1967 Camaro Restoration Project
Page Twelve
Front coil springs are not an easy thing to compress and install correctly but having worked on suspensions most of my life, I know some tricks most people don't know about. Front springs installed as well as the backing plates and caliper mounting brackets.
Pitman arm, idler arm, drag link, and tie rod linkage are next. Now we have steering !!
You can barely see it, but the front sway bar is on there also.
Time to grease the front wheel bearings, install the seals, and put the front rotors and calipers on.
And with the addition of the front metal brake lines the only thing I don't have to go on the front end is the shocks. I can do those later but for the most part, this part of the project can be crossed off the "need to do" list.
Next on the "to do" list is to reassemble the engine since I've mocked it up then taken it back apart to paint all the accessories. First is the spark plug heat shields, fuel pump, motor mounts, thermostat and water outlet.
Now the exhaust manifolds and dipstick tube can be installed.
Next is to reinstall the pulleys and power steering pump.
No project of this size could ever take place without a setback or two, here's one of the first ones. While installing the exhaust manifold studs, the ear on the manifold broke off when I installed the LAST stud. Grrrr. On closer inspection, there was a hairline crack in that ear that went undetected because I could see it with the paint down in the crack. Oh well, off to get another manifold. Lucky we had two cars to build from so we don't have to buy another manifold, just have to clean one up.
Nasty dirty manifold.
After a trip through the media blast cabinet.....
... and a little paint, looks like we're back on track.
Reinstalled on the engine and now we're back where we were before with the manifold studs installed.
Add a water pump, alternator bracket.....
...a alternator, cooling fan and pulley........
....and a distributor, coil and some wires and we're real close to getting this engine ready for the big install.
