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Necoa #: 2321
Location: 15(AZ,NM)
Joined: Jan 30, 2004
Posts: 1168
Year: 1974
Model: El Camino
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:55 am Post subject: Maintaining your Elky, the dark side
So I'm planning on doing some maintenance on my Elky at the end of the week and I was thinking about how much I'm dreading some of it.
I like working on my car but there are some jobs that I really dread. One of them is replacing radiator hoses the other is anything that involves dropping the tranny pan.
Lucky me, I have plans to do both.
So what maintenance tasks do you guys dread?
_________________ 74 El Camino Classic - project car #1
96 Camaro - RIP, Traded 10-16-2007
2008 Mustang GT, It ain't a Chevy but at least it's American!
None of the above! Doing mantainence and repairs is a part of who I am, so there is no down side! I enjoy it all! _________________ "Still Just Truck'in"
"Johnny"
Bradley, Illinois
Necoa #: 12579
Location: 11(IA,NE,ND,SD)
Joined: Oct 04, 2008
Posts: 23
Year: 1979
Model: El Camino
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:59 pm Post subject:
MOST DREADED HHHHHMMMMMMM I would have to say the part where I reverse the fuel needle reading from the left "E"back to the right "F". DAMN THAT IS PAINFUL!!!!!!!!!!! It's more of a mental pain than a physical one... Ugly Elco
Necoa #: 2321
Location: 15(AZ,NM)
Joined: Jan 30, 2004
Posts: 1168
Year: 1974
Model: El Camino
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:46 am Post subject:
I have no idea how "Yes" and Maybe" got i the list but it kind of works...
I voted for the coolant thing since it's a real pain to get the lower hose off the water pump and it's always miserable to get drenched by whatever is left in the water pump.
Differential is real hot on it's heels though. I did that with one of those stupid pump things on the bottle the last time and ended up with that stinky stuff all down my arm.
All this would be so much easier if I had a nice lift like all the car shows have. I hate it when they say how easy it is to fix something while they put the car up on their 15K hydraulic lift parked next to their 150K rear wheel dyno.
_________________ 74 El Camino Classic - project car #1
96 Camaro - RIP, Traded 10-16-2007
2008 Mustang GT, It ain't a Chevy but at least it's American!
I hate it when I have to do anything to it but drive it. But keeping the upkeep is part of owning the car. I really do enjoy working on the old cars when I get around to it. The new cars today r so complicated even the damn dealer ship service centers are perplexed by what they sell.
Necoa #: 9074
Location: 25(All Other)
Joined: Feb 20, 2007
Posts: 1017
Year: 1975
Model: El Camino
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:31 pm Post subject:
From the limited list I have to say the brakes. That is one dirty job and maybe I am a bit biased because I changed the pads yesterday on my old Holden Ute after checking out the whole system the day before. Fortunately the rear shoes were okay but one of the drums had a lip and was a pig to get off. _________________ John (from Down Under)
Necoa #: 12318
Location: 7(AL,GA,TN)
Joined: Aug 17, 2008
Posts: 2
Year: 1979
Model: El Camino
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject:
The list looks like a nice wekend in the garage to me but if I had to pick I would say dropping the trans pan is the worst only if it does not have a drain plug the rear cover would be second just because of the smell. The rest is gravy.
i voted on what is probably one of the easiest jobs to do, but only if you are a contortionist. i don't mind any of the other jobs listed because they are all pretty much easy access.....you can get down on your hands and knees, or sit, or even lay down [even better ]. the job that kills me is just changing the belts.
first off, i am handicapped.....i am 6'4" and 300lbs, with hands like catchers mitts and big arms. this has worked for me on several levels, but is a real draw back when you need to get into small places like dash boards, under seats, and into the small area around the fan, water pump, and the rest of the front of the engine. i have to bend over and practically lay on top of the front of the car [really comfortable, i can tell you] and almost always end up filleting my hands and lower arms and stripping my knuckles to the bone. it almost becomes a scene from some B slasher movie........and no, i do not have the engine running!
_________________ Rob Tabish
Missoula, Montana
77 El Camino
83 Toyota Landcruiser
81 Honda CB900F
81 Honda CB900Custom
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