"1958 Rambler Super" mission fix it and drive it.

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   Well, last night after work i tested the headlight floor switch and all the headlights worked! Well except for the burnt out bulb. So I geuss now I'll take a look at it and do some volt testing I geuss, I'll take the floor covering off and disconnect the battery and examine the floor switch and see if I can notice anything obvious that's wrong with it.I also ordered a new one and I'll put that in when I get it.
 Any tips in the mean time?

Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/18/2021 at 10:51am

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1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/17/2021 at 11:21am
	Well, last night after work i tested the headlight floor switch and all the headlights worked! Well except for the burnt out bulb. So I geuss now I'll take a look at it and do some volt testing I geuss, I'll take the floor covering off and disconnect the battery and examine the floor switch and see if I can notice anything obvious that's wrong with it. I also ordered a new one and I'll put that in when I get it. Any tips in the mean time? Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/18/2021 at 10:51am

1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/18/2021 at 11:07am
	Ok, last night I tried packing the oil pump with vaseline, and I did...it wasn't a tough job or anything... just messy and when I was putting the bolts back in they kept squishing themselves out, But I noticed there was no gasket that the engine builder put on, there wasn't a gasket under the cap or under the housing next to the block. So now I'm waiting to see what tomj will say about that and give me some advice on what to do, he told me that gasket for the oil pump is used as a gasket of course but it also provides a small amount of distance between certain components of the oil pump that help it function properly...., and he will also let me know where to put this gasket, either under the cap or the housing (but not under my coffee cup that I bought off the waffle house website)....i have one, it's in the kitchen with the other gaskets, I tried to take the pump right off the engine but I couldn't because the steering pitman arm, I maybe it's called the idler arm, is in the way and I can't take it all the way off, so I hope he won't be telling me the gasket goes under the housing, because that will meen I have a whole other can of worms to deal with, taking off parts of the steering.... But maybe it won't be that bad? Last night I tried to torque down the harmonic balancer, (I kept putting that last finishing part of the installation off and finally got to it) but the engine kept turning and wasn't able to stop it from turning to get the torque of 70or80 pounds with the torque wrench... It might be different now with the spark plugs in plugging the cylinders.... I also put in the spark plugs last night, just have to take off the dizzy and coil to torque them down. I was also thinking it would be good to get new high tension leads/spark plug wires, it would make things look just alittle cooler under the hood :) I also put on two new water hoses, there red because there was no black at the store, that also made things look alittle cooler under the hood, not to mention the new spark plugs, yep, that engine is starting to look like a engine these days! Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/19/2021 at 10:15pm

troutwilly Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/14/2007 Location: Carriere, MS Status: Offline Points: 994	Post Options Post Reply Quote troutwilly Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/18/2021 at 11:32pm
	I'm of no help with the oil pump. But doesn't your TSM show a blow-up or assembly picture of it? On the headlights, which one was not working? Make sure you have the correct headlights in the correct location....3-prong headlights in the outer positions, 2-prong headlights in the inner positions.
	Bill O. 70 AMX

1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/19/2021 at 10:29pm
	Ok, tomj told me there is a gasket for each location unfortunately... There is a gasket I have for under the cover but I haven't seen one for the pump to block location. So now I guess I dont have to check the tsm, but it's gunna be so easy so I will. I think there was only a short write up about the oil pump but no exploded type view of the pump. Ok, there was a exploded view of the pump, BUT the view revealed the oil pump gasket only under the cap, and doesn't resemble the one I have to use, and there is also NO other gasket that tomj describes under the pump housing and between the block. Weird. Also, The new headlights don't work at all, I had two of them on the driver's side , outer and inner, and no activity....nothing.... Just like the first time they went to the T-Rex pen in Jurassic park....nothing. BUT! When I thought "I wonder what this will do?" And I put the old outer passenger side headlight into the outer driver's side headlight socket and turned on the headlights it worked..... It was weird, just like the idea of Winona Ryder not being a shoplifter, weird. Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/20/2021 at 2:44am

1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/20/2021 at 2:42am
	Oooook, something weird also happened when I was torqueing down the Inspection side cover plates, the tsm specifies to torque those to 30-40 ft pounds, but when I was torquing them they wouldn't finish tightening....and I swear they started to bend and the cork gasket was squishing out, so I got nervous and stopped thinking maybe the long torque wrench I was using wasn't the tsm thought I would be using and it wasn't torqueing because the torque wrench was very long and there was a massive amount of leverage. It was a frustrating moment I had around 1130 in the night and it made me pretty mad I seemed to be wrecking my car following the tsm procedure. Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/20/2021 at 2:49am

troutwilly Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/14/2007 Location: Carriere, MS Status: Offline Points: 994	Post Options Post Reply Quote troutwilly Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/20/2021 at 11:25pm
	If you're torquing onto a cork gasket, it might be inch-pounds (in-lbs) not foot pounds. If so, now make sure the inspection cover contact surfaces are flat.
	Bill O. 70 AMX

