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Happy Veterans Day to all our member veterans. 

Photo of me a couple of weeks ago.  I was standing on the pier next to the old aircraft carrier that I served on.  It is hard to imagine that the ship is 80 years old.

I had a problem with my gas tank and the in tank fuel pump losing suction.  I think I have solved the problem by adding some baffles to the tank and a different fuel filter on the pump.  I had ordered a part from Holley called a hydramat that is supposed to absorb fuel and create a reservoir for fuel.  When I removed my pump from the tank I found another problem.  My fuel sock had fell off of the pump. Then I realized that Holley had sent me the wrong hydramat for my pump.  When I compared my fuel filter and the hydramat they appear to be made of the same material but a different size. The Holley part is on the left and my original part is on the left.  The new one from Carter is larger than the one in the photo but smaller than the Holley.  I went to my local auto parts store and found a larger one made by Carter and used it.  I will return the Holley part and use the Carter. The Holley part was  $180.00. The Carter part was $7. Time will tell if my cheap experiment works.

I am going to install an engine oil cooler on the old truck.  Can anyone give some advice or recommendations as far as what brand works best?  I am looking at a Derale 15503

I got word that Gary Hart has left us.  He was a good friend and an amazing man.  He raced at our local drag strip the year it opened in 1962.  Later in life he traveled the midwest match racing his Willys gasser and he put on quite a show.  He sold the gasser to build the Studebaker that he ran at Bonneville.  Gary recently built a clone of the Willys.  Last years rule book cover photo was the Studebaker that he had raced on the salt. Gary was a master fabricator.

I will miss him.

I am trying to remove the nylon brake warning switch from a factory brake compensating valve.  I am afraid to apply much heat as I do not want to damage the nylon(plastic) switch.  The switch needs to be removed to install a device to keep the shuttle inside from moving while I bleed the brakes.  I am soaking it over night with some penetrating fluid.  Any thoughts?

A thread for those of us who are interested in converting to fuel injection.  I am currently in my second set up.  The first was the factory GM throttle body that I am using in my 54 Chevy.  That car has been driven over 20,000 miles without problems other than a stumble before it warms to operating temperature.  Currently I am installing a Holley Sniper on my old truck.  I will start posting updates and progress as I go along.

I chose the Holley for a number of reasons but primarily because I have the availability of a lot of local tech support.  I like the fact that a lot of the components are off the shelf GM.  My system will also use a factory GM pump in the gas tank.  Going in to this project with the Holley, my only problem with there design is that the computer is part of the throttle body.  I do not care for the computer in the heat and environment of the engine compartment.  However it must work because there are a lot of them on the road.

Feel free comment on any service, brand, installation, problems, or just anything that has to do with electronic fuel injection.

My brother and I had helped some friends locate and purchase a 36 Ford sedan that was an older street rod but a well built car for its day.  I think they have owned it a little over a year.  The wife grew up two house down on the street where I live.  I have known her most of her life.  She was driving the car a lot and that's why they bought it as they wanted a driver.  Recently she was hit in the side by a driver with no license and no insurance. The dog and her were not hurt. They are going to have the car repaired.

How can people operate vehicles without a drivers license and without insurance?  It is not an oddity where I live.  This is not the society I grew up in.

Here is a link to my friends auction.  You should look at the photos.  A copy of the sale bill is at the end of the photos.  He has lots of stuff but most of it relates to dirt track racing in the 60's and 70's.   There is some hot rod stuff mixed in  with the dirt track stuff.     https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=simmonsauctionservice&set=a.4337718192964161

I am having trouble finding u joint specification.  I know it must be on the net somewhere but I must be easily frustrated today.        

I am looking for a joint that is two sizes.  It has 1 1/8" cup diameter and 3 5/8" long on one side, and 1 1/16" cup diameter and 3 1/4" long on the other side.

I could use some help.

