Guest GaWajn Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 The puller is a Princess Auto tool ... which is like a Canadian version of Harbor Freight in the US I suppose. Probably similar quality/crap as well ... it is nothing special ... just a tool I had hanging around in the shop ...There are pitman arm pullers out there I think, but as you can see ... this one worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 i got one free at auto zone, loaned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKCJ Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Interesting to see that old style upper control arm.Spring Compressor - There's the alligator (hinged) type or the threaded rod/hook type. I would think either style would work for this. Many years ago I bought a cheap threaded rod type and have been surprised at how many times I've used it. Thanks for posting. Great work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 I am assuming that the frame is supposed to be gloss black ... at least I hope that is what it should be ... got the gloss black kit from Eastwood on the way ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I had a couple of friends drop in at the shop Friday. They quickly took over and assumed the redneck attitude vis a vis the front coil springs. They concocted a scheme with a floor jack ... towing strap ... c clamp ... turn buckle ... and proceded to remove the passenger side lower control arm.Let me tell you ... it was not the safest scheme I have seen ... I quickly put a stop to it when the front coil started to skew latteraly when the lower control arm came loose ... ... anyways ... long story short ... one side is done ... but I am waiting on a correct tool (old style coil spring compressor) to do the other side safely. It will also be used to put the new ones in ... SAFELY!... right side dismantled ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 OK ... I borrowed a tool that is supposed to do the job ... ... it says that it is intended for coil springs with the shocks installed inside the coil (old style ... not McPhearson strut)... i had the hardest time trying to get the darned thing aligned, so that I could compress it ... needless to say ... it took quite a lot of fiddling around and a few attempts before I got the hang of it.... there is a warning in the instructions ... NO IMPACT TOOLS!!! ... manual ratchet only ... I assume that if you would break the tool with an impact wrench while compressing ... well ... you get the picture ... ... after I got the tool positioned on the coil correctly ... it was smooth sailing ... ... just compress the coil till it is loose inside the A arms ... ... then drop the lower A arm ... and the coil drops out ... ... here is a couple of shots that show the tool mounted to the coil spring ... ... the whole procedure felt safe and once the compressor was mounted to the coil in the correct manner ... the job took about all of five minutes ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) Now the frame is dismantled. Now on to the de-greasing ... then the cleaning/blasting/wire wheeling ... etc ...... by the way ... I found that coil spring compression tool sells at Princess Auto (kinda like Harbor Freight in the US), for $35.00. I think i'm gonna get one ... I also looked online in the Snap-on catalog ... the picture of the Snap-On tool is identical ... I mean no difference at all identical, selling for $70.00 Canadian ... go figure ... I don't want to start a tool supplier war here ... I like Snap-On ... just not for everything ... Edited October 30, 2013 by GaWajn (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan at larescorp Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Nice work! That is going to be one sweet Pontiac when its done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Yaros Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 How hard/easy was it to compress the spring with the tool and a ratchet? Was it a 1/2" drive ratchet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 1/2'' ratchet ... fairly easy. You knew you were tightening something, but it was not overly hard to compress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I've bought the same spring compressor from Princess Auto, and it has worked well for me.Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Loaded up and ready to head out to the pressure washing ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 It was a rainy ... windy ... miserable day here, so I played around in the shop rather than pressure wash the frame. I will try to get to that Saturday.I decided to disassemble the front wheels/drums/A arms.... no issues ... everything is coming apart easily ... ... I was hoping that I would not have to redo the kingpins ... but I find there is a little play in them ... Is there supposed to be some play in the kingpins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 King pins should not have much play if any that I'm aware off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Started early this morning ... ... I did the cleaning at my friends place. He has hot (180 degrees) water to an outside water tap.... it's not steaming hot ... but close to it ... ... it appears to be doing a good job of it ... ... it's nice to have friends with big toys when you need them ... ... ready for some sand blasting ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 When I restored my Cadillacs, I used the weight of engine and body to remove the front springs. The floor jack was placed under the A arm's shaft, loosed the bolds and lower the jack. Same procedure to perform the assembly.You frame is good looking! After sand blasting, some primer and a coat of black paint , it will look as new! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 ... the scene of the blasting event ... ... this is after four fifty pound bags of sand ... slow going ... and a long way to go ... it's also a real air hog ... ... the results are pretty good though ...PS: don't worry about the trailer paint ... it had to be redone anyways ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 For my own cars I let sand blast many parts. The operator told me that they have to be painted immediately after sandblasting because the surface is multiplied and absorbs moisture very quickly. I hope that you protected the surfaces which are already sand blasted.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Front end loader. I gotz it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Well now ... my hindsight is getting clearer by the minute ... 25 bags @ $7.25 per plus tax ... that's almost $205 so far ... I estimate another 10 bags ... that's another $82.00 for a total of $287 ... then I will have to replace the blasting hose which burst today ... dunno how much that will be ... I will not be counting the pain medication that I will be using because I hurt my back trying to man handle the frame all by my lonesome ... ... all said and done ... if I had to do it all over again ... I would not ... I would find someone to do it for me ... I checked and I could have had it done for about $400 to $500 (he has a room which is like a giant hopper and the sand is recycled and re-used many times over ... live and learn I guess ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I said the same with installing my headliner. After the pain went away I was pleased. Saved a few dollars. You too will be please and saved a few dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan at larescorp Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I always think of it as the price of knowing it was done right. Not to mention you will have the blaster for future use. In the end it will be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 One of the reasons I hurt my back is because I was trying to manhandle the frame by myself ... since I need a rotisserie for the body work ... why not build it now and use it for the frame work