Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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All fired up by the massive progress, I decided to drag all the boxes of bits out and see what could be done with what I had. The answer i figured out was ‘quite a lot’. Well, It was 5 veg crates of parts, mostly new. I had various engine related jobs and snags to sort, so I figured I’d start there as that’s what the first box of parts was for. First I stripped a load of bits off, cleaned a lot of things, then dropped the sump. I needed to fit a gasket as it didn’t have one on, and install the oil pickup pipe properly. Apart from having to go though 4 spare sumps to find a nice condition tea strainer for the pickup, and ages figuring out which seals were for the pickup pipe as theres half a dozen variations of them, it all went fairly strightforward.  I also fitted and timed up the dizzy. I’d already fully cleaned and rebuilt it and bagged it up ready to go on. It was follow by new valve cover gaskets and seals, once I’d finished finding TDC on cyl 1. A timing pointer was also dug out, cleaned and painted as it didn’t have one on. Then the valley cover also got a new gasket and seals. Working my way around the lower end of the engine checking and cleaning, I remembered there was an annoying issue with belt misalignment. The crank pulley was seated correctly, and the generator lines up ok because I made the bracket and spacers for it. The water pump pulley sat about a eighth too far back though. I could have made a spacer, but with most early engines like this, there’s an easier way. The pulley hub is just a press fit on the shaft, so it can be adjusted. This is sort of deliberate as there is no ‘hard’ location for it, it’s subject to slight movement for and aft due to tolerances stacking up, and the thickness of multiple gaskets adding up, or not as the case may be. Luckily I had a diff flange puller that happened to fit.  Bolted up and a little tweak up with the impact and that’s that issue sorted.  What’s more now it’s back together you can’t even tell it’s been done. Another problem ticked off. I then went through the thought process of ‘what do I need to do to make this thing run’ It needed various missing fasteners sourcing so I ordered those. It needed new rose joints for the turnbuckle fan belt tensioner, and a (custom length) fanbelt. So they both got ordered too. I had a set of almost new leads and brackets so they could go on too.  You’ll see there the fuel pump got fitted too. It needed some oil, I happened to have some sat in the cupboard so that went in. Then my thoughts turned to finishing the fuel system. The tri-carb setup needs work (and quite a bit spending on it) so for the minute I’m going to go with my ‘setup manifold’. This is the desirable factory 4 barrel ECZ-B manifold. It’s the best factory manifold there is, and I tend to keep one around for setting up motors before swapping to other carb setups. There’s a lot of variables involved in multi-carb setups, there’s just more of everything to contend with especially if you’re trying to be clever with progressive linkages and stuff, so it’s easier to set a motor up to its best settings on everything else with a big single carb, as it removes all the timing and ignition variables when you come to changing the carburation. I sold the ecz-b I had that was painted up nice a couple years back as I got a frankly ridiculous offer for it, but I had another on another motor that just needed cleaning and painting. Here it is, with its 600cfm holley. Looks like Mank. Even worse, it’s f-king orange.  (Yes it’s the factory ‘Ford engine red’ but I still hate that damn colour 😂) Degreased and jetwashed-  Paint stripped, twice.  And the last bits wire wheeled off. Ready for paint!  |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,756
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I had a set of almost new leads and brackets so they could go on too. It's not that I'm not impressed once again and that I doubt that You know what You do, but can it be the two leads on the left have been confused? One looks too long and the other a bit short? |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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So then I dug the spray gun out. It was then I realised the last idiot to use it (9 months ago) forgot to clean it after use… 2 hours, a lot of blueroll and all my thinners later, it was usable again. Primer first.  Then I glossed it and didn’t take any pics until fitted. The finish is so good it makes everything else look bad though 😂   Chucking the carb on highlighted numerous issues. The carb I’ve got is a 600cfm vac sec holley. Not my first choice really, they’re ok but I think the Carter/edelbrock AFB is a superior carb. But I have it, and they’re common and easy to get parts for. Firstly there two manifold studs missing, turns out there the same UNC to UNF studs all twin 40s use though, so they were cheap and easy off eBay.  Next, the fuel inlet fitting is missing. This is an utter cleft of a size. 5/8” UNF. It’s a banjo fitting, or is meant to be. Much dicking around later I’ve ordered the banjo bolt and a banjo Union to 5/16” fuel line, everywhere wants to sell you 3/8” ones but that no good what the fuel pump is 5/16”.  I’m missing a manifold bung for the heater hose. I could rob one off the tri-carb manifold but it’s easier in the long run just to buy another.  The carb is also missing the sight plugs for some unknown reason. I don’t remember robbing them for anything either. They’re 5/16” UNF though so can be bunged with some bolts til I find some that aren’t £35 For two tiny brass screws.  So all I’ve really done is buy lots more parts! The first lot of bits I bought have been trickling though ready to be fitted too. First, rose joints from McGill motorsport. I’ve used these guys loads over the years and they’re always great. Highly recommended. These are for the belt tensioner and the custom shifter linkages I need to make.  It’s all the usual suspects this week. Brake light switch from car builder solutions along with a decent old fashioned printed catalogue I can thumb through to find problem solvers I didn’t know I needed!  Another place I use often are spalding fasteners. Never had an issue with them either, although their stuff is often cheaper on eBay than their own website for some reason.  I also had a nice big roll of 5/16” kunifer turn up, so I'm really waiting on those carb studs and banjo now and I can get the fuel system finished. |
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Last Edit: Jun 3, 2023 21:52:45 GMT by Dez
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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One thing I can now tick off the very long list is the shifter. First I had to strip the hurst competion plus shift unit again, and get the bits of molten aluminium that had dropped from the roof out of it.  I also re-replaced the stick with one George donated when I redid his shifter for him.  A lot of cleaning, painting, greasing and fiddly reassembly later-  With that back on the previously made mounting bracket, I needed to a make up some shift rods. I decided to go with the rose jointed setup, it should offer the least possible slop, so best shift. Something you need on external shift boxes. The clearance for some of this is marginal, so at the last minute (literally as I was ordering the parts) I decided to drop from 3/8” joints down to 5/16”. Good job I did as there’s zero clearance for some of this so 3/8” and the corresponding larger tubes and fasteners would definatley not have gone. Here I’m boring some 1/2” dia, 1/8” wall ally tube I bought to tapping drill size.  Only thing with dropping down a thread size was I didn’t have a l/h tap in 5/16”. Got one cheap for eBay though.  Then a fair bit of this happened.  Here’s a cheat for starting a tap dead straight in a tube. Put tube in lathe, put tap in tailstock, turn chuck and end feed a couple of turns simultaneously by hand, tap is started square and then you can transfer back to the vice and use it normally.  A short while later. I’d pre measured the lengths but theres obviously a fair bit of adjustability.  Next I went through my box of shift arms, figured out what they all were from part numbers, and picked the most appropriate ones that stepped the right way. I’ve got lots of spares if you need any!  Then I had to make half a dozen of these. They go in the 1/2” holes on the shift arms and step them down to 5/16”, whist also spacing out the rose joints a bit so they clear things. I had to make 6 and only two ended up being the same due to needing to be different offsets and the shank that fits in the holes being different lengths as the arms are different thicknesses.  First time I’ve really used the collet chuck in anger making them, it’s deffo better for access on small workpieces.  I also had to thin down a few bolt heads where clearances were marginal.  And eventually, I pieced it all together. Fairly slow work as each spacer had to be made in turn to suit its specific location rather than batch making.   The other mod I had to do was to make this big hole. When I first put it together I couldn’t get reverse but couldn’t figure out why until I removed the shifter and bench tested it.  When it goes into reverse the end of the shifter plunger goes out the side of the shifter unit. Seems like a terrible design to me…  Here’s a vid of it all working. A pretty slick setup with as little play as possible, I’m sure if you’ve used a normal hurst you’ll appreciate how tight/precise this has made it! I’ve still got some cosmetics on the bracket to do, and it needs a smattering of stainless halfnuts and the shift stops adding, but it’s a real headache of a job sorted. |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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As I’ve been working round mounting up all the boxes of bits I have, I’ve also been roughing in the wiring as I go. This is partially because there was a box full of new electrical stuff to fit, and particularly because I need to pin down the locations of some parts to make brackets for them. This is my ‘dashboard’. It’s also the gearbox crossmember and my footrest. Not a sentence you’re likely to hear very often 🤣  As ridiculous as it seems it actually makes a lot of sense. It’s one of the few areas I can reach from the drivers seat that’s available to mount stuff, I can see the idiot lights, it keeps all the wiring and switchgear with the chassis when I remove the body, the wiring runs to the fusebox and battery are pretty short, and the footplate acts as a cover for all the electrical components, both to hide them away and keep them dry.  