39 Ford Project

[Custer55]

Woo hoo! Lights (front and back), action (vroom, vroom!) - gotta be getting excited! The light at the end of the tunnel, and it isn't a train! Good job!

Thanks, still lots to do but getting there!!

[Belair-o]

Woo hoo! Lights (front and back), action (vroom, vroom!) - gotta be getting excited! The light at the end of the tunnel, and it isn't a train! Good job!

[Custer55]

I got a few more things off the to do list the past week or so.
20250314_123616.jpgFor a brake light switch I was going to plumb in a pressure type switch but decided against it because most are not compatible with Dot 5 brake fluid which I like to use as it doesn't hurt the paint. I got this lever type switch from Speedway Motors as it is meant to mount to the engine compartment side of the firewall with under floor master cylinders. I drilled and tapped the lever for an 8-32 machine screw and attached a screw with a little roller tube where it will contact the brake pedal arm.
20250314_123630.jpgThe problem with that was the position the switch ended up was right behind the brake pedal so it was impossible to drill the mount holes for the switch around the brake pedal. I tried to take out the pedal but that wouldn't work without removing the booster and master cylinder. So I made a small adapter out of 3/16" aluminum to mount the switch to so I had room to work around the brake pedal to drill the mount holes. I only had to drill one from the engine side then just located the rest from the interior side of the firewall.
20250314_161111.jpgHere is the switch mounted in place. I checked it's function with a battery and a test light and the brake lights will come on with about and inch of pedal travel. I can make small adjustments with the mount holes or the size of the roller that contacts the pedal as well.
20250314_161139.jpgOn the inside just the 4 10-32 machine screws hold the hole thing in place. Once I get sound deadener, insulation and carpet in place they will never be seen.
20250316_100535.jpgNext was to install the 12 volt halogen headlight conversion kit that also came from Speedway Motors. The kit comes with H4 halogen bulbs, bulb holders to go into the original headlight reflectors (in my case my home made reflectors), wiring pigtails and a press nut to hold the bulb holders into the reflectors. Instructions said to drill out the reflector hole to 1" dia. and the use the press nut to hold it in place. Well I could not get the press nuts to hold anything no matter how I tried so I ended up drilling a couple of holes and pop riveting the bulb holders into the reflectors which worked much better.
20250316_111425.jpgHere is one mounted into the headlight bucket so it will function just like the original headlight with a 12 volt halogen bulb instead of the original 6 volt bulb.
20250316_110746.jpgAnd with the lens and trim ring in place It will also look just like the original.
20250316_110917.jpgAnd temporarily hooked up to a battery to test out the light. Not sure how bright the headlights will be but has to be better than 6 volt originals. I don't drive my old cars and night very often anyway but just good to have headlight for the few times they will be needed.
20250318_160401.jpgTuesday it was in the mid 50's here so I got the engine and trans bolted back in place and installed the quadrajet carb I got used off of ebay a while back to see how it would start and run with an actual carb on it. I had started it previously with just the starter and HEI wired up by just squirting a bit of fuel in the intake manifold. This time I filled the float bowl through the vent until the accelerator pump would squirt some fuel and it started right up as before and would idle and rev up nicely with the throttle. It will still need some tuning but I feel confident it will run just fine.
After I had run it a bit (not too long as with no working cooling system or exhaust system it was pretty loud, and I didn't want it to get too hot) I added a fuel line from the pump to the carb so I will just need to run a hose into a gas can the next time I start it up. I also drained the oil as the oil looked ok and was pretty much up to the full mark but I have no idea how long that oil has been in there so it will have fresh oil and filter and hopefully mufflers before I start it up again.
Brian

[Custer55]

/\ What he said! Liked the tip of using copper wire to mock up the brake line!

Thanks, the wire mock up is easy to bend up and gets you in the ball park for the shape as well as the length of the line so well worth the time.

[Custer55]

Nice!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!

[Belair-o]

/\ What he said! Liked the tip of using copper wire to mock up the brake line!

[bigblock]

Nice!!!!!!!!!

