First most....Thank-you to all of you that offered advice and encouragement along the way!!!!
Report card:
-New stainless tubing bits and rubber splices are installed.
-New water pump
-Heater hoses run and filter installed and restrained. Water valve cleaned out...core flushed.
-Wiring is all sorted out and retained safely!
-New AC pump is in. Needs to get one line a new fitting on the end......to be continued!
-Headers and exhaust pipes are now ceramic coated and installed! (Should have done this right away when I started!) One pipe contacts axle at full suspension rise...but it did that before...
-New battery is installed.....
-Wiring tested with amp meter before connecting battery....found out that my e-flasher switch is still bad!!! Imagine that....I didn't work on it yet.....! Sure looked funky on the digital volt meter! Jammed a hammered out piece of tie wrap in the switch....OK fixed. Now no current draw!!!!
-Installed new motor mount rubber biscuits....to try and lift engine just a tad to increase header clearance on LH side to engine chassis stand-off. I think you'd need a set of feeler gauges to see if it did much....!!! But it did...just a lot of work with headers in place! Should have done this while headers were getting coated!!! Duh!
-Dorked up left rear deck hinge area by trying to replace deck shocks with new. New ones had more pressure than the same old rear ones....and the sheet metal where the hinge attaches started giving away! Evidence of prior repair..and rust..... Fix is gonna be ugly....just have to accept that some repaint will be likely!!!! Ugh! Will work on this once car is back down on terra-firma!!!
Vacuumed up the excess baking soda in the front boot carpeting from the battery explosion. Came out fairly well all considering! Used a tooth brush to gently persuade the stuff out....
Got the hose out and filled up the cooling system...vented the radiator a couple of times.....T-stat has a vent hole drilled in it....so system self bled while I dorked with some stuff.....
Connected the battery, put the floor jack under the rear right upright to keep the axle from spinning on the exhaust pipe....topped off the water one more time, and ready to try starting!
Pumped the carb....turned key...more pumping...more key....more pumping.....more key...did I fry something????..then a slight hint of ignition!!! ....more pumping....more key and she lives!!!!!
Needed to "run in" the ceramic coating in two stages. 5 minutes...cool down....then 10 minutes.....cool down. Done.
Pipes are getting hot that need to get hot....no deep percolating heard in engine....temp up at 190 (180 t-stat)....but water looks like baby poo!!! Everything in system is new except block....so this is coming from engine.....
Turned the idle up just a tad....
Proceeded to put wheels back on car with new 3/4" lug nuts. The 13/16" ones were too tight for my comfort..socket to wheel clearance is the issue.
Set the car back down with wood blocks under wheels...for now. Still have RH fender shield off....in case I need to get in there....but seems good.
Tomorrow: warm it up a tad and dump water from system. Cold outside.....need warm parts to work on....!
Refill....run some more....see how it looks!!!! Dump again if necessary...... Eventually will dump and refill with some coolant.....Need to put new seal on engine cover and then can seal that up, perhaps even put firewall cover back in place! What a concept!!!
Will Erica's name be changed to Susan soon? Stay tuned!!!
Again, thanks for the help with all!
Ciao!
Steve
