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1966 Fleetwood Series 75 Limousine

Started by Andrew Armitage, September 16, 2012, 08:50:27 AM

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Andrew Armitage

#20
Everything is disconnected and all the bolts are out.  The hood was removed today.  Only thing left is to strap it up and pull it free from the trans and then up and out.

You're right Bruce, the engine CAN be pulled out without the transmission as long as the transmission is supported by a trans jack and the radiator is out of the car so you can pull the engine free of the transmission.  I picked up a nice 800 lb rated trans jack from Harbour Freight on sale for around $110.

I can't wait to get it out of the engine bay.  It'll be so much easier to work on.

Andrew Armitage
Plainfield, IL
1941 67 Series
1966 Fleetwood 75 Series
1985 Seville
1991 Eldorado

blugg

Andrew are you still combing over this land yacht?

Im local to you (Gurnee IL) and would like to meet up at some point.   I have spare 75 sedan.

blugg@msn.com

Jeff

StahlMaster

I'm wondering how the progress is going.  Eight months is a long time.

RyanBurman

I have to say that in these cars it would be a real pain to attempt to pull the motor and trans as a unit. I did my old 1966 Calais just the engine and that in itself was a little but of a fight. Cadillac left a lot of room to access the trans bolts from the topside of the car. i would think they did it for a reason.

I have to say this is turning into quite a story and I also have to say I love the car. Hearses and limos just have an elegance all their own. Gonna keep checking in on this one.

Carl Glass

wow, that's a beauty!  i know what you mean when you say you weren't really looking for another car.  in fact, i'm keeping one eye open for a series 75 myself.  partial to the sedan, but i would take a limo if i had to.  but i'm only looking for a '68.  if anyone has a line on one, let me know.

thx

Carl
Carl Glass
'68 Eldorado, cruise control, climate control, am/fm stereo, tilt/tele, 6-way bench, and vinyl roof.  Would love to add the twilight sentinel, guide-matic, power door locks, right hand mirror, headrests, and floor mats.  And how about leather buckets?  Oh, and pull the vinyl top.

blugg

Checking in on this thread........an new news?

weather is still favorable......hope shes on the streets and not in a back corner of a barn.

Andrew Armitage

Hey fellas,

I'm still around but haven't had much time to check back into the forum here lately.

Work stalled out on my '66. Winter rolled around, and it got too cold to work on it. Then spring rolled around and I was in full swing with a side business that I have. Before you know it, it's been 10 months!

As of late, I've had an ich to get back at it. I'm having it towed to a larger, heated garage tomorrow where I can work on it over the winter in comfort. I will post up my progress as I start digging back into it now that my business is winding down for the year.

After re-evaluating things, I've decided to leave the transmission alone. It worked fine when I drove it home and around town for those few days. The TH400 has a strong reputation for it's durability. Rebuilding it will add to the cost of this project and prolong the time it takes to get back on the road. A drain and refill with a new pan gasket and filter will be the extent of the trans work for now. Oh, and a new trans mount too.

My goal is to have it situated at my new garage and have the engine out by the end of this week. I'll keep everyone posted.
Andrew Armitage
Plainfield, IL
1941 67 Series
1966 Fleetwood 75 Series
1985 Seville
1991 Eldorado

mgbeda

I agree on the leaving the tranny.  If you put it up on a lift it's hardly any more difficult to pull the tranny from an assembled car as from a dismantled one, so if you find out later it is bad there's nothing lost (and if it's good you'll feel pretty darn smart.)

-mB
-Mike Beda
CLC #24610
1976 Sedan DeVille (Bessie)

Gene Beaird

While the TH400 is a stout and reliable transmission, on a car that old, that's set up that long, I'd at least consider 'resealing' the transmission.  Our Calais has been sitting for a while, and it now seems to be leaking out of every orifice possible on the transmission.  When there's fluid in it, it shifts wonderfully, but sitting in the garage, it quickly empties itself.  The last seal that seems to have cut loose is the tailshaft seal, which caused the transmission to 'bleed out' pretty well (it looked like a trail of blood coming out from under the car). 

The external seals aren't that expensive to purchase, you just need good access to the transmission to remove and reinstall the new seals.  While you have the engine out, I bet pulling the transmission out through the engine bay would be a piece of cake.

Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

Andrew Armitage

Good advice Gene. I think I will go that route.

Nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars and probably hundreds of hours of labor to finish up a project and have a car that leaves spots on your driveway.

Hope to have some new pictures up here soon of the progress.
Andrew Armitage
Plainfield, IL
1941 67 Series
1966 Fleetwood 75 Series
1985 Seville
1991 Eldorado

pinkcaddy96

Man what a find!  That is absolutely beautiful.  How do people just stash these things in a barn?  You say you don't want to own a purple Caddy how about this pink one I own?

Andrew Armitage

Quote from: pinkcaddy96 on December 13, 2013, 06:36:07 PM
Man what a find!  That is absolutely beautiful.  How do people just stash these things in a barn?  You say you don't want to own a purple Caddy how about this pink one I own?

At some point these are just old cars whose cost to repair exceeds the value of the car. The owner just finds a place to park it thinking that they will fix it up later (which never happens). It stays there until one day the owner gets tired of looking at the car and someone else looks at it and decides that the car is unique enough to put the money into it to bring it back to life.

PinkCaddy, I like your ride.
Andrew Armitage
Plainfield, IL
1941 67 Series
1966 Fleetwood 75 Series
1985 Seville
1991 Eldorado

Thule

beautiful car.

those model years of the 75's are really nice, somehow less limo-alike than many other modelyears,
Ivar Markusson.  icelandic cadillac club (part of CLC)
73 Eldorado coupe.