With the cover removed, I’ve currently got the ignition switch, headlight switch, and oil and ign. warning lights mounted to the crossmember. The regulator will be hidden under there too, which is the big black box. The dip switch will mount to the gearbox within clutch foot reach. Apart from a horn button theres not much else to mount. Indicator switch will be on the column and I’ve got a few gauges to mount, but I’ve got an idea for those.  Regulator bracket I knocked up.   Generator wired in. I’ve also made up some new spacers (that aren’t just stacks of washers) to get the offset correct for the belt line.  This is because a new belt has arrived (got it right second guess, not bad to say how tight on length it is).  Adjuster rod had to be shortened a little bit otherwise it was fairly straightforward.  And that’s another ‘system’ completed. The wrap on the crank pulley is marginal because of the low mount generator position, but it’s only a 30A generator so I don’t foresee any issue. It’s hard to see in the pics but it can’t go above the engine mount because it won’t fit in front of the head.  Other little jobs. Much nicer fuel filler cap fitted. It’s a proper old chrome of brass Aston with a nice bit of patina.  Another annoying issue I was having was some of the wheel studs werent biting in the holes in the hub. I don’t think I’d drilled them to the wrong size as some were ok, but the others were marginal in terms of how they’d grip. Half were fine, quite tight even, the other half were a bit too slack and could spin/fall out. So I stripped the hubs bare of all the new bearings and seals.  Then set them on fire.  I brazed all the loose studs in. Brazing made sense as it’s steel studs into cast iron hubs. Took some serious heat to get the hubs warm enough to do so, even then they only brazed half way round as the centre chunk was such a heatsink I couldn’t get it hot enough down the back even with the rosebud on full chat!  Still, I think they should behave themselves now.  They’re now in the painting pile before going back together. |
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Last Edit: Jun 9, 2023 22:16:43 GMT by Dez
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jun 12, 2023 22:19:38 GMT
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Whilst I’ve been doing some lathing I made a blank for that second dipstick hole.   And some coil riser spacers so it clears the inlet and valve cover. The coils they used on these originally where shorter so fitted down between the two, but modern coils don’t.  Next I’ve been building up the brakes to use up a couple of boxes of new parts, after I’d painted the backplates which I did at the same time as the inlet. Wheel cyls painted. I usually wouldnt bother, but being a fenderless car the backs of them are on show.  So much so they even got stainless fixings.  ‘Tother side was just a case of assembly, is already painted the widgets ages ago.  Although I did have to make a top shoe retainer for the rear brakes as I’d managed to lose one. Clamped the other one to it then whittled it to shape.  This is one of the rather complicated rear drum assemblies done. I’ve gone self adjusting with them, it’s a retrofit factory kit that’ll do any Ford 11” drum setup, so pretty easy to do, albeit fiddly to assemble. I cleaned and painted the handbrake levers but the rest is more or less all new from rockauto for not very much money. Maybe 60 quid for everything for both sides?  As a small aside, he’s a mega useful tool recommendation. I bought this by accident when I was looking for other proto tools. Best 10 quid tool I’ve bought for ages.  What does it do? This. Make assembly of them retaining springs a breeze.  With those 4 corners done, it was logical to do the 5th corner next. That being the pedal assembly. This was halfway there with previous works. It’s a bottom swing bias pedal assembly I made up. I’d say I based it on a Land Rover pedal box, but the only bit of it left is the pivot tube and bushings. And the leverage ratios I suppose. I’ve converted it to twin wilwood master cyls, conveniently 2x 0.75s add up to the same As what a stock Ford master is. It’s a while since I did the maths but I think it might have been 1-1/16”. Here’s where it was up to. Custom I-beam style pedal arm, early ford pedal pad, spherical bearing type bias bar all in and working with shortened pushrods, and the fundamentals of the mount is in place too.  It needed a brake light switch adding, I wanted to put it here until I realised no one makes a switch that works that way.  It also needed a return spring adding down here someplace.  I made up this for the brake light switch. It’s push to break type as they all seem to be, so turns itself on as the pressure is taken off the plunger.  I also made this tab for the return sowing.  And lastly these bits to add some strength back into the framework of the pedal mount.  Return spring sorted, and lower triangulation bits added.    This so where the brake switch goes, and the other little brace to tie the fore/aft pieces to the side to side bits.  A little grinding up It’s now in the painting pile too, which much mean it’s about done. |
