Now Complete Restoration / Pulling my 1969 'Bee down for strip and paint

[hemigeno]

Frank Badalson has the tall fuel tank stud nuts, if your originals can't be re-used.  He also has the studs too, probably in the right length.  He could fill you in on the details to compare with what you have already.

[birdsandbees]

Thanks Geno! Took my old ones off the old straps and they're in the Evaporust bucket. I think they'll clean up fine. Also checked my Superbird and my old Bee ones match it's J bolts and nuts so I think the old (or Frank) is the way to go. I always seem to forget I have another car for some references! 

Straps originally bare steel or painted black?

[hemigeno]

Straps originally bare steel or painted black?

Bare...  galvanized??

[birdsandbees]

THANKS again! Mine got painted black over time I guess (by probably me as a teen), the new ones I bought are stainless... that some ass welded and formed the T end the wrong way! 

[birdsandbees]

Fortunately the hung over monkey did a shit job of welding. When I bent the first straps "T" back the other way, so the strap will work, the weld broke.

The second strap I had to cut the weld.. so the doubler could pull forward as I rebent the "T". Good thing they didn't actually spot weld them like OEM should have been!

Break out the TIG welder again and a stainless filler rod. Feel sorry for the guy working with basic tools in a single car garage that got a set of these straps.

Doubler is still on the wrong side, but at least I can use the straps now... and nobody should have their head up between the tank and rear bumper support anyhow!

[BDF]

I'm enjoying this great build, thanks for sharing.
Too bad about all the crap parts problems but sure looks like you are overcoming them all!

[birdsandbees]

Thanks Brent!

Nothing accomplished today, other than beating a sled trail through 3' of soaking wet snow to my son's wood pile.. so he can load some more firewood into his house! I left him the sled and 6' toboggan so he can do that himself and I walked the 4000' home! Had nothing left in me for the workshop after that and slugging on the stuck sled numerous times until I got a trail packed. 

[green69rt]

Thanks Brent!

Nothing accomplished today, other than beating a sled trail through 3' of soaking wet snow to my son's wood pile.. so he can load some more firewood into his house! I left him the sled and 6' toboggan so he can do that himself and I walked the 4000' home! Had nothing left in me for the workshop after that and slugging on the stuck sled numerous times until I got a trail packed.  

Ok, I have to say that I understand nothing of this post. What's all this talk of beating a trail in snow!!!  It was 48 in Houston today and We took the fragile plants into the garage, just in case!!  Firewood??  What's that??

[birdsandbees]

 

Wife and I did ours on Wednesday. At least I put my piles where I plow!!

Not many wimmin would do this on their birthday! She's a true Canadian gal..

[Bronzedodge]

Cool pics.  Which came first, the sled or the jacket?  Cool that they match.   

[birdsandbees]

LOL.. never even noticed. I picked the sled up second hand last month for $1500, it's a showroom condition 1995 ! The wife.. well she's a 1964 model !    Married and doing this stuff together for over 35 years.

[birdsandbees]

Guess if you want it to look OEM.. use the original parts! 49 year old J bolts and nuts cleaned up nice in Evaporust. Amazing how "new" that old fuel tank vent clip cleaned up as well. All RPM'd ready to install.

J bolts set in place with some white grease on the heads.

Prebent the tank straps to match the old profile and put in place, again with a bit of white grease.

Straps ready for tank install. Just need a helper or my drywall lift back.

[birdsandbees]

Dual fuel vents. Important you hook these up correctly.

One tube (the one closest to the sender hole) only goes back about 6". This one gets connected to the long vent line that goes up into the trunk.

The other vent line goes all the way up by the filler neck hole. This one gets connected to the short little tube that goes up into the upper shock mount area.

Here's a shot from the other end.

[birdsandbees]

Couldn't find my fuel lube, so I used some PST592 to lube, help seal and give a bit of tack to the sender gasket.

Lightly coated.

Fuel sender into place

Making sure gasket is perfectly centered.

[birdsandbees]

Dab of white grease at each of the three lock tabs.

Nice thing about the rear filler tank.. you can check the fuel tank outlet position. Too high in this case.

Outlet corrected by lightly bending the tube, but sender float is not parallel to the tank bottom.

One more out and back in. Lightly twisted the sender rheostat housing to get the float and it correct.

[birdsandbees]

Turned the lock ring to the start of the detents with a paint brush handle.

Angle grinder wrench worked nice from there to lock the ring into it's detents. Turning allows you to keep everything centered, unlike using a punch on a single tab that will drive it.. and probably the gasket sideways!

Lock ring fully turned into it's detents, nice and centered. Going to pressure check the tank tomorrow...

[birdsandbees]

Vents joined together, outlet connected to a well tank snifter valve.

Great that when #1 son left home he left everything behind!! Time to find out if his old GF pin pricked them.. LOL

Condom in tank and elastic band around neck. How I check all my "wet wing" aircraft fuel tanks that I build.

Add air slowly through the snifter valve and hello baby.. no leaks !

[birdsandbees]

Blew air through the fuel line from tank to the engine as well. Don't want to find out it had a caterpiller or dabber wasp in it when I'm trying to start the car.

Clutch Z bar and a rebuild kit with new pivots and "bearings".

Kit also came with pivot shaft seals, that I didn't even know existed (never seen them on my car). They are in the service manual though.

More stiff rubber to spread. This worked good. Silicon tube nozzle with the bumps ground off and a piece of tubing to push.

[birdsandbees]

Pivot, seal, bearing. Little bit of grease on things. The acetal with self lubricate.

In place and snap ring holding the bearings outer grove

Nylon wear washers for each rod attachment pivot.

Pivot and bearing in the bellhousing end of the Z bar and then put up in place. Tight fit with the Lakewood scatter shield vs the OEM bellhousing. Started turning the pivot into the bracket with channel locks and then wrench.

[birdsandbees]

Z bar in place.

Outboard washer and nut tightened down.

Clutch pedal rod attached to the Z bar arm.

All in place, except I have been missing the "isolator bushing" that goes between the washer and clutch throwout fork. Never had one.. but I'll have to source one. FSM shows the spring on the clutch fork goes to the arm pivot, but I've always had it on the bellhousing since the Lakewood went in.

[moparstuart]

Safety First   

[birdsandbees]

A bit of cheating while working alone. Little blobs of butyl to hold the tank mat (from R.E.M. through National Moparts) in place.

Ready to install tank to car... I think.

My helper for today. Hope he's got the right stuff !

Box working good and clamps + plates to bring the rear up into place.

[birdsandbees]

Hand formed the bend so the strap doesn't bow out from the tank.

J bolt in place..

Pull strap around and hook the J bolt. Repeat for other side.

Making sure the tank is centered between the frame rails so I have equal clearance for tail pipes.

[birdsandbees]

Close... that tank edge is sharp when the wrench slips off the J bolt nuts!

Tank tightened up into place !

Fuel tank vent tube clip installed to shock mount. Checking the factory service manual I found I needed to turn it 180* so the line clips DOWN into it.

Vent tube in place.

[birdsandbees]

Parts to do the longer vent line up through the trunk. Vent line, grommets, 5/16 and 1/4 hose, keystone clamps and ground strap for sender.

Vent tube and grommets in place. Found that the body shop forgot to transfer my retainer clip to the inner wheel well side.

Drive Inn anyone? lol Figured as good a time as any to throw the new tail light wiring harness in and hook up the fuel sender.

Tank outlet hose hooked up, ground bonding clip in place, fuel sender wire and vent lines needing 1/4" hoses and clamps.