Installing Brake Kit

Have you checked them against the pictures in Halls catalog ?
Sounds like one of his set ups from reading the description.

I can not figure out where these six machined brackets go.

Has anyone installed a brake kit and can lend some assistance please?

I'm just getting into it, the half shafts have been pulled, the axle nut tool is in my possession, and I'm about to dig into it. The front wheels are on the ground and I'm ready to put 400 foot pounds of torque onto loosening the axle nuts. Carefully applying a lot of force!

The hole spacing on the rear upright, where the original caliper is bolted to, has smaller hole spacing distance than the hole spacing distance on the new calipers. So, I presume some combination of these machined mounting brackets is going to adapt the new caliper to the car.

Any clue who may have marketed this kit originally? Nicely etched word "DeTomaso" on the side of the black calipers, 4 pistons, curved vane ventilated rotors with aluminum hats. Any idea who to call for assistance on the phone? Any articles written on the subject? I have five years back of PI and POCA, so if anyone remembers an article, I'll look it up. Puzzling to me. It's always the details, eh? Thanks.[/QUOTE]

I checked Hall's catalog photos many times, and Precision Proformance and PI Motorsports and all the pictures I could find. It's got to be one of theirs, but the caliper design is different. I had ordered Wilwood Dyna-Lites just a week before the opportunity to get the Pantera vendor kit arose, so those are on my work bench for comparison purposes. The Dyna-Lites are much, much lighter. The DeTomaso calipers are really cool looking, and I think they are Wilwood Super-Lites. The brackets go with the kit,and the Dyna-Lites have different mounting hole distances, so I can't use the Dyna-Lites without making new brackets, so they'll get returned. That doesn't make sense for Wilwwod to change hole spacing distances from Super-Lites to Dyna-Lites, so maybe what I got are "used" Corvette brakes that a Pantera vendor offered? The brake pads are different than the new pads just received with the Dyna-Lites too. Maybe they are Corvette calipers, Hall puts out several brake upgrade kits.... Anyway, Jim, from this BB, sent me photos, and he cc'd you too, Coz. Those were exactly the pictures I need to solve the puzzle. Thanks Jim, you're a true enthusiast, very experienced and informed, I always appreciate your help. Wish you could hook up with your buddies and go to Vegas too, but I'm sure you'll be peeling the treads off those Hoosiers on tracks closer to where you live very soon. I hope so, got to have a blast once in a while.

On this topic, I wanted to see if I could help out another Pantera guy, and maybe one of you, too. In the last issue of POCA Jan/Feb 2005, (blue cover), Randy in WI is advertizing "Sell-Corvette brake upgrade includes vented/ crossdrilled rotors, red powder coated calipers, polished alum master cylinder w/booster. ... srtimml@sbcglobal.net"

This is a very good reason to subscribe to POCA and Pantera International. Find all the deals, get all the technical info, advertize free or just have the broadest range of 'pre-owned' Pantera's to select from, when looking for a Pantera to buy. It also helps all the rest of us, collectively, by allowing the sharing of information and the continuation of the clubs. Everybody wins. $75 each club x 2 clubs is only $150 a year and you'll save far more than that the first time you make a transaction, buy or sell. Thanks for allowing the little promo for these guys who make it happen. I think it's worth it to just pay my dues and belong. It's research for my Pantera Research Library, should I need to find something someday, or just get ideas. The pictures are nice to look at too, like when I get too lazy to read the words. Remind you of another magazine? Hahaha I was talking about Time Magazine, what's wrong with you!

Oh yeah, the final solution for my brake upgrade question: the rotor hats mount inboard, just like the originals. The six mounting brackets go like this: 6/2=3 per side of vehicle; one in front, two in back. In back, one is used as a spacer to mount the existing brakes further inboard, to make up for the extra thickness of the vented rotor. The other bracket mounts on the front side of the rear axle/upright bracket. So the new brakes, in the rear, are on the front side of the axle. The new rotor is 1/8" thinner in the surface area, it's 1.875" where the original was 2.0" so it will just barely clear the mounting tabs for the brakes, and if I'm lucky, I won't even have to do any grinding of the tabs! Thanks for the e-mailed photos, Jim. Puzzle solved!

