Project A72V

[varotone]

HELP NEEDED

1. Did this car come with a voltage regulator? If yes, where was it mounted?

2. This is a photo of what I think the oil pressure sensor. Am I correct? If not where do I find the oil pressure sensor?

3. I'm seeing 3 faily thick (3mm) wires without any connections. It was just dangling from the wire loom. Can anybody identify what these are for? I couldn't find where these lead to.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Rumesh88]

2 hours ago, varotone said:

HELP NEEDED

1. Did this car come with a voltage regulator? If yes, where was it mounted?

Yes. It should have come with a electro-mechanical regulator (rectangular  one in a metal cover) mounted near the driver side shock mount. However, it is possible that the original alternator has been replaced and the external regulator has become obsolete.

2. This is a photo of what I think the oil pressure sensor. Am I correct? If not where do I find the oil pressure sensor?

Yes. That is the oil pressure switch. However, as I remember it should have a single wire connection to it.  Anyway that's not important.

3. I'm seeing 3 faily thick (3mm) wires without any connections. It was just dangling from the wire loom. Can anybody identify what these are for? I couldn't find where these lead to.

That's a difficult one for me I'm afraid.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Twin Turbo]

Any amount of repairs/mods/temp-fixes could have been done during the many decades the car has been maintained .It is clear that the battery is being charged some how,. 

starting with your battery, you have to get the services of a qualified autoelectritian.

+ you run a serious fire risk with having exposed open wires..

Good luck,..

p.s. upload a pic of the alternator if u can.

TT.

Edited December 6, 2018 by Twin Turbo

[varotone]

Thank you very much for the help. Here's a picture of the alternator.

It has 3 wires. One thick wire (2mm, disconnect in the photo) for Battery+. Other two are thin (0.5mm) wires via a connector. Difficult to disconnect the connector in a hurry. I'll try it tomorrow and check where the wires go to.

I'm fairly certain that the alternator has been replaced with one with a built-in voltage regulator. The free wires must be for the voltage regulator which is obsolete now. These wires are right next to the alternator long enough to reach the right side shock absorber mounts. The two thin wires connected must be for battery sensor currently for stator coils and another for battery indicator on the dashboard.

I certainly need a qualified auto electrician. But looking at the quality of the electrical repairs done on this, I'm having second thoughts about them. I'm taking my time and fixing the wiring properly by soldering the splices and using insulation tubing and replacing damaged wires. I'm not sure if the mechanics would do it up to my expectations. Besides, the experts here at AL are very helpful and I may be able to do it without a mechanic?.

Edited December 11, 2018 by varotone
Insert missing photo

[varotone]

I want to fix the rusted out area in front of the dashboard before re-fixing the dashboard. Got down a tinkerer and he said the fenders and windshield may need to be removed to get access to the area. So this is not simple as it sounds and I think about expediting the project and doing all the tinkering and painting at this point.

Please comment on how much would it cost for tinkering and painting of the whole car. I understand that the cost depends on the condition of my car, but I'm clueless about the cost of painting and tinkering. So please give me an estimate for how much I should expect to pay. My plan is to do hire a tinkerer and repair the rust and do the tinkering at home. I'm not going to get it done at some fancy garage. But I prefer to use a fancy painting booth for painting.

UPDATE

I was quoted Rs. 180,000 for the tinkering only including materials.

Edited December 13, 2018 by varotone
Edit

[varotone]

UPDATES

Tinkering and painting will start on 25th of December Went to panchi to look for the availability of parts before I dissemble the car.

The following parts are available. Windshield beading, door beading, quarter panel beading, front Combi light on the buffer, lens for signal lights on the fender.

Lens for rear Combi light was not available. There's a crystal light that fits. Also rubber packing for lights were not available. Guess I'll have to get some rubber sheet and make the packing.

BTW, Made an impulse purchase. Old-school license plate.

[kusumsiri]

32 minutes ago, varotone said:

BTW, Made an impulse purchase. Old-school license plate.

Seems very nice plates. How much it cost for both ? Are the numbers chrome plated plastic or metal ?

[Twin Turbo]

On 12/8/2018 at 3:12 AM, varotone said:

Thank you very much for the help. Here's a picture of the alternator.

It has 3 wires. One thick wire (2mm, disconnect in the photo) for Battery+. Other two are thin (0.5mm) wires via a connector. Difficult to disconnect the connector in a hurry. I'll try it tomorrow and check where the wires go to.

I'm fairly certain that the alternator has been replaced with one with a built-in voltage regulator. The free wires must be for the voltage regulator which is obsolete now. These wires are right next to the alternator long enough to reach the right side shock absorber mounts. The two thin wires connected must be for battery sensor currently for stator coils and another for battery indicator on the dashboard.

I certainly need a qualified auto electrician. But looking at the quality of the electrical repairs done on this, I'm having second thoughts about them. I'm taking my time and fixing the wiring properly by soldering the splices and using insulation tubing and replacing damaged wires. I'm not sure if the mechanics would do it up to my expectations. Besides, the experts here at AL are very helpful and I may be able to do it without a mechanic?.

