Brian's 70 Riv Thread

[telriv]

455's DON'T have French locks.

The manifold bolts to the head with NO gasket.

The pipe connect to the manifold has a "Bell" shape to it & also does NOT require a gasket.

 

Tom T.

[BrianM]

I had to look up what a French lock was but I do not have them.

I did not see gaskets at either location but wanted to confirm. 

Any idea how the manifold connects to the exhaust pipe as far as hardware?

Most stuff I have worked on that connected like this had a screw in stud with a torx tip on the manifold side and then washer, lock washer, and nut behind the ring that presses the pipe to the manifold on the exhaust side. The expanded view in my FSM shows nuts on driver side and bolts on the passenger side with no specs as to size, grade, or torque. Maybe I was looking at it wrong. I was in a hurry trying to get out the door to work this morning and my last minute FSM check was not very in depth.

[RivNut]

French locks are available through CARS.  Here's a picture of a manifold showing the stud that screws into the manifold and the washer/nut that holds the exhaust pipe/flange to the manifold.  I got new studs and brass nuts from O'Reilly's.  No gasket, the cone fitting on the manifold seals into the pipe.

 

[EmTee]

I would replace both studs once you have the manifold off.  Before reinstalling it I suggest that you run a flat file across the surface that mates to the head just to true-up any discrepancies.  Good to do the same at the head if possible.  Brass nuts on the header pipe mounting studs will make future exhaust pipe removal much easier.  Don't forget to take a wire wheel or some emery cloth to the pipe flange and manifold ball.  A little exhaust sealant paste might be a good precaution just to ensure a leak-free seal.  I hate hearing that 'tick-tick' sound! 

[BrianM]

That is exactly what I was hoping to get a good look at, thanks Ed.

I found on stage1restoration.com some pics and they sell the "Correct" flange bolts and they are bolts like the FSM diagram and they are willing to sell them to me.

However I think I will try a inexpensive stud kit like you have pictured above from the parts store. The big deal will be getting the manifold off and trying to get the old stud/bolt or what ever is still in the manifold extracted. I seriously doubt the armadillo hit just loosened it or it just happed to back out within 24hrs of that incident. Pretty sure I have something broken. 

Will update when I have more info. Thanks again for all the help from everyone here.

[EmTee]

I've had pretty good luck soaking the threads with PB Blaster, or 50/50 Acetone/ATF.  Usually an overnight soak will do it.  If not, you can try alternating heat (e.g., MAPP torch) and PB Blaster.  Hot/cold cycling will usually do the trick.

[RivNut]

3 hours ago, BrianM said:

That is exactly what I was hoping to get a good look at, thanks Ed.

I found on stage1restoration.com some pics and they sell the "Correct" flange bolts and they are bolts like the FSM diagram and they are willing to sell them to me.

However I think I will try a inexpensive stud kit like you have pictured above from the parts store. The big deal will be getting the manifold off and trying to get the old stud/bolt or what ever is still in the manifold extracted. I seriously doubt the armadillo hit just loosened it or it just happed to back out within 24hrs of that incident. Pretty sure I have something broken. 

Will update when I have more info. Thanks again for all the help from everyone here.

The studs I bought are exact replacements for the OE pieces that I took out.  Sorry that I can’t tell you the TPI for the manifold side.  You didn’t state which side you are dealing with.  The picture I posted is a driver’s side manifold.  The passenger side could be one of two. One has a separate heat riser valve. If that’s your case, you’ll need longer studs than I pictured.  If yours has a built in heat riser, then it will use the same studs as the driver’s side.

[BrianM]

20 hours ago, RivNut said:

The studs I bought are exact replacements for the OE pieces that I took out.  Sorry that I can’t tell you the TPI for the manifold side.  You didn’t state which side you are dealing with.  The picture I posted is a driver’s side manifold.  The passenger side could be one of two. One has a separate heat riser valve. If that’s your case, you’ll need longer studs than I pictured.  If yours has a built in heat riser, then it will use the same studs as the driver’s side.

I have no idea what was correct from the factory. I am also not currently concerned with being "factory correct." The Chassis Service Manual said bolts and not studs and that is what I found on stage1's site.

I am working on the passenger side.  I do not see any heat riser on the manifold.

I picked up a Dorman Help! multipack of exhaust flange studs so hopefully something in there will work. Really surprised all of the manifold hardware is only tightened to 18ft/lbs 

Hope to get the Riv in the shop today there's a whole bunch of cruise nights, cars and coffee, and car shows kicking off the season this weekend and I had hoped to hit at least a few events if possible.

 

[RivNut]

Forget what I posted, I thought you were referring to a nailhead. But if the manifold is threaded to accept a bolt, a stud will work.

Edited March 23, 2023 by RivNut (see edit history)

[EmTee]

15 hours ago, RivNut said:

But if the manifold is threaded to accept a bolt, a stud will work.

Personally, I prefer studs with brass bolts.  If nothing else, it's generally easier to get things lined-up and nuts started on the studs.  Also, twisting a bolt under load in the 50 year-old manifold can be troublesome...

[BrianM]

Well I picked up 3/8 -16 studs and that was the incorrect size, barely too small. I need 7/16 studs but I dug through the spare nuts and bolts coffee can in the garage and found something that worked with a few washers stacked so I could take the Riv out this weekend. Nothing more permanent than a temporary fix right?

 

I ended up putting almost 300 miles on the Riviera driving the backroads of central Arkansas this weekend. Currently shopping for my 15yo son's first car/project and went and looked at quite a few craigslist and marketplace items but no gems found. But a beautiful 70-75* weekend to ride around with my youngest and talk and rock out to each other's music. 

 

[EmTee]

2 minutes ago, BrianM said:

But a beautiful 70-75* weekend to ride around with my youngest and talk and rock out to each other's music. 

I'd call that 'success'! 

[BrianM]

My passenger door power window has always been slow but it seems to be getting worse. Are there any known problem areas or particular failure points I need to look into? Are the power window motors a standard GM unit that you have to drill the rivets and replace with small nut and bolt combo kind of thing? I have done several on gm squarebody pick-ups that were that style. But I haven't opened up my doors yet to take a look.

Best place to get replacement motors?

 

[EmTee]

The motors are stout and usually not a problem.  I have opened them up and cleaned/lubricated them before.  Most often the issue is old, dried-up grease in the window tracks and/or a broken wheel in the regulator mechanism.  You could try dousing the mechanism liberally with WD-40 to soften the old grease.  That may buy you some more time...

[BrianM]

Ok so worth it to open it up, inspect and clean before I order any parts. Thanks. 

[RivNut]

Once you get them open and regressed, use a jump wire and spin them continuously, forward and backwards, for a number of revolutions to spin the armature a few times rather than just the few revolutions required to raise and lower window.  This will also clean the armature and the fields wires.

[JZRIV]

Excellent advice above.

Electrical connections, wiring integrity, switches, etc  can also degrade preventing less than 12 volts from reaching motor (lower volts = slower moving) so be sure to check voltage at motor while the door panel is off. Be very gentle if/when attempting to remove the wiring connector from window motors. They can corrode in place due to water intrusion over the years. If the terminals are broken, the motor will need replaced.

Edited May 5, 2023 by JZRIV (see edit history)

[BrianM]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate the knowledge and tips shared on this site.