More Car Repairs

I had the chance to do some car repairs today, so here's how it went.

There have been a few things wrong with my 1956 Ford Fairlane for a while now.  The first issue was a dying speedometer, which has been flipping out since early spring.  Sometimes, when driving, it would start squealing and the needle would spin all the way to the bottom.  The bearings were shot.

Finding a replacement speedometer was quite an undertaking, as these aren't common.  Ford only used this type of speedometer one year (to my knowledge).  In 1955, they had the large, half-moon speedometers, and in 1957 they returned to that style.  Most Fords of the 50's and 60's have that familiar design, but the 56 was different, with the round dial.  The only other compatible gauge was in the '57 Thunderbird, but that went to 140, whereas the standard '56 ford meter only goes to 120.  I looked around for a while and finally found a used 1956 speedometer on ebay, which I was able to get for $35 delivered.  As rare as these are, there is little demand for them, so I lucked out.

Now came the "fun" part.  Extracting the old speedometer.

The camera angle makes it look really spacious,
but just try to get your hand back there!

When I say it was one of the hardest things I've ever done, it is no exaggeration.  It's right behind installing the electric wiper motor last year, which takes the prize as toughest job ever.  Sure, the book says you can extract the speedometer without removing the instrument panel, but it sure isn't easy.  Of course, the thing was designed by engineers who could hide behind their pencils and never had to actually work under the dash themselves.  There is barely any room under there, and there's a support strut that sits right behind a couple of the screws you have to get out.  It was several hours of agony and irritation to get four stupid screws out and to yank the old speedometer free.  Then I got to do it all over again, only in reverse with the new-used part.

 Okay, to be fair, this would have been a lot harder if I hadn't had the help of my 7 year old son, Wyatt.  That impossible to reach screw behind the dashboard support was something he finally got out for me.  After I'd struggled with it, he was able to go in there and finish the last piece.  It really helps to have a small helper.

Old, rusty master cylinder.

So, while I was getting the old speedometer out and the new one in, I found the answer to yet another problem.  Jamming under the dash, my shoulder couldn't help but depress the brake pedal, and that's how I spotted the fluid dripping from the master cylinder.  The brakes had been fading for months, even after I replaced all of the wheel cylinders (which had been leaking), and replaced half the brake lines, and replaced the brake hoses.  My father had suggested the master cylinder, so I'd ordered a new one some time ago.  I just hadn't gotten around to putting it in, and as I replaced other parts, the problem seemed to go away, only to return shortly after each repair.  So, it was finally time to fix it for good.

New master cylinder installed.

With the speedometer replaced, I turned my attention to the master cylinder.  It was a very quick and easy job, taking about half an hour to swap out the part.  Wyatt helped me to bleed the cylinder, and we took it for a test drive.  It's really nice to know how fast you're going and be able to stop quickly.  The brakes weren't so bad beforehand, but now they are 100%.

One other adjustment I made was to the carburetor.  Ever since I replaced the vacuum lines, the car hasn't seemed to have as much power, and just recently it has been hard starting.  Turns out it was flooding.  I fiddled with the mixture and leaned it out.  Now the car has all the power it should.  The great thing about old cars; it's always something simple.  Try adjusting anything on one of those computerized monstrosities they call cars these days.

Well, now that I've gotten the major issues straightened out on the Fairlane, maybe I'll be able to get back to restoring the 1954 Bel Air...

Terror of the Vacuum Leak

Tuesday brought me a most unpleasant surprise.  My 1956 Ford Fairlane left me stranded in Calais, about 11 miles from home.  It was a most sudden and unpredicted experience, and of course it happened on the hottest day of the year (thus far), and when I had my wife and 3 of my 4 children along for the ride.

Pulling out of Hospital Lane onto South Street, the engine went dead.  As soon as I gave it gas, nothing.  It rolled to a stop in the wrong lane, and I was fortunate to have nobody coming down the road toward me.  That gave us time to push the thing back out of the way before traffic flowed.  An older gentleman then stopped and further helped us push it down the road and into the driveway of a now vacant house; that little green one across from Palmer Street with the boat painted on the garage.

