This list is ruining my life!

[rs6er]

Until I discovered this list, all I did was change the oil on my car once a year (I was only driving it 100 miles). My car ran fine.Since joining the list, I thought I'd attack some of the simpler projects like adding new brake lines and changing my heat exchangers and muffler. Every single project has become monumental. Heat exchangers: ended up drilling 11 head studs and timeserting three. Brake lines: freeing bleeders- 2 weeks, 1 broken bleeder, 1 new rebuilt caliper, and one caliper I can't get the pistons out of. Thought I'd attempt to check the valves. Found 7 broken head studs. Have done the research— haven't begun the repair. Now it's rotor screws: How do you get completely frozen rotor screws out? 20 cans of PB Blaster? When does it end?

I've decided today I need some inpact tools. Will go to Sears. What do I need? I have a 20 year old 3/4hp 7 1/2 gallon Campbell Hausfeld compressor. Is it enough?

[74-911]

I have a similar compressor and it will work impact tools but only in short bursts so it may do some of the things you need done and it may not, just depends. All you can really do is try it and maybe start looking for a bigger compressor.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally posted by rs6er
I've decided today I need some inpact tools. Will go to Sears. What do I need? I have a 20 year old 3/4hp 7 1/2 gallon Campbell Hausfeld compressor. Is it enough?

Nope not unless you want to just use a finish or framing nailer.

For imapct wrenches the minimum should be a 20 gal tank.

[Elombard]

Wow I am impressed most people would have given up by now. Glad to hear you are perservering. I would try with the compressor you have, it wont be perfect but will do many things IMHO.

You might want to consider buying a good used running motor with some miles on it and swapping it in. Then sell yours as a running core? A little cheaper way to go.

[rs6er]

You might want to consider buying a good used running motor with some miles on it and swapping it in. Then sell yours as a running core? A little cheaper way to go. [/B]

Since I am the owner of this car since new, I am going to have my motor fixed, It only has 69000 miles.

[masraum]

Wow!! 7 broken head studs! Sounds like you'll be an expert by the time you get the thing back up to speed.

[rs6er]

I won't be doing that job myself.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally posted by rs6er
Since I am the owner of this car since new, I am going to have my motor fixed, It only has 69000 miles.

I'm curious as to why the car is in the condition that it is in when you are the original owner. Low mileage, but you have 7 broken head studs. Do you bring it in or do regularly schedule maintenance?

Was the car garage it entire life or does it sits out in the weather?

Just Curious.

[wholberg]

Sears sells a good small compressor that pumps to 175 psi. It does not run as much when you are using air tools that consume a lot of air.

[rs6er]

For the first 5 years of it's life it was my daily driver, although I lived in NYC so it wasn't really daily. Then, when I got a weekend house I stored it in my barn there, and it didn't get driven much. At the time, it was worth about $21000 and so was a Speedster. I considered selling it and buying one, but didn't. Missed opportunity. After 3 years I sold that house and moved into a real house with no garage. I borrowed a garage that first year, 1988-89. Then I built one. I raised 2 kids 2 cats, and 2 dogs. I drove the car less than 1000 miles a year. I did very little maintenance since it didn't seem to need anything except oil. Last year or the year before it was getting harder to start. I had a new alternator, wires, distributor cap and rotor installed. I also had the turbo tie rods and steering rack spacer installed and had it alligned. It ran great after that. This year I put new tires on it. The cat bypass pipe was completely rusted out so I was going to replace it with a stainless one from Vertex. Then I started reading this forum and decided to go for the SSIs which I got a killer deal on from Ebay. I read all the posts about changing them, but nothing in the world was getting the old nuts off.

I took it to a local place who had removed a friend's exhaust studs. At 5:00 when they weren't finished, I drove over to take a look. They had only succeded in getting one stud out and had freehandedly drilled 3 others. The studs weren't in straight. I freaked and had the car towed to my house. I then bought Christian's tool and drilled all of them out straight and timeserted the other 3.

With this finished I decided to try to adjust the valves. That's when I discovered the 7 broken studs. I contacted 3 shops about repairing this damage. I then wanted to put the car back together so that it wouldn't have to be towed to the shop. I also wanted to hear my new M+K muffler. I put it all together and then decided to do the brake lines, which led to the calipers, which led to new rotors and pads and a rebuilt caliper for the right rear which had a sheared bleeder valve which I couldn't get out. I'm rebuilding the left rear, but can't get the pistons out, and I can't get any of the slotted screws in the rear rotors out. This led to my post.

This was probably more than you wanted to know, but in answer to your question, I haven't done much maintenance because I haven't really driven the car that much. I've only put 69000 miles on it in 25 years.

[rs6er]

Originally posted by wholberg
Sears sells a good small compressor that pumps to 175 psi. It does not run as much when you are using air tools that consume a lot of air.

Do you know how many gallons that one is or the model number? Also. suggestions for a decent impact wrench.

[wholberg]

Originally posted by rs6er
Do you know how many gallons that one is or the model number? Also. suggestions for a decent impact wrench.

Upright model

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Compressors+%26+Air+Tools&pid=00916778000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Air+Compressors+%26+Inflators&BV_SessionID=@@@@1041811270.1157840641@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccecaddikjmdhidcefecemldffidfmg.0

[JTL]

Some of the smaller compressors don't provide enough air flow, cfm, to run a decent size impact. My impact has 625ft/lbs rev, 450ft/lbs max fwd.
I got really tired of turning wrenches and using breaker bars etc. After drooling over air tools for 6 months, I walked into Sears and bought a 60 gal comp. My air tools and central pneumatics. I bought the sockets and misc stuff cheap from Harbor Freight.

