1972 Duster Build with my Daughter

[Jim Kueneman]

Never fear we spent the holidays in New Mexico to keep my mom occupied on the second holiday and birthday since my dad passed away. It has also been "winter" here and it is snowing and cold out, very little enthusiasm to work in a 50 degree garage. We have accumulated a lot of parts over the last 2 weeks so it is just getting time, energy and warm enough weather to start working. What is coming up: Finish rebuilding the starter, alternator and wiper motor. Headliner conversion came in for CI (it is a ACME bow conversion to make '72-'73 cars bow headliners like the '70-'71s were). Fuel tank, fuel pump, water pump and missing brackets are in. The engine had a bit of an oops when we were on vacation so it is delayed a few weeks (should get it week after next). The Wiseco pistons will not work with the stock rods..... no one noticed it before it was going together. New rods are here and they need to go to Tucson with the crank to get rebalanced. After that it is just reassembly.

 

[John_Lemon]

Slacker.
Hope your holidays went well now back to reality.
50 degree garage, hell that's the perfect working temperature unless you need to shoot paint. Put a sweatshirt on for Christ's sake.
Jr. and I put the tach in his 72 last week and it was 16 degrees outside. We were in shorts and T-Shirts. 150,000 BTU is a wonderful thing.
BTW, have you chosen a carpet color for that beauty yet?

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Slacker.
Hope your holidays went well now back to reality.
50 degree garage, hell that's the perfect working temperature unless you need to shoot paint. Put a sweatshirt on for Christ's sake.
Jr. and I put the tach in his 72 last week and it was 16 degrees outside. We were in shorts and T-Shirts. 150,000 BTU is a wonderful thing.
BTW, have you chosen a carpet color for that beauty yet?

Sorry not for me! I love it about 55-60... I need the door open and it was only 34 and snow/rain/wind today.... Remember I am a desert rat.... The carpet is in her room. Light Blue that is similar to the original rubber flooring color.

 

[John_Lemon]

Sorry not for me! I love it about 55-60... I need the door open and it was only 34 and snow/rain/wind today.... Remember I am a desert rat.... The carpet is in her room. Light Blue that is similar to the original rubber flooring color.

Damn. I was organizing the leftovers from our build over the holidays and ran across these.
Brand new, custom fit for a 72 Duster without the floor shift hump. Lloyd fucked up. The embroidery is a bang on match for B5.
I was going to make you a deal but I doubt black mats would look to good on that light blue carpet.

 

[sireland67]

Man, snow in AZ!
All I have seen this year is a few flurries and a light dusting on the ground.
Normally there is at least 6" of snow on the ground this time of year.

 

[threewood]

With this weather i thought you went into hibernation lol. It's suppose to get to 38 degrees in Yuma tonight, and wind around 15 mph. My blood is too thin for this weather! Glad you got it painted before it got too cold.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Man, snow in AZ!
All I have seen this year is a few flurries and a light dusting on the ground.
Normally there is at least 6" of snow on the ground this time of year.

Good grief. Here is this fine morning. Again.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Yea shoot me, the Coronet has not been given a lot of love lately with the time spent on the Duster. Took her out for a photo shoot in Sunny.... wintery..... Arizona!

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Finally back at it. Time to finish up all these little things that we got started then were distracted away from. It warmed up a lot today but we just worked on the kitchen table where it was nice and warm... Alternator. To put in the rear bushing the case was put in the toaster oven to get it hot then a big socket on the back to support the housing a smaller socket to drive it home. A little grease and the hot case took very little to get it driven home. The rotor was in the freezer all morning and the front bearing went in the toaster over. Very little needed to drive that home with a socket that only contacted the inner race.

Kaelyn used the photos to reassemble the alternator.

I bought a NOS rotor and stator off eBay for less than $50 so we needed to get the stator wires routed so they would not rub on any edge and short out... Make sure you have the holes for the 3 bolts aligned before you call the stator done.....

Buttoned up. I need to split it once more and take the rotor and pulley to the machine shop to press the pulley back on....

We also got the NOS gear for the wiper. Split it back apart and installed it. The kit comes with screw for the rivets you drill out and some grease as well.

This took maybe 10 minutes. I did buy some nice black rivets off eBay but there were 3 that were too close to the lip for my rivet gun to fit so I used 3 rivets and 3 screws from the kit.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

The new gear looks nice....

Here are the rivets I bought....

So the grommets where shot so I ordered some Doorman units for a GM. The center metal part is for a size smaller bolt so they are not usable. The rest of the dimensions are perfect. I am going to think about what to do here so hold tight. There are NOS ones on eBay with rubber and center steel bushing but $80 is too rich for me. I think there is a way to use these $8 grommets.

