I air bagged the old girl back in 2009, doesn't quite sit on the ground, if anyone knows where to get drop spindles let me know and also thinking about notching the rear end. They are awesome for carrying big loads, I used to play in bands and I'd take everything in the wagon. Drum kit, x2 guitars and amps, bass and amp and a PA Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Thanks guys. Well I have officially discovered that my heater can't keep up when it is < 30 degrees out, my defrost barely works, and the car is super drafty. There is one thing though, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love to drive this big old wagon every day. Bad news, my rear end is dripping again. It doesn't look like the pinion seal this time, but who knows. It has been to cold to really get a good look at it. Good news, I haven't had to add oil at a gas station in months!!
Well a bit of an update on more pending work I get to do. Still haven't fixed the leaky rear end. This time, good news first. Good news - It doesn't seem there is any oil/coolant mixing. Resevoir tank is bright green, and dip stick is not milky. Bad news - Coolant is leaking out the front of the engine block where it meets the head. It is not a freeze plug. Looks like I get to change out the head gasket. Side note - the car is running great.
I believe it is a universal thing with all women,,ask my wife for a crescent wrench and it's a good possibility that down deep in the abyss of her purse mixed in with all the war paint she has it,,need a tape measure,,she has it! People that don't have a wagon don't know what they are missing,,but you never have to say you don't have room for everything!,,including the wife's own personal suitcase she claims as a purse. HRP
I'm not a real big fan of this stuff, but you might try some Bar's Leaks for that coolant leak, especially if it's not too big, it is also an anti rust too, which doesn't hurt either! Your rear end, I believe you changed out the pinion seal, did the yoke show much wear where the seal lip rides, that can be a possibility. A worn yoke will eat up the seal. What's the weather like? Going to be almost 60 here, S/Central Kansas! Have a great Sunday, Mike.
Fairlane Mike, I already ordered a new head gasket. It won't be too bad, I just have a feeling that head is going to be pretty darn heavy. Unfortunately, I had someone else change out the pinion seal for me. It was well over a 100 degrees outside and my garage isn't air conditioned. There was enough fluid on my garage floor to tell me that it had to get taken care of right away. The guy did say that everything looked good in there. It appears to be the seal between the differential carrier and axle housing. I still need to clean the area really good and inspect it again. Weather has been typical Missouri weather. Freezing cold one day, 60 the next.
Heavy as in "two men & a little boy". I used my cherry picker to put the heads back on my Yblock. Not as young as I used to be.
Head gasket is replaced, took longer than it should of because TDC isn't marked on my balancer for some reason. Assembly and reassembly went really well, one pushrod didn't seat correctly and once we fixed that it purred like a kitten. In keeping with how things have been going lately, I do have some bad news. While we were letting it warm up to set the valve lash, the carb fuel level went ballistic and was over filling like crazy. I already have a carb rebuild kit and will be doing that tomorrow. Side note, the intake valves still had Ford script on them! <iframe src="https://skydrive.live.com/embed?cid=F542BDAD7CE19A92&resid=F542BDAD7CE19A92%213474&authkey=AKVpLW5BvUJsldE" width="320" height="240" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe src="https://skydrive.live.com/embed?cid=F542BDAD7CE19A92&resid=F542BDAD7CE19A92%213475&authkey=AEZw1oAN1vOGqik" width="320" height="240" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe src="https://skydrive.live.com/embed?cid=F542BDAD7CE19A92&resid=F542BDAD7CE19A92%213473&authkey=AMl7GLiMNekRoek" width="320" height="240" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Looks familiar, worked on a few of those!! It appears that it's burning fairly close to normal. (a little hard to tell from your picture) I'm getting ready to put a 223 in my '61 p/u! I like these engines, they have a nice sound and are fairly gutsy for being sorta small! It was about this time of year in '72 I found another Courier sedan delivery for a friend; a '58! I had a '57 at the time. Close to Joplin, Mo.
WTf!!! What is the obsession with chopped tops on the HAMB? I just don't get it!!! Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Fairlane Mike, This little 223 has really surprised me with how great an engine it is. My original plan was to pull it and put in a V8, but I just can't bring myself to do that now. Thunderplex, I like chopped cars, as long as they are proportioned right. A wagon would not be proportioned right. toucan, Thank you! I am nervous about dropping the car, my driveway is a bit steep. Since you aren't cool unless you scrape a little bit, I will have to figure out a way around my dilemma. UPDATE: Rebuilt the carb today. I have to give a big thanks to two of my mechanic buddies who walked me through things over the phone. Also, super thank you to the guy who posted a 4 part series on you tube of rebuilding a holley 1904 carb! Had some issues with the fuel overfilling, turned out to be a copper washer wasn't seated right (unfortunately it took most of the day to figure that out). Car runs great now, better than it ever has. I will probably have to adjust the fuel float height again soon, but after taking this one apart so many times today, carburetor work isn't as scary anymore. Next up is to fix my leaky rear end.
