Technical What did you do today?

Friday
Removed the torsion bar suspension and test fit the new disc brake xmember

Saturday a former student came over and I taught him how to remove the broke studs in his exhaust manifolds and tap threads. Then me and the youngun cleaned up the bus and decorated it for a cancer awareness at our local circle track. Got to do 3 laps. Fun fun

Today removed the engine and trans from my youngun s 61
He removed the head to reveal 1 stuck valve and 1 slightly rusted cyl.

Dang good weekend

 

Picked up a single Cats Eye fog light and converted it to 12v....ready to mount

 

Today Dad and I got to go for a wonderful 175 mile motorcycle ride. Dad on his XLH with mounted sidecar and me on my Tour Glide. First decently long ride of the year. The only thing that would have been better is if my nine year old son had been with us, he was visiting Grandma. A great day.


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Painted the house

 

I Got the body of the Merc over the weekend. Now it's time to decide if I want to make a custom frame or rework this one.

 

Engine went in the car today and i could not resist to start it, a 53 year old kid...

 

Scored a Banjo wheel, and early model A windshield roadster frame.

 

Over the last two afternoons... All repurposed. Leftover round steel from our store, commercial pallet wood from our store and a 65 Chevy tailgate from a spring swap meet purchase! Can’t beat a little redneck furniture! Ha ha




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Planned to make a "rub" sleeve out of light gauge Aluminum for the lower radiator hose. It is touching the fuel pump, but not the PS belt, (which is why it's against the pump). This all started when I added power steering to the coupe. Then I was going to adjust idle mixture etc on the car. However, bumped the steel hydraulic line on the rack/pinion, and it started to leak. The two lines cracked at 3 of the fittings, so got them off. Glad it broke in the garage, rather than on road. Heading to buddies repair shop in morning, to make up some new lines. Will get to rub sleeve and tuneup, tomorrow?

 

Wouldn't you worry about heat transfer from the radiator hose to the fuel pump ?

 

Possibly some heat transfer, but it's more of a point contact, at the seam on the pump. Don't want that rubbing a weak spot into the hose. Was thinking of using thin plastic sheet instead, just haven't found any yet.

 

I changed my factory 409 chrome valve covers over to an old set of Moon finned aluminum valve covers.
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I like them better than the old chrome ones:

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I do too. Is that a Hemi spacer plate hanging on the wall?

 

Very observant. Yes it is. I have a DeSoto hemi on an engine stand that I am still considering putting in my coupe. Still haven't made a decision yet.

 

...drug two more derilicts home, both for sale soon...

 

Trying to figure this banging noise out..

 

Looks like the lower ball joint rubbing the splash shield for the rotor.

 

Came home after work , really wanted to put the front clip back on the 37 but didn't think just the wife and I were up to the task...Right then someone knocked on the garage door. It was my pal Larry who showed up outa the blue...Put him to work lickety split

 

My night....ugh

 

Hey Swade , did you get the lemon flavored nasty shit to drink?

 

Damn swade that will build a memory for you.

 

Prepped a pretty rare dual Snorkel MoPar Breather for paint.


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How about one of those urethane bushings on the inner pivots of the lower A arm; had two of them go out in short order after an install, they kinda snapped like that; stuff pretty much just gave way. Figured the urethane was either low quality or didn't age well, maybe both (front end kit was old and had sat around).

 

Both of my o/t rides broke down in the last two weeks, my main vehicle blew a rad hose on the highway, in heavy traffic on a long steep hill. By the time I got to the top, the damage was done. I had it hauled home on a flat deck, and surveyed the crime scene.
I have to pull the heads, check for cracks, true them, and do the valves. It is a high mileage engine, so I can rationalize that it had to come apart at some point anyway. The worst part, is that it is in an Astro Van, a real crappy job for a guy with a bad back.
To complete the disaster, yesterday, while running my wife home in my other car, a fitting broke on the heater control valve, and pissed out enough water that it overheated. I was almost home, so it was a toss up whether to stop or not. We got home in time, but finding the problem was do difficult that I had to dismantle a substantial amount of the cooling system Just to find the problem. As I said, it was the control valve, and a replacement is almost $600.
I said to myself, screw this, and am going to repair the valve myself by machining a copper insert, and attaching the broken piece to the body by using JB Weld as well as keeping the copper insert for mechanical support.
In the meantime, I have routed the hoses to bypass the heater until the repair is finished.
Life is good.
Bob

 

Finished up the rub sleeve on the lower radiator hose; used a piece of plastic, instead of Aluminum, after some friendly questioning by Marty Strode. Installed the new steel lines on the rack, refilled the power steering pump, checked for leaks, and did my carb adjustments.

 

Went over to Georgia and picked up another Hemi, and while I was there scored a nice rebuildable 389 Pontiac engine from the same guy. Been a long time sense I used a Pontiac but I always loved those engines.

 

Nice catch, is it a big or a small Hemi? It is also great to know that you also found a Pontiac. I was wondering if you already have an idea of what you are going to do with the motors?
Bob

 

Fabricated sheet metal for trunk area. Glen

 

I asked him the same thing. I mean how many Hemi's does one man get to have in a lifetime?? I called him a hoarder, he says he's an "enthusiast". Whatever, I'm jealous

 

jock, Man I have three project's going on, all of them have engines planned already. One has the 327 already installed, the other a 50 Shoebox is getting a 392 Hemi I have at the machine shop now. The next one is a 1937 Plymouth and also is going to get a Hemi another 392 that I hope to start working on soon. The Hemi I picked up yesterday is a 331 and I don't have a clue as to were it will go in time, but it's a Hemi and I have this addiction about them, or something. The Pontiac is to me just a really cool motor and for now it will get built and dressed and be just for looking at I guess.

Keith, and that comes from a guy who has spent every weekend at the builders for what now 6 months or so. LOL You need to get back to sanding dude, it's not going to do itself...