Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[tym]

Metric system?

What do they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Europe? ;P

Show me your design...

Hmm...let me give that some thought. My more selfish elements want something along the lines of The Tarp Camaro, which is what I've dubbed the car in my avatar (as it spend 30 years under a tarp in New England--but I doubt that would have much appeal to the greater GJ community.[/QUOTE]

 

[bolensboneyard]

Nice job on the mounts Andy. Great to see an engineer put his skills into action. I grew up with an engineer living on my street. I also worked with many over the years and was friends with most. The one who I knew as a kid always put his skills into practice with tangible projects in the shop. Those in the middle sounded like they spent a lot of time convincing themselves they were important but looked at real problems like a bull that had just been knocked between the eyes with a mallet. Now that I am at the other end of life, your skills have reassured me that "real" still exists outside of "reality!" Bobby

 

[oldironfarmer]

True on the design.

So easy to model in CAD if you know what you're working with. I feel bad for people who did this by hand

What? I feel bad for people who only know CAD and can't really visualize solid geometry well enough to accurately define it on paper with a pencil and straight edge. Remember we got to the moon with T-squares and vellum. The Saturn V rocket engine fuel systems are a complex spatial system. As are the compound curves on a Chrysler Airflow. When I design something in CAD I'm losing shop time

If I were still working perhaps I could sneak in some home CAD time at work to maintain sanity But I never did CAD at work, that was the domain of draftsmen called designers.

The key to these motor mounts was determining the end results required then finding the reference points to do real world layout from.

What do they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Europe? ;P

Oh, I dunno, but I'll bite. Maybe a 5 Shillinger with Brie?

Uh oh! Forgot about Brexit, that would not be Europe, so maybe a 1/4 Guilder with Gouda?

Hmm...let me give that some thought. My more selfish elements want something along the lines of The Tarp Camaro, which is what I've dubbed the car in my avatar (as it spend 30 years under a tarp in New England--but I doubt that would have much appeal to the greater GJ community.

I'm guessing the First generation Camaro is about as universal classic as anything. People who don't like Camaro's can stuff it up their Mustang. So to speak.

If you're doing a design it's your design.

 

[xtremek]

Cast motor mounts? I'm truly impressed.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Nice job on the mounts Andy. Great to see an engineer put his skills into action. I grew up with an engineer living on my street. I also worked with many over the years and was friends with most. The one who I knew as a kid always put his skills into practice with tangible projects in the shop. Those in the middle sounded like they spent a lot of time convincing themselves they were important but looked at real problems like a bull that had just been knocked between the eyes with a mallet. Now that I am at the other end of life, your skills have reassured me that "real" still exists outside of "reality!" Bobby

Wow! What nice things to say.

You may have to retract that when the mounts fracture during a burnout.

I, too, have lots of friends who are engineers. Some of the things they come up with are really funny when you describe it back to them in plain language. Around me they learn to laugh it off or go elsewhere.

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating (in my mind): I worked a short time for a stuffed shirt company where everyone had their degree and other documents framed on the walls. Some of the framed documents would be Certificate of Attendance at a Company sponsored seminar like "Skill Sets for the Modern Engineer". Since I had registered in 14 states the past few years I was amused by some of the wall art so I bought cheap frames and hung all 14 Professional Engineer licenses on my wall. No diploma or Certificate of Attendance at Christmas Party. Guys would come to visit and I'd catch them glancing at my wall art. Then they'd just lose their cool and start staring (only one or two even had a P.E. license). A few said "those are all P.E. licenses!" I felt sorry for them and took the documents all down when I realized that none (not one) of my sad co-workers even owned a caboose. I didn't last long...

 

[bj383ss]

Andy I can't picture you in an office setting. That would require you to see on your **** which clearly you don't do very often.

Curious to see how your motor mounts come out. The world is in need of LS swap motor mounts for everything including Fords. How do you think so many Mustang owners are doing burnouts.

