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HH56....it is the holes that are cut into the frame that look like they were done with some kinda torch. very ugly looking, but the frame doesn't seem to be affected. i think there may be some shots of it earlier in my blog.

Henry,

Time to take that rest, which you have so thoroughly earned! Some of the same people who saw the chassis will remember it and you until you meet again... with the car body on top of it!

Great way to show a car's restoration in process, especially with a chassis that is unique in the automotive world, past and present. You are a dedicated and talented fellow, and I wish you best of luck on the continuing resto.

Wish I could see the chassis in person, but you provide wonderful pics. I had the privilege to see a bare rolling TL chassis many years ago, when I was about twelve. It used to sit under a black and white '55 Custom that my dad acquired mostly as a parts car, but used as a daily driver for a few years before parting it out.

If you want to know how exciting it would be to have a torsion bar break on the road, I can tell you I witnessed one cut in place with a torch and the violence with which it breaks is quite impressive--hair-raising is more like it. But I've never heard of one ever failing on its own.

Take care,

Henry,

Very nice to meet you over the weekend. I, and many others, appreciate you bringing your chassis to the show. I am still amazed at the force wound up in the leveling system!

Cheers,

Tom

well, back to the garage, because i am broke and can't go do anything and the Packard is the best fun i have ever had not spending money. cleaning parts and painting...pretty cheap.

anyways, my wife spent some time cleaning off the pieces in the bucket-o-degreaser. yeah, she is a good worker! ;0)

i also rebuilt the seal end of the cylinder for the power steering. it took a lot of work to get the seal that was in there out. it was kinda pressed in w/ a metal jacket. the new on is all plastic, it presses in too, but really what a PITA to get the old ones out. put it all back together and done. i also sucked up the degreaser into the cylinder and pumped back and forth to clean it out. then filled it with power steering fluid to re-lube it and make it easy to push in and out again. greased the ball end too. ready for paint.

the shaft has a bad spot on it, but i bench grinder wire brushed it and it smoothed it out pretty good. any reason why i shouldn't just leave it like that. i don't know if there is anywhere i can get the shaft repaired and shinny smooth again.....any ideas on that one? otherwise i will just leave it that way and i am sure it will be fine.

i put the new lines side by side to the original ones so you can see the difference. the small hose that is part of the larger one is separate on the new on and pressed together on the old one. oh well, whatever works. the other hose is smaller than the original and thus the rubber pieces that hold it to the frame, etc.....the holes on it are too big. oh well, i will figure it out.

more to come and i promise i will get to updating that post on the piston soon. i just need to get the block out from infront of my z3 and pull the pistons from the shed.

on a crappy note....my spare tire from my F150 got stolen during the day right in the hospital parking lot! i should have chained it up, but still how crappy is that. it was a fill size aluminum rim too. dang! camera was broke at work and the lady that saw them doing it called the security guard, but they left before he got there. oh well, guess they needed it worse than me and that is all they did, so it could be worse. i located a new one for 55 bucks with the tire.....

later,

Hank

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Quote:
Hank,

Good to see you back on the tools, so to speak, and it is fun. And I'm real impressed about your wife helping you cleaning parts and stuff, even a pic! I'm going to show that to my wife but it won't help I'm sure. Sorry to hear about your spare getting stolen.

Glad to see you back at it also.

Don't want to ruin your day any more, but would be concerned about the piston rod condition. Believe after a few passes, the rough spot is going to wear your new seal to the point it leaks. There is a dust seal and a pressure seal so don't know which the plastic was --assume dust. The pressure seal holds back around 900psi.

Hope I'm wrong, but would be prepared to replace the cylinder or rod down the road. If the end is held on by a couple of bolts, then just the rod can be replaced. Someone else was looking not too long ago and believe one of the vendors advertised rechromed or new. If cylinder welded, then all is replaced.

well, considering the new cylinders from MAX are 350 bucks i think i am going to have to just make due with this one. i smoothed it out as good as i could and it moves back and forth way better than before i did it. i could always take it to the chrome place and see what they can do with it.

it is the welded kind, so no taking it apart unless i cut it open and i am sure that is not the best thing to do.

since i wont be driving this car every day i am not too worried about it, even if i wasn't broke 350 bucks for this is not something i would want to spend that much money on.

it is easy to get to for future repairs anyways. the good news is that it is near the end of the shaft so it wont be used until i go nearly full lock in that direction.

thanks for the input, but i guess we all have to live with somethings that aren't the best.

your u bolt was mail via fedex ground on thursday.

later,

Hank

worked more on the steering. cleaned and painted and even the little lady helped out again ;0) she's the best!

trying to take it slow, cause i am broke and need it to last alittle longer. tough times call for tough measures. ;0)

don't know if i am going to mess with the steering box or not. the manual seems like it is very detailed, but there seems to be alot of things that will need to be done to put it back together right. like using that spring dial to measure the lbs. it takes to turn etc....which i can't do at this point and i don't have one of those either.

the box doesn't seem to be in bad shape. the seals seem okay, so i thought maybe i would just drain it and replace the fluid and put it back. i did mark which bolt hole the bolt that had the extra shim on it went to to get it right on the frame. i see the manual talks about that. funny thing is it is just and extra washer is all.

so, say i leave the steering box alone...what type of fluid should i put back in it? just motor/gear oil?? or powersteering fluid? or ???

thanks and enjoy the pics.

Hank

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On the 5th to the last picture the little lady has a look on her face that mine gets when I've been out in the garage too long.... Must be a universal emotion among women!

Eric. THat's when it's time to tell her to:
"Get in the kitchen and make those pots and pans really sing"

It always works for me.