DSpringer

Thanks for all the advice folks. Didn't mention I also tried another float and shook both of them - empty. I thought about the fuel pump too. I got it new from Sac Vintage Ford - looks just like the original - and have been running it with no problems for two years. As I understand it, there is no bypass, but the spring regulates the pressure. As I understand it, when the float valve closes the spring stays compressed, no fuel gets pumped, and a constant pressure is maintained. I'll check the gas tank next. Must use a vented cap since there's no vent. Strange though since the weather's been cold I wouldn't expect a buildup of pressure. If nothing else works I'll spring for a fuel pressure gauge. Any idea what pressure I should be looking for? Do your Ford/Holley carbs have a vented float bowl chamber? There's a little knockout on the side of the top piece just to the right of where the fuel line connects that opens to a slot inside the float chamber in the top section of the carb. It's punched out on one of my carbs and not on the other. Stay tuned. I'm going to win this eventually and will let you all know how.

Engine was running pretty good but rich until recently when I started it after it sat for about 3 weeks. Fuel started shooting out the float bowl vent on the side of the carb. Pulled the top, checked the float valve - sealed fine and nothing keeping it from closing. Reassembled, same thing, Tried a top from a spare carb that has the vent hole closed off. Gas streaming down the throat and engine struggling to run. Adjusted the float tab way beyond where it should be (where the float bracket is parallel to mounting face), and seemed to help but still running rough and won't idle worth a darn. Guess she's just hungry for attention.

So do you only need dimensions for the carpet over the plywood deck, or do you also need the side panels and the one behind the seat back?

Thanks, I will.

Hey, Jeff. I put in Skip Haney high volume water pumps and have no baffles that I know of and no problem with overheating so far, even on 95+ days. Are the baffles aftermarket? I couldn't find them listed in the parts book.

I've had good luck using a D-002 U-joint housing felt seal from Roy Naciewicz in place of the cork gasket. http://www.fordscript.com/

If it's the same as a '41 Sedan I can provide the measurements. I also saved my original side covers to serve as templates. -Dave

I did the 8BA valve conversion to try to stem oil use and it made a bit of a difference but not as much as I hoped. But since you are pulling the valves anyway it might be a good idea, especially if you have any burnt ones. But if you want some original NOS split guides and valves, I've got 'em. I found the K-D 918 valve guide puller to be very useful for removing and replacing valve springs, but fortunately the guides were not stuck and I didn't need it to pop out the valves. If the guides are really stuck about all you can do is use a cold chisel and sledge to break them off, pry out the springs, and pound the guides down into the valve galley. Flathead Jack might have a puller that can be used to pull stubborn valves and guides, but only if you can get the horseshoe keepers out first, which requires that the guides be loose enough to move. I didn't have much success with the hook-shaped K-D 917 to remove the keepers because it would usually just slice through the keepers before they would come out. If you do install 8BA valves be sure to get the o-ring type valve guide seals for the intakes. The square ones get torn up a bit when you install them. If you have any tappet noise to start with you should test your lifters. You can buy new ones on Ebay for not that much. After pulling the pan I found I already had a Melling M-15 pump but I still only get about 20 PSI - might be a weak relief valve in the valve galley. You might consider turning down the crank at the slinger ring and putting in a rope seal. I didn't and have a continual oil drip. I guess that's what that cotter pin is for in the bottom of the bell housing. If you remove the plugs in the crank oil journals to clean it you should pay special attention to replacing them so they're really tight. Spent last weekend under the car pulling the pan and knocking two of those boogers back in. Second time. Hope they stay this time. Make sure you install a new Felpro gasket with the large openings for the water passage, and have Sklip Haney rebuild your water pumps to keep you running cool. Keep us up to date with your progress.

Starved lifters can make a lot of noise. I would install a separate "wet" oil pressure gauge so you know what you have there first. See Dee Peechers posts on oil systems.

Very nice! What are you dropping it into? I'm not nearly as ambitious - just did the Melling M-15 and 8BA valves & guides. I don't like the idea of pulling the intake manifold to adjust valves and my new hydraulic lifters are sooo quiet. Let us know when you fire it up. Anxious to hear how the triple carbs work out. How much did the heads set you back?

This is great advice. In playing with my spare engine I find I just can't get a good angle to punch the center of the plugs. ---Tap in place once you have 12 good fits, then take a bolt with a nut and another bolt..screw them together,slide it in the journal, then back off enough to dimple the plug...

Well, you were right. Before you responded I had already super-glued the plugs in and replaced the pan. The oil pressure dropped again after a long, hot trip so will be repeating the job shortly. I looked at AutoZone's freeze plug tool but I can't see how I can use it to get the right angle to hammer them into place. There's very little room between the crank counterbalances and the plugs. Anyone have experience installing these particular plugs? The YouTube videos were no help for this particular problem.

