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Projects Deuce firewall dilema

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Deucedreamer, Jan 12, 2016.

?
  1. Cut up the Gennie Henry firewall to fit the engine

  2. Purchase a Brookville repro firewall

  3. Purchase a Brookville repro FLAT firewall

  4. Locate and purchase another Henry firewall that isn't so nice and cut it to make it fit

Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. Look at Vintage Air. I hear they have a Zips type that is eaiser to adjust the belts on. I have not seen this set up. Only compliant I have on Zips is the compressor adjustment.
     
  2. Phil1934
    Joined: Jun 24, 2001
    Posts: 2,716

    Phil1934
    Member

    Last edited: Jan 13, 2016
  3. wild32hotrod
    Joined: Nov 26, 2001
    Posts: 208

    wild32hotrod
    Member

    have you looked at the firewalls at socal they have them for $495. I was wondering if they fit and looked good, don't know anyone that has one. if your just going to cut it I would pay 495 before I would 795
     
  4. quickchangeV8
    Joined: Dec 7, 2010
    Posts: 533

    quickchangeV8
    Member

    There is no way in the world you should even consider cutting up a perfect original 1932 Ford firewall!That's like cutting up the Mona Lisa! Like the Mona Lisa a mint 1932 Ford firewall is perfect already. Why would you ruin it by chopping it up? Reproduction 32 Ford firewalls look ugly and you would be taking away valuable leg room by using the flat firewall. I see today the Canadian dollar has slipped down to 69 cents versus the US dollar. Right now with the cost of purchasing a replacement 1932 Ford firewall original or reproduction, you are going to be paying a lot of Canadian dollars to get something you already have. Why don't you use your perfect firewall in this build with your father, move the motor and transmission mounts and have something that you both can be proud of when it's finished. That SBC will fit in nicely without even touching that mint firewall!
     
    pat59 likes this.
  5. continentaljohn
    Joined: Jul 24, 2002
    Posts: 5,504

    continentaljohn
    Member

    I am unsure why the firewall was cut for the distributor but thinking it was for a hei. I have done a number of swaps and no cutting needed!
    If you so decide to move your engine and trans mounts no electric fan needed. You also can install a sbc with a short water pump (factory) with out chopping the firewall. The key is a small distributor like a 1957 chevy or mallory ducoil . I may have missed the kind of trans but with a 39 style
    It's a bolt together into the k member . Also adapters from manufacturer have different thickness crazy . The length very by a 1 or so early wilcap,late wilcap , ansen or vintage power glide ring adapters. How far is your harmonic balancer from your crossmember .
     
  6. Deucedreamer
    Joined: Jan 11, 2010
    Posts: 548

    Deucedreamer
    Member
    from BC Canada

    I'm planning to use a 700R4...won't I have to trim the bottom of the firewall no matter what? I thought the tranny came into contact with it.
     
  7. In here I have a 400 turbo and had to trim a small piece of the lip that holds the floor board and make a small hump. And I used a Zips water pump offset and it cools better than any of the other '32s I've had. My sedan I built 45 years ago I mounted the engine lower and had a Muncie 4 speed. I didn't cut the fire IMG_1520 (640x480).jpg wall at all and had a flat floor.
     
  8. Deucedreamer
    Joined: Jan 11, 2010
    Posts: 548

    Deucedreamer
    Member
    from BC Canada

    Do you have any pics of the firewall as well as the front of your motor? What radiator are you using? I'd like to see the distance you have for a fan as well as your pulley set up....
     
  9. Harms Way
    Joined: Nov 27, 2005
    Posts: 6,894

    Harms Way
    Member

    Sell the original firewall to somebody building a Deuce with a Flathead,.. Or just stuff it in the rafters. They are only original and uncut ONCE.... Lots of butchered firewalls can be had... Or put it up for trade (With a little cash coming your way) for one that is already cut.....
     
  10. Motor mounts are Pete and Jakes and the radiator is an original 32 V8 . That's the key. I do believe the Walker radiators go into the engine compartment about 1 1/2'' more than the original. I've called other radiator companies and asked them about their radiators going into the engine compartments and they didn't know if or how they differed from originals.
     
  11. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Flat chromed firewalls were really popular in the era you are targeting, but they didn't have any beads rolled in them. You could make one, and take the money you save not buying something from Brookville and get it plated. If that doesn't appeal to you, I would move the mounts.
     
  12. solidaxle
    Joined: Jan 6, 2011
    Posts: 662

    solidaxle
    Member
    from Upstate,NY

    I'm in the same boat as you but with my original 32 floor. I decided not cut cut the floor for a model A rear cross member and installed a Columbia 2-Spd instead of a Q.C.
     
  13. wingman9
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 804

    wingman9
    Member
    from left coast

    Here you go...
    sed 042.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Thanks to you and John for answering my question. There may have been a couple of other contributing factors to what I was looking at This installation was done in the mid sixties and as commonly done at that time probably used an early Ford transmission bolted to the stock K member. Also there are probably couple of ways to shorten the overall length of the small block that were not commonly used at that time. Good to know it can be done.