1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/21/2021 at 10:33am
	Yes they were flat but now it kinda looks like the top edge of the inspection cover is bent alittle. And I don't think it specified wether to use ft pound or inch pounds actually. (Just checked, and it did... I just didn't use my brain enough)(don't think that will change either.....) I really would feel good throwing that tsm straight in the trash. Anyways, last night I made alot of progress!!! And with no help from that stupid tsm. I carefully bent and installed the main feed line 1/8 inner diameter size metal pipe for the oil network as well as the oil filter base, and the larger 3/16 inner diameter size return oil pipe from the oil filter base to the crank case. The second sized 1/8 inner diameter feed line going from the "t" fitting in the cylinder head to the oil filter base was juuuuuuust a tiny bit too short, and no matter how much I tried to get as much extension out of that pipe it was still maybe 2 inches too short to make the connection to the filter base, so i will have to maybe look at seeing if I can use a fitting to connect a extender pipe, or just use the longer 20inche pipe, which will end up looking really bad with all that extra pipe..... Maybe 9inches of extra pipe. I think the next available size in length from that size is 20 inches...darnit..... But I'll check again. Ok, it is 20 inches, and the 1/8 pipe that was about 2 Inches too short was the 12 inches length, so that would be about 15 inches when it makes the connection to the filter base, so 20 minus 15 is 5, so that will probably be about 5 inches of extra pipe, so that's not too bad after all. I was gunna buy some before work bit I didn't because that store did not have the same looking type of brake line, it didn't have the black coating on the outside. I'll wait, I have time since the exhaust pipe gasket doesn't fit and I need to find a new one. Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/22/2021 at 4:50pm

1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/22/2021 at 1:09am
	Dam! The exhaust pipe gasket (not manifold gasket) that tomj had on his parts list doesn't fit my exhaust pipe, we have the same engine..... Now I'm f'ed and back to square one on that issue again. Ok, I measured the inside diameter of the exhaust pipe and it has a inner diameter of 1 27/32, I just researched the inner diameter of the gasket I thought would work for my rambler that I used from tomj part list and that gasket is 1 13/16 inner diameter..... I looked with the measurement I took from the exhaust pipe on my rambler and searched far and wide on the internet and found a gasket that is also a "doughnut" and the measurement for the inner diameter for that gasket is 1 25/32, but I'm not sure if there would be a problem with using a gasket that's alittle smaller, so I've asked tomj what he thinks. As far as my thinking is going, I don't see a problem with that gasket, but I don't know everything, so that's why I've asked. Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/22/2021 at 4:45pm

1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/23/2021 at 4:34pm
	Ok, tomj says there is no gasket used between the exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe... It's just a formed rounded edge that fits into the manifold.... He showed me a picture of what it looks like, I thought that maybe mine would look like that but it doesn't. Hmmmmmmmm.......... He said maybe I could get a muffler shop to make me something..... Man!!! So many strange problems with this rambler..... I don't wanna start being negative here but I got something to say about the rambler and how it's effecting my life.... This rambler is starting to burn me out, I'm getting really frustrated, this morning I went to the fitting store to buy a new compression fitting for the tiny oil pressure tube, the guy at the store was going to sell me the whole bit but I said no I only need this part here, when I got back to my house the new fitting had a shallower depth the tube stops at, so I couldn't use the other fitting that compresses onto the tube when both other fittings are threaded onto to each other.... And I got so mad!!! I have to go all the way back there on two buses and walking ect goddam.... I threw the fitting I couldn't use and stomped the crap of the bumper.... I been working real hard since December and im getting burnt out and wanna sell the rambler and just it out of my life, but only on bad days, but I been having more and more bad days lately.... Edited by 1958 rambler super - Jul/23/2021 at 4:40pm

1958 rambler super Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Dec/10/2020 Location: Victoria BC can Status: Offline Points: 1201	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1958 rambler super Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/25/2021 at 11:45am
	Ok, tomj let me know there is no gasket between exhaust pipe and manifold, but a formed part of the pipe that fits into the manifold, heres what mine looks like and am hoping it will work out, I put it together and tightened it down last night, (man it was kinda though wrestling around the exhaust while holding a camera!)