No other like it.

Dr Crankenstein said:

It might be a pain, but I would still cut those tabs off, and install a pad. Duplicating their position isn't difficult. Make gussets to fit the tab where it sits now. Mark the frame from the center of the tab in both directions. Cut the tab off. Fit the pad where you want it, and tack it on. Transfer the lines from the pipe to the pad. Position the tab according to the new marks on the pad, add the gussets, and fry it up.

[S

Click to expand...

Ahh, shoot, I need to make sure of something here. I was concerned with the possible weakness in the tabs on the rear suspension.



Darnit I downsized that twice on PB and it's still the same size.
Anyway, in the picture that you have there, the torsion bars are just laying there and nothing is welded.
This is what it looks like right now, an it's not completely welded on yet, but it goes from the white line, all the way around to the other side, and of course there's two per side.



How does that look?

I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought this little piece was welded on, so I started flapping my lips......




What you have there now looks OK to me.


In the rear, I still say mount those heim ends vertically. Cut off those mounts and add a cross tube. Mount the heims to the tube.

This is what's great about forums we all learn from each other ! Oh great looking ride and you ll have it licked in no time !

hflhfl: Thank you, I sure hope I get it done in the next few months. It's been slow going for a few years.

Dr Crankenstein, you're right, I've been a little unsure about those rear tabs ever since I put them on. I'll have to figure something out there. I can't put a cross bar on there because the driveshaft would hit it. Maybe two verticals, or some sort of framework in the corners there.

I'm going to the salvage yard in the morning to look for a steering box. They're having a half-off sale all weekend. [cl It sure beats going to the mall any day.

how about welding in a member on a 45*

I might put some diagonal braces in there. It takes a long time to match the angles with a grinder.

Never one to stick on one thing too long, I stripped all the emissions riff-raff off the engine and tried to get it to fire. No luck. I couldn't get enough power to the starter with jumper cables to really get it spinning. So I noticed an empty box in my garage and immediately started a first attempt at making floorboard templates.





So far it's going easier than I expected it to. I just need to decide how I wanna do the area around/over the transmission. The obvious thing would be to make a metal cover and weld it up. I want it to be removable, possibly leather or something.

8literbeater said:

Thanks for the encouragement guys.
Poo pipe? That's awesome. Still, it's a reminder to wear gloves.

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The new name...Poo Pipe Pickup![cl
definately a unique style.....

wheelbarrow

find a old wheelbarrow and cut it to fit. put tabs on the side to bolt it to the floor and , wallaa, removable tranny/floor cover. the ''hump'' in the 'barrow should make a nice tranny cover and a lot less fab work.

l would use metal and not leather, if the clutch or flywheel goes BOOM! you really want all the protection you can get.

Later

I finally got around to cutting some sheet metal for the floor.



Yup, it's stainless.

Designed the hump yet?

You had me at the mention of the propane. I got all my stuff on it, even my motorcycle.

As for the bump steer, you may not have any. You can always use a solid center link with heim joints on end that shouldn't pull apart upon constant up and down shock. As I'm sure you all know, the camber will also change at each bump. It could be that the positive or negative camber will counter act with the positive or negative toe end and you may never feel a thing. The ford twin I beam changes toe and camber drastically at every bump and some of the best riding and not too bad on tire wear around.

This will be a true RAT ROD!!! I love it!!!

Earthman, I haven't decided on a hump yet. I'm starting to think now that it should be kind of a tunnel all the way from the seat tray to the firewall.

Hydrocarbon, thanks. I have my lawnmower running on propane. It was sort of an experiment to see if I could do it. The plastic tank had a split in it and leaked gasoline, so someone gave it to me and I converted it.
This rod is gonna be a lot more fun than the lawnmower.

Progress

I've been doing as much work on this thing as possible while I'm out of school. I only have one picture though, my exhaust manifold halfway built. I've got about 15 hours into it. That doesn't count the time spent at the metal shop. It's still not done. You can tell I don't work very fast.
I also got a steering column mostly installed, and the steering shaft and steering box mostly installed. I'm waiting for the steering wheel to come from UPS on Friday.
I got the gas tank mounted too. It only needs a couple of easy braces to be done.

I'll get more pictures up by this weekend.

Since you're going to all that trouble, you should separate the 2-3 and 4-5 ports too. More like a header rather than a log.

Bonehead said:

Hey, Doc, at first I thought you had it figured out. Then I started cycling the suspension on one side, in my mind, ( You probably didn't know I had suspension up there), and I am thinking it will bump steer like crazy. I could be wrong. The answer might be similar to a Y shape tie rod of a 78 Ford Bronco. It cross steers, but there should an answer to that as well.

Click to expand...

I was just thinking the same thing 78 bronco...here is the arrangement from my 77 f150


The long rod is a solid shaft that runs from the steering arm to the pass tie rod. the drivers side rod is half that long and hooks to the long rod in the middle of it.

it's kinda the opposite of what you have on your frame. On the inverted y ford tie rod with the solid axle the toe changes as the suspension goes up and down. it isn't anything unnerving unless you hit a bridge approach at 70 mph and both tires don't hit the big dip at the bridge at the same time meaning both are not lined up straight.
It feels like a shove from the side

It takes quite a strong suspension movement ad wore out shocks to get squirrely on me.
most often the suspension only moves 1-3 inches total street driving.
They make the parts to convert mine to cross steer the drawback for me is that the tie rod would sit lower and be exposed where in the inverted Y configuration it is up high and not exposed to damage.
Besides I already replaced all the wear parts in mine. I'd have to change my steering arm and all the linkage.
The inverted Y link would be a good candidate for your build if you needed an improvement.
Another benefit of the inverted Y linkage is you don't need to attach it to anything but the steering arm and the tie rod ends... not like a center link system which requires 3 links suspended by the steering arm and a pitman arm.

some ideers



Pipe Eye the Railer Man? [ddev

eveything gets figured out as you go that's Rod building

I got some more done today. The exhaust manifold is basically done, I only have to attach a flange for the turbo when the time comes.



I learned just how much you can get something to warp when you don't plan your fabrication right. I intended to weld it up and have it machined flat, but I didn't expect to have over an inch of bow in it! I stuck it in a press and got it within an eighth of an inch or so, then I took it to an engine machine shop. They wouldn't even touch it. So I took it to an industrial machine shop, and they said it would be around 2-3 hours at $60/hour to make 4 passes with a mill. So I went to a metal guru who advised me to use a straightedge and a grinder. It took 3 hours, and that includes welding up some low spots on each end. I drilled a few more holes to make it final, and now I can move on.



I pulled the head off the engine just to see what it looks like in there since I don't know the history of the engine at all. I found out it's bored .040 over and still looks decent. So then I took the gas tank off so I can take it and put a few gallons in it tomorrow. That's a milestone.

I also had a fuel line made today for about $28. It could have been worse I guess, for 10 feet of propane hose.

I went to the driveshaft shop too. I took them a shaft that needed a new tube 35 inches long. TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS to put a tube in! I said sell me the tube and I'll do it myself. -- $26 with tax

I called a guy about getting rebuild stuff for my propane regulator and thingamajigs. He said the one I have is at least 20 years old. Cool, I say.

This is getting exciting. I've been to a few "first annual" rod shows in the last few months, and by the "second annual" I hope to be parking inside the fence.

I called and ordered the rebuild parts today. The rebuild kit for the vaporizer costs half of what a whole new unit would cost. I told him it said "Imperial" on it and he said it had to be at least 40 years old because they changed to "IMPCO" in 1967.


I checked out their website and they have a little history about the company. This 300A model was the first model made starting in 1958 and of course they still make it. They used to race these systems at the salt flats and pikes peak in the 40s and 50s.