Man, my computer is getting slow from all these Pantera pictures I seem to download every day. Anybody else? Hahaha.

B.S. aside, a buddy is coming over, well maybe eight, and one's got a 650 ft.lbs. Air Impact Driver. Hope my compressor keeps up with it, but I only need 350 ft.lbs. for the axle nut removal/ installation. It's 3/4" drive, and so when I shop for one of these tools when I do this job again for new upgraded bearings, I'll have to remember that and get a 3/4 to 1/2 adapter. Air tools seems rediculously cheap for what they do.

Anybody know where I can get a 400 ft.lbs. torque wrench? Harbor Freight got them? We will all happily save/bookmark your post on where to shop on-line, when you reply. Thanks!

Sounds like a really nice set up VFI. So did you figure out who they came from ?

Hi Coz, nah, I didn't find out who made and marketed them or where they came from. Somebody in Vegas will tell me, I presume. See you there, Coz? Seen your Pantera there, Vegas 2004, in a POCA or Pantera International recent issue.

The new brakes will look cool, but they'll be temporary. I'll get the Wilwood Dyna-Lite's when I can get around to having some brackets made for them or find brackets somewhere for them. These are going to add about 20 lbs. to the car, and the DynaLite's are in my hand as we speak. But the new ventilated rotors will be on and it'll be an easy upgrade to just slap on DynaLite's once brackets come into my possession. For now, I'm limiting this project to completion of the upgrade kit as received. Just a bolt on, some difficult bolts, but a bolt on. Can't get too bogged down in details, like trying to switch to the DynaLites right now. We all know how it feels to have the Pantera up on jack stands, and we like to have projects completed, or else frustration sets in, for all. Later, I'll just advertize the DeTomaso brake upgrade kit and sell it, and it'll probably be an easy sell with pictures of them on the car, so the buyer will know they fit. These are works in progress, right? And I guess the Formula One teams are rolling out their new F-1's soon, for a new season, and I'll be watching thinking half of us will have their latest stuff on our Pantera's in a decade. I'm excited to be working on the Pantera again and running off with dribble too much lately... Ahhh, but it'll be upgraded for a while, getting closer to what I want exactly, and the work will be done for another year by the end of April. Unless I get the fever again. Maybe see you there... VFI

p.s. I may decide I want one of these more than I want new Dynalites, so imagine yourself taking a test drive, full throttle!!!

http://www.trendtimes.com/blmoxlco40ra.html

Are we having fun now?? Check it out, see a dealer near you!! You will definitely be noticed driving this!!! And if you get one, I'll get one too and we'll both have some fast times at Vegas 2006 and beyond. Want some real competion and thrills? The future, I think, laughing all the way....

I'm sure somebody will know in Vegas where they came from. All the same, they are nicer than the stock set up. Looking forward to seeing your Dynalites on. The Pantera is always a work in progress buddy :-) Mine is on jack stands right now... :-( Sounds like you've made some great progess with your car since the last time I saw it.

Yes, I am going to be there. In fact, I am working with Greg Jacobs gathering prizes and for the raffle for POCA this year. Greg can't make it to the actual event so I was asked to handle the raffle at the event in his absence. Getting there sometime Wednesday. Staying at the New Orleans.

When are you arriving ? Where are you staying ?

I look forward to seeing you there !
It's been awhile.

I'll be at The Orleans Casino and Hotel also, arriving Wednesday PM. They are Corvette brakes after all, the pads are really thick, twice as thick as the DynaLites. Corvettes are just a little heavier than Panteras, so they should work fine. I may just keep them and return the DynaLites to JEGS. I'm looking for an emergency/parking brake so I can eliminate the original Girlings on the rear. On the present set-up, the originals stay on and become the parking brake. But they are heavy and I want to remove that weight. I saw a nice after market parking brake for the Pantera, that was cable operated, and made a mental note of it. I think they were $250, but I can't find it, now that I'm looking for it. See you in April.

