In the few miles I have driven my newly-acquired '64 Daytona convert I have noticed what sounded like an annoying exhaust rattle. When I re-installed my exhaust manifolds last week I looked at the exhaust and could see that it was not bumping anything. Today I decided to try to track the down the rattle. Ron Butts had suggested that bad sway bar bushings can make a racket so I wanted to check them up close and personal. I jacked up the car, installed the jack stands and crawled under. Sway bar bushings looked good- very tight. The lower A-arm bolts were tight (see near calamity #1 below). All bushings looked good. It sort of sounded like a loose shock so I looked at the bottom bolts. They were tight so I looked at the top. They were tight. The upper inner A-arm bushings looked good, but something looked strange. I took hold of one of the cap screws on the end of the pin and it wasn't even finger tight. I checked the other side- same thing. Both front screws I must have tightened 10 - 15 turns. The left rear one was properly tight, but the right rear one was also loose. I tried to torque them to the prescribed 50 - 55 foot-pounds, but my two-year old Craftsman torque wrench has decided that it doesn't want to ratchet any more. So, I tightened them as best I could with either a 9/16" socket and ratchet or a ratcheting end wrench until I can collect a new wrench at Sears.
OK- near calmity #1. About 18 months ago I was carrying a bridesmaid and a groomsman in my '64 Avanti as part of a Studebaker-based run from the church to the wedding reception. The trip was maybe 15 miles on a curving, mountainous road. After I dropped them I started back, first over the same road then on I-70 where I running about 75 for 20 or so miles. After that, another 20 miles of two-lane road. As I turned off the highway on to the road that goes to my house (four miles to go), I hear a loud clunk and the steering got wierd. I crept along at 10 - 15 mph the rest of the way home. This was approaching 11pm. I took my trusty Maglite and looked under the car. The left lower A-arm was hanging down about two inches below the frame. All the nuts and washers were missing from the bolts that held the inner pin to the frame.
I guess my message is- check ALL your suspension parts. Don't take a "nice" car for grtanted.
[img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/64%20Daytona%20Convertible/Copy%20of%20DaytonaConvert7-20-06.JPG[/img=right]
Paul Johnson
'53 Commander Starliner (since 1966)
'64 Daytona Wagonaire (original owner)
'64 Daytona Convertible (2006)
Museum R-4 engine
OK- near calmity #1. About 18 months ago I was carrying a bridesmaid and a groomsman in my '64 Avanti as part of a Studebaker-based run from the church to the wedding reception. The trip was maybe 15 miles on a curving, mountainous road. After I dropped them I started back, first over the same road then on I-70 where I running about 75 for 20 or so miles. After that, another 20 miles of two-lane road. As I turned off the highway on to the road that goes to my house (four miles to go), I hear a loud clunk and the steering got wierd. I crept along at 10 - 15 mph the rest of the way home. This was approaching 11pm. I took my trusty Maglite and looked under the car. The left lower A-arm was hanging down about two inches below the frame. All the nuts and washers were missing from the bolts that held the inner pin to the frame.
I guess my message is- check ALL your suspension parts. Don't take a "nice" car for grtanted.
[img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/64%20Daytona%20Convertible/Copy%20of%20DaytonaConvert7-20-06.JPG[/img=right]
Paul Johnson
'53 Commander Starliner (since 1966)
'64 Daytona Wagonaire (original owner)
'64 Daytona Convertible (2006)
Museum R-4 engine
)- rattle, rattle. And, she complained that the brake pedal went down too far. So, I checked the shop manual and found that the ONLY way to improve pedal height on a manual brake, dual master cylinder is to adjust the linings. So, today I put it up on jack stands and cranked away on the star wheel adjusters. Only problem there is the shop manual doesn't tell you which way to crank them. I finally found one reference to moving your screwdriver or adjusting tool handle up to tighten (lengthen) the adjusters. That solved the problem on the left, but it didn't mention that on the right side they you have to move the handle down. Figured it out and got the front wheel tight, but I loosened the rear one so far that I couldn't back it off. So, I had to run up to the shop and get my $12 hub puller and take off the drum to get the adjuster unstuck. Finally got it right and tried the pedal- joy, about 3 inches to full, hard application.
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