Customs 57 FORD GASSER BUILD

Page one he says this,,,;

I don't think I'll buy into this.

I've been around more than some. Started chassis stuff in the early 60's. Not everything needs to be a tube chassis though I've built many. Go back to post #147 and you'll notice there is once again a full X member in my Coupe with front and mid plates. That was put back in after one season of Street Beating. Now my doors shut ans stay shut again. Think I'll sit back and watch,, well, read anyway.

 

This is one we did about four or five years ago ,it's from northern Illinois and was a feature in a Hemmings Muscle car review. Ken

 

Definitely going to remove that front crossmember and use a much heavier round tube spreader bar style. The trans crossmember will need to be relocated so i'll build a stronger version of that as well. I plan on adding at least one, if not 2 in an X through the "belly" of the frame. I really don't like that huge open space under the whole passenger compartment. This will also serve as an attachment point for my a driveshaft loop. All told I believe the chassis will be quite strong. I've also read about the shock crossmember removing itself from the car lol. I'll replace/reinforce as necessary.

 

Depending on what style mid plate I use, i've been cooking up ideas that im going to run by you guys shortly, I may wind up adding another crossmember in under the bellhousing area to mount from.

 

I like that. Very tidy build. Im going white/off white with mine.

 

Wow! Very nice.

 

So as far as a midmount I really don't want to sandwich anything between the motor and bell. I know it's done plenty but I just don't like the idea of it. It seems to me it would introduce room for errors in alignment. What I had in mind instead, is 2 ears bolted through the bellhousing bolts. Similar to a Mopar front elephant ear set up but on the back side of the trans. I've found similar things done, 57 Chevys I believe had a similar system only their bells had bosses cast into the lower part. I think this would work well in my case.

 

Lee; If building and mounting a mid plate is done correctly there is No issue with alignment. 1/4" aluminum plate is plenty to use and you still index everything from the Dowel pins. You just get longer pins to make up for the plate. If you go that route you also make a matching spacer for the Flywheel and nothing changes there, (ring gear to Bendix drive). There is a reason motor plates are full circle and go rail to rail in one piece. If 2 or 3 bolts on single parts were enough do you think the Hurst front mount we all know would be made the way they are?
Good to know your adding something back to the Chassis.

 

Darn, I had considered not using a mid mount at all but the overall assembly is way too heavy for two mounts stretched so far apart. Figured the ears would be a good compromise.

 

I don't know Lee, my big Ford work truck is 460 and A.O.D. with side mounts and a tailshaft mount. 140K and I haven't torn a mount off yet. I probably would have just used the stock 57 mount pads and gone from there. In fact my 57 Hardtop has a built FE and 4 speed and I wouldn't think of changing from factory position mounts on it. God knows I have a habit of right foot-n and a side step. You don't think I put those big wide tires under there just for looks do ya? What your doing is not uncommon. You just need to think Torque transfer and bolt sheer. We all learn lessons along the way.

 

Honestly I'm only doing the motorplates cause they're cool, and I like them haha. I've always wanted a car with motorplates and this one is getting them. I could use mounts no problem I'm doing fenderwell headers so no clearance issues there. They're just a cool part to have on a car!

 

And I will be using a turnbuckle style fore/aft travel limiter.

 

Believe me I understand the Kool part. I've built to many sets of Headers to keep track of. Try building these, each one of equal volume.
And turning them into this just for a kool visual effect.

It's all part of the Game. What isn't Kools is being 50 miles from home on the side of the road waiting on a Stretcher to come pick you up and Haul ya back.

 

DAMN. That's a helluva job. I hope mine turn out half that nice. Nice part is I can get mandrel bends pretty cheap through work.

 

Thanks for the complement, You can do it too. Just need to understand how to cut in the bend and keep the opening round so it fits the next pipe. Fenderwells are generally pretty strait forward. A real good saw is a must. A pipe or tube cutter won't work and a Hacksaw won't do unless you have the patience of Jobe. If I didn't have a tig welder I would gas weld all the joints long before I ever used a Mig welder. It's a learning curve for sure. I always plot out where all the pipes are going to lay before I ever cut a single piece.

