My Cam Research for the Experts Eye
- Thread starter TXChevy
- Start date
Misc. Electrical .......
Just going through the last bits of the re-wired harness .....
Door Switches ....
These are the original door switches in really good condition.
I cleaned up the contacts and verified that they ground when plunger is not depressed (door open).
There's a slightly raised round retention bump on the switch, that's why I drilled a hole in the new wire tab - it's held in place
by that curved retention clip on that round bump. I thought it was a clever design.
Exterior Lighting .....
I was a happy camper today, plugged everything in - exterior and dash lights worked the first time, no glitches.
Everything was nice and bright.
I still need to install the turn signal stuff.
Just going through the last bits of the re-wired harness .....
Door Switches ....
These are the original door switches in really good condition.
I cleaned up the contacts and verified that they ground when plunger is not depressed (door open).
There's a slightly raised round retention bump on the switch, that's why I drilled a hole in the new wire tab - it's held in place
by that curved retention clip on that round bump. I thought it was a clever design.
Exterior Lighting .....
I was a happy camper today, plugged everything in - exterior and dash lights worked the first time, no glitches.
Everything was nice and bright.
I still need to install the turn signal stuff.
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those door open sensor switches look as old or older than I am!
if I owned a 1957 chevy, at about $4 each
Id buy 6 just to throw them in a zip loc bag, in my glove compartment, before they get discontinued
if I owned a 1957 chevy, at about $4 each
Id buy 6 just to throw them in a zip loc bag, in my glove compartment, before they get discontinued
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That's a GREAT idea - thanks!
Turn Signals & Column Alignment.......
First thing I needed to do was to get the steering shaft centered into the column mast jacket.
You can see things are a little off - easily corrected. The steering box has three attachment bolts to the frame. By inserting a shim at one or more points, the box (and therefore the connected steering shaft) can be moved in the desired direction. The steering shaft is somewhere around 3 ft(+) long so a 1/32, or 1/16 shim at the box can make a noticeable difference up at the steering wheel end.
The mast itself can also be adjusted at both the firewall and the dash mounting points.
Here's the main components of the upper column, turn signal switch, turn signal housing, column extension (shifter housing) and lower column cover. In my case since there's no column shifter I just call it a column extension.
I replaced the wiring to the switch, but re-used the connector housing with new inserts.
This was the switch/wiring before I re-did things, it all fits pretty well in there.
These are all the bits and pieces for the housing attachments and for the turn signal pawl assembly.
Even though it's somewhere around a 1955 design, when assembled correctly it still works fine.
I have both the assembly and shop manuals for 1957, so they are pretty helpful, along with modern internet lookups.
Here's the housing extension and the turn signal housing in place, fairly sequential installation procedure.
The turn signal housing does include a bearing for the steering shaft, so it is important to get the shaft as centered as possible.
And the lower cover in place too.
I'm waiting on a couple of small parts for the turn signal mechanism, so not time for the steering wheel yet.
Here's the setup now, ready for the turn signal bits and pieces to be installed, then a functional check before the steering wheel.
Note the centered steering shaft.
And, since there are all LED exterior bulbs, an LED flasher is required for the turn signals. Black wire is a ground.
First thing I needed to do was to get the steering shaft centered into the column mast jacket.
You can see things are a little off - easily corrected. The steering box has three attachment bolts to the frame. By inserting a shim at one or more points, the box (and therefore the connected steering shaft) can be moved in the desired direction. The steering shaft is somewhere around 3 ft(+) long so a 1/32, or 1/16 shim at the box can make a noticeable difference up at the steering wheel end.
The mast itself can also be adjusted at both the firewall and the dash mounting points.
Here's the main components of the upper column, turn signal switch, turn signal housing, column extension (shifter housing) and lower column cover. In my case since there's no column shifter I just call it a column extension.
I replaced the wiring to the switch, but re-used the connector housing with new inserts.
