Helen is back from RODZ.

RODZ

Helen is spending a few days at "RODZ" starting today. Mike is the guy I'm working with there and he let me know that Helen's differential is making the rumble I've been hearing. But, they won't know if it is just bearings and seals or if the gears need to be replaced as well until they get the pumpkin out. They want to steam clean the engine and whole undercarriage so they can see what they are doing... no charge. They also looked over the rest of the car and found that the valve cover gaskets are leaking... I knew this, the trans output shaft seal is leaking... I knew this too... So they want to replace the VC gaskets, trans fluid and filter along with the seal. And the water pump /timing cover assembly has a water leak... I knew it was leaking a small amount of water in that area but hadn't found the source yet. They will fix all of this including a new water pump, and throw new belts on while they are at it for $2100. But Mike warned me that if the gears do need to be replaced, it will be another $350. I think it's extremely reasonable considering the last time I had a third member serviced, it was around $1600 with no extras. He told me it might be done Friday but more than likely it will be Monday.

As luck would have it, I took my Roadmaster Limited wagon over to my favorite Burbank car wash today, the one right next to Warner Bros., and there was a guy with a super sanitary '60 (I think) Falcon who had a sticker on the back window for a local speed shop called "RODZ". So I struck up a conversation with the guy and asked him about the shop. After the car wash, I went by the place, even though it was Sunday. And they were OPEN! On Sunday! I stopped and talked to a couple of the guys there... one of the cars in the bays was getting a trick custom fabricated third member... I'm thinking these guys can handle my factory stock rear end if they can manufacture a custom one-off third member on-site for a race car. So they are going to give me a call on Monday when the office staff gets in to set up an appointment for me. I'm feeling a lot better about this already! Also started working on the tail light LED experiment, as I now have all the parts needed. Six LED panels, two spare tail light assemblies, and some 1/4" plexiglass to mount the grommeted lights in.

The time has come for Helen to have her third member serviced. She is making a substantial amount of rumble when under heavy load/acceleration, the gear oil is black and looks somewhat thin, perhaps even a bit rusty, and the right wheel looks to be seeping from the seal into my fresh brake job. I am not especially pleased about this! Up until I saw the fluid seepage from the right brake drum, I was willing to try to change the fluid for fresh gear oil and see if that quieted things down. I bought the gasket and gear oil already! But with the seal being bad, it feels like more labor than I am willing to do myself just now in 100°+ heat with an inadequate service area. (Driveway and jack stands.) I do a lot of my own mechanical work but I am just not up for this right now with the heat. Also, this is my favorite car and daily driver, so I want it fixed *now* instead of six months from now when it cools down and I feel like working on cars again. So...
Where to take her? I had my former '79 Cad third member serviced at the Symes Cadillac agency and it ran about $1600, which included an axle, bearing and seal in the bargain. I would expect this car to run about the same, but since this is a Brand B, I was thinking of taking it to Thorson Buick, right across the street from Symes. Alternatively, I could take it to Guy Schmidt in Glendale, or a dealer in Van Nuys. I tend to want to take it to a Buick (or at least a GM) dealer because I think the small shops are cramped in their parking and storage, and I don't want them jockeying my huge boat around in a postage stamp sized parking lot. Also, I have had some of those smaller independent shops do work for me years ago and had some fairly horrible and expensive results. I don't mind paying a higher bill if I am well satisfied with the results. Since I have all GM vehicles, I'd like to have a relationship with a local agency anyway.

Finishing up the dashboard mess from yesterday... I modified two of the instrument panel bulb sockets so that I could run a ground wire to one side of each bulb. Clipping the spring contact for that side so it didn't short to the printed circuit panel, I found that they work perfectly. So, with that done, I fabricated a mount for the right hand remote mirror control, right next to the antenna switch, as the factory would have done it had I had that option. It looks reasonably good. Then the pad had to go back on and I had a bit of metal I needed to bend out of the way of the left speaker, but even with that, the pad was a real bugger to get back on all the way. In the end, one clip at the right top end did not want to stay in place, so I left it out. Also, the vent hose for the far right vent kept pulling off the plenum, so I ran a screw through it to keep it in place. So the pad is now back on, the trim is all in place, the dash lights all work, and the two front speakers are now up to date. I have the wire pigtail for the right hand mirror in place so at some point I can pull the right door trim pad and finish running the wires through the door and attach the pigtail.The pigtail stops at the right bulkhead under the dash.

Left-hand electric side view mirror, a new unit to fit an '84 Electra. Physically mounted to the door using the original arm and the new power head re-drilled to mount up. All wired with a joystick in the manual remote joystick location. Was planning to use a joystick with a paddle switch to make it control left or right but I fried that one trying to figure out the wiring. :-(

Brakes Licked!

Brakes: Well that didn't last. Pedal started getting squishy again fairly quickly. All I can say is RTFM! First, I found this on eBay, of all places, I think in reference to a GN:

• "The spring loaded plunger on the front of the proportioning valve should be depressed while bleeding the system. . A "C" clamp or piece of wire and chunk of wood can be used to hold the plunger while bleeding the brakes."

Then I decided maybe I should check the shop manual... who would have thought there would be anything special about this task...

• "Disc brake equipped vehicles except H [Electra is C] require a manual over-ride of the front brake metering valve to permit flow to the front brakes. This is done by depressing the pin, under the rubber boot on the front end of the combination valve..."

OK... Once again, and following the directions this time, and was able to bleed they system properly. But... there was more than one issue. Now I had a good firm pedal, but it still felt like the pads were not gripping well. I knew the drums, rotors, shoes, and pads were all new, and had all been thoroughly degreased with brake cleaner before assembly. I knew nothing was leaking, so the surfaces could not be wet with brake fluid or the friction material soaked with it. The only other answer was the friction material itself. Shoes, I don't remember, but the pads were semi-metallic. Well, it seems Helen doesn't like those. In fact, organic is the recommended replacement material according to PartsAmerica. For $16.99 I could afford to give it a try. Pads are easy to swap out anyway.

You guessed it. Braking is *way* improved and the firm pedal is proof that following the manual is always a good idea. I didn't try any panic stops, since I want the pads to wear in a bit first. But I can feel the difference easily enough already. The brakes feel confident again. Keeping fingers crossed that this time I really have it licked!