The 283 Rebuild Begins

[jason65]

I'm glad to see you support the save the (o)(o) campaine. Quack, Quack.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

Quack, Quack.

[4dranch]

[MacAttack]

Got the wire looms back up (after cutting two full inches off the back station - that was running into the firewall) on the ‘283’ and the red Taylor wires look good.

Also completed plumbing my radiator catch bottle that I simply silicone’d to the radiator support sheet metal last weekend, as there was no real practical area to mount hardware and still have room for the new voltage regulator.

After setting for a week the coolant level was still at the same place, so my minor dripping problem seems to have been fixed.

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Then it came time to install the hard stainless steel transmission cooler lines - and this was a major PITA!

The two front fittings didn’t bottom out all the way where they attach to the radiator and you can still shake the lines a little bit - which means they’ll leak like a stuck pig under pressure. I tightened these lines, using a slotted wrench, to the maximum I felt comfortable with - and I don’t want to push it any further. I took the three clasps off the assembly so I could jocky the fittings in at the transmission, but the geometry was off just enough so the fine threads wouldn’t start comfortably.

I gave up, went in the house, and assassinated a six’er of Coronas.

[4dranch]

sounds like me Mac, finish one thing then start another and then end up drinking the night away, while you think about what just pissed you off

[jason65]

Are your tranny cooler lines the wrong tpi or size?

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

Are your tranny cooler lines the wrong tpi or size?

That's what I first thought - but they check with a thread gauge. I'm going to loosen the front ones and try getting the ones at the tranny going first, because we did a trial fit-up with the power train out of the truck - just prior to installation and they fit fine.

There's no real way to run a tap into the fittings at the bottom of the radiator, as it will hit the seal surface at the bottom of each port. I was thinking about putting a small coupling in between the radiator fitting and the hard line end, possibly with the deeper thread.

That, or just getting a case of Corona.