At this stage we should have a nice primered surface ready for the topcoats, the car masked up and the panels wiped down with Wax and Grease Remover or Prepsol.

Time to fire up the compressor and check our pressure setting. When spraying the undercoat I prefer to use anywhere up to about 50psi of air pressure, but when it comes to the topcoat I believe a lower pressure is better as it limits the amount of overspray. There is nothing worse than spraying the roof for example and finding that you have a ugly, rough stripe down the middle where the overspray has mixed with the wet paint. My preference for topcoat is around 30psi, but once again this is only my preference and you should first check the instructions that came with your paint and also experiment a bit first to find the best setting for you. Also be sure to drain any condensation that has built up in the compressor’s tank or in the water trap if you have one.

Next item on the agenda is preparing the paint. Most acrylic paints are thinned at a ratio of one part paint to two and a half parts thinner. I always use Premium Thinners for the top coat instead of the general purpose stuff, it costs a little more but does it make a difference? To be honest I don’t know! I was taught this way and have never tried just using general purpose for thinning the top coat, just a habit I guess.

When I’m ready to paint I usually mix up almost one litre of paint and thinners in an old spray gun pot (using a clean steel ruler for measuring out the two parts), double check the air pressure, half-fill the gun and we’re ready to go.

Just a quick note on air pressure, you will notice that even though you set the pressure at one level, when you pull the trigger on the spray gun the pressure will drop by a few psi. To combat this set your pressure slightly above the pressure that you want to spray at and by the time the paint hits the panel it will be at the desired pressure. This is probably not absolutely necessary, I’m just a bit pedantic when it comes to spraying.

Like when spraying undercoat, the trick is to keep the gun as square to the surface as you can, at the same distance away through the entire stroke and keep an eye on the ‘wet edge’ of the paint to be sure you are getting adequate coverage. A good idea is to have a portable fluro light that you can move around with you as you spray and when set up in the right position it can make following the wet edge a lot easier.

I made the video below to try and show you how following that wet edge of the paint is the best way of ensuring that you don’t go too thick in some areas and that you don’t end up with patchy dry areas of paint ( and to show you my flash new pair of chinese safety boots ). Following this edge is vitally important when doing the second and third coats of colour as it is almost impossible (depending on the colour) to see how the coat is being applied. The video is of the second coat being applied, I was hoping to video all three coats but some dufus, that’ll be me, kept standing in front of the camera.

With any luck your three coats of colour have turned out nice and even and have a bit of a shine to them. If the paint has turned out rough or almost sand paper like you have applied it too ‘dry’ and need to focus on laying down ‘heavier’ coats, likewise if the paint has some runs in it or has ‘built up’ areas you need to go a little lighter. The beauty of Acrylic is that once it is completely dry (an hour or two in the sun) you can then go along and wet sand any areas that you are not happy with.

Although the surface of our front guard turned out pretty good I left it in the sun for a few hours and then wet-sanded it with 1200 paper to give it a nice flat, even look before applying the clear. As you can see from the photo doing this removes just about all of the gloss the paint had but once the clear is applied the gloss will be back better than ever.

Applying the clearcoat is exactly the same process as with the colour coats. Once again I am doing three coats as I expect to remove a bit with the buffing and polishing process.

That’s where we will leave this part of the never-ending story! I will let the paint dry overnight and put the panel out in the sun for a while tomorrow before going through the final step of cutting and polishing. If you have any questions or concerns we have a board setup at the Advice Forum on this subject and so far it’s looking pretty bare so feel free to post your questions there.

Stay Tuned for Part Nine, Cutting and Polishing our new paint job.

In Part Six we looked at the final sanding process of the undercoat using a guidecoat and in this installment we will cover masking up what we don’t want to paint and the final preparation steps needed before applying the colour.

The first thing we now need to do is remove all the ’sludge’ that is left over after wet sanding our panels. Of course if you chose to dry sand the vehicle you can just use air pressure to remove the sanding dust, just be sure to get in and around every little crevice and area where dust is likely to settle. Time spent doing this is very important and don’t skimp on this step or you may find sanding dust ruining your flash new paint job.

