Two 79SC simple questions
 

One: I noticed a brown (propably a ground) attached to a lug under the fuel door. It was rusted and most likely not conducting. What is it and why is it there? Static elec path?

Two: putting new pads on I noticed that there were not keys holding the pins on the calibers. Instead there is a split sleeve on one end of the pin. Does this take the part of the keys or do I need to order some parts?

Bonus. While working under the left front fender I found that a great deal of dirt and sand had lodged under the airconditioning and w/washer hose that reside at the top of the fender. A sure source of rust. Blast the area carefully with a garden hose under pressure to dislodge it all.
SmileWavy

Great board. Thanks

PS I still don't know what the wire was under the left rear fender!

If it's at the back and wrapped around a brace, it's a lead for rear fog light.

The front caliper retaining pins do not have cotter pins, only the rears.

The wire in the rear fender area is for a rear foglight like Mark said.

As for the wire near the fuel door, I don't know.

Brown wire under the fuel door is indeed a safety ground (to minimize the chances of a static electricity spark igniting fuel vapors); the metal fuel filler neck is electrically isolated without it. The fuel filler neck resides in a rubber collar and is connected to the tank neck with a rubber sleeve which would insulate it from the balance of the car. Polish up the lug and connector, coat them with silicone dielectric grease and reinstall snugly. Cheers, Jim

I don't understand. If the filler pipe is "electrically isolated" without the ground wire in place, how are you going to get a spark off it? I should think the brown wire, if it indeed grounds the filler neck, would thus make it sparkworthy.

Stephan

Charge builds on the filler neck due to electrostatic induction; there is an electric field produced across the rubber. Energy is stored in this electric field and when discharged produces a spark. The metal filler neck is like one of the plates of a capacitor. The chassis of a car usually remains grounded as there is enough carbon black in the tires to make them semi-conducting to the pavement. This is the same problem as filling a fuel can in the bed of a pickup with a plastic or rubber bedliner- a charge can build up and produce a spark (in the presence of fuel vapors!) to the pump nozzle. Cheers, Jim

Hard not to learn something on this board. ;)

Thanks