I think the transmission in the old truck has transitioned  back to Junk from Was Junk.  It is a 78 model 350 turbo.  The last time I drove it, it started slipping and would not pull itself.  After I shut the engine off and gave it a few minuets, it would work again.  After a few cycles of this, I made it home.  Today I removed the pan, changed the filter, and put it all back together, and then I topped off the fluid.  The filter was really dirty, partial plugged with trash, and there was the usual trash in the pan. It did not look like metal shavings though.  I thought the problem was the clogged filter but when I test drove it, it started to slip again after about 10 minuets of driving.  I checked the fluid and it was showing a lot over full on the dipstick.  After it set for a few minuets, I started the engine and checked the fluid again and it was right on the full mark. I nursed it back home.  So something is going on, but I do not know what the problem is, and how to fix the transmission.  A friend built this one for me about 25 years ago and it has performed flawlessly all these years of abuse.  

'One other thing.  Recently I added a chemical to make the seals more pliable as it was leaking a little fluid after it set for long periods.

Do any of you have any thoughts?

I need a source for a braided steel brake line like the rubber one in the photo. This is the line that connects the hard line at the frame rail to the two hard lines on the rear end housing.  It is about 12" long but could be longer.  I know I can buy the line and the fittings and make up my own but it would be nice if someone sold the complete assembly or a kit.  It has 3/16" inverted flares.

I have determined that I have at least a 200 PSI pressure drop from one end of this rubber flexible hose to the other end.  This is the 3rd one of these I have replaced and I have had enough.

This afternoon during our annual Spring Hot Rod Reunion, at MOKAN Dragway, Hooley crashed and destroyed the "Okie Twister" Henry J gasser.  Hooley is okay but I am sure he will be sore tomorrow.  I do not know the details but I will post more information over the next day or so.  The important thing is that Hooley is okay.  I was not there today because of concerns I have about the Corona Virus.  Accounts from those that were there indicate that the car is destroyed.

I believe this was the 12th year we raced this car.  He told me last year that he had recorded over 1,000 passes with the car.  This season he had replaced the injected big block Chevy with the blown small engine that we ran at Bonneville.  

Sad day but the best news is that he is okay.

John

A friend of mine came by with this piece that he picked up from the sandblaster.  He is redoing an AD Chevrolet truck.  He wanted to know where it goes.  It is about 34" long.  I looked it over and made some guesses but I can not say for sure.  I would appreciate some help.  The guy is my insurance agent and I want to keep him happy.

I used a GM power steering pump on my 460 engine.  It works great and it is quiet for about 45 minuets of driving.  Then you can here it making the typical noise that pumps like these make when they have some air in them.  Then the steering gets harder to turn and today the fluid burped out of the reservoir.   I have never had this happen before.  I wonder what is going on?

I have a Holley 4160 750 cfm vacuum secondary carburetor.  The secondary is not working.  I have tried all of the optional springs.  I have verified that the linkage is not binding.  I replaced the diaphram that actuates the secondary and verified that it works.  I removed the tiny check ball.   The engine has plenty of vacuum.  I placed a zip tie on the actuator shaft of the diaphram to verify that there is not enough movement but there is some.

I have read technical stuff from Holley.  I have read on the net.  I have called Holley, I have watch youtlube videos.  I am stumped.

These are odd times.  We are in uncharted territory.  I have done a lot of thinking about the virus thing.  Just to be on the safe side, I plan to keep to myself at home the next couple of weeks and see what develops.  I do not plan to tempt fate by attending anything that draws crowds.  There is plenty of work to do in the shop and more to do around the place outside.  I wondered if anyone else has similar plans?  Most of us are in what is called a target group and it is not a good target group to be in.

As a side note, my wife and I had a scheduled a trip to Europe next month.(Germany, Austria, and Switzerland)  We had transportation, hotels, and attractions booked.  My wife spent a lot of time reading, and scheduling the trip.  I doubt that we will be able to go, and this is probably our last chance.  Thats okay, because we have been able to go lots of places.  

I need to increase the ride height of my Ranger project so that I can get it aligned. The 460 made it sag enough that I do not think it will align correctly.  The camber is noticeably off.  Out at the bottom, and in at the top. I am looking at some new coil springs for the front, and I can make a spacer to place between the bottom of the coil and the I beam to raise it some more.  I plan to dig around on the Internet some.  They make some extra heavy duty and longer springs for the 4 wheel drive guys, but I would need to know more about them before I order some.

