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High School Reunion with 1967 Sedan DeVille

Started by savemy67, December 07, 2014, 11:57:13 PM

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mgbeda

Hi Christopher,

A couple ideas for getting your rounded nut off.

One is the "miracle" penetrating oil. 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF.  I Learned about it on this forum.  It really works.  Using that I was able to get every exhaust manifold bolt off my '76, including one bolt that a shop had broken off (and left) years before.

I was going to recommend a nut-spliter, but I see you couldn't get one in there.  The garage I worked in many years ago would use an air chisel for something like that.

I think I have seen specialty sockets for rounded nuts, but I've never used one.

Good luck!

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

The Tassie Devil(le)

One thing I would use here is firstly find a 6 sided socket that is very close to fitting, like a Metric or even a Whitworth one, and then apply heat to the nut to "loosen" it then use the socket to remove it.

Alternately, use a Dremel tool to grind off the side of the nut to weaken it.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

savemy67

Hello all,

Mike and Bruce, thanks for the replies regarding my exhaust issue.  I will resume my exhaust thread a little later.

Starting on my starter, part 1

While the front of my car was elevated for an exhaust system project (which I will  relate in a future post), I decided to tackle the rebuilding of my starter.  My starter works, but occasionally it suffers from a common problem that when the engine is hot, the starter balks when attempting to restart the car.  There are many posts on this forum addressing this topic, and most of the posts talk about rebuilding or replacing the starter, as well as checking cables, etc.  Since I want to be sure my starter is in fine fettle, I pulled it off the engine and took it apart.

Photo 3937 shows the starter still mounted to the engine.  The starter is not very dirty, but you can see there is rust on the housing.  The front of the starter is supported by a bracket that is bolted to the engine block.  Also, there is no heat shield present, but I think I will find or fabricate one later.  Photo 3939 shows the rear, or drive-end of the starter, and one of the two bolts that mount the starter to the engine block.  The outboard bolt (shown in the photo) has attached to it a braided ground strap, the other end of which is bolted to the right-side frame rail (just visible at the top of the photo to the right of center).  This should provide a good ground between the starter and frame provided the connections are clean and tight, and provided there is a good connection from the frame back to the battery's negative terminal.  You know what they say...you can't be too rich or too thin or have too good a ground connection for your starter!

When I got my starter on the bench it was apparent that it was not original to the car.  I was not very surprised that with 90,000 miles on the odometer the starter had been replaced.  Photo 3946 shows the starter to have been remanufactured by Rayloc (a division of Genuine Parts Company/NAPA), and the solenoid to be an Echlin ST 107 (also a NAPA part).  Under the Rayloc sticker is the original Delco- Remy part number (1998241) which I traced to a 1982 Corvette.  So the starter motor housing, and maybe the armature, are from a Corvette, although I could not find a Delco number on the armature.

Photo 3952 shows the condition of the connections at the solenoid.  Corrosion at the large battery terminal is evident.  This did not prevent the starter from working since power was able to get to the large copper stud.  However, when it comes to electrical connections, you know what they say...cleanliness is next to Faradayliness!

Photo 3953 shows my set-up to measure pinion gear clearance.  When the white wire's free clip momentarily touches the solenoid's  motor terminal (not visible behind the large red clip), the solenoid energizes and causes the pinion gear to engage without spinning the starter motor (note the rubber hose insulating the starter motor field coil connections protruding from the starter motor housing).  Photo 3957 shows the pinion in its engaged position.  The clearance should be a maximum of 140 thousandths of an inch.  My clearance is twice that.  This may be due to wear in the Bendix drive, the shifter fork, or poor quality of the remanufactured part.  I will check the clearance again after new parts (Bendix drive and shifter fork) are installed.

To be continued.

Christopher Winter

Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

hello all,

Starting on my starter, part 2

Photo 3962 shows the commutator end of the starter motor, and what fell out when I removed the commutator end plate.  Out of focus at the very bottom of the photo is a pile of dust that is composed mainly of worn brush material.  Also note the pile of dust to the left of the uninsulated brush wire at the left, and the debris on the commutator.  The inside of this starter was very dirty.

Photo 3965 shows wear on both tabs of the shifter fork.  In a profile view, these tabs are actually worn flat.  This may account for some of the excessive pinion gear clearance mentioned in part 1.

Photo 3978 shows some wear on one of the four pole shoes.  These scratches are from the large part of the armature rubbing against the pole shoe which means either the armature is slightly eccentric relative to the centerline of the shaft, or the bushings in the drive-end and commutator-end housings are worn, or both.  Of the four pole shoes, two had scratches and two looked unscathed.  I thought about trying to remove the pole shoes and the field coils.  I know that the screws holding the pole shoes are difficult to remove.  I do not have a hand impact driver, so I tried using a number 3 Phillips bit and a half inch breaker bar and accomplished nothing except breaking the bit (photo 3979).  Since I am a stickler for cleaning dirty parts, I checked with a professional electric motor rebuilder who told me that mineral spirits were an acceptable cleaner as long as compressed air was used to dry off the parts after washing them.  As advised elsewhere, one should not use carb cleaner, brake cleaner, acetone, or other very strong degreasers as they may break down the insulation on the field coils.

Photo 3983 shows the armature resting in the housing, and the clearance between the armature and a pole shoe.  Clearance here is about 100 thousandths of an inch.  When the armature is mounted in its bushings, there should be about 50 thousandths of an inch clearance between the rotating armature and the pole shoes assuming everything is perfectly concentric.

I will get new bushings for both the drive-end and commutator-end.  Photo 3982 shows both end housings and the old bushings.  The drive-end housing is open on both sides so the old bushing can be driven out.  The commutator-end bushing has to be destroyed for removal.

To be continued.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

The Tassie Devil(le)

G'day Chris,

Looks like that Starter Motor has been through the wars, and was very close to destroying itself.

The flattening of the Bendix Fork is not that bad, as I have seen far worse that were still working.

As for the mullock that fell out of the starter when you opened it up, I haven't seen that much inside the worst of Starters I have pulled down.

But, you need to check the condition of the Bendix Retainer rings and stops to make sure the Bendix hasn't been hammering itself into the end of the housing.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

savemy67

Hello Bruce (and all),

The Bendix Drive stop collar, retainer, and ring were functioning properly.  They will however be replaced with new parts.

The rebuild kit with new parts arrived today.  The kit is fairly complete which is one reason why I chose to purchase this kit.  Plus, the seller listed his phone number, and answered the phone when I called.  He sounded like an older gent, and graciously answered all my questions and provided some additional advice.

The rebuild kit comes with a solenoid, plunger spring, Bendix drive, Bendix drive stop retainer, collar, and ring, shifter fork, pin, and snap ring, 4 brushes, brush screws, brush holders, and springs, brush holder pins, bushings for both ends of the armature shaft, leather brake washer, field coil lead grommet, and new fasteners for the wire connections at the solenoid including a new copper tube for the field coil lead to solenoid starter motor terminal.  According to the seller, the brushes and bushings are made in the U.S.  The other parts are from China.  I will closely compare the old and new parts bearing in mind that the old parts are from a remanufactured starter that might be 30 years old.

Stay tuned for part 3.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

DeVille68

Hi Christopher

Thanks a lot for your very informative write ups.
Appreciate it!

I had to restore my starter too. The coal brushes were at the end of their live. Everything else was still in good shape.
I sandblasted the housing and painted it with POR15. That was three years ago - not a single flaw in the paint. Holds up very very nice.

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

savemy67

Starting on my starter, part 3

Hello all,

The starter rebuild kit I purchased contained virtually every part needed for a rebuild.  The new parts are listed in reply 65 above.  I erred when I said the brushes and bushings are the only US made parts in the kit.  The Bendix drive is also US made.  Photo 3992 shows all the new parts, on the right, and all the old parts on the left.  A new plunger did not come with the kit, and I doubt this is ever necessary.  I compared all the old and new parts, and noticed some differences

The new Bendix drive is a little longer than the old drive (photo 3996) and the spring is stiffer.  When I noticed this I anticipated that the new drive and shifter fork would alleviate the excessive pinion gear clearance I measured in part 1 of this article (see reply 62).  This turned out to be the case.  When I reassembled the starter and again checked the pinion gear clearance, it measured about .050", which is well within the specification of .010" - .140".

The starter is an electro-mechanical component, so cleaning electrical contacts is as important as cleaning fasteners, shafts, pins, snap-rings, etc.  Photo 3985 shows the clean brush and field coil connections.  The photo also shows the starter housing repainted with high-heat black.

I decided to re-use the old brush holders.  Photo 3999 shows the old (left) and new (right) non-insulated brush holders.  To me, the old holders seem to be better formed.  The bends in the metal are more precise.  I also reused the old insulated brush holders.  These holders are plastic, and the old holders appeared to be "thicker" where it counts.

The armature was cleaned after the commutator was sanded and the shaft was hit with a scrubbing pad.  After blowing out the space between the "windings" with compressed air, the commutator was wiped with contact cleaner.  From what I have read, the consensus is that the mica insulation between commutator segments should not be undercut.  The armature was tested for continuity and shorts.  Each commutator segment tested OK.

Photo 4011 shows the cleaned commutator, and the commutator end plate bushing on the armature shaft.  There is a little play in the bushing but some of that play will get reduced when the bushing is driven into the end plate where the bushing will be slightly crushed.  The drive end bushing was the same.

To be continued


Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Starting (actually finishing) my starter, part 4

Hello all,

Reassembling my starter required a little patience.  Lacking more than two hands, and given that there are four brushes to hold against spring pressure when inserting the armature into the starter motor housing, a little finagling was required.  Since the brushes are held in by two pins that are a loose fit in the pin bosses, I was able to locate each brush, one at a time, over the edge of the commutator.  When all four brushes were over the edge of the commutator, I was able to slide the armature forward so that all four brushes fully engaged the commutator.

Photo 4018 shows the commutator end of the starter.  Aside from getting the brushes located, another item to check is the location of the insulated field coil wires.  The wires should be placed so that the through-bolts that hold the starter together can pass through the housing without making contact with the insulated field coil wires.  In photo 4018, between the 5 and 6 o'clock location (near where the field coil wires protrude through the housing), the insulated wire is positioned so that the through-bolt can pass through without interference.  180 degrees opposite,  the insulated wire needed adjustment - the through-bolt was making contact with the wire - so I removed the armature, repositioned the wire on the brush, and reinstalled the armature.  The through-bolt went in without any interference.

Photos 4028 and 4029 show the starter completely reassembled.  I do not have the GM starter motor tester, nor a carbon-pile device, so on the bench I only tested for pinion clearance and no-load speed.  As mentioned in part three, I think the new Bendix drive and shifter fork account for the pinion clearance of the reassembled starter being well within the Cadillac specification.  The specification is .010" to .140", and my pinion clearance is about .050".  I had to assign an arbitrary scale for the no-load speed test.  The low end of the scale is designated, slow-groan.  The high end of the scale is designated, screams-like-a-banshee.  My starter screams like a banshee, so I am giving a passing grade to the starter until it is back in the car.  I will do some more tests with the starting circuit wiring at that time, but for now, photo 3984 shows what awaits after completing this little project.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

DeVille68

#69
I had to service my motor because the brushes were used up. Everything else was in good shape.
I also tested it on the bench with a starter battery. If it screams its ready to go into the car. I doubt that any further testing would be needed.
Regards,
Nicolas


P.S: Regarding the brushes: Every old brush will tend to look like a better fit, but thats because over time the brush will get "sanded" by the shaft to fit perfectly. I would not use this as an indication but how much "meat" the brush still has. If the brush's connections are close to the shaft you will replace the brush.
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

savemy67

Hello Nicolas (and All),

Photo 4001 shows one of the used brushes that came out of my starter (on the left), and a new brush on the right.  You can see that the old brush is worn.  Notice the concave shape at the top of the old brush.  As Nicolas mentioned, this is due to the brush wearing against the circumference of the commutator - something the new brushes have yet to, but will eventually, do.  Even though the old brushes had a few more miles left in them, I replaced all four brushes with new brushes.  I reused the brush holders because they looked better than what came with the kit I purchased.  Also notice that the bottom of both brushes is angled so that when they are placed on a flat surface (my workbench), they lean to one side.  The angle is by design.  It is so that the brushes locate in the brush holders with sufficient surface contact against the holder as the brushes wear.  As you can envision when looking at photo 4018, the brush end of the brush holder describes an arc about the brush holder locating pin.  The angle provides the best compromise to maintain brush contact as the brush wears.

