare your needs to the thousandth of an inch, and are ready to verify part measurements right at the counter.

Stay tuned for more on the seal story.