Los_Control

Hey Kieth, saw the piston video the other day. I was curious if you did insert the new rings in the cylinder and measure the gap before installing? You know insert the ring in bore, use a piston to push it down a few inches and square it up. Then use feeler gauge to check the ring gap to see if in tolerance. Seems if they were a little wide not a big deal, but if they are too tight ... then when hot they expand and close the gap and break the ring landings on the pistons. If they are too tight, use a file and open the gap up to get correct tolerances. Just seems like a good step to include on your video. I do not know if your bores were changed, or just honed out ... todays poor fitment of cheap replacement parts, I would check it. Maybe others will have a different opinion, is this only done on race engines or flathead Ferds?

Looking great, bet the dog bones will really help tame the torque from that monster Honestly they look great, the whole project is looking great.

Little late now, I wonder what a 1" thick hardwood base for the current plastic housing to sit on. Or possibly a 3/4" base for the bottom and a 3/4" top. So the wood base bolts to tunnel, plastic housing bolts to wood base, top wood base bolts to top of plastic then the rubber boot bolts to top wood piece. I think it "wood" look sexy, with some nice oak or maple trim just slightly proud of the plastic housing. Say a 1/4" ? Lot of effort but may be worth it. Just a idea.

"Factory or something that works. " Yeah not very clear there. What I really mean was we have options for brakes on these old vehicles. Although more so for the cars & B1B/B1C then a 1 ton & larger trucks. We have a few options for aftermarket brake parts, hydraulics are usually available, drums can be a challenge, I believe brake shoes are obtainable. Would be are choices for "factory" we have disc brake conversion options. and also rear end swap options. This would fall under "something that works." A 1 ton may be a bit of a challenge to find brake parts for. I would think you could find or rebuild the hydraulics. Finding shoes and drums may be the issue. I have never searched for them myself, just know little is available for the smaller trucks and doubt more is available for larger trucks. Myself I would fix the hydraulics if was all that was needed. But if it needed drums and shoes, I might be tempted to pull a rear end swap from a newer model truck or motorhome with a 1 ton axle and dual wheels. I once had a 1962 dodge 1 ton dually with a straight axle. Would be a perfect candidate if the brake parts are available. May need to go newer yet though. Besides fixing brake issues also fixing modern wheels, bearings, seals, u-joints everything readily available. But that is just what I would do when my B1B needs rear drums. Sounds a little severe for fixing brakes, but could fix a lot of issues .... If you are not trying to restore something to original. Otherwise it turns into a search for needed original parts.

But what about the DoDo bird ... Earth never been the same once they disappeared. Was this time period people started driving Fords with bad brakes.

Today we have much better braking technology .... nothing wrong with keeping it stock. Sometimes we get to the point that step bores are not available, drums are not available, shoes are costly ... you just need to decide what you want. Factory or something that works.

Pretty sure I replaced my step bores with 1.25 straight bore that was offered from DCM. The larger bore would be to the front and offer more braking power to that shoe. At this point in time, Mopar had the best and most sophisticated braking system at the time. The step bores was just a part of it. As @Plymouthy Adams stated above, could be military that first invented the step bores. Your truck will not blow up because it does not have step bore wheel cylinders.

Only a guess, but think it may be a bracket for the original radio. From radio to cowl.

Trying to think of a proper example for mechanical parasitic draw. Lets imagine a 727 transmission and a 8.3/4 dodge rear end connected to a flathead 6 engine ... not even sure if it is possible to install the 727. The result of the heavy transmission & rear end would almost make the car undriveable. Just all the weight of transferring the horsepower from the crank to the wheels. Now if you installed a lightweight T-5 transmission and a light Mopar 7.25 rear end, there would be less parasitic loss. Same time the factory overdrive transmission will present more parasitic loss then any electrical problems. I think what you are concerned with is torque. People with the overdrive love the performance of the flathead 0-60 mph & driving down the freeway. Not a Hot Rod but gets the job done. And it would not bother these cars if they were 6 or 12 volt. Simply would not be a noticeable difference in performance.

Pretty common to swap on later rims .... a 1954 would have had clips installed to hold the hubcap on ... I could be wrong though ... lots of changes through the years. A later style rim through the 60's-80's would have the nubs. Also the original wheels width would be between 4" or 5" while a later style rim would be wider for radials. I think you could dress them up and make them look very traditional. I have kinda the same wheel. https://hubcapmike.com/ Something of a problem I have, you have to realize that Dodge, Ford, Jeep, AMC, & others made wheels for the same bolt pattern. They made different sizes for the nubs on the hubcaps. I have 3 wheels that will take a 8" hubcap, 4th wheel needs a 9" hubcap .... just something to be aware of, you need to measure and see if you have a matching set of wheels before ordering a set of hubcaps.

