Hot Rods The (mis) Adventures of a Compulsive Tinkerer

I’ve a goofy idea on holding the bushings, but not sure if it would/could affect the integrity of the rubber.
Take a sleeve that will slide over the OD and fit snuggly

drill a series of hole in the sleeve.
Wel a few tabs on the bottom of the sleeve.
Put the bushing in the sleeve.
Use some short wood screws through the holes that are in the sleeve.
Clamp the tabs down to the drill press table.
Just thought over morning coffee.

 

Hey, BcB;
You & a couple other guys figured it out. The sharpened tube will work(& is actually available/reco'd for cutting conveyor belting holes), as should a new(read:sharp!) hi-quality holesaw, when the rubber is frozen(freezers are good for somewhere south of 0* to maybe -20*, or just outside in MN...). Just gotta be kinda quick. The CO2 idea is pretty good to keep the chill going. You can turn up the holesaw speed abit if it's really frozen hard. Take light plunge cuts to disperse the rubber "shreds". I don't remember iffen the saw will give real smooth cut-edges like a sharpened tube, but iirc, it's not bad, as long as it's not rammed thru. The sharpened-edge tube probably doesn't need the rubber frozen super hard, I did it at Minnesota summer-temps. Thin oils like WD40, Kroil, etc will work - sorta, but they're *really* messy. I found water to work well to lubricate the blade-edge. Was mostly hand-knife cutting, but did some holesaw & other blades(circle saw & drillbits - they **** large) also. Water is also abit messy, not as bad as oils because it evaporates, eventually. Seems to keep the rubber-dust & itty-bitty "balls" from getting too bad. Be careful around electrickery, though...
FWIW.
Marcus...

 

Well, there's always a rat-tail file and the tedious hand work that eventually gets the job done.

 

To hold the bushing, you might try boring a hole in a s**** of 2x4, then cut the 2x4 in half vertically through the hole. With the material lost to cutting it in half and a couple of drywall screws (or bolts) it should hold the bushing with pretty even pressure all around. You may want to pre drill for the screws or bolts to maintain alignment.
For a cutter you could grind the teeth off of a hole saw and sharpen the resulting edge to the outside like a one sided knife blade. The hole saw should hold an edge better than tubing.

 

X-cpe, the 2x4 trick was on my list of things to try. The rough wood surface seems like the perfect “bite” and the pinch provided by a sawblade width seems equally perfect. But….
We have a winner!! Budget36 had the idea that saved the day. Hole saw!

 

I got out my 3/4” hole saw and found a 1/2” OD X 1/4”ID x 2”L spacer that I could use for a pilot. I used the sleeve and two hose clamps to hold it and clamped that goofy mess in my drill press vise. I was surprised how nicely it cut. Following the 1/2”D pilot, it went straight through without a hint of slipping or grabbing. The 5/8” ID bushings pushed right in like they were made for them.

Problem solved!! Thanks guys!

 

I moved on to the rear suspension layout, what fits where, how much room, new rear crossmember, spring options. With the springs as far apart as the frame allows they’ll be about 35-36” apart, not bad. If I make a new rear crossmember the coils will fit behind the rear axle where I really want them and it looks like the Corvair springs will be the right length. I checked and Clark’s Corvairs has three different spring rates for the ‘65-‘69 rear so I’m sure to find something that works. I’ll start with what I have.
I would really like adjustable upper spring buckets but I didn’t see them in the Speedway catalog. I suppose I can make my own….

 

I’ve no doubt you can make what you want/need.
You’re like the guy who can build a vehicle around a radiator cap.

 

Did you look for weight jackers? (stock car stuff)

 

You might be right, I forget that Speedway is divided into Race, Street and Hot Rod. I normally just shop their Street Rod/HotRod stuff.

Edit; I looked through the Speedway Race catalog but I didn’t see anything that I would use in my application. I also searched through other suppliers. I think I’ll make my own if I decide to go adjustable.
Turns out I usually look at the Street Rod part of Speedway cause that’s where my bookmark takes me. I miss the old paper catalogs.

 

I ordered steering parts so I can get the steering column and stuff worked out while the Buick is in place. It’s the tighter of the two engines with regards to the steering shaft with the starter being on the driver’s side.

I also ordered some materials to make my own adjustable coil spring pockets.
So once again, waiting on parts. Maybe I’ll start welding up holes…..

