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You should be able to buff it out to a chrome-like finish, but it will take some work. These early Tubis were heavy, but well built. I have been told the modern materials are not so robust. I used an Eastwood compound made for stainless on a sissal wheel to remove the discoloration, followed by a polishing compound, White Rouge, on a soft flannel wheel for the final shine. EW Buff Compound Set 6 Different Tubes
I cleaned and repainted the asbestos shield with Eastwood's Alumablast paint, a good color match Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Next the somewhat complicated vibration dampening attachments for the tubi were cleaned and then reassembled and attached. The bolt and nuts are 17 mm. The steel wool core goes inside the spring and then the bolt and cup washer are inserted through wool. One piece goes above and one below the bracket. I used anti-seize paste to keep corrosion to a minimum. Tighten nut all the way down (whole assembly should spin on bracket). Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Next remove the cotter pin and washer and small rod and then the bracket from the exhaust. In retrospect, it is much easier to just remove these two items and lift the exhaust out. Note to self. Clean and screw the bracket over the protruding threads on the exhaust dampener. Tighten. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Slide the Tubi (or regular exhaust) in underneath, then lift up and place into slots on brackets on vibration dampeners. Then insert metal pin followed by washer and new cotter pin. There should be some play in the muffler front to back. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Next you will hook up the rest of the exhaust, specifically the cats (or in my case, test pipes) and the pre-cats (also in my case hollow headers). You will need 4 large and 4 small sealing exhaust donuts. I got the small ones from NAPA, but I had to go to TRutlands for the larger size. First thread the O2 sensors into the appropriate threaded hole (I removed the O2 sensors and harnesses from the wire holders on the bottom of the gearbox and from the main harness connections). There are 3 different sized connectors - eight with 13 mm nuts and bolts for the pre-cat to exhaust manifold connection. Six are 17 mm nuts and 17 mm bolts for the pre-cat to muffler (or test pipe), and the final 6 have 17 mm nuts and 13 mm bolts for the cat (or test pipe) to the muffler. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I attached the front test pipe to the Tubi muffler by hand tightening the nuts (after a dab of anti-seize). A big donut goes on first. Then place little donuts on the exhaust manifolds and carefully move the pre-cats into position (another large donut pre-cat to test pipe). An extra pair of hands helps, but it can be done alone if you are careful. The spring part stays on one side of the connection and the nut and washer on the other. Before tightening make sure the O2 sensor points toward the front of the car. Gradually tighten all nuts making sure to preserve proper alignment and making sure all gaps around the sealing donuts are equal. Then re-attach the wire clamp for the O2 sensor harness (13 mm nut and washer on bottom studs of the gearbox housing). Remember to connect the O2 sensor from the RH exhaust to the RH side of the wiring harness or you will confuse your poor ECU. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Now repeat for the remaining side, route your O2 sensor harness neatly and reconnect to main harness. Then attach asbestos shield with three 10 mm nuts, lock washers and flat washers. It should look something like this: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I cleared all error codes in the ECUs. The air cleaner assembly will need a little cleaning up and repainting before going back in. That's on the schedule for tomorrow morning. Then, test drive!
After cleaning the air boxes in the parts washer, they definitely needed some refinishing. I used the black VHT wrinkle paint and they look good right now drying in the sun. This paint takes 48 hours to dry. I cleaned the K&N air filters with some spray degreaser and I will recoat them with K&N filter oil. I have had these on the car for 50,000 miles. They flow better than paper filters and they last literally forever. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The work table is looking kinda lonely now, with only a few nuts and bolts remaining. The fasteners for the air box assembly are shown. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
After a night of drying the air boxes seemed ready for installation. I put the plastic boot that connects the air box to the air duct on the LH duct first and then slid the air box into that side. I then slid the boot over the air box on the RH side and maneuvered it onto the air duct. The assembly is connected to the frame with four 8 mm allen (hex) head bolts and four 17 mm lock nuts. I used a tapered punch to get the holes lined up. Then in go the freshly oiled K&N filters, then the air box tops are attached to the assembly with four slotted screws on each side. Spring clamps hold the air box neck onto the intake. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
It was time now for the first drive in over 7 months. Windshield cleaned, tire pressures checked (hood still off). 1135 EST, April 26,2020 and we were back on the road again. What a great feeling. I let her get warmed up, then took one reconnaissance lap around the neighborhood and off we went on a 10 mile jaunt over relatively vacant roads. She revved to 6500 easily, idled at 450 steadily and both fans came on at 195. Back home, no smoke, no leaks, no rattles. Success. This job is nearly complete. Now to charge up the AC and put the rear hood and lower rear valence on, give her a proper bath and head out on the open road. So just a couple of more posts left before I end this thread. I will try to add up all the expenses involved in this project before I go. Next project in the queue: 1970 GTO Judge Ram Air IV 4-speed convertible assembly and (hopefully) sale. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yes, there is a 5 ft gator in the pond right now, and I suppose he eats bass or turtles or really slow birds, but bass don't get to 7 lbs by being stupid. I wonder how old a 7 lb bass is?
Before fitting the valence, I had to clean the bottom of the bumper, which had become discolored from the exhaust. I used Griot's machine polish 2 on an applicator pad and all the surface contaminants came right off. This was followed by a coat of wax since it was right at eye level on the lift. The valence needed some attention. It gets a lot of abuse from exhaust and road debris. I gave it a good wash and scrubbing followed again by the polish. I think the valence may have been repaired in the past. There are two large welds noticeable on the inner surface as well as some fiberglass work on the bottom edge which is visible in a large scrape. Oh well, I drive it. Stuff happens. After some elbow grease it came out OK and it too was treated to a coat of wax. The screen portion of the assembly and the support brackets were also cleaned. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
One of the mounting tabs had broken off. The others were held on by rivets (?stock or repair). A new tab had to be fabricated, so I first found a piece of aluminum stock, formed it and cut to length, bent it to match the opposite side and drilled the large mounting hole. The remaining piece of the old tab was cut off with a vibrating tool and then the rivets ground off and the base of the tab removed from the valence. Two 1/8" holes were drilled in the valence and two corresponding holes were marked and drilled on the new tab. After that, two 1/8" aluminum rivets and we were back in business. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Begin by attaching the valence brackets to the frame. The other end fits over the tab that hangs down from the bumper. Also attaching at this point are the upper valence tabs and the mesh assembly. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Attach the valence to the bumper tabs loosely and let it hang. The mesh assembly will be added later. Now go underneath and loosely attach the valence at two other points. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Now, with the valence loosely supported by the other bolts, remove the first two bolts at the bumper tab/valence bracket/valence attachment and slip the mesh assembly between the valence and the bumper (screen toward the muffler), and then bolt everything up tight again. Now go back underneath and insert all the rest of the 10 mm bolts and flat washers that hold the valence to the quarter panels, the brackets and the tabs. When all bolts are started, tighten those suckers. Don't forget these up on the inside of the valence. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Including the valence bracket, there should be sixteen 10 mm bolts and flat washers. The new valence tab lined up perfectly. It will get some red and black paint to blend in better. Image Unavailable, Please Login
It took most of the afternoon, but the end result was worth it. Service takes much longer when it is your vehicle because you take the time to make everything perfect. Tomorrow, charging the AC. Image Unavailable, Please Login