Bret

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: I too am curious how Aluminum will hold up as a motor mount, but with your skills both at engineering (or just skills of common sense) and your new forging skills I think you might be on to something.

just curious if you are using the pop can muffins or which aluminum muffin mix are you planning on using for the mounts?

carry on and yes i bet not a lot of guys have a caboose in their yard. do you know anybody else?

have another great SATURDAY doing what you love to do whatever that might be.

PS: are the dogs (Hershey and Cali) getting along great and enjoying each other's company too?

 

[shortykorte]

Andy, it's called an engineer scale. LOL. Being a "designer" I too, have worked with several engineers. I'd say some schools must not have common sense or KIS as electives. Great story about the Me wall. Look forward to seeing the motor mounts.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Cast motor mounts? I'm truly impressed.

Thanks! It is a bit of an experiment.

Andy I can't picture you in an office setting. That would require you to see on your **** which clearly you don't do very often.

Curious to see how your motor mounts come out. The world is in need of LS swap motor mounts for everything including Fords. How do you think so many Mustang owners are doing burnouts.

Bret

I spent many years in an office. Too many of them wearing a tie. I always hated ties. In years past I would rush home from my job, change and get on a tractor then work until dark.

Good shot at Fords!

Andy: I too am curious how Aluminum will hold up as a motor mount, but with your skills both at engineering (or just skills of common sense) and your new forging skills I think you might be on to something.

just curious if you are using the pop can muffins or which aluminum muffin mix are you planning on using for the mounts?

carry on and yes i bet not a lot of guys have a caboose in their yard. do you know anybody else?

have another great SATURDAY doing what you love to do whatever that might be.

PS: are the dogs (Hershey and Cali) getting along great and enjoying each other's company too?

I'm using ingots from scrap which was originally cast. It has higher silicon and other additions which make it cast better and stronger. It's the best I have for this application.

Many engines now are all aluminum, mounts included. So if these do not work out it's my error, not the material choice.

Andy, it's called an engineer scale. LOL. Being a "designer" I too, have worked with several engineers. I'd say some schools must not have common sense or KIS as electives. Great story about the Me wall. Look forward to seeing the motor mounts.

Of course I have engineers scales, but I'm very comfortable with fractions and wanted to poke fun at our lack of metric system in this country. But I could use metric scales and choose not to, except for the 3D router because everything is easier going from Fusion 360 to Mach3 in mm.

You cannot teach common sense. It's a sad reality.

That's KISS.

I was all puckered up about casting the motor mounts. The foam patterns were not all that difficult to make but I really didn't want to try to remake them, either. I made up a sample pattern to pour first and make sure the general shape would not give me any problems. I got out early this morning and cast the sample. It was a rousing success.

The sample included a scrap piece of foam I had cut circles out of. All the details came out fine so I set about to cast the passenger side mount (easier of the two). Set it in the bucket.

Buried it in sand

And got a pretty good casting. One area which did not fill with sand (an air trap) so it will take some machining.

It fit pretty well. I neglected shrinkage (does liquid metal shrink when it cools?) because with the lost foam it appears shrinkage is minimized. I think because the metal solidifies from the bottom up and more liquid feeds the cavity rather than shrink.

So I got gutsy and cast the other mount. Here it is coming out of the sand (lots of vapor)

Then it was time to go feed calves I have shut up. It occurred to me as I was breaking a bale of hay someone may be amused that I am still feeding wire tied bales. Like the olden days...

 

[oldironfarmer]

The mounts both came out pretty nice. Getting ready to remove the sprues. Saw then grind back to shape.

They fit in but still need some filing or grinding to relieve a couple of tight places.

Notice the steering shaft has 3 u-joints and a carrier bearing. The carrier bearing was poorly mounted on a piece of angle welded to the bolt head below it. I cast a bracket for the carrier bearing on the steering side.

While they were in and bolted I measured mounting hole location front and rear. The mounting bolt will not go straight through the cylindrical pieces, they are not precisely aligned. Some of my sloppiness and some of the casting warping when it cools. Maybe. Maybe it's all sloppy work.