After my starter is back in the car, the ensuing testing will be to determine resistance in the wiring of the starting circuit.  I will clean all the connections, and if necessary, re-terminate any connections that are beyond hope.  Unfortunately, I am in the middle of removing the exhaust manifolds, so I won't get the starter back in the car for a while.  I have successfully removed the right side manifold, and while I am waiting for the left side manifold to soak up the penetrant (50/50 acetone, trans fluid), I removed and disassembled my alternator, and ordered a rebuild kit for it.  Both of these adventures will be posted here in the near future.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Hello All,

In a previous post (reply 59), I was about to undertake removing the exhaust Y pipe so I could get to the heat riser assembly at the right-side exhaust manifold.  When I replaced the exhaust system (except for the Y pipe) a few months ago, I ran a wire up through the Y pipe to see if the heat riser was stuck in the open or closed position.  The wire indicated the heat riser was stuck open.  I had also noticed a few months ago that a portion of the heat riser had broken off, so I decided to replace the heat riser at some point.  I am now at that point.

Photo 3914 shows the condition of one of the fasteners holding the Y pipe flanges to the manifolds.  The other three fasteners were equally corroded.  Based on several recommendations on this forum, I mixed up a batch of acetone and automatic transmission fluid (photo 3924), and from under the car I brushed the mixture on to the nuts and studs and waited overnight.

Two of the attaching nuts still had six distinct flats.  The other two nuts were rounded so I needed to get a special socket to grip the outside of the nut - similar in concept to how a screw extractor grips the inside of a hole drilled in a stuck bolt.  Photo 3928 shows the Irwin Bolt Grip sockets.  Both the acetone/transmission fluid mixture and the Bolt Grip sockets did the trick with one exception.  On the right side manifold - the side with the heat riser - the nuts easily came off the studs.  On the left side manifold, one nut came off easily, but the other stud snapped off even though I was not playing Hercules that day.

With the Y pipe removed, photo 3934 confirms that the heat riser was stuck open, and you can see to the outside of the lower stud, the portion of the heat riser that is missing.  Photo 3935 shows the left side manifold and the broken stud.  I should be able to drill out the stud once the manifold is removed.

I decided to remove the right side manifold first.  This job is easier if the starter and alternator are removed before attempting to remove the manifold.  Since rebuilding both of these components was something I planned to do, removing the starter and the alternator was not an extra chore.  I also removed the two bolts holding the idler arm bracket to the frame, and moved the bracket out of the way.

Due to the angle of the exhaust manifold bolts, the threaded portion in the cylinder head is higher than the bolt head.  I doubted that applying the acetone/transmission fluid mix to the bolt head would be effective.  It is possible for capillary action to cause the acetone/transmission fluid mix to travel uphill, but I was not counting on much help from the fluid.  I waited overnight, and then I used a torch to heat the bolt heads for two minutes each.  When the bolts had cooled off, I used a 6-point, 14 millimeter socket (which fit more closely than a 9/16" socket) attached to a 3/8" breaker bar.  A sharp tap or two on the breaker bar loosened the bolts.  The front two bolts I loosened from above, leaning over the fender.  The back four bolts were accessed from under the car.

Photo 4032 shows the heat riser off the manifold.  I used a torch to aid in the removal of the heat riser from the manifold.  The heat caused the heat riser to crack at the other mounting stud and the valve shaft, so I think the old heat riser was not long for this world.  Photo 4033 shows the manifold with the heat riser removed, but the studs still in place.  The studs are corroded.  I have applied one cycle of heat and acetone/trans fluid to the studs.  I will be lucky to get hem to unscrew.

The left manifold is still in the car.  It has a broken stud where the Y pipe attaches.  I will remove the power steering pump and the steering gear box to get easier access to the left manifold, and hope I have the same luck removing the left manifold as I did removing the right manifold.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Hello All,

In my previous post I had successfully removed the right side exhaust manifold, separated the heat riser therefrom, and had put the Y-pipe mounting studs through one cycle of heat and acetone/trans fluid.

Photo 4063 shows the two studs removed after applying a second cycle of heat and candle wax.  My locking pliers did not provide enough bite into the stud so I used a pipe wrench, which worked.  Needless to say, the studs will be replaced.

