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68 AMX from a pile of parts to a solid driver |
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DAMX 
AMC Apprentice 
Joined: Nov/13/2017 Location: Silicon Valley Status: Offline Points: 195 |
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 Topic: 68 AMX from a pile of parts to a solid driverPosted: Nov/06/2021 at 6:09pm |
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After 4 years of having a 1968 AMX completely blown apart to the bare metal, and stripped of its working parts the car is finally returning to service. This thread will go over the bumps and bruises of making a pile of parts into a working car.
Things done that everyone has seen a million times: bare metal strip and new paint, newly overhauled motor, fully sound deadened interior with Noika film and padding, new carperts and Porsche leather seats, repair of a butched wiring harness (former owner cut out wiring they figured was extraneous), new springs and front antiroll bar, wheel alignment after lowering and caster modifications, etc... The plan not to recapitulate that, but what happened after the 1st drive. Straight out of the gate it was noticed that: 1) The instrument lights were totally screwy as if the car were electrically possessed. 2) The steering wheel was an 1/8 turn to the right going straight. 3) The car shook going down the freeway (especially if the road was choppy). 4) Brakes are pulling wildly to the right. 5) Hot restarts are difficult. These 5 items are enough for the 1st interation of repairs. |
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DAMX
AMC Apprentice
Joined: Nov/13/2017 Location: Silicon Valley Status: Offline Points: 195 |
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Posted: Nov/09/2021 at 11:43am |
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1) On the instrument lights being possessed. Wiring was checked to the TSM, and is correct. Further investigation found the trouble is poor connection to the instrument board due to loose pins. Soldered pins to the board, and everything works great: )
2) Spun tie rod ends straightening the steering wheel only too find there was 1.5" of slop on center. Steering box is new, so further investigation found pitman arm ball socket had a very small amount of slack. Couldn't see it visually, but rocking the steering coupler back & forth and grabbing the pitman arm & drag link it was evident. Also the idler arm bushing didn't look good, so ordered pitman & idler arm from Galvin's. After installation steering is nice and tight, but wheel is now 1/8 turn to the left! Spun tie rod end too correct and the steering is tight & on center! 3) On the freeway vibration my 1st guess was tire balance. Took tires in and 1 was perfect and 3 were out less than 1 oz! Had to reopen the case and found the bottom nut was off the left side front shock. 0 rebound here. Got bushing, washer, and lock nut installed. Took drive and found vibration minimized to an acceptable level, and oscillations gone. 4) On the brakes I took the front right wheel cylinder off and found rust & pits on cylinder & piston. Ordered new Centric wheel cylinders from Summit Racing. They didn't have them in stock, so the old parts were burnished, and put back on until the new one arrived. The news ones arrived from the manufacturer in 3 days. Installed and car stops straight and quick. I'm shocked at how good the Rambler big drums are... 5) The hot restart issue ended up to be from trying to run a mini-battery. The car has Hooker headers and a PowerMaster mini-starter, so I thought I could get away with it. It was not to be. Put a standard 24F battery in, and the problem is gone. Another 30lbs on the front end I really didn't want, but it starts easily now even hot.
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DAMX
AMC Apprentice
Joined: Nov/13/2017 Location: Silicon Valley Status: Offline Points: 195 |
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Posted: Nov/09/2021 at 12:29pm |
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Now time to add more items. I'm trying to make it a daily driver. The car is getting a lot of good feedback on the street and local shows. I get thumbs up, and smiles all the time. People tell me how nice it is seeing this car on the road even if they don't know what it is. I can hardly stop at the store without a 1/2 hour conversation in the parking lot. !Via AMC!
Back to the Saga:
6) Need to improve idle for air conditioning in the future. 7) Having trouble climbing driveway with open differential. My driveway is very steep and has a 180 with multiple camber changes that unloads the inside wheel. 8) Wind noise on freeway. Window is moving away from the seal at freeway speeds. 9) Fuel leaks out on steep grades when the tank is near full. 10) Headlights are misaligned. Edited by DAMX - Nov/09/2021 at 12:32pm |
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DAMX
AMC Apprentice
Joined: Nov/13/2017 Location: Silicon Valley Status: Offline Points: 195 |
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Posted: Nov/09/2021 at 12:58pm |
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6) Added HEI from Summit too improve the idle. I seem to be having multiple pinging problems now (mostly uphill). Not because of the HEI, but from multiple other issues. The motor is breaking in and gaining cylinder pressure, we have had some usually hot weather for this time of year, and this is usually when they switch to Winter fuel here (read loaded with oxygenates). I may move this item to the motor section for advice.