Ok I will throw in my worthless 2 cents. Parasitic draw is real. You can eliminate it if you are building a race car with no cooling or charging system. I would say 12 volt probably would be least parasitic draw for a few reasons. 1, electric fan. You could possibly just leave it off while driving, Just turn it on at long traffic lights when needed. Less parasitic draw then a mechanical fan 2, LED lights. (I hate them) they take less juice to run, means less time the alternator is charging. 3, More options for amps on a alternator ... get a 100 amp alt, will charge your battery lickity split, less parasitic draw. 4, I would venture to say, a modern alt would have better smoother bearings then a 70 year old jenny with a worn shaft ... Less parasitic draw. IMHO the op is not really interested in trying to stay & look original if willing to install a electric fan ... I'm cool with that, think I am going 12 volt also. I think between 6 or 12 volt, a real scientific study would show 12 volt winning parasitic draw. I just find it interesting the electrical question was written around parasitic draw. Makes me wonder if the op is more interested in building a Hot Rod racer then a stock classic. I'm fine with that. Choosing the correct transmission & rear end can remove a lot of parasitic draw. Much more then the electrical system.

Cold day here, 72 today so making a pot of navy beans I suppose there are as many suggestions for trans and rear differentials as there are suggestions for motor oil. I do need to change both the trans & diff oils and been considering using synthetic.

Really torn up about what to get. Pretty much convinced going to Harbor freight to get one. Tractor supply sells one for $100 more then Harbor freight. Nothing else near me. I plan to use it a few times, but not many. My small garage I really have no place to keep it there ... otherwise I will use my garden tractor and tow it to the garden shed and store it there. Pull it out every few years and use it when needed. Why I do not have one now. We know to buy the best tools we can afford .... but when you going to store them here, just not excited about buying the best available. Roof over it but dirt floor & no doors. So choice is the 1 ton or the 2 ton. I want it fold-able either should work? Figure it out next couple weeks.

Maybe I should have thrown in a RAH RAH RAH along with it .... really was my best cheer leader voice and rooting Jeff on. I love Jeff truck and the fact he drives it ... nobody here attacking them. This really brings up a good point or discussion for gear oils in cold weather climates. The standard 80/90 gear oil is thick. I had a friend in Montana & they ran synthetic oil in the trans for cold weather issues .... is there a good synthetic oil for our trucks?

Good tip. would certainly destroy the new sensor if left in place. Playing detective, the 02 sensor is suggested to change at 80k miles. Modern oem plugs can last 100k miles? Is seeping some oil from the front seal, my old engine does the same. Will be 1/2 a quart low at 3500-4k miles. Not concerning but not low miles. Bare min this engine has 100k , could easily be 150k. Our transmission needed to be rebuilt at 150k. Possible it was a good running engine and trans failed so they junked it? All WAG, but I would bet it has 120k-150k. Appears to been taken care of, but not low miles. Trying to not break into savings for a project like this. So bought the motor and engine gasket set this month. Waiting til next week/month to buy a engine crane. My chain hoist would work fine on the pilothouse .... not so good on a fwd car that needs to be on jack stands .... so papa gets a new tool and moma is happy about it. Life lesson here. I own 3 vehicles. My cheby truck, wife caravan & project pilothouse. Sometimes just having the project is fun ... play with it when you get a chance. Would not take much to get it licensed and running. Finish the rear brake lines, wire harness, charging system etc... It needs a lot of work, but would not take too much to actually get it on the road. If the pilothouse was on the road & a backup vehicle if needed. The 150K mile used motor on the stand would get freshened up. I just feel a sense of urgency to get the caravan back on the road as soon as possible. If anything happens to the cheby I am walking. The urgency is now transferred to getting the pilothouse driving & licensed. I'm now thinking of it as a 3rd vehicle more then a project. Maybe this is the kick in the pants I need to get the pilothouse back on the road. I have owned a 4th vehicle a Dakota .... no good parking space for it, extra insurance cost, very little use. I sold it a year ago ... not interested in a 4th vehicle.

Oh this thread is so far off track skeered to reply to it ... yet here I am living the dream. ? ??

Sure hope your issue is fixed. Sure is fun to post the original issue & the fix. Sad to see the trolls here who want to attack you then give you their opinion. I say GO GO GO JEFF!

I agree 100% While we do have some of the clay tablets, most are hidden away. Collage kids have been study the original Bible written in Ancient Hebrew for decades. The clay tablets can be carbon dated and tracked to the time written ... They can not be erased or changed ... just are what they wrote at the time. I honestly do not want to be kicked off this forum. IMHO this is the most exciting time in life to be alive, there is a lot going on and will take time to put it all in the history books correctly.