After measuring I had a center punch location on each end of each cylinder. To drill holes in turned wooden handles I set the handle on a sharpened dowel aligned with the drill bit. That way the hole goes straight toward the center of the handle. I decided to do that here too. So I turned a point on the end of a bolt and mounted it in a 1-2-3 block and aligned it with the mill head. This side has already been center drilled with the center punch mark on the other end resting on the pointed bolt.

Notice the hole does not match the scribe marks I originally put in the foam.

Flip it, set it on the point, and drill.

Then flip it again and finish drilling. The holes came out aligned very well.

You can see how much the holes are off center. Mounts essentially done.

Reinstalled and the bolts look pretty parallel!

This is the last major hurdle to finishing the purplish car. Just finishing up now.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[jimreed2160]

That's some amazing work, Andy.

BTW, according to the movie Pulp Fiction, in France the Quarter Pounder is called a "Royale with Cheese".

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy your mounts are just awesome, well done and thank you for sharing.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

someone may be amused that I am still feeding wire tied bales. Like the olden days...

That wire is good stuff, I always try to keep some around.

The only trouble I've had with aluminum motor mounts is sometimes the torque to yield bolts bring the threads along when you remove them. Thanks VW.

 

[Vieux]

Nice work Andy!

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Andy, I haven't been around much lately - so I thought I'd drop in and say G'day. I went back a few pages (which was probably only a few hours in real time) - the cast engine mounts are definitely very cool.

Sent from my SM-G950F using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[realvc]

WOW!!! You are the MAN, those motor mounts are very, very cool. I don't think many street rods or any car for that matter has owner cast parts like yours has.
Thanks for taking the time to share your shop time with us.

 

[jbmatth]

Andy,
Catching up after being off and the engine mounts are great, much more thought and effort than what is required but very cool all the same. I did a quick search for aluminum mounts and found a few even some for the LS Bret. I have some high quality ($$$) aluminum I need to bring you from a recent project I'll post about shortly.

JB

 

[xtremek]

Ok, so I'm doing a hot rod build of a '52 COE. I say I just move down to your place and have you knock out a bunch of custom cast pieces for me. Seriously, the motor mounts look awesome.

 

[Grizz1963]

Really have nothing to add but absolute admiration Andy.

 

[Farmall450]

At least you'll never run out of wire to tie stuff up with!

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: I've never changed an engine, but i also appreciate the skills you have and the talent you showed in making a new part from scratch that will probably work better on the car the day if left the factory.

WELL DONE!!

 

[oldironfarmer]

That's some amazing work, Andy.

BTW, according to the movie Pulp Fiction, in France the Quarter Pounder is called a "Royale with Cheese".

Thanks, Jim! I'm having fun now!!

Maybe I should be going to the movies...

Andy your mounts are just awesome, well done and thank you for sharing.

Thanks Steve!! This was my original goal of taking up casting, and I almost chickened out and made them from steel.

That wire is good stuff, I always try to keep some around.

The only trouble I've had with aluminum motor mounts is sometimes the torque to yield bolts bring the threads along when you remove them. Thanks VW.

I've thrown away a lot of wire over the years. This is my current pile at the barn.

Baling wire is interesting. It is a little larger and stiffer than tie wire,and makes much better repairs. It also makes great oxy-acetylene welding wire. It must have a high silicon content, it welds as good as E70S-2. I have a couple of partial boxes in the shop that became tangled. A lifetime supply, or two or three. Or four. You bet I keep some in my truck.

I'm not up on the nuances of properly threading aluminum. These mounts use through bolts. I have enjoyed the VW frailties. Although VW engines and transmissions were magnesium, I believe.

Nice work Andy!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Hey Andy, I haven't been around much lately - so I thought I'd drop in and say G'day. I went back a few pages (which was probably only a few hours in real time) - the cast engine mounts are definitely very cool.

Sent from my SM-G950F using The Garage Journal mobile app

Thank you!

WOW!!! You are the MAN, those motor mounts are very, very cool. I don't think many street rods or any car for that matter has owner cast parts like yours has.
Thanks for taking the time to share your shop time with us.

Man I love the kind words! The motor mounts are a little rough, but I'm going to get better.

