My 54 is on its way, (updated 10.24)

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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (10-14)

Postby Mike » 2013 Oct 14 Mon 9:44 am

Not much to report.
Got new fasteners and did a final shifter install...finally.. Looks a little odd being so high off the floor...but the location feels good.
Got more Dynamat layed into the rear passenger foot well. That was a pain in the chest...! Leaning over the seat base platform and into the "storage" area under the seat. While prepairing that area for the battery placement, I noticed that the "vertical" panels are really noisy when hit. Much more so than the actual floor is. Sooo...I put all my scrap pieces of Dynamat on the little sections on each side and the bigger, side to side vertical panel (at the heal of your feet as sitting in the seat). That should quiet rough road noise a bunch.
As noted, got the battery mounting figured out and installed a Master-cutoff switch. I didn't actually drill any holes in the floor yet. I decided to wait till I get a battery and get real dimensions rather than guess...!

Started on another round of piston cleaning. Hope to work on this during the week. A coupla pistons a night.

Got the ring endgaps checked and ok'd for assembly.

Onward.......
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (10-28)

Postby Mike » 2013 Oct 28 Mon 6:30 am

Nuthing huge done this weekend.

I did make the crankshaft damper plate into a "degree wheel" though. Since I'll be using a crank trigger in place of a distributor to fire the spark plugs, setting the ign. timing process is a little different. I can't just turn the distributor any longer. I have to move the sensor that picks up the "trigger" from the magnet in the wheel down on the crankshaft. And since I'll have no idea where the timing is unless each degree is somehow marked some where, I'll have no idea where the ign. timing is.
I was going to have a machine shop do this...but then thought...it's probably nothing most shops are used to doing. So I thought about it a while.
I have an old version of AutoCAD in my computer....I thought..I'll just layout the 360 degrees on a piece of paper and use a very fine cutoff disk in my Dremel tool stash. Yes, for my slot cars, I do have a Dremel tool..!

Anyway, I layed out every 45 drgrees and then I just put all 360 dgree marks on the paper for referance. Measured the damper disc diameter (7.941") and printed the layout. I carefully cut the paper on the circle, then lined everything up and taped it down. One thing that helped...I had already marked every 45 degrees a while back, so that helped line the new information up.
I put on my little car magnifying glasses and started cutting small grooves into the edge of the disk.
I cut the advance direction every degree for 45 degrees and the retard direction for 10 degrees. I was going to paint the grooves but never made it to the hobby shop in town for some white paint. Mabe during the week...

A small but major task...and it probably saved me a $100.00 or more dollars doing it myself and am more thAn happy with the accuracy.
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (10-14)

Postby Mike » 2013 Dec 02 Mon 7:17 am

Finally made some headway on my wagon.
I got the shortblock back together.......!
Took (8) cans of brake cleaner, some oil and a "LOT" of special clean, lint free wipes to get everything clean. The crank, the cylinders, the pistons, the rods, the bearing halves and each piston ring. But it's done and in a bag....!

I seem to be having a problem finding a shop to machine the spark plug seats deeper. This is so I can use the "J" series spark plug rather than the "H" series the stock Stude heads use. The "H" is becomming scarce and only one or two heat ranges are available....AND you have to order them. At least around here. And with the "J" being used for MANY, MANY years in GM cars....they are still available everywhere. I gotta start looking harder to get the heads done and back on the engine. Then I can put the engine in the car.

The car is jacked up to about a 40 degree angle so I can start on the brake lines, master cylinder mount and running a fuel line.
I'm going to run a Teflon lined, steel braided line. I figure, that I don't want to do this again in the future...depending on the gas we may have in the coming years, espicially here in good ol California. The Teflon will withstand any type of fuel chemicals put into it. It may be expensive ($82, for 15ft.), and each fitting will be $10 to $15, but I'll never have to change it again. I just have to figure out what I'm going to do for a larger fuel outlet from the tank. The stock 5/16" outlet won't help the 3/8" line I'm going to use..

All for now.

Mike
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (12-02)

Postby s2dwagon » 2013 Dec 02 Mon 9:54 pm

Hi Mike,

I wouldn't hesitate using the same size outlet that's in the tank now. In fact, that's exactly what I am doing.

