Projects 1950's Tube Frame Sports Car

I've used it before and it's the best grease option I think. It is a pourable grease. I'm going to try oil on this one first and if it leaks out I'll drain and convert it. I think with the modern seal I have a good shot.

 

I can testify that John Deere cornhead grease is good for your steering box.

 

Just about finished up the column this afternoon. Also decided to add an oring to the lower bearing holder.
It seals against the surface I'm pointing at here.
Whether I run oil or grease it'll help the threads not seep. If anyone is curious it's a -033 oring. 2.129OD and 0.070 cross section. I cut the groove about 90 wide and 2.00" diameter.

Then I started on the column tubes. The lower one had to be turned down just slightly to slip into the upper one.

I cut the upper one to length and then bored out a 5" long chunk of original 49 Chevy column tubing to slip over the top end and hold the sealed ball bearing.


The basic idea.
Then I milled a slot in the bottom end where the clamp holds it to the box


That's all for today. I'm tired. Next will be fitting the blinker switch and setting up the horn wiring. I still need to do some testing to see how I'll secure the two tubes together.

 

The technical term is thixotropic. I've heard it applied to non-drip paint and bentonite engineering mud.

 

You want that d shaft to fit snugly into the tubing. Otherwise you will develop a rattle or looseness over time. When I did theft repair on columns weather Ford, GM or Chrysler you needed to collapse the shaft to rebuild in car. Some were really tough as in heat and beat. Sometime remind me to tell you about the stuck shotgun in a stolen police cruiser. How the cop managed to blow a hole through the roof of the cruiser and the shop.

 

The shaft is a pretty firm push fit. Hopefully it will take quite a while to develop any looseness. I also have a full 6" of engagement so that should help. Most oems I've seen only have about half that and a lot put plastic in between too.

 

This afternoon I adjusted the bearings and sealed everything up. I used rtv on the side cover and its bolts rather than the original paper gasket. Will fill it tomorrow after the silicone has had a chance to fully cure. Blinker switch should be here this week and then I can wrap up the column tube setup.

 

Okay Jeremy, it's been 17 days since your last update. We're all having withdrawal symptoms. And in case you ask, just go look at my update...

 

Hah! Yeah I'm sorry. I ended up having to replace the clutch I'm my wife's VW. That's a major job. I'm ready to put it back together once the last few parts arrive. VW used torque to yield bolts on EVERYTHING so just getting all the new bolts rounded up is quite a deal. The whole front suspension cradle has to come off to get the transmission out. Between that, inlaws visiting, and sick kids there has been zero time. The only progress I've made is disassembling/cleaning the blinker switch and making the slip ring deal that will let the horn circuit transfer power thru the column tube. I'll try to post a couple pictures after the 3 yr old goes to sleep here and I do the dishes.

 

I would replace that rusty bolt in steering clamp, but that just me. Love the rebuild

 

Don't worry. I'll make sure it's either replaced or blasted. I just grabbed the one off the cars original steering column. Good job keeping me honest though!

 

Roughly how the switch will mount. I thought the pontiac column was 1.75" like a Chevy one but it was 2". I'll have to revamp my upper bearing sleeve on the column but that's OK.
The slip ring to get the horn power thru the column tube is made of two brass sleeves with one grounded to the shaft and one isolated by a 3rd sleeve made of phenolic.
The horn wire will be soldered to the isolated sleeve and the wire will wrap around the inner shaft until it goes thru the solid upper portion and gets fed thru this phenolic washer and soldered to the copper contact.
These carbon brushes will run against the brass rings. I haven't made the brush holders yet but they will be brazed to the very lower end of the column tube. The brushes started out as 3/16 square but I turned then round so I can make the brush holder tubes round.
I will press the blinker canceling cam onto the steering wheel hub I make. It used to have a closed center with 3 bolt holes but I parted it off in the lathe.

That's all I have for updates at the moment. Stay tuned. Hopefully soon I can do a little more.

 

WOW your details are Awesome! Gary

 

And a gazillion other things !.......right angle gearbox on Woods 6ft. bush hog mower when #90 grease leaks past seals.......Willys Jeep steering gear......Sears snowblower auger gearbox after rebuild.......vintage bandsaw gearbox.......Case tractor front steering pedestal bearings....might have to stop buying it in the tubes and just get a 5gal bucket. Have fun

 

I was liking this project when you bought it, Jebbesen. But you are doing a bangup job on it. Have fun!!

 

Things are looking great Jeremy. Gonna use your slip ring idea on a totally off topic gizmo. Never thought to use brushes like that. Like I said before I'm into plaigerizing any good ideas!

 

Tell me about it!

 

Hey Jeremy, what's happening in Minnesota? We're hanging in here waiting for an update. I know, I haven't been too productive lately either, but hey I'm old enough to be your father...

 

Hey Jeremy, it's May 1st. Any updates for us? Everyone is getting anxious...

 

Sorry for the lack of activity here. Finally was able to go work on the car a little this afternoon. Doesn't seem like much but I made a little progress on my steering column. I needed a piece to adapt the wheel to the blinker switch housing. A week or two ago I grabbed an old pneumatic actuator cover from the scrap tub at work. I think it used to operate a louver for an exhaust fan on the roof.

Seemed like I might be able to make something out of it...

Then after adding some holes it fits between the wheel and the adapter.

It's cast iron so I'll prime it until I figure out what color the column will end up. Pretty happy with it. Next is getting the blinker canceling cam adapted.

 

I don't think I ever saw a car build with so much lathe work in it before. Steering wheel cover looks good, nice to see this still moving along.

 

Looks Great Buddy! Gary

 

Finished up the aluminum upper bearing holder. I still need to put a small woodruff keyseat in the shaft to time the blinker canceling cam. Getting closer though!

 

Looks Great Buddy!

 

Horn button assembly is finished. I drew up what I wanted in CAD just for dimensions but manually machined all the pieces. Bought a generic horn button for the plastic piece but made everything else. Sanded the texture off the plastic button. The contacts are made out of copper. Used a slightly modified spring from a unistrut nut. In the pictures it's bolted to the fixture block I finished the outside on in the lathe. Bolting it to the fixture with the spring and contacts let me check how the button moved and how stiff the spring was. Very pleased with it. I'll try and get some pictures of it installed on the steering wheel tonight.

 

Damn that's nice. Only problem I can see is that all the fine pieces you've built are going to make the remaining original parts of the car look mighty crude.

 

Bolted it in place on the wheel. I like it! Would have rather been able to use head head bolts but didn't have room. As the pic from the 1949 Bell catalog shows, they did sell the hubs with socket heads. Period at least.
Also I agree about it being hard to match some of the crude original construction. I do plan to blow it all apart eventually and rework some of the original welds. Once the frame is painted it'll all blend in more.

 

Looking Great!

 

Really nice! Love the steering wheel and your custom hub. I gotta get me a new lathe...

 

Got my pieces cut for the rear upper shock mounts. Have to smooth the edges and weld them on.