Spring/Summer/Fall 2005

5-13-01 - I had purchased a new water pump from Carquest and a run up to 7000RPM ruined the bearing and it began squeaking loudly. Went back to Carquest and got another. Since these pumps have a larger bypass opening, you must use a supplied reducer bushing for they bypass fitting. The only problem is that it show - see Spring/Summer04. Well, I had to grind everything down again but this time I used some JB weld to try and hide it better. It isn't perfect....

Update: I blew this pump with a run to 6500. The bearing is squeaking again. DO NOT buy carquest pumps if your engine turns high RPM.

I had read about the pocket drains but could not seem to find them on my car. The reason I could not find them is because there were full of hardened dirt and painted over. I had also heard stories of hidden birdcage rust. Fearing the worst, I decided to pull the dashboard to check for rust.

Here's what it looked like after I chiseled out the dirt with a screwdriver.	All of the dirt/rust that fell out. Each side was like this.	This is a shot into the birdcage post that the doors bolt onto. No real rust here. The zinc phosphate primer is still visible.
Every thing looks good except for the top bolt holding the wiper mechanism. It is facing the wrong way and was secured with a speed nut. This is also a good shot of the location of the trim tag and VIN. Notice the hot/cool vent mechanism on top of the heater box.

The back end of the car has been fairly loose since I purchased it and has been getting worse. I suspected that a trailing arm shim had fallen out. Trailing arms need to be rebuilt or replaced. Bubba was here because the spindle is relatively new on the left side while the bushings are likely original.

Shims were there but the bolt was not tight. Notice the bushing shell does not seat in the trailing arm. Left TA.

The bushing is trashed and this trailing arm is loose cause the alignment to change while driving.

Here's the right TA as a reference. This bushing is old but appears to be tight.

After I replaced the M21 with the M20 I had a gear oil leak out of the tailshaft. The bushing and seal were brand new so I knew something was wrong with the yoke. I also had a vibration over 55 MPH. I found out that the yoke I was using was from a passenger car. The Corvette slip yoke is about 1" longer. I don't understand why the old yoke did not leak with my old transmission.

The old yoke had some some grooves. Notice the length difference. The new yoke is an aftermarket reproduction purchased from a guy named CajunJon

Old yoke did not have a cap.

Miscellaneous Pictures

Here's a shot behind the center console. Notice how the Y-duct for the defroster does not connect to the blower duct. This is normal.	This is the back of the clock. Somebody installed a dual speaker in place of the OE speaker. Notice my torpedo light is disconnected.	Some miscellaneous parts. Idler pulley was installed. I got the guts of the clutch Z-bar Figured out. Dipstick tube and clock lens have not been installed.
A set of towing hooks used to tie down cars using factory points.	T hook fits best in the rear	R hook fits best in the front

7-16-05 - Installed the idler pulley assembly and top radiator mount.

Idler pulley uses the inside groove on the pulleys. Be careful not to over tighten the idler pulley because the bearings are very sensitive.

My radiator was rattling around because I was missing this mount - it also keeps the radiator electrically isolated from the chassis

My carburetor worked well but leaked gasoline on the manifold. It did not leak while running  and I never saw any drips while it was sitting but new puddles were consistently forming in the valleys of the intake manifold. This symptom is common with old Holleys as they tend to warp. All surfaces will be filed flat and assembled with the blue premium Holley gaskets.

With a flat edge and feeler gauges I found about a .003 gap. After running a flat file across the surface, the warpage is evident.

I also noticed a small opening next to the passage leading to the venturi. This small opening was only next to one hole on each side. I don't know if this is supposed to be here.