Update: The new valve guides, valves, and seals cut the oil consumption by about a third. I drove it 300 miles in 90+ degree temperatures, about 50 of them at 65 without overdrive, and burned about one quart. I'm currently running Valvoline 20-50 racing oil, which has ZDP to protect the cam & lifters. Will be pulling the pan again because the oil pressure dropped - see my other post.

Mine went in as described, from the inside. A 2x4 wrapped on the end with rubber sheeting supported the windshield - the other end I wedged against the opening for the transmission cowl to hold it in place while I messed with the upholstery and installed the molding. The window shop supplied a goopy black sealant to seal the rubber to the body which seems to keep the water out. As I recall I had some trouble getting it past the welting around the door openings, but managed it without any breakage. Those suction cups they use with large windows and a spare set of hands would make it a lot easier.

Thanks, I'll do as you both suggested. New gasket set is on its way. That's pretty much how I torqued the heads and the threads on the studs are clean. I also oiled the nuts before I put them on.

Again leaning on the infinite wisdom of LZOC forum-heads, I need advice on a head gasket leak. I put the heads back on after a thorough cleaning, using Felpro gaskets I've had around since the 1980's. There were some signs of coolant leakage before I started but no wet stuff. Now I have drips where the head meets the block above the exhaust manifolds. Torqued to 50 lbs. The gaskets that came off were solid copper. The Felpros are composite with copper lining at the passages. I can: 1. Throw in some Barsleak head gasket seal (e.g. band-aid approach) 2. Pull the heads and put them back on with gasket seal 3. Replace the gaskets with something more current 4. Have the heads milled 5. 3 + 4 6. Other suggestions? Looking at much earlier posts it sounds like their might be newer copper-asbestos-copper gaskets with large water passages around.

Thanks for the tip, Tom. Before I saw your post I took it upon myself to put them back in with LocTite cyanoacrylate (super glue). It's supposed to be resistant to oil and seems to have done the job, but I wish I had peened over the edges of the plugs first to make a tighter fit. I'm now pondering whether I should remove all of the plugs and put them in properly so I don't experience another catastrophic drop in oil pressure. The plugs were installed convex side in, so the YouTube method of extraction wouldn't work. I would have to drill them out to get a grip on them.

Just pulled my pan to install a new Melling M-15 and baffle from Alan Whelihan. What do you think I found installed? A Melling M-15! In the bottom of the pan I found two plugs that had RTV on them, and looking at the journals I found the holes they belong in. Just as 38ShortopConv said, they are known to fall out and mine did. That certainly explains the low oil pressure. Can anyone suggest what I should use to glue them in permanently? Anyone need a Melling M-15?

Just finished installing new valves, solid guides (with seals on the intakes), and hydraulic lifters, which will hopefully reduce oil use. As hard a time as I had pulling down the guides to slip in the retainers I'm glad I didn't try to add the valve stem seals because I don't see how I could have gripped the guides without tearing the seals off. The split guides that came out had no seals at all. Alan Whelihan suggested putting seals on the exhaust guides as well as the intakes, but I had already purchased exhaust guides that didn't have a groove for the seal. I'll let you know if I do better than the previous 1 quart per 100 miles. Next job is putting in the Melling 15 oil pump.

I dug into my brake system about 4 years ago after it sat for over 30 years. The fluid was like putty. I honed the slave cylinders and replaced the master cylinder. Our little Napa shop had the master cylinder in stock and seals for the slave cylinders, which I honed. They work great but I worry about the rubber lines failing on mountain roads. Good to know Earl has them. Dave

Possibly the best way to determine if the shock is good is to pull the link and manually move the lever. If it's very loose then it either needs fluid or is bad or both. There's a thread on what kind of fluid should be used. I bought some from Mac's but it didn't do any good. Shipped the shocks off to Five Points (www.classicautoshocks.com), who rebuilt all of them. He replaced the seals with I think Viton and uses heavy weight gear oil. I'm very satisfied with them.

I agree. Great experience with rewiring my 41 a few years ago. Did everything but the horn wire until the original shorted, so now it's 100% Narragansett. This diagram helped me with the more complicated part of wiring the circuit breaker/resistor board.

No vacuum tank on my all original '41. The wipers just go fast and s-l-o-w.

Missed the irony - didn't see this before I responded to your other post. You wouldn't have a windshield wiper knob for a '41 would you? Mine was replaced with a chrome know somewhere along the way.

Nice! I know where you can get a perfect steering wheel for it.