 

I've done a few exhaust systems using prebent pieces and had good success. I bought a little horizontal bandsaw a while ago so that will be a staple in my header building. And I have a tig so i'm on the right track.

 

Sounds like you are so I'll give you another tip. With a horizontal saw you want to use a non wavy blade. I also get a vari-tooth extra fine one. I would need to look up an order form to remember the exact count. I've learned over the years on exhaust pipe not to let the drop arm feed itself. I keep a hand on the bar and feed it myself very lightly. Blades last a lot longer and I never get a Balogna slice. Now the tip. Your saw obviously has a table and a vice. The table has an opening or relief for the saw blade to drop past your part your cutting. Even on a high end saw like my Welsaw that opening is not exactly square or equal space on each side to the saw blade. If you fix that you can make cuts that are perfect to the Tangent line of the bends. To do that put in a fresh blade and tune up your drop arm. Now from the blade itself make the Gap exact and square to the blade on each side. Take the least amount you can off the widest side and then match cut the narrow side. This is so the bend don't drop below the blades cutting line. Always make your marks on the inside of radi on the actual cut and center that under the blade while rocking the bend till it seats against each side of table gap. I then put a piece of same size pipe behind the bend in the vice so the vice slide jaw don't wedge out and push the bend off square.

 

Good tip. I've already replaced the blade. 24TPI cuts like butter and very smooth. 0.025" thickness and it the cuts are 0.030 its got a very narrow kerf. Best investment in tools i've made since my welders for sure.

 

I did have to read that a few times but that's a great tip. Nearly self centering. That's awesome. Thanks.

 

Your welcome. The better your tools and the more you understand what you need them to do the better the Job turns out. Wish I was better at explaining things.

 

After watching the dented header demo on Engine Masters you wonder how perfect these headers have to be in the first place. Purely for aesthetics, sure you want them to look nice but building them exactly equal length and all isn't going to make much if any difference on a 450 hp motor.

 

You may be right with only 450 hp. The set I posted are on 1200 hp and we tend to think it helps. On the other hand I have been fortunate to be able to work on projects like that because I don't do just kinds close work. Cutting corners just because I could get away with it never fit well with me.
I've always tried to make the current job better than the last one. You may not be able to create horse power with exhaust but you sure can leave a lot on the table with a poorly built set. One short coming or trade off will show up sooner or latter.

 

So I've ordered my mid plate. Comp Engineering plate 0.188 thick aluminum. They also offer flywheel shim kits but they are in 0.090 increments. Will the difference of 0.008 make a big enough difference to effect anything or will I be good with that?
Thanks!

 

Thought I 'd add two more cents in that we always strive to have the correct sequence of the firing order at the collector to help draw out the exhaust gasses as well as equal lenght,if someone wants to expound on this feel free. Ken

 

I was wondering about that. Does the firing order go in say a clockwise pattern? Or do you crisscross the exhaust pulses?

 

Show off

 

Okay, I'll shut up and go back under my rock. And Lee, .090 shouldn't hurt you but just to be sure check your Bendix to Ring gear engagement to be sure.
By the way Ken, that Black 57 you built really blows my Skirt up. Your detail work on the rear wheel well openings did not go unnoticed, well done!

 

It wont even wind up being 0.090, they say they can be stacked so it will only end up being 0.008. Close to nothing!

 

Here is a direct quote from Holman and Moody.
Firing order must also be considered, so that when the cylinders fire they go around in a circle into the merge collector, as this is what makes the merge work properly to scavenge the cylinders; each tube sucks the exhaust flow from the adjoining tube. Holman says that it doesn’t matter if the firing order of the tubes runs clockwise or counterclockwise around the collector. Unless there is a crossover pipe under the car – not typical in a true drag-race application like this – the direction is irrelevant.

 

I've always gone clock wise on the collector ,only because I ' m used to going forward. ken