Looking for some input on Rebuilding these. is it possible to do yourself? I see rebuilts out there for about 150 Each and up from there. Anyone have experience with these? any reccomedations? The ones i have are in good shape and are free, but leak. Thanks!
Funny, just saw your post on Facebook and immediately thought "Someone just posted something about rebuilding these on the HAMB"...false alarm, apparently ...
hahaha, yea just looking for some info... If i can do it myself i will, but if not i guess ill somewhere... would just like to know if anyone has some experience with any pof the places that ive found online that rebuilds them, they are just damn expensive...
If you are on the Fordbarn send Bill Wzorek a PM. He does shock rebuilding and is located in Mass. He may be able to give you a run down on what it takes to do them.
Here's a copy of the manual telling you how to do it: http://www.tocmp.com/manuals/Ford/Haudaille/index.html Yes I know they spelled the name wrong. And supposedly there is a page missing somewhere in there. But if you can get even part way into this rebuild, I bet you are smart enough to make do without the missing page.
From what I've read yesterday of different websites covering the rebuilds it's a major pain in the ass since each shock is made individually with no interchangeable parts...personally, if I'm gonna go through the trouble of rebuilding 4 of them and doing machining to fix them I'd make all new parts and make them all the same, which would be ridiculously time consuming...if someone offers a rebuild service with a warranty I'd be tempted to go that route rather than spending countless hours blueprinting each shock, modifying them and making new internals...
I've been looking for a set ofr my '33 for a couple months and the money has never been there when I did find a few sets. I can't believe Im going to have more in those shocks then I will have in a '32 Heavy, Spindles and a wishbone!!! I'm paying attention though and learning as much as I can for when the time is right...
Rod&Custom did an article on doing this within the last year or so. You need a special "wrench" to undo the face of them, but beyond that it didn't look too hard to do.
I have bought NOS Houdaille shocks for $5 each before. They usually are from a 50's Studebaker or somesuch, but they are the same thing as old Ford once you switch the arms. Keep your eyes open at the swap meets.
I've been watching for a good pair too at swapmeets but have yet to come up with anything. Rebuilding them involves dynomite, a forty foot long breaker bar and the personal approval of Jesus.
This place will do them, and I do believe you need some special tools to do them at home. Sometimes the arms are REALLY REALLY hard to get off, as well. http://www.classicautoshocks.com/
JJ, Take a look at this poster from Houdaille circa 1929. You may be suprised where they were made. http://www.flickr.com/photos/33118419@N05/3477294883/in/photostream/
Often, if the shock arm is moveable a little bit of heat will reliquify the original Glycerin mix fluid and allow you to pour it out through the fill port. Unscreww the fill port and bolt the shock upside down and heat the shiock body with a butane torch. You're not looking for any new color in the steel just to liquify the existing fluid which has dried/coagulated over the years. Work the arm as the fluid begins to run out. Refill with hydraulic jack oil and if it doesn't leak you may a set of shocks that work just fine.
IF they're Model A, there's a video available from either MARC or MAFCA showing the steps. Specifically went to a restorer meeting just to see it. If they're V8's I'm SOL.
I see brand new Lever Arm Shocks for Fords that are being carried by MAC's. They look like Houdaille Shocks (same fit and function) except they are factory sealed and do not take new oil. Does anyone have any experience with these?
After five years snake didn't get an answer to that question. I bought a car that had them on it. They were used for less than a thousand miles and one failed utterly while the others are way not uniform in their snubbing making them only slightly better than nothing. While not really cheap, I have since found enough rebuilt take offs that allowed me to replace those poor examples of Houdailles. At the Orange As pancake breakfast there was a Model A chassis offered to raffle that boasted "all original" with a set of the bogus shocks. I tried to warn the club members that they were beyond not original. I was advised to move along as club experts had found the shocks to be original. I left the event before the drawing. Good luck: Fred A