Ok, back to the wet sanding sludge. What we need to do is give the car a good thorough wash with clean, fresh water keeping a couple of things in mind - the least amount of time that water is allowed on the primed surfaces the better and we need to make sure that the car is completely dry before proceeding further. Using compressed air to dry down the car is good, as is leaving the car in the sun for a couple of hours - just be sure that the panel surfaces have cooled down before spraying the colour. Either way it is important to ensure that there is no trace of water left anywhere as moisture can seriously ruin a paint job!

Masking up the car is pretty self-explanatory, any areas that you don’t want to paint mask it up! In my opinion it is allways better to remove an item if possible rather than masking it up. As an example, although it takes a bit of time, removing the door handles and locks rather than masking them up is better as you have a nice even paint edge around the handle when it’s refitted rather than a build up of paint against the masked up area. This is of course only my opinion, I just think the finished result is a bit more “professional” looking. Items such as headlights, tail lights etc that don’t necessarily have an edge close to them are fine to just mask up.

Spending a bit of extra dosh on good quality masking tape is also a good idea, there is nothing worse than your masking coming loose mid-way through spraying. Also the cheaper tapes tend to leave a sticky residue on the surface they are stuck to if left on for more than a couple of hours and if you choose to sand between coats it is going to be there for quite a while.

If you have flexible window seals on your vehicle such as the ones in the pictures on my VK there is a great little trick that will give you a really good paint edge and prevent the new paint from lifting. What you do is run a piece of string (I’ve even used whipper snipper cord before) around the outside of the seal which lifts it off the panel surface enough to be able to spray the paint under the seal and also gives you a good edge to apply your masking tape to.

The photos aren’t the best but believe me it does work well! It is a bit time consuming going around all the flexible seals but the end result is worth it.

Once you have all the masking done it is time to wipe down the surfaces with wax and grease remover. Wax and Grease Remover, sometimes called Prepsol, will be available from where you bought your paint and with Acrylic in particular it is important to remove all traces of wax or grease from the primed surface.

The idea is to apply it with one rag and then wipe it off with another clean, dry one. Do half a panel at a time or quarter of a panel at a time with the bonnet, roof and boot. Try not to touch any panels with your hands once cleaned down with Wax and Grease Remover as there is grease in our skin that can have an adverse effect on paint, particularly Acrylic.

I’m going to go and have a rest for a bit and then I’ll fire up the compressor and start putting some top coat on a panel or two. Don’t worry you won’t have to wait weeks for the next installment, all going well it will up later tonight or first thing tomorrow.

Part Eight can be found HERE.

No, it’s not a chop. It’s a 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow built by Joe’s Street Rod Shop. Poking out of the hood behind the Spirit of Ecstasy is a blown 572-ci Chrysler Hemi that is bottle fed to a more-than-adequate 1,350 horsepower.

The car has all of the luxury touches you would expect from a Roller, including full leather, Vintage Air A/C, four TVs and a jar of Grey Poupon. Underneath it’s a full tilt boogie runner with a Chris Austin chassis, Air Ride, Wilwood brakes, full tubs and Billet Specialties Riviera wheels.

It even has a leather-swathed trunk with matching coverings for the batteries, fuel cell and bottle. Notice the leather wrapped roll cage inside as well, a very elegant touch, and one that sums this sophisticated beast up perfectly.

The reason that this came to our attention was that we had a reader (Hi Ron!) who was following the E-Series Falcon Head Gasket Replacement Tutorial and had trouble with setting the camshaft timing. Ron was able to send through some pictures of his engine which showed that the camshaft lobes were not in the correct position when the timing was set using the ‘normal’ straight six Falcon method. Also of interest was the two yellow links in the timing chain itself.

