Fred & Will - don't think we have met. I haven't had a chance to run autocross here yet. I moved from FL in '09. Spent the first year in South Park then moved to Upper St. Clair last summer. I ran two ARPCA road rallies but other than that not much. Still need to learn how to do bodywork and paint. Once paint and interior are done, I will need help installing the windows. Hopefully, we will know each other well by then so your helping hands will be assumed.....:D

i only really know one local pelicanite. I just got my 911 in the fall of 09, and I've been thoroughly refreshening it since. If all goes well, it'll be ready to drive again by the end of spring.

I just installed my front and rear windshield last summer, so I can help out. Just send me a pm. I never installed quarter windows though. I installed pop outs to avoid the hastle.

Not to further hi-jack this thread, but I didn't know there was such an active contingent of Pgh Pelicans here. That 911 reminds me of my current - and seemingly endless - TR6 project...and the body shell is the exact same color.

If you haven't heard already, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix this summer has Porsche as the featured make. I go every year and it's a blast. Hopefully you gents can make it with your cars & meet me on the grass over a few cold ones.SmileWavy

Fred - the guy you are referencing lives around the corner from me. I think his car is a 79 Euro. He did repaint in his yard, but did a pretty good job - ferrari yellow. I don't think he comes on Pelican (or other forums)at all.

Glenn - I'd be happy to help with the windows. I'd like to swap out the seals in my car and possibly a 964 windshield at some point. Free labor for knowledge is always a worthwhile trade. Just let me know when.

It has been real slow going for quite a while. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You see, I have a birthday coming up (the big 50) and the wife wants to do something big for me. So when she asked me what I wanted, I said "I want to take two days off in conjunction with the 3 day labor day weekend and spend 5 days in the garage with absolutely no interruptions."

So beginning September 1st, I will:

- finish most of the rust repair
- lay down primer and color on the front of the tub
- reinstall the front suspension with new sporty bits
- remove the engine/transmission
- remove the rear suspension to prepare for the addition of sporty bits

Anybody want a set of stock torsion bars from a '78?

Its gonna be a great birthday :D

What determination - and a nice gift to yourself! The real birthday present will come when you finally get in and drive the thing.

Nice going! Took me 3 years to do my 69XKE but it was worth it, not just at the end but thru the whole process. Good luck to you! Looks great!

Rust free rollers aren't that easy to come by.

Anybody have experience with Rennspeed body parts? I am now considering this valance.

www.Rennspd.Com

Glenn - I have Rennspeed front and rear bumpers on my car

Thanks Jeremy. They certainly look good. Any issues with quality or fit?

They actually fit pretty good out of the box - I spent a bunch of time making mounts where I could slide off- slide on the modified crush tubes - two nuts and bolts and I can remove my front fender btw...

Hi Glenn -

I have Rennspeed front & rear bumpers too. After reading the seemingly endless stream of posts on poorly fitting fiberglass parts, I feel like I stole something w/these - they pretty much bolted right on. The only modifications I've done were to widen the mounting flanges on either side and make the turn signal holes a better fit (although they'd been mounted on my car for a few years and doing fine before I got around to it). Caveat - my car is not the most cosmetically beautiful example, so my standards may be lower than others!

Tom

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1314374250.jpg

Happy birthday to me! I got my 5 days in the garage with only a few interruptions.

I finished the body work on the front of the tub and got it primed and painted. Got most of the front suspension reinstalled, the engine/transmission pulled, the right side rear suspension removed and some other odds and ends. Here are some pictures:

Make shift paint booth
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315345355.jpg

With color (preeeety)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315345406.jpg

Proof of the stupidest thing I have ever done aka how I got the engine up on the stand :eek::rolleyes::eek:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315345463.jpg

And the "carnage" that is why I did not finish the front suspension...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315345559.jpg

Now to contact Chuck at Elephant Racing.....

Mr. Moreland at ERP is kind enough to sell me a new fitting at a reasonable price. So I should be able to finish the front suspension installation soon.

Half of the rear suspension has been removed (right side) and I am getting mentally prepared to tackle the hub and bearing removal when I do the left side.

Just about got the rear suspension disassembled. but I've run into a snag. I cannot get the hubs out. I'm all set to pull the bearings with a make shift bearing puller found on this forum but I can't get to those with these freeking hubs stuck in there.

I've tried two pry bars, PB blaster and even pounding on it with a properly sized socket used as a drift. ARRRGGGGHHHH :mad:

Update:

Front suspension is on....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316953704.jpg

Rear suspension is off...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316953741.jpg

Now, anybody know the best way to clean up the tubes after removing the bushings?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316953814.jpg

A wire wheel works wonders.

I like to clean it with Purple Power from home depot and then wire wheel in the grinder.

Krud Kutter and a Scotch pad (lots of them) worked for me...

I used a torch, then I used Marine Clean and a Scotch pad.

If having the right tools for the job is one of the best things in life, then having new Pelican friends willing to lend you the right tools is right up there, too.

A great big "THANKS" to Greg for the loan of a slide hammer puller and his Home Depot sourced rear bearing tool. I was able to get the hubs out in about 20 minutes and just popped out one of the rear bearings.

Greg, I can see how you could stretch the all thread. It was mega tight before it "popped" and started cooperating.

I hope to have time this weekend to get the second bearing out, clean up the arms and install the new bearings.

BTW - you were absolutely right about the Trailing arm inner bushings. They do have metal sleeves. So I've got another challenge ahead of me.

Pictures of old bearings and inner bushing sleeve calling to follow.

