57 Wagon Holiday Thrash

[milner351]

or get a piece of steel pipe of adequate diameter - 4"? cut it in half axially and use each half to create your "humps" in the cross member.

[mrocketscience]

Yeah, I thought about that solution and that would work, but since I'm lazy(and my welding skills are suspect) modifying the headers and then having the muffler shop run pipe either over or under the x-member will be easier on me...

[DanStokes]

You might want to rethink that. I think you'll find it's easier to modify the cross member than the headers - they're kind of tricky, especially when you have to weld between the pipes. Remember that if you're unsure of your welding you can tack it together and take it to a local welding shop where they'll burn it together for a reasonable fee. If they don't have to cut and fit it won't take them very long and most charge by the hour. Also, the headers are (hopefully) engineered to be the length that they are to work best so if you start carving on them they probably aren't going to make as much power.

Just some thoughts
Dan

[mrocketscience]

Dan... I'm thinking about just shortening the collector part of the header, not the individual pipes. If I shorten it and cut it at an angle pointing slightly down, I should be able to get the reducers on the flange with room to install pipe. I've got a couple of flowmaster mufflers from my son-in-laws car that I'm going to use(more free stuff!). That shouldn't affect power production much at all, and since it's not a race car project I'm not worried about it really...

[Huskinhano]

Exhaust systems are over rated. Just run open headers *G*

[Huskinhano]

You might want to rethink that. I think you'll find it's easier to modify the cross member than the headers - they're kind of tricky, especially when you have to weld between the pipes. Remember that if you're unsure of your welding you can tack it together and take it to a local welding shop where they'll burn it together for a reasonable fee. If they don't have to cut and fit it won't take them very long and most charge by the hour. Also, the headers are (hopefully) engineered to be the length that they are to work best so if you start carving on them they probably aren't going to make as much power.

Just some thoughts
Dan

Looks like a good excuse to buy a nice MIG or TIG welder...heh Dan?

[DanStokes]

Collector length matters, too. Either way, we're with you on this!

Dan

[mrocketscience]

Well, didn't have time to do a whole lot of work this weekend, but did manage to accomplish a few things. The headers have been altered, then cleaned and painted. They should work fine now with plenty of room for muffler/pipe connection. Took 4 inches out of the collector length and rewelded the flange back on. I also installed the balancer and water pump on the front of the engine. The crank pulley I had and was going to use turned out to be way too big and didn't line up with the top pulley, so I had to order another one. Next weekend they are predicting rain, so since I'm doing all this work in my driveway most likely nothing will get done. I still have hope of getting this running by Spring though!....

[mrocketscience]

Just wanted to update the thread (and bump it to the front page.... I got the headers bolted up, execpt for 1 bolt that seems to be impossible to install. I guess I'll have to see if I can find a bolt with an even smaller head. The pulley system is worked out, with a couple of new pullies from CVF racing. I used a Jegs 1 wire alternator that used to be on the Mustang, so the charging system should be a snap. I took measurements for the driveshaft, since the old one is way too short, the old Ford-O-Matic was a much longer trans. There's a local shop that will make a new one for me. I have a care package coming from Summit this week( I love those!) that should give me something to do next Sunday (gauges, electric fuel pump, a few odd n ends). Here's a few pics from yesterday..

[Huskinhano]

Looking good! Man, that motor looks lost in there.

[mrocketscience]

Well, got a little time to tinker with the wagon this weekend. I installed the water temp and oil pressure gauges, and mounted the little Sun tach on the column. I'm waiting for the new electronic distributor to get here so I can wire up the ignition system and hook up the tach. I have an Accel Super Stock coil thats brand new, but been in the garage for 5 years so thats getting used. I scored a nice electric fan unit at Pick-a-Part for $30 that came out of a late model Lincoln, so I need to get the kit that operates it with a thermostat to turn it on and off. I'll pick up the new driveshaft this next Saturday, so we're getting real close to firing this thing off. Still needed: transmission lines to the radiator, figure out how to adapt the column shifter to the C4, gas tank repair, work out the new throttle linkage, probably a lot more stuff I haven't thought of yet... Meanwhile, a photo of the new fan, and a photo of the dash w/new gauges, and, just for fun, a photo of my Saturday night part time job ;)..

[SuperBuickGuy]

rock on

[DanStokes]

Anyone playin' an SG is OK with me! Carlos did Woodstock with one - must be OK. Good progress on the wagon.

Dan

[mrocketscience]

Hey Dan, I have a bunch of guitars, but the SG seems to be my "go to" guitar for gigs. Carlos is a little better than I am (lol), but we do several Santana tunes and it sounds great (thru a Fender Super Reverb)....

[DanStokes]

Not to hijack this thread too far, but look up Randy Garibay on Youtube. There's a vid of him playing at an awards show that'll knock your hat off! He was a better play than he looks like in the vid but I think he was dying of cancer when that was shot - he's gone now. I turn as many people as possible on to him - he was one of the Greats that no one ever heard of.

Back to car stuff -
Dan