Thread: Project Special K

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Got the new spacer and flex fan. Had a chance to eyeball everything and was able to use the original radiator mount with 3" bolts to bolt the new radiator in place. The clearance to the front of the fan from the radiator is about 1/2" right now, so tomorrow I'll get 4" inch bolts and that should give me a little more than an inch clearance. I also plan on cutting small pieces of pipe to use as spacers between the bolts and old radiator mount to keep the radiator from slipping into the fan, even the the tension from the hoses pretty much make that impossible right now. Here are a few shots as she sits now.

Looks great Steve. With all that core area you should have no overheating problems. Like Dave said, put a shroud for sure so it pulls from all over the core, not just in a circle the diameter of the fan.

Coming along great bud.

Don

Don - I will try and get someone to help build one. I wish I had your skills with metal and the tools to fabricate one myself! And thanks for the kind words! Not sure how to go about it, might have to mock something up in cardboard and then go to my local welder and have him do the metal work. He's a nice guy and is reasonable(make that dambed nice) for what he charges!

I'd say put piece of pipe in there temporarily, I like to run new engines with the exhaust and muffler in place to listen for any "strange" sounds...

I figured my neighbors would like me better too! I also forgot to add I replaced the accelerator cable that I put in their originaly from Lokar. It was a stainless cable, nice looking, but kept getting stuck with the pedal on the floor. Turned out it was missing a piece to keep the braided housing from slipping foward on the cable when pressure was applied. I just ordered a standard black cable housing which works great. Not flashy, but functional. Summit said they would refund the original stainless cable no questions. Gotta love good companies that stand behind their products!

Got the passenger side exhaust manifold on no problems. Went to put the driver side on only to find the threaded bolt on the donut end of the stock manifold hits the steering box. Not a big deal just need to get the threaded bolt out and it would then mount up with the engine. Only problem is there is no way the exhaust can be connected to it there.

Since I promised my wife to some other commitments in the afternoon, I tabled doing anything for now. I did pull out the Sanderson header and tried to fit it, but the clearance between the steering box and exhaust flange won't clear unless I loosen the tranny and jack it up with the engine a few inches. It should then clear and bolt in. The header is designed to work around the stock steering box, so it sort of tucks in close to the block and exits towards the front of the bell housing with enought room to plumb around stuff.. So I'll wait until I have some more time and help and just go ahead and permanently mount the headers and take my chances with discoloration.
It was nice dusting off those headers with the silver ceramic coating they look almost like polished aluminum. Oh well in the hot rod world these things happen!

Originally Posted by stovens

Not a big deal just need to get the threaded bolt out and it would then mount up with the engine. Only problem is there is no way the exhaust can be connected to it there.

Steve,
If you take out the stud can you use a like sized machine bolt & some washers to get enough bite to connect the exhaust temporarily? Put that side on, and then use the longer stud on the opposite side to pull it up so it does not leak too much? Just a thought...

After thinking on what you guys said and looking at the offending stock exhaust manifold, I tried to remove the bolt but it wouldn't budge, after soaking a week in liquid wrench. The manifold has a crack in it, so no real value, therefore I cut the bolt off! It now fits on the engine but will in no way allow a exhaust to be hooked up because of the steering box in the way. So I guess I'll have a loud start up(not by choice) and keep them on just for the cam break in. Next the wiring!

Anybody know where to find a metal battery box/tray that mounts to the firewall. Preferably simple, new and inexpensive?

Yeah, no what ya mean, Steve!!! I once had a project where everything went right and everything fit the first time just like it was supposed to.....Then the dream was over, I woke up from my nap, and went back to work!!!!

That's a couple of very nice old Ford Pick-em-ups!!!! That camper is way kewl, I remember when Grandpa had on similar on his old Ford, said it was great for taking a nap when the fish weren't biting!!!!!

Funny you should say that. Tom wants to take it to the beach and camp in it. The 48 already runs well. It's got a 57 312 y block that was in it when he bought it with adapter to OEM non synchro 4speed, plus some sort of early Lincoln rear end. This one won't be a big deal like the street strip 57 or the International(1939 I think?).
Just a cool collection of old trucks.

I took out the old seat today, and test fitted what is a stock 1948 f1 seat I just purchased. It fits great and gives a nice ride height(which sort of makes sense being it's stock), but I can't figure out if it slides back and forth. There is a lever shown in one of the photos below but I can't get it to slide either way. I'll try again once I bolt it in place.
Nasty day out threating to rain any moment!. So, after seat swap I installed my new cheap stereo setup in the garage. The irony is this Harmon Karmon reciever cost me 8 bucks at a thrift shop and came with the original owners manual, the tape deck came off of ebay for less than 50 bucks and the cd player was free.When this system came out I could pay three months rent for the reciever and tape deck alone! A/C D/C was a good test choice. I'm pretty happy with it, and adds some ambiance to garage work!
Here's the seat that was in the truck when I bought it:


And here is the new stock seat in place(note the shifter will have to be raised!) And another photo of the seat from the bottom
As well as the shop stereo setup!

the seat looks nice. that must be a newer cover on it? nice to not have to reupolster. I think I need to upgrade my garage boombox...it is dual cassette though!

I envy you your stereo system there Steve. I too have a little boom box, but most of the time it's silent, for I can't stand the sound polution when I'm out there relaxing, working, therapy, know what I mean. Other times I love having it on, I love music. Nice garage buddy, and your project is moving along fine. Perley

Sounds like the count down to VROOOM-VROOOM has begun!!!!! Someday I'm gonna get one of mine close enough to done to actually think about starting it up!!!!!