Saving Granddad's Falcon

**dhbfaster** · March 8th, 2016, 12:24 PM

Glad you're starting to to feel human again Roger!

I bolted the primed pump back on last night, and cleaned up the bottom of the block for the gasket. Cleaning the oil pan without taking off the the paint along with it seems to be more of a challenge. I'll get there but let me know if you have any tips.

**Luva65wagon** · March 8th, 2016, 01:20 PM

I don't know if I'd go that far Don...

Paint between the pan isn't too big a deal. If you are trying to wipe it off with chemicals, then you just need to be careful. Touch up the paint as needed. Hopefully you'll be able to retain the end seals, which should seal nicely again with a slight coat of sealer (if still adhered to the block rather than the pan) I honestly should have looked at it before I left. Should have done a lot of things.

**Luva65wagon** · March 8th, 2016, 01:25 PM

Don,

If you have any concerns about reinstalling the pan gasket, and pan, you can leave that for the start-up day. It's not hard to do, but it's not hard to get one of the front or rear seals to slip out of place while you are lying on your back - and then you have a leak (followed by a rinse and repeat later on down the road). So don't feel too much pressure on that if you have other things you want to focus on.

**BadBird** · March 8th, 2016, 05:58 PM

I'm glad we got a few things done, but still feel bad that we couldn't get more.

It wasn't just my hands that were cramping up. By the time I got home I could barely move. I started taking a diuretic a few days earlier to help lower my blood pressure and in locked up all my muscles. By the next morning I couldn't move. Pulled a back muscle, my right foot arch pulled, a chest muscle and my hands were like claws. Anyway, I hope we get another chance to help you get this further along.

It was also bad that Roger was so sick, but bless his heart for even showing up.

The hubcaps look great. Let us know when, and I will try to be there. Larry

**dhbfaster** · March 8th, 2016, 09:21 PM

Man we sound like a bunch of old sick people!
That sound awful Larry. Holy cow.

The gasket RTV wasn't coming off the pan very easily so I went to Orilieys yesterday and asked them if they had a remover that would remove the sealer but not be too hard on the part. The girl gave me some stuff and swore it was what I needed. That stuff was horrible. It didn't remove any sealer, and where it dripped down the sides it started to remove the powder coat. So, I cleaned it up right away and it seems like I saved it from major damage. Tonight I spend my hour (until my hands cramped up) just scrubbing off the RTV with a 3m red pad and mild cleaner and got most of it off except deep in the grooves where it doesn't matter anyway. (at least I don't THINK it matters.)

The rubber gaskets at the ends are still on the block side, not on the pan side- but they are oily. I'm afraid if I clean them it may not be good- so I'm thinking it's best to replace them.

If you don't mind if I wait until you can come back to put the pan on I will wait, because as much fun as I am having...I do NOT want to put this pan on a third time!

What do your schedules look like? This weekend is fine for me, and it would be great to know this motor runs...BUT Jason can't be there this weekend either. The next few weekends I'm off to China and then vacation on a side trip there with my wife and then next falcon weekend could be April 9th. Jason can make it and if that works better for you guys it's fine by me and maybe Gene can make it too. I can work on some other stuff this weekend...like the muffler if it ever comes in, the clips, the doors...or as far as that goes, we have enough to do a little time on both weekends if anyone wants to.

**redfalken** · March 8th, 2016, 09:44 PM

I guess I got off easy. I was just a little tired when I got home! Glad everyone is feeling better.

I can't make it this weekend but can come over in April. I'll work on whatever still needs to be done. I always just scrape the silicone off with a razor and it comes off clean but that's usually on pans that have been running for a few years. Yours was fresh so it was probably stuck pretty tight.

**Luva65wagon** · March 9th, 2016, 08:56 AM

Don,

I'm not really concerned whether it will run or not - and neither should you be. You used a reputable builder and these are some of the most basic engines, it would be odd to have problems...

oh wait, we had problems...

OK, aside from my lack the day we put the pan on of not having a tool to spin the pump that day, I think that will be the only thing we left with any doubt that day.

I'm thinking the April date is best. I'm better, but I'm not 100% by any means. It comes and goes. Last night I thought I was succumbing again and today is like... uhh...

So do the things you can. Leave the pan off. I'll check the pump again with it off one-last-time and then we'll put the pan on. We only have to stab the distributor after finding top dead center, run a jumper to the coil to start it, add some gas... and VROOOOOM! Or maybe that's VROOM.

**dhbfaster** · March 9th, 2016, 09:31 AM

Sounds like a plan Roger...we'll save the pan install and startup for April 9th.
I hope you can get some rest this weekend. Gene- I hope you can make it on the 9th. Looks like Roger, Kenny, Larry will be there...and open to other club members that want to learn about startup.

Larry, if you want to get out for a few hours and help me knock out the last two brake lines or doors this Saturday morning...I'd love to have you

but no rush.

**dhbfaster** · March 10th, 2016, 09:52 AM

Got the tail light connectors fixed and hooked up tonight and started to checkout the electrical system connections. Headlights, tail lights, dash lights, and parking lights work fine (I can't test the brake lights or turn signals yet) but I didn't see how to get the dome light on. I'll check the bulb tonight. When is the dome light supposed to come on? Should it come on when the key is put on ACC? Is there supposed to be a door switch? It looks like there is a hole for a door switch, but no switch there. I didn't see a wire there for a switch and I'll have to take off the kick panel to try and find it if that's the case.
I finished the restoration of the clips for the harness in the engine compartment. Should be able to get those on this weekend.

**SmithKid** · March 10th, 2016, 10:23 AM

Don, I don't have my dome light installed/working yet, but I believe it should come on by rotating the headlight switch fully CCW (past a detent).The holes are for switches. My car had them.

**dhbfaster** · March 10th, 2016, 10:27 AM

Thanks Gene, that's what I was expecting actually- but I didn't seem to ever get to a detent. I'll try that again tonight.

**Luva65wagon** · March 10th, 2016, 10:47 AM

Gene beat me to it, but yep, that's how you do it without door switches. Those are pretty easy to add, by the way. Just need to pop in the switches. In fact I think I may have the harness. But I've said that sort of thing before to only discover I already gave it away. If I ever run across it, it may be something you can consider.

You asked elsewhere about rust in the cylinders if you don't get it started soon. Inside a garage I wouldn't be too concerned in the span of a few months, but if years went by it is never a bad idea to fog the cylinders and crank the motor over a few times - even by hand. I'd probably be less concerned with a new motor over one that was previously running. A new motor, if assembled correctly with a boat-load of assembly lube, which is ultra clingy stuff, is more apt to resist rusting than a previously running motor where gas has pretty much washed away most of the oils off the walls of the cylinders.

**dhbfaster** · March 10th, 2016, 10:56 AM

Roger, so is it worth spraying a can in and rotating it once or twice a few times before I go to China? or do you think it is better to just leave the original stuff since we're only a few weeks away anyway?