Having removed the starter and alternator for rebuilding, access to the right side exhaust manifold was good.  For the left side, I removed the power steering pump and the steering gear.  The removal of these two components also provided easy access to the left exhaust manifold.  Photo 4059 shows the left exhaust from under the car.  To orient yourself with the photo, the front left coil spring is at the bottom right of the photo.  The bright cylindrical object behind the loop of the dipstick, is the cruise control from underneath.  The object at the left side of the photo is the rag joint.  You can see how much space is available without the steering gear in the way.  Both the power steering pump and the steering gear (which had a leak) will be rebuilt.

I considered myself fortunate that I was able to get both manifolds off the car without snapping any bolts.  However, my good fortune was tempered by the fact that the left side manifold is cracked in two spots.  Photos 4064 and 4065 show the cracks where the manifolds mount at the cylinder head for exhaust ports 1 and 7.  While it is possible to weld cast iron, I am not equipped to do so, and the cost of a repair may exceed the cost of a replacement manifold.  I have located a manifold about 20 miles from where I live, so I will check it soon.

I have not had any luck procuring a heat riser spacer, so I am in the process of making one.  I have obtained some mild steel bar stock of 5/8" thickness, and will drill it out in the next week or two.

Photo 4071 shows the outboard side of the left exhaust manifold.  Both manifolds were equally rusty.  I sandblasted the right side manifold, and primed and painted it with VHT Flame Proof paint (photo 4070).  This paint needs to be cured.  Since my car is temporarily out of commission, I will cure the paint in my oven - after dinner.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

57eldoking

Always appreciate these super detailed writeups! Keep up the good work Christopher!
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #906
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #1020 http://bit.ly/1kTvFlM
1957 Eldorado Seville  #1777 http://bit.ly/1T3Uo1c
1995 Fleetwood Brougham  http://bit.ly/20YwJV4
2010 SRX Performance

1946 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup
1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon (x2)
1960 Chevy Apache 10 Stepside
1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (x2)
1992 Pontiac Trans Sport GT

savemy67

Hello All,

I have a few days before I pick up a replacement exhaust manifold (see reply 72 above) so I took the time to finish rebuilding my alternator.

Alternat(or)e Universe

Even though many components of my car are asymptomatic, rebuilding them provides me with two things:  confidence in the component, and elimination of the component as a source of trouble.

In a previous post I mentioned that I removed the starter and alternator to gain easier access to the right-side exhaust manifold.  The starter has been rebuilt (see replies 62 through 70 above).  This post is about rebuilding the alternator, part one of two.

My alternator is a Delco model 10 DN, part number 1100760.  The rated output of 55 Amps is stamped on the drive-end frame (the front half of the housing), on top relative to how the alternator is located in the car.  The shop manual corroborates that 55 Amps is correct for air-conditioning equipped cars, which mine is.  Based on the amount of dirt inside the alternator, and how worn the brushes are, I suspect that my alternator is original to the car.

Even though the alternator is working - the GEN light in the dash works properly, and the battery is always fully charged - the accumulated crud inside the alternator compelled me to thoroughly refresh this component.  Photo 4021 shows the inside of the slip-ring end-frame.  There is a fine layer of grime over all the components including the stator windings.  Photo 4022 shows the rotor and slip rings.  The slip ring on the right has a couple of grooves worn into it.  I suspect that some debris got caught between the brush and the slip ring, and the grooves were ground into the ring as the alternator rotated.  Sandpaper is not going to fix this so I found a local auto electric shop that turned the slip rings for $10.  Photo 4040 shows the old brush assembly on the left and the new brush assembly on the right.  The old brushes are about half the length of the new brushes.

