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Assembly thread, 1942 Lincoln Zephyr Club Coupe


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Guest 4 bufords
There is one tool set that's absolutely essential for a successful restoration. Mine was the best birthday gift, ever. While we could barely afford it 30+ years ago my darling wife bought me a large Craftsman tap and die set. It is, by far, the most used in my tool collection.

I was going to drop the engine in and add everything to it. The idea was to have the smallest package for maneuvering it into the engine bay, but discovered that adding the starter, generator, water pumps, distributor and carb doesn't make the package any wider so I've decided to complete the engine while hanging from the hoist.

I've decided to go with the stainless system as the additional cost is nothing in the scheme of things. I'm not going to polish it, just wipe it down with alcohol before it's used for the first time. Oils left by your hands will quickly turn your handprint brown.

It'll take 3-4 weeks to get the system as they are made to order. I should have it ready to run by then.

I'm getting real close and I don't seem to be missing much. That's pretty incredible considering that parts were scattered over a 75,000 square foot warehouse with auto parts strewn everywhere. The most serious thing I'm missing is the back bumper.

Over the years people make repairs and don't always put the right length bolt back in. If that bolt happens to go into a water jacket corrosion can build up in the threads that will make a bolt stick, or worse, break off. Also, if there's corrosion in the threads of the nut or bolt you won't get a true torque reading.

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This is all I've ever needed to work on an American car. Coarse and fine threads are essential as most vehicles have both. These are typically referred to as rethreading dies as they will cut new threads, but are designed to clean up old threads. Cutting dies are typically round with a set screw depression to keep it from turning in a holder.

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I spent the entire day doing nothing but chasing threads, sandblasting and plating nuts and bolts. The starter and generator are supposedly rebuilt by the same guy that did the engine and trans. The water pumps were done by a specialist.

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I really like this thread,the job you are doing is unbelievable can't wait to see it finished,4 bufords from ct

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I believe the hydraulic was available and the vacuum discontinued, but this is the most stripped down Lincoln Zephyr, ever, so it has manual windows. No heater, no radio, no carpet and no windshield spritzers. I'm thankful it has two wipers.

The ultimate fleet car.

I really appreciate the fact you are keeping it that way, and not loading it down with accessories. Several years ago, I happened to see a 1951 Desoto 8-passenger sedan that was very 'fleet' with no clock or radio, which I find unusual for what was the most expensive sedan in the lineup.

Is that engine also a 305 cubic inch? I know vacuum was still standard on 1942 Continentals, but the limousine did have hydraulic windows that year.

Edited by 8E45E (see edit history)
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How would I determine what the displacement is? I know it's the original engine as it and the transmission are stamped with the same number that's stamped into the chassis rail. Both f the heads say Zephyr, but only one has a 26H part number cast into it.

After going through all the baggies of nuts and bolts I couldn't find all of the exhaust manifold bolts and water pump bolts. The latter had to be a very specific length. That's where a parts car comes in handy.

With the starter, generator, water pumps and exhaust manifolds bolted in place the engine balanced out and now sits at the perfect angle for installation. I'll do a test lift to see if I can gain enough height to get over the unit body and into the engine compartment.

After a first degreasing I media-blasted the bolts I would be using for the exhaust manifolds and water pumps. They got a second degreasing to remove the oils and greases from using recycled media. It's worth the extra step. After the threads are cleaned they get dunked in Marine Clean and then rinsed.

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Next it's into an acid bath for 20 minutes. Once the parts are clean the metal prep can be poured back into the container. I've had the same gallon for 10 years. This final bath gets rid of any rust that in tiny pits and converts the remnants to something inert. Rinse in water and proceed to painting or plating.

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Plating is the simplest thing is the world. It's mind-numbingly tedious, but the results are terrific. I used stainless fasteners on the pick-up and the Ruxton because both had been restored and the original hardware discarded. This car and the '47 are both very original and every nut and bolt was saved. There is a significant difference in the size of the head of an original bolt, but no difference in the size of the nuts so I'm cleaning and plating all of the old bolts and using new stainless nuts washers and lock washers where applicable. New Grade 8 bolts have been used in select areas where high strength is a consideration. Their heads are bigger than standard modern bolts and make a suitable replacement after grinding off the markings and plating.