Andy,
Catching up after being off and the engine mounts are great, much more thought and effort than what is required but very cool all the same. I did a quick search for aluminum mounts and found a few even some for the LS Bret. I have some high quality ($$$) aluminum I need to bring you from a recent project I'll post about shortly.

JB

Thanks, JB! The motor mounts went quicker than I expected. Had I finished them from steel I think it would have been about the same or a little more time. Part of my dilemma was to not weld to the old frame but still have a three point attachment. so it's a little busy.

I hate to be greedy for more aluminum, but I am.

Ok, so I'm doing a hot rod build of a '52 COE. I say I just move down to your place and have you knock out a bunch of custom cast pieces for me. Seriously, the motor mounts look awesome.

OK, I'll make space in the shop, you just have to help with some of the two-man jobs. We can put it on the four post lift when I get the Dodge off.

Thanks for the kind words.

Really have nothing to add but absolute admiration Andy.

So you've been to my little foundry and have cut some foam. Thanks for the good words!!

At least you'll never run out of wire to tie stuff up with!

Nor would I want to run out. I had a guy tell me one time "an overhaul doesn't just mean changing out the baling wire". What did he mean? When I lost a drawbar bolt and my baler drawbar fell to the ground in a remote field (1/4 mile down a steep winding trail) and I had few tools, I drug it to a gully and dropped the tractor in the gully, bringing the drawbar back up. Then I put 50 turns of baling wire around it (plenty when you have the baler with you) and it held fine when I drove out. I finished baling the field and really hated to cut it loose at home.

Andy: I've never changed an engine, but i also appreciate the skills you have and the talent you showed in making a new part from scratch that will probably work better on the car than the day it left the factory.

WELL DONE!!

Thanks, Drives

I appreciate all the kind words, guys. They are very motivational.

So now the ugly truth:

My woodcutter called me, frantic. His boat is in the lake and he bent his trailer axle, ruining the rim. I told him to bring it over. It was bent.

I forgot to take a picture until I had started warming it. The inboard bearing race slides down the long piece so I can't beat on it without dinging it up and grinding a lot. So I heated it and bent it with a long pipe.

****! I could not get it hot enough close enough to the step and wound up with an S shape. In the picture it looks like it was over bent, but I don't think so. The axle was horizontal in the vise and it is bent right at the step. He says he only drags it ten miles to a local boat ramp. Tapered roller bearings are pretty forgiving, and it turned nicely when we put the hub back on. I asked him to bring a new spindle and I'd change it over the winter when he is not using the boat. But it may run many years. He really needed the boat out of the water today and at least we met that goal.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. This was bad and ugly.

 

[Farmall450]

What did he do to bend it like that?

Good thing new ones are pretty damn cheap. I agree tho that'll it'll probably hold up fine and do what he needs it to do.

 

[shortykorte]

I’ve got to start casting. Um, is this project 961 thru 975? Guess it gives me something to do on my Saturday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[djones1a]

Very good job on those mounts! One of these days someone is going to take that motor out again, see those mounts and wounder where they were bought from. Lol

 

[Guster]

Great job on the mounts and love the drilling alignment trick. I might even make a little fixture for it to remember it by when I need it in future! Thinking a ball nose version would be a great adaptation for drilling out deep shaft holes to make them larger.

That shaft will run just fine if you can get the bearings on as you say. Least till you can find a replacement stub. Must be a real decent size bench and bench vise to lean against. Might help to pack a few firebricks around it to make a half oven to help retain and direct the heat next time. Either that or a scrap of kaowool in a sheet metal shell to hold the shape if you have some.

I had to help bend one cold to get a boat and trailer home when the wheel came off halfway down a dirt road and bent the end up before it came off. Not much to work with in the bush. Used a combination of a car jack and the tow hitch of a large 4x4 to apply pressure against. I was really worried it would break but it slowly nudged straight again. My dad did call it a good farmer’s repair. Least it was good steel and didn’t crack and sold with the boat a few years later. I was even surprised to learn the wheels ran straight and wore evenly too.

Is the damaged wheel at least a good alloy one?