 

The 1956 Ford Fairlane after its triumphant return.

Once we were out of the way, my wife went to call for help.  While I sat with my 3 daughters in the car, I did a quick exam of the engine.  I had first thought it was the fuel pump, but checking the carburetor I found it was certainly getting gas.  I tried the ignition again, and it actually started, but the engine was really rough.  I turned the car around and waited for the tow truck.  Once we were back home, I checked my second suspect; the old vacuum lines.  There are 3 of them, and after a quick inspection the problem became clear.  They were goners.



Rotten hose, split off the carb!



The hunks of hose appeared to be original, putting their age at 57+ years old.  Two of them were in really rough shape, and the primary vacuum advance hose was split right off of the carburetor.  I'd noticed the car was getting sluggish at times, and that explained why.  Tuesday's heat must have been the final straw that made them get so bad the car wouldn't even run.

Fortunately, I still had a fresh hunk of vacuum hose from the old wiper motor I had to scrap.  You see, I'd bought a brand new hose for the vacuum wipers last summer while I was still trying to  get them working, but since the old motor had refused to cooperate, I replaced it with an electric model.  So, I had this nice hunk of hose lying around that came in real handy.  I replaced all 3 vacuum hoses, and what a difference.  Without a vacuum leak, the car is back to running right.  It's something I should have done a while ago, and I wouldn't have had to pay a towing charge.

Vacuum leaks are the bane of old engines, and a few dollars worth of hose can make all the difference.

Maybe a Bad Idea

I made a questionable decision yesterday morning.  My wife and second daughter Kathryn both had dentist appointments in Eastport, a 15 mile drive approximately.  The previous day had seen a very wet and nasty snowstorm, which had knocked out power for hours, and left things a slushy mess.  The driving conditions on the main road were decent, but the application of salt is a nasty thing for cars.  So, it might give some people a heart attack to hear that I took my 1956 Ford Fairlane out into such a mess.

Yes, it was a questionable decision, and there are reasons to question it.  To bathe such a nice old car in an evil salt bath is something you wouldn't want to have happen to your flashy show car, though as I've said before, this Fairlane is hardly a prize-winner.  It is a nice, old driver with numerous cosmetic flaws, though it's mechanically solid.  Still, driving in winter weather in Maine isn't something to do often with any real car.  The modern mechanical boxes they call cars these days are not "real" by my definition.

The decision before me was multi-faceted.  I had 4 people to transport (Jenna, Kathryn, Lois, and myself).  The Ford Ranger pickup I have will hold that many, though it is a tight fit, and the thing has poor traction on snow and ice.  Rather than risk hitting something slick with the modern piece of junk truck, I decided to venture out in the rugged Fairlane, which has very good traction.  On the way down to the dentist, I ran into a few places where ice lurked on the road, but the car hardly noticed.  It doesn't even have snow tires, and it handles better than your average half ton pickup on snow and ice.  I can only imagine what a '56 Fairlane with 4-wheel drive could do—alas, they never made them in 4WD.  But, as I said, the two wheel drive version works nicely.

The Fairlane made its masterful voyage through the evil road sludge without incident, and assured that everyone got home alive.  The temperature was above freezing when I got back, so a quick hosing helped to eliminate the wicked salt.  Special attention must be paid to the underside whenever washing the car, and it would be nice to have a proper car steam-cleaning unit.  That must go onto the "if the West of the Warlock tv series is ever made and I make a million bucks, I'll buy it" list.

I don't believe the short term exposure will cause too much damage to the Fairlane.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: It isn't a show car!  Yes, if I wanted to pour $10,000 into it, then it could very well be such a vehicle, but then I'd never be able to drive it, for fear of damaging perfection.  The Fairlane is the best thing I've ever driven, and I'd much rather be able to get around in style, rather than hoard a trophy-catcher in an air-conditioned garage.  I'm sure even Jerry Seinfeld has a few "imperfect" models to beat around in for fun.

