MP&C
Well-known member
Ed, going to do a drop on the heavy 32?
E-tek Restorations: PROJECT THREAD
- Thread starter e-tek
- Start date
Harley94
Well-known member
Be careful with the old brake shoes and dust. They may have asbestos in them.
MP&C
Well-known member
I was going to suggest David's jig but I see you've already found it!
Thanks! I totally thought about it as I was tearing it down. I soaked them in the parts washer to minimize the dust and have them in a container under the bench right now.
I looked at a bunch of different ways and this was the most elegant (simple and well thought-out) by far!
Papastruck
Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
- Messages
- 20
Long time lurker here. Lot's of great threads on this board, but this one inspired me to get OFF my lazy **** and OUT into the garage to clean up, reorganize, and mainly tear into my decrepit 390 and get going on my first full engine build. Thanks e-tek!
JC23
Well-known member
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
"Also, sold this 352 today....for $600. Soon the shop will have some room to move around in!"
E-Tek, you just know that next week someone will want to give you a highly desirable vehicle that the 352 would be perfect for! lol
E-Tek, you just know that next week someone will want to give you a highly desirable vehicle that the 352 would be perfect for! lol
Glad I could help!!
The way my luck has been going I can totally see that happening!
Barely got a few hours in the shop this week, just enough to rebuild the 32 axle and finish welding the 240's last quarter panel -
Check these old-school cotter pins -
Rebuilt -
Once I get these perch bushing out, looks like I may have to add some material and re-drill the spring perch hole on the one...
240Z chassis is almost ready for clean up!
Today's project - front rocker panel rust repair -
This is why I bought a pan and box brake - for it's superior utility over a straight brake....
Had to first weld a nut to the inside for the lower fender attachement point -
A skim coat of kitty hair finishes the weld dressing -
This is why I bought a pan and box brake - for it's superior utility over a straight brake....
Had to first weld a nut to the inside for the lower fender attachement point -
A skim coat of kitty hair finishes the weld dressing -
Motown 454
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,359
I enjoy your updates thanks for posting. Nice job.
Robert (MP&C) mentioned repairing a loose hammer head on a wooden handle. If you've been around body hammers much, you know this is a constant issue. The trick I learned from the men at my Dad's shop - some 40 years ago - was to soak them in water to swell up the wood, keeping the heads snug as a bug! The bodymen at my Dad's used to toss their hammers in a bucket every Friday night.
This is a hammer that someone tried to repair by whittling the handle, pressing the head down further and re-inserting the wedge. Of course it came loose again very quickly, so I inhereted it. After a soak it was good as new and it's been one of my favorite hammers ever since! (Sorry about the crappy photo..)
This is a hammer that someone tried to repair by whittling the handle, pressing the head down further and re-inserting the wedge. Of course it came loose again very quickly, so I inhereted it. After a soak it was good as new and it's been one of my favorite hammers ever since! (Sorry about the crappy photo..)
The rest of the day was spent making one last piece for the rocker on the Z, then getting the sanding and stripping underway -
Fun with construction paper -
Ready to weld it in -
Primed, welded and seam sealer applied -
A bunch of Dupli-color supplied Undercoating and it all blended right in!
Now on to the worst part.....hours and hours of sanding...
Fun with construction paper -
Ready to weld it in -
Primed, welded and seam sealer applied -
A bunch of Dupli-color supplied Undercoating and it all blended right in!
Now on to the worst part.....hours and hours of sanding...
raskal
Well-known member
I learnt that when I was claim staking as a young'n. Very handy to not have an axe head flying off when you swing it.
got any full shots of that Z? I had one in the late 80's, awesome little engine!
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
E-Tek, as always, its fascinating to see someone take a flat piece of metal and 'convince' it to be the shape you want.