 

[Toothaker]

Wow, Andy! Those motor mounts turned out great!

snip

Baling wire is interesting. It is a little larger and stiffer than tie wire,and makes much better repairs. It also makes great oxy-acetylene welding wire. It must have a high silicon content, it welds as good as E70S-2. I have a couple of partial boxes in the shop that became tangled. A lifetime supply, or two or three. Or four. You bet I keep some in my truck.

snip

I knew you were inventive and creative, but you weld with baling wire? I am impressed.

 

[1/2 Cup]

That's a tough one Andy, they take a bit to straighten

 

[Vieux]

Andy can make a new axle?

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy can make a new axle?

Vieux I have no doubt he could

 

[bolensboneyard]

Andy like the idea of using 123 blocks to stabilize on point. Problem is, next time I need to drill something irregular I probably will not remember????

 

[oldironfarmer]

What did he do to bend it like that?

Good thing new ones are pretty damn cheap. I agree tho that'll it'll probably hold up fine and do what he needs it to do.

I think he backed off one side of the boat ramp and hooked it on a rock pulling it out, but we didn't talk a lot about it. He was embarrassed.

I’ve got to start casting. Um, is this project 961 thru 975? Guess it gives me something to do on my Saturday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No caboose and no casting? Just what do you do?

Very good job on those mounts! One of these days someone is going to take that motor out again, see those mounts and wounder where they were bought from. Lol

Thanks, Bud! I did put my name and 2018 on them. I like leaving little surprises like that for someone who will never know me.

Great job on the mounts and love the drilling alignment trick. I might even make a little fixture for it to remember it by when I need it in future! Thinking a ball nose version would be a great adaptation for drilling out deep shaft holes to make them larger.

Thanks! Some holes you need just have no good alignment references, like these which should be angled to a non-cylindrical housing.

Of course a hole through a shaft can be lined up on the OD of the shaft if it's not offset. I have turned a boss on a plate then bolted that down to the mill table to align something with a damaged hole so I can machine it part way through for a sleeve.

That shaft will run just fine if you can get the bearings on as you say. Least till you can find a replacement stub. Must be a real decent size bench and bench vise to lean against. Might help to pack a few firebricks around it to make a half oven to help retain and direct the heat next time. Either that or a scrap of kaowool in a sheet metal shell to hold the shape if you have some.

I was in too big of a hurry. It looked like it was bent outboard of the inboard bearing location which is next to the step for the seal. But it was also bent in the bearing location. I didn't measure, just eyeballed it. Mistake number one. Then I found a piece of pipe to fit over the shaft and bend it, but it was not a close fit. A close fit would have kept the shaft straighter. Mistake number two. Thinking the bend was away from the step I did not heat the shaft enough. I thought about putting it in the forge to get it all warmed up but was too lazy. Mistake number three. However, it will run a long time like it is, we intentionally left the bearings a little loose to accommodate the misalignment and not overload individual rollers.

I had to help bend one cold to get a boat and trailer home when the wheel came off halfway down a dirt road and bent the end up before it came off. Not much to work with in the bush. Used a combination of a car jack and the tow hitch of a large 4x4 to apply pressure against. I was really worried it would break but it slowly nudged straight again. My dad did call it a good farmer’s repair. Least it was good steel and didn’t crack and sold with the boat a few years later. I was even surprised to learn the wheels ran straight and wore evenly too.

Great job in the bush! Your options being limited may help. Had I had to bend this cold I would have used the nut to bear upon and it may have bent more reliably where it was needed.

Is the damaged wheel at least a good alloy one?

The wheel was bent. If you are insinuating I would use a bent piece of scrap wheel to attempt to make high quality castings I am appalled. What do you think I am? A man with no standards?

He brings me aluminum so I have to assume it was steel or it would be here.

Wow, Andy! Those motor mounts turned out great!

I knew you were inventive and creative, but you weld with baling wire? I am impressed.

Thanks on the motor mount comment.

I note the sarcasm on the baling wire comment, however. No, in answer to your followup question, I do not weld with coat hangers. They really are not good metal, but baling wire is. You just have to straighten it and sand the rust off and it does make a great welding filler.

