What Did You do Today - Car Related?

[chopper526]

I wanted to try a paintless dent repair system (I posted a stock picture), any of you guys ever try this?

Late to the party🥴 Chopper i've done various different hail dent pulling approches, but not with that tool. My PDR guy showed me a lot with that tool. Key to it is small steps... don't over pull. Several smaller pulls and check. He had a white nylon (large Crayon looking pointed stick) that he maticulously tapped down the secondary damage, then.tap any over pull back down. When you have a dent, you have primary damage, (down dent) and secondary damage, (ring up around the dent.). Lighting is key to seeing damage/removing damage. I've found reflected light (like from a window down the panel)  is really good to see whats going on. They use a particular type light down the side to see. Do Not Attempt In Direct Sunlight! You are just flying blind!

I am finding out you are 100% correct Sammons. I am getting better with every dent I pull, but the first few it seems I over pulled. Light touch, feel and experience seem to do the trick. Glad I'm learning on someone else's car

[sammons]

I haven't done squat on a car all winter. My buddy Tom got his 350 block back from machine shop and got it assembled for his '58 LCF wheat truck. Got it mounted up on my test stand couple weeks ago, ran the initial 20 min break in. Toward the end it sounded like it was not hitting good. 2,300rpm, oil pressure 70lbs, temp at 185. Shut down, rechecked valves....4 loose....sh$t!  4 lifters cupped, 3 lifters had problems on the push rod end😡

He nor I have ever had a failure before. Called supplier....of course they have never had a failure before with Elgin. No refund but offered replacement. Tom declined, (once bitten, twice shy).

All propper steps, zinc break in oil cam lube etc. Pulled engine down, cam dosen't show damage but you know it is. Bearings looked great, oil filter element showed no chunks but a little fine glitter in sunlight. Ordered new Comp cam & lifters, and another new Milling oil pump and new pick up assy for saftey🥴

[sixball]

Well that sucks!

[TFoch]

Hopefully once reassembled you don't have the same issues!

[Rattiac]

On the bright side.  It happened on the stand and not in the car. 

This week I had a 02 firebird convertible and the rest of the week was dock pads for a trucking company.
Kinda slow if im doing these.

[chopper526]

Man Sammons, that lifter is smoked!! But what was the cause?

[chopper526]

So I was using the paintless dent repair puller kit on this Mustang I am working on. Each dent got a little easier to work and looking pretty good, not perfect but good. Then I tried a dent on the top of the fender. The dent pulled out almost perfect...............it also pulled off the clearcoat the size of a dime and the color coat the size of a pinhead!!!! Damn it, this is what I was afraid of. So now I had to touch it up and spray clear on the spot. I'll let it harden for a couple days and see if I can cut and buff it.

[sixball]

I am much better at making dents than fixing them. The same impulsiveness that makes go good at one really screws me up on the other. 

[sammons]

On the bright side.  It happened on the stand and not in the car. 

Thats the nice thing about a test stand. Break in and check before going into a tough R&I engine bay or for a car that isn't ready yet.
Sometimes you do some strange jobs when you hit a slow spot, gotta keep the bills paid😁

Chopper, it would just be a guess. Because the cam wasn't wiped out i could only come up with bad heat treatment on lifter faces. 4 of them were cupped bad. We always check lifter bores and make sure lifters spin free, so it wasn't that either. Single stock valve springs so no extra pressure on break in.

Sounds like your getting the hang of that dent puller. My PDR guy always made sure he was dealing with factory paint in good condition. If it was a re- paint or clear coat peel or fade, he would write the Estimate with a warning of No guarenty against paint damage.

[sammons]

Tom got the 350 reassembled and back on the test stand yesterday. Fired it up today and run a second Cam break-in. All went well with the Comp cam and lifters. It sounded real good this go round and ran 20° hotter on the 20 min run. Guess thats about right hitting a solid 8 cyls😁  recheck of everthing and valves....all good this time.

[Rattiac]

Cool. Happy endings are nice. 

[sixball]

That is good! It's nice when things work out.

[TFoch]

Glad it went smooth this time!

[chopper526]

Glad you her going, just the added expense and time involved, ugh!
I used that PDP on the roof of my son's Camaro where a tree branch fell on it. It came out almost perfect, much better than I ever thought was possible.

[62131]

]'ve been working on a no sew interior in my 32. I have the wind lace, headliner, and carpet installed, all the panels made and fitted.  I'm looking for some ideals on raised panel designs. Flat panels I feel would just be to plane. Does anyone have any suggestions?