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Oil and water want to find their way out of engines. The only offense is a strong defense. When you get lazy and don't clean all mating surfaces liquids will find their way out. I bolted the water pump's gaskets in place and scratched an outline to clean to. Once the metal is clean and degreased the sealant can bond to the metal.

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The engine is just about complete. The fan attaches to the front of the damper. The area between the water pumps is where the strange-looking coil and distributor go. That's the end of the cam shaft. It has an off-center slot do you can't screw up the timing between cam and distributor. The generator is on a slide that acts as the belt tensioner for the single belt that drives everything. The exhaust manifolds have been treated with a heat blast finish so they shouldn't rust. I have 5 distributors, but only one of them turns. It seems to be gummed up with old lubricants. I think I'll wait until the engine's in before I do the spark plug wiring. I brought the engine in with the hoist not realizing that I would eventually have to turn it around to install it.

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This car had a cartridge oil filter. I tried to salvage the label, but it was far too fragile. Someone likely makes a replica.

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The Lincoln Zephyr mating ritual. NSFW.

It's like a choreographed dance. The players jockey around for perfect alignment. As they near each other they keep their distance, but constantly size each other up. You don't want them to touch. Not yet. The body slowly approaches the dangling engine until it's in the right position. As the engine is lowered into the bay you have to be deliberate, but delicate, in your actions. The splined shaft slides into the clutch disc bringing the engine and transmission together as one.

I haven't smoked in almost 27 years, but I need a cigarette.

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When installing the engine it will move a significant distance as you lower it due the arc of the arm of the lift creating lateral movement. I found it easier to roll the car than roll engine hoist. The hoist is not totally stable at full extension.

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This was a pretty special moment having never seen the engine installed in either car. It was pretty exhilarating. you know you're getting there when the engine goes back in.

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The last inch was iffy. The angle has to be perfect and the splines on the input shaft have to line up perfectly. I ended up installing long bolts to act as guides. I rolled the car slightly while in 3rd gear. That made the input shaft turn just enough for everything to fall into alignment. Apparently Ford engine green and Lincoln engine green are different. I won't tell.

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A thing of beauty, it is. I still have a lot of work to do to finish up the engine. I sent the oil filter housing, spark plug wiring rails and mud guards off to the powder-coater to be done in high temperature gloss black.

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I've been dreading this. The fear of the unknown. I sent the distributor for the pick-up out to be refurbished, but I decided to tackle this one myself. The coil, on the right, is actually two coils in the same compartment. The two tips in the center ride on the copper bands of the rotor. The rotor had two tips that deliver spark through two sets of points.

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It appears to just need cleaning and lubrication. I've been very lucky that some of the unrestored parts just needed some TLC. Anybody else see a monkey face in the coil, or is it just me?

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With the engine back in it is sitting much lower to the ground and riding quite level. At this point most everything is still loose, requiring final tightening when most of the weight is on the suspension.

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I ordered the stainless exhaust system. It's made of mostly 14 and some 16 gauge, both sufficient to not sound tinny. They actually have to make my exhaust a special order as they have never made one that didn't have a provision for a heater. The heaters were water jackets or exhaust to air heat exchangers, from what I'm told.

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Whew...it sure got hot in here! My wife and I both started to heat up a little from reading the beginning of your last post....good work on the insertion!

Lol! I kept thinking how perfect it would be if Sir Richard Attenborough was doing the voice over, like on one of those nature programs!

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Guest joe hill

What a way to start a restoration!! I am just finishing a full blown resto. on my 1942 Zephyr 3-window coupe. Hope to see you at some National meets. Joe LZOC,AACA

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Lol! I kept thinking how perfect it would be if Sir Richard Attenborough was doing the voice over, like on one of those nature programs!

I read it to my wife in my best Barry White voice....

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I spent 8 hours cleaning and rebuilding the distributor. It was anticlimactic compared to yesterday. :)

My next step is to try and find someone locally that has a Ford-specific distributor setting machine. If I can't I'll have to ship it off. I did that with the pick-up, installed the unit, turned the key and it purred like a kitten.

I swear the car was happy to see me in the morning. Anthropomorphize, much?

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This all seems unnecessarily complicated, but it's asking a lot to send spark to 12 cylinders through twin ignition systems packaged in one. Two sets of points and two condensers. The coil is two units in one housing and there are two distributor caps. the rotor is also two in one.

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The distributor caps are identical and have dual cylinder numbering depending on which side of the distributor they are being used on. When positioned in the keyed opening only one set of numbers reads upright. The springs on the coil align with the two cups on the points platform. That platform rotates for adjustment, hence the spring contact that allows for movement. If you look into the distributor you can see the brass tab close to one of the spark plug leads. The other contact is 180° out from that location.

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This is the engine side of the distributor. It is cam driven, like most distributors, but it is direct drive and absolutely impossible to install incorrectly. The distributor has a tab that is off-center that fits into a slot in the end of the cam that's off-center. It is truly idiot-proof, unlike just about every other conventional distributor we've ALL installed incorrectly.

There's a cover that fits snugly over where the spark plug wires plug in. Theres a rubber boot that provides protection between the distributor and the wiring loom.

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This looks a little like Darth Vader.

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While I'm waiting for parts to come back from the powder-coater I've assembled most of the engine components. I can see why the Lincoln Continental, which was originally made from Zephyr bodies, has a side-car air cleaner. In order to lower the hood they has to find someplace to fit the 14 inches of carb and oil bath air cleaner. Most of the engine compartment is complete. I've moved on to the door latch and window mechanisms. I should have an exhaust system in a few weeks.

Once I get the ignition wiring tubes back from the powder-coater I'll install the spark plug and gauge wiring. I'll also be able to install the mud guards.

I've installed the vacuum lines, fue pump and lines and vacuum line from the carb to the distributor. I test fit the distributor. I'll ship it out for setting. It has an interesting vacuum advance. Onlike a average distributor that uses a vacuum pot to move a piece of linkage that rotated the points platter this distributor used a vacuum brake on the points platter. When vacuum is present the brake pad that holds the platter is withdrawn allowing it to rotate. When vacuum wanes the spring presses the brake against the points platter preventing it from moving. Pretty ingenious.

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The rails for the window lifts are galvanized so they needed nothing but degreasing. The carriage and winder mechanism are painted steel. The back windows flip outboard on a pivot.

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The ball beaing rollers are peened in place and didn't have any wobble. however, like everything else was gummed up with solidified lubricants. repeated rinsing in brake cleaner removed the old lube and air removed the remnants of the brake cleaner. I re-lubricated with white grease. I noticed the window mounting hole on the left had become elongated and required some welding to restore it's shape and function. This would have allow the window to jam up pretty easily had I put it back together this way.

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I was prepared to turn in my man card. I actually read every word of the instructions on how to install the spark plug wiring in the tubes that run down each bank of cylinders before i even took the wiring out of the plastic bag. I then proceeded to ignore the instructions, therefore restoring my membership in good standing.

I love powdercoating. It's pretty impervious to whatever you throw at it. The two tubes in the center are for the spark plug wiring. The cartridge oil filter and lid are lower left and the rest are mud guards to protect the mechanical and electrical bits under the car.

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High temperature gloss black. That's the oil pressure sending unit to the right.

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The spark plug wiring came with a full page of step by step instructions. They said to install all the spark plug wires and then install a big fat wiring harness in the same tube after 6 wires are already in a 1 inch diameter tube. I've spent my professional career shoving wires through pipes and I knew it wouldn't work. This is not a job for the faint of heart.

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In this picture you can see the wiring harness for the temperture sending unit, generator (3 large wires) and two coil wires. Now imagine that there are 3 right band and 3 left bank cylinders that get their spark from the distributor cap on the opposite side so 2 sets of three wires pass each other through a bridge between the tubes. The engine harness is installed and hooked up.

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The new stainless fuel line was a little too long putting an unnecessary strain on the flexible fuel line that goes to the fuel pump on the engine. I learned a valuable tip today. When cutting with a tubing cutter or Dremel cut-off inserting a Q-tip in the tube allows you to keep any chips from falling inside the pipe. Pull out the cotton and any debris comes with it. If you use a Dremel you'll need tweezers to yank out the Q-tip stem.

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While I'm waiting for an exhaust system I decided to tackle the doors. I had to finish the welding on the window guide. I cleaned all of the threads and everything slid together nicely.

Filled with weld and reshaped the hole for the window lift mechanism.

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Found some signboard plywood and cut a new panel for the trunk floor. The tail light wiring clamps to the bottom side to keep the trunk area neat.

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I just need to make one more board to go across the back for the side panels to attach to and for the floor to hinge to.

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The spark plug wires will be cut to the correct length to fit nicely in the distributor dust caps. ordered a new belt and thermostats. The thermostats are actually pushed into the radiator hose before it's installed on the water outlet in the head.

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This is the winder device for the vent windows, Thorough cleaning and lubrication were all they needed.

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The passenger door is ready for glass. The doors have spring-loaded poppers instead of door handles, inside and out. One touch of either button and the door pops open about a foot.

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There are an incredible number of parts that go into a door, and they all have to be right, or nothing works.

It will still be several weeks to get the stainless muffler and they may have to remake some of the pipes. Arggg!

This has more storage capacity than my SUV. New pieces secured. I'll take it apart, paint them and permnently reinstall the boards. I have a whole roll of rubber mat that should be perfect for this application.

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The pipes for the exhaust came in. I'm impressed with the craftsmanship, but we have a length problem.

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The exhaust pipe bends about 4" shy of where it needs to bend. This pipe would be touching the back of the gas tank.

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The exhaust passed through two major cross-memberes. This is a clamping device to keep the pipe from rattling in the opening.

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You can see the pipe meeting up with the Y pipe up front.

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I'm not real happy with this. The flange on the stainless pipe is much larher than it needs to be. After a test fit I find the oversized flange hits the mud shield. Arggg!!! It looks "One size fits all".

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The glass felts need to be bent to fit precisely. They are secured to the door with tiny screws every six inches.

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The window whiskers have to be bent to fit and cut to length. There is little margin of error.

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I think the doors may be more complicated than the dashboard.

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I believe it's a by-pass system. It just has a small hole in the stem of the oil filter and a spring to keep it against the seat.

I've planned a slow day tomorrow so that I'll have some help doing the liquid liner on the gas tank. There's a lot of physical sloshing of chemicals that adds to the weight of the tank.

The exhaust system is too short, but will be remade to my satisfaction. I learned something about their operation. I expected an exhaust-bender these days to be fully automated. You would think it would be so easy to feed in a tube and have it come out bent like today's equipment. No, there's no programming, just a few notes attached to a rusty exhaust system salvaged off a junk car. Now imagine a warehouse full of these rusty relics. Each system is made off that sample.

They went through their inventory control and found a sample system that they had never used to make a system for anyone else. It was tagged "Salesman's Car", another that had had no heater. There are two types of heaters, one that cieculates hot air around the exhaust pipe and the other used hot water. The pipe they had had rusted off and only a ragged edge remained. They had a note to leave extra pipe at that end, but they didn't leave enough. I will donate my old system to their library for accuracy.

The rear muffler hanger was another dumpster dive into the parts car.

In stark contrast to the car I'm assembling the parts car is a nasty mess. Taking the bracket out required lots of penetrant and a skinned knuckle. It was clearly the original 1947 bracket at it was covered in the same undercoating. It had been welded when the muffler clamp tab broke but it was the original rubber.

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I cut a new rubber piece from a heavy truck mud flap and drilled two holes in it, I'll bolt it together for test fitting, but rivet it for a permanent fix.

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I made a bulkhead for the gas sending unit. The only opening will be for the filler neck. That gets closed off during the coating. The gas outlet is plugged, too.

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Luckily I kept the original exhaust. It was intact, but was very thin metal. It had been cut in two at the joint but was otherwise intact. I laid them out, side by side so they could see where the problem was. I'm so glad I didn't trash this.

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The old pipe is clearly almost 2" longer than the new system. I've determined that the first straight section after the 90° is too short. One solution would be to cut that pipe and insert a spacer to make it the right length. It's probably just as simple for them to make another.

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They started off by telling me that, "We've always made them that way!", but quickly acknowledged that the flanges were not authentic in size. Their flange is meant to be a universal flange on something they are selling as an authentic replacement. He agreed and is ordering a batch of flanges to match the original sample he has so he can make others' correctly in the future. That will take about the same amount of time as the stainless muffler coming from Canada with delivery shortly after the first of the year. I should have it ready to run by then.

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Whew! Just in time. I start going into withdrawal after two days of no report. At the 3-day point, it's hard to even hold my spoon while eating my Lucky Charms.

I believe you have done great justice for other restorers using the exhaust company you have used. Nice job.

In regard to keeping old parts, I tend to do the same thing. Maybe for too long, but certainly not before the car is finished. Especially when I know with absolute certainty that the part is factory original.

