Rembrant's new non-Bullnose project

[kramttocs]

Subscribed. I'd missed this thread so had to do some high level catching up. Absolutely incredible Cory!

I'll look over the shroud info you provided in the other thread and then reply here so you don't have to discuss the same thing in two places.

[Rembrant]

Big box arrived from Summit yesterday, and this new carb was one of the items in it. I have been wanting to try this carb for several years now. It's a 500CFM 4bbl with annular boosters. For the carb nerds...I guess the old Autolite 4100 became a Holley 4010 briefly, and is now being sold under the Summit brand. I'm quite excited to try it. I have to install a TPS on it, and fingers crossed that it works...more to come on that.



My goal has always been MPG, which is why this carb has been on my radar. MPG was important to me a few years ago, when gas was cheap by comparison...ugh. Anyway, what I'm aiming for is the best engine operation from idle to about 2500 RPM as that is where I'll be 99% of the time. This truck is just a cruiser.

[BigBrother-84]

kramttocs wrote

Subscribed. I'd missed this thread so had to do some high level catching up. Absolutely incredible Cory!

Same for me!


Curious about the carb swap.  You certainly specified it earlier but I didn’t see.  What MPG presently, and what are your hopes with this swap?

[Gary Lewis]

Looks like a cross between a normal Holley and the Autolite.  But keeping the best parts of the Autolite, like the lack of gaskets holding the gas in.

Should be good for efficiency.    

[Rembrant]

BigBrother-84 wrote

Curious about the carb swap.  You certainly specified it earlier but I didn’t see.  What MPG presently, and what are your hopes with this swap?

Oh...this isn't a carb swap, this is a new install. I've had a bunch of Bullnoses, but this one is my '52 Mercury M1 pickup (Just a Canadian version of a Ford F1). It had the original 239 V8 flathead in it when I bought it with an Offenhauser intake an Holley 2bbl carb. I have since removed and sold that engine (as well as the transmission behind it) and I'm in the process of installing a roller block 5.0 and 4R70W 4spd auto trans from a 1996 F150 pickup.

[Rembrant]

Dragged more Ford junk home this weekend. I've had this for months, but it was in storage at my work.

This is an 8.8 rearend out of a 2001 Ford Explorer. It has 3.55 gears (open) and 31 spline axles same as the trucks (which makes these rear diffs very desirable for custom swaps). It is also has disk brakes. I jumped on this diff when I found it specifically because of the 3.55 gears. A lot of the Explorers had 3.73's and 4.10's depending on the engines. This one was a 5.0 V8 2wd, so I guess it was better set up for the taller 3.55's.

Anyway, the reason I wanted 3.55's is because the 1996 F150 truck(s) that my 5.0L and 4R70W trans came out of also had 3.55's, so everything should work fairly well together.

The Explorer diff is not a direct swap. From the factory they had the leaf springs under the axle, so I'll have to cut those spring pads off, and weld new ones on top. I'll also have to weld on shock mounts as the axle does not have them currently.

Of course, being a junkyard diff, it has one broken wheel stud, so it looks like I'll be pulling an axle to fix that. Otherwise it is (supposedly) a lower mileage unit with only 80k or so miles on it.

Anyway, there's always something to cut and grind...

[mat in tn]

I believe you can swap broken studs in place. no need to remove the axle. remove the caliper and that should be enough.

[kramttocs]

Taking a tangent here but we discussed radiator fans a few days ago.
Did some looking at the radiator you have and the shroud from Champion.
If you can accommodate a 3.5" fan, the Spal 2049 is the way to go. More cfm and quieter. 2024 cfm vs 1469 of their 1516 upgrade.
If that 1" is pushing it but the 2.5" fits, the 1516 upgrade would still be worth it over the generic one.
Spal has a catalog with the specs. The Spals I have (2038) show as 1640 cfm but my tests put it right around 2000 so the numbers above may be conservative also.
I spoke with George at Leadfoot Racing who confirmed the details Spal had told me about the straight, s-curve, and paddle blades so if you call and talk to them, he'd be a good one to ask for.

All of these would require a fan controller with Derale 16797 being one to look at. It has a stick on temp sensor which sounds like it would work best for you also.

[Rembrant]

kramttocs wrote

If you can accommodate a 3.5" fan, the Spal 2049 is the way to go. More cfm and quieter. 2024 cfm vs 1469 of their 1516 upgrade.
If that 1" is pushing it but the 2.5" fits, the 1516 upgrade would still be worth it over the generic one.
Spal has a catalog with the specs.

Ha! I actually have exactly 3.75" clearance from the end of the water pump shaft and the fins of the radiator. When they say that a fan is 3.5", is that including the thickness of the shroud too? I would have a 1/4" more or so if the end of the water pump shaft is not in the way. Next stop after that is the water pump pulley bolt heads. The 1516 unit would likely do me fine.

I'll check that controller also. Thanks for the info, very much appreciated. I'll have to order this stuff soon.

[Nothing Special]

Does the 2049 fan need to be centered in the radiator?  I ask because when I had a serpentine belt system from a later ('90s?) F-150 on my Bronco I had very little room between my water pump shaft and radiator.  The only way I could fit any fan was to offset the fan so the thickest part of the fan didn't fall in the area with the least clearance.

