Seasonal Service

Seasonal Safety Service

Story and photos by John Gunnell

Winter means “downtime” for muscle cars and provides their owners with the extra hours needed to give them a good safety check. If you take care of your steering, brakes, exhaust and other mechanical systems during winter, your muscle car will be ready to roll when it warms up and the snow melts.

Safety service on muscle cars begins with lubrication of the steering linkage, transmission linkage, parking brake assembly and accelerator linkage. Your local parts store can supply the lubricants you’ll need. Products like special Axle Oil and Positraction Differential Additive may be required for muscle cars. Clayton Balmes of Lefthander Chassis (www.lefthanderchassis.com) in Roscoe, Illinois, is an expert on specialty lubricants and hot rod oils.

Balmes says a regular water resistant EP chassis lubricant is what you need to lube the steering linkage. Lubrication of the shift linkage is another job. If the linkage breaks or binds, you’d be unable to control the car. Grease the shift linkage and the contact faces of floor-mounted manual gearbox control levers. Lubricate parking brake cable, cable guides and operating links and levers. The carburetor stud and lever and accelerator pedal lever are lubed with engine oil.

Balmes says to check the brake master cylinder fluid level, especially if your muscle car has a single-chamber system. Dual-circuit systems didn’t appear until the late ‘60s. On older master cylinders, remove the cover and look to see that fluid is within a ¼ inch from the filler opening. On later cars with see-through reservoirs you can check the fluid level against the mark molded into the plastic.

Many shop manuals recommend Delco Supreme 11 or DOT-3 brake fluid. Michael Jonas of Stainless Steel Brakes Corp. (www. ssbrakes,com) says DOT-3 absorbs water. “The proof is it will make your fingers look like prunes,” he says. “When DOT-3 turns brown, it has water and dirt in it—get rid of it.”

Bryan uses a squeeze bottle to get oil on the transmission shift linkage.

Jonas says DOT-4 fluid is “really good.” New high-temp DOT-4 absorbs very little moisture and takes high heat. If your system currently has DOT-3, you can siphon it out of the master cylinder. “Then pour in the Dot-4 and just crack the bleeder screws until all the DOT-3 flows out,” says Jonas. He also warns that nothing other than brake fluid should be installed. “I hear guys saying that alcohol will ‘wipe out’ the system, but all it will do is blow the seals up like balloons.”

Jonas doesn’t like DOT-5 (silicone) brake fluid for anything other than daily driving. “If you drive your muscle car fast, DOT-5 fluid warms up, so your pedal will be really hard one minute and go right to the floor the next,” he says.

Top off power steering fluid. If the fluid is about 150-degrees F., the level should be between the “hot” and “cold” marks. If cold (70degrees F.) it should be between the “Add” and “Cold” marks. Top off power steering fluid, but it doesn’t have to be changed. Fill the windshield washer reservoir with fluid. If you drive the car in cold weather, change to a windshield washer fluid that won’t ice up.

Rotate tires for more uniform wear. Rotation patterns have changed, so follow the advice in your factory owner’s manual. If you have none, plan on 6,000- to 8,000-mile rotation intervals or rotate if you see uneven wear. The first time is critical. If you notice uneven wear, check alignment or look for problems.

The pressure of the air in your tires is an important safety factor. Do not assume that modern tires, even if they look old fashioned, should be inflated the same as old tires. Check sidewall markings or ask the company you bought the tires from for the correct inflation pressure. Know the recommended cold or hot readings so you can get accurate readings whether you’re home or on the road.

Check tire condition. Look for excessive wear or damage. Look for bent or cracked wheels. Use a torque wrench to ensure all wheels are tightened to spec. If your muscle car has drum brakes, check

Check condition of complete exhaust system. This one was OK.

Lubricate the carb linkage, especially with multi-carb induction.

Bryan Herndon uses power greaser to lube ’7 Corvette steering linkage.

the brake adjustment following the procedures outlined in the factory shop manual. If you cannot get a good adjustment, your brake linings are worn beyond limits and must be replaced. If the car has disc brakes, see if the pads are worn or if the rotors are scored.

Good disc brake pads and rotors work for regular driving. If your muscle car pushes a bit or slides when you brake, the pads are worn or the rotors are getting smooth. Some mechanics may turn the rotors, but this thins the rotor and reduces service life. A wellmaintained rotor should last as long as the car.

Be sure your pads don’t go all the way down to the bolts and hit metal. Usually, you’ll hear noise if this happens. A rotor absorbs heat, but it can’t do this if it’s thinned out. Cheap brake pads eat rotors up early. In fact, discounters will sell cheap ones because they know you’ll be back soon for a complete brake job.

Racing type brake pads may sound cool, but some will eat up rotors if used for street driving. No one type of brake pad is good for all applications. The ideal combination is a hard rotor and soft pad and hard rotors are a function of good metallurgy, not design. Hard rotors are shiny and low-grade rotors are dull.

Check your exhaust system, including the catalytic converter (1973 and later). Look for broken, damaged, missing or out-of-position parts. Also inspect for open seams, holes, loose connections or other conditions that could cause a heat build-up in the floor pan and let exhaust fumes enter the car. Telltale signs of a leak into the passenger compartment include dust or water inside the car. If you replace the muffler, replace the exhaust pipes and resonators behind it, too.

Check your muscle car’s front and rear suspensions. Look for sagging leaf springs. Mike Eaton at Eaton Detroit Spring (www.eatondetroitspring.com) is the expert in this department. He can help you with your muscle car spring problems. Check riding height to see if either of the front coil springs is weak. Look 2 MUSCLE CAR PLUS MAGAZINE OCT/NOV 2020 Check brake and fluid lines for damage or leaks. Look for crooked or stripped fittings. Look for lines that are loose or nearly rubbed through. Check for rust. Check belts. A broken belt could strand you in an unsafe location. Check for proper tension. If you see wear, cracks or signs of frayed rubber, replace the belt.

Check and adjust your parking brake, especially on stick shift cars. A factory shop manual or general repair manual covering your model year will give detailed instructions for the proper adjustment. Do not pull up or push down on a parking brake actuator with more than normal force. This can damage the parking brake or cause it to become stuck with the braking action on.

Check the throttle linkage for damage or missing parts. Any issues with the linkage could cause interference or binding and, in a worst case scenario, make the throttle stick open causing you to lose control of the car.

(Special thanks to John Bergstrom, Jim Wagner, Bryan Herndon, Bill Turney, Michael Jonas and Al Wagner for their help with information and photo arrangements.)

Rock both ends of car lightly before checking spring/ride heights.

Open reservoir to check brake fluid level. Note use of fender cover.