[Custer55]

Continuing on the front lines.
20250301_162131.jpg
For the line that goes across the front crossmember I made a mock up with cooper wire first then copied it with the brake tubing. On the left end where the tubing will go thorough the frame I put a small grommet behind the tube nut and siliconed it in place so the tube nut would not slide back into the frame by accident during installation.
20250302_124944.jpgFront line in place on the drivers side.
20250302_124952.jpgContinuing over to the passenger side and through the frame.
20250309_115837.jpgDrivers side front hose bracket attached to the frame and clipped in place.
20250309_115857.jpgAnd a slightly different view of the bracket on the passenger side. For the front brake hoses I am using 79 Camaro hoses as they were the longest hoses I could find that had the correct end for the calipers which I am pretty sure are GM D154 from the kit I bought years ago that came with 11" Granada rotors to fit the Mustang II spindles.
20250308_112216.jpg
So the last step before filling the system with fluid and start the bleeding process was to install the rear brake shoes and drums. It is a Power Stop kit that came with most of the needed parts and coated drums. It's been a while since I have worked on any drum brakes so they are kind of a pain compared to disc brakes but I think I have then all together right.
20250308_113049.jpgAnd here is the drum in place. It looks nice with the silver coating vs the rusty old drums. After filling the master cylinder with Dot 5 fluid I started bleeding the brakes. I had a couple of spots I had to tighten up some fittings better but that is to be expected when doing a complete new system. I think I will need to bleed a bit more air out eventually but am getting a pretty good hard pedal so happy with that since the front calipers had been sitting in a box for over 25 years. So at this point I have steering and brakes that work.
Brian

[Custer55]

Slow but sure I am getting closer to this car being drivable.
20250214_135806.jpgWith the rear fender lips flattened out I bolted them back on along with the rear tires to check clearances. I don't have the brake drums in place here but the steel flat I taped to the tire is the same thickness as the drum will be. The steel flat clears the inside lip of the fender at the top by 3/16" or so now so that should be fine since it is just at the widest part of the tire sidewall and not at the tread.
20250217_111508.jpgMy next project was to run brake lines and I ended up buying a 25 foot roll of 3/16" tubing so I made this tool to straighten the line with some old rollers I had laying around.
20250217_111527.jpgIt doesn't get the line perfectly straight but good enough for me. I looked at some tools online that are for one specific tubing size that looked like they would work better so at some point I may invest in one. The tool I built will work on 3/16" up to 3/8" tubing so still worth having though.
20250218_111501.jpgHere are the lines on the rear end. The tee fitting on the left is from the 57 Ford rear end so I used a 57 Ford rear brake hose as well.
20250220_120241.jpgThen I made a bracket to hold the other end of the brake hose to the frame. So as not to burn off any paint I drilled and tapped the frame and attached the bracket with 2 stainless 10-32 machine screws. 20250307_144042.jpg
Here is the line off the master to the rear brake hose with a 10 lb. residual valve and Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve. I ended up with a 3/16" spacer behind the prop valve as the adjusting knob was tight to the frame without it. I also added the slot in the frame for the rear line to go from one side of the frame to the other. 20250307_143857.jpg
Here the line continues to the rear brake hose. I bumped it up over the rear spring hanger bracket mount bolts so if that ever needs to be removed it can be done without disconnecting the brake line.
20250307_143848.jpgAnd all hooked up to the brake hose at the rear.
20250302_125057.jpgHere is the front line from the master cylinder to the front brakes with a 2 lb. residual valve for disc brakes. So I would only need one residual valve I added a tee fitting to the front brake hoses.
Also I drilled holes in the frame to run the hard lines through so I wouldn't have to cut anymore of the inner fenders away to clear the hose and hose brackets.
20250302_125255.jpgI still need to make a bracket to hold the end of the hose to the frame but you can see how the line comes out of the frame to attach to the hose.