Question - It looks to me like there is an 'inner' rocker panel that has a series of dimpled holes along its length; yes? Since you had the nose of the rocker opened up, is there a standard treatment you give to the inside of the remaining rocker hollow? For some reason, I thought the inner and outer rockers joined to form a solid (no holes) metal tube shaped unit.
Question - It looks to me like there is an 'inner' rocker panel that has a series of dimpled holes along its length; yes? Since you had the nose of the rocker opened up, is there a standard treatment you give to the inside of the remaining rocker hollow? For some reason, I thought the inner and outer rockers joined to form a solid (no holes) metal tube shaped unit.
E-Tek, as always, its fascinating to see someone take a flat piece of metal and 'convince' it to be the shape you want.
Question - It looks to me like there is an 'inner' rocker panel that has a series of dimpled holes along its length; yes? Since you had the nose of the rocker opened up, is there a standard treatment you give to the inside of the remaining rocker hollow? For some reason, I thought the inner and outer rockers joined to form a solid (no holes) metal tube shaped unit.
They normally do O, but the 240Z has three layers to it, with that dimple-died one in there for more strength I guess. I have been using Eastwood's Inner Frame Coating, which is a wax/oil concoction and comes with a 2' spray tube with a conical sprayer. I used to use POR15 on a long brush. At the very least, you should try to spray primer and paint in there.
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It's amazing to see the 240Z at this point when for so long it was a rust bucket you moved around your shop. You're going to have it running long before Colton is old enough to drive it. Perhaps Mrs. E-tek can get back into racing with it?
Capt Chrysler
Well-known member
Robert (MP&C) mentioned repairing a loose hammer head on a wooden handle. If you've been around body hammers much, you know this is a constant issue. The trick I learned from the men at my Dad's shop - some 40 years ago - was to soak them in water to swell up the wood, keeping the heads snug as a bug! The bodymen at my Dad's used to toss their hammers in a bucket every Friday night.
This is a hammer that someone tried to repair by whittling the handle, pressing the head down further and re-inserting the wedge. Of course it came loose again very quickly, so I inhereted it. After a soak it was good as new and it's been one of my favorite hammers ever since! (Sorry about the crappy photo..)
Use green anti-freeze and you won't have to do it every week. And the hammers won't rust is you forget they are in there.
Capt. Chrysler
rburke65
Well-known member
E-tek....in post #1334, what kind of nibbler do you own/use. Like it? Thanks much.
MP&C
Well-known member
Was that a nibbler or electric shear? I had a Makita nibbler, those half-moon slivers always seem to find your fingers..
JTurbo
Active member
Nice update on the Z.
JT
JT
VWPORSCHEGT3
Banned
eeeeew SU carbs.... hate those things....
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
Yeah E-Tek, you are getting close to the point where the mechanicals get some luvin'. What's in store for the power plant? Blueprinting? Competition parts? Fuel Injection? What's on your 'wish list'? Since it's going to be a "show car", might as well make it a 'GO CAR' too!
PCO6
Well-known member
I AGREE! There is a lot bench work you can do on SU carbs to make them perform (needles, jets, gasket matching, different float oils, reshaping with a Dremel tool, etc.) and once you master a Unisyn (pictured above) you can try a rubber hose and your ear to synchronize them.
SU carbs take a lot of unecessary blame but they are really a good carburettor.
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
What oil do you use in the damper barrels? What gets the Dremel tool reshaping? Got any links for those tips'n'tricks?
E-Tek, I've used both the Unisync and the rubber hose in ear method and I seemed to get better results with the latter.
Responder
Well-known member
E-tek, good work on the Z! How is the sanding going?
PCO6
Well-known member
Omphaloskeptic - It's been at least 15 years since I worked on SU carbs so I'm a bit out of touch. From memory one of the biggest things with carburetor damper oil was to make sure it was appropriate for your weather conditions and right for your type of driving (around town, highway, racing). What the manufacturers recommended wasn't always the best for your conditions. Basically, the colder it is and the heavier the damper oil used, the slower the damper moves up and down and the less responsive the carbs are. In this part of the continent we would run a thinner oil in the winter and probably not as heavy an oil as recommended in the summer. A lot of drivers wouldn't change or fill their oil ever.
