Gas tank and sending unit

Hi folks,
  It's time for another progress update.  I mentioned in my last post that my sending unit was not here yet.  Since then I did receive the sending unit, tested it by connecting it to my car, and even installed it in my fuel tank.  This is when I first pulled it from the tank:

As you can see, it was pretty gunky and the brass float had completely disintegrated. There is a piece still hanging onto the wire float arm.  And here is a pic after I tried to clean it up slightly using carb cleaner:

Even with a lot of the gunk cleaned off, it was still pretty rusty.  This is what it looked like after I received it from Mr. O'Hara at Tri-Starr Radiator: 

He did an excellent job!  There was some deep pitting in the metal, but that could not be helped.  Otherwise if looks like new.  The tank that I purchased came with a new lock ring, so I did not have to purchase one of those.  Here is a pic of it installed in the tank with the new lock ring:

As you can see, I decided to paint the tank black.  The original tank was covered in rubberized undercoating, but I really hated to go that route.  I did however want some protection from rust.  So, with a lot of prep work, I went with a semi flat black paint which was applied via spray cans.  It turned out pretty well:

BUT, it didn't last long.  I had a little bit of trouble installing the tank and scratched it all up.  Just a tip for those who may try this:  if you don't replace the tank straps, be sure to loosen the nuts on them all of the way before starting the install!  I did not do this and it took a few extra steps to get it installed.  Here's a pic of the installed tank with it's scratched up paint:

I should be able to touch it up a bit now that it's installed, so no worries there.  As you may be able to see, I also just painted over the undercoating on the tank straps.  I probably should have just replaced them, but they had absolutely no rust and were still in really good shape.  And I almost forgot to mention the tank pads that go on the top of the tank.  I couldn't find any replacements, so I just cleaned the old ones up the best I could and reinstalled them. 

As for the fuel lines, I also opted to not replace them either.  I just used my oil mixing syringe that I used earlier in this project and squirted a half and half mixture of Seafoam and gasoline through the lines.  Most of what came out on the other side was just old gas.  There were a few pieces of rust sediment, but it was really minimal.  I installed an inline filter just before the fuel pump, just in case.  I let that mixture sit while I installed the tank, then followed it up with straight gas.  I also replaced all of the rubber fuel lines and clamps.  No pics of those as they are pretty generic.  And that is basically it!  I was able to put some gas in the tank and start her up!  I even drove her, very carefully, around the block.  I think I smiled for two days straight afterward.  But this is just the beginning.  There are a lot of rubber components that need to be replaced and she still needs a general tune-up, and a transmission.  That will all come in time though.  OH! I almost forgot to post a pic of my helper:

And don't worry, she was kept away from all gas and chemicals. 

Carter YFA Rebuild

It has literally been years since I have rebuilt a carburetor, but I knew I had to do it before I could get the old girl started.  I didn't necessarily want to go with just any parts store's rebuild kit, because sometimes they are not the best quality.  I ended up going with a kit from Mike's Carburetor Parts out of  Rochester, Washington.  The guy who runs the business seems to really know his stuff, and he even had videos on YouTube detailing how to rebuild the Carter YFA.  The kit was $24.95, and was of very good quality.  I definitely recommend going to Mike for all of your carb needs!  His website is: http://www.carburetor-parts.com.

When it came to cleaning my carburetor, I decided that I would really like to soda blast it.  Unfortunately, I do not have a blaster or a large air compressor, so I started searching the net for a solution.  I came across an article on how to make a DIY soda blaster.  They recommended a larger air compressor than what I have, but I decided to try it anyway.  I initially tried a box of baking soda, but it was very slow and I used the box up in just a few minutes.  I found some extra large soda blasting media at Harbor Freight, but the smallest amount they had was a 50 lb. bag.  I went ahead and bought it and have to admit that it worked much better than the box of baking soda and was much cheaper in the long run.  My compressor is only 2HP and has an 8 Gallon tank, so I only did a small section at a time.  It did an amazing job!  The carb doesn't look as good as some of the ones I saw online, but it is definitely much cleaner!  I cleaned most of the internals with carb cleaner, and you want to be sure to rinse all of that soda off.  For info on how to make your own homemade soda blaster, check out this site: http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

Below are some before and after pics.  Sorry that the before pics are not very clear.  It was starting to get dark out when I took them.

