Born 1974 - Died 1996 Resurrected 2021-2022?

[rob289c]

Roy, I'm sorry to hear of your wife's cancer and passing.  My wife had breast cancer in 2005 but we were lucky.  It was caught early, she had treatments, and has been cancer-free ever since.  My kids were 5 and 10 at the time and I didn't know how I was going to juggle career, kids, and military duty but as I said before...we were lucky.  Welcome back, and hopefully you're getting back on track in all aspects of your life, including the Pinto project.

[dga57]

Please accept my sincerest condolences on the loss of your beloved wife.  Life can, and does, sometimes get in the way but it sounds as if you've navigated your way through much of it.  Welcome back to the forum and hopefully you'll be able to turn your attention back to the Pinto project soon.


Dwayne [size=78%]  [/size]

[PintoRoyL]

To all readers,
Today is the first time I've logged in since last autumn. My "life gets in the way" situation was this, my wife of 32 years was deteriorating rapidly from metastatic breast cancer.  Her last days began advancing faster and faster at the end. She passed away on October 19 of 2021.  Throughout the rest of the autumn, and all the way until now, I have not done any hobby/upgrade work on any of my vehicles. Instead, after taking care of estate and legal matters, I purchased a rental property near my brother in southern Oregon.  I traveled from the Seattle metro area to my brother's place to work on my rental property numerous times,  then began a remodel on my Seattle home with the intention of selling and moving to southern Oregon. Well, interest rates went up, housing sales are slowing, so I will remain here in Seattle for a couple more years. I hope to soon get back to work on the Pinto. Not likely to be getting very far before winter sets in, but I  felt now was a good time to give an update.

[PintoRoyL]

Today, Thursday, Oct 28. I have not worked on any of my vehicles since I last posted here on the 9th. I am having a "life gets in the way" situation that I will not be discussing for a while.
When life begins to normalize I will let you all know, I am still making plans on proceeding with all of my projects, and even adding other projects into the mix that if done soon enough, will allow me to work on the cars through the winter inside the garage. Restoration work will slow, but I will check in every so often. Have fun, have a good Autumn and holiday season.

[rob289c]

The EXP I restored and the Pinto I am incorporating into my project had rodent infestation and the horrible smell.   On the EXP, once I found and removed all the nests and had the car down to a bare shell, I was able to clean the interior well enough to get rid of the smell.  I did coat the entire interior with epoxy primer, then industrial-grade enamel which likely sealed in any remaining smell.  Be sure to remove the heater box, vents to the cowl area, and all ducting and soak them in whatever solution you like as those are areas that the rodents like to live in.  I found the entire heater box packed with rodent nest.  If you don't clean all the HVAC system, you will smell it every time you turn on the heat or defroster.

I didn't do anything about the Pinto smell.  I wasn't using any of the soft upholstery so didn't have to worry about the smell.  I am using a lot of the mechanics of the car for my project but noting I am using has any smell...

[Dtmix]

I had a friend whose car was visited by a couple of mice over the winter...sigh! Anyway, he got a couple of Tupperware bowls and filled it half way with charcoal to absorb the odor. He also sprinkled baking soda all over the carpets and the offending area. Another thing he did was pull back the carpeting and removed the carpet padding and replaced it. It seemed to work well. Once all aired out, he steam cleaned the interior and sprayed Fabreeze.

Good luck! Happy
Motoring!
Dan

[PintoRoyL]

I certainly don't want to wait years for the odors to dissipate. Just these three months of having the doors and the hatchback opened while I was outside working on the engine bay, the brakes, and underneath with the trans mount, driveline, and fuel tank, has helped quite a lot. If I had pulled the seats, headliner, and carpet out in the beginning, it would even be better still, but it was so rank that I couldn't stand inhaling a single breath.
That said though, I am glad to be as far along as I am, and I am looking forward to getting some electrical work done. The weather is changing, so progress will definitely slow down because the car is outside in the driveway. The garage is crowded with storage, and the carport is also. I am beginning to consider enclosing the carport and setting up three rows of steel shelving, then putting as much storage in there as possible, making room in the garage to set up a small shop. The garage is almost two cars wide, but it only has a one car sized door. I have a very generous workbench that the former owner left when they sold us the house, and a 24" shelf unit with a pathway between the two. The shelving unit is accessible from both sides. The area available for a car is currently filled with various tools or objects too large to put on a shelf (plus about 30 empty boxes from parts, tools, and amazon purchases not yet broken down and thrown away).
Yesterday, no progress on the Pinto at all. We had a fair amount of rain, and we did have several sunbreaks, but I stayed indoors and did some organizing, going through different parts of the basement to clear up some floor space, so I can clear an entire upstairs room to set up as a guest room.