That Switch Sucks

A nuisance thing happened to me the other day.  I hopped into my 1956 Ford Fairlane and went to start it, only to find the ignition switch was inoperable.  Oh, it would turn to the "on" position, and the oil/gen light would glow, but it wouldn't engage the starter.  This was not a good thing, as I needed to get somewhere.

I have the car in perfect running condition, but it wouldn't start all of a sudden.  This would certainly be a problem with a more modern vehicle.  With all the sensors and circuits in new cars, you can't do anything outside of a professional shop.  Fortunately, my retro-technology allows for simple solutions in short order.

Here is a pictorial step by step illustration of my immediate solution, and one that could be utilized by anyone who happens to have a faulty switch.  Do try this at home, but only on your own car (jumping someone else's vehicle, especially mine, could result in you being shot; you have been warned).

1: Turning key to "on" position.

2: Fashioning the high-tech bypass tool.

3:  Jumping that relay.  It's alive!

4.  Give her a little gas to keep the ice-cold engine from stalling.  After a few seconds, it has no trouble idling on its own.

5:  Let her warm up for a couple of minutes, and you're ready to go.

There, problem solved.  But now for the more permanent solution. After going over the simple troubleshooting instructions found in the shop manual, I was able to determine that something was wrong with the wire going from the switch to the relay.  When I went to replace the wire, however, I suddenly found that the car would start with a turn of the key!  It turned out that the connection on the back of the switch had just the slightest film of corrosion.  When coupled with the cold weather, it was enough to diminish the power going through the wire and keep it from reaching the starter.  After I cracked the nut and retightened it, everything worked again.  It only took me a couple of hours to trace down the problem.  No need for new wires, no need for a new starter switch.  Aren't I lucky?

This has been a quick car minute.  I hope it has been helpful.

My 1956 Ford Fairlane

At long last, I'm ready to unveil this beauty to the world.  This is something I picked up in July, and I've been working on it my spare time, trying to get it finished, ever since.  It is a 1956 Ford Fairlane, something I have dreamed of having for many years.  Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted a car from the fifties, and at long last, this car came into my life.

Here's what it looked like when it first arrived:

Of course, it's no show car.  Not only is that sort of vehicle beyond my means, but it isn't what I'm after.  I don't want a car that would have to be in a climate-controlled garage and taken out only on rare occasions for parades and exhibitions.  I wanted something that I could drive around, and not have to worry about using.  This one had factory undercoating, which helped to stave off the sort of rust rot that has claimed so many classic cars over the years.  It has some rust spots in hidden places, but it's very solid.

What's under the hood?  The original 292 V8 with an aftermarket 4-barrel Edelbrock carburetor.  I don't know if the engine has been rebuilt or not, but it runs like a charm and has less than 55,000 miles on the odometer.  Based on the condition of the vehicle, I wouldn't be surprised if that is the original mileage (as opposed to a roll-over of 155,000).

The previous owner(s) did a lot of work to the car, but it still needed quite a few things when I got it.  It was cleaned up and sealed with white primer, but it needed a finished paint job.  The tail light lenses were wrong (they stuck a pair of 1965 Falcon lenses on the thing and attached them with sheet metal screws), so I had to order some New Old Stock replacements.  The wipers didn't work, and there were numerous vacuum leaks to run down.  The front driver's side window was busted (see my Boycott Downeast Glass post for details on getting that fixed).  The brake lights only worked intermittently, and the rear license plate light didn't work at all.  The hood latch was removed, and replaced by a pair of hot rod hold-down studs which were poorly welded.  On top of that, it just had a pair of side-pipes for an exhaust, which just doesn't cut it.

Original rear-view with wrong tail lights.

So, in my spare time, I have worked on this thing, doing whatever I could to finish it.  Most of the problems were simple to fix, and the only thing I couldn't do myself was the exhaust, simply because I don't have a lift and crawling around under the car is difficult without one.  The wiper motor was the biggest installation project I undertook personally.  After trying to get the vacuum motor to work, I finally gave up and bought an aftermarket electric set.  It was a real pain to install (especially when the installation instructions were inaccurate), but I finally got the thing up and running.  Smaller things, like the brake lights, turned out to be quick and easy.  The brake lights just needed the sensor wire nut squeezed a little to give it a better contact.  The license plate light needed a bulb, and the socket has to be scrubbed with a wire brush, since rust had attacked it (I doubt there'd been a bulb in there for decades).