Run Forest.........Run............

When I pulled the rear hubs, the outer bearing races came out with them. So here is what 33 year old bearings can look like...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317208035.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317208054.jpg

and finally, I've got to figure out how to pull these metal sleeves out. I haven't tried anything yet so any ideas would be appreciated. My first thought is to try to get a screwdriver under one of the edges.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317208184.jpg

Don't use a screwdriver. You want to avoid gouging the aluminum. I used (recommended buy Chuck Moreland) a cutting disk from a Dremel. Once you get a pretty good slice in it, it comes right out.

Slice vertically on the inside (with the ridges)?

See the attached picture. You want to slice across the sleeves. It's tough to get a cutting wheel in there, so work slowly and cut across it how ever you can.

The sleeves are held in by pressure created by the OD of the sleeve being bigger than the ID of the trailing arm. When you slice across the sleeve, it relieves that pressure. Then it can be tapped out using a hammer and very small punch.

I wish I had a pic of it, but if you look very closely in the bore of the trailing arm, between the gap in the 2 sleeves, there is another hole in the trailing arm casting. After I sliced the sleeves, I set my punch against the lip of the sleeve directly over that hole. That way the edge of the punch is setting in that hole so it won't gouge the aluminum.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317215097.jpg

Got it! Thanks.

Subscribed!!! Keep up the great work. Please continue to keep us informed with pics. Love to watch the progress. I have a lot of respect for all of you on this site that have kept our beloved cars on the road.

Removing the trailing arm bushings.

As Will mentioned there is a hole in the arm under the bushings. This is where you want to cut because it reduces the risk of going too deep and cutting into the arm.

Jumping ahead so you can see the hole. This is after the bushing was removed.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317382654.jpg

I used a dremel type tool but because of the size I could not cut a straight line But had to cut a curve over the hole. Cut slowly and carefully. You really don't want to get so deep that you hit the aluminum of the arm underneath.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317382849.jpg


Then place a screwdriver or punch on the inner lip and give it a few taps. And out it comes. Just like that.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317382924.jpg

Glenn - glad the tools worked out. Please be careful with my valuable Home Depot specials, I think I might have over $10 invested in them, possibly as much as $11.

On a more serious note, the challenge when installing the bearings is to keep them properly aligned as you draw them into the trailing arm. The bearing needs to be pretty straight - aligned with t-arm openeing. If it is off a degree or two, it will probably straighten itself out as it gets deeper. If it is too great an angle, it can get jammed as you continue to crank down on the all tread. I would throw the bearings in the freezer the night before, it may only buy you a thousandth, but every little bit helps. It is tight going in too. You may want to take a few measurements in advance so you can be sure you know when the bearing will be fully seated in the arm.

Greg, you have no idea how helpful they were/are. I was able to use one of the smaller gear pullers to help get the bearing races off the hubs.

I've taken the day off and am currently siting in front of the parts washer scrubbing nuts, bolts springs and other odds and ends from the rear suspension. Later I'll slide over to the blast cabinet and strip a couple other parts so I can paint them.

I'm really glad it worked out for you. And that my brain isn't so broken that I was remembering something else!

The rear bearings are something that's scarey at first, but once you install 1, it isn't nearly as scarey. Just make sure that after you install the bearing that you install all the emergency brake parts before installing the hub. Ask me why I'm offering that advice.

I can imagine why. I don't want to go there. I'll leave the hubs for very last.

I had a 2 brain fart moments. I was waiting for stub axles to finish putting my car together, so it had no axles installed, but was otherwise together. While I waited for the stub axles to be delivered, I figured I'd change my gearbox fluid. My jack wouldn't fit under the front with the back in the air. So I put it on 4 wheels, lifted the driver's side, heard a crack, and realized like a dummy that without the axles installed to secure the hub laterally, when I applied the weight of the car on 2 wheels, I broke the wheel bearing. So I didn't think much of myself at that moment.

So I ordered a new wheel bearing, put it back in the air, re-installed my bearing and then the hub. I then grabbed the E-brake hardware and held it up to the hub. Then I shouted a series of profanities in my garage. So I proceeded to ruin the new wheel bearing while pulling the hub so that I can fix the giant blunder I had committed.

If learning from your mistakes makes you wiser, I'm going to be the wisest old fart in Pittsburgh.

Well then there is a competition in Pittsburgh. 'Cause I'm getting wiser everyday in the same (but not as extreme) manner.. :-D

First rear bearing in! I used some wheel bearing grease to lube the arm, froze the bearing, got it all lined up with Greg's tool and started cranking. I needed a couple taps with a hammer to get it started straight but once it was going, there was no problem.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317640369.jpg

Then a couple bolts and the backing plate (if that is what its called) was on.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317640423.jpg

Got wiser by doing the next step twice. :rolleyes: Trick is to assemble the e-brake before putting it on the arm.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317640495.jpg

And Done!! I'll leave the hub and axle for after the arm is back on the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317640575.jpg

Pulled the oil tank today and found this...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1318280999.jpg

I am interested to see what I find when I strip the paint of the right rear fender.

Rear suspension parts back from the East Liberty Electroplating.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1319063352.jpg

So the next big question is, do I lube or glue the Neatrix bushings?

ER rubber bushings use glue....

as for the trail arm... I used a hack saw just to relieve the pressure, then pry right off.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...7/DSC_1237.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...7/DSC_1238.jpg

use bolts to squeeze in the new bushings...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...7/DSC_1239.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...7/DSC_1240.jpg