they_call_me_tred

...and in regard to what tim and robert said above, if it is only the size of a pencil (a hole, basically), just use a scrap piece of copper pipe or a copper plumbing fitting as the "backer" when welding up the holes. a quick and easy fix for small repairs.

the length of a pencil?!?...

and to think, i began to cut windows in a spare brake drum so i could access the adjusters like they did back in the day... well i gave up on that, it was way harder to carefully and cleanly cut large areas out of a drum than even i thought it would be. this is exactly where that "k.i.s.s." saying came from: "keep it simple, stupid" (the stupid one being me - haha!)

whoa! what the hell happened this weekend!!! i took my girl out to freemont street here in vegas and on the drive home at a stop light my driver's side wheel cylinders **** the bed and just locked up that wheel. i pumped the pedal a few times hoping for anything short of a ride home in the cab of a tow truck and it let up a little, but i had to drive 20 miles home with the front brakes on a bit. man, you should have seen all the brake dust when i pulled that drum off! my question is this, with a stock front brake setup, should i be using dot 5 fluid or 3? it never occured to me to use 5... oh, and i found the assembled wheel cylinders in stock at napa, and based on the price, they are made in america, not chi chi chi china. thank you, sorry to hijack the thread.

arrgh. why didn't you tell me?! haha! we could've worked out a swap for the transmission... by the way, your transmission will be shipping tomorrow or thursday. i have been at home sick for days now. oof. tred.

A = 12-3/16" B = 21" dead on

i e-mailed you pictures of the bottom cover i have, did you ever get them? also, give me a couple hours and i'll get those measurements for you. tred.

i love the tedium in all the planning and the construction, that kind of stuff really gets my juices flowing. it makes me wanna go back to working on my robot sculpture... come to think of it, i'll be out in the garage if you need me.

thank you all for the information, it is greatly appreciated!

does anyone have the torque tightening sequence and torque specs for a '50 plymouth straight six, the 218 flathead? i have to replace my head gasket and at least the one freeze plug in the head, and i wanna get everything torqued to factory spec. thank you. tred.

happy thanksgiving all. i haven't been on here in a while, been super busy workin' two jobs and workin on cars in the garage at night. i'm no stranger to the all-nighter. anyway, i'm going to japan on wednesday for moon's car/bike show. my girl and i are presenting trophies for best hot rod, custom, and bike. i'm super stoked. the weekend after, we'll be at moon's show in irwindale at the speedway (the 13th). hey, if any of you are in vegas today, stop by for a beer or slice of pie or whatever. (i'm cooking, but just know that i baste the turkey every half hour all day long, i'm a fine cook for a simple meal like the traditional thanksgiving dinner). ha aha! happy feasting!

young ed, check your pm's sir.

i have to replace the head gasket on my '50 plymouth with a stock 218. which type should i use and where is a good source to pick one up? thank you. tred.

here's what i'm using. i got it from a friend who works on the local miltary base. they use this stuff on the glass on all the heavy construction equipment. lousy photo, but you can see the groove at the top for the glass, the groove at the bottom for the pinch weld on the body, and the "flap" on the right actually pushes up under a lip locking the whole thing into place. it doesn't move at all, it's very strong. i couldn't use a standard molded gasket as my windshield is chopped 7-1/2 inches. this stuff i'm using is on a roll, by the foot. plus, after using it, i'm sold on it's ease of installation and the profile once the glass is in looks slender like a factory gasket. it's also very pliable and will hold up to the extreme heat we get out here in las vegas. i do still need the center rubber however.

how much would you like for the center piece only?...