VFI: Pantera East has an e-brake which uses a seperate caliper. Uses a cable setup similar to stock. PanteraPlace has a picture. I'm told this is what's used on the Viper.

Just a warning to let you guys who read this BB get ahead of the game. 1) The axle nut removal tool is going for $59 to $100, brand new, depending on where you buy it. But the people who are bidding on these same axle nut tools are bidding these things up to $120 on e-bay. Nuts! I went ahead and bought two this morning. One to replace by buddy's whose tool I broke yesterday and one to keep. Which is a nice segway into warning #2. 2) Don't use your massively powerful impact hammer to loosen or tighten the axle nuts. The constant pounding of the impact work hardens the steel in the special tool and it breaks off all four tabs on the special tool. Use the old fasioned way, leverage and strength. The spec is 350 to 400 ft.lbs. torque to tighten. Also got a tip that you can rent a 3/4 inch drive torque wrench that goes to 400 ft.lbs. to do the job at those places that rent equipment. The axle nuts are one each, LH and RH thread. It's also been done that the axle nuts are chiseled off with an air hammer. Either way, it's a good idea to use new axle nuts when reassembling.

Also, a word to the wise: check your 16 nuts on the half shafts. Mine were a little loose, or lets say, not as tight as they were when I tightened them last after removing the half shaft a year and a half ago. This is where the power gets transfered, and this is also an area of failure. If one or the other of your half shafts lets loose while driving, it's going to be expensive. I ordered new nuts and bolts, as insurance, self insurance. They are under $50 and worth it. They are special, specific nuts and bolts with tight tolerances. A few showed some signs of wear, shiny teeth, soon to strip if enough torque were to be applied. But I plan to do a road test and then retighten anyway, because I figure they settle in a little as the machined surfaces mate up better going round and round zillions of times. Check them, if you drive it. And while you're at it, check to make sure the A-arm bolts are tight, especially that on that attaches to the front side, rear A-arm, lower. That's the one that pulls out and that's the one that has reinforcement from the factory on GT-5's. Or if you just drive around nice and easy, and never use more than half the RPMs or H.P, then you'll probably be OK... VFI's word to the wise!!! And you guys are wise to read a little and learn from each other, that's what I think!!! That's why I read this BB, besides catching a laugh now and then.

Here's how to get the axle nuts off:

Up on jack stands, wheels and half shafts off. New "billet" axle nut tool on the nut, 3/4" ratchet inserted. One person in the cockpit, pulls the e-brake on really hard, starts the engine to get the benefit of vacuum assist to the brakes, and smashes the brakes so hard that it seems like the hydraulic lines will burst for sure.

The other guys puts a floor jack handle over the ratchet handle and pulls up on the driver's side axle nut, from the rear, by the exhaust, while holding his breath. Flip the ratchet driver's toggle and do the same thing on the other side car. The axles and nuts have reverse threads on each side, LH and RH threads.

My driver's side rear axle has been replaced, the passenger side axle is stock.

It is a WARNING here: the passenger side axle nut was no where near 400 ft/lb torque. It was much easier to loosen that axle nut. Loose by spec is what I'm warning here, may want to check yours, by the way....

These are cars and things get loose all by themselves. I saw a picture of a guy's Pantera at a Vegas track event where his rear axle nut came off!

My passenger side rotor spun very freely, but has play in it. My driver's side rotor was rubbing on the upright tab, and was somewhat warped. My Pantera must have had it's 150 to 0 braking test done already, enough heat to warp the stock rotor.

I scooped up the last three issues of POCA to take to the machinist tomorrow. Fred Terry has donated his expertise to review and publish the three ways to upgrade the rear bearings. My buddy liked Jack DeRyke's because he likes Timkin sealed bearings, but it's the machinist who'll make that decision, based on their skill and equipment. Hate to get a crooked bore with Jack's method, throw away an upright.... All of this is way beyond my skill and knowledge level from this point forward on the bearing business.

