Follow me along and help me get a 34 roadster ready for a wedding!!

Great quote!

 

Chris, you said you initially torqued them at 30ft/lbs then to 50 ft/lbs...
I think thats pretty tight for aluminum heads, Ive read to only retorque to 35-40ft/lbs... I think that was original specs for factory aluminum heads.

It may be different for newer after market heads?

 

That ****s, but thankfully it didn't hurt the motor!

 

I'm sure it can be fixed, but dunno at what cost. I will probably hang onto em and maybe find a mate...who knows, maybe someone will want em more then me ;D They are super *****in!!

 

I didn't...thats hindsite. They are in super nice shape, and looked great so did not think it was needed. You know, just true em and run! Learned my lesson!

 

Factory Ford aluminum heads torque to 50 ft lbs, and new heads say 50-55. I could never find specs on Edmunds and he's long gone...so just went with it. Even so, 50 should not crack a head. Plus look at the area it cracked, it's in an area that does not have a lot of bolt holes around them.

 

Amen.

 

Game on










Today my Dad got off work and went by my house with a magnetic dial indicator and ran all 8 cylinders. He wrote me the specs on the tops of the pistons, and all were within .002"...so that rules out any bent rod or anything!!

After I got off work, my friend Mike stopped by and we put the longer studs in, switched the br*** plugs in the heads and put em on with new gaskets and an oil change. Hit the key and she ran great. Let it run until warm and looks like problem solved

 

That was **** luck man, but you got over that speed bump pretty fast.
Your dad is awesome!

 

you need to stay off the hamb and get in the garage or you will not be ready!!! I put as much time here as I do working on mine!!!!

 

Thanks for the Burger!

 

Anytime, thanks for the help!! Too bad Devin showed up

 

Hey Chris, Sorry to hear about your trouble, but glad you got it worked out.

I don't want to hijack your thread, but the picture of your block with the head gasket on it made me think of something that I've gone through recently. The head gasket you used has the two "keystone" shaped water p***ages in middle and bottom between the two center cylinders whereas your block has the two round holes. The Fel-Pro catalog shows two different gaskets for 59AB's depending on which holes the block has. Your gasket is a #7548B for the block with the keystone-shaped p***ages. My block also has the round holes like yours, so I went with the # 7283B gasket which has the round holes in the middle and bottom like the block, although smaller holes in the gasket than the block. I wasn't sure, but I decided on this gasket to force more circulation through the block and to keep too much water from just going up through those large p***ages and out the center outlet of the head. I'm not sure if that's right or wrong, but that was my reasoning. I've had great luck with this engine, never running hot even in Texas weather, and it had these gaskets before. Just something to think about, maybe you or your dad already know or maybe someone else will chime in with experience on this...

 

Things like that just make your heart sink, but it is always nice to see one of those issue turn out okay and with a quick turn around.

This car is really turning out nice!.....I am really looking forward to seeing it in person at Bonneville sittin' next to the T

 

Thanks Randy, these are in fact FelPro 7548 B's. I ONLY use Fel Pro head gaskets. I used the 7548's for 2 reasons. First, it is the ones that come in the complete set, and they will work for either block were as the 7283's should only be used on blocks with irregular holes. Second, these are the only ones we stock at work

I can't see were the difference in hole shape will make any difference on flow or cooling, that gasket is not blocking part of the hole, if it was, that would cause a problem.

 

Sorry about that, it didn't look like a Fel-Pro in the picture, my bad.

You can get the 7283B's in a complete set, FS7283B or B2, can't remember. I believe the irregular shaped holes are the keystone-shaped p***ages like the 7548B, the round holes are the 7283B's. The reason the round hole gaskets change circulation is because the two round holes are restricted, smaller in size on the gasket than on the block, so they won't let water move as fast through those holes straight up into the head and out through the center outlet to the radiator. I believe the restriction was for that reason, but maybe it's the other way around, maybe the restricted hole was bad and the irregular shaped holes came later and worked better. I'm not really sure. My engine has always ran cool with the 7283B-style gaskets even in brutal Texas heat, so I'll probably stick with them. Another thing to consider is that the company Best Gaskets only makes the gaskets with the restricted round holes for the 59AB.

 

That looks great. It's gonna look really killer with the top on it.

Bummer about the old heads, but the new Edelbrocks look good.

 

Got a lot of small jobs done today. I am starting on the brakes, did a lot of sandblasting at my Dad's cleaning all the small little parts in the brake system. I also got some more tape and finished the top, just messing around. This is somewhat how I want the top to look. I tried bringing the back of the door opening farther forward, but I like it that way I had it a couple days ago were the door side window stopped shortly before the door. Made the top look lighter, lower and more racey.













Part of cleaning parts for the brakes included removing old linings on the shoes. Did that, blasted em, painted em, and riveted on new pads.





My Dad is building a 32 roadster, and somewere along the way he picked up 2 floor mats. He offered one to me, I figured I could slice and dice it enough to make it work. I figured right. With the 39 ****** the tower is farther forward, so there is a hole in the mat were the stock spot was...oh well, it's a hot rod, right

 

Lookin good Chris, saw the top on FB....looks good although I like the top bow a little lower your tall so probably works well for you....just glue your beer holder in the shifter hole ......

 

Looks good Chris. It's coming along nicely.

 

I do have plans to lean the forward bow twards the front a bit. It will eliminate such a big bump in the center, but I do like em to have a sort of "carriage" look to em. And your right, with the top lowered even with the seat back I don't have a lot of head room. You know, people that are short ***** about it...but try being as tall as me and being into 30's Fords...it ****S!!!

 

Looking good, Chris... Cool to see this come together!!



Malcolm

 

Hey Chris, I know how it feels, I'm 6'4" and love the look of some cars till I try to fit in! It's the only time I wish I was a little shorter!

 

Being short does have it's advantages.

 

Well today was a good day. My friend Lenny was going with Chopperimpala to a rat rodder's house outside of town. I knew him and havn't seen him in a while and he is usually throwing away "good stuff", so said I'd go. Ended up 2 car loads of people went there...it was a rainy Sunday and there wasn't much to do. Anyways, were looking at all this guy's **** and I notice this old chromed axle on his workbench with a couple REALLY short chrome split A wishbones. I went up to him and said "I know the answer is probably no, but would you sell that chrome axle?" I then told him I was trying to piece together a plated front end, and had a very nice dropped axle I would part trade.

He said "well, it needs some work". He showed me were it had a very slight bend in it. He told me he was trying to figure out how to straiten it before he hole sawed the **** out of it! I cringed and said no problem, ran home, grabbed my axle and swapped him. Took it to my Dads and we used his press...took 10 minutes and she's strait as an arrow. I spent a little time polishing it, it is pretty nice!!!!

I know it is an A axle...I'm going to have to cut down the axle bosses 1/8" to work with my wishbone but no big deal, the chrome is pretty much rubbed off em anyways. Also gotta weld up the holes in the center and repaint the inlay black.

So thats it, I was lusting for a plated axle, and my prayers were answered!!

 

good job,keep chipping away.looking good

 

Love the way every piece on your car has a story........!

 

^^ X2. Good save there, Chris!


iPhone - TJJ app

 

Thanks! My favorite part about putting a car together is scrounging the parts and how everything always seems to just "work out". Every piece of chrome on this front end was just a right place at the right time.