On the bottom, I think there should be another "washer" to capture the rubber.. and protect / support it from the mount on the frame.
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On the bottom, I think there should be another "washer" to capture the rubber.. and protect / support it from the mount on the frame.
A washer on the top side of the lower rubber bushing would not be correct. The bolt going through the bushings looks to be a lot smaller than the holes in the sway bar and the mount on the A-arm. The bushings need to be centered on the mounting holes and the nuts tightened to produce some squash on the bushings. If the nuts won't squash all of the bushings, it's not the right setup.
I would disagree that a washer doesn't belong! If you put that bushing against that little tube.. it's toast!
Here's a picture of a stock setup.... note, there's a washer to "capture" the bushing top and bottom. One end would go to the sway bar, and the other end the frame.
34_40
Your picture shows just what I intended to say - there's only two washers for what I'd call a pair of bushings- one on top and one on the bottom. The sway bar or A-arm mount goes in between the two bushings and tightening the nuts provides the preload to hold everything in place.
In the picture posted by autotec, you can see both washers on the top bushing pair, where it's mounted to the sway bar, but the A-arm obscures the view of the upper half of the lower bushing pair. You can't see the bushing or whether there's a washer on top of it.
Justin,Quote:
Originally Posted by autotec
Can you show us a picture of the sway bar link alone, with all of the bushings, washers & nuts that you believe to be right, and a picture of the sway bar & A-arm where it fits?
When I see this picture.. something is missing! That little tube on the bottom is going to eat that bushing for lunch!
If you go back to your post #52 it looks like your sway bar link has a solid shaft with two washers captured in the middle with threaded shafts top and bottom. The picture shows only one bushing on top with a dished washer pulled down into the top of the sway bar which I don't think is right - IMO it needs a bushing on the captured washer, the sway bar end, another bushing on top with the dished washer atop that bushing, then the lock nut to pre-load the bushings.
The bottom is not shown as well, but I think it is the same except the sway bar end is replaced by the welded bushing on the A-arm. I don't care for the design much, because as the suspension travels the sway bar link is going to "lean" in those bushings. You won't want to over tighten the nuts, leaving enough cushion for the bushings to compress & rebound.
Here's the image you posted back at dis-assembly time.
http://www.clubhotrod.com/attachment...sway-bar-1.jpg
Obvious mistake in the picture above. The upper bushing was omitted and the washer that goes on top of the missing bushing was turned upside down.
Wow, I've been busy at work. Travel, travel and more travel. Plus add the new bike in the stable that needed all the common upgrades (cams, exhaust, intake, big bore kit ect...) I've been busy.
I am still up in the air with the front sway bar links. I don't know what to do with them, besides replacing the lower control arms. I just cant come up with a decent combination. For the rear a made my own, picture is below.Attachment 61307
In the last week or so, I had it running. I had leaks coming from the power steering and water pump though. Water pump was easy, but the PS is being a pain. The water pump was just barely hitting on the plastic timing chain cover causing a drip every now and again. I just need to clearance a few things so it seals, no big deal. But the PS is just a pain.
The first set of hoses were just umm, crap. I bought the cheaper ones since they couldn't be seen. But, as I learned I should have just built my own. That's where I'm at now. But after a day of trying to figure out fittings to make the rack seal, I'm just hoping. I might just have to acquire a new rack. I'm using a rack from a 84+ t-bird, and the fittings for the pressure side just don't fit right. I guess we will se tomorrow.
After seeing your work on the rear sway bar.. do that to the front!!! Cut out the BS and save the pain of not being right... fwiw.. my point oh two.. ymmv.. yada yada yada... roflmao... 8-)
Justin,
Looking at what you have to work with it appears to me that your "link" is a piece of tubing with a pair of dished washers welded top and bottom, forming a "mini-barbell" spacer. Through that you have a Grade 8 bolt that passes through the A-Arm, the link and then the sway bar end, right? Why can't you put a dished washer on your bolt followed by a rubber bushing, pass through the sway bar end, add another rubber bushing then the "mini-barbell" spacer followed by another rubber bushing that sits atop the A-arm. On the bottom finish with a fourth rubber bushing, another dished washer and your lock nut. Tighten just enough to compress the rubber bushings out to the OD of the dished washers. Seems like it would work?
