'68 Satellite 4-door light refurb...and big fat engine swap.

[cudak888]

Wired stuff up today. Came out pretty well - and only forgot to put the diode between the fuel pump controller relay

All the aftermarket terminals seated perfectly in the Kia's relay sockets:

Took a page out of Edd China's latest video where he heat-shrinked identifying labels onto a set of braided brake lines. Did the same thing, just on the insulated wires instead. Seems to work.

Some of the identifiers aren't as self-explanatory as I'd like, but I ran out of label maker tape.

These three relays are the only ones with external 12V power connectors, and this worked out well - it allows me to run the 7.5 and 15 amp blade fuses without much of a kludge.

Hoping I won't have to shorten anything to get it to fit well. And if I do have to do so, so be it.

Not really sure if it's over the top to connect the MSD + sensor wire to its own relay (it's probably over the top), but I'd rather run anything MSD separate of the relay I've set up specifically for switched power applications.

-Kurt

 

[MJF_]

I like that fuse/relay box idea! I am installing Megasquirt to my Valiant and I'll have to look for something similar. Thanks for idea

 

[cudak888]

Quick update. Split the insulation and soldered in the diode for the fuel pump:

Just about everything is buttoned up now. Decided to re-think the fuse situation and got a Blue Sea Systems block to place under the KIA relay box. Pretty pleased to find actual quality stuff for a change!

I'm awaiting a smaller two-post Blue Sea bus bar for the main terminals. The battery + and starting relay will connect to the bottom of the post, these to the top.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

The factory Kia bracket for the fuse box arrived, and so I set out to welding it to the battery tray over the weekend.

Welds ranged from decent to ugly as sin, but since I was running off a generator this time, weld penetration with my little Hobart cranked up to it's highest voltage setting was not a problem. More importantly, the finished product is strong, neat, functional, and keeps holes out of my aprons.

Also went ahead and ditched the self-tapping screw for both the fuel pump and the pump controller grounds. Replaced them with 10-24 rivnuts which work a LOT better.

Also, whoever welded the trunk floor and spare tire bracket did such a crappy job that it makes me feel better about my own pile of welds on the battery tray

Sorting out the wiring:

After a few hours of splicing and running lines, this was the result:

I also upped the wire gauge for the relays handling the electric pump power and the switched +12V. I decided to run a second Blue Sea Systems fusebox/busbar for all switched +12V accessories, and figured I'd run this on 10 AWG from the relay box (after already running the source power 30A fuse to the relay itself):

"Look ma, crappy welding!"

Also, yes, I know the screws are too long. I was initially going to put standoffs behind each so I wouldn't have to grind and fill the reinforcement stamps on the bracket, and so bought them too long, initially.

Everything is neatly tucked around the apron:

More updates later in the week.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

I wanted to put the switched +12V fuse box anywhere but the apron, but under the master cylinder seemed hopelessly ill-advised (especially if one splashes fluid), and every spot on the firewall seemed too close to the exhaust manifold, too close to the kickdown, or butted up in a way that I'd wind up drilling the HVAC box for the rivnuts.

Ease of access prevailed, and I know I'll thank myself for this if I ever have to add a line or check a fuse. Makes for a nice short cable run from the relay too.

You might notice the fender tag has gone absent. Well, the PO put it there, but that's not where it's supposed to be. Someone damaged one of the original mounting holes, but a third hole had been drilled immediately to the left of the wallowed hole (you'll see this in the earlier pictures).

As such, I used this as a cue - I used that far left hole and drilled another to accommodate the tag, covering the hacked up hole. This left the one factory hole, which happens to line up perfectly with a fourth mystery hole - so at least it looks neat!

Not fussed about the rivets not looking original. At least the tag isn't disappearing at a car show (as if to even suggest this thing would make it to one) - not that I can see anyone springing for a more-door Satty's tag.

Thankfully, the data on it also matches the car; I made sure to verify this when I bought the thing. Not that anyone would bother the risk of screwing with a 4-door's VIN these days, but there's always a small possibility of shenanigans from back in the day coming to light.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Pics later on, but I finished wiring everything up...and it works! Pics later.