Certainly, it wouldn't hurt to have a larger tank outlet, but it's the "length of run" of the small diameter (in this case, the outlet) that is more critical in flow analysis. The thing to do is to get to the larger size IMMEDIATELY (minimizing the length of small dia. tube/fittings) and then continue with your large diameter line up to the carb. You could always check it out and make changes later if you really needed to.

Probably most important is to make sure the pick-up tube inside the tank is free from obstructions and flows freely. Trust me on that one!

Just my thoughts,

--Scott
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (12-02)

Postby Mike » 2013 Dec 04 Wed 6:56 am

Hey Scott -

Well...I sorta agree. For "most" of my driving, yes, the 2 or 2-1/2ft. of 5/16" dia line won't bother a thing. But IF...things work out with all my changes, I will probably end up doing some drag racing. And from past experience, MANY people actually starve their engines for fuel and not even know it. They say it just want to run at the "other end" (from about 3/4 track and on). They increase the jet size, nuthin, they raise the float level, nuthin, increase the pump pressure, nuthin, they use a different carburetor, nuthin. Then one day I mention the fuel delivery..."na, it's fine, I blew out the line, the tank is clean."
Years ago, on a bet, I talked one friend into using one of those weld on sumps at the back of the tank, 1/2" line all the way to the carburetor (it was a big block engine)....
2 tenths and almost a 5 mph difference..!

Anyway, you are correct for 95% of my driving. I'd just like to do the work "one time" If I can. Time may not allow it..!?

Thanks for the reality check.

Mike
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (12-28)

Postby Mike » 2013 Dec 28 Sat 11:19 am

Well...while I have been working on the 54 and checking the valve lash on my bike (a pain in the rear job!), been getten no where fast..!
They are both getting done, but going back and forth and doing a little here and a little there...!

On the car -
Both the fuel system and the brake system are giving me fits..!
While I used the exact same master cylinder on my other 54 wagon, I can't figure out what I did for fittings right out of the M.C. I'm not gonna take it apart, but the fittings that..appears...to be there, can't be..! I know that sounds dumb on my part and believe me...it is..!
I don't want the fittings below the frame, and unfortunatly, the outlets are on the bottom of the cylinder. So..what I think I'm going to do is hit up my local machine shop and see if he will remove some boss material with a REALLY odd thread size in it. This way the remaining boss that has a smaller bore in it can be tapped with a much more normal thread size. This will do two things - 1. it will allow the use of a banjo fitting (or other at this point) to be installed. They are about the shortest way to go. The second thing this does, is it gets the fittings WAY up above the bottom of the frame so there is no chance of harm from road debris.

The fuel system..simillar problem as above. While on the blue 54, I modified the gas tank to have the fuel come out of the back of the tank. This put the big canester type filter and fuel pump on a plate I made and bolted it to the frame right beside the gas tank (right side). Easy, simple, works great.
BUT...no modifications to this tank. So where do I put the same filter and the same fuel pump ? Not where they are on the other car..!
An apparently good spot for the pump is a bit farther foward thAn I'd like, it's just ahead of the front spring perch looks good, up out of the way. Now where to put the filter..!? I don't like about 30 minutes worth of looking for a location last night. At least not THAT filter. I do like it because it filters better than many of the new "cool" filters on the market with their fine mesh screen as the element...but..no good location. So..it looks like I'll be looking for one of the newer design, large diameter, "in-line" filters on the market. There is a nice spot on the frame just "behind" the spring perch.
That's another thing I struggled with...pump and filter on the right or left side of the car ? I've gone back and forth till my eyes are crossed. I just said screw-it, last night and figured since the tank outlet is on the left side of the car....so will be the filter/pump..! It is just a "little" simpler that way.
Also, as noted above, I made up a "special" fuel line coming out of the tank. Some tanks have just the end of the actual pickup tube sticking out of the tank like my other wagon had (now plugged), this tank has an actual fitting. It's for a 5/16" line. My fuel system is a 3/8" line. So per the notes from "s2dwagon" above, I cut a new piece of 5/16" tube to about 1-1/4" long, cleaned it well, then took a new piece of 3/8" tube, cut the flairs off, cleaned it well, and soldered them together. Two bends and it's at a nice spot for a filter (of SOME sort !) on the frame.. There are AN fittings that work with straight steel lines to adapt them to regular AN lines, which is what my fuel system is made up from.
And that brings me to my LAST delimma. Inside or outside the frame...? There are good reasons for both locations. I decided on the outside because there is less heat under that area of the car than inside the frame.

