Week #117

Some "honey-dos" kept me from spending much time in the shop this week but I was able to sneak a couple of hours in on Sunday afternoon.  There are just so many things to do on this car that I sometimes have a tough time picking one.With just a little time to work I thought I'd try to find something that I could finish.  I thought I'd try to install the balance of the brake lines along with the distribution block and metering valve.

I had very lightly bead blasted the block and valve last weekend hoping to keep any plating intact that might be on the brackets.  I don't think I was successful.  Some surface rust appeared on a few very small areas of each of the two brackets.  I could see that the original finish on these was that gold cad plating found on master cylinder covers and the like.  I am trying my best to return all parts to their original look but these parts were just going to have to coated in something I had handy.  The good thing about having a HEMI in the engine bay(aside from the obvious) is the fact that it is nearly impossible to see anything in the engine compartment below the valve covers.  I decided to treat the brackets with Oxi-Solve and coat them with Eastwoods "Detail Gray".  It has a good steel color and contrasts good with the brass block and metering valve.

While I let that dry, I snatched up the remaining un-installed brake lines and crawled under the engine bay.  The main line to install was the line that transverses the firewall. So far every line, brake or fuel, has required way more "adjustments" to fit than I would have liked.  It's a good thing I didn't opt for the stainless steel lines... those things are VERY tough to bend and as far off as these have been, well, I'd still be trying to get the full length lines to fit!  Anyhoo, this firewall line was close, but no cigar.  It took quite a few adjustment to lay across the firewall correctly with the ends hitting where they were supposed to.  By the time I got that line in and secured, the distribution and metering blocks were dry enough to install.

The 2 remaining lines included a short line that connects the distribution block and the metering block, along with the line from the metering block to the drivers front brake hose.  Of course they both needed some "adjustments in order to fit right but everything assembled OK and the line from the proportioning valve that I had installed a couple of weeks ago met perfectly.  With some plastic plugs in the open holes on the distribution block, the hard lines were in place waiting only for the lines to the master cylinder.

With no one yelling for me to come in or do something else, I looked around for something else to do. Back when the car was being prepped for paint, I had noticed that  front adjustable hood bumper post threaded insert thing(!) was broken off of the passenger fender.  My intention was to get one from another car and attach it to the fender before the car was painted.  That didn't happen.  I didn't get a replacement piece until long after the fenders were painted so I knew I would have to deal with this after I got the car back.  Now seemed like a good time to deal with it.  I bead blasted the mount and post that I had cut off a parts car and assess the situation.  I really wanted to try to mount the threaded insert the same what the factory did but this was not possible.  The little bent over tabs proved too small to work with so I just ground them off and removed the insert from its piece of fender.  I will end up just holding it to my fender with a washer and nut from underneath.  I trial and error adjusted it for the right height and will just paint it before mounting it to the car.  Hopefully no one will notice.