[Custer55]

Hi Brian,
The tool you built for holding the pinion yoke from turning confused me for a while, until I read the words in the description and considered the pics and words together. I get it! Very cool!
Thanks, Doug

I get pretty confused at times as well!! LOL

[Belair-o]

Hi Brian,
The tool you built for holding the pinion yoke from turning confused me for a while, until I read the words in the description and considered the pics and words together. I get it! Very cool!
Thanks, Doug

[Custer55]

My next project was to clean up the rear end center section and install a new pinion seal. I cleaned up the rust the same as the housing with my new needle scaler and wire brushes.
20250131_112303.jpgBefore I removed the pinion yoke I made marks on on the end of the pinion shaft, nut and yoke so I could put them all back the same after replacing the seal. I also bought an inch pound torque wrench to check the preload before removing the yoke.
20250207_144334.jpgThe preload measured between 15 and 17 inch pounds which is in the range it should be for used bearings from the info I could find. I had to make a 1/4 inch drive (torque wrench) to 1/2 inch drive adapter (1 1/16 inch socket) from a 1/4 drive half inch socket and a piece of 5/8" rod filed square on one end and small enough to press into the socket on the other end. Also made a tool to bolt onto the pinion yoke while tightening the pinion nut. I just used a pipe wrench on the pinion yoke to remove the nut but didn't want to do that to reinstall it as I had it all cleaned up and repainted at that point.
20250207_144718.jpgHere I have my tool attached to the pinion yoke and my long breaker bar on the pinion yoke nut. Using the breaker bar worked well because it was easy to just tighten the nut a half a turn at a time until it was close to the marks I made before removing the yoke and then check the preload with the torque wrench. When I got the marks lined up the preload was just a touch higher than it was before removal. I am guessing this is from the new pinion seal having a bit more resistance to it or just being slightly tighter with the pinion nut, but all well within range of of what it should be.
20250208_113328.jpgAnd with a fresh coat of paint this will be ready to reinstall in the housing once the paint dries for a few days.
20250208_155205.jpgWhile I was letting the paint cure on the rear end I worked on the rear fender inner lips. This one is done and will give me an extra 1/4" clearance to the tire. I made a dolly from 3/8" flat steel with a bend in the middle and a handle welded on to first hammer the lip down over the dolly and then used a piece of 3/8" rod (left of the dolly) to hammer the inner edge over a bit so if the tire would ever come in contact with the inner lip it won't be a sharp edge.
20250211_155734.jpgYesterday I got the rear end center section bolted back in place and the axles bolted back in place. Also installed all new wheel studs on the axles as some were not in the best shape.
Also have new wheel cylinders in place here as well.
20250211_155801.jpgAnd a view from the passenger side with the old brake drum in place to check the wheel studs would be ok as the shank was a bit longer on them than the originals. Also as you can see the rear end u-bolts that I got from Advance Auto are way to long so they will need to be trimmed once I know whether or not I will need lowering blocks to get the ride height set.
20250211_160236.jpgMy plan is to get a kit from Power Stop brakes that includes new brake drums, shoes, springs, etc. but didn't look like it included these parts so they will need to be reused. I soaked these in phosphoric acid to get rid of the rust so they will just need a quick media blast and some paint or clear coat to be good to go.
Brian

[Custer55]

Man, that front end looks fantastic!
Nice that you have the parts to choose from (like multiple rearends), and made me laugh to my self when you mentioned how clean the oil looked drained from the Mustang rearend - 50 years, man, how time flies! Your adaptations and making the parts play well together is an inspiration. Thanks for posting your project advances! Looking good!

Thanks Doug
I will keep posting my progress as there still plenty of fun left to do!!
Brian

[Belair-o]

Man, that front end looks fantastic!
Nice that you have the parts to choose from (like multiple rearends), and made me laugh to my self when you mentioned how clean the oil looked drained from the Mustang rearend - 50 years, man, how time flies! Your adaptations and making the parts play well together is an inspiration. Thanks for posting your project advances! Looking good!

[Custer55]

Slow but sure I have been making progress on the 39 Ford Project.
image.pngI got the spindles, caliper brackets, calipers and rotors cleaned up and painted and re assembled. Still need new tie rod ends, springs, shocks, brake hoses but looking better all the time.
image.pngAnother view. I still need to install the brake pads and figure out what to do for a front sway bar as well.
image.pngThen I got some rubberized undercoating on the rear inner fenders. It is a paintable type but looks good enough for me this way. One thing you may notice in this shot is the rear shackle appears to be angled towards the front of the car (it is). more on this later.
image.pngThe next saga was with the rear end I had planned to use which was a 9 inch ford from a 57 Ford I had purchased at a swap meet some years back. At 57 1/4" hub to hub it was a bit narrow as the tires barely cleared the springs but not a big deal as wheel spacers would take care of that. The ratio was a 3.56 so I would need an overdrive trans to have reasonable rpm on the highway.
I have a rebuildable Turbo 350, or could be good for a core exchange on a rebuilt trans which would be much cheaper than a 700R4. I also have ring and pinion gears from a 59 Ford with a 3.0 ratio that would work better without the overdrive but that would mean rebuilding the 3rd member vs maybe just a new pinion seal in the 3.56 3rd member. I also need brake drums etc. for the 9" rear. So when searching for parts to 57 to 59 9" Ford rears it turns out since it was only used for this configuration parts for it are not cheap. Basically you can get disc brake kits for these rear ends for not much more than all the parts for the drum brakes. I didn't want to do that though since I already have a master cylinder for a disc / drum combo.
That is when I remembered I had an 8" Mustang rear end that my dad had given me about 20 years ago so I dragged that out to see if that one would be easier to set up as I knew it was complete with all the brakes etc. and what the ratio was. The 8" rear should be plenty strong enough for the 305 that I have so it came down to what the ratio was and if the hub to hub width would work. Turns out the ratio on the tag indicated it was a 2.79 ratio out of a 67 Mustang which will be good with no overdrive. The hub to hub width is 59 1/4" so 1" wider per side than the 57 Ford rear end. But when searched for replacement parts they are much cheaper probably due to how popular early Mustangs are so finally to the point here I have the Mustang rear bolted in place to check tire clearance in this picture. It is a bit tight but I can gain enough clearance by massaging the outer fender lip a bit as the clearance is good at the tire tread it is just tight a the section width area. I will be using a smaller dia. tire than what I have here as well so that will help too.
image.pngAnother view of the tire clearance with the 8" rear end. Tight but doable so this is the rear end I will be using. The other advantage of this rear is that it is in pretty good shape, the gear oil I drained out was fairly clean considering it is probably over 50 years old. Will need a new pinion seal, one new axle bearing as one of them was not original and looks to be in good shape. I will also put in new axle seals and gaskets while I have it apart. I will also put in all new brake parts and drums as well as they are less than half the cost of the replacement parts for the 57 Ford rear end.
20250111_154559.jpgSince I knew this rear end will work I started on cleaning it up to repaint it. Typical rust for a part this old but it cleaned up nicely. I bought a needle scaler from Harbor Freight since I don't have a good place to sandblast something this big this time of year. About half done here, the combination of the needle scaler and a wire wheel does a pretty good job cleaning it up for paint.
Takes longer the sand blasting but it works good getting rid of the rust.
20250116_130553.jpgAll cleaned up and ready for paint.
20250117_161953.jpgAnd with a couple of coats of semi gloss black it almost looks new again.
20250123_121451.jpgAnd finally I ended up moving the rear spring brackets forward about the same amount as I moved the front brackets so the shackles would be angled to the rear. I had to slightly re bend the brackets to fit the frame better and re-drill 2 holes in the frame and weld up 3 holes in the brackets and re-drill them to line up with the frame holes again which was a pain in the rear but worthwhile in the end to make it all right. The tires are centered much better in the wheel openings now as well. Once I get the car completely put back together I will see if I need lowering blocks in the rear to get the ride height where I want it (Thinking it will need them) so I can slightly adjust the wheel base with custom blocks if needed as well.
Brian