Despite all the dirt and wear, the fact that the alternator worked, leads me to believe that the electrical components are OK.  I tested the rotor, stator, capacitor, and diodes with my multimeter (which has a diode test function), and all parts tested OK.  Even though the diodes tested OK, all the rebuild kits I found included new diodes.  Unlike my starter rebuild kit, which included all the parts needed for a starter rebuild, none of the alternator rebuild kit vendors that I found had a kit with all the parts for the 10 DN.  One vendor had a rebuild kit that contained diodes, bearings, and a capacitor.  Another vendor had two kits - one containing diodes, bearings, a capacitor, and a brush assembly, and the other containing all the screws, bolts, terminals, and insulators.  The kit I purchased contained bearings, a heat-sink with three diodes installed (photo 4039), three diodes for installation in the slip-ring end-frame, a brush assembly, the BAT and GRD terminals with washers, nuts, and insulators, and the capacitor lead attaching screw with washer, nut, and insulator.  The kit I purchased did not have a capacitor.  None of the kits came with a drive-end-frame bearing retainer or gasket.  I purchased a new capacitor and bearing retainer separately..  The OEM style bearing retainer has a felt seal - like the factory original - but it does not have a gasket like the original.  I made my own gasket.

After complete disassembly - nothing left but the aluminum housings - I degreased the housings, glass beaded them, and sprayed the exterior with Rust-O-Leum clear coat.  Photo 4038 shows the clean slip-ring end-frame with the new diodes and new roller bearing (with integral seal) installed.  Pressing out/in the bearings, diodes, and capacitor is a matter of finding the correct sized sockets or scrap pipe sections so that the aluminum of the end frames is suitably supported.  A vise can be used to do the pressing out/in of the components for both end frames if the vise jaws open about eight inches.  My vise only opens about six inches so I had to use my shop press for the drive-end bearing.  Be careful with a shop press as it is difficult to judge the amount of force being exerted unless you have a really good press with a pressure gauge - ask me how I know.  Also, when pressing in the diodes, be sure to orient the pigtails so the connectors will be close to the studs to which the pigtails attach.  Photo 4075 shows the slip-ring end frame with the heat sink installed, and the scrap of 1/2 inch copper pipe I used to press in the capacitor.  Since the connector on the end of the capacitor lead was too big to fit through an appropriate size socket. I kerfed the copper pipe so the lead would not get damaged.  Just under the copper pipe is a washer that helps distribute the pressing force evenly around the edge of the capacitor.  Not much force is required.  I could actually press the capacitor half-way in using thumb pressure.  The capacitor has to be replaced if it is removed because removal distorts the capacitor.  I removed my capacitor because I wanted to thoroughly glass bead the housing.
.
Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Alternat(or)e Universe, part 2

Hello All,

Photo 4086 shows the new drive-end bearing installed in the clean drive-end frame, along with the old gasket, and my home-made gasket.  Per the shop manual, the screws that hold the drive-end bearing retainer need to be staked as in photo 4087.

My rebuild kit came with a brush assembly.  The brushes are temporarily held in with a small length of wire.  Photo 4081 shows the brush assembly installed in the slip-ring end frame.  The length of wire is just visible at the bottom of the brush assembly.  Thoughtfully, GM provided a slot in the slip-ring end frame so that the length of wire holding the brushes in the assembly can extend out the back of the end frame (photo 4082 - just below the R and F terminals and above the bearing end cap).  Keep the length of wire in place until you completely reassemble the alternator.  When you have just reassembled the alternator - do not rotate the fan/pulley.  Remove the length of wire before rotating the fan/pulley, otherwise you may bend the length of wire thus necessitating disassembly of the alternator (no, this did not happen to me).

Photo 4089 shows the rotor - with the cleaned-up slip rings - assembled in to the drive-end frame with the fan and pulley.  The shop manual shows the correct placement of the two collars that help with the axial location of the rotor within the housing, and the correct orientation of the pulley.  You can also see in photo 4089 that when I sandblasted the pulley, I masked off the groove in the pulley and left the groove in its natural state - no paint or rust inhibitor.  I suspect the belt will grip quite well and intermittent use will keep the groove from rusting.  Until the alternator is back on the car, I have covered the groove with tape to help retard rust.

Photos 4090 and 4092 show the front and rear of the rebuilt alternator.  When it goes back in the car, all the wiring connections will be cleaned and tested for resistance.  Tests will also be conducted to make sure the charging system is functioning properly.  I will probably test the system before doing anything to the voltage regulator.  If all is OK, I will probably clean and repaint the cover of the voltage regulator and blow out any dirt/dust with compressed air, and test again to make sure the voltage regulator is still OK.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Hello All,

While waiting on some exhaust issues, I had time to tackle my power steering pump rebuild.  This is part 1 of 2.