Really enjoyed following your progress, would love to have a wagon too! I do have a question, my son has a 58 wagon and the gas tank is rotted out- does anyone know where he can get a new one? Thanks for your help. Tom
Thanks Tom! I often feel like I haven't done much to the car, but looking back I have come a long way. Most of that way is probably confidence in the car more than anything. This car was really well taken care of in its past, and I have been pretty lucky. Drove the car to work today, ran great. Idle seemed a bit high, and there was a slight lifter noise. I'll probably check the valve lash again this weekend if I have time if I have time. As for gas tanks, 1957-1959 Ranchero and Wagons are all the same. They are pretty pricey, and I have only ever found one source. I have no affiliation with the referenced company. If someone knows of a cheaper option, please chime in. http://www.autocityclassic.com/inde...facturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64
I generally agree. I have seen a few chopped wagons and most do not look good. It has to be a very mild chop and very carefully considered, and even then, it depends a lot on the unchopped body styling. Most wagons look great just lowered.
Before you even think about a chop... read thru the beginning of this thread... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=567430 I almost had my 57 Country Sedan chopped by the late Dick Dean... he said that he moved the roof forward, angled the rear window/frame and did not chop it... more work that one would expect... using a Fairlane OEM windshied as done in the above thread doesn't buy you much heigth unless you change the front header panel... I lived thru this so PM me if you want to talk, Thom
flatheadfreakv8 - Thank you, I love it too. exStreamliner - I have been following your Ranchero thread with great interest. It is simply amazing. I have no plans to chop my wagon, it is way above my skill set and financial constraints. Plus, I am rather tall and like to fit in my vehicles.
wide34 - Thank you, Good luck with your son's wagon. Fortunately my gas tank is in good condition. Forgot to mention a few other things from this weekend: 1. Apparently I didn't have an exhaust manifold gasket and all my bolts holding the manifold on were loose. Fixed both issues. 2. Replaced upper and lower radiator hoses. I figured, "why not?" 3. Did an oil change, another one of those things that just made sense to do at the time. I'm kicking myself for not buying new spark plugs for the occasion.
It has been a while since I have updated this thread... I am taking the car to the NSRA show in Springfield, MO again this year. So I have been trying to button up a few things that have been bugging me. My rear end still has a slow leak, so due to time constraints I am dropping it off at a mechanic tomorrow morning to fix it. I hate having someone else do mechanical work for me, but my time is a bit more valuable right now. I have been fighting a clutch adjustment for the past month or so. I can adjust it back into spec, but it keeps getting loose again. I think I might be do for a new clutch before to long. My hood has been out of adjustment since I bought the car. I adjusted the latch mechanism tonight and it is a lot better now. This weekend I have a long list of things to get done before Memorial Day. Side note: When I talked to the mechanic, there was a body shop next door where one of the guys had several 57-58 Fords. Really nice guy and he gave me a lot of information I did not know about my car.
Got the car back last night from the shop. In hindsight, I am glad I ran out of time and had to take it in. I had figured it was the seal between the differential housing and 3rd memeber, but it was the pinion seal again. If I would of done the work, I would have wasted my time on the wrong seal. Maybe God allowed me to procrastinate so I would get it fixed properly? According to the shop all internal parts to my rear end were in good shape, including the yoke. Also, it seems my transmission is leaking. Which is something I was not aware of.
That's a neat car. I had a chance to buy a 57 ranch wagon when I was a freshman in college and passed on it. Dang that was dumb. I'm working on a 40 Ford Sedan, but it is a TOTAL build. Some days I wish I would've found something like your wagon, a little at a time but still fun to enjoy. Maybe next time.
Dan, Thank you for the kind words. I needed to find something that I could enjoy and drive at the same time as working on it. It does slow progress down as the car is on the road so much, but that is part of the fun. I have two small kids (4.5 and 2) and another on the way. They do a good job of monopolizing my time. They like to "help" which is equal parts fun and time consuming.
Pinion seals can be a little tricky, because of age, you will have little irritating leaks and other squacks! But sounds like you are doing well, yes, I miss the kids "helping"! Have you checked the axle bearings? They have a nasty habit of going out at the most inopportune time!!
Fairlane Mike, I have come to expect that something is always going to be leaking. When talking to people with little knowledge of old cars I always use the analogy of a Looney Tunes cartoon where a character is trying to plug a damn with their fingers only to have 3 other leaks pop up. Have not looked at the axle bearings yet. Thank you for the heads up. I was changing the oil in my wife's O/T car once. My son was about 2 1/2 at the time. While under the car I kept hearing a banging sound. To my horror I saw him hitting the bumper of the car with a screwdriver. He was just trying to do something like me. Fortunately he hit the bumper with the plastic part of the screwdriver.
If it has the original center section in the rear end that is a 57-59 Pinion seal. Not a cheap seal, and seem to be more prone to leaking than the newer ones. I have one one in my 58 Edsel wagon, and i will be putting the 3rd seal in it in 6 years. I am going to put a newer center section in it with the updated pinion.
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