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GypsyR

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  1. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from kblagron in Spam Spam Spam Spam   
    In the forum I moderate I spend time booting spam and spammers because I like the place and figure the less of that crap there is, the longer it might be around. The more pleasant a place is to visit... the more people will hang around. Hopefully. I appreciate your efforts here, I like this place too.
  2. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from Mach1 Driver in Spam Spam Spam Spam   
    In the forum I moderate I spend time booting spam and spammers because I like the place and figure the less of that crap there is, the longer it might be around. The more pleasant a place is to visit... the more people will hang around. Hopefully. I appreciate your efforts here, I like this place too.
  3. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from Mach1 Driver in Power Door Locks   
    A 1990's something Volvo caught my eye once. Like Eastyorkstang says you could work the driver's door lock knob to operate the other door locks. I liked the idea because though I put in power locks, I had no interest in an extra switch. I just ended up using the alarm remote, no switch. But I looked into the Volvo setup and it was fairly straightforward. They just used a pair of microswitches trigged by the rod/latch motion of working the lock knob. Wired into relays and such I gave the setup a pass. I have too many relays and such going on already. Example, I wanted a semi-custom overhead console with stuff in it. (The '67, not my '69) A place to put extra switches among other things. I started with one wire going up to the old dome light. Last I counted there were 26 wires going up to my console.
  4. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from TexasEd in Where does this bar go (dash support)?   
    My favorite thread here. I bought my car gutted. The interior was literally the steering column, pedals, and firewall. I've accumulated most of the dash but saw a kit of used dash extra bits on eBay and couldn't figure out what a couple of the parts were exactly for. The assembly manuals were of very limited help. I even got a neighbor to let me stick my head under his dash. (Couldn't see squat.) The pictures in this thread pretty well nailed the last things I needed to figure out.     I think.    Hope...
  5. Like
    GypsyR reacted to Vicfreg in Toploader yoke installed depth   
    I push the yoke all the way in, and make a mark on the yoke at the rear of the transmission. Then, pull it out 1" and mark the yoke again for reference.
    Ask the person who is going to make your driveshaft how they want it to be measured.  Typically, it is from centerline to centerline of the u-joints.  A CRITICAL step is to make sure the weight of the car is on the rear suspension when you do the measuring.
     
     
  6. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from RPM in 157 or 164 tooth flexplate?   
    On it. 
    If it were me and I didn't want to try a 3.8 flexplate I'd knock a weight off. Then I'd find a ball bearing that fit in the middle of the flexplate (maybe with some temporary glue) and set it up like I was hand balancing a motorcycle or bicycle wheel. That way I could grind off a tad bit more steel if I weren't happy with how neutral it turned out to be.
     
    Kind of curious how you ended up with a custom balance engine but it wasn't dynamically balanced before you got your hands on it. My local guy won't balance a crank unless you have all the involved rotating parts there for him.
  7. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from RPM in Garage/Shop and Tool Hordes...Show us what ya got!!!   
    This is the working bay. Pictured in house remodel mode. All the crap on the floor to the right is that stuff (and my chili pot). Router on the left, table saw out, and I forgot why the welder was involved. As much as I hate to say it, the is situation normal. Too much stuff and too little room. 
    As for tools there's an Atlas lathe and Clausing mill lurking back there I guess.

  8. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from bigmal in Garage/Shop and Tool Hordes...Show us what ya got!!!   
    This is the working bay. Pictured in house remodel mode. All the crap on the floor to the right is that stuff (and my chili pot). Router on the left, table saw out, and I forgot why the welder was involved. As much as I hate to say it, the is situation normal. Too much stuff and too little room. 
    As for tools there's an Atlas lathe and Clausing mill lurking back there I guess.

  9. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from Mach1 Driver in Garage/Shop and Tool Hordes...Show us what ya got!!!   
    This is the working bay. Pictured in house remodel mode. All the crap on the floor to the right is that stuff (and my chili pot). Router on the left, table saw out, and I forgot why the welder was involved. As much as I hate to say it, the is situation normal. Too much stuff and too little room. 
    As for tools there's an Atlas lathe and Clausing mill lurking back there I guess.