 

I pulled out the steering column, I decided to shorten it. By taking 2 5/8” out of it the u-joint will be above the starter/solenoid and (I hope) the shaft will p*** by with room to spare.
Easy to cut the mast and the shaft, not as easy to make a spacer for the lower bushing without a lathe. But with a piece of 1/2” aluminum plate, a hole saw and a belt sander I finally arrived at one. I had a bronze bushing, I made the aluminum spacer a press fit in the mast.


I kinda like this old Ford column, the guy sold me four for $20 (various versions) as he was packing up his swap meet space. One I traded for a clean, low mileage 110hp Corvair motor. This one I think he said was from a ‘41 pickup. IDK, don’t care really. I kinda got ahead of myself making a column drop. It all seems to fit ok, I won’t know for sure until I get some kind of seats in there. I have the column shift stuff too, I’m hoping to maybe make it work with the TH400.
Sorry, ****py picture….

 

I put the steering column back in and it’s close but it should be ok. I still have a few tricks left if it proves to be a problem once the new u-joint and shaft arrive.
Now it’s on to some hole filling….

 

This thread is about compulsive tinkering after all….
I got my other Hemi heads back from the machine shop the other day, race ready. The block is also finished now but balancing the rotating ***embly came to a screeching halt. Willy and I unwrapped the crankshaft and started to inspect it. Something was terribly wrong. It’s beautiful, polished, knife-edged, nitrided and the rod journals are hard chromed. I figured it had been given the full blown alcohol treatment at Velasco’s as I had requested. BUT, the rod journals are SBC size, the mains are 1/4” too small, and the snout looked kinda small. Huh? We contacted our local crankshaft guru and read him the forging number. “That’s a Studebaker crank you’ve got there guys.” Holy ****…..
Months ago I retrieved this engine from my friend’s garage where he had kindly offered to store it when the machine shop I was using in LA abruptly shut down. Thankfully, he was good friends with the owner and lived nearby. He gathered up all of my Hemi stuff and took it to his place. He also ported the heads and got the guides installed. A few years later I was settled in my new digs in NorCal and went to pick up my Hemi parts.
Now, it made sense, my buddy is a big Studebaker guy. I guess he dragged out the wrong crankshaft when I came to pick it all up! I’m hoping that mine is still in his shop. I need to go down to LA and swap em. In the meantime I’m prepping the block and heads for storage with good old Gibbs, some heavy duty plastic bags and some desiccant. Where I’m gonna put ‘em, I have no idea….

 

Crankshaft for the wrong engine, this is a first, right?!

 

Yeah that was quite a surprise and a bit of a disappointment. Here’s this beautifully done crank but it’s not mine! I really hope that when I do get down to LA and get mine: #1, I hope it’s there! And #2, I hope it’s finished like this one.
This 392 was supposed to go into the ‘41 Willy’s pickup that I built in the 90s to go nostalgia racing. It was going to be a solid old style blown alcohol motor. But, that didn’t happen mostly due to work commitments and the work load at my own shop and I eventually sold the Willys pu as a roller when I got my Austin. While I had pretty much everything to build it, the machine work wasn’t complete. The only thing left is the rocker arm ***emblies. And maybe a crank? Hope not….

 

On the road today.
I responded to an ad on Marketplace for a pair of new fibergl*** ‘33-‘34 pickup fenders. Only an hour and a half away…
Well, they are new, from PolyForm but I don’t think they are ‘33-‘34, maybe later? Anyway, they will work for me.

Anyone recognize this decorative reveal? My ‘33 fenders look more squared off, like a Model A fender.

Ekimneirbo mentioned rotating the fender forward to get the effect of a “bobbed” fender. These should do nicely.

Anyway, glad to have them.

 

While I was out, the carrier pidgeons delivered these hunks of metal I ordered to make adjustable spring sockets. They are a little heavy but that’s the only size I could get with the right ID. Nothing available locally. I just need some 1” all-thread and some nuts.

I had some 1/4”x 5 3/8” diameter discs that I made for something at one time, they’ll work perfectly.

 

I forgot to mention that a couple weeks back I was looking for a 3rd member for the new 9” rear end but holy moly those things are expensive now days! So I looked around and found a set of brand new in the box Richmond Gear 3.50:1 gears for $75, an hour away. Just what I was looking for. When I got home, I poured a cup of coffee, sat down and found a brand new set of Motion 4.30s for $100 just a couple miles away. Went and got them too. So now I have 3.50s, 3.70s and 4.30s. I cleaned, inspected, oiled and repackaged everything till I need them.

Both sets had been sitting on a shelf in a garage and they just wanted to get rid of them.
I looked around my shop and dug up a 31 spline carrier that I didn’t remember having. I spread everything out and it all looks great so all I need now is bearing and seal kit. I have several cases. So for a couple hundred bucks I’ll have my 3.50s and I’ll watch for a deal on a posi for the 4.30s.

