A little TLC

The brake job went well. Eventually.

Actually, after we put both sides on and I test drove it, it immediately started making a grinding sound and the pedal still felt like nothing was happening to the drums. Come to find out later that the entire self-adjuster had 'sproinged off the hold-down and was just rolling around in the drum, making that noise.

An hour or so later, I'd reattached it, then started adjusting the self-adjusters. Insane, right? But apparently that's how these complicated machines work. Another couple hours of finding the star wheel with a screwdriver and tweaking the shoes until they were in the right position, the brakes work just fine now. I could probably tweak them just a little tighter, but for short trips I think it's acceptable for now.

Once that brake job was done, I knew I wanted to get some other regular maintenance things done that might not have ever been taken care of in this car's lifetime. This included a breather element, PCV valve (positive crankcase ventilation, fascinating tech), and a real air cleaner gasket. I also changed the oil, just to get everything on a fresh start, square one. It really liked that oil change, though. Very black, and very nasty stuff came out. I used Valvoline hi-mile 5w30, because it was on sale cheaper than the regular stuff. I'll also take any help I can get. I also went the distance for a new oil drain plug gasket because the copper crush one was flat as a pancake.

After all that work to change the fluids, I wanted to clean up the bottom of the engine with the mind on finding where any leaks might be coming from. I suspected the oil pan gasket or the valve covers, but the PCV was really dirty, along with the breather, so there might have been a pressure issue causing the leaks. I used the technique of spraying down everything under the engine with a 50/50 solution of water and Purple Power, several times, and flushing with a spray garden hose after. It cleaned up okay without having to scrub anything.

The next day, with everything now dry, I sprayed foot powder liberally over the oil pan gasket, the drain plug, and generally under the engine. Supposedly, this would help me spot fresh leaks quickly and trace the source.

Next, I wanted to change out the fuel filter, which is inside a steel line coming from the back of the carburetor. Try as I might, none of the wrenches I had seemed to be the right size, though a couple were close. I started rounding the nut of the fuel line, and the larger filter nut wouldn't fit any of my wrenches at all. When I noticed that I was twisting the fuel line, I decided to call it quits on that particular item until I could get the right tools and had time to spray it down with some PB Blaster to loosen the fitting...

After all these new replacement disposable parts were installed, it genuinely felt like the wagon ran stronger. Sort of. At least it felt more responsive and less sluggish. We took it to the car wash and paid extra for the full service treatment; undercarriage flush, wheel shine, and Rain-X(tm). It looked fantastic coming out of there, but it slightly bent my antenna. Wasn't happy about that. If I'd known, I would have gone to the hand-wash and sprayed it down myself. Also, remember that foot powder I put on? Yeah, probably gone.

Good news is that I haven't spotted any leaks since I replaced all those parts. I'm hoping it was mostly the PCV and the drain plug gasket causing the worst. It turns out that the oil pan gasket itself is nearly impossible to reach without removing the whole engine. Not exactly a project I'm willing to take on at this point. Still, there are a few things on my to-do list.

The transmission gasket and filter should be changed, as well as the fluid. The rear coil springs are weak and the suspension sags in the back, so shocks are in order, too. Probably from toting around all those... y'know... funeral home-related things. I also burst one of the upper ball joints when I was greasing all 11 fucking points under the car... So I might as well replace the upper and lower joints on both sides. The upper joints present a unique challenge because they're riveted in from the factory, which are a PITA to remove, according to everyone on the internet. I've purchased several drill bits and a chisel to help me when I tackle that. I'll also probably need a ball joint press for the lowers, but I can rent that tool, I think. Eventually I will get that fuel filter replaced.

I've noticed that the steering wheel is turned just a little to the left to keep the vehicle straight on the road, and it pulls right if left alone. It may be because of needing an alignment, or also because of the rear suspension being worn out, or something entirely different. Maybe an idler arm or center link. I know many of the bushings under the car are dry rotted and cracked...

I also just put gas in the car. Total money spent so far (not counting gas from driving it across half the country): ~$500.