Model A Ford garage

[oldironfarmer]

Wow! I am really impressed! One thing about your work with antiques which I share is the desire to not damage or destroy the original machine. I appreciate that. You did not cut up or weld your trip hammer to make it work

Too many people are a little quick to "fix" without thinking about the heritage of the machine.

I had looked at your first two pages a month ago, but was stuck inside today and slogged through it, time well spent.

Being able to make repair parts for obsolete equipment is a tremendous joy.

Keep up the good work!

Do you have blacksmithing experience? I noticed you said you obtained coke to use in your forge. For most work, up to welding heats, true wood charcoal you make yourself makes a fine fuel and has fewer impurities than most coal.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Well I did some research on this blacksmith or forging hammer. Seems they were made for a very short time back at the turn of the last century. Made by the Novelty Iron Works in Iowa a company that built steam engines. Reviews by others that have them are great. Said to have more power than an equal size Little Giant and I can now confirm that as this one is working. I also found that only the very early ones had Oak Blocks for an anvil base. This was so they would be more portable. I can tell you that the anvil is no lightweight. I can lift over two hundred pounds and was barely able to roll this baby. Took me two days to crib block it up to the 20 inch height of the oak block to mount it. Several searches recommended that a one horse power motor be used with 3/4 hp being min. I spent a day building the mount for a 3/4 hp motor that worked fine when I took it off a drill press I was not using. You guessed it. When I got it mounted, and this thing was heavy, It lugged along uselessly. On an educated guess, I mounted the 1/2 HP you see in the picture and this thing still kicks ****. It can deliver 4 beats per second from a 25 lb hammer. Turned a piece of one inch steel pipe into a 1/4 inch flatbar in seconds. Hardest part was turning the line shaft set up into a motor driven machine using all the original pieces without drilling or damaging any of them. I mounted it on a 1/2 inch steel plate instead of wood planks and braced it back and side using mostly the mandrel mount and all the power goes into the work. It does not shake, rattle, or roll. I have seen u tube videos where much heaver machines jump around like puppets! It is not bolted to the floor either. I love it. Bobby

Hi Bobby, I missed your question for a few days. Just now saw it and searched out the power hammer. Very cool. I love the old forging and blacksmith tools. That whole area of your shop is set up nice...makes it that much more productive. Not much you can't make when you can forge iron. Ed.

 

[dlcwent]

Interior is looking great Bobby. I've been doing the same with my project and stretching and hog ringing left my hands very sore. I don't know how anyone could do that for a living.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Are we to assume your Victoria sold?

 

[bolensboneyard]

I still have it. It was hard to part with but now I have to have a place for the Mustang also.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Dan busted a few more knuckles today but am finally done with the hog ring. I did get rid of the harbor freight tool and go and see a local upholsterer and he loaned me a professional pair. What a difference. Still would not want to do it for a living but at least these plyers made it possible. Bobby

 

[dlcwent]

I don't know about the HF ones, I bought a pair at the local marine supply store. The fishermen use a lot of hog rings building their lobster traps. It's spring loaded so it holds the ring in place. I'm glad to be done with the seat covers also, it's not the easiest job in the world.

 

[bolensboneyard]

The interior is done; now for the horse liniment! Should have ordered the tires as now local supply is unavailable. Still have decal striping and medallions to go. Going to take the chance and try to tweak some more shine out of a few areas and pray I do not go through the clear coat. Took me half an hour to stop looking at all that work being finished.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bobby the interior just looks just fantastic, well done.

 

[dlcwent]

Nice job Bobby. You should be very proud of your work.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks guys. Going to try my hand at decals next wish me luck.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Poor pictures do not show clear but you can see the stripe.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bobby, now that is the icing on the cake, well done.

Regards

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks. It wasn't as bad as I was told it would be but I would not want to do it full time.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Will mount the tires tomorrow should be on the ground soon.

 

[bolensboneyard]

more pictures

 

[dlcwent]

The decal looks like it was put on by a pro.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Really looking good!

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks guys. Took me a full day to be able to walk upright after trying to see if things were straight and the bubbles were all out. Wheels and tires tomorrow. I have been nip picking some of the areas I am not happy with {paint imperfections.} Trying to roll the dice and tweak the paint one degree at a time.

 

[bolensboneyard]

The Eagle has landed; after two years of being up in the air on jack stands that is. Of course, it has been raining for several days and should clear by Monday. Hope to get it out Saturday if it's nice.

 

[1/2 Cup]

The Eagle has landed; after two years of being up in the air on jack stands that is. Of course, it has been raining for several days and should clear by Monday. Hope to get it out Saturday if it's nice.

Bobby, be proud of what you have achieved and enjoy the ride...

 

[oldironfarmer]

Bobby, be proud of what you have achieved and enjoy the ride...

