While you have that apart....general thoughts

[dmtinker]

While replacing the passenger door on my 66 Landau, (car has been sitting for 20 years) I started looking at all the inner workings and began thinking to myself "while you have this apart you should...." there's a long list. I'll probably take everything out of the door and clean/lube it.
My general question to you all is when you're in something, how do you not get bogged down it fixing (servicing) everything while it's apart.

[projo198]

In short, yes lol!

I have my dash out now and saw that at some point the heater core had leaked, so I had to pull everything out with rust dust on it and clean/paint it. Then pressure tested the heater core. After doing that I noticed my fresh air inlet seal was toast, so that is on order. Then noticed the screws holding it all together were pretty rusty so switched those out. Then decided to lubricate all the moving parts for the climate control. Naturally it is making sense to go ahead and replace all the vacuum hoses this weekend. Then decided that while the dash is out I may as well replace all the light bulbs in the gauges and display. Then figured since it's such a PITA to disassemble I may as well upgrade to LED bulbs.....

It never ends. But my dad always taught me that if you had to take something apart you may as well get it right before putting it back together. That's what separates a project that'll last years from one that will have you doing the same repairs over again in a few years.

I am VERY impatient, so sometimes I have to walk away from the car and remember it's a PROJECT, not a requirement, and that I am supposed to be enjoying myself doing it!

[David Langhorne]

I seem to remember reading that LED bulbs in the speedo display aren't dimmable so I would look into that - it would be a shame to find out too late.

[jtschug]

What I learned when I changed my fresh air inlet seal....

...removing the screws disturbed the sealer in the cowl and caused water to drip on the passenger's feet.

Dirt inside the cowl made it hard to get new sealer to stick....

...That area of the cowl is impossible to reach with the wiper bars in place...

It never ends.

[projo198]

I seem to remember reading that LED bulbs in the speedo display aren't dimmable so I would look into that - it would be a shame to find out too late.

They do. I'm weighing my want for that feature with the comfort of knowing I won't have to pull that damn gauge cluster out again for quite some time. The bulbs were only 12 bucks on Amazon, so I am going to see how they look before putting the dash back together.

[projo198]

What I learned when I changed my fresh air inlet seal....

...removing the screws disturbed the sealer in the cowl and caused water to drip on the passenger's feet.

Dirt inside the cowl made it hard to get new sealer to stick....

...That area of the cowl is impossible to reach with the wiper bars in place...

It never ends.

Thanks for the heads up! With the interior currently gutted I may just spray that whole area clean with water before taking it apart.

Would this job even be possible with the dash in place? Seems it would be easier if that part of the cowl was accessible and the seal was bolted from the OUTSIDE!

[sseebart]

Would this job even be possible with the dash in place? Seems it would be easier if that part of the cowl was accessible and the seal was bolted from the OUTSIDE!

I think you'll find that the Ford engineers of the early 60's had very little regard for ease in maintenance and repairs. The challenge, though, adds to triumph of finally setting things right.

[Rt.146]

While replacing the passenger door on my 66 Landau, (car has been sitting for 20 years) I started looking at all the inner workings and began thinking to myself "while you have this apart you should...." there's a long list. I'll probably take everything out of the door and clean/lube it.
My general question to you all is when you're in something, how do you not get bogged down it fixing (servicing) everything while it's apart.

Realizing copious amounts of time have passed on a project, put it down go to something else, in which once again you may find yourself in another bogged down situation, happens all the time, I have a few going at present.

[paulr]

In short, yes lol!

I have my dash out now and...

...my dad always taught me that if you had to take something apart you may as well get it right before putting it back together. That's what separates a project that'll last years from one that will have you doing the same repairs over again in a few years.

In the case if dashboards I strongly agree with your dad. To take stock of every seal, hose, cable, harness, bulb, connector, sound deadener/insulator, vacuum motor, expansion valve, cork tape, column sliding mechanism, radio speaker, vent assembly, register duct, temp regulator valve, grommet, screw, lock washer, speed nut, etc., etc. is really worth it when you’re driving down the avenue at a later date and you have confidence that dashboard is never coming off again in your lifetime!

Wanna really have a new HVAC working plenum? Open it up (it comes apart). Clean out the scary stuff; might even find money inside. Take all the doors apart, scrape off the disintegrated dusty old damper material. Get a 10 mil. sheet of neoprene for a few bucks and cut new seals for all the doors. If the old seam sealant is dried and gone replace that, too. That bit of work will be the difference between creaky, leaky heater doors and a tight, silent system.

[dmtinker]

While replacing the passenger door on my 66 Landau, (car has been sitting for 20 years) I started looking at all the inner workings and began thinking to myself "while you have this apart you should...." there's a long list. I'll probably take everything out of the door and clean/lube it.
My general question to you all is when you're in something, how do you not get bogged down it fixing (servicing) everything while it's apart.

Realizing copious amounts of time have passed on a project, put it down go to something else, in which once again you may find yourself in another bogged down situation, happens all the time, I have a few going at present.

LOL your last picture looks almost exactly like what I'm working with....even the new floor pan. What got me thinking about this was looking at the lock mechanism and seeing all the grease caked on the old one.

[Rt.146]

LOL your last picture looks almost exactly like what I'm working with....even the new floor pan. What got me thinking about this was looking at the lock mechanism and seeing all the grease caked on the old one.

[/quote] I have finished my interior since those pics. Working on the motor and regulators for the windows was one of those bogged down projects taking the motors to an electrical repair shop (strong motors Ford put in, so they may be refurnish-able) and cleaning up the regulators, the vent window frame needs to come out to replace the gasket a lot of time doing all this, maybe doing it over several times, I did not take the lock cylinders out, maybe I should have I broke a key inside the passenger side lock, taking off and putting back some things stop me, because of lack of knowledge like the locks. I did not take the "window scissors" out of the door, I for mine did not think it necessary, I just lubricated the tracks. A couple of pics. putting it back together. I repaired my kick panels saved $70. per panel.

[dmtinker]

How did you lubricate them? I have another post where I just asked that question.

[Rt.146]

How did you lubricate them? I have another post where I just asked that question.

I used white lithium grease, though others have used different greases , you can open the cover that is in front of the window motor, enabling cleaning of the petrified old grease, the gears inside may need replacing, readily available.