    Charlie Stephens
     
  15. continentaljohn
    Joined: Jul 24, 2002
    Posts: 5,504

    continentaljohn
    Member

    Yes it seems like the aftermarket ones have the radiator more into the engine bay. I don't know if this was for a Air conditioning or trans cooler . I found you can redrill the bottom mounting to save a inch of space. I also use a washer type to reinforce the mount on the radiator.
    I don't have any experience with the 700r4 and mine all had have 3 pedals :)
     
    OLSKOOL32 likes this.
  16. Deucedreamer
    Joined: Jan 11, 2010
    Posts: 548

    Deucedreamer
    Member
    from BC Canada

    Will the motor fit with a walker rad? Anyone know who's done it?
     
  17. marfen
    Joined: Aug 14, 2009
    Posts: 406

    marfen
    Member
    from sask

    this is easy. It is a hell of a lot easier moving the powertrain mounts than modifying that firewall, toe boards, trans tunnel, and on and on .
     
  18. thequietwon
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 600

    thequietwon
    Member

    My 5w has an original uncut firewall, short water pump, belt driven fan and a Walker radiator. It's tight but works and cools just fine. Of course, I did mine the traditional way with original 32 engine mounts and a 39 tranny.
    I have one of those 495.00 firewalls...I think you'll be happy with it. It fits well. I was told it had all of the original style d-nuts, but they don't. Some of the round stamped indentions are slightly bigger than those on an original...but no one would notice unless they were sitting side by side. If I was looking for one to cut up and was going to weld up all of the original holes as well, than this is for sure the one I would use. If I wanted an aftermarket firewall with all of the original holes & d-nuts, than United Pacific is the way to go...they are spot on.
    With either of these options you can sell your original to cover the cost and have quite a bit of cash left...please don't cut up a nice original!
    Sam
     
  19. 32 Barn Car
    Joined: Jul 2, 2008
    Posts: 663

    32 Barn Car
    Member
    from Oregon

    My original firewall , no cutting , an early Hurst saddle mount to mount the motor as far forward as possible , Walker rad .

    IMG_8100.JPG
     
  20. metalman
    Joined: Dec 30, 2006
    Posts: 3,297

    metalman
    Member

    I've got a couple 32 firewall stashed away, one's mint original and the other is nice but did have the bottom edge trimmed to clear a tranny and holes for a firewall master. I have both since I'm not sure what motor I'll put in my 32 project and there is no way I could cut the gennie one. I got lucky on the old hot rod firewall, I ran into a guy that was getting ready to cut the whole thing out from the cowl lip and fill it with flat metal, said he wanted a "smooth " look. I had a really hacked up one with a good cowl lip (only part worth saving) so I welded some flat metal 16ga. on it and traded. Win, win, I got a decent firewall for a POS and he got the look he wanted without any work.
    Several years ago I got a Brooksville flat firewall to put in the Vicky I'm building since it has a SBF in it, never again. I hate how it looks but nor enough to warrant changing it out at this point.
     
  21. kdoged
    Joined: Nov 5, 2009
    Posts: 1

    kdoged
    Member

    I would take the option that would take the least amount of modifications. I didn't read all of the posts, any thoughts on stretching the frame?

    Sent from my VS880 using Tapatalk
     
  22. Deucedreamer
    Joined: Jan 11, 2010
    Posts: 548

    Deucedreamer
    Member
    from BC Canada

    Here is a picture of the firewall. I've decided to not cut it. I'm going to move the motor mounts and use this firewall. I checked with the local GM dealership and the short water pump pulleys that the Zips riser uses are no longer available. Out of production they told me. Does anyone know the depth the pulleys I need from the face to the back of the pulley? I'm going to look at the swap meets as there's always tons of pulleys lying around. I just need their dimensions. Failing that, does anyone know if the billet pulleys that Speedway sells for the short pump are the same? I can always paint them.

    [​IMG]
     
    55willys likes this.
  23. Check your local NAPA store for the Chevy 6 water pump to use with the Zips riser. Most local Chevy store parts deartments don't employ anyone old enough to know Chevy made an inline 6. Besides, Chevy has probably had that pump out of production since about 1970.
     
  24. Deucedreamer
    Joined: Jan 11, 2010
    Posts: 548

    Deucedreamer
    Member
    from BC Canada

    I think I can get the pump, but I can't get the pulleys. I'm in BC Canada...we don't have NAPA. I tried our local provincial parts chain and they didn't have the pulleys either.
     
  25. What are the recommended pulleys for? If they are short pump SBC pulleys they are available every where in the aftermarket. Mr Gasket comes to mind.
     
  26. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    theres a lot to like there.
     
  27. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Try Gasoline Alley in Port Coquitlam for re-pop short pump pulleys.
    http://www.gasolinealleyclassiccarparts.com/
     
  28. If you have a junk yard around you, go looking for a 67 to 72 Chevy truck, and yank all the pulleys off of it. They are short water pump and if your lucky you can find the alternator brackets from one as well and it will cost less than one repop pulley and be the good gm parts.
     
  29. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    You would be real hard pressed to find something like that in a wreckers around here, unless you got out of the Fraser Valley. S10s are considered 'vintage" in the wreckers around here! Deuce Dreamer, there are a couple wreckers north of 100 mile house, or outside Vernon that might have stuff like that, but that's 200 miles north of here.
     
    hipster likes this.
  30. Deucedreamer
    Joined: Jan 11, 2010
    Posts: 548

    Deucedreamer
    Member
    from BC Canada

    My dad went through about 5 of those trucks when I was a kid. He'd buy them, and drive them till they fell apart, then buy another and do the same. He kept all the pulleys and stuff on the front of the engines. Were they all short water pump?? Cause he'd have the pulleys I need.
     

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