Just like new! I touched up the screw with black paint later.

Restored the PS Pump long ago but never installed the pulley. The CHEAP Harbor Freight pulley puller got the PS pump and the alternator off and the PS back on. You need a press to install the alternator pulley unfortunately..

Starter was next. We restored the gear train a few weeks ago and did not get photos. The snap ring on the left is a ***** and the only real hard part. The bendix drive is a from Standard. I struggled with the aftermarket drives on the Coronet and ended up using the original 50 year old one. We will see how the Standard one works. Fingers crossed. Notice the leather washer on the right behind the bull gear..... OLD school.

In my previous life I used this trick as the new starter contact plates were never as good as the old. This one is the original and copper plated. The aftermarket replacement was not copper plated. I take the plate off and flip it over to use the original like new back side as the new contact area. I did use the new plunger and spring.

The old back side is like new and ready for years of service.

Now we have the right brush plate with ears! Install the gasket.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

The original solenoid was bead blasted, cleaned and checked out. It had about 2-3 ohms which felt about right.

Insert the wire through the hole in the plate and feed the small stud through the plate with a fiber washer between the nut and plate for a seal.

This is a very important part. This cardboard insulator keeps the long bolt that holds the magnet frame on from shorting out on the wire. On the Coronet I put heat shrink tubing on the bolt to help since the original was deteriorated. This one was in great shape.

Wrap the wire from the solenoid onto the post and solder. Then bend it over to make sure it won't contact the rotor when it spins once installed.

Polish the slip rings with 1500 grit and use a hacksaw to dig the grooves back into the mica.

Soldered on.

Here is how the brushes are held. The retainer hold the brushes back. When you push in the armature the ring pushes down and just ends up rattling around in there forever.

Slide the rotor/armature into the magnet housing from the front and start the assembly down the brush holder. Don't go all the way! You have to get the brush wire bolted to the bus bar in the magnet housing.

See how it fits behind the cardboard insulator so it can't hit the housing.

There is an index tab in the magnet housing that fits into a square slot in the brush housing so the are clocked correctly.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Now insert the grease pad into the rear cap and pack grease in this area for the bushing..

The kit comes with different fiber washer so I started with them all.

When I put the cap on I could not get it to seat completely so I was sure there were too many washers so I removed the thick one.

That was much better. Don't want the starter spending energy just trying to get itself to spin from being to tight.

Put the cap on then install the long bolts. When you put them in **** them so they slide down the side of the magnet housing to insure the one slips behind the cardboard insulator. Before you put the cover on a good flashlight will let you see down in that area to ensure that the cardboard is in the correct position so the bolt will go behind it.

Here is what we accomplished today. Need to put the AC compressor clutch back together and get the pulley pressed on and all the major accessories under the hood are ready for the homecoming of the 318!

 

[Jim Kueneman]

The compressor clutch bearing has a nasty catch in it.... NOS ordered (for same price as a Chinese aftermarket!) for next weekends task...

 

[Jim Kueneman]

What a difference a day makes. Sunny blue sky and 65 degrees. Cleaned up the AC box ready to rebuild and recore the heater core.

Also been working on getting the plastic brittle dash trim stripped. Getting there....

Dragged out the last bit of Aircraft stripper I had and went to town on the dash components.

It was so nice I whipped up some epoxy primer and let it rip.....

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Whoop-dar-it-is! Picked up another gallon of Aircraft Stripper on my trip to Tucson this morning.. Stripped the remaining interior panels and decided they did not need epoxy primer. DA'ed them with 80 grit and shot them with base coat.

Then the dash....

Waited and hour and hit it with Southern Polyurethane's Universal Clear.

I then mixed in about 10% flattener and shot the dash with 2 more coats to keep it a bit more original and keep the glare down on the windshield. I think it needed a bit more. We will let it dry and see what it looks like in the full sun once the NEXT storm rolls through tonight and tomorrow....

 

[Jim Kueneman]

I am fighting with all the will power I have not to dig out the new dash pad and put it on... must wait for the clear to dry overnight (in the living room where it will be warm enough for the first 24 hours )

 

[Jim Kueneman]

The Legendary dash pad fit very good (it should for the price, even at the huge discount Classic gave...). There are metal plates embedded in the pad so just drill a pilot hole where the original had the screw (on the upper left) and snug it down.

Also the glove box door was a puzzle for some reason. I had to go out in the cold and look at the original dash a couple times before I could get that damn hinge correct....

Finally figured it out. I left the backside white epoxy so when you are working under the dash it should be nice a bright under there.

What did I do before I had a bench top bead blaster cabinet..... Ashtray cleaned up nicely.

Dash pad is nice and snug to the frame.