As another idea, this is a picture of the front sway bar setup on the TCI front end on the Deuce roadster. The sway bar has a threaded hole in the end for the top connection, and at the bottom they simply used a longer bolt through the lower coil-over mount with a spacer to get things out away from the spring. A pair of Heim joints with a lock nut makes the link.
Attachment 61308
Maybe you could use a pair of bushings & washers on top and an extended bolt to a Heim on the bottom for a little more flex?
Post the specific fittings that were used on the pressure side of the power steering. I went through the same issues with my Flaming River rack. Both the low and high pressure fittings have O-ring seals, not crush washers that seal against a flat face. I've got a left-over T-bird rack that I took off my car. I suspect it's a rebuilt, but it's never been used since it came installed on my roller. I replaced it because one of the steel lines hit the lower radiator hose fitting on the radiator and I just wanted a new rack, rather than a rebuilt.
Here's a link to the type of fittings that I used, at the rack.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fra-491963-bl
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fr...2-bl/overview/
Thanks for all of the advice guys. The front sway bar links still haven't been sorted out, but I'm working on them. I think the final product will require some cutting and welding, but I don't see any other solution. I'm still doing research on that problem.
Power steering is still leaking and is presently out of the car. Dave, I tried the fittings you had a link to, plus 8 other sets. All leaked just a little. So I ordered a new (reman) rack, still leaked at the pressure fitting while it sat. After going to the local part store and looking at a few racks, I think I see what's going on and what I'm going to do. All of the reman racks aren't flat where the o-ring is supposed to seal. On both of the racks I have, it looks like the threads were repaired and the sealing surface was damaged in the process. Same with the 2 I looked at in the parts store. It looks like they were chamfered just a touch, so I thought it was normal. But I'm thinking a flat surface would seal. The picture below shows what I'm talking about. I cleaned the surface up a touch just to show the chamfer. Attachment 61348 I'm betting if I machine this flat, it will seal. At least that's what I hope.
Now on to the fuel injection. I finally found the PCM after a lot of digging. I don't think whoever installed it ever wanted anyone to find it. What I found was a old Holley Commander 950. After fixing a few wiring issues and hours of tuning, it actually runs good. No more lean backfires or hesitation, it just goes. I still have to do a few tweaks with the cold start-up part of the map, but it's really close.
I actually drove the car the other day just to see if I could feel any other problems. Besides the ride height being way to low in the front causing the front shocks to bottom out, it felt pretty good. The shocks have been adjusted and I'm waiting to fix the power steering leak to drive it again. The brakes felt great. Not over-boosted or touchy, almost perfect. The trans shifted good, but I still have to put my gauge on it to see if I have the line pressure set right with the cable.
I'm seeing the end, well for this year. My goal is to have it at the Hot Rod Power Tour on Fri. I'm not sure if that's possible with my work schedule, but we will see. I still have to fix the exhaust and do the alignment, but we are close.
I wish I would have taken more pictures with everything I've found wrong on this car, but there was just so much. I still think to make this car right, it has to be taken apart and reassembled, but that will have to wait. His wife really wants to drive it now.
Now over to the CNC to mill this rack down. Till next time, Justin
BTW, that's the rack I'm NOT using. That's the $53.00 junk reman rack I bought, it will be going back to the local part stare.
And just for proof it was out of the garage, here is a picture just after I ran it out of gas. I almost made it around the block.
Attachment 61349
I now know that when it says 19 on the gas gauge, it's almost empty. At least on a big hill. I thought it read in gallons, but it reads in percentage I guess.
:rolleyes:Thanks for the updates.. I guess it ain't a hot rod if you don't run it out of gas at least once!:LOL:
Interesting observation on the sealing surface. I'll be curious if your solution doesn't solve the problem!
And after all of the milling and careful assembly, it still leaks. I have never ran into a leak that I couldn't fix. The only thing I can come up with is there has to be a hairline crack in the casting that I can't see. This is driving me nuts. Maybe it's time to spend the cash on a "NEW" rack.
Attachment 61351Attachment 61352
Well... that stinks.
show some pics of the housing that show the bottom end of the hole------------that's where the sealing is--------
Here is a terrible suggestion, but if it works.......
