Topic: a bit of work on my 77 TA

[Schroeder]

use loctite on the eccentric and you will find the donut gasket for exhaust at a local muffler shop, shifter is a PITA and door hinges may require a helping hand or building a block set up to hold door without scratching or denting

I was wondering if I would need loctite on the eccentric.  Thanks for the helping hint on where to get the doughnut.

What is a pain about the shifter?  Do I simply need to yank the actual shift left out somehow once the bolts are out?  How do i get the individual shift pieces out?  I know I will need help on the door, but is it not smart to do one hinge at a time like I plan?  Will removing the hinges (even one at a time) mis-align the doors and make a big job in any way for me?

Btw joe d, I believe I will be putting the oil pan and timing covers on tonight.  This will put an end to my crankshaft project. That is, I will be buttoning it up if someone will help me determine that the two large rubber rings go where I have them shown in the last set of pictures I put up. I'll keep you informed. 

I wish I would've checked compression BEFORE I took the engine out.  Then maybe I would have replaced any piston rings and components if needed.  I'm about to place a HUGE order with Ames for door panels and such though, so I'll be running out of money.  If I need piston rings and stuff the engine, even though I do not like it, may have to be taken out again in 5 yrs or so.  I haven't driven the car enough to see any tell tale signs of bad piston rings.

[Schroeder]

Well I did NOT get the engine buttoned up tonight.  I clear coated some of the timing chain cover bolts, put the fuel pump eccentric on, and helped my dad braze my valley pan.  I still have to grind it down a bit, clean it up, resoak it in parts cleaner, and high pressure wash it.  Here is the brazing job my dad did tonight though.  We have all the holes patched up!

[joe d]

tonights another night keep pluggin

[TAFEVER]

Hey what size of tire are you running on the back of your TA?

My 1979 TA/SE has the same lever on my steering column and mine is an original 4speed car...I am wondering if my column has been replaced or tampered with also?

Fever, here are the numbers from my rear tires: P295/50R15 105S M+S


Awesome thanks!

[Justin]

just prime and paint the valley pan now. Looks solid to me. Sorry the other one wouldn't work out for you.

[Schroeder]

just prime and paint the valley pan now. Looks solid to me. Sorry the other one wouldn't work out for you.

I'm wrestling the idea of just proceeding as you said.  It's fine.  Thanks a lot for offering the deal to me though.  I'm sorry it didn't wok out too!  Can anyone comment on the placement of the rubber rings in the timing cover?  I placed them under the two stainless tubes that are in it.  Please look back on the last page to see what I mean.

I have pics of the oil pan and timing cover finally on!  I want to get pics up tomorrow.

[joe d]

i cant believe someone on this site will not chime in on this, i will find an exploded image for you in a minute
THANK YOU ALL YOU PONTIAC EXPERTS

[joe d]

here you go Jordan

[eroc022]

yes what you said is correct...... they go under the SS tubes you have installed... but if you have new ones, no need to worry..

it was already stated here.....

[Schroeder]

Well i was just confirming eroc.  I still wasn't sure after that post.  We;;, I've managed to get the engine buttoned up now.  I painted the harmonic balancer and put it on today too.  I put some jjbweld over some weak spots in my valley pan brazing.  Tomorrow I will prep it for paint with SEM paint prep and shoot it with my Ames paint. 

I also cleaned out my exhaust manifold bolt holes and cleaned the bolts up.  They go in real smooth now.  I cleaned my starter off tonight too.  What color is it supposed to be?  Black or silver?  I would like to paint it the correct color.  I also need to know what color the flywheel cover is.  Is it the same blue color as the engine?

I want to start cleaning up the intake manifold for paint.  It has EGR.  If I sandblast it is there great potential for sand to be caught in the manifold?  Obviously I can not have this.

Here's the good stuff, the pics!







I also need to know what this gasket is for.  It came in the timing cover gasket set.  I put a gasket on each side of the spacer plate in the water pump.  I had no idea where this was suppose to go so I left it out.  Is it for some special optioned water pump that I do not have?




SPECIAL THANKS THUS FAR

At this point in my work on the car I'd like to mention some of you guys and give you special thanks.  Geno has helped through PMs with my questions on crankshafts and internals.  LilSki helped me A LOT with my M21 rebuild.  He directed me where to get parts, experiences with his rebuild, and all other sorts of questions.  Most recently joe d has offered me a tremendous amount of help with engine internals, crankshafts, crank bearings, assembly, where to find help on the net, etc.  I truly appreciate it.  Thanks a lot guys.  Thanks to everyone who has offered me help, encouragement, and advice.

[joe d]

you are welcome, i am sure that gasket is a 1 of 2 option, yes you can bead blast the intake WITHOUT the egr valve on and then give it a real good bath and blow it out extra good, as for the starter i would look at a new one on a website as i am certain the center body cover is black, the snoot is raw aluminum or pot metal and the rear section was metal

[Schroeder]

Well tonight I finally painted up the valley pan.  It still looks rough :-/  thank God its rough spots aren't visible from the front of the car.  I also disassembled the intake manifold.  I then blasted it, the exhaust manifolds, flywheel (I'm going to get it resurfaced so blasting it didn't harm anything), air filter holder top, and a splash guard thing from my wheel well (I'm missing the left one, can anyone help me out with that!?  )







I have some questions about the pieces off my intake in the pic below.  Does Ames offer replacement gaskets and parts for the egr intakes?  I do not believe I saw anything in their catalog.  It looks like the vacuum tube that comes out of one of the metal pieces is not removeable and it is pinched off!  Can I get this some place?   Can I get the gaskets?  Also, is the broken piece in the lower right of the pic what people refer to as the "vacuum tree"?

[bobspacin80ta]

The broken blue plastic part is a thermal vacuum valve...you can buy a new one at an auto parts store. You can also buy intake and EGR gaskets there too; you will have to buy some gasket paper to make a new one for your choke heat stove, that's the metal loop thing you have there. You can buy some metal tubing and make a new one yourself

[Schroeder]

The broken blue plastic part is a thermal vacuum valve...you can buy a new one at an auto parts store. You can also buy intake and EGR gaskets there too; you will have to buy some gasket paper to make a new one for your choke heat stove, that's the metal loop thing you have there. You can buy some metal tubing and make a new one yourself

thanks a lot bob.  What about the egr components themselves?  IS that vacuum pipe pressed into the egr mount (lower left piece)?  It's pinched off and will need to be removed or replaced if it can't come out.

I don't think I need a new heat stove, I will need the new gasket for it though.

Thanks for the info on the other pieces!

I also should mention that if you look at the picture of the blasted intake you can see a bolt sheared off where the stove pipe goes in.  Easy outs and reverse drill bits have not been working.  Er....what a headache.  Still have to try some other stuff.

[Schroeder]

Can anyone tell me what the piece is in the lower left of the picture with the egr pieces?  It was between the egr and the intake.  I can't seem to find it.  Do I need it?  Can I get a new egr and not put this piece on?  How do I eliminate the egr altogether?