Note to others: Guys welding with baling wire and coat hangers is a big joke among professional welders.

That's a tough one Andy, they take a bit to straighten

Wish I'd done better, but it's running down the road. I had to think WW1/2CD?

Andy can make a new axle?

I suggested that but it would have taken a couple of hours including cutting the old stub out and welding the new one in. He was in a hurry, having left his wife at the lake watching the boat.

Vieux I have no doubt he could

But new ones are about $25 so it's probably better to buy a new one.

Andy like the idea of using 123 blocks to stabilize on point. Problem is, next time I need to drill something irregular I probably will not remember????

Threaded 1-2-3 blocks are handy. Some cheap ones aren't threaded but they have uses too.

How do you put a hole for the tool in a handle you've made? This works pretty good. When I'm making a handle from a stick of firewood I don't take the time to square it up, just chuck it and turn it, then all I have is the spur point to line up the handle with.

Thanks for all the comments, guys!!

 

[Toothaker]

snip

Thanks on the motor mount comment.

snip

I had failed to take into account the original motor mounts were 14 GA, so of course your cast aluminum mounts will work fine.

And you explained things a lot more when you mentioned you thought about doing them in steel, and then thought better of it and went the way you really wanted - cast aluminum. I was thrown off by the fine work you did in the welded steel - they were just too nice just for a mockup.

If any of my questions - on this topic or any other - made you think that I was correcting you, please know I'm not a PE in this state or any other state. Much less 16 states.

snip

I note the sarcasm on the baling wire comment, however. No, in answer to your followup question, I do not weld with coat hangers. They really are not good metal, but baling wire is. You just have to straighten it and sand the rust off and it does make a great welding filler.

Note to others: Guys welding with baling wire and coat hangers is a big joke among professional welders.

snip

You wound me, sir!

 

[Toothaker]

As an aside, how do you get so much done, both for yourself and for your friends and neighbors, help your lovely bride, and you keep us posted with clever updates and great pictures? Don't give me that stuff about 6 Saturdays a week. More like 10 Saturdays a week. I get tired just trying to keep up. Well done, sir, well done.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I had failed to take into account the original motor mounts were 14 GA, so of course your cast aluminum mounts will work fine.

I hope so!

And you explained things a lot more when you mentioned you thought about doing them in steel, and then thought better of it and went the way you really wanted - cast aluminum. I was thrown off by the fine work you did in the welded steel - they were just too nice just for a mockup.

It hurt me to not use the steel as well. But I was missing the opportunity to practice with aluminum and just threw all caution to the wind. I don't think it cost me much if any time, though.

If any of my questions - on this topic or any other - made you think that I was correcting you, please know I'm not a PE in this state or any other state. Much less 16 states.

OK, now this is serious. I sincerely hope I didn't offend you. I always enjoy your posts and feel like I can be a little aggressive with you, all in fun. Correct me if you like, if you find an error we're both better off. I'll usually explain my reasoning and expect holes to be poked in it if there are weak areas. It doesn't matter if I have a P.E. license, or a PHD (which I don't) or welding certification (which I don't), this forum is for exchange of ideas and if honest comments are off limits we can't communicate. I never intend to offend anyone, but I do like to have fun, and sometimes poking fun is misunderstood. I've heard pregnancy is a lady taking seriously what has been poked at her in fun. So sometimes we who poke fun don't get the results we expected. There are many degreed engineers who can't actually do anything, so having a degree or license has no bearing on what someone can do, and if they ever hide behind the degree and technical language I go after them.

You wound me, sir!

Finally, I hit the mark!

As an aside, how do you get so much done, both for yourself and for your friends and neighbors, help your lovely bride, and you keep us posted with clever updates and great pictures? Don't give me that stuff about 6 Saturdays a week. More like 10 Saturdays a week. I get tired just trying to keep up. Well done, sir, well done.

Kind comments but I feel like I'm getting very little done. The engine is not yet back in the purple car. Stuff keeps interfering. Today a surprise big steer came in the lot with the cows so I had to take time to wean him. Getting the gate shut, cattle sorted, and him in the barn pens. Now I'm feeding him twice a day to settle him down. But only for a few days.