Put Some Lucus Stops Leaks Power Steering Fluid in there and see if the oozing stops, or if a thick gel appears in one spot. My wife's daily driver was leaking from the rack. Big bill to replace, vs. add a little Lucus to it. I read about 250 praises for this stuff. And we have had no leakes in 6 months, not to mention She puts at least 1000 miles a month on the car! (I know not the best way to handle it, but it has been a permanent solution to two leaking systems on two separate vehicles for us now.
The fittings that worked the best so far are sealing on the top of the rack. They use a aluminum washer and a o-ring. So you are saying the the sealing surface is inside of the bore, not the top of the rack? I'll pull the rack again and take some pictures of the bore and type of fittings I have.Quote:
Originally Posted by jerry clayton
I'm not saying that the rack that you have is that way--however the pics you posted had some paper stuffed into the holes so we can't see, but many seal with an o-ring inside a smooth portion of the hole past the bottom of the threads-------------
Rack is almost out, just waiting for the fluid to drain. As soon as it's out, I'll snap a few pics. Thanks for the quick reply.Quote:
Originally Posted by jerry clayton
While the fluid drains, here are the 2 type of fittings that's I've tried. I've tried multiple manufactures of each along with different types of seals. It always seeps out around the pressure fitting while the car sits. Doesn't leak any more while the car is running, that has me confused. You would think it would leak more when there is pressure behind it.
Attachment 61364
After looking at the bores inside of the rack, there are smooth surfaces inside at the bottom of the bores. The problem is the smaller hole where the extended portion of the fitting on the right, in the picture above, is .017 inches undersized. I'm going to try to open that hole up so the fitting on the right goes all of the way down and can seal on the o-ring. Wish me luck. Below are the pictures of the rack.
Attachment 61365Attachment 61366
If the O-rings aren't going into the bore at the bottom, you'll never get a seal. The O-ring type worked for my flaming river rack, but it's brand new. An O-ring bore has to be smaller than the O-ring O.D. or it will not seal. Enlarging such a bore would be a tough job to do properly, without taking the rack out and putting it on a Bridgeport or similar small mill.
You'd better research the proper interference fit before any machining is done.
As I write this, the car has been on the road for about 2 weeks. (with no leaks) I'm going by memory now, so forgive my guesses when it come to the measurements. The fittings I used to finally seal the power steering were from a Dodge Omni rack. But I had to enlarge the bore below the threads by .010. Even then, it was a tight fit. I guess it's the price you pay when you use a Chevy pump, a Ford rack and Dodge fittings. No leaks, power assist seems good, does not seem over boosted, and like I said, no leaks. I'm happy. My wife drove it and approved.Quote:
Originally Posted by daveS53
When I finally got the leak fixed, I finally got to the tuning portion on the FI. After 13 hrs, it finally runs good. It took digging a old Windows XP laptop out of the closet, but I got it figured out. It seems Holley stopped upgrading the software for the Commander 950 PCM years ago. No more lean back fires or surging, it just goes.
From there it went up to my friends exhaust shop to fix the exhaust. The proper flanges were put on for the headers and I bent the proper pipes to fit the Super 10 series mufflers. It sounds good, exhaust doesn't hit the frame and doesn't leak. To me, that is a success.
I brought it home, charged the A/C, took it for a quick ride and the owners wife drove it away. I haven't seen it since. I wish I had some pictures, but towards the end it was a rush.
I will see the car back probably in the Fall, right now the owners wife is driving it everyday. It still needs a few things, but it's safe right now. It's not up to my standards, but you can't argue with the wife.
Like I said in the past. To make it right, the body needs to come off to fix a bunch of problems. To me, it's still a mess. But compared to how it was, it probably drives like a new car.
To make everyone happy, here is a video of my wife and daughter in the car. Thanks again for all of the advice. I'll be back soon.
http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/au...d50f5.mp4.html
I just wanted to add, without all of the advice I received from the people on this forum, this car would still be sitting up on jack-stands. After my wife drove the car, she wants me to build a rod for us. So expect a new build coming soon.....
Heck, you did all the heavy lifting! We just sat back and watched !:LOL::LOL:
It looks and sounds great! Can't wait to see the next one you put together!