However, I can turn the idle mixture needles of the Edelbrock 1406 all the way into the carb and nothing happens. Looks like that fuel regulator is definitely in my future.

As such, I'm curious as to your opinions on this: Where should the regulator go? Before or after the Wix filter? And should the T for the return pressure be plumbed through a one-way valve, thus avoiding backfilling the Wix filter?

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Pic time. Semi-finished product. And yes, the aprons are filthy and need a good washing.

Those two extra ground lines are driving me NUTS. I want to install a bus bar somewhere, but not 100% sure where to put it. Will also change the ground terminal when I do that too.

Split loom up the apron and to the firewall. Starter relay wire has been replaced as well.

Didn't use as much split loom as I should on this bit - this is the combined IGN 1 + IGN 2 connection that feeds the relay for it.

The split loom has been heated up at the ends with a dirty soldering iron tip to prevent it from fraying. Nonetheless, I've terminated each of them with some cable wrap just to keep them neat.

Everything at the fusebox. Could do with a bit of wrap once I'm satisfied with the final result.

Fuel line routing with the return. Again, I don't know whether to mount the regulator upstream or downstream of the filter, and whether I have to worry where to T the return line from each.

Also split loomed the trunk. Went ahead and put in some original-but-not-original-placement Mopar cable straps to keep things somewhat organized, as the fenderwell cable retainer is about to snap off.

The rest of the trunk floor clips were apparently never added when the PO welded in a replacement floor, but I used this as an excuse to run the taillight wiring out of the way of the floor itself.

Yes, I did flux and solder a few of the butt connectors. I also cleaned them super well with isopropyl alcohol before heat shrinking them on.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Since I last posted, I've had this setup running - only to find the idle air control valves on the Edelbrock completely unresponsive.

I've read enough threads to know what that means. Enter a QFT in-line regulator. I wanted to avoid introducing yet another bunch of connections and potential fuel leaks, but if this is what it takes, so be it:

Those are aluminum Earl's 3/8 NPT to 5/16 hose connectors on it. Seemed smarter to use aluminum to aluminum here wherever possible. Also, given Earl's warning against using old-fashioned hose clamps with Vapor Guard hose (which is just rebadged Gates Barricade), I figured the smooth barbs wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Honestly, I wonder whether this warning also applies to the general purpose, quad-barbed brass fittings usually out there. Haven't found an answer for that yet.

I wanted to mount the regulator as some do on Holley carbs; off an adapter bracket on the side of the block. Turns out such a thing isn't really available for the Edelbrock 1406, save for an entire spacer (Edelbrock 8189) which would potentially interfere with the air cleaner.

So, for amusement's sake, I decided to make my own in Adobe Illustrator and have it laser cut. Unfortunately, some issues with .SVG file size scaling issues wound up with a roughly 75% undersized part. This has been fixed and a replacement is getting cut next week.

Also, I returned under the back again to replace the long hose run from the sender with a copper-nickel line. Trying to keep that rubber line down to a minimum.

And, completely unrelated, I was able to finish a proper pigtail for the trunk light wiring thanks to @Mopar John, who sent me a pair of the plugs to solder together.

They're pretty much obscured here, but it allowed me to button up everything here once and for all.

Not show is how I fixed the hole for the kick plate screw. Like most self-tapping screws in sheet metal after 40 years, it was wallowed out and the kick plate was mostly just held in by the parking brake arm.

I drilled out the hole, stuffed a 8-32 rivnut in it, and used a 1-1/2" 8-32 flat head screw in place of the self-tapper. Worked a charm.

Maybe next time, I'll remember to photograph the damn thing

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

I promised photos of the kick plate, boring as it may be.

But this time, I had actual light to work with, so the picture isn't as terrible. Gotta take your wins where you can find them.

You can see just how many times someone in the past (and probably myself) has attacked this thing with the butt end of a screwdriver or didn't aim the sheet metal screw while trying to fruitlessly get this thing to stay in for once.

Note the witness marks from the parking brake arm too.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

The laser-cut bracket arrived - this time, perfectly sized.