Well....off to find a different style fuel filter..!

Have a nice New Year all..

Mike
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (01-14)

Postby Mike » 2014 Jan 05 Sun 7:49 pm

Nothing major done..
I did get a hand full of small things either done, partially done or figured out.
Found a fuel filter, a Russell, 8-1/4" long aluminum canester that will mount on the frame rail just behind the front spring perch on the drivers side. I got threaded inserts into the frame for the fuel pump and it's mounted. I did buy a smaller filter and didn't like it after getting it in hand, so this is why the fuel line isn't done yet. The new Russell filter should be here Tuesday. I may use the smaller filter under the hood as a backup of sorts.

I bent, reflaired and mounted the rear brake lines across the axle. Even used the original clamp that goes under one of the cover fasteners.. The rear lines are different than stock because of the shorter axle housing and because of the Ford disc calipers. I made up new front brake lines but didn't mount them yet. I wanted to get a new pressure sender and assemble a few things on the bench, then mount at to the frame. I still need to remachine the master cylinder for the banjo bolts. Waiting for the shop doing my heads to call about the heads, then I'll spring this on him...!

I decided to use studs and locking nuts to hold the timing gear cover in place rather than normal fasteners and lock washers. It figures that I could buy either too short...OR too long..not what I wanted..! So I bought the long ones and shortened each one with a hack saw and my belt grinder. I used blue LocTite to hold them in place in the block and the aluminum filler block. Might save the filler blocks threads over time.

I also figured out the fan situation. I have a big Ford 2spd. electric fan out of a Mustang. It's main frame is about 19+' in dia. The stock I-6 fan shroud is also 19-1/4" dia. Nearly a perfect fit. My only problem is the spair I have has a bunch of rust holes in it..! I realized that my "parts car", 4dr. sedan should have what I need... Sure enough 19-1/4" dia., so I swapped the rusty one into place and took and good one out of the 4dr. I managed to get 3 of the 7 spot welds broken to remove the "hand guard" or whatever it is from the top of the shroud to make room for the Ford fan. The rest of the welds will have to wait for another time. It should be really close to a bolt in once I trim ll the bracketry off the fan housing.

I also finally picked up my aluminum radiator today. The "Radiator Lady" builds a nice part. I bought this from them a "few" months back. After getting it home, I found that the inlet, the outlet and the mounting brackets...were wrong. Some time passed before I got back with them. I gave them a simillar radiator to copy everything. No charge and it looks just fine as far as fixing the problems. It should work out well and be a bolt-in.

The saga continues...

Mike

P.s. - And I got my bike back together all clean and shiny..
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (01-19)

Postby Mike » 2014 Jan 19 Sun 8:31 pm

Finally got something done, complete, finished...!

The fuel line run, from the tank to the pressure regulator on the right front fenderwell.
Three pieces of Braided Stainless covered Teflon, and one piece of, two piece steel tubing that is coated both inside and out (with something..), six fittings, mount the pump and filter, three threaded inserts in the frame, later...it's done. All tight and ready to recieve fuel.
Oh yea, also drained the tank of its old gas...about 6+ gallons worth.
Install one fitting onto the line, take it to the car, install it to its actual location, measure and mark it for an actual fit, take it out of its location, back into the garage, cut the tubing, trim the end, fit the three parts that make up the fitting end and tighten.
Do that six times...

I may have mentioned that I decided to switch to the right side frame rail. But still outside the frame. I even checked with the last NHRA rule book I have, the last "printed" version...and they are ok with it outside the frame. The pump does hang a little below the frame...I'll probably build a cover for it for protection from road debris. There's a large inline filter attached to the frame rail just behind the front spring perch.
Should be a good system, and with a couple of exceptions, should be able to handle the current fuel and anything the EPA may throw at us in the future without corrosion problems.