If anyone has any knowledge in this area or some free advise, I could use some help.

I have discovered that my 460 Ford engine has the wrong length push rods and the rocker arm locking nuts do not hold.  It turns out that my 1969 model engine used a length that is not compatible with the rest of my valve train.   I know now the right length push rods and I can purchase them locally.    This Ford stuff is new to me and I would like some input before I buy the new locking nuts.  I do not need the ultimate race version, but just something that will hold and not loosen.   Thanks

I have never made my own AN lines but I think I might give it a try.  I need to make the lines that will connect my oil filter adapter to my remote oil filter.  They will be about 1 foot in length.  I would appreciate any thought or recommendations before I proceed.

I have been thinking a lot about Hot Rod Drag Week.  The tracks this year are Martin, Mi, Norwalk, Oh, Indianapolis, In, Byron, Il, and then back to Martin, Mi.  The Ranger pickup I am working on fits one of their classes nicely.  It would not be a winner but it should be competitive.  I just want to make the tour and complete the challenge.

I know people in these areas and I think it would be a lot of fun.

We will see what the next few months brings.

John

I need a reliable source for information on 460 Ford Crankshaft harmonic balancers and water pump/crankshaft V belt pulleys.  My engine was originally a 1969 429 version but it is now a 30 over 460 or 466 cubic inch.

Some engines of this version were internally balanced and some were externally balanced.  I have no idea which one I have.  I understand that both versions can use the same harmonic balancer but I am a little confused.

I need to come up with a balancer and pulleys to drive my alternator and power steering pump.

I need a little help.  This Ford stuff is new to me.

John

This Ford stuff is making me crazier.

I can not find a water pump gasket that fits the aluminium water pump that came on my 460.  The Fel Pro 35044 that is in everyones parts books does not fit my pump.  My pump looks like an aftermarket pump but there is no name or numbers on it anywhere.  I will try to add a couple of photos.  One of the pump and one of the pump with the fel pro gasket in place where you can see where it does not fit.  The bolt holes align but the gasket leaves some areas not sealed.

There is an online auction for the life long collection of our old friend Bob.  He was a great guy and I think of him often.  He must have been a real collector too.  Here is a link to the auction.   https://hueckmanauction.hibid.com/catalog/168773/klessig-online-auction--advertising--hod-rodding/

John

I started converting my 460 Ford to a rear sump with the Ford racing kit that includes the pan and oil pickup .  There are no instructions included.   After I removed the pan I discovered that the oil pump will not work as the pickup tube that I have will not bolt to the front sump pan pump.  I have been told by a neighbor that I need a truck oil pump.  Will I also need the drive shaft for the truck pump or are the drive shafts the same for the two pumps ?

I met Nunattax on another board several months ago.  We were planning our trip to Ireland and I saw one of his post.  I contacted him about things we should see and do.  He was very helpful.  Later before our trip he said that he needed a lower radiator hose for his truck and it was not easy to acquire and was expensive.  I picked one up and put it in my suitcase and delivered it to him.  I was amazed at the job he has done building his truck.  If you think it is difficult to build a hot rod here, imagine what it is like where he lives.   I will let him fill you in on the details.  I wanted to post a picture of him but I am having problems resizing my photo this morning and I need to leave for a car show.  I will try it again soon.

John

I want to use a banjo bolt and banjo fitting to plumb this remote oil filter plate so that I can gain some more space.  Originally it was to be plumbed straight down with a pipe nipple and hose fitting,  but this will use up some of the space that I really need.  Do you think the banjo bolt and fitting will limit the oil flow?