  10. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from Mach1 Driver in Drill bits   
    I like cobalt whatevers. Lately I've been using a set from Harbor Freight. I have Drill Doctor I resharpen bits with. I keep a "to do" list on my phone which includes whatever bits I may have broken lately. I tend to pick up single replacements at Northern Tool mostly. I think those are Dewalt. Elsewhere I find Vermont American.
    I've seen some "cobalt" bits which are sort of rainbow colored. They aren't true cobalts and are instead just coated. I would buy plain black HSS black oxide ones over those. At least they aren't trying to fool me. Actual cobalt bits are a darkish gold color. Brighter gold ones are the titanium coated ones. They're OK until the that microscopic coating wears off (about 2 seconds into a piece of steel) but I wouldn't pay extra for them. Harbor Freight puts a set of their titaniums on sale sometimes as low as $12. They're not great but not bad either. A decent starter set.  Just replace the ones you actually use, dull, or break with individual cobalts. If you're like me you'll use the heck out of just a few sizes and the rest will stay like new.
  11. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from Grabber70Mach in IFS Front End Option   
    I'm rather fond of the original factory IFS. With some upgrades ala Opentracker. I 've noticed that seems to be the preferred way to go with people that autocross and/or do some amateur level open track racing.
  12. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from TexasEd in Stroke my 302 to 331 or Do a 351W/408 swap?   
    Seems like I've seen this thread before somewhere. But anyway..
    When people say they want a bunch of power and there's a choice between a smaller engine and a bigger one, the answer is the bigger one. Pretty much just that simple.
    Getting around 400 HP from a 351W isn't too hard. Stroke it for more. 
    8 inch rears rule of thumb are good up to 400 HP or so if there's no drag racing with slicks. Sounds like you'll need a 9.
    The "sub 11 second" thing kind of throws this. Such times aren't that easy to achieve. Plus if you do, they're going to say you have to have a roll cage if you plan to keep going to the track. Have a plan for that? 
    An alternative to all this is to just hotrod the engine and car how you want to with an eye towards improving it's performance. If you forget about focusing on some arbitrary blue sky numbers the whole thing is a LOT more enjoyable. On the other hand, if you intend to use the car for competition then of course you need a thought out plan with realistic goals.
  13. Like
    GypsyR reacted to Ridge Runner in Roof skin tabs   
    Trim them off 
  14. Haha
    GypsyR got a reaction from bigmal in OEM rear seat belts - free   
    If they went to good home then I guess that's all we could really ask for. (It's like we're talking about kittens here.)  :)
  15. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from Mach1 Driver in Alternator case grounding.   
    Over the years I've fixed a couple of Fords (and one Dodge) that no one else could with a store full of alternators by simply adding a ground wire from the case to the ground point where engine block ground strap is. Or is supposed to be. You'd think it would be grounded by the bolts and brackets but in at least a couple of cases it was not and I proved it. After the second one I fixed it became my habit to add a ground wire to every alternator I owned that didn't have one already.
    The last one I caught I had since learned about voltage drop testing and was able to isolate the trouble area. Out of curiosity. It was between the case itself and the steel bracket. The aluminum case can develop a surface oxidation that apparently won't conduct electricity. Just like a coat of paint.
    Do you NEED a ground? Probably not. I've seen hundreds of vehicles that didn't have or need one. But I've seen it be an issue a couple of times and ground straps are cheap. It's not going to ever be an issue on MY cars.
  16. Like
    GypsyR reacted to nymustang1969 in Distributor Cap for stock Motorcraft distributor   
    If you are looking for a male cap that fits our Motorcraft distributors Standard Motor Products AL482 will work. It was ment for a Prestolite distributor but fits ours also if you file a small slot that fits the index tab on the distributor. It is marked on the cap. Have been using this for years with the Ford Racing spark plug wires.
  17. Like
    GypsyR reacted to RPM in Transmission coolers   
    So why are you adding another trans fluid cooler? I've read that you only need them if you tow, or if your torque converter is a higher stall than stock. 
  18. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from RPM in 69-70 Hood catch   
    Interesting take on that part. My first thought on duplicating one was some round mild steel stock combined with some blacksmithing. 
  19. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from RPM in Ever want to punch one of these guys ?   
    I've been fooling with cars for a few years now. I've come to feel I'd very much prefer modification/repair work done by someone who actually CARES about what he is doing along with having the skills. There's a pretty big difference between a workman and a craftsman and their end products.
    The reason factories do spot welding is that's it cheap and fast. Basically the minimum necessary to produce parts quickly. People that work in such situations tend to take the same mindset, don't do what's best, do what keeps the production numbers up and keeps the bosses happy with the least effort on their part.
    Due to my unscientific and anecdotal observations of what happens in crashes and from taking stuff apart, I'm not personally terribly impressed by "factory spot welds". 
     
  20. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from mwye0627 in Sub-frame connectors   
    I kind of like to make my own but if I were going to buy some they'd be the Spintechs. They are the only ones that truly integrate into the unibody of the car and look like the factory might have done them to the uninformed eye. Never been a fan of the "piece of pipe stuck under the car" look.
    https://spintechmufflers.com/mustang-1965-1970-sub-frame-connectors/
  21. Thanks
    GypsyR got a reaction from Mach1 Driver in Sub-frame connectors   
    I kind of like to make my own but if I were going to buy some they'd be the Spintechs. They are the only ones that truly integrate into the unibody of the car and look like the factory might have done them to the uninformed eye. Never been a fan of the "piece of pipe stuck under the car" look.
    https://spintechmufflers.com/mustang-1965-1970-sub-frame-connectors/
  22. Thanks
    GypsyR got a reaction from Shep69 in 302 Rear Main Seal   
    I've become sold on the teflon versions. Any engine I've had a chance to look at some time after installing one has been bone dry. Only a couple I've seen but one was a driver for a couple of years and that one alone was about enough to sell me on the things.Teflon rear seals seem to be mandatory on later diesel pickup engines for some reason. For whatever that's worth.
  23. Like
    GypsyR reacted to lanky in Toploader will not come out   
    I bet it is just binding. Maybe I have bad luck, but every transmission I've removed has binded after it backs off a little. You did take the transmission out of gear right? If you can fit some kind of straps in between the block and bellhousing for pulling power they are nice because at least you know you won't break or dent anything with straps and hand-power...unless the transmission flies off onto you! This worked for me with a jack under transmission with a friend gently rocking the trans while I pulled straps. 
  24. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from RPM in Engine Installation - headers & transmission   
    I've been installing engines for years with the transmission installed. It's my preferred method on all kinds of vehicles. It involves maybe a little more patience and back and forth than installing all at once but I sure wouldn't call it a "hell of a time". 
  25. Like
    GypsyR got a reaction from RPM in Engine Installation - headers & transmission   
    How people install and remove engines is really as much personal preference as anything. I like to have the transmission and my long tube headers in and then put the engine in. But if the headers have never been bolted to the engine you are going to use, be sure to fit them outside of the car. There can be variances and it's really easy to grind out a bolt hole a little or whatever BEFORE everything is all in. I like to bolt as much stuff on an engine as practical before I put it in. To do so you kind of have to have had pulled the engine out with as much as possible still attached to it so you already know what you can leave on or not. It's not that big a deal bolting things on though.
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