Restoration of BringaTrailer 240z - HLS30-35883

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Found these in my misc. zip lock bags of Datsun hardware - so I am all set for the hardware now for the quarter window interior trim panels.  

 

I installed the rear hatch glass into another NOS rear hatch weather strip I had on the shelf.  And, I again polished the stainless trim for the rear hatch glass, only this time, I installed it while the hatch glass is off of the car.  I don't have any more of these weather strips on "the shelf"... so this one needs to go in without any problems!

 

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With the assistance of a helper, I was able to install the hatch glass again last night, this time with the stainless trim already installed in the gasket.  The hardest part was getting the outer edge of the seal to seat against the outside of the hatch surface, when pulling the cord to start bringing the seal lip over and to the inside surface of the pinch weld flange.  I started pulling the cord in the middle of the bottom side.  With the stainless trim installed, the outside edge of the seal wants to tuck down inside the hatch glass opening instead of being pushed outward to lay flat on the outer surface.  To solve, you need to push/pull the hatch glass/weather strip assembly downward toward and against the bottom of the opening.  If you do not, the glass will want to move away from the bottom side and as you pull the rope, the outside edge of the weather strip will tuck inside outer edge of the opening (the part where the outside surface of the hatch turns 90 degree downwards to create the flange for the hatch glass. 

After a couple of false starts, where I had to put the glass back on a work surface and put the rope back into the groove, we understood that we needed to keep the glass tightly against the bottom edge as I pulled the rope to bring the inner lip of the seal into the inside of the weld flange.  Pulling the rope around to each side and up each side equally, and then across the top, there were no issues.  We found that for the top edge, pushing on the outside of the glass (to press it into the window opening) worked better as I pulled the rope for that side (fourth, and last, in the order that I went in).

This time, there are no cuts or nicks in the rubber seal at all.  For some reason, this factory seal had a bunch of gummy stuff all over it, perhaps to assist with installation, if I am guessing.  It seemed a lot more flexible that the other one that I destroyed.  Perhaps it was much newer than the previous one I used.  I still need to remove that with adhesive remover, and when I do so, the stainless trim won't look dull like it does now.

 

Today, I plan to work on making a copy of brake booster tool ST08050000 so I can get my brake booster apart to start rebuilding it.

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Making the tool went well today.  It took me a few hours.  The plate I found in the "drops" area of my close-by metals store was quite thick, so it took a while to drill through it with drill bits and a hole saw.  My re-sharpened titanium coated drill bit wasn't working well.  Instead, I made a trip to Home Depot and picked up a new set - this time "cobalt" drill bits.  The set has two each of many of the common sizes, which I like. 

I made the tool a bit differently than the factory one.  The handle portion overlaps the plate only on the top side.  The bottom side of the plate is totally flat.  I squeezed the handles in my hydraulic press to squash the ends that are welded to the plate.  On the underside of the handles, I cut a way a the part that would overlap like the top does and just butt welded to the side of the plate.    

    

 

Inspection when I got it apart revealed a large tear in the diaphragm.  I was pleased that the stop key came out easily.  And I was surprised to see a large amount of grease on most parts.

    

    

 

This part doesn't look good however:

    

 

This part looks to be chrome plated.  And rust got to it and caused some bad pitting.  I don't see this part in the parts catalog, not that it would be available anymore.  But, I don't want to put this one back in.  Perhaps I will have to get one made.

The booster had some old brake fluid sloshing around inside.  So, I plan to refinish the inside of the cover and probably both sides of the back plate.  

So far, so good.

 

[Patcon]

Harmons brakes might be able to source one or one close that could be modified. Yours looks much better than the one I reused

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Well... I did some deconstruction on it just now.  

I couldn't get the big end off.  Couldn't figure out how it was on.  I could see lathe turning marking on both sides of the big round and the shaft was highly polished.  So, I figured it was a press fit.  I heated the big end and some fluid boiled out of the joint.  With some confidence, I clamped the shaft in the vise and started hammering on the big round end.  Even with lots of heat and lots of force, it barely moved.  So, I thought, "gosh - could it be threaded on?  And I took some large vise grips and clamped on the big end and wrenched it.  It broke of course. 

So, the shaft is splined and pressed into the big end.  And, it is splined on the other end as well.  I was able to get the tip unthreaded without mangling it.

    

 

Now... I need to have one made.

[Patcon]

Dooohhh! The info is good though

[Captain Obvious]

Day late, but... Yes, it is splined and pressed in.

I made a new one that threads in instead of pressed in with splines. Made it out of stainless so it wouldn't rust next time Here's old and new:

And save the rounded tip piece. It's special because it's hardened. Or if you do have a new tip made, make sure you have it heat treated to a similar hardness.

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I glass beaded and primed (and painted) the inside of the cover and the back plate.

  

 

Old parts aligned next to new parts, generally...

 

I am not positive which way this replacement seal installs.  It is different in design than the original one.  It has a metal casing, whereas the old one did not.  I think the new one installs with the black rubber backing (middle pic here) up facing upwards and with the spring retainer against it.  The new one appears to be a press fit into the back plate.  I will measure OD and see what the interference fit is.