A good day spent gettin John Lee Jr ready for his first ride to work tomorrow.
A cigar lighter added to the factory spot on the dash so I can light cigars and run my garman and not get lost.
An oil change, with ZDDP for engine break in. I'll run it 1000 miles and change it and the filter again. Got this job done after replaceing the oil plug (stripped pan) with a standard self tapping 1/2" oversize plug and new washer.
Ol John Lees pitman and idler arms were transfered over to replace the worn originals on Jr's front end. A bit of heat from a propane torch and the pitman arm finally popped out of the steering link.
A test fit of the Cragar Chrome Smoothies, plenty of clearance between the wheel and suspension...no worries there.
And finally, in preparation for an HEI ignition and to prevent module frying voltage spikes, not to mention picking up from 25 amps charge to 66 amps charge for accessories, removed the old External Regulator Alternator and harness and wired Jr. up for a spanky new Delco 12SI Internal Regulated alternator. A bit of modifications to use this late model alternator but heres how it went.
Kill the battery by disconnecting it, pull both so you can run the sensing wire back to positive in order for the alternator to reulate for voltage drop in the system. (Many just hook wire one to the batt terminal of the alternator, it works but dosn't provide full voltage to the battery and can leave you perpetually under charged. Might as well do it right).
Remove the factory tape from the wiring harness, alternator to firewall to old external regulator.
Heres the parts, new 12SI alternator, Alternator pigtail for the 12 SI and a spool of 14g wire for the sensing line.
First bolt up, the pully is too short compaired to the old pully and the belt crooked. If ya ever had to pull an alternator pully with hand tools, heres a way to upgrade to the 12 SI and maintain alignment and keep the high performance fan on the pully. These new fans suck much better and the alternators run cooler than the 10SI or external regulated type. I want to maintain this feature.
See, the 12SI pully is 1/4" inch shorter than the old pulley but fortunatly the 12SI has a 1/4" boss at the bottom bolt that can be removed to move the entire alternator forward into alighment with the crank and water pump.
I saw off the protruding lower boss on the pully side of the 12SI
Some light file work and now I have the room needed to move the 12SI forward in the lower mounting bracket.
Now the bosses line up on the face and the pullies too...
