Thanks. From now on on my builds I'm going to try to quit using poof cans and use real paint. I'm tired of the stuff looking crappy after assembly etc. So I'm trying to see what is working for others. Ryan.
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Ryan, like Roger said all the bolts and nuts on the suspension are chrome, but on mine almost every other bolt and nut are Stainless Steel... i polished each and everyone. once polished they stay bright for life... makes it easy to clean.
I'll offer that the polished stainless steel bolts look good, but you want to be careful using them in high stress dynamic applications as their tensile strength characteristics are considerably different than carbon steel. In particular a SS bolt is subject to work hardening and failure in dynamic situations. A buddy used six big button head SS bolts polished to a high luster to hold his crank pulley on the front of the dampner, and after about six months of running found five of six broken and the pulley flopping around when he pulled off the road at a gathering. There's a reason OEM's don't use SS for things like wheel studs. Just be sure of your use and choose the material & tensile strength accordingly.
you got it Roger, nothing with stress on it.... don't want to have the shiny side upside one day...
You can get 17-4 stainless steel bolts that have nearly twice the tensile strength of typical 18-8 (304). Click on the high-strength corrosion resistant type.
McMaster-Carr
Good info here (above) and a valuable reminder... FYI, most of the stainless bolts available at your local hardware store are grade-4; OK in many applications, but not good for high stress.
I agree in spades, Jim. And although "high strength, corrosion resistant" bolts are close to twice the strength of the regular SS bolts offered, they are still only slightly higher in strength than a Grade 5 CS bolt. For critical, dynamic service a Grade 8 CS fastener is the right choice. Use SS for non-critical services where you want the "bling" of a polished fastener, not where you're relying on it for safety.
Back in 2010 I laid-back the radiator and grille, which put the filler neck in a very awkward position. To fill the radiator I either parked on a steep slope or jacked up the rear of the car a foot or more. I finally got fed up with it and started looking at options, like adding a filler neck in the top radiator hose, but everything's just too tight. I finally decided the only fix was to cut the top weld, leaving it connected at the bottom, take a pie cut and bend it level.
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I visited with friend Nate Boyer who has Kultured Customs shop, and he said he could do it without taking the radiator out! Sweet!! He ended up chasing pinhole leaks in the old weld, adjacent to his work, and finally just welded around the whole seam because of internal contaminants from 10 years of use. It's going to be so much easier to check & add coolant! Great to have friends who are builders!
Good idea! Came out nice too.
Today I changed the old coolant and it was easy peezy! I first drained the system and measured the volume to find that 2 gallons would be more than enough. At the Auto Parts Store a gallon of concentrate was $15.99, or a gallon of 50/50 dilluted was $12.99...... So I can buy 2 gallons of 50/50 for $26, or one gallon of concentrate for $15.99 and add my own water to have 2 gallons? Are people really that stupid? Yes, I came home with one jug, and quickly had 2 gallons of 50/50. Since I had drilled a 1/8" hole in the thermostat plate the fill was super easy with the new fill neck!
Next is replacing the relay based pushbutton start with a traditional keyed ignition switch, another of those things that I've tired of since the initial build...
1. - YES, people can be that stupid!
2. - What's with the PB start? I thought everyone loved it? I don't have one so enquiring minds want to know! Do tell.
what's the hub..... bub...??? LOL
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Back in 2010 the options for PB start were limited but I found one from Watson's StreetWorks, a multiple relay system with a maintained "Accessory" PB and a second spring return to "ON" PB for "Start". The down side is that there's no security, like the key fob on a modern PB start, so the only thing you can do is hide a toggle switch that breaks the connection to ground. I have two, one a simple toggle, and one that's a security key like you see on vending machine coin boxes, the circular key with custom cutouts. A problem is that the "Start" PB engages the starter, then spring returns to "ON". If the engine does not start on the initial crank you must press the PB to "OFF", then the next push engages the starter again. With my EFI, the logic enriches the injector pulse width on the initial "Start", then if you reengage the starter it drops back to the normal "RUN" pulse on the injectors. However, if you turn the key "OFF", it resets the logic and triggers the enriched pulse. For me, with the PB Relays, every time the starter is engaged it's pushing extra fuel, tending to flood the engine, or worse wash the cylinders. It's time to abandon the relays and PB's, and put in a key switch.
AH! I get it now. I think it's strange "they" didn't provide a circuit to power the ignition during crank but... no matter.
Applying the KISS principal is usually best anyway. As an aside, The Ford starter solenoid from the early 60's with 4 posts, the post closest to the battery terminal connection as you probably know operates the relay.. the one to the right of that is to feed battery power to the ignition during cranking. Or you can also add a wire to the starter connection at the solenoid to power the ignition during cranking.. (if you need to)