Captain Obvious

Good thing you're not closer. I know I would find something I just can't live without, and I'm already out of room.

Cool pics! Never heard of the Lombardi OTAS. Thanks for that. Looks a lot like the Lotus Europa minus the Frenched headlights. http://mycarquest.com/2012/07/otaslombardi-grand-prix-cars-in-pennsylvania.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombardi_Grand_Prix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Europa#Series_1

Haha! Well that didn't take long: http://www.zcar.com/forum/19-sale-parts-accessories/417386-huge-assortment-s30-parts-engines-body-kits-body-panels-complete-cars.html etc...

My rebuilt booster came with a brand new rubber diaphragm, so it's clear that there are already people who make that part. The problem is availability to the commoner not in the brake rebuilding business. I think it would be a lot easier to cultivate a relationship with someone who already makes this part than to pull a mold off an existing part. Someone here on the forum must know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy's cousin in that business who would like to make a few extra bucks selling parts instead of complete units. And don't forget that the poppet valve and seal that rides on it are an issue as well. That's what I think is wrong with mine. Works most of the time, but occasionally still sticks. (Thankfully it has only happened on the first brake push of the day and I'm still in the driveway.)

I do not believe the change in current caused by the inclusion or exclusion of a ballast resistor will cause damage to the tach. The ignition coil side of the (early) tach is simply a piece of wire, and the pickup is clamped around that wire. Unless you try to push so much current through that wire that it burns open (like a fusible link), then the amount of current flowing through it probably doesn't matter much.

Gotcha. Well you're doing great so far on what could be a thankless job, and good luck with the rest of it. PS - LOL. Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges) really high up in the tower:

Just keeps getting worse, doesn't it? If it weren't for the fact that you would have to find harnesses from a 78 with an automatic, I'd recommend just completely replacing the harnesses with something from a donor. But the uniqueness of the 78 combined with the fact that you're looking for an auto? I'm not sure you'd find what you're looking for. If it's absolutely clear (like the cut wires with a stub close-by) where it should be reconnected to, then that's probably your best approach. And speaking of which, I looked up that batch of wires here: And I can't find a rhyme or reason as to why they were cut. They go to a whole bunch of unrelated systems, so I don't think there was a "functional" approach to the cutting. One question though... I believe I have identified that batch of wires as going to the BLUE connector C-1, but you said they went to the black connector (which I believe is C-6). Is that your mistake, or mine?

Woof. Putting someone else's hacked harness back together. That is really a no fun position to be in. So those cut wires up in the engine compartment I believe go to a couple automatic transmission specific devices. I believe the B/R and the B are supposed to go to the "downshift solenoid", and I believe the others (W/B and G) are supposed to go to the "inhibitor switch". Neither of those devices exist on the manual trans cars. As for how to get that blue connector out of the white plastic housing.... Boy, are those things a biatch. I've taken a couple of those out, and it's a real PITA. There are little plastic tabs on the white housing that clip the connector shells into place. Four (at least) on each connector shell. You can see them on the empty holes. Thin tools inserted from the front to push the tabs out of the way enough to force the connector shell backwards out of the white plastic holder. PITA. If you've got access to a parts car, I would say to just take a hacksaw to the old one to get all the connectors out, and then use a drill to eviscerate the connector shells on the other one to salvage the housing at the expense of the connectors. PITA. I somehow managed to get a couple of mine out, and once they were out, I filed all the tabs down some so I could get them out again easier in the future if necessary. I'm hoping it's never necessary. I rebuild my engine bay harness, and in theory, I should never have to do that again.

Aren't PO's wonderful?!!? So any pics of the MLV bonding process? Is that something you did, or did you send the carpets out to have it done?

Nice. I just finished cleaning up the aftermath of the party here. There was grease everywhere. Three people moving around the shop, all with globs of grease on their hands at different points in time, that stuff just spreads. I think I found all, or at least almost all of it by now.

Well the headlights should be drawing less than 10A total (probably around 8-ish), and all the running lights should be at less than that. I'm thinking you should have been around 15A plus whatever the battery was pulling. Maybe the battery was pulling a bunch? I'm thinking maybe the batter was partially discharged since it's not getting a lot of running time? You running the heater fan and defroster too maybe? Just seems odd to me... Most times I don't see an alternator needle swung that far over. Now of course, I've got the voltmeter on my later 280, so what do I know? What say you 240 guys? Does it seem odd to see the alternator needle swung over that far?