As for reworking the carb bodies and manifolds, there is a fair bit of aluminum that can be removed and smoothed out to increase the flow (basic porting and polishing). One of the biggest things is to radius the carb base where it meets the manifold and to cut down the gaskets to match. Another thing is to reduce the diameter of the butterfly shaft - basically change the cross section from round to oval to increase the air flow.
I relied on books years ago. I found David Vizard's books on A-Series BMC/BL to be very good and applicable to most British motors. I see he has a number of video's on the internet. The attached article also seems to be very good. I wish I had access to this information years ago!
Also, I agree - a rubber hose is probably the best way to sinc the carbs.
I'm sure there are many others but this may be a good start ...
http://www.jetlink.net/~okayfine/sutech.html
As for reworking the carb bodies and manifolds, there is a fair bit of aluminum that can be removed and smoothed out to increase the flow (basic porting and polishing). One of the biggest things is to radius the carb base where it meets the manifold and to cut down the gaskets to match. Another thing is to reduce the diameter of the butterfly shaft - basically change the cross section from round to oval to increase the air flow.
I relied on books years ago. I found David Vizard's books on A-Series BMC/BL to be very good and applicable to most British motors. I see he has a number of video's on the internet. The attached article also seems to be very good. I wish I had access to this information years ago!
Also, I agree - a rubber hose is probably the best way to sinc the carbs.
I'm sure there are many others but this may be a good start ...
http://www.jetlink.net/~okayfine/sutech.html
santagary
Well-known member
I have used rolled up newspaper to balance mine on the MG Midget and austin healey I had.
PCO6
Well-known member
santagary - That's a good idea. You could also use it to sop up the oil! 
1948
Well-known member
hah, man you have no idea how many of those front ends i have taken apart now! i got it down to a science now tho. LOTS of heat, penetrating oil, an impact gun, and a impact hammer.
where you going to put that 32 under the 40? because thats not going to work! the axle on a 40 is spring out front with the perches on the front of the bones. and the spring is wider, and the axle ends are narrower, and the bones are shorter and more to a point.
it also looks like it has IFS? are you going back to straight axle? do you need a crossmember i got one, 10 dolla bewl will get you that bad boy.
where you going to put that 32 under the 40? because thats not going to work! the axle on a 40 is spring out front with the perches on the front of the bones. and the spring is wider, and the axle ends are narrower, and the bones are shorter and more to a point.
it also looks like it has IFS? are you going back to straight axle? do you need a crossmember i got one, 10 dolla bewl will get you that bad boy.
1948
Well-known member
ok more stuff... 40 ford was second(late 39 had em) year for hydrolic brakes, so if you were planning on using those mechanical brake parts its not gonna work. ALSO that TYPE of mechanical brake is rod actuated and the later type was a cable system. get yourself some solid kingpins, and 40-48 hydrolic brakes, and some 37-48 spindles!!! much much stronger. also you can put 49-52? F1 brakes on and they will be self energizing modern(for basic drum) type floating brake system. if you need a 40 axle and 40 wishbone i have them collecting dust.
1948
Well-known member
here are a pair of 40 bones, i mounted the front shocks where the spring would go. also note the solid kingpin and 40 ford brakes and spindles. this has a steering loop on, but you can use the CROSS steer hole on the right side spindle, that will eliminate the bump steer and would be how it was originally.
http://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/32146_532181180155795_511400382_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/521506_504895802884333_764576277_n.jpg
vega box for cross steer
http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/310328_466425910064656_551617945_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/32146_532181180155795_511400382_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/521506_504895802884333_764576277_n.jpg
vega box for cross steer
http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/310328_466425910064656_551617945_n.jpg