Serpentine hold up and ididit replacement steering column upgrade

The serpentine set-up was nearing completion - until a couple items ground it to a halt...

The March pulley kit didn't include a pulley for the AC pump, which was odd, since this was a specific kit to mount an AC pump.... Even worse, was that the serpentine belts themeselves weren't included - in a serpentine pulley kit...really?

While I was dry-fitting the AC pump to the Mrch bracketry, I found that the current fuel pump and filter set-up where going to be in the way unless I changed the entire set up...adding several more items to the parts store shopping list.

And speaking of parts store lists, I still need to find a thermostat housing that will work with this set up. 

While awaiting the AC pump serp-pulley and re-organizing the fuel-feed set up, I decided to move back into the interior to replace the old stock steering column 

with a state-of-the-art ididit column set-up.

In the engine compartment, the so-called rag-joint needed to be seperated to pull the old column out -  allowing the columns to be swapped out. 

                     Tomorrow we'll get the wiring sorted and begin on the dash and new gauges -

A bit of a shame to see the 'old-parts' pile continue to mount.....

Cruiser Camaro - serpentine set up

When I'm presented with complicated put-togethers, I generally like to start by doing a dry-run on the bench:

                            One things for sure: March makes some nice pulleyds and brackets....

          Instructions say to set up the pulleys like this,
                                             to ensure the new set up lines up as did the old one -

With everything off the engine, I started by dismantling the power steering unit, removing the old pulley -

Since it was  torn down, I took the opportunoity to hit it with a fresh coat of paint, 

along with some bumper bracketry - 

Every fastener got a smear of anti-seize, to avooid what happened when I removed the water pump pulley....

On the engine side....more bracketry

                              Back on the bench, the AC unit and alternator will get new pulleys as well -

                               Stay tuned to see the whole mess come together - hopefully!

                         For more car-building action, visit www.E-tekRestorations.googlepages.com

Cleaning up the little bits....

Got back from Christmas with the in-laws and had a couple hours to kill. Just enough time to remove and clean up some rear bumper pieces. With each item sandblasted, they'll get a coat of POR15 before reassembly.

Licence plate light, apart and ready for the balster -

Into the sandblaster, which incidentally, just recieved an update after 5 years of heavy use. New gloves and a re-charge of dessicant pellets in the dry-air tube (on the wall to the left) make for a much more useful machine.

                              Parts come out stripped of paint, rust and most undercoating -

Crusier Camaro - AC controls retrofit and pulleys

With the mechanical sliders removed and replaced with electronics, 

the head unit was re-installed in the dash

New AC vent above the new electronic controls -

One last hole in the shaved firewall was required - this one for the AC kits wiring  harness....

To mount the AC pump on the stroker engine, an entire serpentine kit, 

complete with March Pulleys, was purchased. 

Ready to install:

No sooner had I gotten the Alternator out of the way to pull the first pulley and I was stalled...

The aluminum fasteners holding the water pump pulley to the steel housing mount galled, welding themselves to the threads, necessitating me wasting an hour - plus, to drill them out, one size bit after the next so as to avoid ruining the threads....

After removing 'most' of each fastener, I ran a tap through each one, just to be sur the threads where clean and sharp and no bits of the old fasteners where left behind....

            Oh well. MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my readers - and we'll get back at it on the 28th!

VINTAGE AIR Install - continued....

                      With the number of hoses involved in this install, there isn't room for much else!

The middle plate gets modified for a center AC outlet - 

 Ouch! Always hate to cut original stuff!

Some foam to seal it all together - 

         

  I think I'll see if the owner would prefer it trim black. Looks a little cheesy right now...

            

    Then the retrofitting of the controls - from manual to electric. Hours of fiddling...

Vintage Air has its own faceplte for the controls, but I just couldn't replace the beautiful OEM stuff...

Which would YOU choose?

 

After a lot of fiddling, carefully following instructions and getting everything switched over to electronic control, it was ready to go back in....

                             The new unit is just a hair too big. So much for OEM replacements....

             Back up front, the Matrch Serpentine Pulley kit will allow the addition of the AC Pump -                                                                                                                                                                

BLING BLING!

The AC system calls for heater hoses attaching to the water pump and intake manifold. I bought the right nipples and inserted each into the Edlebrock intake manifold with a swath of thread sealand on each...

  But now the rad hose connector is wrong.... so, I'll have to source some type of replacement neck.