And the incorrect cam lobe positions -

After a bit of digging around we were able to locate some information that explained the differences in Ron’s engine compared to most other E-series Falcons. Here is the email that was sent to the Ford dealers around the country -  

4.0L Engine Revision

As of January 1998, EL Falcon will be fitted with a revised I6 engine. The revision will be completely transparent as far as the Customer is concerned (no change to engine appearance, power output fuel economy, service requirements, etc). It will also be transparent to you as far as basic engine maintenance and diagnostic procedures are concerned.

However, where internal engine repairs are to be performed, it is important that the Technician realises the difference and is aware of the unique engine re-assembly procedures and specifications.

Interchangeability of parts between the old and the new level engines is not possible except where replacement part numbers are unchanged. Do not attempt to fit new level parts to the new engine, or vice versa.

Vehicle Identification
There will be a period during January 1998 when both the old and the new level engines will be used at the Assembly plant. Thus the vehicle build date may not necessarily identify the level of engine fitted to the vehicle.

Old level engines can be identified by a 95DA of 95DT casting on the cylinder head and a 96DA casting on the engine block.

New level engines can be identified by a 96DA or 96DT casting on the cylinder head and a VR2A casting on the engine block.

Note: Approximately 1,600 of these new engines will have the old level head and valvetrain fitted. The same idetification method may be used to individually identify new/old level heads.

Generally speaking, the engine dissassembly/assembly procedures are unchanged. The main difference is the size and shape of various internal components. It is important that only new level components are used as replacement parts as in many cases the old level parts will not fit or will lead to the failure of other components.

With respect to major engine repairs, the main points that you will need to keep in mind are:
-revised hardware tightening torque specifications (some components are now ‘torque to yield’).
-revised bolt tightening sequences.
-revised camshaft-to-crankshaft timing procedure.

Lash Adjuster Removal
The procedure for lash adjuster removal is unchanged. However the retaining ring has been deleted so that the piston may separate from the main body during removal if care is not taken. It is still recommended that the lash adjuster not be dismantled.

Parts Information
The following list identifies the upgraded parts used in the Falcon I6 engine

-Engine Block (identified by VR2A casting instead of 96DA)
-Crankshaft
-Crankshaft Sprocket
-Idler Sprocket
-Idler Sprocker Bolt (black finish)
-Timing Chain
-Crankshaft Main Bearing Caps
-Main Bearings
-Con Rod Nuts & Bolts (WR2A stamped on bolt) - torque to yield
-Flywheel Bolts (auto trans only)
-Cylinder Head (identified by 96DA or 96DT casting insted of 94DA or 95DT)
-Camshaft
-Camshaft Sprocket
-Camshaft Sprocket Bolt (black finish)
-Inlet and Exhaust Valves, Guides, Springs and Stem Seals
-Rocker Arms and Washers
-Rocker Shafts and Supports

Torque To Yield. Components MUST be discarded and replaced if removed or loosened.

Specifications.
-Con Rod Nuts : 25Nm, then rotate an additional 90 degrees.
-Camshaft & Idler Sprocket Bolts : 20Nm, then rotate an additional 40 degrees.

On the chance that another one of our readers has one of the 1600 or so EL’s fitted with these ‘revised’ engine I asked Ron if he could supply some images for an article and thankfully he agreed.

So basically the only changes that will be seen by someone following our guide will be the change in the procedure for setting the camshaft timing, the camshaft sprocket bolt torque setting, the presence of two yellow links in the timing chain and the fact that the lifters or lash adjusters are not a sealed unit and are able to be dismantled.

The image below, although very ordinary I admit, shows the correct camshaft timing settings. Instead of lining the mark up with the left-hand side of the cylinder head deck the timing mark is centred between the two yellow links. Further down you will see Ron’s engine with the cam timing set correctly.

And the CORRECT cam lobe positions looking from both sides of the engine-

The jury is still out on timing chain tensioner adjustment and setting procedure, as of this time I have not been able to find out weather or not there is any change from the ‘old’ engine but the investigation is on-going.

So if you have a late-model EL and are contemplating doing this job yourself please be mindful of these changes and if you spot a timing chain with two pretty yellow links in it be sure to follow the timing procedures set out here.

