Thread: American Graffiti Coupe, My Version

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Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

BTW, do you have a good photo you can PM to me that shows your A/C hose routing in the engine compartment?

PM sent, Jack.

Roll pins are a good choice also. If your'e particularly concerned, then give it a liberal coat of locktite ( green, I think ).

Originally Posted by firebird77clone

Roll pins are a good choice also. If your'e particularly concerned, then give it a liberal coat of locktite ( green, I think ).

Every DD u-joint I've handled has a single threaded hole in one "ear" with a hardened set screw and lock nut and instructions to get the shaft in position, centerpunch a dimple in the shaft through the threaded hole, and then to carefully drill a slight recess on the shaft to provide a pocket for the set screw to seat, locking the shaft in place. A roll pin needs a properly sized hole through both "ears" of the u-joint and the shaft, right? Are you suggesting drilling through the other set of "ears", which would be through the rounded side of the DD shaft, using the provided set screw/lock nut on the flat side PLUS a roll pin; or are you suggesting using a roll pin large enough to fit a hole drilling out the OEM threads and going through to the other side? I'm not criticizing, but trying to understand what you're suggesting?

Again, I cannot see any reason to go beyond what Borgeson, Flaming River, IdidIt, Unisteer and others provide as their standard offering proven in years of operation. If you're paranoid about the set screw and lock nut coming loose use a round shaft u-joint and weld them. Just my $0.02.

I've used the DD u-joint in the past on our race car, I have no problem just sinking the set screw into the shaft.

My next question is the length of the shaft from the firewall to the steering unit. Is it to long to go with out a support in the middle? Can anyone post pictures of theirs? I will not have any header clearance issues because they will run on the outside of the frame rail and down the side of the car.

OK Rodger, The second picture was deleted above. Going into edit mode did not provide a path to Advanced mode but I was able to carefully remove the first ATTACH[ ] part of the picture and it worked. I am not a youngster anymore and i have had time to accumulate a few cases where I either over tightened a bolt or did not tighten it enough and now have a healthy respect for a torque wrench. I still have not found the series of comments with Tech1 back around 2006 when I was installing the steering column but he pronounced the through bolt "good" and that was comforting enough for me. Fortunately I do not have any clearance issue with either side of the bolt on the shaft of both U-joints. Over the course of construction of my roadster I also gained a respect for the newer lock nuts compared to the old helical lock washers.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by racerx1699

I've used the DD u-joint in the past on our race car, I have no problem just sinking the set screw into the shaft.

My next question is the length of the shaft from the firewall to the steering unit. Is it to long to go with out a support in the middle? Can anyone post pictures of theirs? I will not have any header clearance issues because they will run on the outside of the frame rail and down the side of the car.

Donnie, the only time you need an intermediate support is if you have to use a third u-joint for clearance. If you only have one at the bottom of the column and a second one at the steering box input shaft then a straight, unsupported piece of either 3/4" or 1" DD shaft is more than stiff enough. The one I'm working on now has a 1" DD column output, and the MII rack is 9/16x26 positioned out away from the frame and pointing towards the motor mount. There is no way to connect it with only two joints, so from the rack it will have a nominal 8" long 3/4"DD shaft running over to an intermediate 3/4"DD u-joint connected to a nominal 15" 3/4DD running through a 3/4" heim joint, up to a 3/4"DD to 1"DD to connect to the column. My '33 running the Vega box has a single 3/4"DD from column to box with u-joints at each end.

You're using a Unisteer, and if it's the "Street/HotRod" version that bolts to the frame like a Vega box like this

Street&HotRod Unisteer.jpg

then you will only need two joints and one connecting shaft.

Salute to American Graffiti car show is coming up on the 17th of May in Petaluma!

Originally Posted by racerx1699

......My next question is the length of the shaft from the firewall to the steering unit. Is it to long to go with out a support in the middle? Can anyone post pictures of theirs? I will not have any header clearance issues because they will run on the outside of the frame rail and down the side of the car.

Its not a Unisteer but the setup would be the same. I had to rework my steering when I switched from roadster headers to these block huggers. Required a center "U" joint. Whenever you use one you NEED a support bearing and it needs to be as close to the center "U" joint as possible. Other than that its really a piece of cake.

Installed the motor and transmission today. Now I'm ready to work on steering column, throttle linkage, transmission linkage.

car-motor.JPGcar motor 2.JPG

Looks great! Ford in a Ford does my heart good!

Very nice work. I love the look of the engine. I also like the hiboy stance. You should have room for most of the things I don't.

(BTW, don't ask me to change your oil filter . . . )

The oil filter you'll need is the WIX 51335 or NAPA Gold 1335 - Wix 51335 & Napa 1335 Oil Filter: FleetFilter Secure Online Store It's either that or put on a remote filter with all of the tube joints.

Roger, I got the wix filter, so now I can ask Jack to change them.

This may be a dumb question, is the front I beam strong enough to jack the front end from and put jack stand on each end?

Originally Posted by racerx1699

This may be a dumb question, is the front I beam strong enough to jack the front end from and put jack stand on each end?

Rest easy, Donnie. The axle is supporting the full weight of the vehicle front end now as it sits on the ground, so you can put a floor jack under the center to lift the whole thing evenly, or under either side to place a jack stand either under the axle or under the frame.

Apologies if my suggestion didn't fit this application, I just seem to remember knocking out big fat rollpins when working on stock steering assemblies.