I also installed seat belts.  They were an option in 1956, though the belts I used are not all period.  I want the car set up so I can transport my wife and 4 kids all at once, so it has six lap belts to hold everyone down securely.  I know, some car guys would scoff at such a concept, but I like the belts.  It beats sliding around when you take a sharp curve, or going through the windshield when you get into a wreck... not that I expect to get into a wreck.

The paint job was a major undertaking, and I'd never painted a car before, but I figured I'd muddle through it.  I had a spray gun that hooked to an air compressor, and I went out of my way to purchase the original factory colors, so the car would look like it did when it was new.  Of course, finding the time to paint it was tricky.  It has been a particularly wet year around here, and with fall closing in my window of opportunity was shrinking.  It was the Sunday before Lois was born (September 16), and I resolved to get it done.  I went out about 6AM and started taping the car.  Everything I didn't want painted (trim, windows, lights, etc...) had to be covered before I started.

It was almost noon before I finally had it ready for the Colonial White.  I let that sit for a few hours, and then started taping over the newly painted sections, so I could do the roof and lower sections in Meadow Mist Green.

I sprayed the car quickly, a bit too quickly as it turned out.  I had a few runs, so I'll need to do a touch-up job in the spring (it might also be wise to use some reducer, as I have recently learned).  I think it looks pretty good as is, but see for yourself:



Wyatt inspects the car, as my father moves in the background.



Seven the cat pays the car a visit.



A much improved rear view!



One fine looking car!

Getting the exhaust installed was the last thing I had to do before I could get an inspection sticker on it, and it was a lengthy process.  I bought the complete dual exhaust system months ago, but finding a good mechanic to do the job around here can be difficult.  The best of them are generally booked up, so it can be like pulling teeth getting an appointment.  Delay after delay kept pushing my installation back.  From an electrical failure at the shop to medical emergencies, it seemed like God, Himself, was working against my car's completion.  It felt like it would never be finished.  When the installation time finally came, it turned out that it had 2 left side tail pipes, so modification had to be done to make them work.  It was either that, or order another set of pipes, and that would've taken who knows how long.

One of the last things I bought for the car was a new hood latch.  After much digging and waiting, I found a complete set, top and bottom, for $90 delivered.  It was used, but in really good shape, even galvanized.  I think I'll still keep the hotrod hold-downs, as well, as emergency catches in case of latch failure.  I'll just need to give them a fresh welding.

The rear brakes were in need of adjustment a few weeks ago, and while I was at work one day my father was nice enough to do them for me.  The springs and adjusters are showing their age, so I've ordered new everything (shoes, springs, adjusters, wheel cylinders), though the ones on the car are still functional, and will last quite a while before they need to be swapped out.  I figure I'll change it all next year just to be safe, as I now have the parts on the shelf to do it.

The timing was another minor hassle, but it was highly necessary.  The engine ran, but it never sounded quite right, and after throwing a timing light on it, the answer seemed apparent.  The thing was overly-advanced by about 25 degrees.  Turning the distributor was a hassle, as the lock nut needs an off-set wrench that I don't have.  My father made one out of an old half inch wrench (with the acetylene torch), and we managed to loosen things enough to set the timing.  It seemed to run smoothly at the time, but after we let it cool off we could barely get it running again.  It was a stupid oversight on my part.  The vacuum advance has two lines going to it, and I missed one of them.  The advance was throwing our reading off!  With a little help from Nelson Brooks, we got the timing squared away.  Now the engine runs more smoothly and quietly than most modern cars.  It is a pleasure to drive.

Getting this car on the road was one of the most excruciatingly bothersome things I've ever done, and at the same time one of the most rewarding.  I don't regret taking on this challenge; I just wish a few things could have gone more smoothly.

So, what's next for my mechanical adventures?  Just wait and see.