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Happy Easter to all my friends here on the RRt. I am sorry I haven't checked in regularly, but, life is getting in the way. The princess had another set back and we are working thru that now. She has a rare muscle disease that is not nice to her body. Back to ICU Thursday and we are now waiting for more information on her condition. So back and forth to the U of M hospital. I have started a new project. A 1962 Econoline Pickup. We are putting a 2.7 twin turbo ecoboost engine and 6 speed auto in it. Its moving ahead slowly. So there you have the latest from Don's Hot Rod Garage! Enjoy the holiday and I will check in later!

So I haven't been hiding. I have been awfully busy with the wife care, her therapy and yard work. I have  problem that I need smart people to help me solve. I lengthened the brake pedal for the Divco and have not been able to get the stroke I need before It bottoms out on the floor. I have, as I have calculated, a 4.77:1 ratio which should be acceptable. I am only moving the push rod about 3/4 to 7/8 of a inch. The master cylinder has 1 3/4 depth. So I don't have enough braking force. I am thinking a bell crank to fix the problem. I just can't get my brain wrapped around how to keep a good ratio and get more throw. Will it work?

Anybody know how to fool a Ford PCM into thinking it still has ABS sensors?
If I could do that I may be able to make the factory cruise control work.

https://imgur.com/FLkuvKo

Turn the sound on  

Use control - on your keyboard to view these sorry about the size. I finally was able to get it out for some fresh air and drive up and down the driveway

I am taking on another project. I found this online. It had a Toronado chassis that I scrapped in favor of a Crown Vic. I am going to use the ford 4.6 and trans because it is already set up for one. I know a guy that will help with the electronics on this to make it run down the road! ( most of you know him too) I had to shorten the frame 13.5 inches and the driveshaft the same. If you have any ideas toss them in the pot and I'll stir it up.  

To all !!!!

So, the princess and I had already decided to go back to Cruising the Coast. I was reading Street Scene magazine and saw the Cajun nationals entry form. We are going to give it a look.  Anybody else headed that way?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/cruisin-coast-2018/

Who all is going to show?
Can a body get in on Thursday to claim a spot for the eazyup?

Who's going?  I am leaving Tuesday the 31st.  I will be there with the wagon.
Today's news is the upholsterer is coming to finish the interior. I hope.  
I may have update photos tomorrow.  I have a big back log of work in the shop but it will be there when I return.

So I have to announce the sale of my 1947 Dodge COE. I have had a good friend of mine pestering me about buying the truck. I had decided that when the wagon had proved out I would sell the truck. The stars all aligned last week and John is now the new owner. Here is a going away picture of the truck and his 15 year old son Hayden. John bought a bottle of detailer and some micro fiber towels and Hayden polished on their new ride about every 15 minutes. They went to Hastings Mi. on Sunday.

So I found that I really should be running the electric fan on the wagon when using the AC. The high side over pressures with out enough air over the condenser.
I have a o ring binary switch on the dryer so swapping in a trinary with out loosing charge is a problem.
I had run a fan wire to the console for a aux switch to run the fan before the controller starts it if needed.
So I tied into the compressor wire 12v to run the fan relay when I turn the air on and now when the fan starts thru the temp controller without the air on  the compressor runs too.
I am considering a diode in the wire from the fan?
Obviously it is back feeding like an alternator will to an ignition switch. I have those diodes in stock.
Or I put a shrader valve fitting in the high pressure side of the system. Maybe add the trinary there?
Thoughts?

Anybody know whats going on with them?  Can't connect by phone fax or email. I need some led lighting for a customer.

The C note special now has stoppers  I just took a test drive with the new 10 x 2 1/2 drum brake setup and it stops like it should.  

A word of caution to anybody thinking of four wheel discs. Plan for a minimum of a 8" dual  booster bigger is better. These 7 inch dual boosters just don't work in the disc/disc systems.