also ... doh!... there is my welding buddy hard at it ... I have a welder ... but my skills are not that good yet. The welder I have is nothing fancy ... just a Lincoln 140 using a 115 volts circuit. I don't want to start any welder wars here ... I know lots of people have strong opinions about this topic. Let's just say ... this what I am using ... and it will do the job adequately ... in my opinion.... jam bolts are 5/8th ... and my 2.5 by 2.5 square tubing wall is 3/16th. Some would say the 3/16th tubing is overkill ... maybe ... but there is less slop in the parts where a 2.5 square tubing goes into a 3 inch square tubing ...... anyways ... there are many ways to build a rotisserie ... I based mine on the Red Wing Steel free plans. Took some ideas from this picture ... and that picture ... it will all work out at the end.If I was going to buy one ... the http://www.accessiblesystems.com/index.php 1500 is the one I would have got. It is the best design that I found, in my opinion. The price is pretty good also, but the shipping out to the boonies where I am would have been prohibitive. It kinda looks like my cost will run from $400 to $500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 The frame is looking good! About welders, its' the guy that uses it, that makes the most difference, my opinion, anyway. Take care of you're back, bin there too!Keep up the good work.Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE POLLARD Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Looking great! I enjoy following along with your progress - great photos as well with details....Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I went shopping at Princess Auto today. Just so happens that they has a sale on scaffolding casters. These casters put the rig a few inches higher than I would have liked ... but the weight spec is over 800 pounds per wheel ... and the price of $20 per wheel was a no brainer. They even has grease zerks. Keep in mind that I need to be able to wheel the rig off road ... in a hard packed dirt driveway, to get from one shop to the other. While air filled off road wheels would have been probably better ... at $45 per wheel for non caster types ... I decided to look into other options.... they drop right into this pipe with just the correct amount of clearance ... don't ask me the size ... I forget what it is ... ... here you can see the mounting plates that I will use to mate the bottom axle to the verticle post.Most units I have seen have the posts welded directly to the bottom axle. With a detachable post, I will be able to store the unit in a smaller space than if it was welded together.... here you can see the bottom assemblies ... ready to go ... ... still waiting on my schedule 80 pipe to arrive at the metal store ... ... I chased the threads in the nuts welded to the base ... just cleaning the threads so the jam bolts turn smoothly in them ... that's it for today ... hopefully I will get the remaining metal on thursday ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landman Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 You might need to install one of your snowmobile engines with a geared down winch to turn that rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 ... getting a little frustrated with the rotisserie project ... the metal finally came in yesterday ... but I toasted the motor on the drill press drilling holes in the tubing. I went to the local motor place where he deemed the unit not worth rebuilding ... nothing about the drill press is industry standard ... it was some kind of cheap piece of junk from the eighties ... even a replacement motor will not work without modding the pulleys ... there was also a problem with the chuck having a wobble ... so I guess it's not a good idea to throw good money after bad ... Looks like a new drill press is in order ... another piece of junk ... but NEW junk ... I can't see myself paying for a good press with the limited use I have of the tool. Out in the boonies where I am ... good used industrial units are almost impossible to find ... oh well ... roll with the punches i guess ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 You could always try to find a nice old industrial quality unit in your local online classifieds for maybe what a new piece of junk will cost.After you're done, you can sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 If you look at my previous post ... you will read that I state ''good industrial units are almost impossible to find used in my area'' ... thanks for the words of encouragement anyways ... tomorrow is another day ... and I bet it can't be worse than the last few Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Sorry, I missed that. You might find one without really looking for one. That happens a lot to me.Good luck and keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 That always seems to happen. You got a project your working and want to get it done and then...... Equipment malfunction right in the middle of it. It really takes the wind out of the sails. I own a custom metal fabrication shop and when something goes down and orders are starting to back up the stress meters pegs out. You then have to stop everything, troubleshoot the problem, find the part and overnight it to fix it. Days like that it seems like more money goes out than comes in. Just like GaWajn said, you got to roll with the punches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Ok ... things are back on track ... A buddy of mine let me use his drill press to finish up the holes ... ... then spent a couple of hours this afternoon welding up some assemblies ... if all goes well tomorrow ... I should be done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 assembly time ... ... everything going as planned so far ... ... the screw jacks were a bit of a challenge to line up correctly ... given the inherrant sloppy fit between the sliding pieces ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 (edited) ... mounting the frame onto the rotisserie required some finessing ... also ... because my shop is very small ... it turns out to be a very tight fit.... perfectly balanced ... I am pleased with the way the rotisserie turned out. It will be a pleasure working on the frame and later on ... the body, with this system.... the frame and rotisserie are only in my shop because I don't have access to the body shop at this time ... when it is ready ... we will wheel it over into the big shop to work on it ...Tomorrow ... I will get a piece of two inch square tubing to attach the two end pieces together. ... and that's all she wrote for this stage of the project ... Edited November 26, 2013 by GaWajn (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 very, very nicely done there gawajn. i sure do wish i had this to use on my '53 custom catalina. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 Looks heavy enough. Good work. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 Great work, that's a quite a project within a project!Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 It is a bit heavy for what I will be doing with it, but I read somewhere that using a 3/16th walled tubing leaves less slop when one tubing goes into another ... compared to using 1/8th walled stuff which has twice the clearance. It sounded good to me, so I went with that ... also .. when tightening the jam bolts ... if you apply a lot of pressure on a 1/8th wall tubing ... it will give, whereas a 3/16th will not. Not a huge issue ... but anyways ... It is built the way it is built, and will do the job that I intend for it.It was a fun project within a project ... so to speak ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Removed some shelving on the rearmost wall. I gained about two feet of space which is just what I needed to be able to work around the rotisserie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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