Can't add anything more to this advice but if you do order from
Harbor Freight get the baggies there. You can get 1000 of them for about
$5 dollars. If you do rewire keep the old harness the wires will come in
handy if you ever have to work on your new one. If you don't have a
compressor and some air tools now is the time to get them,you'll never
need them more. One last thing to order from Harbor Freight is their $50
dollar floor jack.
...Art
On 9 Oct 1997, A. B. Bonds wrote:
> In <3.0.32.19971009082141.006a8e50@pop.pipeline.com>, Ronald Olds wrote:
> >Well Iv'e done it now, I've started my TD restoration. Yesterday I started
> >to disassemble the car. I'm tagging all the parts, taking lots of pictures
> >and created a database to keep track of the parts. I would appreciate any
> >advise on how to precede. What is the best order to do the work on the car?
> >I willing except any one's advise on what to do or not to do. As work
> >precedes I'm sure I will have more specific questions to ask.
> >
> What's your goal? Full, nut-and-bolt, resto or get it looking good
> and running well?
>
> First, I would urge strongly that unless you are hunting down concours
> points, _don't_ take the body tub off the frame! It is hugely
> difficult to get it back on, aligned, and fix it so that the doors
> close. Do you have rotty wood? How far do you need to go on the
> body? The fenders come off fairly easily, hood lifts off, floor comes
> up etc and you can reduce it to a chassis with the body tub in a days
> work. That's as far as I'd go if you want to finish in this lifetime.
>
> I like to try to keep the clutter to a minimum, so I do work one chunk
> at a time. Start with the engine. Pull the power unit (you can't
> really do anything with it in place), split off the tranny, hang the
> block from an engine stand if you are comfy with engine work, if not,
> take it to the local speed shop for analysis. You can assume that if
> the engine has more than 60,000 miles on it, it will require boring
> and new pistons, new valves, lifters, camshaft, bearings. Sorry about
> that.
>
> If your tranny works, leave it alone. If it doesn't, have a
> professional do it. I never want to touch a TD tranny again. The
> parts available now just don't fit.
>
> Get the powertrain done, reassemble it, stick it in a corner. This
> includes carbs, starter and generator. Next I'd tackle the running
> gear. You don't have to take much body off for this, just the front
> pan and the rear panel under the spare tire. Drop the suspension,
> clean it up, replace all the bushings and rubber, replace bearings.
> Leave the differential alone. Do the brakes (turn drums, if there is
> anything left, clean out the cylinders, get them sleeved if necessary,
> replace all rubber, replace shoes). Put new u-joints in the
> driveshaft.
>
> While all this is going on, you may want to get your instruments fixed
> (they will not be correct.....) I send mine to Nisonger Instrument,
> highest quality, fair prices.
>
> You can also tackle the upholstery while all of this is going on.
>
> Buy a wiring harness and rewire the car, it only takes 3-4 hours.
> The old wire is downright dangerous. If you try to save money
> here, you could end up with a pile of ashes.
>
> Paint and body as needed--DO THIS LAST since you will screw it up
> doing the other work.
>
> General points--you can't take too many pictures. Buy lots of baggies
> and magic markers. Get every parts catalog you can (Abingdon, Moss)
> to help identify stuff. Take notes. Above all: The TD uses
> different kinds of hardware in different places. The engine is
> metric, the body is BSF and the brakes and electric have the odd
> Whitworth screw here and there. (1) Use the right tools. If you
> don't have BSF wrenches and sockets, get some (sold by Moss, Abingdon,
> etc). (2) Be VERY CAREFUL about what bolt goes where. Don't just
> throw them in a bucket. That's what the baggies are for. The 8mm
> engine hardware is ALMOST the same as 5/16 BSF, but the threads will
> bind if you go very far. Don't let this happen. (3) Get a cheap 6"
> grinder, bolt it down, put a fine wire wheel on it. Clean
> everything. Re-using hardware is OK if bolts aren't stretched or
> threads aren't boogered. I'd also advise spending $130 or so on a
> Harbor Freight parts cleaning tank. Most of what you will be doing
> is cleaning and painting. In the end, well worth it.
>
> And, above all, read the book. Good luck!
>
> A. B. Bonds
>
>
>
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