Rob Edwards

The front lower control arms are the same part number, so they should be interchangeable side-to-side. When the LCAs are new, I would guess that the front and rear rubber bushings are installed on the arms in the neutral position. As best we can tell, Mark's rebuilder must have taken William's used arms that we sent, and replicated the angle at which the old front bushings (which would have taken a 'set') sat. So when the new arms came back, they were no longer 'symmetrical with respect to the position of the bushings. Initially we tried to put them back where they were, but the ride height was absurd. Ended up flipping them side-to-side.

This is just conjecture, I don't actually have pics of the front bushings relative to the arms, before vs. after, but it's the only thing we can think of that would change the ride height.

Rob Edwards

Little more progress today, got a front belly pan, needs a little love.

Stripping (makes an interesting snap-crackle pop as the paint lets go...)



Naked, top:


Naked, bottom:

crushingday

What paint stripper did you use? I want to do mine and my cross member

Rob Edwards

Jasco paint and epoxy stripper:

crushingday

Thank you

The Deputy

Disregard below statement...thought you said a-arm...but I see you mentioned LCA.

Having a difficult time wrapping my brain around this. Since the A-arms just pivot on those bushings and doesn't offer any or much resistances. Like when I unbolted my upper ball-joint the other day on the 84, the A-arm just lifted out of the way so I could replace the ball-joint boot...there wasn't any "down pressure" involved from the bushing.

Regardless, glad you found a correction for the issue.

Man, I wish we could leave that belly pan naked...looks awesome that way.

Brian.

linderpat

another point of reference - here's my pump with original box.

Rob Edwards

Ed-

Awesome! Request and a question for you-

1- Does the other side have the ZVW113101 sticker on it? If so, any chance you could shoot a good closeup pic of it and the Electro-Air sticker? I want to add them to the '78 sticker collection suite.

2- What does the cigarette lighter plug look like? Black with vertical ribs? Just curious, as the one I got is missing the power plug.

linderpat

I'll check Rob. Alex also wants box measurements.

Rob Edwards

William has put about 600 miles on the car, checking stuff out, in prep for the drive to Monterey. Something in the accessory belts was making some noise, the stethoscope pointed to the fan pulley bearings, which we'd not replaced. Pulled it off, removed the old bearings- shoulda replaced them before:



Replacements from 928Intl:


Pressed in, snap-ring back in:


For whatever reason the threads on the fan clutch shaft were a bit gamey- cleaned them up with an M10x1.5 tap, good as new.

Rob Edwards

One more puzzle piece: later single inlet muffler, modded to work with the '78 intermediate muffler pipe and battery box bracket. Fitted on the car, now off again for cleanup and paint.

Inlet flange (the whole muffler is upside down...):




Lateral view and a week's worth of Diet Coke:

dr bob

9.875 x 6.125 x 3.25 outside dims on the box. It is 0.120" thick corrugated board. It is/was a white outer finish with no markings on the box itself. I can generate a flat diagram of the box with fold locations if needed.

I have a good scan of the bilingual (US English and Canadian French) instruction sheet shortly. There's also a separate card insert that includes available accessories, but I'm hesitant to unfold it for scanning unless it's of serious interest.

Rob, the power cable has ribs on the finger-pull area, smooth on the part that fits in the plug, ribbed on the little metal barrel that is the tip. There is one (only) ground strip on the barrel. I can get pics if that would help, but I'm pretty blind right now and for the next week or so (predicted).

VanD

I've seen the white box before, but Ed's is just plain cardboard. Are both correct? Can you post a pic of the white box you have?

dr bob

Here be they:

William A

We are convinced the "clocking" of the front lower control arm bushing was the problem. Since every other suspension component was original, same springs, replacement shock measurements identical to original, the only difference was the non neutral orientation of the front bushing mount. Yesterday Mark Anderson was sorting through scores of used LCAs, and they were virtually neutral save from age fatigue.


The effect of reversing the LCAs preloaded it to push up against the spring instead of unloading it by pulling down the suspension. The spring itself will neutralize the preloading so the car won't sit lower than it should.


I do have a concern about travel and premature binding upon compression, but that is another discussion.