X2

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks guys. I have a hat collection coming up for sale if the ice bag sitting on my head does not bring the swelling from your kind words down soon! Bobby

 

[bolensboneyard]

Well I started the GT with no more than a little pumping on the gas and put the clutch in for the first time and put her in gear. Everything worked as it should have. Gassed her up and pulled out of the shop. When I was going around the barn I heard the fan blade barley touching the radiator so I shut her down to investigate. I had trimmed the fan tips several months ago when I put the engine back in and did the usual reving up idle etc. to see if I could make it hit again and all was fine. Got out my trusty file and took another 1/8th inch off of each tip and cranked her up. Let her run for twenty minutes. No problem. As a point of info, only five blade fans are available for the 66. Nobody makes the originals and I am using an aluminum radiator. The shortest fan spacer is 2 1/4 inches and all this brings me close to the shroud. Well I guess someone thought I needed more practice pulling out radiators. When I hit the road all was fine until I shifted into second gear (my motor mounts are tight and new) all hell broke loose and I immediately shut down 1/4 of a mile from the shop. One fan tip caught the radiator and bent itself forward 90 degrees and cut a nice hole through ten tubes and you know the results of that.. Lucky for me a guy stopped and helped me push her home in the 92 degree heat. I am going to try and fix everything this morning and get to the cruise in by 11 am. Radiator will be stock to pick up another 1/4 inch and I will have to machine some off the spacer. Picture is the cripple duck in the barn. I would be dead if I had to push her around back. Bobby

 

[oldironfarmer]

Major bummer, general PITA, not a fun first trip!

Can you not machine the spacer down and get another half inch or so?

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bobby, sorry to read about your set back on the first trip.

Like every thing it can be repaired and luckily the engine wasn't hurt.

Regards

 

[oldironfarmer]

Bobby, sorry to read about your set back on the first trip.

Like every thing it can be repaired and luckily the engine wasn't hurt.

Regards

Or the upholstery or striping

 

[dlcwent]

Wow Bobby, sorry to hear that. That really *****. I'm sure you'll remedy the problem but it doesn't make it any better that it happened to you.

A couple of years ago I put a used 235 into a 49 chevy 3100 and ran into the same problem. The fan blades hit the radiator at a higher rpm. We were able to tweek the blades to allow it clearance. I'm sure that if you modify the spacer, it'll give you the clearance that you need. Sorry to hear about the radiator? And I doubt you needed the practice of replacing it.

 

[bolensboneyard]

I appreciate your support guys and know y'all have experienced similar fun. It will turn out for the best. I have already installed original equipment replacement radiator (repro) and it is narrower than the aluminum one. I also machined off 1/4 inch from the spacer. The replacement fan I got at the auto parts store was 2 inches to large so I put a call out to some friends. As a result of their efforts I will have a used original four blade fan in one week. These fans are not available from the Mustang supply houses as no one makes them. Engine compartment will look even better when I finish with it because of this. I didn't like the aluminum radiator and five blade fan anyway but could not justify spending more money when the radiator worked perfectly well for the last guy who had the car and it would cool better. Pictures are from just before the ride. Bobby

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bobby, they are a couple of awesome shots..

Regards

 

[bolensboneyard]

Hope to get some better once I fix the fan problem. I am waiting for a response on an original fan part number as they are similar. Always good to hear from you 1/2 cup.

 

[bolensboneyard]

The fan is on its way and I had to modify the new repro radiator in order for it to be centered side to side. I also dropped it 1/2 inch so the fan which is 2 inches less in dia. will miss the lower hose. Aren't new world parts grand? The shroud clears at the bottom by 3/8 inch which is the closest anything now gets to the moving fan. I am trying to find something that can tell me how much movement I should have in the fan once torque is applied to the engine BEFFORE it costs me a new set up to learn! Bobby

 

[bolensboneyard]

Spent all day yesterday working out the bugs that gave birth to more bugs. It looks like she is timed fairly well now. I found a few unexpected areas of vacuum leak in the secondary throttle plates and have the idle down to 650 rpm from 10000. She also started pretty consistently yesterday. I am going to readjust the clutch before I go back on the road. Need a break before I jack her back up and crawl underneath.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bobby, I have found exactly the same as you have with a rebuild, there is enviably a lot of fine tuning to work through things but it is so rewarding when you get it right.

Regards

 

[bolensboneyard]

Sure is. Sort of like a trip to the crapper never a treat but always rewarding! Just kidding. I think the reward is all we're after in the first place; not the trophy, not the money, just the satisfaction of knowing we out lasted our endurance, our patience and our confidence, rose to the challenge and figured it out; before our wife came to get us for supper, and noticed a disconnected wire or a screw on the floor, and went around bragging that she had fixed a problem in two minutes that we couldn't fix even though we were in the garage all day! Bobby

 

[bolensboneyard]

more pictures of the lame duck. The mechanic not the car.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Got the clutch adjusted just at the right place now to make me comfortable with my first diaphragm clutch. Feels a whole lot different that the old three finger, not to mention an original model A clutch. Tweaked the automatic choke rich one more notch as after a few days seems like too much pumping to prime this carburetor. After all these years of EFI I'm trying to remember what it was like.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bobby, it certainly would take a bit of getting used to.

I trust that you don't drive it like a Model A

Regards

 

[bolensboneyard]

For sure.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Changed out the fuel pump on my 2000 Silverado yesterday finally. Not going to put the plastic bed liner back in as it is a pain in the **** to get to the tie downs. Anyone have thoughts on a rubber mat that looks good and holds up? I do not want to spray anything on it. thanks Bobby