I had to file out the mounting holes just slightly, but that's all I had to do for a perfect fit. And that's about all that went right this evening.

First: Both "out" fittings weep fuel. Tightened them up, no luck.

It's got to be because I put Permatex Aviation #3 on them, at the advice of some definitely outdated threads. This stuff may be "gasoline friendly," but it's no match against E10 gasahol. If one specifically looks for discussions about this, it's possible to find them (though they may not necessarily point directly to E10).

Cleaning this up will be FUN!

I ordered some Rectorseal 5 at the advice of that link, but further research suggests I really should look at Gasoila E-Seal, which is rated up to E85.

Hell, at this point, I'm tempted to get the fuel lab tested - Jethro's probably been selling Granny's corn whiskey as gasoline at the corner station.

Anyway, moving on to other problems:

Cycled the pump...and no fuel pressure. It took four to six turns of the key (with the 3 second priming via the fuel pump controller each time) just to fill the line and get fuel pressure up to the carb.

Once I finally got pressure and during testing (or rather, in between fighting tiny fuel weeps), all I saw was 2.75psi at the gauge. This regulator is supposedly factory-set at 6.5, and I didn't touch it.

So I was wrong in my previous assessment: The carb isn't flooding, and this whole regulator nonsense might have been avoided had I simply put a pressure gauge in-line. While 2.75 is on the low side of the safe range for the Edelbrock (I think), it certainly doesn't do anything about cold starts after fuel has evaporated from the line.

After reading another entirely different set of threads about Carter P4070s, this is apparently fairly normal. I just had to be the idiot who thought a 3-minute delay switch would make sense - as if to assume this thing shot fuel like an EFI pump.

Now, you'd think everything would be working fairly right at this point...

...but the Edelbrock idle air bleeds are, once again, unresponsive if screwed in.



I'm tired.

I'm also pretty upset that this nonsense has now cost more than an entire Tanks Inc. EFI tank setup with pump and sender, and I'm really resenting the idea that the best way out of this is to get a higher-pressure Carter pump at $100 more clams.

It's so tempting to grab that tank and just throw a GM Rochester TBI on this thing.

P.S.: By the time all of this was mounted, it was nighttime. Pictures later in the week.

 

[cudak888]

Argued with Amazon over the P4070's low pressure, and asked - since they were the reseller, and the pump was technically under warranty for not performing at the claimed 4-8 psi range - to warranty it. This is per the way Federal-Mogul wants their pumps warrantied via the dealer.

Also brought up the point about just refunding it so I could order a P4594 and make up the difference.

Chat line representative was all over the place and created a direct replacement initially, then understood to refund upon return of the P4070. However, I'm not 100% sure whether I'm going to get a P4594 tomorrow or a P4594 and another P4070, as both are shown as ordered.

Whatever the case, there's a pump swap happening this weekend and a tin of Gasoila E-Seal is also on its way. I will probably return the Rectorseal 5, unless anyone here can give me a good reason why I want to keep both.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

And some pictures, including the very first picture of this thing on the engine. As Murphy's law would have it, the fuel feed line is already removed in the pic.

Closer up:

The stains from the leakage are pretty obvious. I wiped this up when the problem first made itself known, so this is what was still there from capillary action.

The E10 gasahol worked as a very effective solvent against the Permatex Aviation #3 (80019) "Form-A-Gasket," and that's clear at the bottom, where it has turned into a stringy liquid. More to come though...

Here's where it liquified out the front:

Once the fittings were removed, it became pretty clear that not a bit of the Permatex #3 was left on the threads - everything got washed out that could get washed out.

Same inside the regulator.

At the bottom:

Since these pictures, I've cleaned all this up since with 99% isopropyl alcohol, and re-sealed it with Rectorseal 5. Turns out the Gasola won't arrive this weekend, and I'm not that patient.

Rectorseal 5 is supposed to be E10-compatible. Letting it dry about 12 hours. If all goes well, it is going on the car tomorrow.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Someone please DM me with a cheap deal on a junkyard-fresh (and cheap) Rochester TBI throttle body, wiring harness, and computer. Just please.