Not just to save money, it's nice to get these projects done yourself, that way you are very confident it was all done correctly. If you take the time to learn and ask for the right people's help and use the resources available from this BB, POCA's BB and Pantera International and POCA publications, you can be sure your projects are done the right way.

Thanks to all who have contributed to all these 'data bases' in the past, present and future. Us enthusiasts must stick together for the common Pantera goal: To Drive It. Thanks again to all.

Things are working out. The machinist pressed the old rotors off and the old bearings out. He's a former professor at the local technical college, and he studied the drawings I brought him. We decided it's best to use new original ball bearings. He said water got in the bearings and caused bearing failure. I can probably get another 10 years out of new ball bearings, so I'm planning to do all this again in 2015. The bearing races hadn't spun, but there was some discoloring from heat, with otherwise good condition of the axles, good spline teeth, etc. He found some and tried to charge me a little more than I found them for. Somehow from the POCA grawings he guessed it's a Pantera and charged me, I saw his evil grin, hehehe. Pantera, eh, he can afford to pay a little more, and I can use money.... So I cut a cost from his bill. Machinist's they do cool work.

Another machinist did a hot dog job on my new cross-drilled slotted rotors. I see how they work now. The directional rotor vanes spin one way, and the holes spin the other way. Every vane has an air outlet drilled into it. Let's heat out every hole. The slots go the same direction as the spin on the holes. Everything is chamferd, nice smoth edges. The new rotors are 1/16" larger diameter, hope that's not going to be a problem, don't need them dragging on the free floating calipers.

A trip to AutoZone and new 27100 Red Permatex Threadlocker. Glad I remembered to get a new cigarette lighter to wire up and attach the G-Tech Meter to for power and rpm input.

Two 3/4" 500 ft/lb torque wrenchs lined up, and a trip to the machinist with the CDS rotors and hats to press back on the the axles and bring the new bearings before the end of the week and I'm ready to install newly rebuilt rear uprights, new locking axle nuts, new half shaft bolts, new rotors assy included on uprights, and this is good for another 40,000 miles or 10 years. Have to stay out of the rain, even though the zinc coated rotors won't rust. Bearings, body rust, and several other reasons to stay out of the rain, inside window fogging, questionable windshield wipers... lot's of reasons to avoid rain and wet.

It's not a perfect world. The brake rotor guy forgot to throw in the 'hardware' in the box. That's the socket head screws and lock nuts for the rotors/hat connections. Glad to see the 'hardware' fit from the undrilled vaned rotors (now back-up rotors) to the new rotors. Really glad.

Still have a little leeway for other, unforeseen things that might happen. And without looking at the instructions, figure out my newly arrived G-Tech Meter. How many rear wheel horsepower are coming off this Tacoma 4X4 anyway? I know a way to get the maximum ponies from the truck, clean out the airfilter and clean off the MASS air flow sensor. Last time I did that, I know it ran a lot stronger, and got better mileage again. Gotta, things to do.

And Coz, leave those X-Ray glasses at home, the gizmo's box says "Magnetic Media' DO NOT X-RAY.
;-)

CDS-V rotors, hats, 4 piston calipers, hardware, lines, 3/4" drive 42" long 500 ft/lb click style torque wrench, billet axle nut socket, and "99 Critical Shots in Pool"

Here's the rear uprights back from the machinist. The new bearings have been installed and the new rotors and hats replace the old. The old bearings and rotors are seen. The old rotors weigh 2.0 lbs. more than the new rotors. This is spinning mass that's new deleted. That'll make the brakes function just that much better. It's more than just 8 lbs. removed from the car's weight, is spinning inertia, or less of it.

You also can see PI Motorsports rear Euro bumpers and Euro rear tailight lenses.

Also noticable is the complete exhaust, metallic ceramic coated, which doesn't just look cleaner and prevent corrosion, but the main function is to keep the exhaust heat from transferring to the exhaust system metal surfaces. The primary function is to shoot the heat out the tips, into atmosphere, not build up in the metal.