I went with what was with the car so I didn't do the research untll I discovered I didn't really have brakes.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming

I have been working on the wagon trying to get it all done for cruising this summer. I am back to the lousy brakes I have.
Last year before Kalamazoo I added residual pressure valves to the system, per Franks advice, even tho it has a firewall mounted master cylinder and changed the maser cylinder to a 1 1/8 bore with a combination valve set up for disc/ disc brakes. I even changed out the Eldorado calipers to a non parking brake caliper thinking I couldn't get the air out of them. Still lousy brakes.
So I thought lets go back to the Eldorado stuff which have smaller pistons and see if there are any changes now. My thinking was that there was more fluid that had to be moved with the larger pistons so the smaller ones may help and I have the parking brake system all set up and want to use it. So I made the move and still have lousy brakes.
I can lock the fronts up on gravel but on pavement it won't happen.
The front calipers are NAPA  SE4622/23 S10 units 1 1/8 CPP master cylinder and a 8 inch dual diaphram universal booster.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Don
PS I think I know everything there is to know about setting up Eldorado Calipers  

The NSRA now has online registration. Who woulda thunk it could be possible.                

I bought a 2010 Silverado 1500. It is a wrecked truck with a salvage title. Right front body damage, fender, core support, bumper, grille , headlight and a frame pull. All this led to both air curtain bags being blown and the driver bag. I have everything repaired but it kept giving me a service air bag system message.
  I had to really search hard but I found that the air bag connectors have a lock on them. If the lock is broken, missing or the connector is cracked it can lead to the service air bag message. Seems the bag has a ground bar in its connector that connects when the lock is not there.
  I knew it was the left bag by my scan tool, and I remembered not putting the lock in because it was broken.
Lo and behold a new connector with a lock and we are code free.  
  So sharing is caring.

  Hopefully somebody with the same issue will come across this thread.

Soooo,
This 2010 Silverado that only had body damage is back from the frame shop.  I am assembling the front end on this and found the horns not to be working. The fuse was missing under the hood so I replaced it. Now the windshield washers work great when I blow the horn
Clock Spring?  I cant seem to find any info on what all the clock spring controls.

I have one of these I bought wrecked. Can anybody tell me if the right front wheel is setback from the factory on this? I have been searching and I can't find any info.
Thanks!

I think that's what I have for speedometer reading. Anyway can I run all my devices such as cruise control, speedo, Pcm trans info off of one sender if the values are all 4000 pulses per mile? I have a gang of them now and I would like to loose some of them

I have been running the hemi and shooting it with the Fluke temp gun. I have about 30 degrees difference between my gauge and the gun. The gauge reads hot.  Can I adjust this with a resistor ? If so what would I use? I'm not that smart today  
PS I see that these things run 203 degrees with two fan settings of 209 for low and 219 for high.
I was reading about 210 on idle and checked it with the gun and got 180.
=30 degrees

I have a universal 8 inch booster, master cylinder and swing pedal in the wagon. Yesterday I bled all the bakes again because it has the Eldorado rear calipers and they say they are a bugger to bleed. I didn't see any air on any caliper. I didn't have any pedal until I was at the bottom of the travel.

I got under the dash and adjusted the push rod on the unit. I had to pre load the booster/master cylinder about one half an inch to get pedal. I had just replaced a booster on a ford F150 and no preload is built into that system. I do understand that it is factory designed too.

I had help over so they pushed the car back and forth while I pushed the pedal to make sure there is no pad contact. We adjusted until I had a good pedal and no drag. I am wondering now if this set up is for disc drum and not disc disc as I thought I ordered. I do know all of the brakes are working.
I also wonder if this is just a characteristic of this type of brake combos.

This is the set up with a proportioning valve and set up for disc/disc I believe. I don't know how to tell the difference.

PBU6001 - Under-Dash Brake Pedal Assembly- 8" Dual Pirate Jacks website.
If you guys have any ideas I am listening!

On the hemi I added a GM typeII pump hooked to a Cavalier center steer rack. This thing growls like crazy. I decided to add a cooler in line. I had to reduce the 8an line to 6an at the cooler and it made it growl worse. I removed that and went back to the original hook up. Anybody have a cure for this?
Thanks,
Don

I have a guy near me working on the brakes of a 59 ford. He is a pretty good mechanic.  He rebuilt everything front and rear. It is all stock components. The left rear brake had been hanging up and that is what started the complete rebuild wheel cylinders and all. After it was all done the left rear brake still drags and heats up and smokes. Anybody have any ideas on this?

So I have a tank in the wagon with a Tanks in tank fuel pump. It has a vent provision. I have a vent tube welded in the custom made aluminum tank. I have a Tanks vented cap on the fuel fill tube. What do I do?

On this 1950 Plymouth wagon the specs for camber are 0 to 3/4 degree positive. I am looking at this and it looks like a lot to me and I can't get anything less than 3/4 to 1 degree. So far. This is with the Fatman dropped uprights. Any ideas?

A friend has a Cobra kit car with a 1988 302. It used to run just fine. He has been chasing a mid range miss for weeks. It has a butchered harness but the ECC plug was still intact. I ran the codes and found the EGR to be by passed but nothing else out of the normal. He has changed the distributor, plugs and wires, Iac, tps and Maf sensor. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Don

This is about a 1987 engine. Do these have distributor problems? Seems to come up with a occasional miss. Clears up then comes back. Ideas?
Thanks,
Don

I have a 2002 Rendezvous that has this light on. I have test driven it with the scanner attached and I have wheel speed on all four wheels. No ABS light. Ideas?

So, we have a 6.0L Silverado with the 4L80E trans? This thing takes a bit of time to drop into drive then it slips shifting from first to second. Goes into reverse just fine and all the other gears. In tow haul it shifts better but not right. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Don

Anybody point me in the right direction for parts to change this over? Spindles and all?
Thanks,
Don

I fell into a smoking deal on a 3.91 sure grip for the wagon. It has a 3.23 open in it right now.  The trans is a five speed A580 final drive of .83.  Tires are 27 inches in diameter. I can change ring and pinion but I am looking for your suggestions as far as road worthiness. All my other rides had open rears. I like the idea of a posi. Seems not adding a tire equation I get 3.23 final and 2.68. Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Don

I am leaving late this year. Wednesday evening. Anybody else going?

I have four pieces for this wagon that need some work. Any leads that won't break the bank?

I need to shorten mine on the wagon. I am 1" to narrow on the toe and no more adjustment. What would be the best way of doing this?
Don

I been trying to sort this one out. Idles perfectly. All new ignition parts including the coil.
This thing looses power from time to time. Seems to be worse when it is warmed up. If I lay onto it full throttle it misses and bucks. I can let off the throttle and it will pickup rpm and speed and run right along. Map seems to be functioning properly, new TPS . Testes show the ignition advancing. Running along at 50 mph I can't get anymore speed out of it. Cat plugging up? Fuel pump failing? Suggestions?

Can you heat and bend one of these or is this a no no?
Don

I finally took the time to get some pictures of my new project. I am installing a 2013 5.7 Hemi and A580 Trans. It already has a later 8 3/4 rear with 323 gears. This is a very solid car and shouldn't take a long time to build. My only problem is I have become so busy repairing daily drivers that the build time suffers. But, cash is king. Sorry I don't have any better pictures of the roller.

Anybody know if the output voltage is computer controlled? I can't find the answer.
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Don

I would like one. I don't know how many of you are NSRA members and how many of you save magazines. If you are a member and pass the magazine on I would like it.
Thanks,
Don

I just helped change a 5.7 engine. Seems the original was 94 but the new is a 96.  
We have a miss and the owner was told we need to change the computers. Are these computers compatible?
I did have to change the distributor pig tale to run the 96 engine.
I do know that he 94 does not have a crank position sensor in the timing cover but the 96 does. What kind of problems will that cause?
Thanks,
Don

I am in Michigan and it is in Florida. I put a deposit on it. I have very good pictures and a very good feeling about the deal. I would like to finish the payment process and get it shipped here. I would like the title sent  asap. How should I handle this? Get his bank info and do a transfer? Bank to handle the title delivery to me? Suggestions? I can't really warrant going to pick it up. Even if I had a load going,I still loose money by not being here working.
Thanks,
Don

I have a problem with the COE. I put a new fuel pump in it because the old one failed. I also found it it was too high pressure for the system. After this change the engine idles better but not perfect. If I unhook the vacuum line to the regulator and hook it back up it settles down nicely. No fuel leaking out. Is this thing sticking?
Don

I just took the COE for a 75 MPH run  for a half hour. When I stopped for gas this thing heat soaks to the point it is hot and hard to start. I am thinking if I can keep the coolant moving thru the radiator it would fix this. The plumbing is real long with the engine behind the cab. The cooling system seems to be efficient. The harder I run the warmer it gets. If I slow down it will cool back down. Any thoughts ?

Here's to all the vets and those currently serving that keep us safe and free.

In the shop.
Someone has pulled the TPI engine and replaced it with a 350 carb unit. The speedometer doesn't work. Would it have to run thru the missing computer to work or is it just hooked to a hall effect type sensor? I know the TPI set up I have in the COE runs to the computer but I have a VDO speedo.
Thanks,
Don