fordee9r (Ron Springstead)

I am adding the floor braces/body mounts that rusted away with the floor panel.

Dan, I doubt that the design has changed much since the one I've been loaned looks pretty crude and that's why I made this post. You attach the + lead to the arc welder and attach the ground clamp. At a max of 60 amps, you apply the electrode to the surface and, when you feel the weld is complete, you pull the trigger to break the circuit. Seems simple enough but simple doesn't always work. Thanks for your reply....

OK, let me put it this way. I'm putting a floor panel and rocker panels in my '49 Ford and am not sure how to proceed. Three flanges, the floor, inner rocker and outer rocker panel were originally all spot welded together. Does anyone know if the Eastwood spot welder is capable of this job? I've considered welding the inner rocker to the floor and then the outer rocker to the other two. Any suggestions? I'm not a bodyman and could use some help. Thanks.....

Just curious, if anyone has had experience using the spot welder from Eastwood that attaches to a conventional arc welder???

I've finally collected all the parts & pieces (except the correct tuner knobs) to install the Philco Transitone Model C-1452 radio in my '37 Chrysler Royal. My only question is where does the cowl mount antenna get installed? I know there is a service bulletin covering radio installation but have been unable to find a copy. Can anyone help me drill the holes in the right place? Thanks...

OK, I surrender! If you guys out there are looking for a Miller Tool on eBay or wishing to fabricate some type of fixture to adjust your brakes by, have at it! After over 30 years in the auto repair business I have seen many tools and fixtures that work well on paper but fail in the real world. If you spend big bucks for a Miller Tool and you still have a low brake pedal, I promise not to say I told you. Unless I am wrong, the desired result is to obtain proper shoe to drum clearance for optimum braking performance. For the sake of arguement, suppose the desired clearances were .006 at the toe with .008 at the heel. If your car didn't brake to your satisfaction at these settings, how would you decrease these settings with a standard tool or fixture? With my method you can adjust clearances only limited by available feeler gauges and what works in the real world. By this I mean that, theoretically, you could decrease clearances to .001 on the toe and .003 on the heal. Unfortunately, heat expansion would probably decrease these clearances to the point of locking up the brakes. As is the case with many old car problems, utilize the K.I.S.S. principal... Keep It Simple Stupid! Cut a slot, make your measurements and live goes happily on!

Hey Jan, Your idea of supplying a list of questions to be answered by car owners is a great one. I knew that you didn't just inherit your ME status! I agree that most members would love to see their cars in print but shy away from the required written article. With your questionare, any member can supply the needed info and any editor can easily author the article. A truly great tool that ALL editors should consider implimating!

No, Frank, I did not put any plugs in the slots as they are much smaller than the ones found in backing plates and the slots are covered by the rim. What I based my reasoning on was that many GM cars of the '60s & '70s used punch out slots in the outer surface of the drums, never had plugs installed and worked fine for thousands of miles. My intention was to dispell the worry about heat fade due to this small removal of metal. If you want to worry about something, measure the inside diameter of the drum. I'll bet their are many out there turned beyond the maximum diameter but, because they are smooth and look nice, motorists run them thinking all is well. No, my 1937 Chrysler Royal C16 Sedan will NOT lock up the brakes in a "panic stop". Again, my intention was to show that the creation of a 1/8 by 1/2 inch slot was not enough to inhibit heat dispersion and create braking problems. I'm not trying to create an arguement, I'm just trying to point out that there is a cheap alternative to the Miller Tool. I made my modification about 3 years ago and have had no problems at all! The other thing to be aware of is that the Miller Tool assumes you have a drum that has not exceeded the maximum diameter spec. Since the Miller Tool measures the distance from the spindle to the outside diameter of the shoes, if your drum is too large, so will your lining to drum clearance be. This will result in a low pedal and poor braking. If you think finding a Miller fixture is hard, try finding drums that are within specs! Probably (I honestly haven't measured them) my drums are outside the maximum diameter but my adjustment procedure has resulted in a good brake pedal that has performed well in the real world.

Here's my two cents worth. My '37 Chrysler's brakes were in such a sad state that complete disassembly & refurbishing was necessary. When it came time for reassembly, my manual also referred to the Miller Gauge but also included the desired clearances in 1000ths of inch. I fearlessly took an eighth inch drill bit and drilled a series of holes where the braking surface meets the front of the drum. Using a small flat file, I connected the holes to create a slot about a half inch wide. Using feeler gauges, I worked between the two adjusters until I obtained the desired clearances at both the heel and toe. I did find that adjusting the heel affected the clearance at the toe and vice versa. I used this procedure on all four drums and am still driving and stopping well. Heat disapation should not be considered a problem by making this small slot. Many newer cars with smaller drums have larger slots in them for adjustment. Also, off-road racers drill hundreds of holes in their drums do help sand escape and they drive and brake harder than any of our old cars! Forget spending big bucks on the Miller Gauge (unless you love old tools as much as old cars) and use your drill & file.... the results are as good or better. My Chrysler has toured hundreds of miles and have experienced panic stops as well as riding the brakes down long hills following older cars with mechanical brakes. I can honestly say that I have NEVER had any kind of braking problem!

In the 10 years I spent as newsletter editor I learned one thing. You won't get anywhere with hints or invitations. It doesn't matter if you're looking for articles or people to fill Officer or Director positions, as Bruce stated, members will just read it and assume "somebody" will reply. The only approach I've found that works is a direct one. You have to take a particular member aside and apply pressure. "Hey Joe, I see that you and Sally are signed up for our tour next week. I'd really like to print an article about the views of the tour from an average member's viewpoint. Could you please tell me your likes, dislikes and any other comments? I'll try to gather photos to go along with your article. I really think this would be a great article and hope you'll help me out!" I think you can see that this approach would be much more effective than just printing a request for a review of the upcoming tour. Yes, the member you approach may turn down your direct request but a general request will almost probably go unanswered. You really have to go out and get the articles that you really want. My experience has proved that members will NOT reply to casual hints and requests.

I am replacing the floor pan in my '49 Ford sedan but need the body mounts to complete the process. They were welded to the floor pan and bolted to the frame. Does anyone know of a company producing them? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Hey Wayne, I might be "retired" but not inept. I personally sent in the Officers Reporting form many moons ago before my retirement. Deby should receive the forms directly. Keep your posts coming as there hasn't been much interesting reading lately!

Hi Hal, Our Region used to meet at the Senior Center free of charge but new directors wanted to begin charging us $60 per month. We searched around and made a deal with the Elks Club. We would display our old cars at their annual chicken BBQ which usually did just OK. The first year our vehicles attracted so much attention that they sold out an hour early! They were more than happy to supply their meeting room to us for free. Over the years we have grown our treasury and have made periodic cash contributions to some of their youth projects. This arrangement has worked well for both organizations for several years now. We meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM. If the Hershey Meet conflicts with our October meeting, we back up a week. Early on, we polled our active members for the best day and time. Weekends were OK during the winter but Thursdays got the final majority vote. As membership changes over time, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for ALL clubs to poll their active members for a possible change to the time and date.

Post deleted by fordee9r (Ron Springstead)

Hey Deby, Didn't I tell you this was a great forum??? Glad you found it and took the time to post.... Welcome! You may not realize it yet but Wayne, Bruce and John are all receiving Master Editor awards this year so it goes without saying that their advice will be valuable. They were all a big help to me. Keep up the good work with your fresh ideas and don't be afraid to try new things.