Projects Prefect / Willys /Kadett/Thames Gasser Build.

Yep. He’s always there. And that’s a good thing. He’s forgotten more than I’ll ever know. Round 2 goes to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The proper equipment and tubing bender is a powerful thing. It also gets you in trouble too.
I reformed the trans dipstick tube to clear everything. I also tested with air pressure to check for leaks. I’ll use an adel clamp to secure it as I had to remove the tab so it fit inside the tubbing bender.

 

Got a lot done today. Not a bad way to end the year. Gonna change the bolt arrangement on the trans cross member. Thick wall frame section is tapped and bolted in. The more I think about it I really want nuts on the back of those. Strength isn’t the issue I ran a blown fed with only 4 3/8 bolts holding everything in. It just kinda keeps coming up in my mind. Not hard and now is the time.
Hope everyone is well. God Speed.

 

Trans dipstick finally the way I want. Cross member frame bosses plugged/sealed with rubber stoppers.Look good.
The throttle link from my pedal and my injectors how ever decided to not cooperate. The left hand heim end broke off in the threaded bung ( yes it’s chrome-molly). I bottomed the threads out after I finished the final bend in the bender and it seized up and broke off. I’ll just cut it off and weld in another. All I can do. That must be right. Too much potential for problems if it’s not.

 

Cut the end off and welded in another. Went with right hand this time. With the bends and angles it’s not like I can turn or adjust with out taking it off every time anyway. It’s fixed and the hiem ends are smooth adjusting as they should be.

 

Throttle /go pedal finally set. And adjusted. Will need two very light springs. The pedal assembly has a return spring built into it so there isn’t much need for huge spring pressures.
Got two of the three firewall gasket bungs finished. ( rivets now not clecos ). Still lack mag kill switch and tach hook up bung to go.
Pulled the covers off the gauges to let them charge /glow. Those are still so cool to me.
Gotta buy some Packard 440 in a roll. I had about 10 feet left. Not enough. And I my opinion it’s either that or nothing for a mag.

 

Final return spring on injectors. Decided to try and make a nice set of return spring brackets rather than just wire or zip ties. I really want a little smaller spring.
Got the last fire wall sealing bung done. Tach and mag kill switch.

 

Classy

 

Mick has taught me well. Still not where I want to be. Takes me twice as long as him.
Scrap barrel proves that. Lol
Or as the Late Pat Foster used to say. That’s Lovely . Not there yet

 

Got a roll of 7mm copper core (Standard ignition parts ) /100ft. ( Oriellys)And then got 90 degree plug boots from Carquest. Had the brass ends.
Less than a hundred in all and they even say made in USA.
Made full set ( all 4 ft). I’ll adjust length after I have everything set and have the plug wire brackets and mounts set.
I have a question. Do I need to bend the solid core back over the insulation like I did before I crimped the plug ends and then tighten down the set screw or do I simply insert the wire in and pray the pointed set screw manages to make contact and lock it in place. I’ve seen one set that was actually bent into a loop so what is the correct set up. Made us a set of injector stack plugs. Looks better than taping shop rags on the stacks all the time. Mick got them from somewhere. It’s all good.

 

Those injection stack balls can still allow dirt to fall in when u pull out the balls. Always liked I lid over top with bungee cord tie down if moving

 

First loosen the screws up so the wire will slide into the cap then Just install the wire into the cap of the mag the tighten screw down the screws have a point on them and will go right into the wire also you did use solid core wire correct I always make my own wires as well keep up the good work

 

I’ve always tried to make my own. I have used copper core on all of my track stuff and even a fair amount of my street stuff. Hei included. Radio doesn’t mean much to me.
I kinda fingured that the pointed needle was supposed to but I’ve pulled one or two down that had the wire bent back over and then pinned down and even one that they had made a little loop and then pinned down.
The new Roll of standard ignition wire looks every bit as good as my last little bit of 440 Packard stuff. I have less than a hundred dollars in everything and that will let me do another complete set. With at least 20 ft left over. Not bad. Blown motor was the last scratch built set I made. Apparently it’s getting hard to find.

 

Mag wires are cut to length and installed. Firing order and back exiting ment I tagged everything until I got through. Wires separators are all that’s left. Not hard but it isn’t something that you can rush either.

 

Like those fancy valve cover hold down studs.

 

Wes came over Saturday( Opel handler now.) Was Good to see him back in the shop where he belongs. Between Mick and him I ain't got a chance. lol
And that's the way I like it.

 

Finished the cap and wires. Started the wire looms. Got to get a few more black zip ties.
All steering shaft bolts and nuts trimmed /safety lock nuts.
Moved big A frame out of shop to give Wes more room. Loaded up a truck bed full of boxes make good heater fuel at the house. Found a toy that Mick had ordered under the boxes. Yep like Christmas all over again. Should make doing the Opel interior for Wes way easier.

 

Core/radiator/fuel tank mounts disassembled and painted. The epoxy paint didn’t like moisture or something today even though I was out of the weather. Did it over and is better but if it doesn’t flash as I want I’ll do it again.
Never remember having this many fuel lines when I ran carbs. Lol

 

Front tank radiator support in. Fuel tank/radiator/hoses and fuel lines etc. Think I am going to change the angle on one fitting.

 

Sano

 

Looks great, very clean and well thought out. Nice.

 

I need two 45s for the push lock. (Return lines are in a slight bind in one spot. Learned never by one always two.

 

Pulled down the front hose/fuel and water /and lined everything back up. The pump and valves and bulkheads are now all in the same plane. Bugged me. The double o ring fuel extensions can be a real pain to keep secure/set with out spinning out of plane. Just a neatness thing for me. And trying to make sure there are no leaks.
Secured the fuel shut off cable to to of frame /and away from the headers. The 45 push lock fitting on the main return line helped the routing as well. Dip stick in. I am thinking that chrome has gotta go.

 

Nice build but as I get older my vision isnt getting better. Any chance you can post all your pics fullize?

 

I think if you click on them they will enlarge. But I will try to remember and post them larger if my phone will let me enlarge them.

 

Ok. Remember all the really nice shifters tht all of us have purchased and owned. There is one thing that still remains the same. The Universal shifter cable mount for the trans. Never seen one that bolted on with out modification. No sense in being disappointed after 40 plus years. Not even the power-glide.lol
I will Probably build from scratch. Lever must be up and the cable is Angled up by that bracket. The deep pan and thicker rail adds a 1/4 to the difference. I want the cable near parallel. Nobody is gonna know or see it but that never helps the cables. Not even the mighty morris cables.

 

Shifter cable bracket complete.finished the welding and milled the slots a little longer for adjustments. I installed and adjusted (it’s a quarter stick hurst ) the cable is locked in with clips. That’s a first. I pulled back down to paint.
Used to be all nuts and lock washers. The cable used to be a lot bigger also ( heavy duty Morris cable) quality. Shifter itself is fine. I’ve used several of the hurt quarter master s. But the trans arm slot and the bracket leave a little to be desired. I guess it’s to be expected. My detent spring /etc has fair pressure. I don’t like sloppy shifters.

 

Need u joint caps for a 1350 yoke on the 9 inch ( Willy’s). Got a chance to sort through the list on the Prefect. Got to install top rib brace for front cap. The more I look at the right angle the more I see the downward bow. That’s gotta go.

 

Drive shaft in the Willy’s.1350s/on both ends and strange yokes /chrome molly tubes on both. Painted it metallic silver like the front axle /for safety reasons.
The system one oil filter won’t clear the pan kick out. Will have to use a short version. Dang they have gone up a bunch. But I like the idea of being able to inspect the oil for metal /brass etc.
Went ahead and did the Prefect drive shaft also.

 

Apparently I had the bushing on up side down. The canister screwed right on. When all else fails flip it.

 

Oil pressure sending unit line and temp sender complete. Leaves torque converter bolts /lashing valves /fluids( engine /trans/rearend) and final timing.