But I get motivation from posting so I have to find time for that.

Thank you for your comments, and please don't let up on me.

 

[bj383ss]

But I get motivation from posting so I have to find time for that.

Thank you for your comments, and please don't let up on me.

I agree with 100% Andy. Posting regularly I think holds me accountable for stuff I say I am going to get done. I think it in my head all the time, but when you tell an audience then it gives "motivation" to actual get said thing done.

Bret

 

[oldironfarmer]

I agree with 100% Andy. Posting regularly I think holds me accountable for stuff I say I am going to get done. I think it in my head all the time, but when you tell an audience then it gives "motivation" to actual get said thing done.

Bret

It surprised me how much motivation you get from spilling your guts in a thread. It is very worthwhile and I guess one of those things you have to do to understand.

I managed some good shop time today. Lots of little details, like torquing the torque converter to flex plate and transmission to engine. Painted and installed the transmission dip stick tube and reclaimed the cooling connections from the old transmission.

The steering shaft has three u-joints so it has a carrier bearing (really a rod end). It had been very loose and I cast a new bracket to hold it and went to put the bolt in. The bolt would only start and was too long. When I got another 3/8" bolt I realized the old one was metric -10.9. I don't have metric bolts but on a lark tried a 3/8 in the hole. Hmmm, it's and English rod end someone tried to stick a metric bolt in. So I had a bolt after all. This will help tighten up the steering.

Then I took the right wheel off to fix a broken frame crack. This is not too bad but could be progressive so now is the time to fix it. This is the radius rod bracket attachment weld.

Here's the other spot I had seen. An incomplete weld, and hard to get to. I don't believe it is a structural issue but I don't want to leave it. Here it is looking up:

That weld is just to the right of the steering u-joint on the bottom but over the crossover.

I dressed the first crack and welded it with MIG since I had drug the MIG rig into the machine shop where the purplish car is located.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I had three options to weld the crossmember.

MIG, it was right there. But the MIG tip obscures the work and I've not done much MIG overhead and don't know how to adjust the machine.

Stick, I can reach in and get a good weld overhead. But I have a brake line close and an errant arc strike would be bad.

Gas, I can reach in and get a good weld but the brake line is even worse.

I'm lazy so I ground it out the best I could and put the MIG to it.

Wish I'd removed the brake line.

Best welder I ever knew would look up and say "where'd that bird come from? I was getting good contact and a smooth weld but it looks like bird ****. So what does a poor welder do? Add more weld, of course.

Holy ****! That's nasty. I'm still sure I have it tied in but time to grind and be sure. Over an hour of intensive overhead grinding on my back in a tight spot (can't move my head with a hood or face shield on).

I'm seeing it tied in well and no cavities in the middle of the weld. This will fly, call the inspector!

In that hour of grinding I could have moved the MIG out and the stick welder in and made the weld, mostly on my feet.

As I was cleaning up I thought I'd let you see what it took to get it welded and ground. At least the way I do it.

I like that tag line "We're not professionals but we don't care either". I think that's XtremeK. Looks like it's me too

Thanks for stopping in! No engineers bled in the creation of this production. I've heard it said they're people too.

Thanks for the visits. I smell blood now, it won't be long.

You here Shorty?

 

[tym]

The steering shaft has three u-joints so it has a carrier bearing (really a rod end). It had been very loose and I cast a new bracket to hold it and went to put the bolt in. The bolt would only start and was too long. When I got another 3/8" bolt I realized the old one was metric -10.9. I don't have metric bolts but on a lark tried a 3/8 in the hole. Hmmm, it's and English rod end someone tried to stick a metric bolt in. So I had a bolt after all. This will help tighten up the steering.

It's always fun discovering and having to fix someone else's mistakes.

Or in my case, even more fun when they're my own mistakes (ask me how I know).

 

[shortykorte]

I’m here.
No blood-check,
certified grinding-check
Weld penetration-pending

You’re doing a great job, hope someone appreciates your efforts, we do.


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