[DeTomaso] Asa's cooling system adventure

[Asa Jay Laughton]

Today's saga begins here:
http://www.teampanteraracing.com/index.php?option=com_g2bridge&view=gallery&Itemid=57&g2_itemId=2817

Taking a cue from a fellow lister, I welded or rather kind of soldered 
two aluminum brackets to my aluminum radiator.  I did it the hard way, 
going across to the large heavy pieces, instead of vertically to the 
lighter duty material.  That's what happens when you don't have fast 
brains.  Well, either way, there it is.  The third photo in from the one 
above shows the complete radiator with both cross braces in place.  
You'll note I have a pressure fixture attached to the radiator.  Not 
being confident in my own abilities, I needed to pressure test it to 
make sure it held.  I took it so something like 16 or 17 and it held, so 
I proceeded with the rest of the installation.

Since the new brackets would space the shroud off the radiator about a 
half inch, I needed a new seal.  A trip to Napa net me some really nice 
stuff.  The edge on the shroud was just enough to mount the new seal.  A 
bit of trimming an the new fans were securely mounted to the radiator.  
Some new weatherpak connectors and it's ready to go in the car.  I 
decided to lay the radiator down a bit, so I had to fabricate a couple 
of brackets to do the job.  It was a bit of a chore but in the end the 
radiator is mounted securely.  Now to start the plumbing.

Bob Benson was kind enough to give me the certificate he won at the Fun 
Rally, for a new set of Hall stainless cooling tubes.  They arrived 
Friday.  Saturday was spent putting some of the new plumbing in.  I 
first had to hacksaw the old long tube into two pieces.  Once out, the 
new kit from Hall came with four pieces for under-car.  All four went in 
with a new piece of Gates Green Stripe in between.  I then hooked up the 
water pump side (that side is a PITA) and began postulating the rest.

Also in the photo array uploaded today is my heater valve from under the 
dash.  It was hard to take out but eventually gave way.  Cleaned, 
reassembled and re-installed.

The new rubber parts for my clutch master arrived Friday as well.  A new 
boot and a new cap seal.  Both went on, and the Master went back in.

Today, I put my steering column in a lathe and we turned .002 or so from 
the snap ring groove and squared up the edge just a bit.  So far, I've 
not been able to pop that snap ring off yet.  For those curious, after 
talking with Adam at Pantera Performance, where I was led to believe I 
could get a step washer, it turns out not many people outside of Mike 
Drew have even seen them; though Mike has a nice photo of one in a PCNC 
newsletter.  Anyway.  With no step washer in sight, I figured I better 
do something else to help the snap ring stay put.  The column is now 
re-mounted in the car.

New muffler hangers arrived, rubber.  We'll see how they do.

The drivers side header needs a new collector end.  It all needs to be 
mounted on the car to get the alignment correct to the tailpipe/muffler 
assembly.  I may forgo the headers for a while.  However I did receive 
new gaskets from Remflex.  HOLY COW are those things thick.  The header 
gasket must be 3/8".

I'm still waiting for a heater fan switch and I need to route new heater 
hoses through the forward bulkhead, then I can button up the dash.  The 
old heater tubes will stay in place (I can't honestly figure out how 
they even got -in- there to begin with), so I've capped them off in the 
engine compartment with some nice rubber heater hose fitting end-caps 
available at Napa.

I have about three folks so far who may come to my little tech thing 
this weekend.  I'm hoping for one friend who has a MIG welder to make it 
and bring his welder.  If he does, we might attack the mufflers (gut and 
stuff).

It's almost like I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

Asa Jay

Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired

& Shelley Marie
Spokane, WA

1971 Mach I Mustang  [ASA JAY]
1973 Pantera L 5533  [ASASCAT]
    
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http://www.asajay.com
http://www.teampanteraracing.com