JunkyardVolare
Member
Well, among other things I did and needed to do, I have deleted the isolator bushings on my daily driver 1978 Volare. Following a video put out by Dutch Guys Garage, I made up some large washers to locate the axle on the springs and used B-body shock plates and shocks to attach the axle to the springs. Doing this, as well as replacing the leaf springs bushings, has made a world of difference. It has also shown that I need to rebuild the front end of the car. But, it is all original, it sat for at least 10 years that I'm aware of, and I've been driving it daily for two years. It was time a while ago. I got the front oval spring bushings from ESPO Springs. I will be calling them back for more; not just for me, but for work related parts, too. Which, this does bring up a question. Currently, the front k-frame bushings are not what I would call bad. There are some cracks, but they are not collapsed and they do not appear to be compromised. Since I'm going to be going through the front end, I might as well replace those as well. Do I stay with rubber, or do I delete those too and install the aluminum spacers from Firm Feel? I love the way the back of the car feels without the isolators, but I'm not sure if I should do that to the front as well. I don't want to go poly. It's a slant six daily driver, not a corner carver. Plus, it leaks a little oil, and I know that oil will destroy poly bushings. But, back to the rear suspension. I said I made some washers. If you have a drill press, or even just a vise and some patience, it's easy enough to do. A 1 3/4" hole saw makes the washer and gives you a center pilot to make the center hole 3/8"; I used a 1/4" piece of plate steel. With washers made and the spring reinstalled after replacing the bushings, I used a pair of c-clamps to hold the spring pack together so as to remove the center bolt. A new bolt was installed with the large washer underneath it. B-body shock/spring plates are now a direct bolt on, and now B-body shocks are as well. The oval bushing in the front of the springs actually came out very easy with just a bit of Trick-Shot and an air hammer. I've been told that a piece of 1/4" bar or pipe can be put into the holes in the front spring bushing to stiffen it up, and that cop cars came that way. I didn't do that, I find it's perfect without that. I also finally fixed the huge transmission leak that had developed over the last couple of months. The one thing I didn't want to try and do. I had already done the pan gasket and a filter hoping that the 48 year old pan gasket was the leak, but it wasn't, it was the shifter seal. I don't remember where I saw the trick of using wood screws to draw the seal out from the top, but it worked. I didn't get a shot of installing, but a 1/2 drive 7/8" short socket, a bar clamp, and a block to brace against the pan pushed the new seal right into place. It barely fit around the cooler line and the floor, but I did it. No more huge transmission leak.
