40ZephSedan

photo not uploading for me now, but are photos in the July 8th thread discussion if you click a Search Forum forum tab.

Also some battery discussions if you do a thread search "Battery Group Size" July 8, 2010. Earle Brown and Alan Wheliham are both good guys for the batterys. The braided ground cable has a groumet hole near the engine end that slips over a stud in the bottom of the battery box. Do't have a 47 photo, but here is a 40 photo.

Did get the two valves replaced & running again. Did not swap all 24 out to the newer 1-piece guides/valves yet, just put in 2 mushroom Ford F valves for intake & exhaust for now, lapped them in-all set. Many readers know, but for those doing 1st valve job, like Peech says, valve bar will work to get the wishbone guide retainer out/in (if you go thru the spring with the bar and grab the bottom goove in the guide to pry down), but it's not easy because you can't pry straight up-that is where the wishbone goes in/out, so you have to pry with the bar off at an angle. Would be much easier to get wishbone guide retainer clips in/out with the KD-925 valve guide removal tool-but don't have that one. Once I got the guide wishbone retainers out with the bar, I was able to loosen/remove the guide assemblies with the K-D918 Valve Guide Puller tool. Also used that same tool to compress springs & install spring retainer clips on the mushroom, while off the car, so I could install the assembly as one piece. Appreciate the help from the forum!

Can't wait to hear more about this story!! '41 turn signals on a 1940? Running boards in the 40's? Where do you come up with all this stuff. Don't keep us in suspense too long. THX.

WOW, Great Stuff! What Dreams are made of. I really like the looks of a conv top on that 4-door, I bet the back seat riders really feel the full wind in the face. Thanks for sharing!!!

Even though a '42 front and a '41 rear, etc, are others surprised such a rare body style went for only $11,710? Is no talk of a 42 auto tranny. Just a clone, or could it be that it was an original '41 that took a while to custom build so they put on a '42 grill etc at the end of the year and was actually originally titled as a '42? They do that with RV titles sometimes.

Hi Bruce, the Sept/Oct 2010 The Way of the Zephyr magazine has a few details. There were 6,563 Lincolns built in 1942 by the time production stopped in Feb 1942 for the war. Of that 4,412 were Zephyr Sedans. No breakdown on the remaining that were Customs and Continentals - need the book which I don't have. Paul

Those are helpful guys, thanks! I do have the valve guide driver tool (in photo) but my 2 guides were not stuck at all. Only fixing problem valves in cylinder #1 for now. I just didn't know to get the valve pry bar into the grooves of the valve guide as well as the spring gap - I was just pulling the spring down- that makes a lot of sense now. If I take care to get the valve pry bar into the valve guide grooves too, I am sure I won't have the problem then of the valve bar slipping off the spring before I move the guides and springs down far enough to get pressure off the retainer clip. So it sounds like my Dad must have replaced the original Zephyr valves with Ford valves. (I was 10 months old when Dad had his first Zephyr 3-window coupe and they couldn't fit all 3 of us kids on the floor behind the front seat any longer, so they sold it-Unfortunately! Then I was in high school 40 years ago he got this sedan off a delivery man in Chicago. Would love to make contact w/ them again; history is the milkman asked an older lady on his route to buy the car parked in her garage for 17 years before she finally sold it to him, then he left it in the same garage for 4 more years while delivering her milk. So I helped Dad tow this sedan home and worked on it a lot years ago, but I wasn't always home when he did everything on the car; so it's nice now to know a little more history on the valves), Appreciate the help!

What is the forum's popular tool choice to compress valve springs and get the retainer clip out on our v-12's ? It appears you need to 1) compress the spring, 2) remove the top retainer clip wishbone, and 3) remove the full valve/spring/split-bushing assembly all together. I have the 30-1/2" pry bar. But if you grip the spring in a gap near the top, you can't get a good grip because the split bushing is inside and the pry bar slips off. If you grip in a spring gap below the bushing (about the middle of the spring), there is not enough travel to take pressure off the top of the spring to allow the retainer clip to be removed. Same problem with my spring compressor. Can't slide the fork into the spring gap far enough to get a good grip, because the bushing is inside the spring, and in the way. There must be a better way someone is using to take spring pressure off the retainer clip, because my retainer clip is so beat up just getting it out, and I still have to get them back in. The manuals don't explain it clearly enough. Also, what is the difference between the intake valve and the exhaust valve? The dimensions? The metal? The intake is stamped "Ford F" on the top and the exhaust looks to be a "Ford T"stamped on top, but otherwise look they same. Thx, Paul ZephValveSpringTools.pdf

Thank you Tom, very helpful!! Have ordered parts and plan to do this myself soon. Paul

Narragansett Reproductions in Wood River Jct., RI sells the rubber.

After re-reading your note, I see you were actually refering to a previous club magazine article. That I can not remember. I was thinking of this previous Forum post - you can search "Fender Skirt Rubber/Bushings" from Mar 27, 2010, that may be of some help.

I remember the article as well. Now I am interested in it to replace my skirt gaskets. Seem to remember the article started out talking about radios or heaters or something and then the discussion changed at the end of the thread to discuss skirt gaskets. The problem was something like trying to locate the new rivets and where/how to drill/intall new rivets. But one member suggested to just not use the new rivets in the kit. Rather just use the old fasteners mounted to the fender, and put the holes in the gasket to match the location of the old fasteners. Wish I could find the discussion too.

My 40 sedan has the factory vent to the bottom of the air cleaner and have never had problems. What are concerns with the factory install, why do some need to add-on oil pan vents?

What a gorgeous car, that color blue looks so nice on this car!! Cracks not un-common in this V-12. Esp exhaust valve heat so close to cylinder. I can not help much on crack repairs, but haven't some guys pinned crack, then cast iron welded, machine in a new sleeve and seat? Might call around to guys in LZOC club who have done several repairs to see which method has proven most successful. Paul

Back from short jaunt, and tried whole separate distributor/coil/brushes/points/condenser assembly to rule it out totally for my stalling problem. Thought maybe centrifugal timing weights were sticking, until engine stalled, then fell back. But 2nd dist made it run worse, backfire, no power, trouble idling worse. (probably on 6 cylinders!) So next swapped 1 condenser and solved that problem on the second dist assembly-also runs fine, but still problems stalling at stop signs once warm. Idle screw is centered on cam OK. Vacuum test shows it varies from 17 to 17.5" reving and idling. Not great, but maybe not the problem. But I will try spray next around carb base to see it speeds up. (tried already around intake manifold and didn't show any problems there). Good idea on maybe one bad cylinder causing minor vac problem but major stalling problem. Probably should do spark and compression on all 12 cyls, then maybe swap the carb. Thx to all for ideas and help! Will get it one of these times! P

With shipping, total was $315. A lot more than my last lead one, but I don't golf, so that is my equivalent of a few rounds of golf! But have the case now, very nearly original, has a lot of kick, cables connect correctly, and can just add the new Optima to old case in 5-6 years I hope. Shows up UPS ready to go, just drop in the car and drive away. Alan and Earle are both great guys if you have met then at any shows!! I saw some Optimas in either Auto Zone or Advanced Auto Parts and they were $185 - $210, so the little extra for the case and assembly is a pretty good deal! (Another note: Years ago the late Jack Pixley gave a great electrical demo at an east coast GOF show and he showed with meters all 34 points-more than you would guess- where you can have a bad connection to the starter, and how the resistances are all accumulative, causing slow cranks and low volts. My v-12 was cranking slow then, but after I cleaned all those contacts {mount bolts, relay, battery, grounds, swithces etc.) and put on dielectric grease, I have not had a problem cranking in 25 years) Cheers!

