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1967 DeVille Convertible - We call it HULK

Started by DaddyDeVille, January 07, 2018, 12:11:29 AM

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DaddyDeVille

Brake Booster
On the way home last night, I thought I might do one last check on the brake booster.  My setup is weird being that the engine vacuum is low so I have to use an electric pump.  The setup starts at the pump, runs through an vacuum pressure sensor switch to shut the pump off and then to the check valve.  I had checked the vacuum between the switch and the check valve, but had not checked before the switch.  The end result was that vacuum was leaking from the hose that feeds the switch.  $2 hose clamp and I was back in business.  :D

Lesson learned: Use a vacuum gauge and test each path starting at the source.  It takes a little extra time, but I would have ended up there even if I had replaced the booster.

Quote from: DeVille68 on January 27, 2018, 01:48:59 PM
Mine has the same issue. I have bought a new check valve (the yellow piece where the hose connects to) and I also ordered a rebuild kit. Quite cheap on Rockauto.
Good to know...I dodged the bullet this time; but it will be back.

Heater Core
I got back down this evening after the kids went to bed and pulled the heater box & core out of the car.  Significantly easier than I expected, though I'm sure it would have been easier with the hood off.
I have heard its harder for other years, but the 67 is pretty much the following steps (all in the engine bay). {My car is probably easier, but it was 1.5 hours to get it out}

  • Pull water hoses from heater box
  • Remove fan on passenger side of car bolted into the heater box
  • Remove 7 bolts on the bottom
  • Remove 6 bolts on the top
  • Twist and pull all the crap out of the way so you can ease the box out
  Hopefully tomorrow, I can assess the leak and the 50 years of rust. Make some decisions on re-finishing vs. purchasing new parts.  Being that this is driver, I'm more interested in reliability; but would like it to be rust free.  ;D
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DaddyDeVille

Got the new heater core from OPGI.com a couple weeks ago and started working on getting it into the heater box.  I'm really wondering about OPGI.com now days.  They seem to have some quality control issues.  I don't know about others, but I would stay clear of them.  Heater core has bent pipes and the welds look to sketchy for me to try to bend.

On the other side, I found some old Velcro (the soft side) to use as a pad for the vent door in the heater box.  The old one was pretty rotten and being that this just needs to be functional, it looks like it will fit the ticket :)
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DaddyDeVille

Heater core is back in and its now time to pull the vacuum switch under the dash.  The Defrost and Heat hold vacuum, but in the off position; it fails to hold vacuum.  I can only assume this is due to the switch not working correctly.  While I have the dash apart, I pulled the receiver out as well.  I'm sending it to BillTheRadioGuy.com to have it updated with a current stereo module, aux in, Bluetooth, ect.  I want the classic looks, but I also want the modern features and sound.

Below is a picture of the receiver freshly pulled.  I'll post another when i get it back.  Should look the same but cleaner  :)

Also time to clean out the ashtray.....ewww (i'm not a smoker)

1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DeVille68

good!

any ideas on how to refresh the inside of the ashtray, as mine looks as nasty as yours?
I guess it was plated but rusted badly by now....
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

Cape Cod Fleetwood

Quote from: DeVille68 on February 23, 2018, 01:42:29 PM
good!

any ideas on how to refresh the inside of the ashtray, as mine looks as nasty as yours?
I guess it was plated but rusted badly by now....

Naval jelly and a 0000 steel wool pad to remove the rust, wash thoroughly, dry.
Then a nice coat of Blue Magic?

\m/
Laurie?
There are 2 kinds of cars in the world, Cadillac and everything else....

The Present -1970 Fleetwood Brougham

The Past -
1996 Deville Concours
1987 Sedan De Ville "Commonwealth Edition"
1981 Coupe De Ville (8-6-4)
1976 Sedan De Ville
1975 Sedan De Ville

The Daily Driver and work slave -
2008 GMC Acadia SLT *options/all

DeVille68

What is blue magic?

I mean, do you use some chrome spray paint?
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

Cape Cod Fleetwood

There are 2 kinds of cars in the world, Cadillac and everything else....