My power steering pump seemed to be working OK but there may have been a small leak as there was a good amount of sludge around the pump bracket and front of the cylinder head to which the pump bracket and pump mount.

The shop manual states that the nut on the end of the shaft, and the pulley need to be removed as part of disassembling the pump.  With the pump still attached to the mounting bracket, I put the bracket in a vise so I could remove the nut.  I put a belt in the groove of the pulley, held on tight, and used an impact wrench to remove the nut.  This method worked well. 

Many of you know that one of the difficulties in rebuilding this style of power steering pump is removal of the pulley.  The shop manual calls for the use of Kent-Moore tool J-21883 (photo  4108).  The tool clamps around the circumference of the pulley hub, and the screw of the tool pushes against the pump shaft forcing apart the pulley and shaft.  This works if the tool does not slip off the circumference of the pulley hub.  I don't have a J-21883 so I tried improvising with a 1 1/8" inside diameter split collar, and a two-jaw puller (photo 4095 - note, some photos are recreations after certain tasks were completed).  This did not work for me as the collar, even though clamped tightly, was pulled of the hub circumference repeatedly.

Some of you have removed the pulley in a press with the pulley still attached to the pump, but as some of you know, if the pulley is on very tightly, damage to the pulley can occur.  It appeared my pulley was very tightly attached to the shaft, so I wondered if there was a way to remove the pulley and shaft as a unit by driving the shaft out the front of the pump.  I was able to do this by removing the retaining ring (C-clip) that holds the vane rotor and the thrust plate to the shaft (photo 4098).  With the vane rotor and thrust plate removed, the shaft with the pulley attached can be driven out the front of the pump.  However, this will damage the bushing in the pump body so, if you try this method, get a rebuild kit that includes a new bushing.  Out of the pump body, the pulley and shaft assembly can easily be set up in a press and the shaft can be pressed out with no damage to the pulley.  A 7/8", 1/2' drive deep socket worked well to support the back of the pulley hub while allowing the shaft to drop through the drive end of the socket (photos 4101 and 4102).

After complete disassembly, and removal of the shaft seal and bushing, all parts were washed in mineral spirits.  The bracket, pulley, reservoir housing, and pump face were sandblasted and rinsed with acetone, and then painted.  Photo 4104 shows the cleaned and painted pump body with a new bushing installed,  Photo 4107 shows partial reassembly of the inside of the pump.  At this point I have to press the pulley onto the front of the shaft, so I cannot continue with reassembly because I have to use the end of the shaft as a bearing surface.  I will use a short piece of round or square bar stock between the press bed and the shaft end.  The pulley will be pressed onto the shaft using a socket between the press anvil and the hub face of the pulley.  This arrangement immobilizes the shaft so that virtually all the force of the press is directed to the pulley hub.  My pulley will not engage the shaft, thus no shaft threads are exposed so the pulley cannot be drawn on with the nut.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Power steering pump rebuild, part 2

Hello All,

Those of you who do a large portion of the mechanical rebuilding of your car know that some days you are the bug, and some days you are the windshield.  I was fully prepared to press the power steering pump pulley onto the shaft while the shaft was in the pump (see reply 76, above).  Before doing so, I decided to clean the inside diameter (ID) of the pulley hub.

The ID of the pulley hub had been subjected to partial sandblasting when I sandblasted the pulley, as well as overspray when I primed and painted the pulley.  I wrapped a strip of 100 grit sandpaper around a steel rod in a helical fashion (photo 4112).  The rod and sandpaper were a little smaller than the ID of the pulley.  I also filed the Woodruff key because removing the key required pliers which left jaw marks on the key that I removed with a light filing.  After a thorough cleaning (photo 4113), lo and behold, I was able to get the pulley started on the shaft and to engage far enough that the threads of the shaft protruded enough so I could use the nut to draw the pulley fully onto the shaft.  Needless to say I was pleased that I did not have to resort to the press.  By the way, the shop manual makes no mention of pulley installation.  The implication being that the nut draws the pulley onto the shaft.  The manual does remind you to install the Woodruff key.  I suspect that in the first few years of service, the pulley could be removed with the Kent- Moore tool, and that there would be enough threads on the shaft to allow the nut to draw the pulley fully onto the shaft.  With my car, after almost 50 years, the pulley seemed married to the shaft, and the two parts were not going to be rent asunder.