A BIG Thank You goes out to Ron for taking the time to supply these images.

Craig

I thought I could talk my way out of it until the officer looked at my dog on the back seat………

The owner reports spending two years on the build which is pretty quick considering the amount of fabrication and odds and ends that would crop up in a project like this.

The email that we got stated that the custom Mustang was up for sale with a starting price of $34,449 and at the time of writing had not attracted any bids.

You have to admire the amount of work, skill and dedication that goes into such a creation. If you want to stand out of the crowd, and I mean really stand out, I guess this is what it takes!

More Pics of Mustang HERE.

…Will it never end?

Be sure to check out the action shots of some of the better skids done during the day - awesome stuff!!

A big thank you goes out to Aimee Reed and Jerry for the pics. Enjoy!

AUTOFIX.COM.AU PHOTO GALLERY

Most times a waterpump leak will be easy to spot on these engines, with the engine running coolant will be seen dripping around the area of the harmonic balancer however if you are not 100% sure the waterpump is at fault I suggest having a pressure test of the cooling system carried out first. NOTE - Do not do this job with a hot engine! Wait until it has completely cooled down.

The first step of removing the cooling fan is not absolutely necessary, however for the small amount of time it takes it does make the job soooo much easier. The cooling fan is secured to the radiator by four 10mm bolts and has one electrical connection to undo (blue arrow). The bottom bolt on the drivers side is a little tricky as it is under the charcoal cannister but is easily removed with a 10mm socket, 3 inch extension and ratchet.(Notice the crack in the radiator tank on the r/h picture - not good!)

Once you have the four bolts removed and the electrical connection undone it will take a little bit of maneuvering and the fan and shroud will be out of the way. Our next step is to loosen the four 10mm bolts that hold the waterpump pulley on. The bolts are very close to the hub of the waterpump and a thin-walled socket is best for removing these. If you have to use a open ended spanner for these be careful not to round the heads off.

Once you have these bolts loosened it is time to remove the drivebelt. An 18mm spanner is needed here, however if you only have a 19mm you can CAREFULLY use the open end to release the belt tension.

Removing the belt from the waterpump pulley first is the easiest way to remove it. If you are not confident of the layout of the belt I suggest drawing yourself a diagram before removing the belt. Next we can remove the four loosened pulley bolts and remove the pulley. Now we can see the 3/8 and 1/2 inch bolts that need to be removed. A word of caution with the smaller 3/8 bolts, the threads often have a lot of corrosion around then and can be very tight. Take your time and work the bolts backwards and forwards to avoid snapping them off.

There are two dowel pins that locate the pump and a light tap with a hammer should loosen it enough to be removed.

Now comes the fun part of removing the old gasket. Be sure to remove all of the old gasket - there is nothing worse than having to do a job twice! I find that a single-sided razor blade is best for doing this. I also suggest cleaning the bolts up with a wire wheel if you have one or a wire brush. Failing these, a piece of sandpaper can come in handy to clean the bolts.

Time to check the new waterpump with the old one just to be sure the guy down at the auto parts shop has done his job correctly. Take the gasket out and apply some ‘gasket goo’ to both sides. You can now sit the gasket in place on the two locating dowels and then with waterpump in one hand and the bolts in the other you can sit the pump in place and start winding in the bolts.

Tighten the bolts, being careful not to overtighten the smaller 3/8 bolts. All the bolts only need to be nipped up with a bit more tension on the larger 1/2 bolts.

The reassembly steps are as follows -
Fit the waterpump pulley and hand tighten the four bolts. Refit the drivebelt by fitting it to all the pulleys except the waterpump one, push the tensioner down and slide the belt on to the waterpump pulley.

DON’T FORGET to now tighten the four 10mm bolts securing the waterpump pulley.

Refit the cooling fan ensuring that the electrical connection gets plugged in. Refill the cooling system, turn the heater dial to hot and let the engine reach operating temperature, check for any leaks and ensure that the cooling fan comes on and shuts off. Allow the engine to cool and check the coolant level in the reservoir. All done!