I enjoy learning about history 10k years BC. Having the internet available of course just reading others research and opinions. It is on the internet so we know it is true. A photo of Machu Picchu in Peru and we are told the Inca built this during the bronze age with brass hammers & chisels. The walls are over a foot thick and some areas even wider. It would be very difficult for us today with modern power saws & equipment to duplicate it today. Same article shows this as a typical Inca house Obvious there were 2 different craftsman. Here is a better example You can tell whoever built the bottom did not build the top. The Inca were traveling vagabonds, they wander across some old ruins and decided to settle there. They piled some rocks on top of the damaged wall and now get credit for building all of it. Same is true with the pyramids in Egypt. The heads on Easter Isle with the buried body, The round holes drilled in granite, Large stone statues in underground mines in Africa. I love @Plymouthy Adams humor and I get it ... @pflaming attitude I love also .... Just throwing it out there I like trying to figure out our history

I measured a 7.5 in a early Bronco II. Guessing the bronco and ranger share same platform. I do not remember the exact measurements .... seems like it was 2" narrower then my 1949 pilothouse. We talked about it here in the forums, consensus was to use some 1" spacers to get the track width back out to where it should be. I think it would be strong enough though for a flathead 6. To be fair my measuring was not ideal. The Bronco and my pilothouse had tires & wheels and sitting on the ground. I measured from center of tire to center of tire on both vehicles. We can see the flaws there with tire width and back spacing on wheels. I was just looking for a general idea and the broken down bronco headed to the crusher was sitting right there.

Yes sir think I will take a look at them. With the intake manifold installed, it hangs over the right valve cover and top heavy & awkward on the engine stand. Going to have to pull the intake, to safely be able to turn the engine on the stand to pull the pan. I will take a look at the timing chain .... Obvious I will have a complete engine gasket set. So may as well change the valve cover gaskets while there .... Do I pull the heads & mic the cylinders? Heck if it looks good, may as well slap in some new ring & bearings just to freshen it up. .... It's a rabbit hole! Wife laughs and says it will make a nice winter project .... I have a pilothouse that is my project One side of me is saying "it is a $250 used motor, drive it & smile. The other side is saying, well it is already on the engine stand, may as well pull it apart and check everything.

So I bought the cheapest used motor I could find Pretty amazing how prices fluctuate on used motors from one wrecking yard to the next. carpart.com I found them from $145-$650 and a rebuilt for $2k. All of them were 3.5 hours one way or more to go pick up. I called a local yard 1.5 hours away, asked them. They had 1 for $350. Cool, how many miles or compression check? He just laughed. "Son I put that motor in the shed 8 or 10 years ago, I got no idea about it ... Must have been good or would not have kept it" I offered $250 because it been sitting 10 years & he accepted. So thats what I am working with. The yard owner pointed out the pan was leaking, looks like they bumped the drain plug with the fork lift ... thats fine, looks like a easy fix pull & weld or replace with mine. I wanted to get a reading off of the plugs. Dang things are just too new to get a good reading other then it does not show anything bad. While I would change the 02 sensor while out, is just as new as the plugs. I have been soaking the cylinders with oil and turning it over daily for a week ... It has good compression, it will run but have no idea about it ... Trying to not go down the rabbit hole and rebuild it ... Just accept a $250 motor and run it .... but while it is sitting on the stand ... just how far do we go?

Think what I really meant was, I was a idiot for letting the wife drive the car before I changed the cam sensor. Oh well. Been doing some more thinking about it, Yes I did have a code for no signal from cam sensor. That was after the crank sensor failed ... seems natural would also be no signal from cam ... After getting it running I needed to clear the codes and then check again to see if the issue was still there. In my defense, I already had a new cam sensor sitting on the bench, wife was happy to have her car running and asked if I could wait a few days before working on it some more. Giving it more thought, the van has just under 190k miles on it. If the timing chain was getting stretched, the computer would compensate and adjust for the timing fluctuations. Hiding the symptoms. When it did the dance, was always around town when you are letting off the gas pedal and coasting. Under load it did not dance it ran great. Sooo, wife cruising 75mph speed limit, creeps up to 80mph ... lets off the gas ... computer trying to compensate the fluctuating timing, kap0w! I have a 3" hole in the side of the block. Thats my best WAG until I get the motor out and look closer at it.

As others have said, label everything. Not high tech but works for me. Put the lid back on the coffee can & set it on a shelf, you can come back to it years later and know where everything goes. Here is how I stored the pistons for the engine. We all love a good laugh Just saying there is some order to it, the right rear piston is for the right rear cylinder. Don't do what I do! Would not take much to improve on my system. This particular engine is a 1951 Ford flathead V8. I have zero use for it and simply dissecting it and putting it away for future use. So the more oil on the pistons are good. May be 5 years or never before I put it back together. For now the pistons live in the attic of my garage. I just think it is important to try and keep some sort of organization while disassembling. While we all have the best intentions, sometimes life gets in the way and takes longer to do what we want. When I was a 30 year old kid I could rip the heads off and clean it up and put it back together in a weekend, driving it to work on Monday. As we get older we get more responsibilities. I never bagged & tagged anything when younger. Just amazing how quick our priorities can change. You own a house and you need to take care of the roof or the plumbing ... your project priority just got pushed to the back of the line. Blow up the engine in your wife car & see how quick your priorities change. We just call this life. bag & tag everything.

Crazy idea just a weird problem ... is it possible a critter moved into your exhaust and is now plugged up?