I might try to stop in after Christmas and do a little kibitzing.

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First, I'd like to say thank you to Dan at Dan Kirkpatrick Interiors for volunteering to guide me through the selection of materials for the interior. I'm grateful as I wasn't thinking abiut finishes when I should be. The car came with a nicely made tan headliner and a partial bolt of matching material. It's also used as inserts in the door panels. The car came with enough wind lace to complete the door and trim applications.

The cut swatch was the original material, but the car was originally blue. My wife likes the solid maroon and I kinda like the striped material one row down and one row over, but she's better with colors and fabrics than I am. I like sticking with stripes. Only the seating surface gets the striped material. The rest of the seating gets a tan cloth.

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I decided to do the gas tank myself. I'm glad I did, as a second person would have mostly stood around for 3 hours. That's about how long it takes from start to finish. It is not a job for most people to do themselves as the tank itself is awkward to handle and weighs a bit. Adding two gallons of an alkalyde cleaner made it sixteen pounds heavier and adds the dimension of that much liquid in motion. You'd almost have to me my size to wrestle a gas tank by yourself.

Let me begin by stating that this is a very dangerous thing to do in the confines of an average garage. It's recommended that the space be no less than 70°. My storage building is equipped with a ventilation system so I warmed up the space and literally opened the door.=

The first step, after closing off the tank outlets, was to swish around two gallons of hot water and the metal wash powder supplied in the kit. You rotate the tank so that ends and sides are submerged for 5 minutes. There was very little debris but it derfinitely took off the tank varnish. The tank gets rinsed with water twice and then get an acid treatment. I can see why this is so expensive to have done.

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Once the tank is drained a half-gallon of water is mixed with muriatic acid in a 60:1 ratio. This too gets sloshed around and left on each side. This cleans any rust now exposed by the varnish being gone. This leaves the inside metal with an even pale gray surface.

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Repeated doses of baking soda neutralizes the acid. Slowly add the baking soda. Rapid addition produces an undesirable result.

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The instructions say to fill the tank up with a hose twice to flush away any muriatic acid.

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After draining out the water the steel will flash rust immediately. This is another acid that coats the surface with a protective surface and takes away any rust it comes in contact with. This can be filtered and reused time and again for any metal prep.

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I carefeully poured the metal etch into the neck evenly so that the sides got washed clean. You can see the flash rust.

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This is what came out upon draining the metal etch. It looked like liquid rust. The next step is to immediately add the acetone.

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The first acetone flush. The acetone quickly separated out from the water. I'm not sure what else was mixed with the water.

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They said to flush it twice, but I still saw traces of water settling out so I gave it a third rinse. The object is to never let the tank dry, so once the acetone is drained the liquid polymer is shaken and poured into the tank and the neck sealed.

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The material is semi viscous and air hardens. The instructions call for rotating the tank slowly so that all surfaces get coated evenly. The tank is then ventilated for 10 minutes, re-sealed and put through another set of gyrations to make sure the inside surface is coated evenly. I will be feeling that for days. Once the tank is drained of the excess polymer it should be force-ventilated. I turned on a second fan to clear the air.

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The balance of the liquid liner is of no use as only a thin layer is required to seal the tank. The tank is now lined against moisture settling on the bottom of the tank and against condensation forming rust at the top. Of the two bottles 3/4 of one bottle was returned. It seems like a waste, but I don't think you would get the coverage without it.

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Barry

If I do say so myself, I'm also very good with colors, and have been told so many times by others. I'm with you on the fabric choice. I've seen an all red car with all red interior. It is tooooo overpowering. Way too much non-stop red. Not to insult, but it also tends to look a little... kinda-like... something from the "other side of the tracks." The material you picked out really softens the whole combination, and goes much better with the conservative package you're trying to put together.

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I think I know of the company from where you got your exhaust system. I too ordered an exhaust pipe, a muffler, and a tailpipe from what I believe was the same company. The muffler was fine. The exhaust pipe would not go on. They sent another one - just in case they made a mistake on the first one. It did not work either. Finally, I cut it into two pieces installed it with a sleeve and clamps to make it one again. The tailpipe came in two pieces to ease installation. It too could not be installed. Interesting, the one piece tailpipe I removed had no problem coming off or going back on. I ended up using the old tailpipe. I returned the unused exhaust pipe and tailpipe. They were most pleasant to work with, but I could not make their products fit my car. They claimed to make the parts from original pieces and could not understand why their parts would not fit. They took the returned items and reimbursed me the cost but not the return shipping. Well made parts, but did not fit.

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Ok, I guess I'd like to chime in on exhaust systems. Most of the mail order systems I've had to work (fight?) with were made from replacement dimensions on the typical generic tube benders as found in muffler shops everywhere. While I'm mainly a Packard guy, I've noticed that many other early cars used mandrel bent tubing vs the crushed bend look of a replacement. Even the lowly little Model A Ford had a mandrel bent system. More money, expensive equipment, and a tough sell since a true system can be twice the cost or more. Back when I was working on a 41 Continental there were some original pipes in the parts collective. Yes, mandrel bent with little to no crush. It's hard to get the replacement companies to change their ways so I wish you luck in that regard. I told a supplier of Packard stuff that his tailpipe for the 8 cyl 34s were backward. That was in 93. In 2011 the client had another from the same guy drop shipped to us to complete the job. Guess what? Still backward. One of my services to my Packard bretheren will be 1st a welded system using mandrel bends, and maybe I can find a source to bend them up for us the old way. Keep your chin tucked down and keep punching Barry. She's lookin good so far...

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Thank you to anonomous AACA member, A7363, as he spotted that I had installed the primary and secondary shoes backwards. The brakes would have worked, but at a slightly lower capacity and would prematurely wear out the shoes. Changing the brake shoes front to rear only took a few minutes to make right. I have a new set of axle seals coming. 3 sets to go. With the engine in the car it's sitting pretty close to ride height. Supporting it on jack stands under the axles lets me work under it with the full weight on the suspension. It's funny, I own a two and a four post lift, but prefer crawling under the car. Go figure.

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Before installing tha gas tank I decided to tighten everything permanently in the area of the gas tank. These cotter pins were missing on this car and the '41 Ford pick-up. On the pick-up there were supposed to be something like 33 cotter pins, it had 3.

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The rear spring clamp had no washers nor cotter pins.

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Other than make it clean and shiny black I left its "history" intact.

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The gas tank is heavily painted and is further isolated and insulated from the car by rubber strips. The sending unit requres a good ground to work, so I've added an auxiliary ground and made sure of good metal contact to the unit cover. Our old Porsche has the secondary ground, so I copied that.

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Ready to install. I just need the distributor back and this may run. An exhaust system would be handy, too.

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What looks like three colors in the passenger side door panel is actually only two. It looks like a leatherette kick panel and the balance of the panel is only one piece of fabric with some ninor stitching. The upper part had been covered by the door trim for 80 years revealing the original interior color. What I thought was a tan interior had originally been gray. I wish I knew how to sew. These panels would be simple to replicate with a steady hand and the right equipment, A lot of experience would help. My hand stiching is pretty good, but not this good. You can see the outline of the sun-bleached front seat in the side panel. This had to have been an Arizona car. That would explain it's near-perfect metal and destroyed rubber and fabric.

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The tank installation was super simple, the window latch replacement went smoothly and I've finished the vacuum line that leads into the dash area for the vacuum wipers.

The distributor is done and on its way back to me. I suppose I could get it running without an exhaust system.

The gas tank installation went very smoothly. It was designed with ease of installation in mind. after hooking up the sending unit wire it was just a matter of resting the rear flange on the body crossmember and installing one bolt in the front. That bolt gets wired so that it can't back out. You can see the refurbished muffler hanger at the top of the picture.

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All of the linkages are hooked up. The previous owner even ordered little rubber jackets for the ball and socket end of the linkage. They prevent any engine vibration from reaching the interior.

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The thumb tab that latches the vent window was broken. I found one rechromed for $40 and riveted in place with rivets left over from the hood hinge on the Ruxton.

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The pan in front came off of the rustbucket. It was so pitted I had a heavy coat of powder applied. Sanding away most of it left the worst pits filled. It may take two more applications to get it show worthy. The plate serves to force air through the radiator instead of over it. It's the whole front of the engine bay so it has to look nice.

If you look at the engine pictures each head has a water outlet. The thermostat is a press-fit into the hose on the end of the water outlet. The press-fit on the hose keeps it in place. The repaired vent window is ready to install.

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The parts book shows a cylindrical thermostat that's a press fit and only two clamps on the upper hose. The common practice is to push a 1 7/8" diameter new-style thermostat into the 1 3/4" hose using the water outlet to set the proper depth. Once it's jammed into the hose it's too tight to turn sideways with the minimal pressure involved. I will drill a by-pass hole in each stat to prevent any real pressure build up behind it. That will also allow the engine to "burp" properly.

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I learned today that the rubber hose on the gas filler neck is special stuff that's resistant to today's fuels. It's also reinforced with two strands of steel. I can see where you'd want the junction of the tank and filler to be strong.

A lot of time today was spent cleaning and plating fasteners. The hood is ready to go on. That takes 16 bolts and washers. The front fenders take nearly 50 fasteners. They all had to be blasted, degreased, metal prepped and plated.

The engine compartment is nearly done. The fuel system is complete, except for the 6-volt fuel pump. That will be here tomorrow. The throttle controls, choke, overdrive and speedometer cable are done.

There's no dipstick on the Lincoln V-12. It has a float with a level indicator. I am going to assume that when the engine was done 10 years ago they installed hardened seats. As a preventative I'll use a zinc-additive in the first batch of oil. Now I need to figure out what the best lubricnts are for the trans and rear end.

It's getting pretty close to running again.

The distributor came back set and tested. It can only go on one way.

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Test fitting the distributor gasket led me to discover it had gotten wet and shrunk. It didn't even maks a suitable pattern. A new gasket took just minutes to make. You can see the tab in the center of the distributor drive. It's off-center. There is a matching slot in the end of the cam that is also off-center. It can only go together one way, thankfully. If you've ever been off by one tooth you'll know what I mean.

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I see my upside-down painting wasn't so good. A little green touch-up is in order. My next task is to trim the spark plug wires so that they fit within their hard, shell covers. This absolutely has to be finished before I install the fan and radiator.

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The hood hinges were fully painted. I found all of the proper original fasteners for the fenders, too. I want to install the hood and get it fitted before installing the front fenders.

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I learned today that the rubber hose on the gas filler neck is special stuff that's resistant to today's fuels. It's also reinforced with two strands of steel. I can see where you'd want the junction of the tank and filler to be strong.

A lot of time today was spent cleaning and plating fasteners. The hood is ready to go on. That takes 16 bolts and washers. The front fenders take nearly 50 fasteners. They all had to be blasted, degreased, metal prepped and plated.

The engine compartment is nearly done. The fuel system is complete, except for the 6-volt fuel pump. That will be here tomorrow. The throttle controls, choke, overdrive and speedometer cable are done.

There's no dipstick on the Lincoln V-12. It has a float with a level indicator. I am going to assume that when the engine was done 10 years ago they installed hardened seats. As a preventative I'll use a zinc-additive in the first batch of oil. Now I need to figure out what the best lubricants are for the trans and rear end.

It's getting pretty close to running again.

The distributor came back set and tested. It can only go on one way.

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Test fitting the distributor gasket led me to discover it had gotten wet and shrunk. It didn't even maks a suitable pattern. A new gasket took just minutes to make. You can see the tab in the center of the distributor drive. It's off-center. There is a matching slot in the end of the cam that is also off-center. It can only go together one way, thankfully. If you've ever been off by one tooth you'll know what I mean.

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I see my upside-down painting wasn't so good. A little green touch-up is in order. My next task is to trim the spark plug wires so that they fit within their hard, shell covers. This absolutely has to be finished before I install the fan and radiator.

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The hood hinges were fully painted. I found all of the proper original fasteners for the fenders, too. I want to install the hood and get it fitted before installing the front fenders.

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There are several bolts on the car you just don't want backing out. Most use lock nuts, some use keeper tabs and others use safety wiring. In the case of safety wiring there are holes drilled through the head of the bolt. My handiwork in the tying of safety wires is unpracticed, at best, downright primitive at it's worst so I let Dave lend his practiced hand.

While he was under the car he commented on how clean the body shell is. It's like working on an 80 year old new car.

One of the most critical devices is the trunion that keeps the wishbone front suspension in place. It's what maintains the geometry of the front suspension, primitive as it is. You would not want this coming apart.

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This is the junction of the torque tube and differential. You wouldn't want it to come apart here, either.

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This is the single bolt that holds 200 pounds of tank and fuel in place.

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I back-oiled the engine by repeatedly filling the oil cannister and leting it drain back into the engine through the oil passages. Maybe I'll get lucky and get oil pressure right away.

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The previous owner sought out some of the rarest new old stock parts, a complete grill assembly complete with original Ford stock tags. He paid a king's ransom for them 10 years ago. These are stainless steel strips welded to steel frames. The steel has rusted, but the stainless is nearly perfect. I'll probably buff out the stainless, mask it off, glass bead and paint the steel.

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Fuel system is done. Electrical is done. The only thing left on the ignition system is changing the resistors for the coils. The resistors change value with use so it's recommended that they be replaced in pairs. Once that's done all I need is an exhaust system and some gas to fire it up.

The only thing I've lubricated on the car has been the axle bearings. I've had good luck with Brad Penn oil, so that's decided, but I still need to decide what to use in the trans/overdrive and rear end.

Due to the fact that the beautifully rebuilt steering box sat dry for 10 years I'm not taking any chances on the seal being any good so I'll use the same lube I've used in all the old cars we have. It's called Corn Head grease and it's made by John Deere. It was developed for their gear box that has gearing very similar to the Ruxton's transmission and just about any manual steering box. I started using it on the Porsche about 10 years ago. It dripped the old fluid for about a year, but nothing else in 10 years.

I corrected my paint problem by using the same mask I use for my windows on the sand blast booth. It's actually carpet protector with a slightly sticky back. It's like a giant roll of almost clear masking tape.

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I was kind of dreading the distributor cap wiring as it has short wires and I have huge hands. Everything worked out fine and didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. It's a clever distributor cap as it's the same cap for both sides of the distributor. There are two sets of numbers, one right-side up for one bank and upside down for the other. The openings they go into are keyed so you can't make a mistake.

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The flathead Fords are wonderfully packaged and kinda good looking, as internal combustion engines go.

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What a pain. Did you ever wonder about those whiskers on either side of window glass? They come in stips that has one metal and one rubber edge. You carefully bend them to fit. At the factory they used industrial staple guns. Today they are attached with #4 self-tapping screws. You can't drill through the felt or it just wraps around the drill bit. The holes need to be punched so that holes for the screws can be drilled through them. Time consuming.

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I got this window frame ready to install. Whie testing, the mechanism bound up and cracked two cast teeth off, ruining the part. Luckily, one of the two on the parts car were still good so it was just a matter of swapping gears.

In case you were wondering about all the pink towels. They were white before they met a batch of new red shop rags.

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The door pulls are chain links that pass through a rubber tube that is covered in a leather wrapping. I will attemot to replicate these myself. I've been known to stitch some leather, but it's been a while.

The two end pieces will likely need to be rechromed. The pricing I'm getting on that is astronomical. Glad I don't need much.

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Here's another modern-day solution to an age-old problem. This is the rod that activates the door latch from the inside. On the '47 there's a length of cloth where I've put the .012 slippery tape to keep it from rattling. The cloth failed years ago. This crates a bearing surface. I use it as a silencer between leaf springs, or anything that squeaks or rattles. Kind of a reverse duct tape. You won't see it, and better yet, you won't hear it.

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I needed a way to turn the engine over to tighten some bolts so I hooked everything up. It spun over slowly, like the V-8 in the pick-up.

The engine is complete. I'm tempted to bolt on the front pipes from the old system and fire it up!

I wish someone had told me that the fan goes in AFTER the radiator. I know, RTFM.

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The passenger-side windows are complete. I dropped off the broken driver's side front glass and the windshield for duplication. I'm pondering installing the curved rear window.

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About 20 years ago we bought a full hide of furniture-grade leather to match some chairs. It's been stored well and is still supple. Since my wife and I both dislike sitting on wool, I think we'll use the hide for the seating area and cloth on the rest of the seats and door panels. The swatch of material in the center is the original seating material. It's sitting on a piece of the headliner cloth. The only place the headliner comes near the seating is at the top of the rear seat. Everywhere else it's separated from the rest of the interior by metal window trim.

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Someone had wondered how a modern thermostat worked with the flathead water outlet. The hose has an ID of 1.75". The thermostat is 1.875" so it stays snugly in place.

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Some of the metal hoses and control rods have some very odd bends to them when viewed outside their use, but make all kinds of sense viewed in context. Note the float gauge for the oil level. It's a little slow to react so I put a little too much oil in it.

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