Here is a link to the banjo bolt.   https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pipe-1-2-NPT-Thread-Banjo-Bolt-Diesel-Oil-Fuel-Fitting-Boat-N-GH-/162354680947

John

Both of my power rack and pinion Mustang/ Thunderbird bellows are tore and must be replaced.  They are less than 2 years old.  I went to the local parts store where I purchased the unit 2 years ago.  The new boots they sold me do not fit my rack.  I bought a unit to fit a 1978 Mustang ll but I think I have a Thunderbird rack and pinion.  There is no connecting vent line on the boots and I think this is part of the reason mine broke.  When I started looking for information online, I noticed that all the ones I have seen have a connecting vent line.  My bellows do not have a provision for a vent.   Online I found that the Thunderbird boot specifications appear to be the ones I need.( Orielly Master Parts Number K8439) These boots have a round end with a vent nipple. The vent must be there to equalize the pressure when the bellows expand and contract.   The tie rod small end is about 33/64". The big end on the rack is about 2, 15/64" and the distance between the two is around 6" (it is hard to measure).

I plan to fabricate a connecting vent line between the two new boots when I install them.

I would appreciate any thoughts or help.

John

No prep street drag racing is the latest thing.  Hooley and my friend David tried it last Saturday at Wagoner, Oklahoma.  It was a very cold day for drag racing and they had trouble getting the engines warmed enough for the alcohol fuel.  Notice how David was ahead but lost traction on the top end.  Here is a youtube link.  

John

I have had several rear axle bearing failures and I want to try a real Ford bearing.  By pure luck I found the original axle bearing that I replaced when I was building the car.  It had a Ford number on it F-208A-KK   I cross referenced this number on the net and it came up D8AZ-1225-C   That bearing is available on ebay in the Ford box for $18.00   I can buy two of them with the seals for less that the cost of one bearing purchased locally that is made in China.  They look the same in the photo.  Do you think my research is valid?  I want to order a pair to keep in reserve.

John

Congratulations to Team Vesco for the first pass at over 500 mph in a wheel driven vehicle.  It is the end result of many years of hard work by a lot of people.  I wish I could be there this morning to watch and hear the back up record run.  Being out on the salt at daylight for the record runs is magic.

John

Some are going to the Bonneville Salt Flats this year, but not me.  The action starts this coming Saturday.   I will try to keep up with the event by mostly relying on the internet or making a phone call to some friends who are there.  My shop stereo is wired to my shop computer and I can listen to the live audio streaming.  There is a very well throughout site for information about the flats, the course, and the event at http://thebonnevillesaltflats.com/   This is the best overall site for information that I have seen.

Good Luck to everyone.

John

I am thinking I might change out the wheel bearings on the 54 Chevy with 1978 Mustang ll hubs.  The current ones are noisy and I do not like them that way.  This is the third set for the car.   I have been looking on the net for information on the bearings.  There are very few that are still made in the US.  My choice has always been Timken but I do think they are US made.  National seems to be US made and they are sold by Advanced Auto Parts.  Their closest store is about 50 miles from me just across the state line in Northern Arkansas.  


I could use a little feed back on bearings and where to buy them.

John

After my recent calamity with the gravel truck doing nearly $5,000 damage to my Chevy, I have decided to install dash cams in all my vehicles.  Quick thinking and being able to take pictures and video with my cell phone made it easier to claim the damage, but the dash cameras are not expensive.  I am looking at this model.   https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4BEP6/?coliid=IM8B9AK6OMORW&colid=2LQJ8ML18P7L8&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it  

Do any of you have and thoughts or advise on dash cameras ?  As always I would appreciate any thoughts you have.

John

I am continuing to have problems with the my 54 chevy with factory TBI.  It does not set any engine codes but it develops a miss after driving it some time.  Everything is factory from an older Caprice.  Even the gas tank and fuel lines, But I eliminated the charcoal canister.  I do have a check valve on the fuel tank so that as the gas is used, the tank will not become a vacuum.  Lately when I fill the tank, there is a lot of pressure that vents when I remove the gas cap.  I am wondering if something is going on with the pressure in the tank that is causing a problem.

