Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Yep Denny, China is taking over the manufacturing world. Just today we installed the starter solenoid on my Sons T (Ford type) and I was surprised to see Made in USA on the box. But he had to pay twice as much for it as the typical Advance/AutoZone type.

Don

Don, you are the third person I know of who has had nothing but problems with those little starters not fitting right. I think it will be a cold day in you-know-where before I ever run one of those. My coupe puked the starter in front of a friends garage one day last Spring. In about ten minutes we had it off (didn't even have to jack up the car) and in another 20 minutes we were heading back from the local Advance-Discount parts store with a $28 remanufactured starter. Bolted it on and problem solved; no shims, no adjustments, nothing special.

Henry, I ordered a Holley blue pump and put it on a big-block powered truck one time because I was told that gas hog would need the volume. It was so noisy (growl, roar, growl) it drove everyone nuts who rode in the truck. We eventually changed it to an ordinary AC Delco electric pump. It was quiet (tick, tick, tick), did the job just fine, and replacements were available almost everywhere.

I switched out the Holley today, and installed an Edelbrock. I made two thick (aobut 3/8") rubber washers by cutting "cookies" from heavy duty oil-cooler hose. Put locktite on the bolts and clamped it down pretty tight. Edlebrock also uses a very thick rubber shim inside the clamp, so it's pretty isolated. Can't hardly hear it run.

It probably would have been cheaper to run a Delco, but, a) I didn't think of it, and b) the Edelbrock needed no re-plumbing.

Boy Don this must be driving you nuts. I have had good luck with the little starters, I use McLeod brand but they don't sell them anymore.
For fuel pumps I base it on what kind of rpm your going to run the motor at. For me if it is under 6,000 I use a good mechanical pump, I don't think you can beat them for noise and dependability. Just my 2 cents.
What kind of fuel filter do you use? I have had bad luck with them.Either they are to fine of filtration or to little and I get junk in the needle and seat. I don't know where the crap comes from.
Ken

Ken, I have always used a marine water seperating fuel filter with a spin on element, simply because I worked in that industry and could get them reasonably, and also because they do a real good job. But I didn't have room on the T for one, so I had to go with an inline one from Speedway. It is a pretty neat looking finned one, and very compact. It also has a replacable paper element.

I was going to work on my starter tonight, but got sidetracked helping Dan lay up a new frame he is doing. I am going to get that thing shimmed right if it kills me.

Don

PS: How is the picture shrinking coming Ken? I see you got your Avatar looking good.

Ken on shrinking photo's i made a internet album that i copy them to. Here i resize them for email and posting . This way i can still print clear pics and view them at full size from original albums.

Don i had abit of your life yesterday also. The middle boy was here and went at helping me get cpe work done . He's learning but what he did while here freed up a few hours for me and made good headway. Oldest son stopped by too , he was here visiting then went and washed his new Mustang LOL. Hard to get some dirt under his nails .

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Ken, I have always used a marine water seperating fuel filter with a spin on element, simply because I worked in that industry and could get them reasonably, and also because they do a real good job. But I didn't have room on the T for one, so I had to go with an inline one from Speedway. It is a pretty neat looking finned one, and very compact. It also has a replacable paper element.

I was going to work on my starter tonight, but got sidetracked helping Dan lay up a new frame he is doing. I am going to get that thing shimmed right if it kills me.

Don

PS: How is the picture shrinking coming Ken? I see you got your Avatar looking good.

Don,
Resizing is my next project (I promise). I'm sure you will figure out the starter problem.
Is this the filter you have? This is the one I'm having problems with, it's not catching anything. I had to stop on the freeway last Thursday because a hung of junk got by it and held the needle open and flooded the engine. That's fun to do out here
Ken

Bobby, cool that you got to work with the Kids. Not only that, but it is cheap labor (sometimes)

Ken, well mine is sort of like that, but has a bracket to mount it. Speedway sells both versions, is that where you got yours? Sorry to hear about the trash getting by it. I notice you have the arrow pointing toward the starter, which leads me to believe that is toward the rear. I can't read what the arrow says, is that direction of flow or "in"? Dumb guestion, is there an element inside for sure, maybe it was Friday on the assembly line.

You are right about my starter. I was determined I was not going to quit today until I had the starter problem solved. I checked the shimming, pulled it back off, and rechecked all the alignments, cleaned up the mounting surface, and bolted it back on. Then I went to West Marine and paid their ridiculous price for a red number 2 and black number 2 marine grade battery cable. $ 86 later I had 6 feet of each, and installed the correct ends and shrink tubing on the ends. Clamped it to the frame every foot or so, and got the cables hooked to the battery. I decided to run my ground cable right to the starter to insure a good connection.

Then the moment of truth came, and I hooked up a solenoid wire and touched it to hot. SUCCESS AT LAST!!!!!!!!! It cranked just like it should, and man Ken, you were right, that little Oddysey Battery is supercharged!! Any fears I had about it having enough CCA's to spin this engine were put to bed today. I hope that is the end of my starter issues, and now I can move on to the fuel lines. Gonna have Goodyear Rubber locally make up braided lines with AN fittings.........not exactly oldtimey, but they sure work well.

BTW, we didn't get Don's frame painted like we hoped yesterday. We actually worked from about 10 AM til 6 PM sandblasting the frame and all suspension pieces out in the hot sun, and we were both fried. So tonight we are going to try to get the frame spot puttied and maybe shoot some primer on it. Didn't want to rush things now and screw it up.

Here are some pictures of my battery cables, and also of Don sandblasting his frame. Uncle Bob gave me a great suggestion about putting a plastic barrier around us while sandblasting...........it really did contain the sand much better, and cleanup was a cinch. Thanks Bob. That sort of makes up for some of those "women?" you posted pictures of........sort of.


Don

Pretty in pink . . .

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Pretty in pink . . .

I have looked everywhere for that pink cable, but could only find RED

Nah, it's red. Just photographed pinkish. Besides, I'm secure in my masculinity.


Don

Don never thought of it as free labor when there around it still costs me . LOL


$86 for some 6ft's huh . Marine grade will stand up to any weather even the salt i guess.

Yeah Bobby, each strand is individually tinned for corrosion resistance. I used to get a deal on it when I was in that business, but I pay retail now and it hurts.

Don and I got his frame DA'd tonight and filled some low spots with filler. One quick sanding with 320 tomorrow night and we can shoot some epoxy primer on it, then some surfacing primer. He is going to paint it gloss blue, so we need to make it as smooth as possible before the top coats go on. All in all it isn't looking too bad so far, but is taking longer than we thought.

Don

Don it's looking like your going to make both cars to turkey run this year. It's nice you get time to work with your boys. The work, style, and fun you all have shown us is great.
Brad

Thank you Brad. I think you are right about us possibly making it in time. Sure hope so.

I finally did some work today that is sort of post-worthy. As you guys know, I am running Sanderson Limefire headers with no other exhaust system. My Sons are convinced it is quiet enough with just open headers ( ) but I don't think so. The T is going to be conspicuous enough to the police, last thing I need is open headers to boot.

I knew I wanted to have some type of baffle system to slip into the headers, and went on line and found a company that makes them to fit Sanderson headers. The price is $ 160 a pair. I actually dialed the number and hung up before they answered because from the picture on their website the baffles were nothing special, and came unwelded. If I was going to do that, I might as well build the whole thing myself. So yesterday I started.

The first thing I did was cut 2 triangular shaped plates out of 1/4 inch flat stock to the exact shape of my header collector flange. Then I punched 3 bolt holes in them an a 2 inch hole in the middle for an exhaust pipe to slip into. I went to Advance Auto Parts and bought an 18 inch piece of 2 inch exhaust pipe and cut it in half.

What it ended up looking like was this.......................