Brakes...a whole nuther deal...
Found the flex line in the front don't have inverted male cones...so that's a bust (both sides). Spent a few hours over two days at a mom and pop (actually 3 brothers and friends now) parts store that's willing to work with my odd problems.. All told...it's only a small few dollars more for Stainless braided Teflon lines for the front, and the length is a perfect fit from a Speedway Motors part.
They also have (I hope) fittings that will keep below the frame problems with the master cylinder to a very short minimum, without having to modify the cylinder. These will be ordered this week.
I found the left side caliper had some moisture in it, so I bought kits for both sides. One thing I did find...was that the moisture problem I did find was very small...but in the piston seal groove,,,was a mess. All kinds of garbage from the "factory rebuild". A CarQuest factory. Buyer beware...!
The front lines are made and ready to go.
Still have to make a mount for the master cylinder to frame...so this may take a coupla weeks. May not get much of anything done next weekend..! We'll see.

Later for now.

Oh yea...in putting my big (11/16" dia.) studs into the right side axle....seems Currie Ent. used one diameter for the axle...which is correct, but used a slightly larger dia. bolt circle for drilling the disc...! Not only did I have to enlarge the holes, but I also had to move the holes inward slightly..!
Again...buyer beware...!
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (01-19)

Postby sawtoothbiker » 2014 Jan 23 Thu 12:41 am

Hi I noticed a post about putting GM truck Arms on your first 54. Can you tell me more about that?

Thanks, Knute
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Re: My 54 is on its way to being a daily driver, (01-19)

Postby Mike » 2014 Jan 23 Thu 9:45 am

Sure. I bought, I installed...

Actually, I had originally planned on old fashoined Ladder Bars. But after gettin them and laying under the car, I decided it would take cutting into the floor for clearance...and didn't want to do that on this car.
So...what else is out there..? After laying there for a few minutes, I thought about a truck my brother had and its arm configuration...hey, just like the NASCAR guys I thought...!

I bought a used pair from a wreaking yard, bought a new pair of "spring" (arm locator) pads for welding onto the axle housing and begun that task of laying it all out.
I played with the positioning of the arm locators vs. the frame and clearance's for everything. I wanted the arms mounted as far apart as possible for good support. My plan was to use coil-over spring/shocks, because with the short frame height of the Studes, full size coil springs were basically out of the question.
After tacking the pads in place, I set the angle af the arms basically per the way the pads were designed, angle wise on the housing (the same angle on both sides). Found the center of the Stude chassis and measured the distance between the arms.

Then with a hand full of 2" x 4" x .125"w tubing, I cut and welded up a crossmember. It's got a drop for drive shaft clearance and two mounting pads for the arms. I measured the frame width and cut the width of the new crossmember.
After welding the crossmember in place, I welded in two angular supports because in either case of accelerating and stopping, ALL of this load goes into the crossmember and out to the frame. I didn't want any bending moments right on the new welds. And being that the Stude frame is so wimpy both in thickness and in cross section...I felt it really did need the extra support.

Locating height for the crossmember...I just set the bars level to the ground and made a mounting hole in the brackets. Then I drilled a hole higher in the bracket for a "little" adjustability. The pinion angle is set to 2 degrees down in front. But that's adjustable at the arm to pad interface with angled shims that are easilly found.

I did have to play with the springs a bit. All of the spring weight charts are setup for the shock being mounted straight up and down. I used the stock shock mounting point on top and right beside the arm mount on the axle. I had to put a stronger spring (that my original spring purchase) in to compensate for the shock/spring angle.
I also welded in a support of sorts (upper closeout) onto the stock crossmember to frame rail for more support and stiffness. I also did some welding of the crossmember to the frame rather than using just the stock rivits to hold it all together.

I bought a nice big "wishbone" assembly to locate the axle. While a Panhard bar would have been much easier to assemble, the bigh wheels and tires FILL the stock fender wells, and there's not much room for any side to side movement that happens with even a long Panhard bar.

While this sounds like a lot of work, it was pretty straight foward and fairly easy to do.
Here's some pictures of it all.

http://public.fotki.com/-Mike-/my_studebakers/

Any other questions, let me know.

Mike

P.s. - Oh yea...forgot about the big notch in the gas tank. Luckilly a friend is really good with welding thin materials...!
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