Garage work

[Fordrevhead 29]

So I spent my entire weekend on my bro-inlaws '04 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 with 100k on it. Ball Joints (undersized), U-Joints (origninals non greaseable), Exhaust Manifolds (warped, snapped studs), tune up (no power, poor mileage).

 

5.7 Hemi. Thing runs great and he abuses the hell out of it. PITA to work on though. The manifolds are tucked down inside the frame, the wheel bearings are pressed tapered fit and rust in, has 16 spark plugs, 4 of which are burried below the brake booster and on the other side below the air box. I did the manifolds and the plugs from underneath with the tire and inner fenders (splash guards) removed. I considered pulling a motor mount and lifting it to extract 5 broken manifold studs but I managed without. I hear warped manifolds are a common problem these days, Ford, Chevy and Dodge... must be all buying the same recycled crap Mexican cast iron. I looked for headers but NO ONE makes a smog legal shorty bolt in header for that truck.... and I can see why, there's NO room!

 

Had both bearings with abs sensors off, both axle shafts out... and no leaking seals, no abs lights, no check engine light... so I guess it went well.

[Fordrevhead 29]

OK, another weekend gone by.... some of you may recall my hard drive crash where I lost, among other things my rotisserie design! Well, I redesigned it in one evening, bigger and badder, and I got started on it this weekend. Picked up all of the steel, cut about half of the pieces and burnt up my cut off saw! aarrrgh! I took it all apart and the armature is cooked, field looked and fluked ok so I ordered an armature from ereplacementparts.

 

On vaca this week and just staying home catching up (on my own vehicles... imagine that). Rotisserie on hold, so... shop is dubbing as an auto body shop this week. I'm not totally set up for it in this shop yet so I am making a real mess... but it's good practice getting back into it for the upcoming 70 coupe project.

 

Body work was on my Ford small block powered 83 Mazda RX7 First gen. I was a member of the V8RX7 forum back in the day which is now part of torquecentral. It has an aftermarket wide body kit and was originally red. It was painted black back in 1991. It's real solid, been off the road and in Florida for about 10 years. Just cleaning it up to sell it to help fund other projects. I pulled the drive train to use for the Stang (built 289 and toploader). A lot of interest locally by motorheads for dragging/drifting/hillclimb etc. but they are all afraid of bodywork. I figured I could knock it out in two weekends. So far I have about 4 days in it and just taped it and sprayed primer today. I contemplating whether or not to sell it in gray primer so someone can imagine it painted whatever color they want, or spraying DP90 flat black sealer because I always envisioned that car as a flat black drag car. I have spoked aluminum Loco Racing wheels which I may even paint black too.

 

I really need an exhaust fan better than the two rigged up box fans I have now. I either need to break down and buy one or spray it outside. Problem with moving it outside is I have a lot of trees nearbye for one, the car is also so low that I like to have it up on jackstands with the wheels removed (which I already have done now), so that's a bunch of extra work and I dont like using the jackstands on my not so flat gravel driveway either.

 

Anyway, I'll post some pics of the rotisserie and the Rx if there's any interest as they progress.

[unfrozen1969 11]

Its always good to see pics.

 

Bill

[Fordrevhead 29]

alright, I finally found the darn usb cord for the camera, lol.

 

Here's the drag car now in flat black... regrettably I may sell this to build the Mustang. Still wet here it flattened out real nice. And the start of the rotisserie. I'll start drilling and welding that up this weekend.

 

Although I just got a line on a 70 Vert that I might go get so that would cut the weekend in half.

[MAD IN NC 21]

vert hmmmmmmm

 

Chad you need to move where it is warmer to spend 8-9 months in a vert if you own one.....

[jonnybee 10]

Which plans are you using for your rotisserie?

I am planning on making one with a friend as we don't like the imported ones from Asia. Too flimsy!:thumbdown:

[Fordrevhead 29]

I designed my own from scratch. I took ideas from different ones I have seen online and took the features I liked the best. I am a mechanical engineer so I just whipped it up in CAD. So far it's about $350 in steel, $60 in hardware, $75 in wheels & $100 for hydraulic cylinders. I still need some acme threaded rod for my CofG adjusment, and need to drill, weld and I'll probably use the same epoxy sealer as you see on the Rx7. Heading to a friends in the morning whom has a magnadrill and a nice 10foot welding table to jig up the ends and weld.

 

Ive done similar projects with garages, sheds, work benches, picnic tables, etc... when I'm done I clean up my files, sometimes make improvements, and have had good luck selling the plans on ebay... getting some of my time back along with the old DIY satisfaction. I probably wont do that with this due to the liability factor and the fact that I cant supply all the laser cut parts that I made at work.

 

We'll see how it turns out, I'll post more later.

