Well, if you're completely SOL, there's a specialty machine shop near me, I'm pretty sure they specialize in making special driveshafts and stuff like that.

Grab a coat
Grab a shovel
Grab an ice pick

I'm gonna pry that donor car's axle from its cold, stiff fingers. >:3

Success.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...080&fit=bounds

Hrm. :/

So all has been good and happy since the axle snap and a few weeks ago I elected to complete the work on the front by replacing the tie rod ends, the pitman arm and then sending it to a shop for the strut rod bushings, the lower control arm bushings and the lower ball joints which I finally managed to track down. Save for the spring perch bushings that I cannot find there's no more bushing left in the steering and suspension left to replace. It's all new.
I elected to leave the job to a shop because I don't have the tools at the moment to spin off the CV nuts and push the CV's out so I could then drop the lower control arm. It all came back nice and aligned and felt great.

Then today I did my annual oil and filter change and on inspection I found one of my CV boots had slipped off and the other was slinging grease. At some point since I changed the tie rod ends the metal boot clamps disappeared and in their place on both sides was a black zip tie.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag.../CGS_10506.JPG

I'm clearly going to raise hell at the shop on Monday because that would of been a very, very expensive breakdown but I don't understand why they would of needed to remove the boot straps unless instead of pushing the CV out of the bearing hub they just pulled the CV apart. That makes no sense.

Also I got a ton of flak from people because I use Fram oil filters. I've been using them for over ten years with no issues but apparently they had a period a few years ago where the build quality was not great and now they are engine-ruining pieces of trash? I'm not totally buying this but I'm curious what happened.

Well they may not have been able to get the cv axle out of the hub. So to save your hub and bearing from the destructive forces needed to remove the axle, they probably just took it apart. However, I'll never understand how mechanics seem to think that a pissant zip tie can hold an axle boot on. The worst part is that generic stainless steel tie straps are cheap and available, and there's really no excuse not to keep some around your shop.

If I were you I would give them the keys and say nothing besides: "You ziptied my axle boots on. Fix it right this time."

I got my explanation today. Kinda makes sense.

The new ball joints include a grease nipple, but it was discovered once everything was reinstalled (he did actually push the CV out of the hub and not just separate them) that on the first rotation the clamp hit the nipple and trashed the clamp on both sides. Our solution is to remove the grease nipples and put much lower profile NPT plugs in the holes, then just switch in the nipples every time I add more grease.

Apparently not. Because the grease nipple added pretty much no clearance they didn't have anything that wouldn't just break again. It took me a few phone calls as well to find anyone local selling clamps. It was weird. Like hose pinch clamps the main suppliers all only stock one size now.
Anyways its dealt with now. I'll pick up the extra bits and they'll be installing it at no cost.

Yeah the pinch clamps are not common. But basic stainless tie straps are a Harbor Freight item. Granted, theirs kind of suck, but still better than nothing.

Also, the zerk fitting is a good inch away from the clamp's travel, and it's still present in that last photo. So, um...

>_>

That's a straight fitting that was installed to replace the 90 degree elbow fitting that came with the kit. I don't have it on hand right now but they are quite a bit larger.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...pxAlM&usqp=CAU

I grabbed some of the cheap strap-type clamps on the way home from work but I also got a pair of the ear-type clamps from a 35 year old Superboot kit I don't trust to install because it's so old (the boot, not the clamp).

There we go. They cleaned up the grease slinging and put the clamps on for free and I built new threaded plugs that screw into the ports on the new joints. Plenty of clearance now.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...080&fit=bounds

RCR reviews on youtube posted a history of AMC today in which they humorously described the Eagle as "basically a passenger car wearing an Indiana Jones hat". Kind of a fitting description for something more capable than any sedan of its time, but less capable than a truck built for off road.

Roman's write-up was great. AMC had pretty much bankrupted themselves on the design, marketing and sale of the Pacer and when that failed they had to push SOMETHING, so why not rehash the last decade's worth of model bodies, but with trim changes and AWD. For as much as people say its awesome and the beginning of whatever the hell they want to call it, this was a line of cars built on "how cheap can we make this with whatever parts we've already made?"

Anyways, the headliner and sun visors have FINALLY been rebuilt. They've been out of the car since late 2019 and didn't make it into a shop due to logistical challenges. Eventually I decided it would be easier to put the headliner back in and just take it back out again as I pulled into the upholstery shop.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag.../CGS_10851.JPG
https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag.../CGS_10852.JPG

So aside from a deep clean and detail and adjusting a few things that rattle and clatter the interior is back together again.

"how cheap can we make this with whatever parts we've already made?" but also "what parts will the Big 3 sell us cheaply?", thus leading to stuff like GM AC compressors and Ford ignition boxes under the hoods of AMCs.

Headliner turned out nice.

I still cannot put my head around how many parts AMC phoned in. I'm STILL finding things that cross reference to The Big Three....and then some!
When I refurbished the intake manifold I discovered the electric manifold heater is a VW/Audi part. I checked my spare manifold and it is too.
When I did the alternator, sure it's a Corvette part.
Remember when I rebuilt the rollover valve?



Delorean.

The engine came out at the end of March and was sent in for a rebuild. At this point I really shouldn't be considering something costing $5000 but dammit, I'm going to stay committed to this car.
Several things were noticed.

1- While it was in for a block rebuild, it was found that even though I had the head sent separately to be rebuilt in 2020, that machine shop did a "refresh", not a "rebuild". Other than the stem seal umbrellas and redressing the valves in their seats no other work was done and it was found that the valves and their stem seals were all badly worn, so we opted to rebuild the head again and put all new parts in it.

2- Bearing surfaces looked okay. They were original to the engine but there was no signs of serious problems

3 - Pistons had light scuffing, so a rebuild was indeed time

4 - Camshaft had bad wear on the fuel pump eccentric. When I measured the lobes for abnormal wear I found the lobes at the front of the engine were visibly smaller than the lobes at the rear of the engine. They were not wiped out, so I'm not sure what happened there.

I asked for all the used parts back so I could examine them myself and to catch any issues (also I wanted to save the water pump because it only has 40000km on it). As it turns out they almost threw out my pump-to-manifold coolant hose and while I found my old block heater in the box I don't see mention of a new one on the invoice, so I'll verify with them again on Tuesday because it's WAY easier to install the block heater that lives under the manifolds with the engine out of the car.