No install this weekend as the valve did not show up - patience grasshopper.............

Look what showed up today - now just need to find some time to install.

Will work for beer!!

Hope it works out this time!!

Say What One More Time!

It's going to work this time. You always have to do things at least three times. Nothing can ever be easy.

Found a small window of time to get the rebuilt valve installed this weekend, letting it gravity bleed now and we'll go from there.......small steps.

Baby steps are an excellent way of NOT testing your sense of humor!

My baby steps last night along with Bill's thread on the progress of his '67 wagon motivated me to get out in the garage tonight and get something done - or at least make some more progress. Wasn't having much luck with the gravity bleeding so I started pumping the pedal and was able to get fluid to all four corners with no apparent leaks in the rebuilt valve so far - so tomorrow night when my wife has some time to help she will do the pedal pushing on what I'm hoping is the final brake bleed.

Earlier when assembling the rebuilt engine accy's I noticed my smog pump pulley was not running true. Previously I had the pump installed with the pulley off and a shorter belt which worked because the cooling blades on the perimeter were worn off from belts slipping off over the years (hence me using a bypass belt) and nothing interfered - so I never noticed the pulley wobble as I ran without one for the last 20+ years. The rebuilt smog pump has a correct and un worn fan with proper cooling blades which now interfere with the shorter bypass belt so that is not an option, plus the new pump is de-vaned inside anyways so I have no reason to bypass it. After a quick check with Mr. Hodel he assured me the pulley was the issue. I found a correctly numbered one on e-bay - took a chance and bought it and cleaned it up over the weekend and checked it tonight - much better now. So the smog pump and related went back on which allowed me to finish the install of the fan and shroud as well. I also found the correct length belt in my spare stash in the trunk after Quanta sent me one that was too short - so now I know the correct length to order a replacement. One last coat of paint on the new smog pulley and that will be all buttoned up as well and ready to fire up.

Getting closer now - hopefully no more setbacks. Feels good to be this close with Spring right around the corner here in Northern IL.

It's still a couple months before the roads are clean of salt, so you've got plenty of time. It's going to be great, Jake...:biggthumpup:

Jake, your second paragraph, sounds like something I could have written myself!! Solving one problem exposes another, and then eventually circles back, working details along the way, and in the end all good!
Dealing with the challenges along the way makes the end result more satisfying!

Bleeding brakes, once you have fluid pushing out of all four they should gravity bleed easier. Just do one corner at a time, and patience!!

Bill W

----Bill,,, I know the Dykstra family a bit and I know there is no quit in thier vocabulary. Jake would have kept at it until it was absolutely right!....Bill S

Thanks for the all encouraging words!

Last night I was able to get the smog pulley installed and put the belt on. The engine compartment now all buttoned up. In regards to the brake bleeding, I had some issues getting enough fluid out of the rears - even removed the new line I installed and blew air through it to make sure it was not constricted somehow that I could not see, not sure what is happening here but the fluid is just dribbling out and not a stream like the fronts. Fronts bled perfectly right away. Will take another shot at the rears tonight - maybe I did not allow enough time to make sure fluid was moving through the rear system completely. Getting closer though!

EDIT: Looks like my new valve may not be centered - thanks Tim for the tip! Lots of YouTube videos on how to correct this, also just bought a re-centering tool too.

2 steps forward one step back.

I was not able to get the valve re-centered last night despite multiple attempts at simulating a leak in the front by opening the bleeder valve while my lovely assistant smashed the brake pedal to move the piston the other way.

I decided to move back to the engine and fire it up and test all of the new accessories. I put the new wheels and tires on and put the car on the ground to move to the next phase despite the brake issues. Highly impressed with the new carb from Eric. It's been about 15 months since I last started this car. With a new carb and conventional thermostatic choke (vs. electric on the old carb) and a newly rebuilt fuel pump I figured it might take some finagling to get it running. I spun it over until it had oil pressure and it fired without even having to pump the gas pedal, went to high idle and ran perfectly - finally some good luck! After a bit of a warm up it came down to medium and then normal idle, so that is a huge part of the project that is now mostly complete. The new temperature sending unit appears to be working properly as well. I have a minor fuel leak at the rear inlet I need to address by snugging up the line a bit - but otherwise all good.

Having a hard time inserting the video of the car running but here is the link:

https://youtu.be/Y3pDBzgpED4

Liking the look of the new wheels and tires, wheels are 15 x 7 and tires are the modern size equivalent of F60-15.