[Sidthing 10]

Back in June I bought one of the top of the line (hydraulic cylinders, adjustable height) rotisseries from Greg Smith Equipment. It had the small hard rubber casters, so we purchased some inflatable tire casters from Tractor Supply ($260) u-bolts to mount them on the frame, all so we could wheel it around outside our garage in the gravel. After spending a whole day getting the casters and all hardware, (none of the hardware stores likes to carry more than a few of each fastener) we push this sucker with my mach on it two feet. POP and the rotisserie falls towards the wall. Luckily the car didn't hit anything, but one of the inflatable casters broke at the king pin, picking up all the ball bearings, we found three different sizes of bearings. Pissed that I wasted a whole day to move this thing two feet, we put on the hard rubber casters. One of them bends the base plate getting it on the trailer and had to be removed. That allowed the rotisserie to lean inboard and dent my trunk lid. We get the car over to the garage and unload it, another caster tears apart inside the rubber wheel. The outer portion of the wheel flops over and binds in the fork. Another caster has to be removed. Now out of the six casters two remain, and the outer towers lean inward not allowing me raise the car. By the way, the car was just a shell with the trunk lid installed, not extremely heavy. Be weary of discounts. There is nothing more expensive than a cheap tool.

[jonnybee 10]

I agree with the cheap tool bit. There are heaps of tools and equipment flooding our shops and weekend markets which originate from China. Prices are great but don't cut it when it comes to quality. Maybe if you are doing a one off job they're OK but not really long term investments. Especially if they cause damage to your car or even personal injury.

Recently had a friend help weld up a trolley for my project so I can move it around the garage. I'm going back on my words now. I bought the castor wheels from a weekend market. They are most probably from China but look sterdy and where only A$16 each. Again, it was only made to suit my '69 Fastback and will probably do the job for length of the project. I will know more once I mount the car on it.

[Fordrevhead 29]

This is why I'm building it myself! Cheaper and better and it has the features I want. Plus it becomes its own little fun project.. and lord knows I need more of those!:huh:

 

I'll post more progress soon, vaca. in a few weeks.

[Truck 12]

Revhead, you've got to be in the running for best poster of the year!

 

(I don't even know you, and I love the way you think!)

[Fordrevhead 29]

Revhead, you've got to be in the running for best poster of the year!

 

(I don't even know you, and I love the way you think!)

 

Thank ya... thank ya very much!

 

[Pakrat 1,043]

Since Truck is by far our most cryptic poster, I'm not entirely sure this is a compliment?!?!??!?! (J/K) :tongue_smilie:

[Fordrevhead 29]

FRH thinks Pak is jealous. :wink:

[Pakrat 1,043]

FRH thinks Pak is jealous. :wink:

 

I didn't realize it at first but you just may be right. I've been married to the same girl for so long that I forgot what it was like to witness new love blossom, it's a beautiful thing, even if it is guy/guy. :tongue:

[Fordrevhead 29]

I didn't realize it at first but you just may be right. I've been married to the same girl for so long that I forgot what it was like to witness new love blossom, it's a beautiful thing, even if it is guy/guy. :tongue:

 

thanks for caring Pak! :blush:

[Fordrevhead 29]

OK, some progress on the rotisserie. Most everything is drilled, welded, etc. Painted the main part of it yesterday. Still waiting for for the lathe at work to free up so I can zip up the rotator. I will also install hydraulic lift cylinders and acme threaded rod center of gravity adjusters. I fashioned up a hitch on the far end, so I can pull it and the Mustang with my garden tractor out onto the gravel driveway and back. I even designed that end with a pivot in the middle like a wagon so I can steer it. It locks straight with two 1/2" bolts.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Fordrevhead
typo

[Pakrat 1,043]

Nice! When does mass production start and how much? :shifty:

[Truck 12]

See what I mean, Pak?

 

First off, our threads around 69stang usually run:

 

1) Look at the price of this rusted hulk!

2) Help! I bought I rusted hulk!

3) What kind of 302 is this?

 

Now, this guy comes in barking about smog-legal shorties for a late model truck! As if we even know what an o2 sensor is, VVI-timing, or ECI fuel/air mixtures! (Not that we really don't know, but it's not 69/70 equipment.) We'll just skip the 'truck' part entirely.

 

Obviously, he's a good guy, because he went into the engine bay willingly.

 

THEN-he throws in, as an aside-"I'm also BUILDING a rotisserie!" Gotta luv it.

[Fordrevhead 29]

Well according to the forum description it is ALL legit.:shifty:

 

"The Garage

Talk about anything and everything that has nothing to do with mustangs or everything to do with mustangs. No technical questions."

 

Anywho, while it started as a rant... I will turn it into the rotisserie thread. However, no one can ask any "technical questions" about the rotisserie here. For that, they would have to start a new thread elsewhere. :biggrin:

 

Regardless, it has the second most hits on the first page of the garage... so lets keep it rolling!

 

Pak, you're right... this guy is getting a little creepy. :blink:

[Truck 12]

Hey now!

 

I said your rant-to-rotisserie thread was making you poster of the year, not that it was creepy! (Laser-cut parts and steerable chasis!)

 

I'm going to go off now and play some B.B.King.

[Pakrat 1,043]

One of these days people are just gonna take what I say for face value, I don't know what I actually have to do too earn that but oh some day, some day they'll be shouting "In pak we trust!" :whistling:

[Fordrevhead 29]

LOL, all in good fun. We know the ones with a good sense of humor.

[Fordrevhead 29]

The spinners for the rotisserie are ready. :tongue_smilie:

 

Here's one set... inner and outer with retaining groove.

[Grabber70Mach 107]

What did Pak say anyway Oh never mind it doesn't make a difference anyway. :shifty::scared::tongue_smilie: So for the non-technical part, :ph34r::shifty: you have any drawings of the rotisserie you would like to share. :whistling: