Rebuilding 1966 Cannisters
First of all, this is not what I would consider a snap job (especially for the first timer). But, I do not want to scare you off from trying. Rebuilding them is the easy part, getting them off can be a bit challanging.
I can give you the entire blow by blow when and if you do yourself.
For now, heres the down and dirty:
A.
1. Remove battery and vacuum tank.
2. Remove headlight cannisters (I can really give you tips in this part)
B.
1. Rebuild cannisters. You should remove the actuator (I guess its not really needed, but you can clean it and the cannister is easier to handle. It comes off easily with 3 self tapping nuts). Then drill out the rivits. Clean out cannister and gently clean plunger/piston (I used mineral spirits). Grease cannsiter with silicone grease and fill the little channels/grooves in the rubber piston. Insert new spring (clamp the top to bottom...this new spring really has balls), use the supplied stainless steel nuts and bolts to secure top. Be sure the relief slots are clean on the cover interface so it doesn't air lock.
2. Reinstall cannisters
3. Grease the hell out of all pivot points. (The little ball joints under the fender and inside the fender well where another little ball joint is on the light door bracket itself)
4. Cover the threads of the lower cannister shaft with lock-ease or similar product to protect the treads (if you break off the long threaded mounting stud on the cannister, you are screwed) ):
This sounds easy...but it will take you an entire Saturday to do it!
******WARNINING*****
When removing cannisters it would behoove you to heat the lower nut on shaft before trying to losen. DO NOT try and remove the ball joint assembly from welded mounting bracket. Do not attempt to losen the upper nut on stud, this is used for the riser indexing and is pre-set. They are a bear to re-index. After you have removed the nut on the lower end of stud, slide the enitire cannister up and out of the ball joint sleeve and its in your hands!
Submitted by: Sparky
October 9, 1996
Owners of Toros with headlamp doors:
I was getting tired of having to get out of the '66 Toro, put my arm under the front bumper, and help lift up the headlight doors. For a while they were doing okay, but then things got worse.
I read Sparky's FAQ about headlight doors -- what a tremendous help -- Thanks! I have some additional things to add, if I may:
1. Removing the vacuum cannister in left front fender. The vacuum cannister is attached by 4 3/8" bolts (one by the radiator, one under the wheel well, and two underneath. The frame of the vacuum cannister has a tab on the bottom of it, for aligning it when you want to reinstall the bottom bolts.
2. Two hoses attach to each vacuum cannister. Be sure to mark them if you remove them! The bottom hose appears to be the one that pulls in the piston to open the headlight door. Once the door opens, a small recess in the top of the piston locks against the vacuum valve on top of the cannister. The top hose goes to this vacuum valve. When it works, it releases the piston so that the headlight door will close.
3. Each cannister assembly is attached to the car at two points.
The bottom of the cannister assembly has a threaded steel rod that passes through a ball joint assembly underneath the car. An upper nut and low nut secure the rod to the ball joint assembly. I loosened the ball joint assembly and removed the lower 1/2" nut from the rod.
The top of the cannister is attached to the arm of the headlight door. I lifted up the headlight door manually, the piston locked in place, and then I could see the 1/2" nut that attaches the arm of the headlight door to the piston. Remove this 1/2" nut.
4. Pull out the cannister assembly.
5. I could TRY to rebuilt each cannister assembly, but I'm going to try something different: UPS the old cannisters to Ken Hitchcock, 122 Rowley Hill Road, Sterling, Mass, 01564 (phone 508-422-6390) with a check for $110 +$10 shipping. He will send you two rebuilt cannisters within the same week.
So that's where I am right now. I reinstalled the battery and vacuum tank, and put in bolts to plug the vacuum lines. Of course the headlamp doors are now closed, so I have used rope (attached to the headlight door arms) to keep them open. Hopefully next week I'll get the rebuilt cannisters.
Submitted by: Paul Bartlett