Getting the big Fairlane back on the road.... Going the whole 9 inches

[RC10th]

and you restore cars for a living. They always say the gardener has the worst garden and the cabinet maker has the worst cabinets. Proper tools and work areas make life easier, working on a cars outside sucks, and not having a lift sucks.

There are a few different mentalities, buy the best car you can for the money and enjoy it, buy a project and spend 10 years slowly putting it back together, pay someone exorbitant amounts of cash to restore your car in 1 -2 years.

Gone are the days of cheap work ie paint jobs and fab work. Nobody these days even wants to touch a classic car.

I'll just keep plugging away with this and maybe my Charger will be finished by my retirement (if that ever happens).

[romulus22]

it will always be a tatty car, and honestly I think that's what makes it fun. A bit of a sleeper that you can park anywhere and not worry about it.

This right here is what makes these cars better to own. I think restorations are cool but not something I would enjoy. I'd constantly worry about tearing it up and degrading its value.

[scr8p]

and you restore cars for a living. They always say the gardener has the worst garden and the cabinet maker has the worst cabinets.

That's about it.

There's not enough room in the shop to blow my car apart and really do anything to it, nor do I have the money to go crazy on it. I had big, big plans for that car (like converting it to a 2dr.) but I know it's not going to happen anytime soon.... or ever. So I just want to get it on the road and enjoy it. I'll do some spotting in on the body here and there to make it more presentable, but for now I just wanna drive it. I've already owned it almost 15 years...... it's time.

[RC10th]

Again not much to update. I was hoping to get the steering box out today but didn't have time. I'm dreading its removal but need to tackle it next. I did however get the wiring harness out and removed the LPG converter.

I managed to flatten out the radiator support as it was pretty bent up in a few spots. I got the front half sanded, rusted areas around the battery treated, primed the front half and painted the black bits. I would have liked to spray the entire engine bay in one hit but the rust converter needed to be covered in 3 hours.

Hopefully next week the engine bay will be painted and then only assembly will be required to finish the car. I'm debating if I just go the whole hog and replace the power booster and master cylinder, then mechanically the car would be solid as a rock. I was going to replace the pressure line on the power steering but the hose that's on it doesn't look too old, it still has it's zinc plating.

[RC10th]

This damn pitman arm is starting to piss me off....

I need a bigger hammer, and just belt the crap out of it till it falls off

[Coelacanth]

Looks like a Made-In-China puller there. Is that pot-metal? Seriously though, when my buddy and I did some front end repairs on my Charger back in the 90's, my Pitman arm was also a pain to remove...we heated it up with a blowtorch for a bit and that helped it break loose.

[RC10th]

They are cheap but not cheap at the same time. I bought a new pitman arm so it doesn't matter if I cut it off.

[jwscab]

Something like that I would load up with the puller, then apply some heat with a torch until you hear the POP. Then she should slide off pretty easy.

[RC10th]

After it wouldn't pull off I loaded it up again then smacked the pitman with a hammer, nothing. Heat is the next thing followed by cutting it off

[romulus22]

Not sure it would help on a pitman arm but have you tried some penetrating fluid. Over here we have PB blaster/fabulous blaster. Stuff works wonders sometimes.

[Coelacanth]

Not sure it would help on a pitman arm but have you tried some penetrating fluid. Over here we have PB blaster/fabulous blaster. Stuff works wonders sometimes.

PB Blaster is awesome! I sprayed it down into all the cylinders after removing spark plugs from my Charger after it hadn't run in over a decade, waited 24 hours, put in new plugs and the moment of truth--it turned right over! It took a lot of carb priming to get fuel into the carb but it fired up! It was great to hear it running after so many years. *Rumble*

I'm not sure how well it would work on a Pitman arm, though...but it can't hurt. Definitely hit it up with a torch before trying to cut it off. You might damage the Pitman shaft seals or splines if you go that route.

[RC10th]

I bought a bigger hammer, one way or another it's coming off.

[DaveM]

That's it, when in doubt buy a bigger hammer!

I remember watching a guy remove the pitman arm on my 68 Chrysler, I thought he was going to break

the steering box he was hitting it so hard.

He did use some heat though.

Cheers, Dave.

[RC10th]

Man I'm glad that's over, my bigger hammer worked. I ended up seperating the pitman from the drag link. I banged up the end of the drag link a bit more then I'd like but at least it's out, it too was fairly stuck. You don't see the drag link so a bit of paint should make it look better.

[romulus22]

Another unknown thought, how about lightly coating the mating surfaces with anti seize to prevent stuck parts for future repairs? I use it on FWD CV splines on the hub side if I ever change them. It makes a noticeable difference there. Never tried it on a pitman arm as I've only change one steering box in my time.