[Wittsend]

My Corvair station wagon that has been a storage container the past 25 years had a rat in it. I removed everything, put bleach and laundry detergent in a hopper for my pressure washer and power washed the whole inside. It still took 6-8 years for the smell to dissipate that when I open the door I can't smell anything. I've read that after doing ones best cleaning, the only cure is to paint over the area if you want the smell gone in a short period of time.

[dga57]

Yuck!  Makes me cringe just thinking about it!  Fortunately, I can say that even having owned 68 vehicles in my lifetime, I have never had a problem with rodents taking up residence in any of them.  Wish I could say the same about bees! 


Dwayne

[PintoRoyL]

Thanks Dwayne,
Today, Saturday Oct 9, I stashed away all of the parts left over, and emptied the other extra parts out of the back of the Pinto. The back seat and hatchback area has been my main storage area for the extra tires, and the original T-Bird and Merkur turbo parts that I will someday put back on the engine now that I know it starts and runs. All of the parts went into the storage cabana (formerly known as a carport). Next after that, I pulled the seats out and found room for them in the carport also. My new phase on this resurrection is stripping the interior panels, carpeting, and headliner, so that I can get to all repairs needed to the electrical wiring. I did get the headliner out (with an old mouse nest up inside), and the plastic side panels removed. I've been trying to reduce the rodent nest stink up to this point, keeping the doors open as much as possible to air out somewhat when I am working on the car. Now that most of my work will move to the interior, I am thankful for time spent letting things air out.
We here in Seattle are expecting rain tonight, all the way through tomorrow night. Depending on how frequent/heavy the rain falls, I might or might not get the carpet out tomorrow.

[dga57]

Way to go Roy!!!  I just love progress!


Dwayne

[PintoRoyL]

Sunday October 3
Finished fuel line connection in engine bay.
Connected the battery, but no power in the cab through the key switch, so I will need to do some electrical work next. I was able to jump the starter at the solenoid, so I made some temporary wiring connections to see if I would  be able to get spark from the coil. The spark was very weak, so I popped the distributor cap and adjusted the points.  Was able to get good spark after that.
Next I removed extra parts that are stored in the rear. I pulled the two loose parts of the back seat so I can access the electric fuel pump to hook up a 12v jumper pack. Disconnected the main fuel line from the tank, and stuck the hose into a gas can to test start the engine. Got a couple of backfire pops, so I rotated the plug wires 180* and she fired up and ran. Yippee!!
Of course, I had to call my brother and gave him the good news right away so he could hear it run. My brother is the one who located the engine for me. After running it 2-3 minutes I shut it off because I had not filled the radiator, and also did not have a fan belt installed. I pulled the distributor and rotated it 180*, put it back in. I then attempted to install the alternator, but the older brackets are not aligned properly for a newer engine with a ribbed belt. I must now locate the correct alternator bracket for a newer engine, so I will have to start searching and making phone calls. I should begin by popping the parts CD in the computer to get a part # for the bracket.
So with the engine capable of running, I need to finish all the little things, then move on to stripping the interior out, doing the electrical,, then reinstall the interior. I still need to get new tires too. Maybe I'll look for rims at the same time that I'm looking for tires. Haven't decided that yet.

[PintoRoyL]

Saturday October 2,
Filled the T9 trans with oil, a type F auto trans fluid.
Removed the old, installed new carburetor, linkages, and vacuum lines.
Installed distributor cap, coil, plug wires.
Mounted fuel pressure regulator, partially plumbed fuel lines. I was short a few fittings, had to make a run to the hardware store. Assembled the fittings into a unit to be installed tomorrow, ran out of daylight.