This was the switch/wiring before I re-did things, it all fits pretty well in there.
These are all the bits and pieces for the housing attachments and for the turn signal pawl assembly.
Even though it's somewhere around a 1955 design, when assembled correctly it still works fine.
I have both the assembly and shop manuals for 1957, so they are pretty helpful, along with modern internet lookups.
Here's the housing extension and the turn signal housing in place, fairly sequential installation procedure.
The turn signal housing does include a bearing for the steering shaft, so it is important to get the shaft as centered as possible.
And the lower cover in place too.
I'm waiting on a couple of small parts for the turn signal mechanism, so not time for the steering wheel yet.
Here's the setup now, ready for the turn signal bits and pieces to be installed, then a functional check before the steering wheel.
Note the centered steering shaft.
And, since there are all LED exterior bulbs, an LED flasher is required for the turn signals. Black wire is a ground.
Third Brake Light .......
I made this light many years ago - the oem 57 tail-lights are low and even with LED's can be missed, especially with today's crop of nitwits.
Pretty straightforward to remove it, re-paint and re-attach the LED assemblies.
I hate aftermarket lights that sit way high up like some sort of plastic tree. This sits just above the rear window trim and is very inobtrusive until the lights come on. Then it's very visible. I had already incorporated a female half weatherpak connector for it into the trunk wiring harness, so all it needed was routing the wires to the male half connector and plugging it in.
It incorporates brake and turn signal indicators.
I also tested all exterior lights, turn signals, and brake lights. All work fine.
I've got some weird brake fluid leak at the banjo bolt attachments at BOTH front calipers - a slow seep.
This is with new Delco hoses, crush washers and banjo bolts. I had rebuilt the front calipers, they are common metric style to a lot of mid-70's GM, so easy to replace if needed. I've tried the tight-loosen-tighten and tapping on the bolt/then tighten, including even re-tempering the washers but no luck. These calipers never leaked before and it's pretty frustrating at this point. The hoses are oriented and installed correctly.
I'll install some new Raybestos hoses, very inexpensive from Rockauto, but I hate to prime the parts cannon at this point.
Everything works, the car has brakes, but I need to address the leakage - at least it's Dot 5 so no paint damage.
I made this light many years ago - the oem 57 tail-lights are low and even with LED's can be missed, especially with today's crop of nitwits.
Pretty straightforward to remove it, re-paint and re-attach the LED assemblies.
I hate aftermarket lights that sit way high up like some sort of plastic tree. This sits just above the rear window trim and is very inobtrusive until the lights come on. Then it's very visible. I had already incorporated a female half weatherpak connector for it into the trunk wiring harness, so all it needed was routing the wires to the male half connector and plugging it in.
It incorporates brake and turn signal indicators.
I also tested all exterior lights, turn signals, and brake lights. All work fine.
I've got some weird brake fluid leak at the banjo bolt attachments at BOTH front calipers - a slow seep.
This is with new Delco hoses, crush washers and banjo bolts. I had rebuilt the front calipers, they are common metric style to a lot of mid-70's GM, so easy to replace if needed. I've tried the tight-loosen-tighten and tapping on the bolt/then tighten, including even re-tempering the washers but no luck. These calipers never leaked before and it's pretty frustrating at this point. The hoses are oriented and installed correctly.
I'll install some new Raybestos hoses, very inexpensive from Rockauto, but I hate to prime the parts cannon at this point.
Everything works, the car has brakes, but I need to address the leakage - at least it's Dot 5 so no paint damage.
you might want to try disassembly cleaning the parts with solvent,
and brushing a light coat of silicone sealant on the threaded areas before reassembly
www.jbtools.com
and brushing a light coat of silicone sealant on the threaded areas before reassembly
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Tried that, no luck. Something's very odd here. Same hose part number, installed correctly, new washers plus tried annealed washers, still seepage.
