Projects "Fly'nBrian" '34 Roadsterproject.

Don't be discouraged Brian this is why we call em "projects"! Plus you'll be much better getting it correct now then saying I wish I ha done this or that differently. Joe

 

Long time, no progress. Summer fun trumped working on the '34, but I got back after it today and got the shift linkage (almost) done. Using a '59 or '60 T'bird column and wheel, the trans is a Turbo 350 that came with a cable shift linkage. Because the lever on the column had the wrong throw for the cable (and it hit the engine block anyway) I cut it off, and made a new arm for the opposite side. I had to have a 1:1 ratio to keep everything proper, figured that out, drilled holes in the arm, welded it to the shift collar, and made a simple bracket to hold the cable. It works great, the indicator lines up, nothing hits, and it feels "solid". I still need to remove the bracket and trim it a bit (I made it intentionally too long so as to position the cable in the proper spot), do some grinding and paint it, but it shifts fine. And, bonus, the column has a neutral safety switch intact, and an additional tab that I can use to mount a switch for powered door safety pins. Good to go...

 

Everybody needs to take five for SUMMER FUN! Joe

 

Great job!!!!!! Keep on making it happen.

 

Get back to task Brian, yours is one of my favorite threads on here. It inspires me to get more work done on my car every time I read an update.

 

Thanks guys, it was great to get this one little, but important task done. This weekend is the "Relix Riot" at the Gilmore Car Museum here, I'd originally planned on having a "debut" for the car there, but this summers travel and fun with the '51 Pontiac wagon, the Diamond T and the Spartan trailer got in the way. I maybe COULD have had it there as a roller, thought briefly about winching it out of and back into the car trailer, but rather than rush it, and have it semi-complete, I decided to have some fun and work on the car later.

 

Brian...On the shifter ratio, Jerry Kugel has a super cool lever for the transmission: It's a (billet) 'carving' of an arm, bolts onto the shift shaft conventionally, (clutch shaped broached hole) but has a neat slot to adjust a sliding bolt to the link, so ratio adjustment is a breeze.
Best solution to this problem (in simple geometry!) Hides under car, or could be painted black...

 

Nicely done on the shifter!

 

I always love your work - and summertime IS for fun with the Fam !!!!

 

This is why the roadster is still on jack stands in the shop...;-)

 

and I've got your headlamp switch in my car. I just haven't been in your neck of the woods for a while.

 

That's a great picture! You did a really nice job restoring that Spartan. I enjoyed the YouTube video I found about it.

 

Going to the Riot? No worries about the switch, I haven't drilled any holes for it yet ;-)

 

This picture says it all, AMERICANA!

 

Cool valve covers I scored at the "Relix Riot". Big improvement.

 

Oh yea! Big improvement [emoji41]!

 

Notice in the photo, the stupid trans dipstick, the "Lokar" flex tube deal, that I screwed to the firewall, then tried to pull the stick. After a great effort, it came out, and now, won't go back. The little end with the measuring marks hangs up on the end, the reason it wouldn't come out, and because it's on a small wire cable, you CAN'T push it back in. Great. After I drill holes to mount the damned thing. What a piece of crap that is.

 

Is that a "Real" Lokar brand or a knock off? The reason I ask is I have installed Over 25 Lokar units and never once had a problem.

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I hope you're not planning on running those valve covers that way, the breathers will Puke oil big time. [emoji6]

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I'll suggest a fix, very small stainless cable (so it's flexible) weld the end and grind to a dull point. Then weld a cooler handle on the other end.

 

Hmmm... That I don't know, a buddy of mine gave it to me, unused but no packaging. It "looks" like Lokar units, and, from my experience with the Lokar shifter in my Diamond T, and it's sometimes works, other times doesn't neutral safety switch, I just assumed it to be another fine Lokar product...

 

Why yes, yes I am, because the breather doesn't clear the carb linkage no matter which end is forward. I'm going to make a baffle for the inside over the three tiny holes drilled through the side of the cover behind the breathers. ;-)

 

That's a great idea. I was going to try grinding the existing blob of pot metal to a point and rounding the sides, so if that doesn't work, I'll make my own. A nice chrome "T" handle would look SO much better. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Instead of making baffles for the breathers, just make plates to cover the holes completely if you want the oil to stay in the covers. Ain't no amount of baffles going to keep oil from coming out with breathers in that location.

 

Truth!

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I know, I know, but they hit the carb linkage flipped up. I figured they'd spit oil no matter which way they're oriented,since they came with a protective layer of ancient oil on them. Do I need them open at all, since the oil fill cap is the breather?

 

Probably not, my 265 has the front breather and the draft tube in the back.

 

No draft tube, the manifold has the oil fill tube, so I wasn't sure. I could block the vent holes and add a sneaky PCV.

 

The oil fill tube is all the breather you need. I like the idea of using a PCV valve as well

 

This is the problem with running vintage style valve covers on a newer engine. The old system was engineered to draw fresh air in through the oil fill tube breather while the draft tube would vent to atmosphere, or when adapted to pcv it would vent to the intake manifold. So water vapor being boiled off the engine oil is evacuated, and all the nasty acidic and corrosive compounds in the vapor along with it. Without a pcv and only an oil fill tube breather, the breather can only relieve pressure, it cannot evacuate the block. SO all the crap will build up. Can you do it? Sure you can do it, but it does compromise the quality and service life of the oil and can lead to lacquer and varnish deposits. I would modify one of the valve covers, or possibly the intake manifold, to install a pcv. And while it's best for the pcv to draw across the engine, from 1 valve cover to the other, it will work drawing from the oil fill tube to 1 valve cover, it just won't evacuate those vapors that rise up into that opposite valve cover. Still better than no pcv at all.