Finishing up the Differential cover, and new gasket fluid

The beginning of the year has keep me really busy with family obligations.  My sister got sick and moved closer to me so I could help her.  She is doing better but still needs help,  so I haven't had a lot of time to get into the garage until more recently.  Here is my spring update:

Rear Differential Cover:

I had removed the rear differential cover, cleaned out the case and cover, repainted it. Yes, it's now orange, while I was cleaning it I spotted residual orange paint (discolored iron oxide). I got a few funny looks for it and some derogatory remarks about a pumpkin, but I like it a lot, I even baked the paint on for a shinny surface.  I threatened my friends with painting the whole under carriage orange and finally got some definitive NOs. But I was just kidding.

I bought a new gasket, seal and new torque wrench (25 to 250 psi/in) Unfortunately the Sears Craftsman was made in China with only a one year warranty. How do I avoid the growing collection of Chinese tools in my garage? Note to self: more swap meets this summer.

I cleaned the surfaces thoroughly with brake cleaner and detergent, applied a zig zag of RTV seal (made in America for NAPA) prepped the bolts with anti seize (also made in America) and installed the cover. I hand tightened the bolt and left the gasket for an hour, then went back to torque them down. Everything went fine until I felt a spin in the upper right bolt on top of the case.  I knew what that feeling was. "Hope, hope, hope..."  I'm thinking "let there be something left to pull out".  To my relief, there was just enough left to unscrew with a dental tool the wizard had given last year.  When he gave me that tool, I thought, "yah yah, I got needle nose pliers, but it's cool."  that will teach me to doubt experience.

I had done a spin on the gears for a quick look for marks without taking the whole thing apart, but I'm sure that is in my future. Filled with new 90w fluid. I have to fix a slight leak at the line to the gas tank, I think there is a back up problem at the tank.

Grills and Fins...

My fins are finally done and I went to pick them up at Fenders and Fins.  They required a little adjusting but are now ready to go back onto the car.  I had also bought a set of NOS chrome grill parts on ebay,that I had lost during one of my moves.  I had dropped those off with John and Fenders and Fins to paint while he was painting the fin moldings.  That seller Mike, was great. The parts were in great shape and really well packed.  My originals had a pair of egg crate inserts to match the grill which these didn't have, nor bolt holes to place them in. So I had John install them when he painted them white to match my car.

I removed the front fender to install them, and thought I'd try to get the horns to work one more time, but alas, my car is a mute.  I found a pair of Segor horns 60b (made in Turkey) on ebay for $13.00. So I thought, rather than take a chance on purchasing another pair of non working horns I'd get these and sound like a Peugeot.