The Present -1970 Fleetwood Brougham

The Past -
1996 Deville Concours
1987 Sedan De Ville "Commonwealth Edition"
1981 Coupe De Ville (8-6-4)
1976 Sedan De Ville
1975 Sedan De Ville

The Daily Driver and work slave -
2008 GMC Acadia SLT *options/all

DaddyDeVille

I'll have to try that out for the Ashtray.

I put the vacuum switch back together day for the heater, but it still wont hold vacuum in the off position.  Not sure if its suppose to, but my gut says that it should.  I'm going to call "originalair.com" tomorrow.  They seem to have replacements, but I want to make sure if I order from them that it works as it should.

Stereo left for Shelton WA (for rebuild) on Friday, hope to get it back in about 4 weeks.  I also got the transmission cross member swapped out last weekend.  The good is that its no longer hanging down so low that it scrapes speed bumps.  The down is that the crossmember was designed for a single exhaust and I have a duel exhaust annnnnnd tranny wont bolt to it and so I will need to make a new center mount that bolts to the cross member.  :o ??? :P :-\
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DaddyDeVille

You know how your not suppose to start more than one project at a time...The real reason is that it makes updating these forum threads really hard. :D

Factory Stereo Rebuild
Got the stereo back a couple weeks ago and finally got a chance to put it back in.  All I can say is "Plug and Play".  There were of course a couple extra wires for me due to after market amp, ect.  But my factory wiring harness plugged in and the "bent" antenna tried to go up and down.  Bluetooth worked, Aux in worked, AM/FM.  Its seriously cool and yet looks and "feels" the same as it did before shipping it down.

Everything else under the dash
Because I have the dash apart, i'm still working on the heater control switch.  which has not made any progress.  I am cleaning up some wiring rats nest from the previous owner and trying to figure out how to mount the EFI computer where the old OEM amplifier was mounted.  (If anyone needs a OEM amp, I'm not sure if it works; but you can have it)

Transmission Cross Member
One of the challenges I have been facing from the previous owners move to the 454 was their fail on the transmission cross member.  I get why they did what they did, but sometimes its easier to make something than it is to buy expensive parts that could have been managed with 1 small piece of steel, a couple drill bits, a tap and some all thread.  The original problem was that the engine sat 1" further away than the original.  That means that the transmission was pushed 1" further from the cross member and the hole simply did not line up.

The old solution was to buy an aftermarket cross member that would accept an aftermarket isolater.  The result being that the car would bottom out on a speed bump.

The new solution was to locate an OEM cross member and isolater and make a small plate that would enable mounting holes 1" further away.  Works pretty much seamlessly except that it was a pain in the @#$@#$% to get it in.  Long term, I should probably have someone with more skills than I build me a new cross member, but at least now I can cruise the local Safeway. :)
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DeVille68

nice work on the cross-member.
I just restored mine, I sandblasted it, painted it with POR 15 and put in a new rubber from rockauto. Looks like the original, seems to be a good replacement part.


1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

DaddyDeVille

Rock auto has new isolaters? :D (the rubber)  I may have to get one of those.  The rubber one I installed came out of a junk yard card along with the cross member.  Overall, its functional; but I think it should be replaced in the future.
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DeVille68

Hm, interesting. Even the master parts catalog has two different part number for 67 and 68.
Rockauto only lists those for 68.

If you like, I can take measurements of the rubber piece and you can check and see if it will fit your 67 cross member

Best regards,
Nicolas
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

DaddyDeVille

Quote from: DeVille68 on April 22, 2018, 07:23:52 AM
Hm, interesting. Even the master parts catalog has two different part number for 67 and 68.
Rockauto only lists those for 68.

If you like, I can take measurements of the rubber piece and you can check and see if it will fit your 67 cross member

Best regards,
Nicolas

That would be awesome!  Even more so as I think the cross member came out of a 70 limo.
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DaddyDeVille

Weather is good here in the pacific north west right now and my wife has been a huuuge help in letting me play.

Had 2 projects lined up for today where I completed one and got a good start on the second.

