gday all, this is my rainy day project and the rain started 2 days ago...it should be an interesting winter.. It will be an A chassis with a step at rear, a 39 motor and box with open drive and a 4 inch drop front and 16 inch wires , split bones and A rear buggy spring. Cycle fenders / no hood hiboy in original paint finish . Hope to get some old cracked pleated leather in red to cover a bench seat . Basically just as shown in the Bishop Tardell book, except it will have disk brakes. I have just started reading the book and note they say to use 3 X 2 RHS steel to fab the front engine mounts and place steel section front edge back 3 inches from the radiator support holes. This puts hole to hole at 4 1/2 inches . I thought I read somewhere here that the measurement should be 5 inches. Also have read that there is at least one measurement error in book. Is this one of them, and what are the other/s ? This is my third A rod but my first flatty, should be fun.
If you use the measurements in the book the engine will clear the firewall but will have minimal room for the distributor behind the radiator. I solved that problem by using a Mallory like they did in the book. I did find that each build is different so it pays to use the book as a guide only. I think building an AV8 should be like it was in the '40's and '50's, try it and if it fits weld it in!
I tried to use the book but it just wouldn't work, the easiest way I found to do it would be to bolt the cowl and radiator down and just find a happy medium with the engine. It's a tight fit but many guys including myself have managed run a stock generator mounted fan as well as a stock distributor. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I think that there is a thread somewhere on the HAMB outlining all of the errors in the book. Good luck with the build.
I did not locate my engine until I had all the pieces mocked up together. Things to consider are: room for radiator lower hoses to water pump,Fan,steering column to head clearance,headers,firewall clearance. I got that all to work and then set K member and front mount location. The engine front mount,k member and rear step up dimensions in the book did not work for me. John
Thanks all... I am guessing now (with your info ) if the fuel pump clears the firewall, then all is good at the front. Seems plenty of clearance both ends, so today I will fab the front mounts and line up height wise with the lower radiator hose, and hopefully grab a steering box, as I feel that is the main other critical clearance issue. In OZ, they generally use a HQ holden ( early 70/s ) steering box which is not all that small. I see most flatties front mounts are tucked right under the top rail, looking side on, does the engine stay level and I just cut clearance out of the original middle cross member for uni joint to clear . or does engine dip down at the back a bit ?
I used a Mustang box with center dump headers, and no problem with room. I started to use the "Tardel Bible" when I put in my motor mounts- WRONG!- out they came and I returned to the clamp /fit/ tack weld/ fit / finish weld system ( and returned the book). I also cheated and took some measurements off a buddy's coupe. Made the mounts out of 3"x3" angle with 45* gussets, and rounded off the top to match the mounts diameter. I set mine about 1/4 " below top edge of frame , and used the $19.95 biscuit kit from Speedway. Might not be traditional, but it worked. Engine down, pinion angle up- degree amount must be on here someplace. Oh, yeah- there's a guy in Sweden (I think) selling off-set bottom radiator hoses- look pretty trick. Good luck with it- the sun's out there someplace!
So far so good, fabbed the front mounts by the book and they fitted like a glove at 4 1/2 inches hole to hole. Got the radiator lower hole pretty close. Reshaped some A pedals to mount first thing tomorrow. I am going to mount them to gearbox as in an A, so there is no funny movement between chassis and a rubber mounted engine.
Edit for above post. Did find my first error in book. The front mount hole is 1 1/4 not 1 1/2. I have now decided to think more about mounting the clutch pedal to gearbox, but brake pedal to chassis. Does anyone have pics of their pedal ideas ? I am thinking of just pushing straight back thru a hole in the original middle crossmember and working a booster / dual master. I am not too worried about what is under and out of general sight. And does anyone have the travel at the clutch rod clevis pin on a 39 toploader / 81 A engine , so I can work out mechanical advantage needed when making a new activating arm for the A pedal ? Maybe just the distance from centre of pedal bush to clevis pin on a 39 pedal will do to copy .
Hi I am not really sure how to add pictures so they may show up but if not they are in my gallery, I used a 32 k member with 32 RHD pedals, and 32 RHD steering box with a 40 pickup column, the wishbone and front axle are 33 with the wishbone lengthened to suit, and rear axle is 40 with torque tube shortened to suit. Regards Graham 079 (1024x768) by grim1930 posted Apr 26, 2015 at 9:15 PM 078 (1024x768) by grim1930 posted Apr 26, 2015 at 9:15 PM
Well it worked, seems I can do it sometimes, I will add some more. 006 by grim1930 posted Oct 10, 2013 at 10:09 PM 029 by grim1930 posted Oct 10, 2013 at 10:02 PM
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