Right now its just guessing, I'll install the new Raybestos hoses w new washers/banjo bolts and see what happens.
Thunderbolt
Well-Known Member
I have had the same problem, but cant remember how i solved it 
Can the bolt bottom out? So it maybe need thicker washers?
Can the bolt bottom out? So it maybe need thicker washers?
Let me know if you rememberI have had the same problem, but cant remember how i solved it
Can the bolt bottom out? So it maybe need thicker washers?
That's a very good thought, I'll double check but as a I recall the bolts were all the same length. But even a small difference could make the problem.
Thanks, I'll check.
Brake Caliper Leak ......
I followed up on the good suggestion made by Thunderbolt....
One of the banjo bolts, as measured 1.250 in. It looked like maybe there was some contact on the end, not 100% sure.
But regardless, I reduced the length to 1.195 in.
Re-installed both bolts with new crush washers, cleaned the area thoroughly and re-filled the brake reservoir.
It wasn't empty, but I added more Dot 5 to get it to full level.
Unfortunately, by the time I got a small wrench and tube to do a little gravity bleeding, both sides yet again already had a small seep finding its way down the caliper........ maddening!! I think that it was still a great suggestion by Thunderbolt, though.
So I thought about what exactly is going on here and what has or has not changed - it's so strange that both connections are leaking.
- calipers were cleaned, new seals/pistons, painted, re-used. Never any problem before.
- calipers themselves work fine, I can get a decent pedal, but a drip at the banjo bolt.
- two different sets of banjo bolts have been tried along with numerous new and re-annealed crush washers, same result of leak
- new Delco brake hoses were installed, visually the same as the hoses that came off. Purchased from Rockauto.
Trying to apply some logic, I think the banjo bolts/washers are ok.
- I think the caliper surface at the fitting is ok - even if one wasn't good, both calipers shouldn't have the same issue.
- So if the calipers are ok and the banjo/washers are ok, then maybe there's an issue with the hoses.
I had to get some parts from Rockauto for another vehicle, so I included two Raybestos hoses listed for the same vehicle as the Delco hoses.
This disc brake kit (Speedway) uses metric calipers common among mid-70's GM. In this case they are used for 77 Monte Carlo.
All this is the same component setup that worked fine for many years, which is what really confuses me. So the next step will be to replace the brake hoses...... place your bets now.
I followed up on the good suggestion made by Thunderbolt....
One of the banjo bolts, as measured 1.250 in. It looked like maybe there was some contact on the end, not 100% sure.
But regardless, I reduced the length to 1.195 in.
Re-installed both bolts with new crush washers, cleaned the area thoroughly and re-filled the brake reservoir.
It wasn't empty, but I added more Dot 5 to get it to full level.
Unfortunately, by the time I got a small wrench and tube to do a little gravity bleeding, both sides yet again already had a small seep finding its way down the caliper........ maddening!! I think that it was still a great suggestion by Thunderbolt, though.
So I thought about what exactly is going on here and what has or has not changed - it's so strange that both connections are leaking.
- calipers were cleaned, new seals/pistons, painted, re-used. Never any problem before.
- calipers themselves work fine, I can get a decent pedal, but a drip at the banjo bolt.
- two different sets of banjo bolts have been tried along with numerous new and re-annealed crush washers, same result of leak
- new Delco brake hoses were installed, visually the same as the hoses that came off. Purchased from Rockauto.
Trying to apply some logic, I think the banjo bolts/washers are ok.
- I think the caliper surface at the fitting is ok - even if one wasn't good, both calipers shouldn't have the same issue.
- So if the calipers are ok and the banjo/washers are ok, then maybe there's an issue with the hoses.
I had to get some parts from Rockauto for another vehicle, so I included two Raybestos hoses listed for the same vehicle as the Delco hoses.
This disc brake kit (Speedway) uses metric calipers common among mid-70's GM. In this case they are used for 77 Monte Carlo.
All this is the same component setup that worked fine for many years, which is what really confuses me. So the next step will be to replace the brake hoses...... place your bets now.
Wheels .......
While my head is churning trying to figure out the brake leak, I'm moving along with overall car cleanup.
Started with the wheels. These are classic Cragar SS rims from around 1980 with the spinner centers, still in decent shape.
Tires will need replacement, they are too old, but for now they are ok until the car is regularly driven.
Started with the rear wheels. Pictures here are ok, in real life the wheels look a bit different, but you should get the idea.
This is a typical rear wheel after sitting around for the last few years.
I'm getting rid of the red inserts - to me they look dated.
I also decided to paint the centers where the lug nuts are located.
First was a thorough cleaning, using a combination of soap, degreasers, even mineral spirits to get gear oil off the back of the rims from leaking axle seals. Rims look shiny mainly because they are wet,
I then used Mothers mag polish, followed by Mothers chrome polish, applied by hand and also with a foam pad/ball on a polisher.
This did a good job, considering that the rims aren't new and aren't perfect. But I was happy with the results.
Rims were masked and self etching primer was applied to the centers.
This was followed by the same Duplicolor ceramic engine enamel and Rustoleum clearcoat that was used on the valve covers.
I also re-painted the center cap inserts with the same paint combo.
I'm happy with the results, I think a bit more subtle on the paint, which is my preference.
It will still be a good contrast, the wheels go over black drums in the rear and rotors with black hats in the front.
only three more to go.........
While my head is churning trying to figure out the brake leak, I'm moving along with overall car cleanup.
Started with the wheels. These are classic Cragar SS rims from around 1980 with the spinner centers, still in decent shape.
Tires will need replacement, they are too old, but for now they are ok until the car is regularly driven.
Started with the rear wheels. Pictures here are ok, in real life the wheels look a bit different, but you should get the idea.
This is a typical rear wheel after sitting around for the last few years.
I'm getting rid of the red inserts - to me they look dated.
I also decided to paint the centers where the lug nuts are located.
First was a thorough cleaning, using a combination of soap, degreasers, even mineral spirits to get gear oil off the back of the rims from leaking axle seals. Rims look shiny mainly because they are wet,
I then used Mothers mag polish, followed by Mothers chrome polish, applied by hand and also with a foam pad/ball on a polisher.
This did a good job, considering that the rims aren't new and aren't perfect. But I was happy with the results.
Rims were masked and self etching primer was applied to the centers.
This was followed by the same Duplicolor ceramic engine enamel and Rustoleum clearcoat that was used on the valve covers.
I also re-painted the center cap inserts with the same paint combo.
I'm happy with the results, I think a bit more subtle on the paint, which is my preference.
It will still be a good contrast, the wheels go over black drums in the rear and rotors with black hats in the front.
only three more to go.........
Rick, no mismatch. The brake line is a premade single unit, hose and fittings. The end at the hard line from MC is standard inverted flare, the other end is just a simple banjo bolt squeeze connection.
On the left is the brake hose i pulled off the car, on the right is the new one. As you can see the new one is narrower, but should still seal. However, I don't like it, very skinny.
But in looking at all this I realized something about the crush washers.
Looking at the pics, you can see that the ring impressions aren't very crisp or even missing on the washers I removed along with the new hose.
"Top" is just my note that it's the washer on the top of the fitting vs the bottom. That's the side against the hose fitting.
These two are each side of the bottom washer, as you can see not much of an indentation.
I realized that I was using washers for a 7/16 banjo bolt, but the bolts for these calipers are 3/8. The strange thing is that these are the washers as spec'd for the calipers. I realized it as I was noticing that the washers weren't centering properly.
So I dug into my copper washer assortment and installed washers for a 3/8 banjo bolt. They were also slightly thicker, which I preferred.
Installed everything back together and didn't see that immediate seepage. I'll check again tomorrow and do some brake pedal pressure tests too.
It's my oversight but if this simple fix works, it's worth posting. Never assume.....I'll edit this tomorrow with results.
Edit .....
This morning both sides still had a drop at the bottom of the caliper. The banjo fittings now seem dry, but the new piston seals may have a leak? At this point I really don't care and I'm fed up - been monkeying with all this for weeks. I know what range GM the disc kit uses, so I'm heading for Rockauto to order calipers and hoses. Not a huge cost and worth it to me, the only work I want to do to this is yank that stuff off the car!
The difference on the replacement stuff is that I'll get calipers and hoses for 7/16 banjo fittings instead of 3/8. The connection to the hard line is the same, 3/8 IFF. Thanks for reading all this and providing suggestions, it's always appreciated.
On the left is the brake hose i pulled off the car, on the right is the new one. As you can see the new one is narrower, but should still seal. However, I don't like it, very skinny.
But in looking at all this I realized something about the crush washers.
Looking at the pics, you can see that the ring impressions aren't very crisp or even missing on the washers I removed along with the new hose.
"Top" is just my note that it's the washer on the top of the fitting vs the bottom. That's the side against the hose fitting.
These two are each side of the bottom washer, as you can see not much of an indentation.
I realized that I was using washers for a 7/16 banjo bolt, but the bolts for these calipers are 3/8. The strange thing is that these are the washers as spec'd for the calipers. I realized it as I was noticing that the washers weren't centering properly.
So I dug into my copper washer assortment and installed washers for a 3/8 banjo bolt. They were also slightly thicker, which I preferred.
Installed everything back together and didn't see that immediate seepage. I'll check again tomorrow and do some brake pedal pressure tests too.
It's my oversight but if this simple fix works, it's worth posting. Never assume.....I'll edit this tomorrow with results.
Edit .....
This morning both sides still had a drop at the bottom of the caliper. The banjo fittings now seem dry, but the new piston seals may have a leak? At this point I really don't care and I'm fed up - been monkeying with all this for weeks. I know what range GM the disc kit uses, so I'm heading for Rockauto to order calipers and hoses. Not a huge cost and worth it to me, the only work I want to do to this is yank that stuff off the car!
The difference on the replacement stuff is that I'll get calipers and hoses for 7/16 banjo fittings instead of 3/8. The connection to the hard line is the same, 3/8 IFF. Thanks for reading all this and providing suggestions, it's always appreciated.
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Did you install those lines way back when???
I wonder if someone else cranked the bolt down way tighter than you. Therefore leaving a better impression on the copper washer?
Did you think about going with some Wilwood caliper/disks?
I like spending other people's money! You could tell the wife it's a for safety.
www.wilwood.com
I wonder if someone else cranked the bolt down way tighter than you. Therefore leaving a better impression on the copper washer?
Did you think about going with some Wilwood caliper/disks?
I like spending other people's money! You could tell the wife it's a for safety.
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Lol, no Wilwood stuff, regular brakes are fine. It's just been me working on the car, nobody else. The lines I removed are dated 1998 so I'm not re-using them.
The calipers that came with the Speedway kit had 7/16-20 inlets, thus the reason the old hoses were set up for that size. Years ago I had replaced the calipers and hoses as maintenance and used 3/8 inlets and hose calipers.
So as mentioned I'm going back with the larger inlet calipers, this also let's me use the hoses that have larger seat area as shown above.
Wheels.....
Got the rear wheels on, I'm happy with them.
Now to do the fronts...
The calipers that came with the Speedway kit had 7/16-20 inlets, thus the reason the old hoses were set up for that size. Years ago I had replaced the calipers and hoses as maintenance and used 3/8 inlets and hose calipers.
So as mentioned I'm going back with the larger inlet calipers, this also let's me use the hoses that have larger seat area as shown above.
Wheels.....
Got the rear wheels on, I'm happy with them.
Now to do the fronts...
I figured that would be your response.