The machinist was tutoring me about bearing preload. The axle nut preloads the bearings with the factory spacer between the inner and outer bearins. The specs for the axle nut torque is minimum 300 ft/lb. Different people will provide different rear axle nut torque spec recommendations. I don't want the axle nut loose enough to spin off, but I don't want the axle nut so tight it binds the bearings at all. These are measurements in 1/000's of an inch, and pressure, to pull the bearings in and seat them on the upright's inner notches. So, I'm setting the torque wrench for 360 ft/lb. That's 20% tighter than the minimum 300 ft/lb., but less than the 400 ft/lb spec I've heard. Just my best guess for this decision.

The torque wrench is adjusted by spinning the grip clockwise to increase torque or counter cloockwise to reduce torque. I'm fascinated by this, so I may take this torque wrench apart later to see just how it works....

The new calipers have four pistons and the old ones have one piston. The new brake pads have twice as much surface area. What this means, like for this week end, is I want to try and avoid running the engine to get vacuum assist to the brake booster. So, I'm going to get my buddy to start the engine, get the vacuum up, smash the brakes really hard, and cut the engine. Then with the torque wrench aleady set on the axle nuts, do the work on the torque down. The new billet axle nut socket fits really tight on the new axle nuts, so this is good to help keep the socket from slipping off the nut with a lot of pressure on it. Don't want to lose a fingernail or smash my knucles or fall down....

The new rotors are zinc coated to prevent rust, and probably have some machine oil on them form the machine work. I took a towel and wiped this stuff off the rotor braking surfaces. Next, I'm applying lacquer thinner to a clean towel and wiping the rotor braking surfaces again, followed by a clean toweling off with alcohol. You don't want to use water or soap, this will contaminate the brake pad material.

All these details add up to performance, and that's why you're interested and reading this stuff. That's the fun stuff, and I hope to get this 'monster' on the road, this weekend. It's slam time. I'm going to crash this project, full focus and concentration, until it's finished. Not hurrying thru the details, but not messing around either.

My buddy is a master mechanic, so I have to give Mike credit here. Thank's Mike, my voice was starting to crack a little, then when you called, it gave me confidence. Then I started calculating all the details out, and when you get here, I'll be ready with the parts pre-assembled, cleaned lubed, and the garage floor is now swept up like a Formula One garage. We're ready!

Hope nothing goes wrong. Glad to have a little time left in case something does go wrong. Really glad to find the bearing problem and get that fixed, at a very convenient time in the project.

Supposedly, for handling purposes, each pound of unsprung weight is worth 4 pounds of body weight. Last season we replaced the OEM wheels (about 20 lbs. per wheel) on the MR2 with the Volk TE37 (about 9 lbs. per wheel) and gained about a half second per minute on an autocross course.

Master Mechanic Mike told me the new bearings will probably be the fix for the 'handling' problem I was having. On a certain stretch of freeway I was getting some steering wheel wobble, and couldn't figure it out. The road surface wasn't that smooth, and my steering wheel would shake side to side. I was always concerned about that happening at 150 mph... like on those Nevada closed highway, open speed limit events I want to do. It's OK with me to 'accidentally' fix that problem.

I'm feeling like after this I'm not going to be ready for another Pantera project for a couple of years. The rear brake lines have two male to male fittings and so forward progress came to a halt until that little connector is located next week. The uprights are installed and it took a big hammer to get the heavy uprights into the lower a-arms, but the good news is the a-arm bushings are in good shape. It's 'looking' great. But the brakes don't work yet. The original 15" Campagnolos fit on the new brakes just fine. So, I can have a stealthy Pantera, looks kind of stock, but....

Another problem is the parking brakes. That extra 1/16" diameter in the rotors rubs the parking brake bracket. My air grinder went thru 2 grinding wheels and it just about clears now, but they are getting the heavy grinding treatment next week too, to get better clearance. The parking brakes add 8 lbs. to the axle weight, but it's not spinning weight. Subtract out the 2 lbs. weight savings on the new rotors and I have 6 extra lbs. on each side in the rear. I'm going to get the nifty parking brakes advertized in POCA and Pantera International by the vendors, at a later time.... That's one of the reasons I pay my dues and am a member, to see what's available, and what's going on in Pantera world.

