Intake questions

[CBoz]

Hello folks -

A couple of questions about parts that I got off of the parts car (see attached photo). Even though the car was a '37, the intake had a '46 date on it and was running a Stromberg 97 carb.

On the left in the pic is a strange plate that was between the carb and the spacer. It has two areas jutting out front with slight slits in them that apparently pull a slight amount of air into the intake. Have you ever seen this before? What was the application?

On the right are the pieces that make up the vacuum port, just behind the carb. My question -- the tubing in the top of the picture is not flared at the end, but after the end. The actual end of the tubing broke off due to corrosion. How would I create such a flare nowadays? I'm used to flares at the end of the tube, not a quarter of an inch back. Would new-style flares (at the end of the tube) work also?

[48LCCOUPE]

I don't believe that is a flare CBOZ, but is a large ferrule on the tube that seated in whatever it went into to via the flare not behind it. It has probably become part of the tube over the years but actually crimped on from pressure when tightened.

Dave

[Rolf]

Hi Cecil, a couple of things about your question, first the stromberg 97 was the carb used on the 221 cubic inch pre 1939 Ford V-8's, the Lincoln stromberg was about the size of the model 48, and of course the gennies had a LZ logo on the bowl. Is there a parts number on the 1946 intake manifold? Accordng to the parts book, there are 3 different manifolds used in that time frame, there is one listed for the Continentals, and the other 2 are not specified, so I am assuming it has to do with the aircleaner to manifold vent that some cars have, and others don't, the only spacer shown is an H9603 that has 3 stud holes, and is 1/2 inch thick, there is also a 26H9603 that is described the same way with a 3 hole base, although most '42-'48's had 4 hole bases, as far as the ramps on your spacer, I am baffled by them, and that strange tube?? Be thinking about an added on vent from the manifold to the air cleaner though, that seems to me to be the most likely explanation, but we seem to have another V-12 mystery evolving here, please keep us updated as more evidence develops, good luck, Rolf

[imported_Phil Knapp]

The vacuum port, of course, is for the Columbia.

I agree with Dave on the strange flare. It looks to me like a ferrule or "compression" fiting. Duplicating it will be no problem, but what is it for? My '39 has just the hardware for the vacuum port and I used a piece of rubber hose to connect the Columbia control.

The strange ports on the carburetor base plate are another matter! Perhaps the residue from an early attempt at improved fuel economy? Like the supposed "gas miser" attachments they're still trying to sell?

[CBoz]

Thanks for the feedback, all. I'll try to post some better pics sometime soon.

Meanwhile, I've been busy taking the rear suspension and axle apart on the parts car so I can get the Columbia section separated. What a miserable mess -- there's got to be an easier way to take off the rear spring and strut bar than hammering the heck out of the shackle studs. I ended up having to hacksaw off the (*#$^ strut bar. There just seemed no other way to get the thing out (pickle fork wouldn't do it). I just don't get it.

[Rolf]

Cecil, why are you taking the studs out to remove the springs, that is not how you do it!! You use a spring spreader, detach the shackle bars and the rearend assy drops down, easy as pie, shackle studs seldom wear out and need replacement, but if you do need to replace them, I know a trick that gets them out quite easily, finding new studs is a bit difficult though, and doing it the way you describe is really hard to attach the spring when you put it back, the spring spreader makes the whole big heavy procedure as easy to handle as possible, Rolf

[CBoz]

Hey Rolf -

Thanks for the tool hint; I'll look to see if I can find one before I start working on my car (all the efforts I've talked about were on the parts car). I took out the entire spring and rearend as an assembly. I agree with you; it would be much easier to leave the studs in. The problem is that on the passenger side the strut rod was all goofed up and needed to come out. I just couldn't see any way to separate it from the stud.

But I'm going to follow your advice, and for now, slow down on it until I can get a better and less distructive plan of attack. If nothing else, I got a heckuva work out in the 90+ degree heat!

[Rolf]

Cecil, there are neat screw-out type spring spreaders out there, but a workable alternative is a stout 2X4, put extra weight in the trunk, and cut and measure the 2X4 to drive in between the spring eyes, jack up the rear end one side at a time and remove the shackle bars, the spring will stay spread and in place until you re-attach the repaired rearend, a little more weight then on the rear of the car, and the 2X4 will fall out, learned this one as an old hot-rodder who had to replace a broken axle every week or so, Jack, the V-12 condensers are just like the V-8 ones, with out all the attatching arms that can be cut off, Sacramento Vintage Ford gets $8.95 each for the Fords, basic # 12300, you are close enough to them to take your Lincoln condenser, compare it to the Ford, and get one as close as possible, cut off all the arms etc, should work great, good luck to you and Cecil, Rolf

[imported_Phil Knapp]

I constructed a spring spreader that worked surprisingly well by using the original "friction jack" and a couple of pieces of black iron pipe with the ends flattened. (see attachment).

The last section of my Webshots photo album at: http://community.webshots.com/album/73152974bRlXIf has some detailed pictures of the Columbia installation in my '39 Zephyr.

I was able to remove the shackle stud from the axle housing using a 3/4 socket and a small sledge hammer. It came right out and I re-used it in the Columbia housing by grinding it VERY lightly so that it was still a force fit, but not an "impossible" fit and using some GREEN Locktite, which is the absorbing "forever" kind. Seems to be working just fine now. Merv Adkins and Earle Brown (and probably others - I got one from Merv) can supply the spring shackle studs.

[DizzyDale]

Dear Cecil,I got my shackle studs from George Trickett.Easy installation put the new studs in the freezer over-nite and heat the spring eye up with a oxy-acetylene,torch.diz

[imported_Phil Knapp]

I tried the freezer trick but didn't use the torch to heat the housing. I usually wind up using too much heat and didn't want to "un-temper" the housing, which already had a couple of hairline cracks in it. I used a brake cylinder hone to clean up the housing. Dan Krehbiel recomended the VERY light grinding and the green locktite. That's the way Dan replaces spring shackles. If it works for Dan, it's OK by me. After the green locktite sets up overnight, it's TIGHT!