Nothing comes easy

[NAM VET]

So..... wanted to replace my cowl vent's rubber gasket. Easy enough, pull out out seal, clean groove, replace seal.

But Nooooo........ The rear part of the seal was stuck, and I could't get to it with the rear of the vent in the way. So crawled up under the dash, and unbolted the four bolts holding the vent in, so I could remove it from above. Except the four 1/2 inch head bolts were frozen enough that I couldn't unthread them with my fingers. Using a 72 tooth wrench, slowly unscrewed the two bolts on the passenger side, and then the two on the driver's side. Wearing bifocals makes every thing harder, either out of focus with the distant part of my glasses, or out of focus thru the lower reading part of my bifocals. Can't get any good visual on the bolts, plus kept fogging up. With all the wires and such under that side of the dash, all I could get with my fine tooth richet was about one click with each swing of my wench, trying to keep the socket on the bolt heads. By the time I had those four bolts out, I was so dizzy and nauseated from spatial disorientation that I had to come in and just lie down for several hours.

Now, easy-peasy to lift the vent out..... but it kept catching on the two small bolts holding the swing arm. Eventually was able to slip the vent out, burning my arm on the hot dash hood, being nearly 97 degrees in the sun. The vent was a little rusty here and there, so de-rusted, primed, and then painted it inside and out with a rattle can of Gillespie 24087. Which kept spitting out blots of paint. Eventually with a half hour of shaking the can and trying three other spray nozzles, it was done.

Wanted to be able to finger thread the four bolts back in so cleaned their threads, and thought that someday, some one might think it was cool that these four bolts were also painted , so sprayed them with some black lacquer.

Used my Dremel to clean the groove in the cowl, especially the narrow second groove, vacuumed the dust out, and coated all that with Ospho, then two coas of red primer, then two of 24087, pouring some of each down into the narrow inner under dash seal. Managed to drip some primer on my hood.

Today, set up a fan, and took a Bonine to reduce my motion sickness, and wiggled the vent back in after a few dabs of Goop glue to hold the new seal in, and then spent nearly an hour getting the four bolts threaded and tightened up, after cleaning up the captive nuts with a tap, and putting some Antiseize on their threads, of course getting some of the Aluminum anti seize here and there on me and on my shirt and shorts.

Again, the passenger side bolts were easy, but as before it was a struggle to start and tighten the two on the passenger side. Next, with the new thicker gasket, the small bolt that fastens the swing arm to the lever just wouldn't quite line up, that taking some effort to get those two parts in synchro, suffering a small laceration on a finger from some sharp edge up under there.

But it is done, and closes securely and now to clean my tools and locate some bandages, and use thinner to remove the shiny aluminum antisieze from my arms and clothing.

It was interesting to see two different size square tooth washers on the four bolts, which had the recessed heads. I suspect they were put in in late 1952, and were OEM to my truck. Probably had buckets of different size washers along side the assembly line.

Now to arrange a replacement NDT for my spare, which has a big bulge in the tread. I just bought a New In Box pre-64 Winchester 70 in 270-, and mounting a Vortex scope on it so now is not the time to put another $400+ into a spare tire.

Wife is out shopping, so think I will make up something for lunch. All the best, Hal in UpStare SC

[Cal_Gary]

Nice work Hal! Too many of us old timers know the agony of bifocals-myself included. Just a PITA when trying to work up close in a small space.
How about some pix?
Gary

[sturmtyger380]

That Aluminum anti seize gets everywhere. What a lot of work to replace that gasket!

[wvcharlie]

I feel your pain. Been there, done that.

[m-37Bruce]

Nice work Hal! Too many of us old timers know the agony of bifocals-myself included. Just a PITA when trying to work up close in a small space.
How about some pix?
Gary

You are so right, a real PIA!

[k8icu]

They should call Anti Seize should be called "Gets on Everything Seize."