Just got a gel Optima two months ago from Earle Brown for my 40, don't know if Earle and Alan batteries are both the same. I was a little "hesitant" at first because some have experienced a short 2-3 year life with gels, and gel is a half the weight of my old 6 v lead tractor battery that lasted 6 years. But now I could not be happier, spins over fast, has the posts in the right place, sealed, teardrop molded in the side and lead strips stamped on top just like the orig. And warning tag says the short life is caused by incorrect over-charging. You only want to charge the gel if it is low charge. If you put it on a trickle on a gel over winter like some, when it doesn't need it, you will overheat it and shorten the life. Yes, ignore ground cable in photos-not yet factory - the correct braided cable is still in my basement!. (my 1940 gel is 6-7/16"H x 10"L x 8"H)

Can always do what we did in college when trying to keep our only transportation running- with no money: if you have a hot water heater - just turn the heater on high fan to cool the engine down! It works best if you do it a little before you stop so the cowl vent keeps you feet from roasting! Paul

Brian, Welcome, rare and nice model car! Be patient on E-bay; some months the '40 owners manuals are $29 and some months they are $135. You will find one reasonable. Most all will agree, you will get so much good info out of the LZOC that it will easily pay itself back. And go to one annual show and you will meet so many people and learn so much eating meals with others, you will be impressed with the club helpful members. Vendors like Earle O. Brown Jr. may also have a manual and a very knowledgable, helpful expert. With your model car, you really have to talk with David Cole, the editor of the Zephyr club magazine, who keeps an awsome running history of owners and production of almost every car made of those models! An encyclopedia of details such as which had the x bracing frame and which VIN #'s didn't, the insulation on the extended hood, the two different heights of the window cranks on the same model year; you will be amazed at what you learn. There is a Dr. in the club from I think PA who has restored some 40's coupes (including a light green coupe), etc and is also very knowledgeable. If you are serious about the 2 speed rear axle, you can probably get one from Merv Adkins: west coast, Boos-Herrel: central, or Alan Wheliham and George Trickett (Lincoln Motor Car Supply Parts-retired and then partial re-started again) on east coast, or others. Also watch classified in the lzoc.org web page or in the bi-monthly Zephyr Club magazine. More than just installing a new back axle though. Need speedo cable converter, linkage/switch on pedal, knob on dash, vac line to back vac shift can, etc. Is a job, but do-able if you get all the parts. But if you are rev'ing hard at 50, most standard axle guys don't complain at the low of MPH. Is it possible you already have a 2 speed rear axle, and have it stuck in low? You sound like my car before I got it shifting out of low. There was just a thread recently and many photos were posted that you could refer to of some of the components. Best of luck! Paul

Thx a bunch! I will check out both. It runs nice, seems to have enough power, and doesn't break-up at higher RPM's, so I don't think I am starving for fuel, nor a dist/timing problem, but we'll see.

My 40 sedan has had problems stalling at stop signs after warm. Since I had a intake crack at the port for wiper vac, I put on a new gasket and a good almost NOS intake manifold, and two new head gaskets. But did not solve the problem. (but it did confirm you need to re-torque both gaskets- bolt do loosen-up). Found another leak at oil breather vent tube into bottom of air cleaner- extended and sealed that. It still stalls when I stop at the stop signs. Then starts right back up. Do it again and the same happens. Takes the fun out of driving the car! I am thinking I should check the intake vacuum with a gage, curious what vacuum pressure I should be seeing if I run a check? (Jeff - the Buckeye says to say hi to the Buckeye!) Paul

Hard to post all the nice cars, but a few more of the 2010 Charlotte LZOC/GOF at Lowes Track, supper in the park, and CBoz cruzin home! Paul

Not hardly retired, won't we all have to work thru retirement after this last year! But was able to attend the neat LZOC/GOF weekend in Charlotte. As other also showed, Bert Huffman (behind their sock manufacturing) tour Thurs morn 4/8/10 photos prevously. Dennis Carpenter reproduction Ford part tour Thurs afternoon. Here some car photos of Zephyr Show Fri/Sat. Paul

I saw it Fri afternoon and Sat 4/10/10 at the Charlotte Lowes track LZOC/GOF as well. Gary H. of Ohio aquired the 1937 Saga of the Black Beauty, top notch, every option known available, including the luggage rack. I only got a photo of the front, so not sure if it is exactly the same. (will attempt my first photo attachment, ironically using Phil's helpful instructions from a past posting!) Paul