[PintoRoyL]

Yesterday, Sunday, I did a lot of my weekly shopping errands, including a stop at the auto parts store for several items to continue the progress with the Pinto. The most spendy of which was a new battery that will actually go into my daily driver Caballero. It is a dual top and side post battery. The Caballero uses side post, and the current battery is dual top and side with a bad side connection, so I will move it over to the Pinto as a top post. I bought a pump that fits quart sized oil bottles to fill the stick shift transmission, antifreeze, more small and medium hose clamps, spark plugs, points. Need to visit a different store to get the condenser, cap, and rotor. They weren't in stock yesterday. I was able to get the valve cover bolted into place and the spark plugs installed before the rain started falling, so I packed the tools away and went indoors.

[PintoRoyL]

Fuel sending unit arrived on Thursday, installed the same evening. I finalized the location for the electric fuel pump, and got it installed today, plumbed the fuel lines, and ran an extension to the wiring through a hole and grommet into the cavity below the back seat. I will run power to the pump later. I vacuumed the interior of 25 years of dust/debris. I received a box of PDR (paintless dent removal) tools yesterday, now to get busy watching YouTube videos on how to use them properly. I think that I will practice first on the Taurus, it has a simple dent in the front fender from a parking lot hit and run incident a couple years back.

[PintoRoyL]

Saturday was rainy and windy here in Seattle, I did nothing outside. Sunday, I installed the fuel tank (but without the sending unit), I installed the radiator and fan, filled the remote oil filter and the cooler with new oil, primed the oil system, and put a new gasket on for the valve cover.
I ordered a PDR body tool set from Amazon, should be here about 1-1/2 weeks. I ordered a Spectra FG178B fuel sending unit from RockAuto, should be here this coming Friday. After I get the fuel sending unit installed, I will locate a place to mount the electric fuel pump, then install the new carburetor I have. After that, I will double check for all the little things that need to be completed, and possibly buy a battery and attempt to start the engine. I believe that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the carpet kit I ordered had arrived, well on Friday, the new headliner arrived. I will soon be transitioning from running gear, to interior work and looking for tires. Just a thought as I'm posting this, on November 1st, it will be the 40 year anniversary of when I purchased this Pinto. I wonder if I can have the engine running by then, and have new tires.

[PintoRoyL]

I'm getting pics as I progress, and when I can figure out why my pics won't load, I'll bombard this thread with a pictorial sequence of events. The crossmember that I built isn't pretty, but it will be functional for a long time.
On Sunday the 12th, I did a little more tune up work on my daily, then worked on the Pinto some more. Way back in the '80's when I drove this car all the time, I had drilled a hole in the driver fender and mounted a  CB antenna. The vibration, and lack of a reinforcing layer of metal caused some damage to the location, then add on all those years of rusting. What I decided, was to pull the fender off, do a repair, add a reinforcing layer, then re-drill a new hole for the antenna, and drill a hole for a battery cutoff switch a couple of inches forward of the antenna. It may be kind of a goofy idea to some people, but I don't want to install the switch in the dash, or have to pop the hood open to switch it on/off.
I was able to get the fender off, and route the new battery cable. I will begin metal repair soon. If you go back to the beginning of this thread, you can see a small dent at the headlight bezel that I will take care of while the fender is off, and you should also be able to see the antenna mount I talking about.

[Wittsend]

 The driveshaft length is one of the "bolt in" big pluses of the T-9. I thought the crossmember was too but apparently not. Would like to see pictures of what you built.

I was very fortunate. I went from a 2.0 / C-4 /6-3/4" rear to a 2.3 / T-5/ 8" rear and my existing driveshaft also fit perfectly. I assume whatever was gained/lost between the C-4 / T-5 and the 6-3/4" / 8" all compensated.

[PintoRoyL]

After running errands until noon today, then having lunch, I had to do some work on my daily driver GMC Caballero.
After completing that project, I was able to do a little work on the Pinto. I bolted in the new cross-member that I built, then installed the driveshaft. I was afraid that the T9 trans was a little longer than the old 4spd, but apparently not. The driveshaft went in smooth as butter. I also looked for a convenient location to mount an electric fuel pump, but made no decisions yet. I will probably wait until I get a new fuel level sending unit, and reinstall the tank, before mounting the fuel pump.
Maybe tomorrow I will bolt on the alternator bracket, and install the radiator and fan. Or maybe instead, do some custom work with electrical. I want to add a battery cut-off switch. It would be easiest while I have some extra room to work with in the engine bay before installing the radiator and alternator.