The thick white wire ( now off white ) will be going to the B+

[varotone]

17 hours ago, kusumsiri said:

Seems very nice plates. How much it cost for both ? Are the numbers chrome plated plastic or metal ?

Thank you! 3400 for both. They made it in a matter of minutes. Letters are metal (I guess pewter. Non-ferrous) kinda reverted to the aluminum back plate.  

[Twin Turbo]

19 hours ago, varotone said:

UPDATES

Tinkering and painting will start on 25th of December Went to panchi to look for the availability of parts before I dissemble the car.

The following parts are available. Windshield beading, door beading, quarter panel beading, front Combi light on the buffer, lens for signal lights on the fender.

Lens for rear Combi light was not available. There's a crystal light that fits. Also rubber packing for lights were not available. Guess I'll have to get some rubber sheet and make the packing.

BTW, Made an impulse purchase. Old-school license plate.

Nice old-school touch bro, like it !!

[kusumsiri]

On 12/17/2018 at 7:19 PM, varotone said:

Made an impulse purchase. Old-school license plate.

Out of the main topic : It seems some cops trying to give tickets for old plates. Here is a discussion from SLTV fb group. I tried to read relevant gazettes. Unfortunately could not find links/hard copies for all. But guess no any gazette cancelled the existing plates. Rather they introduced new plates. So think better to keep relevant gazette in the car in case of you stopped by cops.

* 2005.06.02 gazette 1395/19 - (Two English letter system, WP GA-1234)    
* 1952.02.27 gazette 10360, section 8-21

 

Edited December 19, 2018 by kusumsiri

[varotone]

The rear combi lights and the garnish on the headlight garnish are damaged. Hunted for replacements at Panchikawatta. Plan B is to try fix it with two-part epoxy putty and repaint it. That's the last resort as the final result will not be elegant. 

[Twin Turbo]

Good work bro, keep us updated on the progress.  ?

[varotone]

UPDATES

Started disabling the car for tinkering and painting. The trims, glass, dashboard, and body panels are off. Struggling with the headliner because the screws have rusted at the threads. Plan is to strip the engine bay as well. There's a little delay because the chain block I planned to hire is unavailable at the moment. As soon as I get it, engine will be removed and body work will start. I'll post a few pics once the car is stripped.

I'm little stck with removing the AC. It's currently working and on R12. I've asked for a few mechanics to decompress the system. Looks like none of them wants to recover the gas from the system. Their advice is to vent the system to the atmosphere and fill with R134a after refitting. They say there's no facility to dispose R12 gas in Sri Lankan. If I can find a recovery gas can, they can recover the gas and re use on my car if I need. But, still at some point I'll need to switch to R134a. So, venting the old gas and switching after the repair is the least cumbersome. I guess I'll have to just punch a hole in the ozone layer

I'm looking for alternatives for a couple of days before I get the chain block. If there's no other way..... Then.....

[Ruslan]

2 hours ago, varotone said:

UPDATES

Started disabling the car for tinkering and painting. The trims, glass, dashboard, and body panels are off. Struggling with the headliner because the screws have rusted at the threads. Plan is to strip the engine bay as well. There's a little delay because the chain block I planned to hire is unavailable at the moment. As soon as I get it, engine will be removed and body work will start. I'll post a few pics once the car is stripped.

I'm little stck with removing the AC. It's currently working and on R12. I've asked for a few mechanics to decompress the system. Looks like none of them wants to recover the gas from the system. Their advice is to vent the system to the atmosphere and fill with R134a after refitting. They say there's no facility to dispose R12 gas in Sri Lankan. If I can find a recovery gas can, they can recover the gas and re use on my car if I need. But, still at some point I'll need to switch to R134a. So, venting the old gas and switching after the repair is the least cumbersome. I guess I'll have to just punch a hole in the ozone layer

I'm looking for alternatives for a couple of days before I get the chain block. If there's no other way..... Then.....

Just Curios, can the R12 Based Compressor will be able to handle R134 Gas?

[varotone]

1 hour ago, Ruslan said:

Just Curios, can the R12 Based Compressor will be able to handle R134 Gas?

Some old compressors can handle the increased pressure of R132a. The mechanic said mine can. It's just a matter of fixing the adaptors for ports, adding lubricant and gas. Sometimes new leaks may show up due to the high pressure which needs to be fixed. That's what my mechanic said. I'll update you once I get the conversation done.

[Davy]

7 hours ago, varotone said:

Some old compressors can handle the increased pressure of R132a. The mechanic said mine can. It's just a matter of fixing the adaptors for ports, adding lubricant and gas. Sometimes new leaks may show up due to the high pressure which needs to be fixed. That's what my mechanic said. I'll update you once I get the conversation done.

Did the same on mine and the AC worked pretty well after that. And yes, there were leaks after it was filled up with R134a, so many o-rings needed to be either replaced or hoses crimped at the ends. The drier was replaced with one since the old one didn't have a high pressure access port. You'll probably have to do the same.

[varotone]

UPDATES

Finally got the engine hoist and removed the engine. Unfortunately I had to vent the AC gas. Gave it a through wash today.