John

I try to check the camera on the salt flats daily.  http://meso1.chpc.utah.edu/station_cameras/bflat_cam/bflat_cam_current.jpg  I am amazed at the beauty of the salt flats and the mountains in the distance.  The photo changes almost every time that I check the site.  Although the salt and the mountains are the same, the colors and the sky are almost always different.  This year the salt appears to have been dry most of the fall and winter.  I am curious as to how this compares to winters of the past.

I have speculated as to the exact location of the camera.  It would appear to be just outside the * area but I could be way off.  I know that when there were vehicles on the salt last year, I thought I could make out the pit area off to the right, but I would be interested if someone knew exactly where it is located.

Those of you who have followed along with us on our adventures to this place and those of you who participated as a part of our crew, know what a special place this is.  We were very fortunate to be able to make speed runs here while there was still enough salt to have a good surface to make the runs.  I know that they will continue to use the salt flats for speed runs, but I know it will never again be the place that it once was.   We were all very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.  What a great experience it was.

John

A lot of the hot rod vendors are frequently criticized on the internet and some of it is justified.  I would like to praise Speedway Motors.  I ordered a distributor from them on Monday and I paid extra to have delivered on Tuesday.   It did not arrive until Wednesday because of delays by the shipper.  The shipper, UPS, has been swamped because of all the orders from the previous week on cyber Monday.  UPS has made the national news because of the amount of packages that they have tried to deliver in the last few days and the problems they have had keeping up with the scheduled deliveries .  Since my package was late, Speedway refund all of the postage, not just the extra amount I paid for next day delivery.  Thanks to Speedway.

John  

I am thinking of adding an aluminum floor jack to my list of wants.  I thought it would be handy to have when I need to carry one with me or to take outside the shop for some reason.  I have two sturdy floor jacks for shop use and this would be an extra.  I am looking at the Harbor Freight 1.5 ton $69.00 model.  Do any of you have one of these and if so what is your opinion?

John

I just made a 600 mile round trip in the 54 Chevy with my brother.  The dual exhaust tips end right below the bumper. The firewall is sealed and the floor of the car is sealed tight.  It is cooler weather, so most of the trip was made with the windows up.  It seems to be fine, with no exhaust smell during normal driving, but when you slow down or vary the engine speed up and down, you get a whiff of exhaust smell in the car.  This is not a new problem, and I have checked and sealed every possible place that I could have a leak.  My brother is speculating that the odor is coming back through the trunk.  He thinks I need to set the exhaust tips longer or direct the exhaust to the side of the car.  He also suggested taping the trunk lid seam and see if that makes a difference.  I think I will tape the trunk lid opening and experiment with that idea and adjust the tips longer today.  

Do any of you thoughts?

John

I have a very slight leak in a gas tank where the two halves of the tank are joined.  It does not drip and the tank hardly shows the leak but it bugs me.  This is the late model GM Caprice tank that is used in my 54 Chevy.   The rear end of the car hit the tank a couple of times when I first started driving the car.  I did not notice the damage right away.  The easy fix is to reseal this area from the outside.  This area could be cleaned thoroughly and then I would apply a coat of the material that is used to reseal the inside of gas tanks after they have been cleaned and restored.  Another thought is to apply a coating of POR 15 to the area, but I do not remember if the POR is impervious to gasoline.  

I could use your thoughts, inputs, advice, of just general ramblings.  Any help would be appreciated.

John

I have had the valve covers off of TBI engine.  I bought new Fel Pro gaskets because I did not want to reuse the old.  The new ones are to short.  I have tried to stretch them but they do not stretch and stay.  I tried several glues and clamps to make them stay in position but nothing I have sticks to the silicone gasket.  You can see how much to short they are in the photo.  The Fel Pro instructions state that you are not supposed to glue them or use any kind of sticky stuff.  The contact gasket cement I used in the past is no longer available.  What should I use?

John

My brother and I may be able to go to the Nats North.  We would like to visit all our friends from the north.   I would like a good shake down run on my car before I tear it down for finishing this winter.  It is time to look for lodging.  We would like to stay somewhere close to the event in a motel with other streetroders.  Not the cheapest place, but not the most expensive either.  A good, clean, safe place to stay.

Where do you stay when attending the Nats North?