7) I'm considering a Spartan locker to get the outside rear driving up the hill. Right now I'm doing burnouts everytime I leave the house. 8) On the irritating wind noise issue. I've adjusted the windows to the critical dollar bill slip between the window and the seals statically. The dynamic condition on the freeway pushes the windows away from the seals: ( I am ordering the new stabilizer kit from Greyhounds which will greatly improve this problem. 9) On the fuel leaking on a grade I will get a new locking cap, and check the vent hose which is on the the filler neck. I hope it is the cap! 10) I aimed the headlights the best I could from mulitple YouTube videos and Wiki DIY videos. It worked quite well until I turned on the high beams and one was burnt out. Hopefully replacing the headlights doesn't change the alignment. |
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BU1
AMC Addicted 
Joined: Aug/11/2016 Location: MN Status: Offline Points: 2019 |
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Posted: Nov/09/2021 at 1:56pm |
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Make sure you get a non vented cap, along with the check of the vent hose.
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AMO #2726
#1 1968 AMX Rally Green 343 Z code 4spd since 1975 #02642 #2 1968 AMX Rally Green 290 N code 4spd since 2019 #02959 |
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scott
AMC Addicted
Joined: Jul/10/2007 Location: Wildwood Pa. Status: Offline Points: 3502 |
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Posted: Nov/09/2021 at 4:07pm |
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To aim your headlights the best way, find someone with a set of Hoppy B4A's, or buy a set. Making marks on a wall & backing up 20 feet, then adjusting works OK, but nothing like the Hoppys give you. If you weren't on the other side of the country, I'd stop by & aim them for you with my set.  |
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"Prolly" is not a word.
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DAMX
AMC Apprentice
Joined: Nov/13/2017 Location: Silicon Valley Status: Offline Points: 195 |
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Posted: Nov/13/2021 at 1:58am |
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Hello BU1, I got the non vented locking cap today, and as I was replacing it the old cap had a piece of the gasket missing! Regards Dono |
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hassyfoto
AMC Addicted
Joined: Nov/16/2009 Location: Maryland Status: Offline Points: 3378 |
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Posted: Nov/13/2021 at 7:23am |
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All these issues on start-up seem to plaque all of us. My son's Gremlin was completed and test driven for the first time on July 31st. We just got the car back on the road in November.
Let's see: 1. No issues starting, moving car or minor driveway driving the car for 3 yrs. Test drive on the open road and front crank seal let loose. Finally replace front seal and 2 minutes after starting the car with the new seal (spring in the seal) stretches and seal leaks. 2. Replaced oil pan gasket(s) and the rear bolt above the starter catches the metal on the pan & rips the metal. ( by the way the previous owner welded the crossmember to the frame rails). 3. Rubber hose on gas tanks splits in October during another test drive, gasoline squirting on exhaust. 4. Power steering pump starting leaking like crazy. It was the seal on the pulley shaft. Replaced that item 5. U-bolt on the rear axle assy snapped. Rear starts moving back & forth (sliding on the leaf spring) Mind you, no horseplay, hard accelerations of hard braking. The base plate for the u-bolts & shock is bent, so someone had over tightened those nuts at some point. (Before I got the car) 6. The only brake lines not replaced on this car, the right rear wheel. The brake line let loose on a test drive just after we fixed the gas line issue. Soooooo, now all the brake lines have been replaced. Hmmmm Misery loves company!!!!!!!  Glad to see you are resolving those issue and you are/will be back to driving the car with enthusiasm and enjoyment!!!
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Murphy's Law:
Any given mechanical job you decide to solve alone will imminently require a third hand, at its most critical moment |
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amxdreamer
AMC Addicted
Joined: Jul/30/2008 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 8511 |
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Posted: Nov/13/2021 at 12:14pm |
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Scott, with my old TungSols if I back up 20' I doubt you could see the light on the wall....lol  |
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Tony
Vancouver, BC 1970 AMX 1972 Badassador AMO#10333 |
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javtopgun
AMC Nut
Joined: Aug/03/2021 Location: NV. Status: Offline Points: 342 |
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Posted: Nov/16/2021 at 1:14am |
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Hasseyfoto , just a thought , i'd do a qusseymoto on that one , climb a tall building and throw huge boulders at it .. lol , just kidding ! Shoot it first .. lol ! Sorry its been a long row to hoe !! All the luck man !!
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1968 Javelin SSt 343ci semi restomod .
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DAMX wrote: