[sbauman2]

Looking really good Dave! I have a question about a piece of equipment on your motor. Where did you get that really cool looking tapered top piece for your front air cleaner LOL ...........

 

[dsb]

LOL. I saw that when I uploaded the pictures. I forgot I put them up there when I discovered I bought the wrong bolts for them.

 

[dsb]

Realizing that it is going to take me forever to get the bodywork done and painted, I decided to get the door lettering on. Made a bunch of progress on the motor as well. Got the pertronics distributor in, alternator mounted, and found out I got the wrong starter.

 

[1946Austin]

Coming right along Dave! Make sure you've got the alternator swiveled in as far as possible when doing the belt measurement, so you have plenty of outward adjustment.

 

[dsb]

Yup, I did have it in as far as it went, then I went and stretched the wire out, so I have to do it again!

Coming right along Dave! Make sure you've got the alternator swiveled in as far as possible when doing the belt measurement, so you have plenty of outward adjustment.

 

[mmhotrod]

Dave that motor setup looks wicked cool. Great job so far buddy. I think I have the same lower mount on my coupe. I had to notch the frame so the alt pulley would clear. Love your exhaust cut outs too. If I was doing that connection I would go to my speed shop exhaust isle and find something I could cut down to make the angle. Or use the summit racing braided flex exhaust connectors. Hook them up straight and then jack up the exhaust flexing the connection whatever desired angle. They make them in most sizes. Just a suggestion.

AP Exhaust 8826 AP Exhaust Flex Couplings | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - AP Exhaust Flex Couplings with qualifying orders of $99. Shop Exhaust Flex Pipes at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[dsb]

I did not even know they made those flex pipes! Thanks for the heads up! I really am hoping to say I did most if not all the work myself so this will help with that.

Dave that motor setup looks wicked cool. Great job so far buddy. I think I have the same lower mount on my coupe. I had to notch the frame so the alt pulley would clear. Love your exhaust cut outs too. If I was doing that connection I would go to my speed shop exhaust isle and find something I could cut down to make the angle. Or use the summit racing braided flex exhaust connectors. Hook them up straight and then jack up the exhaust flexing the connection whatever desired angle. They make them in most sizes. Just a suggestion.

AP Exhaust 8826 AP Exhaust Flex Couplings | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - AP Exhaust Flex Couplings with qualifying orders of $99. Shop Exhaust Flex Pipes at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[mmhotrod]

They’re also good for cutting down any exhaust vibration too.

 

[Road Angels]

Dave is that one of those new redline fan belts.....

 

[dsb]

Wow. what an ass kicking the left king pin gave me this weekend. The right side popped out in like 2 minutes but the left took friday-sunday to get out. soaked with free all and it finally loosened up. A little cleaning and a new kingpin kit and it is greased up and ready to go. All coated with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator.

 

[1946Austin]

Somewhere around here I have a big C clamp I modified to push out kingpins? I cut off the fixed end and welded on a "cup" that had a hole in it to allow the kingpin to pass through. Just put the cup over one end and turn the screw end down until it contacted the opposite end. Then start tightening it, and occasionally give the end a rap with a hammer if it didn't move easily. Worked well for doing most kingpins on the vehicle when I didn't want to drop the axle out. Sometimes I added heat if they were stubborn.

 

[dsb]

OK steering guru's looking at this picture, would you recommend the steering box be placed at the front? Like under the alternator on the frame? I know there are going to be at least 3 knuckle joints to get the steering arm over there. I bought a new Vega steering box and was planning on putting the brackets and arms behind the front axle, but going in front looks like a better solution. I did find this on YouTube- it is a 53 but the frames are pretty much the same..

Cranky Motorsports1953 53 Bel Air Gasser Steering update! It works! How did I do it?? - YouTube

 

[1946Austin]

You can go either front or back, if your oil pan sump clears the drag link OK. I usually try to go front side on all mine as I like to mount my engines lower, and I don't worry about pan clearance then. I also use an extra steering arm on the top passenger side spindle as I prefer the tierod below, and steering above. But his method in the video works quite well also, and saves some expense.
Your frame and my '39 frame are very alike, and I got by with just two steering joints. One at the box, and another between the firewall and the motor mount. But I used a Chevy truck steering column and didn't need one at the end of the column to convert to DD shaft. I did add a 3/4" heim support at the motor mount to make the steering solid, and eliminate flex. The Chevy truck has a hollow shaft that's DD inside, so I slipped the DD shaft up in it, and cross drilled it to retain it.