Theatrics aside, I really think our E10 is so far in the direction of E50 that I'll never quite get this to work right.

But I'm getting ahead of the story.

Today was pump-swap day. P4070 to P4594, and the first test of whether the Rectorseal 5 sealant would do it's job. Apparently, it was also "what would a '68 Satellite overlanding rig look like?" day, as I decided to minimize fuel spillage by jacking the beast up on all fours to level the fuel tank:

Those are some saaaaaaggy leafs, but I'm not replacing them until a screaming good deal drops itself into my lap.

The jack meets both the framerail and the front bumper here. This may NOT be an ideal place to support so much weight, but it made more sense to let the aprons take the forces pushing towards the firewall and A-pillar structure, rather than letting the heaviest part of the car yank them against the firewall. Plus, I felt more comfortable that the larger jackstand footing would not try to flip under the car while raising the rear.

Only one set of the rears was actually holding it up. Second set was there for backup in case the first failed.

Now that we've got the jackstand fetish out of the way - here's the P4594 installed. It's a direct Michael BoltOn replacement if you've got the brackets for the P4070 already in place.

I cut down a few long 5/16" bolts free of their threads to make line plugs for the tank when it was disconnected. Worked perfectly and didn't damage the inside of the hose.

One small annoyance with the P4594: The clip that holds the power leads doesn't actually stay in place. The lead connection is slightly different between the P4594 and P4070, and while my P4594 came with a slightly thicker clip, neither clip would fit in and truly stay.

I ultimately resorted to using zipties on it, which should work pretty well. The boots can't move now that the clip is in place, so each element tightens the other:

And finally, a beauty (hah!) shot of under the hood, complete with regulator bracket and PCV line that was never installed with the idea that there'd be a regulator there at some point.

Continued in next post...

 

[cudak888]

...continued from previous post:

Now, as my plea for an old TBI setup above might have suggested, there are still tons of issues at play. But I'm getting somewhere.

First off, some more beauty pictures. The Rectorseal 5 had roughly 10 hours cure time by the time I put it back on. It worked perfectly. No leaks at all, as you can see:

A peek at the fuel inlet:

Now, what happened when I started up the new combo?

Well, first off, the P4594 is thankfully a wee bit quieter than the previous P4070 that was on here. Not by much, but enough that I had to concentrate a bit more to hear it. Either that or I've grown used to it.

It's a good thing I heard it nonetheless, because it took exactly one reinstallation of that crappy little gauge for it to completely stop working. Really. Dead after one removal and reinstallation. Granted, it's not a $40 gauge, but it wasn't $9.99 either (but it sure seems that it's value is little more than that).

However, even with no gauge, it was fairly obvious from the idle alone that the P4594 was passing more fuel than the P4070. I even regained control of the idle air bleed screws, though the left idle circuit is probably partially clogged still.

I wonder if the lack of response at the screws before was also an airflow phenomenon directly related to the P4070's low output @ 2.75 PSI. Don't know.

Obviously I need to swap that gauge and adjust the regulator before tackling the carb adjustments, but I am fearing one thing: I can't let this carb sit for a week before it gums up. The local E10 gas here might as well be E50 - besides evaporating in the whole line in two days (which I doubt even the P4594 can overcome with a 3-second initial spritz), this stuff turns the Edelbrock 1406 into a mound of jelly if it sees fuel in it for just a week.

The E10 Florida Mystery Gasahol doesn't really affect the bowls or the needle/seats either; it just plays complete havoc with the idle air bleeds every time I leave the car sitting for a bit, and I've had enough of this.

You'd think the carb would be fine with the new setup, given that - with the regulator - it's not really seeing anything dramatically different in the fuel system vs. the mechanical pump that was there before. But it's not fine. There's a significant bog/hesitation between idle and the main jets, and this is simply when one rolls into the throttle as if it's going to bite you.

This is why - despite all the effort I've thrown at it, I'm jumping the TBI ship the moment someone throws some cheap stuff my way - and this is maddeningly difficult as the very last pick-and-pull in the entire county closed back in 2019; one of the few options for getting this done on a budget.

