Grendel lives...resurrection of a 1970 Charger 500

[Coelacanth]

I installed my patched/modded center dash section and steering column cover. The purists likely won't appreciate the mods but I call it a save. I had 2 dash sections, both with unsightly damage and one of them missing the entire upper middle section above the ash tray, and managed to fuse the good parts of each to make a single decent section, and I think the green aluminum cone washers and black counter-sunk screws kind of work with the overall green theme I'm going for.

 

[Coelacanth]

A few more interior parts to convert from the original white to black. I painted the visors with SEM Classic Coat for vinyl/leather. The original white passenger visor had some permanent brown discolorations from a rusty clip-on vanity mirror that wouldn't come off with cleaner or degreaser, so it's good that the black covered it up.

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

Hey Coel, what’s that rust prevention you said you used a few posts back? Think it was on your seat grams and started with the letter C

 

[Coelacanth]

Hey Coel, what’s that rust prevention you said you used a few posts back? Think it was on your seat grams and started with the letter C

Corroseal.

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

Corroseal.

Thanks brother

 

[Coelacanth]

New calipers installed. On the driver's side, Freeze-Off spray and tapping with a hammer helped me remove the fitting and banjo bolt where they attached to the frame, and the brake hose is still in very good condition. The passenger side was much more trouble, the fitting in the old caliper sheared off and the other fitting to the banjo bolt was already rounded off. Fortunately I clamped a Vice-Grips on that bastage and shot it with Freeze-Off, and some firm taps with a hammer, and got the thing to finally unscrew. Finally the calipers could be removed and replaced.

However, even when I pressed in the new caliper pistons as much as possible with a caliper spreader, once the new pads were installed, they're dragging on the rotors. The rotors will spin by hand but it takes a firm pull. That doesn't sound ideal. This is with the brake lines still disconnected.

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

New calipers installed. On the driver's side, Freeze-Off spray and tapping with a hammer helped me remove the fitting and banjo bolt where they attached to the frame, and the brake hose is still in very good condition. The passenger side was much more trouble, the fitting in the old caliper sheared off and the other fitting to the banjo bolt was already rounded off. Fortunately I clamped a Vice-Grips on that bastage and shot it with Freeze-Off, and some firm taps with a hammer, and got the thing to finally unscrew. Finally the calipers could be removed and replaced.

However, even when I pressed in the new caliper pistons as much as possible with a caliper spreader, once the new pads were installed, they're dragging on the rotors. The rotors will spin by hand but it takes a firm pull. That doesn't sound ideal. This is with the brake lines still disconnected.

View attachment 2051738

I’m sure others will chime with solutions on drag but for me an old fashion clamp and block off wood or old pad piece and compress unless your piston is already fully compressed. Then disregard my ramblings

 

[Coelacanth]

Thanks, I already compressed them as far as they'll go. I saw some suggestions online of sanding down the pads, which doesn't sound ideal.

 

[davek]

what size /thickness is the rotor? Could the after marker rotor be heavier then a stock one? If so you could have them turned.

 

[Coelacanth]

what size /thickness is the rotor? Could the after marker rotor be heavier then a stock one? If so you could have them turned.

I'll have to check. I'm pretty sure both rotors and calipers are Dynamic Friction (RockAuto) and new pads were from Napa. I'll update later if my info isn't correct.

It would suck to have to disassemble everything to turn the rotors...

 

[Nxcoupe]

Get a DA 60 grit sticky back sand paper pad, stick it on a steel tabletop or other flat surface and run the pad over it in an X pattern. I have to do this all the time. The parts are made overseas, converting std measurements to metric and it always comes out too thick, both pads and rotors. It doesn't hurt a thing and the pads will break in and wear flat very quickly.

 

[Coelacanth]

Thanks, Nxcoupe...I'll try that. Since the rotors turn with some effort, I'm thinking even just a millimeter would be enough for the pads to clear the rotors to spin freely.