 

[Road Angels]

Put the steering in front not only because of what Vall has stated but also it is best to have the linkage as far away from the axles articulation point...i.e. the spring shackles to minimize linkage movement...the guy in the video should not worry about prayers...people driving on the same road should...the 2x4 boxed tube is already starting to give way that is used on the front axle mount...no Locktite on the regular nuts used on the control arms and a few others

 

[1946Austin]

Put the steering in front not only because of what Vall has stated but also it is best to have the linkage as far away from the axles articulation point...i.e. the spring shackles to minimize linkage movement...the guy in the video should not worry about prayers...people driving on the same road should...the 2x4 boxed tube is already starting to give way that is used on the front axle mount...no Locktite on the regular nuts used on the control arms and a few others

I'd bet he ran the front mounting bolts clear through that box tubing without a spacer inside, and simply crushed the tubing when he tightened the bolts. He needs to make up a new mount with a spacer to avoid crushing it. And hopefully he's not done assembling things, and will return to Loctite all the non locking nuts.

 

[dsb]

Thanks Guys! Vall, those pics are awesome and help a lot in visualizing how this all works. My steering column does not have a DD it is simply round bar. I will mock it up and see where that gets me.

 

[dsb]

Started work on my bumper last night. I got a smoking deal on some heavy round tube from some guy off Facebook. So I am making a built in mount for the plate.

 

[1946Austin]

Dave, if you check the diameter of your steering column round output you can order a DD to round adapter, which will let you convert it. They come as solid couplers, or flexible coupler joints. So if it's a common diameter it can slip over the output shaft to work. I tighten the Allen setscrews against the round shaft to make good marks on the shaft. Then pull the coupler off, and either drill indents at the marks, or grind flats with a grinder. That will make the Allen setscrews hold much better.
I see the joints and couplers for 1" rd.-3/4"DD or 3/4" rd.-3/4" DD. Bet one of them will work on your car.

 

[1946Austin]

Started work on my bumper last night. I got a smoking deal on some heavy round tube from some guy off Facebook. So I am making a built in mount for the plate.

I've been contemplating building a tube "push bumper" for my '39 too. Checked with the local metal seller and they have aluminum tube in various diameters, and also 3/8"x 2.5" flat bar aluminum. Don't want to cut out for bumper brackets, so thought I'd make the brackets from aluminum flat bar that drops below the tail pan, and then back up to position the tube.
If I do it I am not setup to tig aluminum, so I'll fab it all up, and have a guy tig it all together. Then polish it out by hand to make a little bling. Materials will be around $60, so not too badly priced.

 

[dsb]

OK, busy weekend! Found out last week that my left knee, which was partially replaced about 11 years ago has failed. So, now I have to go in for a full blown whole knee swap out. So, I am under the gun to get this car finished. I got the entire front end done as far as putting back together and all coated with rust encapsulator. I love that stuff! I painted the calipers with black caliper paint and when they are dry, on they go! I started on my steering box bracket and developed a pretty good plan if I say so myself. I am making the bracket "sandwich" the top and bottom of the frame with bolts going through with sleeves inside the frame as well as the steering box going through the sides. I ordered up my u-joints am just waiting for them to arrive. Right now I am stuck because I do not have my welder. Here is the story behind that. Sometime since last fall at our rental house and moving into our new house, something happened to my welder. It works great in 110, but will not even turn on in 220. I checked my wiring in the fuse box 3 times, measured with a voltmeter more times than I can count and it would still not turn on. I took the welder apart, made some measurements in 110 mode, switch to 220 and it all acts the same, but did not turn on. Knowing I was out of warranty after 13 months, I called up a welder repair shop here in St. Louis and asked him how much it would be to look at it. While he was very complimentary of the Harbor freight welder, he said he could not help me as there are not only no schematics, but no parts available to repair them. Well, like a little liberal snowflake, that triggered me the fuck off, and I called Harbor Freight to ask what the deal was. I went through 4 people before I found a supervisor who actually understood what I was saying is that there is no way on earth that I can repair my welder. So, I got an RMA and sent it to them and am now waiting for my new welder.

One question on the calipers- in building bikes, it is a no-no to mount a caliper with the bleed valve pointing up. Is it the same with car calipers? The reason I ask is because the instructions do not mention anything about it and are pictured with different calipers.