(Sorry for the long read, but I'm waiting for it to warm up a bit so I can go out and finish this sucker up)
My '74 wagon is my daily driver, and to be honest, I drive the wheels off of it. The problem with THAT is, old parts like to be replaced. The steering had developed some play, and the rack bellows were torn, so I bought a R&P from JPL to add to the other parts I've been collecting. With around 140,000 miles, rubber items were showing a little wear, so I picked up strut rod bushings some time ago and added THEM to the collection. Let's see, there are also new rear wheel cylinders in the collection, as well as new upper and lower ball joints.
The plan was to take yesterday and today off work and just rip the front suspension off and go at it. That was until I got in to go to work Wednesday morning and the brake pedal went to the floor. I couldn't see any brake fluid on the ground, and there was still sufficient fluid in the master cylinder, so I started calling around for another MC. Apparently, they are quite difficult to come by nowadays as they are being discontinued left and right. I found a closeout on Rockauto and with overnight shipping it came to $65. Not too bad....
With my original plan now complicated with the brake issue, I prioritized what needs to be done. R&P, strut rod bushings, MC, and rear wheel cylinders..... the ball joints will have to wait. The rack was a piece of cake, and other than a minor difference in mounting, went VERY smoothly. While I was under there, I noticed a few things though. There was brake fluid dripping from the left caliper. I grabbed a wrench and sure enough, the brake hose had come loose causing the pedal to drop. Oh well, it still has the original MC from '74, so it won't hurt to replace it. Oh, and as long as I will have to bleed the system again, the rear cylinders are now on the front burner.
Here's what will be done by tomorrow morning so I can get it in and have the front end aligned.
- Rack and pinion. Found the majority of the play in the wheel was from the pinch bolt on the rag joint coupler loosening. Still needed to be replaced though
- Strut rod bushings
- Vacuum modulator hose replaced.
- Rear wheel cylinders
- Master cylinder
- Adjust lf wheel bearing (had just a hair of wiggle)
All in all, not too bad considering how much I drive this. The steering is already go-kart tight, so it ought to be a kick to drive again. Oh, and if anyone has a spare manual rack rag joint coupler, I'm interested (rag joint condition doesn't matter).