About to start body restoration on 86

[Bruce]

Hope it bleeds better than mine!

[gbeaird]

Hope it bleeds better than mine!

AMEN!! I do, too. Reading about all the fun you had was one of the reasons I sidelined the rack R&R project to get the car into a state I could start and run it again. I knew it would NEVER bleed w/o running the engine.

[gbeaird]

Since it was only 95 out today, I decided to do some work on the old rack removal. So I threw a sweatshirt on and headed out to the shop. I got everything disconnected, but the steering coupler seems to still be binding up on the rack input shaft, so I couldn't drop it to the ground. With some assistance from the CFO this weekend, hopefully we can get it off and the new one hung in place. Man, the ONLY way I could get the hoses loose was with a crowsfoot and short extension. What a PITA.

I think I'll try hanging the new rack on the passenger mount, and then try connecting the lines before setting the driver's side in place. If someone else has a better idea, I am all ears.

[Bruce]

The Ford service manual says to unbolt the rack and pull it forward then disconnect the hoses as I recall.

[gbeaird]

The Ford service manual says to unbolt the rack and pull it forward then disconnect the hoses as I recall.

That's pretty much what I did. Got it to come forward about 2", and that's it. While it did provide a bit more access, it was still very tight. Crowsfoot was all that worked in there.

[gbeaird]

Well, dammit. I got everything laid out to hoist the new rack into place and discovered I have to remove the inner rack mounting sleeves so I can press the rack onto the OEM mounting sleeves that run through the K-member. And, of course, the bottle jack on my press is dead. So now, I have to go in search of a replacement jack. Sigh.....

[gbeaird]

Took advantage of the cold weather to get out in the shop and get 'er done. Got the sleeves pressed out, what a PITA. Tried to get the rack pressed into place. We even had a long clamp used for wood projects but couldn't get enough pressure on it to move either side much more than 1/4". I tried pushing the old Energy Suspension bushings over the sleeves we pressed out of the rack and they went on with a friction fit. It took a fair amount of pressure from the press to get the sleeves out of the rack's bushings, so I knew there was a bit of a difference. We tapped the bushings out of the rack and tapped the ES bushings in and could almost press the rack on the K-member sleeves by hand. That clamp was instrumental in making the process easier. We got to a stopping point and reconnected the hoses with minimal issues. I got to the point of lining the coupler to the input shaft but it seems I can't get it on square.

After f.....udging with it a while, I decided we need to pull the rack back and make a new attempt at stabbing that coupler. We'd been out there most of the day, and I was mostly-mentally done. We closed up shop until I can return w/o wanting to throw something heavy at the car. And, of course, I now need to determine how many times I've turned the input shaft and try to get it back centered. Maybe next weekend. We'll see.

On the positive side, while we were out there, I turned the ice maker on in our vintage motorhome (1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge) to see if it worked. When we were shutting things down, I went in and checked to find we had ice! It was kind of groty, as the PO said they'd never used it, but it made ice, just the same. We'll run it a few more times to see how the ice comes out.

[gbeaird]

Finally!! Success! With the help of my able-bodied assistant, we were able to get everything bolted up! Well, except for the tie rod ends and wheels back on, we're done with the hardware part. After all the wrenching and prodding, my gimp left shoulder was yelling ENOUGH!, so we called it a day. Just as well, as there are t-storms approaching and we have one pup who does NOT like thunder.

Tomorrow will probably be a recovery day, then we'll fill/bleed the PS system and maybe at least do a rudimentary alignment.

Just one question, though; the clutch cable rides over the top of the rack? Right now it's pinched between the K-member and rack. The clutch does feel okay, but I may need to address that this weekend, too. Time for a 'Rita and hydrocodone. :-)

[gbeaird]

After closer look, the clutch cable is NOT pinched between the K-member and the rack, but snakes between the two. I was able to move the cable around, so am confident that the current arrangement will work. I filled the pump with fluid, and moved the wheel left and right to bleed things. It took two fills. After running the rack back and forth with the engine running, and then turning it off, it seems the froth blew through the weep hole and poured down the sides of the pump, dripping to the floor and messing a LOT of stuff up! I wiped off about all I could, and then plan to let it set a day or two, and clean it off again. It seems no matter how much I try to keep the car clean, it fights me all the way!

Bolted the tires on but will wait until everything is back on the ground to torque things down. We still need to do an alignment, and REALLY need to replace the tires, as the fronts are still flat-spotted from the last autocross we ran in it.