 

Re:The rear fenders. 35-7 don’t have that little design on the rear of them. I could be a manufacturer “design” or maybe not for Fords? I can get a pic of the backs of my ‘36 fenders on Sunday or Monday for you to see what I mean.
Of course I may have memory loss as well

 

Extra points for the ABB CD at the top of the pile!

 

Yeah, one of my all time favorite bands. A go-to when I’m working in the shop. Reminds me of working on my HDs late at night in the good old days.

 

A little update….
My steering u-joint and shaft came and everything looks good. I like the Sweet Eng. u-joints from Speedway.

I decided to do a little casting flash removal and cleanup on the Buick 2x4 intake manifold. It cleaned up nicely and it’s ready to go to the powder coater if I decide to go that way. No pictures??
While grinding on the Buick intake I remembered that the Chrysler water crossover needed some attention too. So, as long as I’m covered in grinding dust…

I cut off the big generator boss on the driver’s side and shortened the upper attachment bolt boss. On the other end I cut off the byp*** hose ****** drilled it out and tapped it for 1/2” pipe. I’ll put the mechanical temperature gauge there. I shortened the attachment bolt boss on that end too and re-spotfaced them.
I didn’t notice the little “wing” on each end until I bolted it on. They serve no purpose so I’ll grind them off too. The whole thing needs a final going over. Oh yeah, I got my real aluminum water pump came.

I drilled and tapped the backside boss for 1/2”pipe too. I think it’s going to be my byp*** to/from the top of the water pump instead of the front boss.

 

My most recent front end mock-up found that the tie rod hits the bat wings before full turn. ?? It seems that the Speedway steering arms that I had in stock don’t play well with SoCal hairpins and batwings. It’s not missing much turn radius, I was just a little surprised, I thought most of those parts were sort of standardized by now. (It turns more than it looks in the pictures)

 

From the “use what ya got” or “ think outside the box “ or maybe “don’t eat leftover shrimp scampi before going to bed” file…
I ran across the quarter elliptic springs that I made up for my Willys pickup years ago. I built the Willys ch***is to use either quarter elliptic leafs like the old days, or coil overs. I made ballast boxes that bolted on in place of the leafs if coil overs were being used.
So I wondered if I could use them with the trailing arms on this truck. The brackets would weld to the boxed area on the inside of the frame about 18” forward of the rear axle centerline. The back end could ride on plates welded to the top of the trailing arms. Pretty simple. Much easier than the coil springs, and adjustable for height and stiffness. Any opinions??

 

Can't tell without a side view, but won't that bind? 2 different arc paths?

 

@Marty Strode ?

 

My thought was to weld a pad on top of the trailing arm and just let the spring ride along the top, not mechanically connected. Maybe a Teflon or nylon pad to ride on. The springs are free to lengthen and shorten as they move up and down.

A long Panhard bar will keep it the housing centered with help from the triangulation of the trailing arms and the shocks dampen everything and limit the drop when jacked up.
Maybe something like this could be used but I don’t think it’s necessary, the springs just support the vertical load. These are from Calvert.

 

I’ve decided that I like the wishbones more than the hairpins (hairpins seem too short), so I put them back on along with the steering arms and stuff. Everything seems to work like it should, I was concerned about the tie rod hitting the damper with all of the weight on but the tie rod falls between the damper and the pan and there’s tons of clearance anyway. So I’ll tack weld the tabs for the wishbones after I square everything up. Right now the jack stands are in the way so I need to reposition them. While doing that, I also want to set it on the ground to check the height.
Hmm, going to need front wheels and tires for that…. I went upstairs and scrounged up some lug nuts that would work with the Halibrands. Then I got out the new Speedway rotors I got for it. No bearings. I got out the new disc brake kit, only inside bearings. Dang. Apparently, I don’t have any outer wheel bearings for these rotors. On to Plan B. Back upstairs….
I have a set of spindle mount Eric Vaughn Real Wheels with new Michelin tires that I bought for my Willys and never used. I can stick those on.

They didn’t go on without some drama, the temporary steering arm bolts wouldn’t let the wheel go on all the way so I had to make some special short Allen headed bolts. Then everything fit together fine.

I’m starting to like the looks of this thing…. Starting to get that old excitement. We’ll see how it looks on the ground tomorrow, too late to fire up the compressor and air up the tires tonight.

 

It’s on the ground!! Well at least the front is…. The Model A crossmember did what I hoped it would and put it down nice n low.