Yeah, I can hear you saying, "...where the heck have you been?" My apologies, as I ramped up my pandemic project, as I can see the Pinto Stampede's 50th anniversary of the Pinto show is fast approaching!
I got a lot done in the last several weeks. I addressed the main seal leak between the transmission and engine block, and while I was at it, I decided to send the transmission for a rebuild. I figured I would not want to deal with it later, and it had an minor issue of slipping when cold. While it was at the local transmission shop, the oil pan was dropped to clean, repaint, and replace the gasket. The flywheel was checked and looks to be in very good condition with no missing teeth and minimal wear, if any could be detected. I also was pleased to find that there was no rust in the transmission tunnel, due to the Ziebart Rustproofing being applied when new. The steering rack was replaced with a Cardone brand remanufactured power steering rack purchased from NAPA. I also replaced the universal joints on the drive-shaft before reconnecting to the rebuilt transmission. Lastly, tackled the dreaded heater core project, whereas I replaced it with a NOS OEM heater core with brass fittings (purchased from a guy who brought out a defunct Ford Dealership). I probably could have done it without unbolting the dashboard, but I wanted to see how it all came together...wha t a job that was!
The next two things to do is to have it re-aligned at a tire shop due to the new steering rack, and to repair the factory AC. The AC wasn't a priority for me during the winter, but I should have made it a priority as it is now 87 degrees with a forecast of 91 next Tuesday! Yikes! I ordered a new compressor and dryer from O'Reilly's Auto parts, which was described to be identical to the old. It will be on the 134a refrigerant. It is scheduled to arrive by next Tuesday, the hottest day of the week. Due to the Freon and my lack of knowledge with ACs, I plan to have it installed by an Auto Air Conditioner specialist here in Columbus.
Okay, fingers crossed as I upload the pictures...