I'm at a bit of a loss why he should consider trading what is a perfect candidate for the modifications listed for a lesser car that will require more work, time and ultimately more money than he has invested right now to get it to the same standard. The mods listed are pretty straight forward, it's not like the entire driveline is being ripped out or the body work being modified to extremes. I wish I could have started with something as nice, my car would have been on the road a lot sooner than it was. I meant to mention earlier that Volume 2 of the Les Andrews books covers some of the mods listed, including switching to hydraulic brakes.
The advantage of starting with a nice car like that is it isn't sitting in the garage torn down for weeks on end. You can drive it and enjoy it while you do your mods. The mods. your'e talking about will take short periods of "down time" in the meantime you're enjoying the car. If you do it right and save the stock parts, you can put it back to original. Enjoy. I for one think you have a good plan.
#1 I used the sparkplug hole tools (available for sale from Model A suppliers or make them out of old spark plug bases) in #1 and #4 cylinders to hook my chain to and then lift the engine out with the hoist. #2 There is a bolt on the side of the side of the head, after that is removed only thing holding you back from removing the distributor is corrosion. Keep in mind there is a dowel that joins the head and the distributor so the distributor won't turn. #3 I only R&R'd my engine so I unbolted the rear housing from the transmission. Before you get to far ahead of yourself make sure to loosen and remove the front pulley. It will give you room to bring the engine forward over the front crossmember. In my own opinion having the trans attached to the engine would be a large pain to have to store and move around your garage.
Here is a little project going on in the Corner of my Shop. It didn't start out as a car but discarded parts from many other Shop Jobs. The body was bought off a Friend on hard times and the motor was built by Friend who runs B-Ville with a Banger in a 31 Coupe (Lickety Split). He wanted a winter project so I gave him a bunch of loose parts, it came back ready to Run with some Magjic done inside. Not sure what the end result will be or what exactly will happen to it but sure is Soaking up a lot of my Spare time. The Wizzard
Pretty close. I've never understood where guys got the Idea Hatchet work was Old School. I've been doing it this way since High School and I'm 60+. The Wizzard
Not much new with me. I screwed with that Winfield updraft on the roadster but couldn't get it to run right so off it came for a short while. Took the car over to the coast for the Billetproof show, saw quite a few bangers. See my pics below. Lastley, I am thrilled to say that my coupe has a nice article in the new HOPUP volume 10!! I am just stoked! I don't have a copy yet, but a guy at Billetproof had a copy. Made my weekend My roadster and good friend John's B I LOVED this T, one of my favorites at the show!
Thanks, sounds like our dizzy is rather rusted in. Have not heard about the sparkplug deal, will make a couple hooks.
Hey guys, I have not really been working on my A lately, but I put exhaust on it last night. Sounds pretty good. Amazing how much that short torque tube helps. I still need to do a hanger, any Ideas?
Corey, looks really good! Dan Ray put a hanger on mine, it's just a stick that welds to the inside of the pipe, and goes up to a bushing that is held to the center crossmember with a bolt. Probably get a universal hanger like that at a decent parts store or exhaust shop.Make sure to put one on though, or they could crack.
Ya that's kind of what I was thinking. I was just not sure how to do it with duel exhaust. I might cut a small "hour glass" shape of metal to connect two. that way I could put the bracket on the backside or between the two. Not sure if that is the best way? Maybe I will just run stacks with birdies?
Ok fellas, while driving the sedan I'm getting a rikki tikki tappi, more under load. Sounds like valve tap, so I pulled the cover to adjust. I've got as much as .023" on some of the intake valves, some are .012-.016 exhaust & intake respectively. It looks like there is no way to adjust the tappets. Are these original tappets? Did someone replace them with aftermarket? I'm going to get a set of new adjustable tappets, while I'm at it, I may as well go ahead and replace the cam & gear. Do I need to remove the engine to do the job? Any recommendations on products/suppliers?? Will I hurt anything driving it until then?? I want to drive her over the summer to a couple shows & cruises. Any thoughts? Thanks!!!