WOW, the wheels and blackwall tires look like they belong on there...:cool2:

Good grief the brake issue....it's pizzing me off and I'm not the one dealing with it...:mad2: I know you'll get them working somehow, but what a pita.

----Jake,,,Your Chevelle looks fantastic with that wheel and tire combo. Congrats!!!.....Bill S

Fantastic detail on this Chevelle Jake!! :headbang:
Being a Malibu, having those 400 numbers on the fender, really appeals to me! Maybe we will see it in Class of 72 come November??

The brake issue... guessing that the "BRAKE" dash lamp is lit? I may have mentioned previous, but I've had luck centering valves by STOMPING on the pedal a few times. Good luck! - Bill W

Thanks Bill - I was fortunate to have Bob invite me to the inaugural Class of '72 display at MCACN in 2012. Yes - the brake light is on and we tried stomping on the pedal a bunch last night - but we'll figure it out.

Looks great Jake!!!!

Make any progress Jake?

Yeah. What Tim said:scholar:

Not on the brakes - thanks for asking. I tried smashing the pedal several times on Sunday with no luck so instead I started cleaning the car up since it has been sitting for 18 months. Adjusted the hood latch, did some paint touch ups, installed a correct alternator/smog pump belt from Quanta, washed the car cover. Haven't given up yet, just trying to be productive in other areas.

Good move Jake! Countless times I've fought with something, walked away for a while, came back and it fell into place. Hopefully the case here!

----Yup, Bill! That's my mantra. Walk away and settle down. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's almost all small stuff!......Bill S

I bought this tool and I'm told it should will re-center the valve in the casting without needing to remove the casting from the frame, just remove the pressure switch (may be harder than it sounds) and screw this in its place. Once valve is centered I think you can leave it in while bleeding to make sure it does not move due to pressure differences while bleeding.

I would have thought you would need to use a small screwdriver or pick to move the valve prior to inserting this but maybe not?

I believe the piston is tapered inside.

Who rebuilt your valve?

Karp's

So the tool should self center when screwed in due to the taper?

Hopefully...
I would put a mild radius on the very end, so it isn't such a sharp edge.
Yes, leave it in until done bleeding.

Yes

Going to try and find some time this weekend to get this done - thanks all.

So............I had some time to mess with this today and ended up taking the valve off again this afternoon (took another brake fluid shower) because I could not remove the pressure switch while mounted in the car, regular socket was too short - pressure switch terminal poked out the top and deep socket was too long to get ratchet to work as brake lines interfered and zero room to swing a wrench of any length. Once off, the pressure switch came right out - but if I am looking at the internals correctly the piston needs to move in the bore to get the port to a spot where the centering tool will work? Does not appear to be enough room to use a pick to move it either.........what am I seeing here? Do I need to remove the nut on rear line port to push the piston to center? Somewhat hesitant to start taking things apart on a freshly rebuilt valve and create other problems.

Time to turn on the Illinois game to see if they can beat Iowa to be Co-BIG10 champs......

Thanks

OK - so some good things happening already this morning. On my way into the office I stopped by my buddies shop for some advice. He tapped the valve lightly with a dead blow hammer after shooting some compressed air into the port and the piston centered on its own. I installed the centering tool to hold it in position.

Now back to the drawing board to install the assembly for the 3rd time and bleed everything.

Progress.........hopefully

:biggthumpup:

I have brakes!

3rd times the charm I guess. Our first 70 degree day here today so worked with the garage open. The distribution valve fell into place this attempt in 15 minutes with every single line and bolt threading on the first try. Left the centering tool in place and had everything bled in 20 minutes with a good stream at all 4 corners (my wife is getting good at helping with this now). Swapped out the tool for the pressure switch with no issues. Roads are still too salty here for a test drive (plus it would take a while to get car out of its current spot in the garage) but started it up, no brake light, the brakes hold the car in gear, and feels like a decent pedal. Car is back on the ground and ready for a test drive now.

Side note and a another plug for Eric at Vintage Musclecar again, the new carb is fabulous - the car starts right up and goes to high idle and then comes down and runs smooth as it is supposed to - so nice when things actually work as they are designed.

Whoo Hoo!!

Awesome!!!! Great to hear!! Now all that’s left to do is burnouts! LOL:3gears:

YAY Jake, so glad to read you made it past this hurdle...:beers:

----Glad to hear that your car trials are over, Jake! Did you knock on wood???.....Bill S

Thanks - no knocking on wood but I did drink a virtual beer afterwards with Tim (NAPA68) in celebration. :beers: