a bit of this and a bit of that

[mygasser]

the last of the parts for the magnum rear disc conversion arrived today. we also moved all the garage side extension materials from under the zephyr so we can get the last few jobs done on it.
neil.

[mygasser]

we only went and did some more welding on the zephyr today!
the driver's side outer sill is now connected to the inner sill, almost like it was meant to be that way.
neil.
ps more tomorrow with pics.

[mygasser]

today we cut templates, then steel, then..... the wire feed packed in on my bl00dy welder, doh! rally design keep spares though so fingers crossed i can get a new motor tomorrow and sort it.
neil.

[mygasser]

we stripped the welder today to check the motor and sure enough it's dead. when unplugged from the circuit board there's power at the prongs on said circuit board when you press the wire feed button inside next to the wire reel so that's good. i got in touch with rally design where it came from several years ago knowing they kept extensive spares stock for this welder and one of the guys dropped a new motor assembly to me on his way home from work.
neil.

[mygasser]

the zephyr's structural welding is done, woohoo! i've got to collect a pair of tyres tomorrow so may not do anything on it until thursday now. then it's hook the steering rack to the the cut off zephyr column and sort the access hole in the floor there. this one's nearly done.
neil.

[mygasser]

we got the majority of the steering sorted yesterday. i needed to pop over to rally design to collect uj's and splined shafts. a section of 1 shaft had to be turned down to fit inside the zephyr's inner column, much better/stronger than butt welding to the end. we turned a supension poly bush down to slip tightly between the inner and outer column and made a 'top hat' spacer to sit between the bush and upper uj as a retainer. next with the 2nd uj on the rack splines (after they were shortened 2") so we could measure the intermediate splined shaft. with the 2nd shaft cut to length we welded the splined ends into a sleeve their full length. the top hat and shaft were painted as the last job ready to assemble today. the last part is to trim the jinormous hole in the bulkhead and add a plate with just a small hole for the column. on these old ford's the steering column/box assembly came out through the inside of the car so the hole had to be big enough for the box to fit through. someone has cut a big 'flap' extending down from said hole that was just bent inside the car? we'll sort it and make a tab to weld to the column outer that'll bolt to the new bulkhead section we'll add today.
pics today once it's all wrapped up.
neil.

[mygasser]

today we made the bulkhead panel and welded it in place with just a small hole for the 'new' column to poke through as planned. the new intermediate shaft and uj's were then bolted in place. we noticed a couple of pin holes on the floor so we decided they'd be much easier to repair while inside the car. that then made the decision to add the mounting tabs between the column and bulkhead while we're in there rather than struggling up on steps through the half open door gap. once down on it's wheels we can roll it forward clear of the ramp to get the door wide open, it'll be much easier to work in there then. sooooo.... we looked at what else we could get done today and thought ''we'll hang the front wings so they're out of the way''. first though we fitted the n/s nutserts to the new inner wing. we then drilled the o/s ones out and replaced them with the new ones that are 'ribbed' where they pinch onto the panel unlike the old ones which were smooth. the ribbed ones won't work loose and turn if the wing ever has to come off again. last job today then was bolting the wings in place.
neil.

[mygasser]

on the basis that my 390 crank' needs a regrind i thought it sensible to buy new big end and main bearings. yes i know it should be ground first then order bearings to suit but as i could get both ends and mains on ebay (nos) for less than just the mains from real steel and they're both .020" i think i'll be fine.
neil.

[mygasser]

today we welded tabs to the column and new bulkhead panel to allow the lower column to be attached securely. then we cleaned up and cut out and cu tout any soft bits of floor left. 2 plates n/s and 3 o/s so not much really. that's about it for now on this one, it's coming back for exhausts once it's been painted and the engine/box fitted back in.
neil.

[mygasser]

after tidying the garage today we put the viva magnum axle up on the bench to start mocking up parts for the disc conversion. the discs fit perfectly which was a good start. the calipers look like they'll need to hang under the disc to get the handbrake cables pointing in a sensible direction but they won't care where they are, lol. it all came to a stop when we found the pads were wrong, doh! so we'll be ordering the other much less common type. it is what it is and won't stop us getting on with mounting the calipers to the axle though, it's just a nuisance.
neil.

[mygasser]

oh and i almost forgot we've got to pop over to a mates house friday to chop his steel model A truck for him. i'll take the camera, lol.
neil.