Some Progress to Report

Spent a good part of the day and night in the garage. Got the following done, some with pictures.

1. Mocked up the fan in the chassis with the mock-up block and my intake and generator. Did this mostly for kicks while I was waiting for some advice from my uncle before proceeding with installing the pilot bushing in the flywheel. No pics, but I was able to spin the fan and see it clears by 3/4" at a minimum, and I can center it in the radiator or raise or lower depending upon what I need; plenty of room.


2a. Oakie-honed the clutch release bushings, because they were too tight for the clutch release shaft to rotate easily. Did this by wrapping emory cloth around an undersized shaft (brass drift punch) and spun it in the bushings. Kept checking the shaft until she rotated easily. Reassembled the release shaft and fork, with a bolt and nut, instead of the peened-over pin from the factory. (The bushings are the golden colored bands (bronze?) supporting either end of the shaft; you can barely see the edge of them in the photo.)


2b. Filed the square head on the drain plug, so I can remove it with my "universal" Ford wrench from Vern Tardel. It fit the fill plug, but not the drain plug, so what to do? File it until it fits! (I shot and posted the pic at top of the gears because I'm not sure I ever posted one when I installed the new (to me) cluster gear and low-reverse slider gear months ago.)

3. Mocked up the front shocks with another pair of Ford F-1 pickup truck front shock mounts. These were already bent to be lower by leaning forward. I already have a stock set, but they stand pretty tall. My friend let me borrow these to see how they'd fit. I like the way they look, but not certain how they'll fit around the headlight stands I'm considering. Once mounted this way, though, I had some interference with the castellated nuts on the spring shackle (see second photo).



4. Finally installed the pilot bushing (the bronze bushing in the center of the flywheel). Can't recall if I wrote last week that I polished the flywheel and pressure plate, but you can see that in the photo below, too.


Won't get out to the garage tomorrow, as it's Easter, so church in the morning, and family "brunch" in the afternoon.

-30-