1st up, I needed to install a oil pressure sensor.  I picked up one on Amazon for $30 that snaps into the Holley EFI. The nice part is that this part works for fuel pressure as well, so I get info for both using the same part number.  Once I got the plug out of the block (no need to drain oil), bushing installed and sensor installed, I ran the wires into the same loom I used for the rest of the EFI and into the dash.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NIK9E10/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2nd up, being that the dash is torn apart, I'm trying to finish up the stereo install.  I got the antenna pulled today and need to figure out if I can repair the mast.  Their is a bend in the very top portion that does not allow it to pull in all the way.  The other work item is that the fool that owned the car before me had Car Toys try to install a stereo.  Yes, I have ranted on this previously, but they CUT holes into the rear interior quarter panels for speakers..  ???  Being that its a convertible, you cant even have the speakers in the holes as the top mechanicals conflicts and so now we just have 2 holes.  So I pulled the original speakers from under the top and they still work!  They sound like crap, but at least i know the location can work and I can start working on building a new box as the originals are cardboard with new speakers.

Anyone that has a set of Green interior quarter panels, i might be interested if the price is right :D.

Picture 1 - Testing LCD that I'm using while we get the car in shape.  It will be in the glove box after I finish it.

Picture 2 - One of the 2 original factory rear speakers and box that was under the convertible top

1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DeVille68

Hi,

I have a picture with the dimensions attached.
First sketch shows the view from the top.
Second sketch from the side
and third sketch from the bottom (as if you were lying under the car)

Dimensions are in cm but the hole diameters are in mm.

Best regards,
Nicolas
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

DaddyDeVille

Quote from: DeVille68 on April 28, 2018, 02:14:31 PM
Hi,

I have a picture with the dimensions attached.
First sketch shows the view from the top.
Second sketch from the side
and third sketch from the bottom (as if you were lying under the car)

Dimensions are in cm but the hole diameters are in mm.

Best regards,
Nicolas

Thank you Nicolas! :)
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DaddyDeVille

Success on repairing the antenna :D

The antenna motor appeared to work, but the first leg of the antenna was bent.  (solid core inner most part)  It wasn't bent bad, but bad enough that it would not go up and down.  I got it apart based on the instructions in the OEM manual, but as I didn't have a 12v battery charged to extend the mast with, I felt it best to call around for a replacement mast.  That proved to be quite entertaining as I called Stan at http://www.classiccarantennas.com.  He didn't carry any mast for a power antenna, but was a hoot to chat with.  When I told him what I was working on and what the problem was, he told me to "get on the floor with it and roll it with a piece of wood".  Call me slow or his southern drawl a bit like Mater the tow truck, but I finally got what he was talking about.  In the end, I was able to bend it in the vice and though not perfect, completely operations.  When I was finished, I sprayed the wand with silicone graphite garage door rail lubricant and it works like a charm.

pictures below of disassembly that was based totally on the instructions in the book.  Desoldering as called out in the book is as easy as applying heat from the soldering iron to the tip of the contact as shown in the picture.  Pulling the mast from the motor base take a bit of error as does the outer tube as shown in the last few pics.  It does not simply just slide apart. 
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DaddyDeVille

For testing purposes, I found that you need to grown the chassis of the motor (see black wire) to a battery.  Each one of the leads that connect to the motor are positive feeds.  One drives the antenna up and the other down.  If you look at the pictures below, the red takes It up and the yellow takes it down.
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/

DeVille68

Thanks for the detailed posts. Sue helps someone having the same issues.
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

DaddyDeVille

I got the antenna installed today so that now I can finally listen to FM radio!  (that is of course when I'm not on Bluetooth) :) 


Now that the antenna was out of the way, I figured I would take a look and try to fix the oil leak on my valve covers.  After torqueing them to 3lbs and then to 6, I heard a pop on one of the studs.  One of the valve covers had cracked!  Ok, so lets pull it off and take a look.  I was shocked to find out that not only had it cracked, it looks to have cracked prior and they JB' welded it.  If that wasn't enough, it looks like they had a clearance problem and tried grounding the underside of the cover.  So yeah, there goes some more $$$$.  Thankfully Summit is pretty fast in regards to shipping.  Its too bad though that I cant find the Cadillac scripted ones for a 454.  Wish I knew where they had gotten them in the past.
1 Old car (The Green Devil~le) (Lots of gas)
1 New Truck (Not quite lots of gas, but still a lot of gas)
1 New Car (no gas)
1 Newish Bike (Some gas)
1 Old bike (Some more gas)

https://chuckdidit.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mightneedoil/