Eldo66

Quote from: Andrew Armitage on October 03, 2012, 11:38:32 AM
I can never leave well enough alone...

I decided to change to change the coolant because who knows how old it is.  Then I figured that it would be a good time to change the coolant and heater hoses because they all look past their prime.  And I figure I should change the thermostat while I'm at it.

Then a bolt head breaks off the cylinder head water outlet pipe where the thermostat housing attaches.  So I decide to pull it off to work on it easier.  Then wouldn't you know it, both bolts going into the number 1 cylinder bank break off.  I thought that if I unbolted the water pump, I could slide the water outlet pipe and the water pump straight off as a unit.  I guess not, it seems there is a threaded portion on the water outlet pipe by the cylinder head.  (Can anyone verify this for me?)

And just before this, the bottom bolt head for the generator mount broke off.

On the ones with the "studs" still there, I'm going to try the two nut method to try and back the bolts out.  As far as the water outlet pipe, there's going to be some drilling.  I'm hoping that I don't have to take the head off to get this taken care of!

It all started with a simple coolant change.


FWIW, the same thing happened to me today.  About a month ago, I started spraying rust penetrant into the bolts and holes where my thermostat housing attaches to the water outlet pipe between the cylinder heads.  I used a razor blade to chip away at the old gasket and sealant, plus some heat, to help the penetrant reach the bolts.  Added more every week.  Yesterday, I gently worked on the first bolt using only a small 1/4" ratchet and it came free.  Same procedure on the second bolt, and pop - goes the bolt head. 

With the housing off, I could finally see why the bolt shaft was frozen -  a prior repairman had over applied gasket sealant all around the base of the bolt.  Over the years, it had sealed like JB Weld - gluing the threads PLUS blocking the penetrant from ever reaching the rusty threads below.  I scraped the surface clean, put down more penetrant plus heat and tapping.  Only had about 1/4" protruding, so the two-nut method failed.  Next used an Irwin bolt extractor, but it kept slipping.  The logical next step was to simply unbolt the entire water outlet pipe from the cylinder heads and transfer it to the workbench for better access.  But, fortunately, I stopped and read your post, and ditched that idea!

So, finally, had to drill out and retap. At least I could bolt the thermostat housing into position to use the empty hole to help guide the drill!  I coated the new bolts with anti-seize, rather than gasket sealant.  It's fixed now at least.  A good example of how unknown, hidden conditions turn a 15 minute project into a four-hour ordeal. 

Hope your 75 Sedan is in progress.

Regards, P. Nesbitt


1966 Eldorado - Flamenco Red with bucket seats

Andrew Armitage

Quote from: Eldo66 on June 09, 2014, 02:03:44 AMThe logical next step was to simply unbolt the entire water outlet pipe from the cylinder heads and transfer it to the workbench for better access.  But, fortunately, I stopped and read your post, and ditched that idea!

So, finally, had to drill out and retap. At least I could bolt the thermostat housing into position to use the empty hole to help guide the drill!  I coated the new bolts with anti-seize, rather than gasket sealant.  It's fixed now at least.  A good example of how unknown, hidden conditions turn a 15 minute project into a four-hour ordeal. 

Hope your 75 Sedan is in progress.

Regards, P. Nesbitt

I'm glad to hear that I helped you out in a way.

The bolts that hold the water pipe to the heads were brutal. They had basically welded themselves to the pipe. One bolt had the head break off and then I wound up breaking it again between the pipe and the head. I had to take a punch and 3 lb hammer to knock out the stud left in the pipe which was held in with just corrosion (not threaded in there like I initially thought) and drill and retap the head.

I pulled the engine out but have yet to have time to clean it up. I spent some time cleaning / painting the engine compartment and pulling the front suspension apart (best time to freshen up all those old rock hard bushings) over the past few weeks. I'm going to pull the transmission out too to replace the seals.

Although the work on it has slowed, it has not stopped. I will try and post some more pictures up soon.
Andrew Armitage
Plainfield, IL
1941 67 Series
1966 Fleetwood 75 Series
1985 Seville
1991 Eldorado

66 Eldo

Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on November 26, 2012, 03:29:40 AM
I don't think you have to remove the trans when removing the engine, as all you need to do is support the trans, and removing the Radiator gives you sufficient room to slip the engine forward a tad to allow you to lift it straight up.

Bruce. >:D

Yes and if you leave the trans in the car remove the torque converter rather than leaving it hanging. Might as well install a front transmission seal while your there (>$10)

blugg

I been tooling around chicago an associated suburbs in the '66 75 sedan I drive hoping to get to stop by Plainfield to visit Andrew.

Andrew Armitage

Quote from: blugg on August 27, 2014, 01:16:02 PM
I been tooling around chicago an associated suburbs in the '66 75 sedan I drive hoping to get to stop by Plainfield to visit Andrew.

Drop me an email at aarmit2email addresses not permitted if you ever want to stop by. The car is actually in my shop located in Minooka, IL, near I-80 and I-55.
Andrew Armitage
Plainfield, IL
1941 67 Series
1966 Fleetwood 75 Series
1985 Seville
1991 Eldorado

RussK

Man that's my old stomping grounds, I was born and raised in Joliet
Russell kidd

blugg

Occasionally I goto R&S Distribution (turbos) on Industrial in Minooka

Next run I make I'll give heads up & take The Boat