[TR] Garage Mirage Part 2

[terryrs at comcast.net]

5.B  After spending $700 at Mo-Ma for rebuilt gauges, I had nice bezels and
I'm sure great inner workings, but the needles and faces looked horrible.B  On
top of it, after the alternator conversion last year, the ammeter was
useless.B  And to add insult to injury, the fuel gauge stopped working a few
months after the Mo-Ma rebuild.B  To heck with it.B  I bought SunPro fuel,
voltage, mechanical oil, and electrical temperature gauges.B  A machine shop
tapped the old thermostat housing hollow bolt that held the mechanical old
style bulb.B  Now itB  holds the sending unit for the new temp gauge.B  While
I had the instrument panel out, I renewed the screw-on connectors for the
switches as needed.B 

6.B  Greased every fitting, changed oil in the engine, the fuel filter, etc.B 
This also required drilling the SunPro fuel sending unit and building a
plexiglass adapter flange for the top to hold it all together, with a paper
gasket to seal everything up.B  Easy enough.B  Also topped off the
differential.

7.B  Drained the OverDrive oil.B  Somebody on the list suggested using an oil
filter band wrench to take off the brass plug that houses the filter.B  Worked
like a peach.B  First time in several years I cleaned the screen.B  Didn't
seem to need it, but I feel better.B  Replaced the tranny/OD oil with
Valvoline 20-50 Racing Oil, which has worked fine over the past several
years.B 

8.B  Took out the seats and carpets since these had been damp when I finished
last year's season.B  Noted that the seat rails I'd sourced used several years
ago were in the initial stages of rust already.B  Stripped the conventional
paint off them and POR-15'ed them.B  Lubed the heck out of the rail's release
levers so they operate smoothly, and will use assembly lube on the rails
themselves, not that I shift seat positions much.B  Just want the option.B