It takes patience to get results. I won't quit until it's finished and I've got enough time to get it completed before Vegas. But, the problem is, I won't be satisfied until I add 200 more horsepower, gear the ZF for 180 - 200 mph, get ground effects that function and install the white face guages in the cockpit.

And then I'll think of something else I'll have to have for the Pantera.... Or see it on someone else's Pantera. Pantera fever is reaching pitch level for me. To be continued....

Well, the right way to fit the brake hoses is to reduce the number of connectors, so I had the local industrial hydraulic hose company make new brake lines for me. But the #3 fittings were back-ordered. So, on Thursday I went back again and said let’s try and figure this out a different way, and they did, and hiked the price up another $36, but who cares, I got my four new brake lines Thursday.

I talked Master Mechanic Mike into coming over Thursday night. The solid half of the rear brake lines had a 90 degree bend, and didn’t seem to fit right, so I got my new tubing bender out of the JC Whitney box and it was a large tubing bender, too large. So, I decided to do it the Italian hand made way and bent the solid lines to curve under the half shafts and go behind them, dodging the sway bar brackets and that’s where the flexible stainless steel braided lines hook up now. Looks like ‘factory’, just like the graceful curves in the in the engine bay brake lines. I was ready for MMM to show up, and he was tired and ‘just going to look to see that I’m doing it right’. Right. I was scheming to get to the next stage, so when he showed up with my twin 6 year old nieces, I had their favorite Pepperoni pizza ‘on the way’ and had the fittings for the hoses tightened, the front hood up, the brake fluid gallon bottle cap off, and asked him to mash the brakes a few times while I bled the brakes. He obliged. Brakes bled, I grabbed the 3/4" ratchet and billet axle nut tool and started tightening the axle nuts on. Then, everything started going right. He adjusted the torque wrench for me, since I couldn’t figure it out, and I was under the car attaching the tool to the axle nut. It fit like fine Italian driving glove, and he got in the car and I had to keep yelling ‘on’, ‘off’, ‘on’, ‘off’ using the ‘on’ ‘off’ as a vocal ‘ratchet’ for the torquing procedure. Just like I hoped, there was no need to start the engine and use the vacuum assisted brakes, the new brakes held 360 ft.lbs. Of torque, no problem.

Master Mechanic Mike couldn’t help being inspired and getting involved. So he started attaching the parking brakes. Snag. Later in the week he brought over his stand mounted gring wheel, and I went to grinding the the parking brake bracket. No dice. The parking brake caliper hits the aluminum rotor hat. This left choices and decisions. No parking brakes, the line lock parking brakes, or new mounting brackets for the parking brakes. I just took the parking brake brackets to the machinist. He’s quoting an hour and a half to weld up the hole, weld straps on the outside, drill new holes and tap them, then do so finish work. Hope that works. I can get the brackets back Wednesday or Thursday.

The problem is nothing works like the plan in my head, but experience tells me that’s the way it always is, so allow some extra time. Part of the problem is the new rotors are ½" wider in radius, 1" wider diameter. Even though the new cross drilled, slotted rotors are only 1/8" wider radius than the ones supplied in my e-Bay Pantera Big Brake Upgrade Kit.

I discovered a new problem too. The tightened down brakes bind on the calipers. That means the larger diameter rotors ar hitting the inside of the calipers on the top half of the calipers. Master Mechanic Mike and I are going to tackle that problem tonight. There’s three solutions, grind down the inside of the calipers, make new brackets, oval out the holes on the calipers and/or the brackets. I prefer to get expert consultation before making decisions like that.

I also removed the front rotors and tried to use the air hammer that came in my air tools kit to press out the studs. No way. MMM’s air hammer did the trick, but his air hammer is 4" longer than mine and probably cost as much as my $89 air tools kit with all the air tools and attachments. He drove the studs back in the same way this morning. That’s another thing I’ll find out about tonight is whether the rotors are going to be rubbing the calipers on the front. Good news, the front bearings look fresh and good.