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Last Edit: Jun 12, 2023 22:21:46 GMT by Dez
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,756
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As a small aside, he’s a mega useful tool recommendation. I bought this by accident when I was looking for other proto tools. Best 10 quid tool I’ve bought for ages. What does it do? This. Make assembly of them retaining springs a breeze. The VWs I worked on had the same retainers. When I did my Suzukis' brakes last year I found these in the springs kit:  You do not need any tool for them, You can turn them by hand. |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jun 13, 2023 22:17:32 GMT
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Wells it’s been altmost two weeks since I ordered all the carb bits to make this run. Are they all here? Well, do you see vids do it running yet? 🙄 These have arrived. Slow delivery, but at least they’re here. The studs that is.  This arrived promptly with no issues and was fitted up.  This arrived easily a week ago too.  After a day or two I even realised I didn’t have a ballast resistor and ordered one of those too, which turned up next day. I’ve also replaced the low tension coil wiring with new stuff.  I even managed to sorted some of these bungs in the correct 5/16” UNF thread, for a whole 30 quid less than genuine holley ones.  What I still do not have have nearly two weeks is the goddam banjo Union to fit on the carb. Once I have that, it will fire. The first supplier is obviously useless so I’ve ordered another from elsewhere, hopefully it’ll turn up tomorrow. It does annoy me somewhat when you can’t buy anything locally but then the ‘special suppliers’ are useless on top of that. So I’ve been messing around with trying to find a filter setup I like. That’s an ‘air cleaner’ in American. I want something period 50s looking, so that means no exposed filter elements like 99% of 4 barrel filters have. I don’t want a caddy batwing as they’re way too big for an open engined car. This is a small 8” helling and stellings type filter. I love the shape of them and they’re very period correct, but it’s just too small to work. They are intended for dual quad setups though so it will look a bit small on its tod. So I’m trying to track down one of the larger 11” ones that used to exist but are hard to find now.    |
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Last Edit: Jun 13, 2023 22:20:28 GMT by Dez
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jun 13, 2023 22:23:28 GMT
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The VWs I worked on had the same retainers. When I did my Suzukis' brakes last year I found these in the springs kit: You do not need any tool for them, You can turn them by hand. I’ve not encountered those, but then I don’t think I’ve ever really worked on a Suzuki. |
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,962
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Jun 13, 2023 22:34:36 GMT
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I wouldn't spent too much time on the filter, whatever you fit is gonna get swapped for a velocity stack the first time you leave the car unattended with me present as I don't want you to let team rat rod down.
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jun 13, 2023 22:56:26 GMT
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I wouldn't spent too much time on the filter, whatever you fit is gonna get swapped for a velocity stack the first time you leave the car unattended with me present as I don't want you to let team rat rod down. Not a bug catcher with R.A.T. Or similar Painted across the flaps? Your standards are slipping. |
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mylittletony
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,430
Club RR Member Number: 84
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I wouldn't spent too much time on the filter, whatever you fit is gonna get swapped for a velocity stack the first time you leave the car unattended with me present as I don't want you to let team rat rod down. Needs more skulls and spider webs welded from rebar |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,756
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And don't forget the one or other iron cross item.
