In a message dated 2/25/2000 11:07:25 PM Eastern Standard Time,
dmumf@hotmail.com writes:
<< please forgive me if I am asking a stupid question.>>
Hi Dave! Stupid question? There is no such thing as a stupid question. We
send a lot of stupid responses, but we listen to all questions. 8^)
<>
You really have to remove it from the car and mount it securely in a vise.
First, check to see that you have removed the little cotter bolt (for lack of
a better name right now) that is driven through the kinpin (KP) next to the
fulcrum pin (FP). It has a small nut on the bottom of it that secures it,
then it must be driven out with a pin punch. Soak it prolifically with rust
buster--I used surplus gun bore cleaner I bought for 25 cents a can--and lit
it soak and soak and soak. The bolt has a flat side that fits against a flat
space in the middle of the FP and keeps it from turning, so it MUST be
removed. If you are extremely lucky, and have not removed that yet, the
fulcrum pin will unscrew (I am assuming you have removed the grease fitting
in the lower end of the kingpin to reveal the screw slot in the fulcrum pin)
with much effort. Use a BIG Screwdriver at first. If it doenst budge, then
use acetyelene heat (I have no acetylene so I went at it at a more wild man
way) to attempt to loosen up the frozen FP and KP.
If it is still frozen and won't budge, I did two things. First, at the
suggestion of a lister, I ground a #8 Bolt down till it fit into the screw
slot firmly and securely. By tapping this ground bolt into the slot, I could
gain leverage with a socket wrench and even use a breaker bar to give me more
leverage. Try the Acetylene again with the leverage--just go for small
movements, not a total unscrewing.
If it is still frozen, which, without acetylene is where I started, I used a
metal cutting blade in a Sawzall to cut the KP diagonally around the FP, then
used a chisil to open the cut up from around the FP. Still using copious
amounts of rust buster. With a great deal of swearing, a beer at rest
breaks (easy on the beer, especially around acetylene and hammers and
chisels--save it for celebration at the end), and dogged determination, the
FP will finally move just about a millimeter. Move it back the other way a
millimeter, then back 2 mm, and back 3 mm, etc., until you are actually
unscrewing the sucker!!!!
On the rebuild, I would suggest--make that Highly Suggest--replacing the
A-Arms with rebuilt A-Arms--or if not, at least replacing the FP screw-in
bushings, that require tedious alignment and silver soldering--Just write
Peter C. (nosimport@mailbag.com) to see about getting rebuilt A-Arms. So you
should really go with a rebuild kit that has new KP, FP, etc. plus a rebuilt
lower A-Arm. Usually, if the FP is that frozen up, the A-Arm FP Bushings are
shot because that is where the entire front weight of the car is borne as it
bumps along.
Now, to avoid this situation in the future, before installing the lower A-Arm
back into the car, tap the rear FP bushing for a Zerk fitting. You will note
that the front FP Bushing already has one that screws into the Bushing to
cover the screw slot of the FP. But the rear Bushing depends on enough
grease being forced all the way through the small center hole of the FP to
the rear, then back and around the rear threads. I just don't think, to be
honestly practical, that this happens. So installing the rear Zerk fitting,
I think is crucial to the health and well-being of the rear bushing/FP union.
Then KEEP THEM GRATIOUSLY AND GENEROUSLY GREASED!!!!
Good luck, Dave, enjoy the Guinness while celebrating the disunion of the FP
and KP!
--David C.
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