Work looks great and I'm no engine expert, but I wouldn't be too concerned with that range on the compression results. Certainly nothing that you would need to address in any hurry. I do have a question about your alternator output though. That looks like a lot of charging... Does it make sense for your alternator to be pumping out 35A under whatever the drive conditions were at the time? Seems like a lot to me.

Haha! Not intentionally. I don't think I've ever seen it. Is there a line like that in there?

Here's a pic of what happens when you try to press a bearing in at an angle. You can see the semi-circular mark on the far side where they gouged the cylinder wall that is supposed to locate the bearing. That raised bump was pushing the bearing to one side and not letting it seat square. I used a hand file to dress the high spots back level. This pic is about halfway done. I considered using a dremel with a small grinding wheel, but last thing I wanted to do was slip. It took way longer doing it by hand, but I wanted the control that I could not achieve with a power tool:

My pleasure. Glad to help. So did you see the pic of the aftermath of the party? https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/60026-friends-over-for-a-party-in-the-shop-yesterday/ So to provide a little more info about Matthew's bearings... The shop that had previously worked on the car really screwed things up. They had forced the spindle pin tapered retainer pins into place without having the spindle pin located properly. This not only ruined the taper pin, but raised a huge burr on the (brand new) spindle pin and we had to use the hydraulic press just to get the spindle pin out. And the problem that Matthew originally noticed when he got the parts back from the shop was that the stub axle didn't spin freely, and had significant tight and loose spots when it spun. We traced this issue to a huge burr kicked up inside the strut housing on the bearing surface from them pressing the bearing in cockked at an angle. In other words... It wasn't straight, wouldn't go in, and they just kept applying more force instead of stopping to figure out what the problem was. We dressed the upset material (high spots) off the inside of the strut housing and cleaned and inspected everything to make sure there weren't any other surprises. Once the burrs were removed, the new bearings went in fine and everything spun perfect. We dressed the burrs off the spindle pins, and after that, they went back into the housings OK as well. And if that's not enough... They had ground down one of his distance pieces on a belt sander. Not only was it not square on one end, but it was also now almost .100 too short. When you tightened the stub axle nut, it would pull the inner races together so tight that you couldn't turn the axle. And they're professionals!! I chucked up the distance piece in the lathe today and squared up the end. Won't ever be able to be reused for a distance piece, but it sure makes a handy drift for doing future wheel bearings. Into the box of misc stuff that lives next to the hydraulic press! It was a good day in the shop.

Well I consider the term "butcher" a little extreme... I was suggesting that there may be a possibility to "modify" the wrong harness to "convert" it to the design you desire. With the right tools, you can remove the electrical contacts from the plastic shell and then re-insert them without damage. I was thinking there might be a possibility you could do that to the harness and end up with what you desired. Take the part number label off (to avoid future confusion), and use it on your car. I know the chances of success of that plan the be very small but non-zero. Thought I would toss out the suggestion. A good condition (but wrong) harness isn't worth as much to you as one that does what you need.

Steve, Well that's definitely the same car. That for sale ad on Hemmings looks legit. Someone probably just copied the pics and started scamming. Zed Head, The craigslist ad is already gone. But curiously... It doesn't say that it was flagged for removal. It says it was deleted by the author. I've corresponded a little with the scammer already, and I've considered sending them another message and stringing it out some, but I just have the interest. Unless someone has any good ideas, I'm just going to let it die.

Can't say I blame him. I wouldn't want to produce and sell something for brakes, or seatbelts, or anything that held a wheel on.

Love it! You put towels down so you don't scratch the paint?

Anyone know who's car this is? It's being used for a craigslist scam.

Haha! I should have put out an open invite, huh? Would have loved to have you over too! By the time we got to number four strut, it was "almost easy". Once you figure out the best order of events and which spacers, drifts, and little bits and pieces to use... It's almost assembly line.

Darn right. It was epic! Two more Z's with tight new rear bearings headed for the road soon!!

Well then that's extra awesome that was truly the first real start. Great work! If you want, I'll look in my box of stuff for a TVV. I've switched over to a completely different throttle body and I don't need the TVV anymore. If I've got one, I'll send you the one from my 77. Sorry to have steered you wrong on the 78 version.

And there was some beer involved. And grease. Lots of grease. The aftermath: You, my friend, definitely earned your keep yesterday!

That's awesome! And I would recommend putting some brake lines on the master cylinder before you put some miles on it. So... Was that really the first start? Or did you start it a couple minutes before just so you wouldn't look like a doofus cranking and cranking and cranking?