How’s the right height? I assume it is perfect as I no longer have a choice when it comes to altering the suspension height up front. That’s okay as I spent a lot of time working out the proposed curb height for this car back when I modified the frame. With the wheels and tires on the car I can see my calculations were pretty close.
The rear suspension is a little more forgiving. Back here I installed adjustable coil over shock absorbers that will allow me to increase the tension on the springs to push the rear of the car upward, or release a little tension to allow the rear of the car to drop. As the car now sits I have a slight rake to the front which I think is about perfect.
Let me warn you. Get the ride height correct before delivering the car to the front end shop for an alignment. Even a slight change to the way the car sits can alter the setting on the front suspension. If you change the stance of the car after having the front end aligned it is imperative that you have the front end aligned again.
The next things this ride needs are fluids. The rear axle needs a qu art of axle grease, the automatic transmission will require roughly two gallons of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF), the engine will need five qu art s of motor oil, the power steering unit will need about two qu art s of power steering fluid, the radiator will need two gallons of antifreeze, and the windshield washer tank will need a qu art of washer fluid. To be certain the fuel gauge is working properly I’ll add at least five gallons of gasoline to the gas tank.
After fluids I can power up the car and give the electrical system a final once over. I check the lights, the turn signals, brake lights, license plate light, interior lighting, and lastly the sound system. When I’m satisfied that no wires are smoking and all circuits are go it is time to bring out the Affordable Fuel Injection manual and go through the recommended st art up procedure. The best way to do this is to fold the manual open, climb into the driver’s seat and st art reading.
Step One is to turn the ignition switch to the ON position and listen for the fuel pump to turn on for a few seconds then turn off. Turn the ignition switch to OFF for at least ten seconds and repeat. The fuel pump should cycle and turn off.
Next I check the fuel system for leaks. If none are found it is time to st art the engine. The engine should st art without having to depress the accelerator pedal. After the engine has warmed to operating temperature I can set the timing.
To do that I disconnect the single lead wire located behind the distributor. With this lead disconnected I rest art the engine and set the timing to 6 degrees BTC (before top dead center), kill the engine, reconnect the lead, wait at least ten seconds and rest art the engine. A code 42 may show on the Check Engine light and if so disconnecting the battery for at least one minute before rest art ing the engine will clear the code. At this point the fuel injection system should take over the engine management and yield a lot of nice driving.
Air Conditioning.
Charging the Hot Rod Air, air conditioning unit is not a do-it-yourself task. The system must be mechanically evacuated until a vacuum is created within the system an d h eld there for at least an hour before adding R134a refrigerant. The amount of R134a introduced into the system is also critical. This p art icular unit calls for exactly 1.8 pounds of R134a refrigerant. An under charge of gas will result in insufficient cooling while an over charge of gas can damage the system.
It is also a good idea to have the shop doing the work to introduce a leak detecting charge to the system as they fill it. Generally a leak in the system will reveal itself when the system initially refuses to hold a vacuum prior to adding the R134a. However, on occasion the leak will be so slight that it takes several weeks for the system to leak down to a detectable level. What’s a detectable level? No more cold air out of the vents. A leak detecting charge will contain a dye that can be seen at the sight of the leak no matter how slight the leak. Finding any leak won’t be difficult.
Project provided by:
Larry Lyles, owner
LPL Body Works, LLC
Amarillo , TX 79109