Projects 1934 Ford Tudor - Bonnie

HUDSON STEERING BOX REBUILD: Got this thing stripped and the housing all looks good and useable. Ordered parts for LHD 39 Ford to replace all the bearings,bushes and worm and roller.

Will get a friend to machine jacket post down to Ford size and see if we can get a seal into the ID of the housing for the sector shaft. The Hudson had an external seal held against housing with a spring.

There isnt enough meat in the snout to machine a recess for a standard Ford seal. I am going to see if we can recess the outer bush 1/4 of an inch inward and fit a 1 - 1/2 x 1 - 1/8 lip seal in there.

 

HUDSON STEERING BOX REBUILD : Got the rear bearing out was too stubborn for the slide hammer so shrunk it with some weld.

Pulled an old steering shaft from parts and removed the worm with a little map gas heat and puller for the new one to go on when it arrives.

The Hudson had mounting studs like a wheel stud that tapped out with a hammer and punch.

 

HUDSON STEERING BOX REBUILD: well it’s looking a bit better than found and have got the usable parts cleaned up.

Should all come together when internal parts arrive from Third Gen soon.

 

I like the mounting stud idea, thats always a bastard place to get a wrench inside the frame rail

 

I was thinking the same. I will see if I can find suitable ones to replace. If not a 3/8 bolt is a snug fit and worked for Henry. @rusty valley

 

Do you have the little triangle piece that goes around the sector shaft on the outside of the frame ? many are missing

 

No I don’t, I only have what I found. I was going to make one and started today making a template for it. I thought I would make one out of 1/4 plate. @rusty valley

 

1/4" may be overkill, I believe original only half that, but strong is good !

 

STEERING BOX : On the fence still with which way to go with the steering box. The No cutting/welding. thing here makes things hard. The Truck box with Zephyr gears is 17:1 the same as the Hudson and 37/48 Ford even though its a heavier duty case, it still might be the best fitting. The Hudson is a tad wider and with Right Hand Drive we have the starter motor to clear on our cars here. Will have to wait for the parts to arrive and then mock them up in the frame and see whats going to work best.

 

ENGINE BLOCK PREP : Bit more clean up of the block before it heads off to the machine shop. It’s a C59A standard bore 3 3/16 bore block. Have spent a lot of time on cleaning this thing but will all be worth it when done. Got a lot of core wire out of it and silt in the lower block, removed as much casting flash from surfaces as possible and a light porting..

Will be 3 - 5/16 bore and 4 - 1/8 stroke 284 Cube when completed.

 

KR WILSON ENGINE STAND - I bought one of my bucket list items this weekend, cant wait to get it picked up and back home.

 

KR WILSON ENGINE STAND: Well it arrived and have to say it’s a pretty good one. Gave everything some lube and replaced handle rotation lock spring and she’s ready for service.

 

Clyde all the way.

 

ENGINE PORTING PTII : got the block off the stand so the other side exhaust ports could be completed. A little finessing and will call it done. Gone from 34mm to 42mm

 

HUDSON STEERING: Had a decent Christmas break so got some good garage time in and completed the Hudson Steering box install in the 1934 Ford Tudor. Have to say it has transformed the car, so easy to move and turn and a pleasure now to drive, the conversion is well worth the effort to complete and is singly the best upgrade to the car as far as drivability and achieved with No Cutting and No Welding and all original unmodified Ford parts used in a Hudson housing.

So heres whats in it. (remember this is a RHD car)

1934 Ford Original Steering wheel, shaft and column the steering lock etc all works
1939 Ford LHD worm on OG 1934 steering shaft, and 1939 Ford LHD Sector Shaft (Hudson Sector shaft is 3/4 of an inch longer)
1937 Hudson Steering housing, column boss turned down to 1934 Ford column jacket size and oil seal installed on sector shaft, sank outer bronze sector shaft bearing inward to accommodate seal width.
1939-1948 Ford (Same as 1937 Hudson / Gemmer 3) Bearings, bushings, gaskets
1934 Ford Pitman arm fits as original.

 

EFV8 Club Reliability Run - Kiwi Style, Club run of about 170 kilometeres through the South Islands Lees Valley Okuku Pass, A good day out and all the cars performed well apart from a few wet distributors on the water crossings.