The air tools are absolutely necessary with any advanced auto work. I just finished installing new front suspension arms on my 740 Beamer for example. I can tell you that they have made car projects so much easier; although now I take on more demanding ones. I should have bought air tools many years ago.

jt
-84 targa

[charleskieffner]

it will never end! YOU WILL DIE BROKE AND PENNILESS! but your kids sure will be happy with a brand new 50 year old car!

[mb911]

I bought a reall ynice 60 compressor from menards/lowes/homedepot and it cost 360 dollars 11.5 cfm and it is 220 but it works great for the home uses plus I paint the ocasional car with it .. Thats what I would suggest then you will never have to do it again

[Zeke]

Let me add my take and I'm a tool hound (mostly because I'm a journeyman carpenter, but also since I've worked on cars for over 40 years). The compressor you have is small, but most of the time we use an impact in short bursts. It should work. For an air powered sander, no. In fact, tools that use continuous air need a LOT of air. I use electric tools rather than have a giant shop size air compressor. There seems to be a bias that mechanics use air. I really don't know why. Some say air tools run cooler and last longer, yet I have power tools 20-25 years old that are fine and see almost daily use. YMMV.

Since you have an older, rusty car (I remember your posts on the shop and the studs), I would hurry to buy an oxy/gas torch setup. They aren't cheap once you get to the bottles, but you would have had no problems with you ex nuts had you (or your shop) heated them to cherry red. You can't do than with MAPP gas very well. Propane torches are for plumbers and bodymen. You would be money ahead if you paid over 400 for the torch, no?

Study a full line tool catalogue like Snap-On very carefully. I like print catalogues for this purpose. Then do some comparison shopping and check in here about any tools you have questions on, just like you did on the compressor. Get some tools designed for nut and bolt removal.

Back to compressors. Many of the older ones were somewhat quiet, turned slower and lasted forever. No matter what size, they would be the ones driven by a belt and have a cast iron pump. For myself, I would have no less than that type. I own 5 compressors, 2 are direct drive nail gun types and one can't even talk when they run. I love the old timers in the gas stations that just went thump..thump..thump..thump about every half hour for a few minutes. It got the point you didn't notice they were on. They were usually isolated form the work area as much as practical and had fresh, cool air available. (Don't put your compressor under your workbench.)

Lastly, since you're still coming back for more of this "mechanic work," think about doing some of this head stud repair yourself. Only you will take the time to replace the engine seal if it needs it. And detail the bay as well as the engine peripherals. You will do the better job on the intake hoses, etc. Maybe a local Pelican with lots of qualified experience will help you remove the top end. Maybe you'll get real lucky and be able to grab the studs from above with special tools. You'll need that torch! Or maybe you shag that long block down to your favorite shop. Hell, a long block can be trucked 100's of miles, send it to one of our member mechanics. (Who will do a better job than someone whose reputation is washed all over this BBS?) The pont is that the little things really add up. These types of jobs are ideal for the DIY'er.

Keep your chin up and enjoy, and just remember, it's a hobby. Plan your moves carefully, frame up a time line.......then double it!

As always, just my .02.

[wcc]

Originally posted by rs6er
How do you get completely frozen rotor screws out? 20 cans of PB Blaster? When does it end?

I've decided today I need some inpact tools. Will go to Sears. What do I need? I have a 20 year old 3/4hp 7 1/2 gallon Campbell Hausfeld compressor. Is it enough?

To free those screws you DON'T need an air compressor. I thought I answered this in another thread but here it goes. Pick up a hand held mechanical impact screw driver. You put the screw head in there put it on the phillips and whack it good with at least a 5lb ball pein hammer. They'll come right out.

Yes, I have a 26 gal air compressor, impact gun, ratchet etc, and I rarely (maybe 5 times) use them to work on the cars. I find it just easier to grab the tools off the bench instead of fighting with the air hose.

But there are only a couple places that I can think of that I actually NEEDED a pneumatic tool. I'd say skip it and put the money towards upgrades or more of the specialty hand tools. Just my $.02.

[na2ub]

I second the hand-held impact wrench. I have used those on frozen rotor screws before, with success. Just make sure you get the hardest phillips heads as you can, because they crumble when they are challenged. Maybe safety goggles would be a good idea, for this reason!

Doug

[rs6er]

Bill. Thanks again for your help. I actually posted about the screws here first, but felt that maybe people weren't really going to address the screws, because of the subject heading. I am interested in your feelings about the pneumatic tools. I have been unable to get my transmission drain plug out. I purchased the tool from our host, used a breaker bar held in by a floor jack, a very long extension, heat and PB Blaster over several weeks. I still haven't gotten it out. I couldn't help but think that an impact wrench would be the way to go.

And thanks to everyone else for their valuable advice. One of my big problems is that my garage was designed to be a wood workshop. Since I don't have a basement in my 1920's stone house, I built the garage with a dividing wall down the middle. The left side has a loft above it, and I just kept the Porsche on that side in the winter and most of the rest of the time. The other side has a skylit cathedral ceiling, and that was my workshop. I have swapped places between the car and the woodworking machinery, and although I can work on the car there, it's tight. A lot of folks have expressed the opinion that you shouldn't do much rebuilding in a small garage. Basically, I'm taking their advice, Milt, and not attempting the top end myself. Besides, I don't think, in spite of my desire, that my mechanical aptitude is that great. I'm learning stuff, and it's rewarding, but I am not a kid. Also, I have work to do on my house that is getting put off because of this car.

[charleskieffner]

on my gearbox we started the same way as you. ended up using INGERSOLL RAND 1/2 impact backed by mega shop compressor. it was that tight! some people dont have a CLUE about correct torque values.