Aftermarket glove box hole for the light lens was a bit too big. I wrapped the tabs with some pin stripping tape then cut the straight sections out to make it fit a bit more snug in the cardboard hole.

Just like a new car!

Painted the black defroster vents with Herbs Interior Paint ('72 Bright Blue with his adhesion promoter). It is the weirdest paint I have ever seen but it does work really well. Notice how well it matches the dash pad.

Lastly the AC vent bracket installed.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

So I read that one guy says never use chemical to strip these old plastic parts, use media blasting. Again the bead blaster cabinet was worth its weight in gold. I was skeptical but as long as you control the pressure to a reasonable value it worked GREAT.... DMT wood grain inserts are on their way so we just need to paint this up over the next week. Not worrying about chrome. Just some nice Aluminum looking paint for the trim is good enough. Not a 100 point show car just a cool car.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

AC Controls.... This is a '73 AC Box and control so it has the slide controls. This one is in very good shape...

This one is the main AC control. The nipples go to the vacuum actuators on the AC box and to the vacuum canister under the hood for a vacuum supply.

This valve is activated when the temperature is all the way to cold. It allows vacuum to go to the coolant shut off valve under the hood.

The fan speed switch was sticky and history with the Coronet says you have to pull this apart and clean it.

Easy just bend the tabs and the circuit board pops out. These are SIMPLE switches.

Check the continuity from the single tab on the right to the other two on the left. The three positions are open, shorted to one on the left, shorted to both on the left. The same argument for harnesses goes for these switches. The rivet connections that connect the spade connectors on were NEVER made to last 50 years. This switch was actually in good condition so I did not do anything else but clean and lube it.

The main switch is a different story. The steel rivets in the two brass spade connectors was corroded and the continuity was all over the map with the ohm meter. Need to pull it apart. Also the plastic melt pins are brittle. This design is not bad but the push button design of the previous years will push the back plate right off the switch eventually as those pins break. Use a razor blade to cut the heads off then disassemble. Once apart cut the pins flush. We will be drilling and tapping them for miniature screws later.

Interesting design. The contacts are like points with the bumps on the slider block closing them as you move the lever.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Also much different than the Coronet was the vacuum valve. This is a rubber maze that slides across holes to route vacuum to different places... The springs and the detents press the rubber into the smooth surface to make a seal.

The vacuum holes into the rubber maze is about 0.032" or a #67. I had to fix a nipple with super glue so I cleaned out all the holes while I was at it.

Here is the source of poor electrical connections and harness fires. The Coronet has smoke coming out from under the dash due to a poor connection here. That is where I learned these switches are really easy to fix.

Here is the points type contacts that change as the AC/heater mode is changed.

Dunk this part of the switch in vinegar. It will etch and clean the connections where the rivets are. Once done neutralize it by soaking it in water and baking soda (I have a few cases of Red Devil lye that I bought when I heard they were not longer make it anymore).

After this the connection was very good but this make it permanent. Note the steal rivets do not solder well so be careful you don't melt the plastic and ruin the point contact on the other side.

All I need to do now is to drill and tap some screws.. Problem is I am low on stock of my #00-90, #0-80 and #2-56 screws that I use for my model trains. The Mopars have been taking 100% of my hobby time so that hobby the stock is low. I ordered a restock and should have them this week so I can finish this up.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Pulled the AC box apart to get the core out to send to Bob at GlenRay. I took more video than photos and I know you don't want to see me babbling about the disassembly process. I will take clear photos on reassembly so stay tuned. Remember this is a 1973-75 heater box that is going in the '72....

Everything is original and looks good. The heater core is original but has been repaired by an old shop in Tucson sometime in its life!

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Speedo sent to Dick's Speed-O-Tach in Tempe Arizona on Wednesday morning. They called this morning and said they unboxed it and it needs the infamous plastic bushing that dries out and cracks. Paid with a credit card at noon and it went out this evening in the mail.... can't ask for any better than that.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

@threewood you sent your cluster there too correct? Any problems yet? The Coronet has worked perfectly for 10k miles.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Should be a fun weekend with Kaelyn. The ECS vin plate decal and reproduction build sticker for the door came today along with the DMT wood grain decals for the dash and compressor clutch bearing! We have our work cut out for us. A bit to cold to paint, decal or glue by the looks of it so it is still mechanical. The short block for the 318 is likely done.... just waiting for Dave to post pictures on his Facebook page. The heads and intake on Monday and I will pick it up on my day off Friday (if I am not in Arkansas for work......)

 

[threewood]

@threewood you sent your cluster there too correct? Any problems yet? The Coronet has worked perfectly for 10k miles.

I did. It still sweeps smoothly but it doesn't park at zero, more like 7 mph. It is still accurate when compared to gps.