There’s some pictures of the rear and front so you can see what I’m talking about. I’m starting to think I should have just bought the brake upgrade kit from a Pantera vendor and maybe I wouldn’t have so many headaches with this project, even if I did all the pressing in and out of the rear axles and bearings at the local level for the hands on learning experience.

I’m feeling a little ‘stressy’ as my Polish buddy says. I want to get this project finished in time for Vegas. If not, I’ll be doing hot laps in my Toyota Tacoma 4 wheel drive with the G-Tech Meter at Vegas and nobody wants to read about that in Pantera International.... Slam time, yeah right. Slam for about 45 minutes, run into another problem and wait for Monday to order parts, then wit for the next weekend to get the parts and start slam time again. I’m the one getting slammed, slammed by the calendar.... But I’m 90% sure I’ll finish, with the help of Master Mechanic Mike and a few other people who get parts to me or machined for me.... I just want to do as much of it myself as possible, without making mistakes. No turning back now.

Opps. I forgot the cord that goes from my digital camera to the back of the computer at home, so I’ll load the pictures later. Sorry. Everything just takes ‘Mr. Do-It-Yourself’ here a little longer than normal to get the project completed. Guess you’re glad you’re not me, having to deal with little snags all the time. Man, I better check my zipper, make sure I zipped up my fly, I’m so absent minded these days. XYZ, remember that?

VFI.
Hope you get the cat ready in time. Can't wait to see the pics. Still working on my brake upgrade. Getting closer!

Last night by midnight, the veryfast italain was ready for a road test to see how the brakes worked. The front 15x7 front tightened down on the new calipers. The 15x8 in back cleared fine, they were removed in the rear again and locktighted. Same in front. On and off they go, everything getting fitted, adjusted and squirted with the red stuff. Some effort, by MMM, were got stuck and halted when all the grinding wheels wore down taking of 1/16" from the top of the calipers, to spin freely, and clear properly. This stuff is close tolerances and the brake pads extend perfectly to the perimeter of the rotor. Freight Harbor has these grinding wheels of carbon steel for $4 for 4 miniature oil well bits. 2 of those, 2 clear safety classes, one for MMM to look cool at work, they look like some spoty shades for mountain biking. Encourage my buddy to wear them at work and avoid eye injury, I hope.

Tonight, the parking brakes were installed and adjusted, just right. It took several on off sequences to shim up the parking brakes just right, and the machinist got my bracket reworked exactly right, and ready this morning. The old slave cyulinder is the new parking brake. The hydrulic fluid is drained out and a new bolt plugs the hole where the line brake used to be attached.

Lots of people have helped and come through for me, and I want to thank them. Rachel, you are getting flowers tomorrow, Thursday, 4/14/05. Thank you for weighing in on my behalf today. Thank you for taking care of business. Thank you to all who have been continually helping keep my cat in good health.

Still on jack stands, it got a new clutch hose installed tonight too. The oil plug is going to be pulled and drained overnight, since it is cold oil. When the dude dumped last year's oil yesterday, he told me the oil still had at least a thousand miles left on it, so some old oil shall remain in this time, a little, and that project cheacked off the list. Oil changes, engine and ZF, done in the next 24 hours. Same for the air cleaner K&N element. Haven't done that before, so I'll have to figure it out without looking at the instructions, of course. Lots of things done, lots of things left to do.

Not having been driven in 6 months, I noticed a new whisping sound coming from the right side, front engine compartment. MMM diagnosed it as possibly a leaking header pipe, but it gets quieter with rpm's increasing. He said it's probably that one of the hydraulic push rods lost it's fluid and needs to pump up. 20/40 is heavy oil and needs about 20 or 30 minutes to flow into the push rod. If that doesn't clear up that noise, we'll be installing whatever needs to get replaced to get it right. Little by little, closer to better performance and reliablility. That's the idea. It'll be done, and I'll know a lot about this car, and have a lot of confidence in it, except for rain.....