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Love this Dez, fascinating thread
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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I wouldn't spent too much time on the filter, whatever you fit is gonna get swapped for a velocity stack the first time you leave the car unattended with me present as I don't want you to let team rat rod down. Needs more skulls and spider webs welded from rebar Shhhh, don’t give away my roof insert design 😂 |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Next, I made a throttle pedal and linkage setup. I made the manifold end first, as it was fairly constrained as to where and how it could mount. It bolts to the original linkage bosses on the inlet, but is made for a cable setup rather than the original rods, and I don’t need all the kickdown linkage they come with. Nothing particularly complicated, a two piece bracket, a bit of bar bored out and threaded for an old cable adjuster from the box of control cable usefulness, and some new return springs. Its height was dictated by where the cable mounts to the carb linkage, and some curves and speed holes took care of the aesthetics.  With a finite number determined for the first half of the pedal ratio, I could then turn my attention to the other end. For the actual throttle pedal, I have a thing for using old bass drum pedals. No real reason other than they tend to be quite nice cast ally designs, and say things about speed or going fast on them. The one in the Hudson was a Premier ‘high speed pedal’. I perused eBay and found something cheapish with a pivot design that would adapt, and looked half decent. I ended up with a Hayman ‘speedamatic’  It looks period appropriate, even if I don’t know it’s age, and obviously being ‘-amatic’ was a very 1950s trend. First thing I did once it turned up was strip it down, as it only really wanted the footplate.  I then decided I didn’t want that little bit on the bottom either, which was an utter sh1t to remove. Roll pinned and the shaft was knurled too. They didn’t what this thing coming apart!  I machined up a steel tube to go in the gap between the pedal tabs, and welded it to the chassis rail to position the pedal.  With that done I now knew what pedal travel I had Vs. What carb linkage travel I had, and could work out the pedal ratio. It turned out to be a pretty simple 2:1. The key part to making this all work in the space that I had was to add a lever arm to the side of the pedal at 90 degrees. So one was made up with the correct ratio, plus some adjustment each way for different carb setups in the future. It mounts off the end of the pivot screw, plus the pedal pan then drilled and tapped on the side for extra mounting holes.  It’s very unobtrusive once bolted up.   The really key part to making it work is this bracket. It acts as the cable stop for the Bowden outer, but also as a travel limiter and a return spring mount. You can see I’ve also drilled the chassis and added a little peg as a forward stop for the pedal, that the return spring just pulls against.  At full travel that protruding tab hits the back of the pedal so I’m not overstretching the cable. You’ll also notice more cable adjusters and end stops from the box of usefulness. I’ve used this style off old pushbike caliper brackets as they c a swivel, so the cable always stays aligned.  And here’s a little vis of it all working. The cable sits at a jaunty angle at the mo as it’s too short and I’ve had to run it externally, I need to grab a longer one from the bike shop when I got past there. It all tucks down quite nicely in that little space between the chassis rail and the cowl panel though, as well as essentially widening my footwell by it being on top of the chassis rail. And for access purposes I can just unbolt the lower cowl side panel which is pretty easy. So that’s another bracket or two crossed off my list, and another working ‘system’. |
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Last Edit: Jun 21, 2023 8:50:05 GMT by Dez
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,756
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Once again I'm impressed. Although I shouldn't be impressed anymore, since it's just another Dez' thread.  btw. who (or whose) is that white doggy in the video? |
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,005
Club RR Member Number: 58
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When I saw this on Instagram I didn't even twig that it was a bass drum pedal, certainly looks right at home in there, nice lateral thinking 😅
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jun 21, 2023 21:38:00 GMT
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Once again I'm impressed. Although I shouldn't be impressed anymore, since it's just another Dez' thread. btw. who (or whose) is that white doggy in the video? She’s mine. The latest addition. My old terrier died at the age of 16 a few months ago. A difficult time since I’d had her from day 1, she was the runt and stillborn and I saved her life and kept her because of that. Tbh I never thought she’d see that age with all the scrapes she’d been through, she must have mugged a cat of its 9 lives early on! this new one was meant to be an emergency foster. Except I’ve now paid the adoption fee so I guess shes staying 😂 She’s a d1ckhead, but in a good terrier way. She’s either asleep somewhere weird or destroying something. No in-between.  |
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