Before 1

Before 2

After 1

After 2

First Steps

Hello again,
  I went to my Mother-in-law's (Suzanne's) a couple of weeks back and started the steps to awaken the old Granada.  My first and main concern was that the engine had not been turned over at all in six years or more.  This can lead to the piston rings fusing to the cylinder walls and to a rebuild if it is bad enough.  So my first step was to make sure that the pistons would be able to move freely and with some lubrication when I was ready to turn the engine over.  This made me remember what an older friend of mine told me about this subject several years ago.  Basically you take the spark plugs out and squirt some Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders.  If you leave it in there for a few days or even weeks, then it will start to seep around the rings and make sure that they are free to move.  It also adds a little bit of initial lubrication since no oil has been pumped into the cylinders for several years.  So that is basically what I did.  I removed all six plugs from the old 250 six cylinder one at a time and used a two cycle oil measuring syringe to squirt the oil into the cylinders.  We'll see how it goes once I try to start her up!

My next concern was that I was unable to start the Granada six years ago before I moved it.  I had to winch it up onto a trailer to get it to Suzanne's house.  I narrowed it down to a fuel pump back then, but had no cash to fix it.  So I have now bought a new fuel pump for it at O'Reilly's Auto Parts and installed it.  It is super easy on an old car like this.  You have two fuel lines to disconnect, and two bolts to remove.  That is basically it.  And don't forget to install the gasket that comes with it!

Parts used:
Oil Mixing syringe
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hopkins-Mfg.-Corp.-10111-6-Oil-Mixing-Tool/22314667

Marvel Mystery Oil
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MVL0/MM13R/N0443.oap?..

Fuel Pump
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PFP0/M16060/02535.oap?year=1977&make=Ford&model=Granada&vi=1129902&ck=Search_C0401_1129902_1312&pt=C0401&ppt=C0025

This is my Granada after six years in Suzanne's garage

Fresh Starts and Second Chances

Hello all,
  This blog is dedicated to my first car, a 1977 Ford Granada.  I still own this car and it has unfortunately been left sitting in my mother-in-law's garage for the past six or so years.  As I start working on it, I hope to post my progress here and share any valuable information that may help others.  Some may say, why keep and work on an old Granada? First off, let me give you a little background on my car.

  A friend of our family owned the Granada for years, and when my Mom started looking for a car, we found that he had decided to sell it.  It needed a few repairs, but was in pretty darn good shape at the time.  (Keep in mind that this was in 1990, and I was eight years old.)  My Mom was a homemaker and also worked on our family farm alongside my Dad and Uncle.  She didn't need anything super new, she mainly just needed something to drive to the store and to visit family in that wasn't a truck.  So my parents purchased the old Granada for $1000.  She served the family well for about 5 years, but was really starting to have some issues.  In about 1995, my Mom started working for a local organization called C.A.S.A (Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound), and really needed a more dependable vehicle to drive.  It was going to cost a bit to repair the old Granada, so my parents decided to buy another car.  One of my uncle's owned a body shop and ended up selling my Mom a 1990 Chevy Lumina that had been repaired in his shop.  We didn't really need the Granada any more, so my parents decided to sell it for $500.  For some reason, this really bothered me.  Up until this time I didn't think I had any real attachment to the car.  So, for whatever reason, I asked my Mom and Dad if there was any way that we could keep it.  My parents took this into consideration and a couple of days later asked if I wanted the car.  My initial reaction was "heck no!" because I didn't want that ugly car!  But the more I thought about it, I realized that I could have my own car at 13 years old.  So, I soon accepted the offer and haven't looked back.  By the time I was sixteen, I had it in pretty good running condition and even did my driver's license exam in it.   So between the sentimental ties to the car and my love of Fords, I had almost no choice but to keep it and fix it.

  Stay tuned for future posts on my progress!

This was right after I washed it and took it to my mother-in-law's six years ago.  It's not really that shiny, just wet.