 

Hello Fairlane 500, I just reverted back to your Hudson steering swap on the 34 sedan & was amazed that the taper on the housing was nearly spot on with the original frame elongated holes. did you find it necessary to use any spacers/washers to align the column ? I'm setting up a Hudson box on a 32 & found I'll need to shim by adding a heavy nut & washer combination on the front mounting boss & a thin nut on the lower most boss, the rear mounting hole will require no shimming at all, this is a required need to account for the 32 frame rail taper difference as opposed to your 34. I too chose to run my fasteners from the inside out tightening the shim method securely to the box flange before inserting the box to the frame followed with normal outside rail appropriate washers/nuts. I know everyone frowns on the use of stacking washers & since the nuts are securely tighten inboard & only (2) washers utilized I feel confident It mirrors the Hudson mounting bosses & much easier than fumbling with washers in the confines of the frame. And while everything aligns with headers, steering drop, pedals etc. I'm only at the mock up stage & yet to determine what to do as the bolts are angled as dictated by the flange taper. Provided the flange material will accommodate, redrilling things straight may be in order ? Ideas ? Thanks, Ron

 

Quite the hike @Fairlane500, that's serious stuff even if your on foot...but all went okay...minus some blow drying...awesome, lovely countryside you have down yonder and the Fordfest looked rather period circa 1948...

 

That's great! That's a serious reliability run. I know people here who head back to the garage when it starts to sprinkle.

 

Hi Ron, Thanks for the comment, I have two washers in the front top and one in the lower, and that was enough to wind the column drop mounting bolts in by hand central in the dash. As the Hudson has little cast pads on the mount they shim with washers easily, John

 

Yes and no worries about broken Axles!!! My HRW conversion kit served me well. But wet distributors were another thing...

 

FIRESTONE DELUXE CHAMPIONS 700-18 - They fimally turned up and I had them mounted up, they fill the guards out a lot better and the car has its stance back which I like, whilst having the wires and tires maintaining the same look all round still.

17"

700-18

 

Thankyou John, I truly appreciate your reply, it boggles the mind the ability we have to communicate in this modern day & age for which I'm grateful. I felt the steering gear washers, & nuts tightened on the housings as spacers with through bolts & then passed through the frame rails to further secure it was pretty much no different than what the original bosses provided, just a means of extending those bosses, looks as if previously mentioned will need to redrill through the housing bosses to realign those fasteners as they pass through the rails. Thanks again, Ron

 

Ron, The original Hudson fasteners were like wheel studs with a press in fit, I found there was enough clearance on a 3/8 bolt shank for the alignment. Although the 32 frame may need more than the 34 required. The sector housing is the spigot in the frame that is doing the work, keep the hole as tight as possible when you enlarge it and the bolts are then just holding it firm and not bearing any load. I am making up a new diamond plate stiffener as per original style on the 34 outside frame rail about 3/16 thick with the new fastener bolt spacing pattern, You will love the steering improvement over the 32-34 design makes a huge difference to the driving experience. I have said it is probably the most significant improvement to the car of all. Regards, John.

 

KUSTOMS KAR CLUB BREAKFAST RUN : We had our first breakfast run in about 8 months this last weekend was a good opportunity to get the Tudor out for a run, First outing on the the 700 18" Deluxe champion rears, It has geared the car up a bit more which will be good on the open road once the new engine is fitted up. They definitely fill out the wheel well better than the 525/550 17 did.

 

Hi there looks good, im fitting new front linings and need to adjust rod brakes to my 1934 tudor also in nz. Do you know how to adjust original brakes
Cheers

 

My version of it, I disconnect the rods at the wheel, then adjust the square drive on the backing plate to lock the wheel, then back off 4-5 clicks of the adjuster to get a slight drag, then adjust the rod clevis's length until the pin goes in, do this the same on all four brakes so that they come on evenly. I beleieve the original set up is close to 50 /50 braking front and rear with the rears applying first. Not a mechanical brake expert but worked for me. Mine was heavily worn in all the wearing parts so that was why I elected to go hydraulic purely for the cost reason. Whereabouts in NZ are you, Post a pic of your car

 

LOOKING FOR SWAY BAR IDEAS 1934 FORD / GRASSKHANA EVENT: We had a annual Rust N Dust event this weekend so I took the Tudor along for a work out to see how everything would go, I figure it was a good test and opportunity to see if anything would break... Nothing did but the old girl is in need of some sway bars so I think that might be next on the agenda. What experience has anyone had installing on a stock axle front and rear configuration

 

Really cool car, love the steering and axle rebuild/conversion.

 

Used a Morris Minor front torsion bar on my roadster, worked like a charm