I just want to turn the key and have this thing work well enough that it's not obviously going to Roadkill me after 1500 feet on whatever mystery meat is being sold at our pumps.

So I leave you all with this - I want one of these and the rat's nest of wiring that comes with it. Also the adapter plate. Cheaper = better.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

I said I was going to TBI this thing - and I'm still way open to the idea. Still, I want the satisfaction of having it run at least decently for now, hence, the following Edelbrock 1406 hijinks:

As I mentioned before, the next issue on the agenda (which I didn't particularly explain coherently in the previous post) is that the 1406 has an off-idle bog - and I don't mean the slight delay if someone punches it like a maniac to WOT, I mean a massive bog (causing a fair amount of rough vibration) on the lightest of acceleration off the idle circuit. I'm talking about rolling into the pedal as if it was ready to bite off the toe of your Oxfords. Continuing to pull the throttle open results in the bog followed immediately by an unnerving surge of acceleration, as the carb unevenly transitions off the idle circuit to the main jets.

I've been through this before, involving least one prior carb cleaning where I spotted air bleeds in the primary venturis full of enough junk that one couldn't see through them. But since I cleaned everything that time...were those air bleeds specifically the culprit?

This time, I decided to be a bit more precise about establishing this data point. I pulled the main venturis, and the main venturis only. A familiar sight awaited:

Sure, you can see through the idle air bleed, but how about the high speed air bleed? Clogged solid.

I also looked at the idle by-pass air bleed, which I'd assume is the actual circuit being used as the car comes off idle, but even though this is a 90% bleed (and thus I can't verify by just looking for light coming through it), it didn't appear plugged.

Also note the fuel stains around the passenger side high speed air bleed. I'm not sure fuel is supposed to wind up here in the first place. Could boiling fuel be oozing up to this level? Either way, it seems to be making it up here somehow.

Whatever the case, there was nothing getting through it, not even carb spray. Had to pick it with a thin wire, then spray it.

I'm putting this shop reference here so anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about can refer to the diagram. No, I'm not necessarily advocating for drilling the idle feed restriction holes, as this edited image suggests:

At any rate, even though I cleaned these areas out quite well, I decided to be absolutely sure by dumping both venturis in some carb cleaner before returning them to the 1406.

Meanwhile, while I had the choke horn off...

See it? One of the plastic tabs holding the accelerator pump seal has broken off.

I went ahead and ordered a replacement, which is also when I learned Edelbrock now has an "ethanol-resistant" version (#1470) that's in the typical Viton blue. I bought this carb five or six years ago; shouldn't it have already come with ethanol resistant everything?

What really gets me is how bad Edlebrock is at making anything clear about the parts that are E10/gasohol compliant, and when they do exist, they're barely obvious. Case in point, this thing is listed primarily as an AVS part, but Edelbrock seems dead set on avoiding the historical acronym for the AFB. For this part, they referring to it as the EPS (Edelbrock Performer Series):

"Edelbrock carburetor Accelerator Pump Assembly with Viton cup for 1400, 1403, 1404, 1405, 1406 EPS Carbs as well as 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1825 and 1826 Thunder Series AVS carbs."​

Really? Choose a naming convention, Edelbrock. Either it's the AFB & AVS or it's the EPS & ETS. SOGOTP already.

Given the number of threads I've been over the last two days, my brain is too frazzled to untangle advertising hieroglyphics hijacking well-established names.

That's not the end of my rant though: I find it nuts that there's no clear resources online - whether on other forums, the H.A.M.B. (which is not just any other forum, IMO - if the answer isn't here, it's nowhere), or any other source - that really discusses, indicates, or otherwise establishes whether Edelbrock's own gasket kits are E10/gasohol compatible.

You can't even get a straight answer for the blue non-stick kits, which you'd assume are Viton, but nobody seems willing to advertise them as such, and they only seem to be for the choke horn. I'm not about to take the leap that it's not just blue Chinesium, as these aren't official Edelbrock products (they may be Walker, but not 100% sure), and I don't want a surprise fire under the hood.

