Don't overdo it too soon or it will just prolong the recovery.
Well that's the problem, I don't know any other way. My time is very valuable to me, so to have to lay around for weeks wishing the days away is frustrating. Focusing on the positive and going over next steps on projects in my mind. Parts and pieces arriving for the truck, but I can only fondle them.
So instead of 'working on the truck', I have been doing some
light mock-ups and
slight modifications on various things.
Built throttle linkage. Used QA1 rod ends and a piece of SS threaded rod. Not complete or what I want but will work for now. A cable setup would be better. The pivot ratio isn't quite right, need to extend the upper bar to decrease pedal range and get pedal closer to floor for foot comfort. I had already cut the felt out below pedal to help the situation.
Need to add a throttle return spring anchor. Plan to redo the trans kick-down bracket to incorporate it, and move the cable over to line up better with throttle cam.
I made a proof-of-concept shift linkage setup. Since the transmission is out of a 78/79 Bronco, the gear select lever is 180* from the 72 2WD C6. So the '72 simple single rod linkage results in the gear pattern being backwards. I looked up the 79 linkage which consists of brackets on trans and frame, and a bar across that has a bell crank. This is to get linkage out of the way of the front driveshaft.
I simplified the system using a bell crank on trans only. Rod end connect to gear selector. I made an aluminum bushing on the lathe to adapt to the large hole that would have had a rubber bushing. The bell crank has a bronze sleeve and a bolt cut to length to bottom out in threads. I measured the relative lever throw distance and started with a 1:1 ratio on bell crank arms. The distance between gears on the column shift was a bit off so I drilled another hole to adjust ratio and it's pretty close. I shortened the factory link and bent it to not bind the rubber bushing at the column.
The setup works OK and will have to work for now. Most of the shift slop is gone now that shift collar is actually attached to column tube.
Would like to build a larger bell crank that will accept a 0.75 hole for a 0.5 ID bronze bushing. This way I can use a 3/8-16 x 1/2 shoulder bolt, which is a better solution than bottoming threads. Have some DOM to make the barrel out of. Also got another rod end, might replace the factory link and rubber bushing end.
Machined the steering column shaft to properly fit the Borgeson u-joint. Spun the shaft and used grinder like a lathe to cut the shaft down to spline minor diameter.
Decided to use braided soft AN3 brake lines for the master cylinder to distribution block. Used inverted flare to AN adapters and 90* hoses. For this to work well the distribution block needed to be rotated and flipped. The mount is swedge on, so I cut it off and welded it back on the other side. Still need to redo the hard lines.
After a long engineering analysis and a few setbacks I decided on a ignition system for the 466 Ford. Holley owns MSD and others, so they re-brand ignition amplifier boxes under many names. They sell the MSD 6Ax variants in other flavors. Distributor is a Ford Duraspart II custom curved by Scotty at PPAM, who ported the heads, for this motor combo. It uses an induction coil rotation sensor so I needed a box that accepts mag inputs, so I went with the MSD 6EFI. Aka 6AL but $75 less. Inside it is a 550 V step up power supply to drive the coil.
EFI ECUs can have electromagnetic interference issues from the noisy high voltage ignition system. So plan it to run coil on right fender and keep plug wires away from throttle body. Using cut to length wires, well, because I am particular. Need to get the inner fenders cut up to fit around the coil-over towers and installed before I can mount anything or run wiring.