Here's a little tip on making you own degreaser. Dissolve a sachet of laundry detergent powder in 500mL of hot water. The solution would be warm now. Add it to 1L of kerosene oil in a bottle. Shake the bottle vigorously to mix the water and oil. This concoction is a very good degreaser. It can be sprayed or applied with a paint brush inside the engine room, axel, undercarriage and wheel arch where there's a heavy grime buildup.

Let the degreaser soak up the grime. Blast the car with a pressure washing machine first with water and then with soapy water. New rust spots which were covered in gunk will show up.

 

The radiator tubes and water channels in the engine have a lot of rust. This is after doing a flush. The gasket at the oil sump is also bad. So, I'm thinking about doing the engine overhaul at this moment. If money fairy is nice with me, I'll be able to overhaul the engine while the body work is going on.

[Twin Turbo]

On 12/27/2018 at 10:10 PM, varotone said:

UPDATES

Started disabling the car for tinkering and painting. The trims, glass, dashboard, and body panels are off. Struggling with the headliner because the screws have rusted at the threads. Plan is to strip the engine bay as well. There's a little delay because the chain block I planned to hire is unavailable at the moment. As soon as I get it, engine will be removed and body work will start. I'll post a few pics once the car is stripped.

I'm little stck with removing the AC. It's currently working and on R12. I've asked for a few mechanics to decompress the system. Looks like none of them wants to recover the gas from the system. Their advice is to vent the system to the atmosphere and fill with R134a after refitting. They say there's no facility to dispose R12 gas in Sri Lankan. If I can find a recovery gas can, they can recover the gas and re use on my car if I need. But, still at some point I'll need to switch to R134a. So, venting the old gas and switching after the repair is the least cumbersome. I guess I'll have to just punch a hole in the ozone layer

I'm looking for alternatives for a couple of days before I get the chain block. If there's no other way..... Then.....

Guess noone carries refridgirant recovery equipment.could be used to refill the system too 

[varotone]

1 hour ago, Twin Turbo said:

Guess noone carries refridgirant recovery equipment.could be used to refill the system too 

As per my AC mechanic, he has refrigerant recovery equipment. What's missing is a proper system in place to dispose the old R12 refrigerant. So, even if he recovers it, there's no way he can safely get rid it later.

[Twin Turbo]

can't he re-charge the  car with it?

 

[varotone]

8 hours ago, Twin Turbo said:

can't he re-charge the  car with it?

 

In theory he can. The reality is not 100% of the gas is collected, and when refilling (at the end of the repair) not 100% of the recovered gas can be filled. There will be a small loss due to leaks and some gas remaining in the cylinders and tubes. In the end, I'll have a low pressure and would need more gas. Old gas is no longer manufactured/available and I have no other option than to switch to the new gas.

 

Actually, the intended purpose of recovering R12 gas is to dispose it safely and convert the system to R134a. Not to collect and reuse it. Sadly there are no facilities in Sri Lanka to dispose R12. So the recovered R12 just sits in the cylinder until one fine day someone empties it an reuses the cylinder. If I insisted on recovering, mechanic could charge me for service. But this is what will happen at the end of the day. My guy was honest and told me the long story.

[PerfMad]

11 minutes ago, varotone said:

In theory he can. The reality is not 100% of the gas is collected, and when refilling (at the end of the repair) not 100% of the recovered gas can be filled. There will be a small loss due to leaks and some gas remaining in the cylinders and tubes. In the end, I'll have a low pressure and would need more gas. Old gas is no longer manufactured/available and I have no other option than to switch to the new gas.

 

Actually, the intended purpose of recovering R12 gas is to dispose it safely and convert the system to R134a. Not to collect and reuse it. Sadly there are no facilities in Sri Lanka to dispose R12. So the recovered R12 just sits in the cylinder until one fine day someone empties it an reuses the cylinder. If I insisted on recovering, mechanic could charge me for service. But this is what will happen at the end of the day. My guy was honest and told me the long story.

@varotone where do you live? If you are closer to kotte area, then i can give a contact no of a location (he might be able to resolve your concern as he is well equipped with most of the latest equipment's. 

[varotone]

My tinkerer-cum-painter is a slow coach. The body is still untouched. So by the time he eventually finishes the bodywork, I will have plenty of time to rebuild the engine. I'm gradually dissembling the engine and came across this Orion sticker on the valve cover under layers of gunk. I'm assuming this is an original sticker. It survived all these years Hopefully, I will be able to finish the disassembly and start washing the parts with kerosine/petrol over the weekend.

HELP NEEDED

I can't see a timing mark (notch) in the crank pulley. How to proceed with the disassembly?

 

Edited January 18, 2019 by varotone
removed content

[varotone]

On 1/17/2019 at 10:01 PM, varotone said:

HELP NEEDED

I can't see a timing mark (notch) in the crank pulley. How to proceed with the disassembly?

There is a timing mark on the timing pulley (one that drives the camshaft by  the timing belt) on the crankshaft. Once the timing belt cover is removed to expose the timing pulley on the crankshaft, a mark can be made on the crankshaft pulley.

 

Work in progress?? This is a well spent weekend

Edited January 20, 2019 by varotone
Typo