A few post to follow! I haven’t updated since January… catch me on IG for more regular updates… Clutch kit made up locally for Cad to LaS trans.
F-1 Steering box in process. All clean. I bought a Chadillac Designs steering box flange kit. I then made a lathe arbor to turn down the existing flange to accept the new one. I plan to revise this arbor to instead bolt to the gear cover holes, that way the box can be turned regardless of whether or not the bushing is installed. This way will also make it easier to offset the diameters in the 4 jaw chuck to account for the castings core shift. The diameter shown is not the final dimension, just my proof of concept.
Sort of off topic, but I figured y'all would get a kick out of the Kitchenaid mixer I had pinstriped for my wife. Striping done by Hot Rod Walt. Friend & Front Man of The Psycho DeVilles. New welder & plasma cut machines. Now for some real progress!
Grabbed the crustiest LaSalle case in the pile and tore it down. After cleaning, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s in great shape. Ken at K&M Aerospace walnut blasted the input shaft and recut the pilot bearing diameter. He also splined the output shaft to fit the Ford torque tube U-joint & widened the existing snap ring grooves for modern eyeleted circlips, as the original ones are a huge PITA. Despite being a machinist myself, I’m content with sending this work off. I’ve got no ego in this. My department at work doesn’t even have a dividing head so If someone else has the tooling and process down, go right ahead. Lastly, I had the bottom cover chrome plated. I’ve realized that having parts chromed is addicting. Comparable to getting tattooed. Once you have one, the next time you have a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket, you’ll want another.
DAMN!!!!! I just went 3 pages from a Banger to a POWER PAK and then one of my favorites the CADDY Build!!!! Im in for the subscript..... keep posting anything...
Thanks for the updates. I had to go back and refresh my memory of where your build is at. I am still a bit envious of you and your dad going through the old speed shop. I love poking around in old places to see what can be found but that place is amazing.
First some hokey machinist screw jack action to press out the reverse cluster gear shaft. Followed by drilling, chamfering, & tapping the hole pattern for the Ford rear bearing mount. There is .050 wall thickness at the 3/8-16 thread major diameter & bearing bore, so the old bearing is mocked in place while tapping to keep the bearing bore from deforming/cracking where thin.
Small updates, I scored this Edelbrock 4x2 CD-694 manifold & matching valve covers from Squeak Bell’s collection. I'm very happy with this look. I wasn’t thrilled with the look of allen headed grub screws- splitting hairs I know… So I turned back some 7/16-14 bolts to 3/8 OAL, then slotted them in the mill. These will go in with Loc***e 545 then peened in several places to plug up the old tail shaft holes in the rear of the LaS case.
The Jalopy Journal