John

I am trying to help a good friend.  A very few of the first Mustangs had power brakes.  They were a poor design and they did not work well.  There is very little technical information.  But this car is as close to a perfect restoration as you can get.

A bell crank goes between the push rod from the pedal and the rod to the vacuum booster.  It is banana shaped.  I need to know which way the banana shaped bell crank goes.  With the < toward the booster or away toward the pedal rod.

John

The engine in my Chevy has some bad valve seals and I need to replace them.  It was not started for a least 10 years during the storage and build of the car.  Now it puffs a little smoke once in a great while, usually when I am leaving a cruise night or car show.  I need some feedback on the best seals to use.  This is the 1990 5 liter TBI roller motor (305).  I only want to do this job one time.

John

I am changing my front springs next week on the original factory Mustang ll suspension in my 54 Chevy.  In the past I usually changed springs by separating the lower arm at the spindle and then removing the spring.  (greatly simplified statement)  I read in an old Chiltons manual this morning that the correct way to do this on the M ll  is to remove the strut arm and then the lower arm pivot bolt.   I think I will give this method a try.  Would any of you have any last thoughts for me before I carefully let the pressure off of the coil spring with my floor jack?

John

Looks familiar but I just can not place where I have seen it.  https://joplin.craigslist.org/cto/6172686110.html  

John

The old truck has taken on an odd quirk.  After is sits for a few days, it will crank over as usual, but will not start.  When I hook up a battery charger to the battery, and then crank the starter, the engine fires immediately.  Afterwards the engine starts as normal until it sits for a few days again.

I am thinking that either the ignition coil of the HEI or the pick up module in the distributor is going bad.  It seems like something is needing that extra voltage to make it start.  The engine and ignition is your standard factory small block 400 Chevy with HEI.

Any thoughts?

John

A good friend of mine is selling off his collection of 1932 Chevrolet parts and cars.  He has a lot of really neat rare stuff for Chevrolets.  I will be at the NSRA Mid America Nationals during the 1st day of the sale but I will attend the sale on Monday of that weekend.  Here is a link to the sale flyer.  http://www.circlelauction.com/index4.html  Be sure to look at the photos of the items in the sale.  He is only selling the items through the auction and he will not separate anything that is listed.

John

I would not normally post a link here to another board but this is an important safety note.  I actually had a similar experience and it was not good.  The post was about a spontaneous combustion fire that could happen to any of us.  http://www.garagejournal.com/2017/04/surviving-my-own-stupidity/  This video makes me want to add security cameras and alarms to the shop.  For me, having close personal ties to victim of this near catastrophe makes it more meaningful.  

John

I needed a little more spring on the 54 Chevy and I wanted it to be adjustable so that I could vary the amount of assist depending on how I had the car loaded.  Air shocks are not a good idea on these cars as the upper shock is attached to a  reinforced part of the floor and not the car frame.   I bought two of the smaller bags and made my own brackets since they did not offer a kit specific to a 54 Chevy.  I copied the Ridetech universal brackets but I made them to fit a Chevy.  The difference in the car is amazing.  It is one of the best things I have done.  

John

My rear disc brake conversion for my 9 inch rear uses a GM caliper that were originally on early 80's Tornado/Rivera/Eldorado.  It has a lever activated mechanical emergency brake that adjust the piston in the caliper each time you set the emergency brake.  There is some kind of internal ratchet device.  I bought rebuilt calipers when I did the brake conversion.  Today I finally got all the parts to hook up the emergency brake.  This system needs the emergency brakes to work so that the automatic adjusters keep the slack out of the pads, and keep the brakes working correctly.  I can not get the calipers to adjust and take up the slack.  My search of the net did very little to help me, except some recommendations to only use new, not rebuilt calipers.  Can anyone help me?  I am so frustrated by the poor quality of parts today.

I looked at some older calipers and I noticed that if you remove the emergency brake arm, you can rotate the shaft and it moves the piston out.  I was afraid to try this on mine until I found out more about how this adjustment system works.  I do not have a manual that shows anything about these calipers.

John