New adjustable lifters would make the job a lot easier. Model A lifters are inserted from the bottom with the cam out. They can be installed with the engine still in the car by holding them up with a clothespin while you feed in the camshaft. The cylinder head and valves have to be out. If the engine's out, naturally the easy way is to turn it over so gravity holds 'em in. Several suppliers advertise in the FAST and Secrets mags and some of them post here regularly. Since you will have the cam out, it would make sense to replace it with at least a B grind plus a metal timing gear. Check out www.hotforhotfours.com and www.fordbarn.com and www.ahooga.com, if you haven't already. Fearless
has anyone got the specs for a good cam grind for an overhead and the best place to get a head gasget and studs
Thanks Tom! Info saved!! Tomorrow I plan on the longest ride to date with the sedan. I'm debating which route to take. The back way is kinda hilly, the other has a long stretch of highway, 55mph, with some nice grades ( If I take the highway, I won't be running at 55 though ). I think I may take the back way as speeds will be slower. It's not the she won't go that fast, if I have a cam/tappet issue, I don't want to be running that long at a sustained speed. She runs real good around town, I can keep up with traffic fine. Since everything is open now, things are alot louder, which led me to investigate the noise ( I also put the exhaust on ). This engine has been driven alot of miles in the past, but not a trip as long as this one. We'll see how it goes this time around, there is one more trip I want to make before the winter when I will be tearing it down to install new cam, gears, tappets, and valves. Thanks for the info!!
ok guys i found a distributer in a box of junk that i have never seen before the body fits an a head and the shaft has an offset grove just like a stock model a dizzy. it is made by autolight and it looks to be a centrifically advance unit I would imagine that it is an older aftermarket replacement, since some of the stuff in the boxes haven't seen the light of day in decades. Is it like a Mallory... as good as a mallory...better than mallory? here are a few pics thanks tom
Hey 38dodgebiz, <O</OTo answer your question...you would be looking for Burns, Evans, and Zephyr intakes to name a few. "Burns" is a cool intake that is a dual down draft or single. If you use small carbs (Stromberg 81's lets say) you will likely be fine with stock engine. "Zephyr" is another one that was available in the 40's and 50's as was the "Burns" intake. "Evans" is another one. I have an Evans on mine and have yet to find anyone that knows when they were first available but I do know they will for sure fall in the late 40s - 50s era. I picked 1939 year for my built and need to paint wheels and radiator insert black but I think Evans intake may have been available then. These are all for 3 bolt carbs. I think the "Zephyr" may be reproduced now...but not sure. <O</OHeads of that era includes milled stock heads, Pop Evans Turbulence, the Super Winfield (aluminum), Original Winfields (red or yellows), Wiend, Thomas (I think), and others. Aluminum Silvertons came on the scene in the 60s. <O</OHere's some more of my high priced opinion....do what you want with the car and enjoy it. I'm not one to do a lot of non reversible mods and I usually keep all the original stuff that comes off....but that's just me. Do what you want. I wouldnt be afraid to take a complete original and make it an early style hotrod. <O</OYou can do most of what you want to do and it can be made stock again if you want or if you sell and someone else wants. <O</OAlso...don't short change the original mechanical brake set-up. If they are done right they will stop very well. It does however require some time to get them right and keep them adjusted as your pedal goes down over time .I consistently out stop my new GMC pickup in a side by side test with 2 competent drivers. Deuce brakes are only slightly better than Model As. <O</O Sorry for the long post. Andy G<O</O
on clarification....that's with radials...not bi's that i normally run. another words the brakes are better than the bias tires i normally run on it.....if you lock up all four do you need a better braking system?
well ive turned into one of you "banger wierdo's" now. heres my new little pickup. i drove it all day and its soo damn fun, its got a zephyr 2-2 intake and a super winfield head. it has a lotta tourque! i got an overdrive i might be putting in it, and lowering it with 16's but i kinda dig it how it is.....its so over carberated its retarted
Jordan, that truck is too cool! What a great Shop Driver...16`s will get it close to perfect.....Well Done!
Kickass man. Reminds me a little of the truck on the Rocketeer owned by Petey. Do you know if the bottom end is worked over on your engine or is it stock? I have a zypher also and have been told that a stock a will never use all the fuel available from 2 strombergs or Holleys. I am gonna run my other single intake I have for my stock banger. Have you tried dummying one of the carbs? I heard from an old-timer that the zypher will still flow properly to both intake ports with just one feeding carb. Oh and thanks for the help with Cody way back over the stuff us fellas all bought from him.-Weeks
I would suggest using the mechanical brakes. You will have to fabricate a MC mount or totally change the pedals, which will suck. Im going to adjust my mechanical brakes and run them pn my truck. Your car wont be doing a lot of high speed driving, the mechanicals should be fine.
Yup...as Mark said at the beginning, we've had our first drag meet of the year; the Nostalgia Nationals. A great weekend with superb weather. I took my Tudor instead of the Touring, so my times were down from 17's to a best of 24.9, but it was all great fun. There is a full report on the Flathead Meltdown website which you can read by clicking here... I'm now planning on what to do with the engine that's in the Tudor over the winter. Needs the flywheel lightening and a cam, for sure.
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