The front of my pump has four bosses that are drilled and tapped for 3/8" bolts (photo 4117).  My guess is that these holes are for other GM models that have a different mounting configuration for the pump.  All the holes are blind.  I installed bolts in the holes (photo 4118) to prevent rust and gunk from becoming lodged therein, and to confound the person who 50 years from now rebuilds the pump (you have to have a sense of humor in this hobby).

Photos 4119 through 4121 show the fully assembled pump on a holding stand.  I put about a half pint of fluid in the pump to see if there are any leaks.  So far, so good.  For those of  you with inquiring minds, I am not too concerned with authenticity.  I painted the pump face blue to help spot any leaks between the pump body and reservoir.  There is an O-ring that keeps the fluid in the reservoir, and I thought the blue would make the red fluid easier to spot in the event of a leak.  The pulley will get a new lock-nut and I will get new hoses.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Exhausting details

Hello All,

In my previous exhaust manifold posts, #59, #71, and #72,  I had reached the point where I needed to replace my left side exhaust manifold (the original was cracked) and I had to fabricate a heat riser spacer.  Photo 4115 shows the newly fabricated spacer on the right side exhaust manifold.  I used a new gasket as a template, and machined the spacer out of 5/8" thick mild steel.  A drill press was essential for the successful machining of the part.  The drill bits and 2" bi-metal hole saw I used are still sharp.

After both manifolds were painted with VHT paint, and cured in my oven, I turned my attention to the bolts.  Photos 4122 and 4127 show the condition of 11 out of 12 bolts.  They all had corrosion on the head and shank.  Photo 4125 shows the one bolt that had no corrosion on the head or shank.  I did not want to have one odd bolt so I bought new grade 5 fasteners.  The factory bolts are grade 5.  I think grade 8 bolts are not needed.  The bolts should have a little give so they can move when the manifold get hot.  Grade 8 bolts will resist giving more than grade 5 bolts because grade 8 bolts are made with a greater tensile coefficient along the axis of the bolt.  The new 7/16 - 14 bolts have a larger head.  The factory bolts require a 9/16" socket.  My new bolts use a 5/8" socket..

Photo 4129 shows the heads of the factory bolt (left) and new bolt.  The factory bolt has a flanged or washer head with a relatively thick washer section.  If you look closely at the new bolt, it has a washer style bearing surface under the head, but not as large a surface as the factory bolt.  I decided to use washers under the heads of the new bolts.  I used SAE flat washers instead of USS flat washers because the SAE washers fit the bolt diameter more closely than the USS washers, and the SAE washers have a smaller outside diameter.  They are also slightly thinner.  Photo 4132 shows the washer under the bolt head.  Because the new bolts have a slight washer-like bearing surface under the head, there is a small gap between the flat washer and the underside of the hex points of the bolt.  This should work out OK because the bolt side of the exhaust manifolds is not machined smooth (photo 4133) and the washer can conform to any small irregularities in the casting, as well as heat expansion.

I made some guide pins to help hold the weight of the manifolds while I installed a couple of bolts (photo 4145).  All the bolt holes in the cylinder head were cleaned with a tap.  All the mating surfaces of the head were sanded with a block, and all the bolts were coated with anti-seize.  Within the text of the shop manual, the torque specification for the exhaust manifold to cylinder head attaching bolts is 58 foot-pounds.  At the end of the engine mechanical section is a chart with all the torque spec's.  In the chart, the torque for the bolts is listed as 60 foot-pounds.  My shop manual is an original - not a reprint.  I have come across several errors in the manual, although, in this case, 2 foot-pounds should not be a problem.

I expect to have to re-torque the bolts after a few heating and cooling cycles.  This will be a major PITA because the bolt heads are difficult to access with a torque wrench with all the other parts in the way (Y-pipe, starter, alternator, power steering pump and gearbox).  No wonder its called the exhaust, because working on it has been exhausting!


Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

DeVille68

Nice rebuild. Thanks.
I will eventually rebuild those two (alternator, pump) too.

Regarding the heat riser: On mine the little spring is broken. Do you know a place where to get this spring? Or how could I fix this?
Otherwise my heat riser is in good shape.

1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)