[Gary Lewis]

Good question.  But, if I remember correctly Cory said he had to offset the engine.  So does the water pump shaft actually hit in the center of the radiator?

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Good question.  But, if I remember correctly Cory said he had to offset the engine.  So does the water pump shaft actually hit in the center of the radiator?

No, it does not. The engine is offset to the passenger side by 1.625", so the fan will have some more room depending on where I place it.

[Gary Lewis]

1 5/8" isn't a whole lot, and if the rear of that fan is more than 3 1/4 in diameter it doesn't really help.  Right?

[kramttocs]

Looks like the 2049 will be too deep. The fan itself is 3.45" so guessing you'd need to add at least 1 1/8" for the shroud sitting off the fins and the thickness of the shroud itself.

1516 itself is 2.44".

[Rembrant]

Things have been moving VERY slow with this project, although I now have some of the big jobs taken care of. Today I finally swapped in the Explorer 8.8 disk brake rear diff. I wanted the new spring pads to be bang on as they say, so I made up a little jig and squared it all up on the old spring pads on the 70 year old Dana rear end. I then used this jig to place the new spring pads on the 8.8 diff, and it worked out great. The "new" 8.8 popped right in place.

Old 1952 Dana diff making the jig...



Lining up the spring pads with the jig on my "new" 8.8...



Spring pads tacked in all four corners for test fitment under truck:



That part worked out great. With the diff installed under the truck, I can now swing the shocks back into approximate location, and weld new lower shock mounts on to the axle. I'll tack them under the truck and then pull the whole thing back out to properly weld it all later.

In any case, the 8.8 fits pretty well. It raised the truck by only 1/8" all together, but it doesn't matter as I do intend to lower it a little bit later on. I also added 1.25" adapter spacers on each side...one to convert from the 4.5 bolt pattern to the truck 5.5 bolt pattern, and to "correct" the overall width. All done and swapped in with the wheel spacers the new 8.8 is only 1/2" wider overall, so only a 1/4" extra on each side which is nothing.

I have a factory Explorer swaybar to go with it, so I'll be installing that later on to stiffen things up.

Poor old truck is covered in dust and not moving. It wasn't bothering me much (to not be driving it) with gas hovering at $8/gallon here, but I am missing it now. I wish it was on the road. Oh well, I'll get there.



That was all the good news...

There is bad news...lol. I bought this diff last year from a junkyard 800 miles away. It sat in storage at my work all winter, and I only just unwrapped it this spring. I went to turn the pinion a couple times and it was really sticky and notchy feeling. I pulled the diff cover, and it was full of rust inside....frown!! I don't know if it came out of the axle tubes or if it was sitting in a puddle in the bottom of the pumpkin and got thrown all around with me moving the diff everywhere (or in shipping), but it's in the bearings and gears everywhere. I'll have to pull it all apart and clean it up and swap in new bearings and seals, etc.

I was hoping...and you guys can correct me if this is crazy, but I wanted to disassemble and install new bearings and seals, and put it all back together as it is. I shouldn't have to re-shim anything if I don't change the gears, right? I'll install a new crush sleeve for the pinion bearings, etc...but hoping I can kind of leave everything else alone. Thoughts or comments appreciated;).

That's it folks. Enjoy the long weekend. Happy Canada Day here...July 1st (Used to be Dominion Day). Happy July 4th to the majority of you. Hope you have a nice long weekend with family and friends.

Cheers,
Rem

[Gary Lewis]

Wow, that jig worked out great!  I like that.  

On the sway bar, I'd drive it first and see if you need it.  You might not.

Bummer on the rust.  But I think you are right that you can put it back together and not have to change the shims.  However, I would still check the mesh just to make sure.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Wow, that jig worked out great!  I like that.  

On the sway bar, I'd drive it first and see if you need it.  You might not.

Bummer on the rust.  But I think you are right that you can put it back together and not have to change the shims.  However, I would still check the mesh just to make sure.

Oh ya, I'll check it for sure. I'm just hoping I can leave it alone and not get into redoing all that set up. Even if it was not perfect, we're talking about a truck that will likely only see a 1000-2000 miles per year, so it's not like a daily driver or anything.

[grumpin]

Great job Cory!

[Rembrant]

Took me a little while to get to it, but I rebuilt the 8.8 differential for my truck. It was my first time doing anything more than a gear oil change, or a complete rearend swap out. I bought a complete kit with all new bearings and seals, and it went pretty well. I re-used the original 3.55 gear set, so I took the chance that I could also re-use all the factory shims in their original set up locations, and it worked out well. I got the pinion bearing pre-load almost perfect, and the backlash ended up being almost bang on also at 0.0135". I painted the gears to check the mesh pattern just for kicks, and while it wasn't perfect, it wasn't bad either. It was good enough for this old truck;). Now to get it installed under the rear of the truck, and to get some brake parts on order.

[Gary Lewis]

That looks good, Cory.  I've never done that, so am in awe of those who have.