[PintoRoyL]

I apologize, I am posting in several places, I didn't make things clear enough. I have installed a T9 transmission, and the crossmember is completely different than the stock Pinto crossmember, so I had to create one from scratch. I had purchased enough material to make about three if the first/second was wrong. I was fortunate in that the first one worked   When I got home from work yesterday, I put some paint on it, and will add a second coat tonight, then bolt it in tight before, or over this coming weekend.

[Wittsend]

"Next, I looked over the differences between the two trans crossmembers, trying to figure out what I would do for them."

"Monday, I took a drive to my local Lowe's for some metal to build the crossmember. Two 3ft sticks of angle iron, one 3ft flat bar, and a 4ft stick of very small angle iron. "

Sorry, I'm getting a bit lost in grasping exactly where this is all going. Does this regard installing a T-9 or a T-5 transmission mentioned a number of posts above? If so to save some effort my understanding is the T-9 transmission is pretty much a "bolt - in." Regarding the T-5 transmission I simply, unbolted the crossmember (BTW, 73 Pinto), turned it 180 degrees and slotted the mount bolt holes rearward. Otherwise I used the hockey puck transmission mount that was on the C-4 transmission I replaced with the T-5. Just hate to see a lot of effort if it isn't necessary. Here are a few pictures of the install of the T-5:

1. Slotted, reversed trans mount,  2. homemade clutch cable bracket to elevate the clutch cable over the engine crossmember,  3. homemade rearward shifter extension and shortened shifter to prevent knuckles from hitting the dash in 1st, 3rd and 5th gears.

[PintoRoyL]

Sunday, I got the tools I needed for tightening the oil lines. After getting the lines tightened down, I secured the lines to the frame along their route. Next, I looked over the differences between the two trans crossmembers, trying to figure out what I would do for them. While mulling the crossmember over in my mind, I continued to stay busy connecting/routing all of the water lines. Packed up a little early, didn't want to be working in the dark like the previous weekend.
Monday, I took a drive to my local Lowe's for some metal to build the crossmember. Two 3ft sticks of angle iron, one 3ft flat bar, and a 4ft stick of very small angle iron. I way over bought material. I did not use the small angle iron, and only one of the other angle iron pieces. I bought thinking that I would have to build two or three units before I got it right, but the first iteration worked out well. I still need to get a couple of layers of paint on it before final install, but I have the trans resting in place on it already.

[PintoRoyL]

Did get the eng/trans dropped in as a combination unit. After thinking about it for a few days, I decided to try installing them together, using extra length of chain at the rear of the load leveler on the engine hoist to get extra tilt. It worked pretty good. I used the transmission jack near the end to hold the tailshaft up so that I could get the last couple of inches rearward before setting the engine on the mount pads. I inserted the driver side mount bolt and lifted the passenger side to install the starter, then bolted the exhaust pipe to the manifold. Next, I inserted the passenger side bolt, removed the driver side bolt, then lifted the engine enough to insert fittings into the oil filter adapter for the hoses out to the filter and in from the cooler, got the oil hoses fitted, routed. Not tightened down completely yet because I need a crow foot wrench due to the tight quarters.
I plan on being at the auto parts store early tomorrow to pick up some tools and supplies so that I can continue moving forward.

[PintoRoyL]

Well, I thought I had written a post about this, must have been on the Gbody forum that I post on for my Caballero, but I ordered several more parts for the Pinto. Several days ago when I installed the water pump, thermostat, and clutch kit, I wanted to swap the pulleys from the older engine to the newer engine, but didn't have the correct pulley puller. I went online to RockAuto and checked the price on an alternator with the ribbed belt pulley, got a price, then called my local NAPA whse/store. They had one in stock for only $1 more than RockAuto, so I bought it from NAPA (they were also having a AAA member 25% discount sale). While I was on the RockAuto site, I browsed Pinto parts and found/ordered a new headliner, and a carpet, and also ordered a ribbed belt for a non-AC 2.3 engine (87 Ranger), and a Dave Graham CD repair manual. The manual and the belt arrived very quickly. I was not expecting the carpet or the headliner to arrive until late September, but I arrived home from work today, and the carpet was sitting on my doorstep. Parts are arriving too fast, I'm going to have to slow down....not! LOL!!

Instead of working on the Pinto this last weekend, I got my earlier mentioned Caballero steering pump and steering gear box installed, got the AC compressor and the condenser mounted, and got a few other relocation/add-ons taken care of. Now its time for the AC appointment to get the system flushed and charged.

This coming weekend will be Labor Day. So far nothing else is planned, so I think that I will drop the engine into the Pinto, possibly install the transmission, then work on mechanical finishing touches. Soon, I will begin stripping the interior carpets and headliner, still need to reinstall the fuel tank, buy an electric fuel pump (maybe I should order a new sending unit before I reinstall the tank), and no doubt find other things that I need to do (have not yet begun to clean up the electrical wiring).

[dga57]

Sounds like you're making good progress!!!


Dwayne

[PintoRoyL]

The AC upgrade is going into my GMC Caballero. It is considered an A/G body vehicle, and has many interchangeable parts with other Gbody vehicles built from 1978-1987. My upgrade is being done as if the car had been factory built with AC. I had to find an AC airbox, extra ducting, and a good dashboard that included AC vents. I also purchased the compressor, condenser, hoses, mounting brackets. The forward mounting bracket bolts on over the power steering bracket, and so I also decided to upgrade/install a brand new PS pump and steering gear box. I just received the last part needed last week, so I will work on finishing that project before summer is over.

For the Pinto, I received my clutch kit earlier this week and installed it, along with the new water pump I got a couple of weeks ago.  Purchased and installed a new thermostat while I was at it. Bought a  transmission jack from Harbor Freight. I believe that I am ready to drop the engine into the car, and begin readying the transmission for installation.

[r4pinto]

How difficult is the a/c upgrade? I been intrigued by that.

[PintoRoyL]

Did not work on the Pinto this last weekend. We were getting some wildfire smoke, and also getting a heat wave at the same time. But, I did go out and work on my daily '78 GMC Caballero anyway. I received some of the parts needed to finish my AC upgrade.  My goal is to have working AC in it before the end of the summer. The car was a base model heat only vehicle from the factory. Last summer, I installed a factory type AC airbox, and have been gathering the rest of the parts and brackets to get it finished.
For the Pinto, I am waiting on the proper clutch/pressure plate to arrive, and am beginning to consider/concentrate on the electrical system. We will see if I decide to make any changes/upgrades.

[PintoRoyL]

If I lay both pressure plates face down on a smooth surface, the T5 plate will stand taller by an estimated 3/8-1/2". The T9 input shaft has numerous more splines than the T5 plate. Since the T5 that I have came from a 2000 v6 Mustang, the input shaft is wrong for a 2.3L 4-cylinder. Unless I can get a 4-cylinder type input shaft with the v6 1st gear ratio, I must use the T9, or else do a full rebuild on the T5 with 4-cylinder internals. The cost would not necessarily be a problem, but I would like to see if I can get this car running again as soon as possible, so that I can move on to getting another vehicle going. I have a '79 Datsun p/u that became my driver when the Pinto quit in 1996. The Datsun only lasted until about early 2003, about 1yr after my wife's father gave us his '78 GMC Caballero (El Camino twin cousin). I have 6 cars in the driveway, only 3 of them are runners, the Caballero, a '79 El Camino, and a '98 Taurus. My 6th car is an '03 Focus that I purchased for my wife in 2005, and was a good little car until it quit in 2016.

[PintoTim2]

I wonder what the difference is between a Type 9 and the T5 clutch is??   The pressure plate just bolts to the standard 2.3L flywheel which are all the same as I understand (I only have a '88 turbo 2.3L engine to look at).   I would think the clutch discs would be all the same dimensions (I only have the stock 2.3L T5 turbo disc and an SVO disc - they look the same for thickness & spline count)...    I'll count the splines on the spare Type 9 in my barn - maybe that's the difference??