It's thrash month here to try and finish up the green 40.
Prepare to be inundated with periodic nightly updates.
Like a cat leaving the head of a mouse or bird after an evening kill.
This was my big gaping hole to fill.
It's been an embarrassing eyesore for well over a year now.
It is the backdrop to every picture of the engine.
No matter how well the progress went,
that frakkin' hole was always glaring at me.
It didn't start out that way.
When positioning the engine,
I had carefully cut the firewall little by little.
Each time repositioning the engine to the new hole,
while it was dangling on the A-frame.
The idea was for a low setback engine,
creating enough space for a pulley-driven fan.
What I didn't do was:
1- consider that I don't like finger chopping pulley driven fans,
and have ran an electric fan since the beginning.
2-measure the humongous AOD transmission to the frame.
After comparing the actual engine block positioning to the flathead,
the engine ended up higher and over the front crossmember.
This meant I really didn't need to cut out all that firewall.
Doh.
For almost a year the plan was to make a removeable firewall piece,
something that would allow that same easy assembly.
Then I thought to myself,
"how many times will I be fixing this?"
It isn't a race car so it's not going to be torn apart quickly in the pits.
If anything it will be a long term project if the transmission burns up.
Jinx!
That thought didn't come first.
My first thought was,
"how in the heck can I make a decent looking removable piece?"
That is why it has taken so long,
and that is why it was easier to just smooth out the original pieces,
and weld them back in!
I am really lucky to have kept the castoffs.
They've been floating around the garage for months,
and the potential for disaster was huge with their sharp points
and razor like edges.
Countless times I had contemplated tossing them away.
Whew...
There's just enough room to remove the rear engine/tranny bolts,
if and when the transmission needs a fix.
Funny how long its taken for something so simple,
and also the fact that it ended with a late night 34 watt bulb welding thrash.
Oh well that's how things get done around here!
TP
Prepare to be inundated with periodic nightly updates.
Like a cat leaving the head of a mouse or bird after an evening kill.
 |
| 34 watt therapy |
This was my big gaping hole to fill.
It's been an embarrassing eyesore for well over a year now.
 |
| holey chit |
It is the backdrop to every picture of the engine.
No matter how well the progress went,
that frakkin' hole was always glaring at me.
 |
| ford SBF |
It didn't start out that way.
When positioning the engine,
I had carefully cut the firewall little by little.
Each time repositioning the engine to the new hole,
while it was dangling on the A-frame.
The idea was for a low setback engine,
creating enough space for a pulley-driven fan.
What I didn't do was:
1- consider that I don't like finger chopping pulley driven fans,
and have ran an electric fan since the beginning.
2-measure the humongous AOD transmission to the frame.
 |
| cut |
After comparing the actual engine block positioning to the flathead,
the engine ended up higher and over the front crossmember.
This meant I really didn't need to cut out all that firewall.
Doh.
 |
| priceless sheetmetal clamps |
There was a beneficial result,
and that was the whole engine and transmission combo could be
installed pre-assembled.
Much easier then matching the engine and transmission in the car.
There's no way to remove only the transmission,
as there's no removable crossmember like the Lincoln had.
 |
| notch |
For almost a year the plan was to make a removeable firewall piece,
something that would allow that same easy assembly.
Then I thought to myself,
"how many times will I be fixing this?"
It isn't a race car so it's not going to be torn apart quickly in the pits.
If anything it will be a long term project if the transmission burns up.
Jinx!
 |
| trimmed |
That thought didn't come first.
My first thought was,
"how in the heck can I make a decent looking removable piece?"
That is why it has taken so long,
and that is why it was easier to just smooth out the original pieces,
and weld them back in!
 |
| fire wall |
I am really lucky to have kept the castoffs.
They've been floating around the garage for months,
and the potential for disaster was huge with their sharp points
and razor like edges.
Countless times I had contemplated tossing them away.
Whew...
 |
| notched 1940 ford firewall for SBF |
There's just enough room to remove the rear engine/tranny bolts,
if and when the transmission needs a fix.
Funny how long its taken for something so simple,
and also the fact that it ended with a late night 34 watt bulb welding thrash.
Oh well that's how things get done around here!
TP
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