Pic off an eBay listing that claims this is a Walker kit:

So where was I? Oh yes, cleaning out the idle and high speed air bleeds. I did that, cleaned nothing else, and reassembled the carb as-is, including the now three-legged accelerator pump seal.

Problem solved. No bog on initial acceleration, happy idle, and not a problem in sight. This proves my theory that at least one of these bleeds clogging up creates a world of pain for normal operation. But which bleed is it? I suspect the high-speed air bleed by virtue of the fact that it's the one I can visually confirm gets entirely plugged, but I don't know enough about the Edelbrock's off-idle operation to know how they factor in (if at all) when transitioning off the idle circuit.

Equally perplexing to me is why on earth these bleeds clog so bad after a month's time of sitting, usually after the shortest of neighborhood test drives. The stains on the venturi assembly point to fuel varnish rather than any foreign deposits creating the clog, which goes right back to the question I posed earlier: Why should fuel even get to this air bleed?

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Well, hello there, accelerator pump.

And so, out with the old. Was there any difference at the butt dyno?

No. At this point, it was nothing more than preventative maintenance.

But I did get one other slightly more difficult issue solved. The dash frame - at the lower left of the radio - has been cracked since I bought the car. It wasn't a big deal when the Satellite trim was in front of it.

A few years back, when I gave the dash the Belvedere de-trim and the lighter repaint, I threw some JB Weld (and a few prayers) at it, and it held up. Until it didn't.

So I tore everything out of the dash again - including that infamously crappy cardboard glovebox which is twice as difficult to remove than install - and shoved a welding blanket in the dash.

I draped a much larger one over the floor and front seats - not in the pic.

Is it a good day when it looks as if you're car is hooked up to the ground power unit at an airport? I don't know.

"Remember to disconnect your MSD and battery before doing stuff like this, kiddies!"

And yes, I forgot to take photos of the unfinished welds. When you're trying to kneel on the seat while wearing a welding helmet and bashing into the steering wheel, taking pictures turns out to be a pretty low priority.

Especially when you haven't been able to chip all the JB Weld off in the back, and proceed to light it on fire with every zap of the MIG gun. Fun times.

I smoothed everything out with a 5" flap disc and ancient Milwaukee angle grinder that was way too big for the job. Still, it was more likely to get it done than than my next step down - a Dremel.

Someday, I'll ask myself why I consistently forget that I have a handheld belt sander that could have easily made this job easier and prettier. I'll probably use it to finish it out.

Didn't have much time, so I did a quick mask job and hit it all with primer much later (and darker - no pics).

Also planning on grabbing some textured styrene to finally make a proper(-ish) el-cheapo radio blankoff plate.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Happy holidays, folks. It's awesome to own a drivable (I use that term loosely) B-body with such crappy paint that you're not fussed about putting magnets on it.

Isn't that the way it used to be before the numbers matching tyrants turned this platform into something of unreasonable expense?

But I digress. Here's another entry in the "worked on it at night" edition of this build.

That's some hard-as-hell Milliput that I shaped onto the dash yesterday night (and sanded by this picture) to fill the low spots. Strong as JB Weld, but with a bit more give that helps give it more bite too.

I also filled the upper holes as well, once I realized those are for Satellite-only radio bezels, and won't apply to the base, 4-hole Belvedere bezel. I wasn't sure about the hole on the upper right, so I went ahead and filled it too. Heck, I'm not even sure about the one on the left, but it looks to be one of the few that might be in the right place.

Speaking of the radio cover for this thing: They're a wee bit expensive, but there's a really terrible cast resin (?) copy on FeeBay for the price of a proper reproduction. Now, I'm a cheapskate with a cheap B-body, so I'm seeing if this fellow is willing to come down on price.

And yes, this thing isn't great, and it's not worth a C-note, not even if it did your laundry and cooked your breakfast.

Nobody doing even a half-decent resto would use it. The studs are not cast deep enough and there's an air bubble in a corner. But it's perfect for my junk.

Speaking of junk, it's now officially not legal to drive. I'm wiring in the Wagner 4000R's up front as part of the static holiday display, and so installed them. These are meant for low-beam lamp buckets, so I had to elongate the 10-o-clock locating tab on the high beam bucket to get them to fit.

It's a slight pain, but I don't mind swapping them back for when I want to use the thing as a car.

While not all departments did wig-wag lights this way (and no, it's not even close to LAPD correct), I dare say checking the headlight bucket for that tab modification is an interesting tidbit to consider when looking over any old vehicle that may be connected to a department who set up their emergency lights this way.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

The El Discount resin radio blockoff plate/bezel arrived. Not great, not bad. Had some paper-thin areas in it that had to be filled with Milliput (the bits that are obviously dimpled).

Test fits looked good. Note that not a single one of the trim holes for the Satellite-level trim were compatible:

I also had to drill holes in the plate; they hadn't been prepped.

And the final result. Not bad (if it wasn't for the trashy, warped pads).

Had to borrow two screws from the HVAC controls...again. Don't know where all the hardware I bought at ACE disappeared to.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

I tend to worry about the potential for fires with any vehicle, so I decided to add a little something under the dash.

Sure, it's not original, and yes, I did drill the dash. That's the beauty of a beat up, high-mileage 4 door - you can do anything with it and not feel too bad about modifications.

Anyway, its a lot better to drill a few holes in the dash than to let the car burn down.

 

[cudak888]

Did I mention that after modifying the sender, the fuel gauge stopped working?

Well, the fuel gauge stopped working.

I also learned that I'm a pretty bad human fuel gauge.

Well and properly Roadkilled for no reason other than my own stupidity.

So, for the 3,842nd time, I dropped the tank and pulled the sender. On the plus side, I got to look at my fancy-pants electric fuel pump handiwork. No, isolating it twice has done nothing to make it quiet.

Yes, the leafs droop that low with the body in the air. No, I'm not doing anything about it at the going rate for B-body springs.

The first order of beeswax - before even looking inside the sender - was to fit a GM-style filter sock to it. I'm partial to the tapering sock over the squared off factory cylinder. It allowed me to bend the sender just a wee bit closer to the bottom of the tank.

This one is a 5/16" variant, GM part number GM0514053, and it cost a ridiculously overpriced $19.41 on Amazon. But it fit well and it sits great. Here's what it looks like following the aforementioned cold-setting adjustment (a.k.a bending) to the pickup tube.

The pickup tube was previously about 1/2" higher than this. Granted, one's running on fumes at this point, but I figured I was missing out on sopping up all of the possible fuel.

Hey, I bet I could have run out of gas 100 feet further from where it left me!

Anyway, back to the original reason I pulled the sender. The float was moving around quite freely, and after popping open the rheostat, it became clear why:

The brass wiper arm had popped completely off the shaft of the floater. Great. Now what?

Some very, VERY careful drilling, that's what. It turns out this lousy little shaft appears to be hardened steel, so I couldn't even get a centerpunch to work. Had to make a starting punch using a Dremel bit.

About an hour of really stressful drilling - yes, when you're making tiny holes with tiny drill bits in hardened steel, you take your time (or rather, the bit takes its time for you) - I managed to make a perfect hole.

In this hole, I fastened the wiper with some tiny hardware (M1.5?). It's a miniature crankpin bolt for 0-gauge English model railroad equipment; I happened to have some spares on hand.

I installed the nut (not Nylock, just a regular nut) with Loctite 613; it's never coming apart. Bolt was chopped short after this photo was taken.

Also, here's a look at why the modern repop senders - besides having a really flimsy plate where they install to the tank - don't work right.

The rheostat coils on the originals taper in width to give the correct resistance reading for the sweep of the factory gauge. The repops don't taper and thus don't give the right reading. This is old information, but deserves to be repeated.

This car came to me with a repop; I sourced this original from a forum member a while back - back when I dropped the tank for the first time.

Success!

As usual, the gauge is nearing "retirement-home slow" and isn't that accurate - it especially prefers when the car is moving - but it works, and that's what counts.

Also, I finally got a better idea of how much fuel one of these tanks will actually take before it looks as if it'll spill out the filler neck. Ridiculous design at any rate.

-Kurt