37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[IC2]

I just finished up building the dual framework to bolt the BMW seats down using the existing floor board bolt holes that were for the Glide seats. I guess that I can say that I did get some good practice fabbing angle iron and flat plate stock and a bunch of welding to get these to fit properly. What a PITA!! I have two pair of risers and the two sets of adjusters left over - thank goodness for evilBay. Now, to get the rest of the carpet and interior in and get this project running in forward again and at least make some suspicious black marks in front of the house

As far as post '02 Beemer convert seats for shoulder harnesses - only in my dreams up here in the normally frozen tundra of the Great Northeast. Until I get the seats reupholstered, the 4 point harness will have to come over the top - I'll probably have to install some sort of retainer on the top of the seat to hold it in place, but no big deal there (I say here with bated breath)

[34_40]

Now, to get the rest of the carpet and interior in and get this project running in forward again and at least make some suspicious black marks in front of the house

(I say here with bated breath)

Glad to hear you're moving forward! Black marks in front of the house.. Now it's ME who is JEALOUS!

I've been fighting a charging issue on mine. I have a red top optima battery and it's been driving my alternator crazy! I took the alternator to a friends shop last week and after testing we proved it worked fine. I re-installed it and it would continually overcharge. And I mean like 18 Volts!

So, I pulled it again and yesterday went back to his shop, he rebuilds starters & alternators, we opened it up to replace the regulator, we discovered that the rectifier center terminal was loose as the surgeons at Powermaster had overtightened the nut and stripped the threads, and they still shipped it out! .. So much for quality control!

I even bought a new battery charger to handle the AGM battery! After re-charging I reassembled everything last night and while the new regulator is holding voltage to 14.5 volts, I tried a new lead acid battery and there is a big difference as the alternator/regulator runs about 14.3 volts and you can hear the load coming on and off. While the optima battery forces the alternator to run constantly.

I wanted to try the new technology of the optima battery but I am giving it up. I don't hear any good things about'em and just wanted to see it for myself. Oh well. Better luck next time.

[IC2]

Glad to hear you're moving forward! Black marks in front of the house.. Now it's ME who is JEALOUS!

I've been fighting a charging issue on mine. I have a red top optima battery and it's been driving my alternator crazy! I took the alternator to a friends shop last week and after testing we proved it worked fine. I re-installed it and it would continually overcharge. And I mean like 18 Volts!

So, I pulled it again and yesterday went back to his shop, he rebuilds starters & alternators, we opened it up to replace the regulator, we discovered that the rectifier center terminal was loose as the surgeons at Powermaster had overtightened the nut and stripped the threads, and they still shipped it out! .. So much for quality control!

I even bought a new battery charger to handle the AGM battery! After re-charging I reassembled everything last night and while the new regulator is holding voltage to 14.5 volts, I tried a new lead acid battery and there is a big difference as the alternator/regulator runs about 14.3 volts and you can hear the load coming on and off. While the optima battery forces the alternator to run constantly.

I wanted to try the new technology of the optima battery but I am giving it up. I don't hear any good things about'em and just wanted to see it for myself. Oh well. Better luck next time.

I didn't think Optima batteries were AGM but a leak proof lead acid but needed a regulated charger - they WILL die - FAST - if they are overcharged though. Makes me wonder about my Powermaster alternator and my 2 year old Optima now as well, but so far the few hours that I have on this engine, the charge rate has been low. I do keep a Battery Minder on it though to maintain the charge. If I have to change to a standard battery, that presents a problem as I'll need a fully vented battery box.

My mission today is to get the rest of the carpet installed - but need better heat resistant contact cement for the firewall - so a quest for some DAP or similar.

[34_40]

I didn't think Optima batteries were AGM but a leak proof lead acid but needed a regulated charger - they WILL die - FAST - if they are overcharged though. Makes me wonder about my Powermaster alternator and my 2 year old Optima now as well, but so far the few hours that I have on this engine, the charge rate has been low. I do keep a Battery Minder on it though to maintain the charge. If I have to change to a standard battery, that presents a problem as I'll need a fully vented battery box.

We are in the same boat. My Optima says right on it - it's an AGM. Takes a charger with a AGM mode (for lack of another word) to bring it back. I also need to add a vent or change boxes. I think the battery has developed a memory and won't apparently charge past that point so your tender may be your saving grace. I too am less than pleased with the Powermaster name, too bad the assembler didn't just swap out that rectifier and say "hey, this one is bad". But to ship it with stripped connections...

Anyhow, it's water under the bridge. I'm going to see if I can get some credit for the battery, it's supposedly has a 3 year warranty... we'll see what happens.

[randyr]

Ok fellas, so I've actually been working on my car again and I have pics to prove it! LOL! I think I said in an earlier post that I was going to remount the rear end using new springs, hangers, shackles, etc because my old setup had the car sitting way to high in the rear plus I didn't like the rear shackle setup I had. I bought a pair of barely used springs from SAC Hotrods on craigslist. I contact SAC to buy the appropriate mounting hardward for them only to find they were closing their doors. It was sad because I've seen their ads in car magazines for years. Anyway, I called in the nick of time and Roy still had the parts I needed.
Here's some of my process of installing them.....the new springs set a little wider on my chassis than the old ones so I had to move the spring perches on my rear end. I cut the old ones off with a dremel cutoff wheel (several actually) and was able to use them again. To get them in the right place I built a jig with some 4x4's I had laying around (see pic). I wanted the perches to be 42.5" apart on center so I drilled a 3/8" hole in the cross blocks at 42.5". I put a 3/8 bolt in each hole then place the perches on there. I put the rear end on the perches and centered it then set the pinion angle then tack welded the perches. Then I turned the rear end over and completed the welds.

[randyr]

Wait, I'm not finished yet....then I put the rearend back under the car for a test fit. I'll be using different mounting plates than what are shown here but I don't have them yet. I fitted the rear sway bar in place, too.

When I put the car back on the ground it is quite a bit lower which is what I wanted. The last pic is how it sat before the new springs. Of course it wasn't quite that high when it had all the interior and everything in it.

I still have a few more holes to drill for shock mounts, etc. then I'll pull rear end back back out to clean it up and paint it. That's all I got for now.

Hope all is well with you guys!
Randy

[randyr]

Randy,
Good deal on the fixture for resetting the spring perches. I don't want to bum ya out but I noticed you placed your ground clamp on the center section. This is a fairly common "mistake" made by welders. The proper method is to place the ground clamp as close to or on the actual work as possible. The way you have set it up the "ground path" of your welding can be going through the bearings in the third member. I have seen extreme cases of this causing little "ground arks" between the rollers and races of bearings which leaves little stalagmites of metal behind. When that bearing is rolled these break off causing destructive damage. This most likely did NOT happen in your case, but its always better to be on the safe side.
Good work on getting the car lower!

Hey E, thanks for the tip! I didn't even think about that. I was just going for the easiest place to get a ground. Hopefully, no damage was done, but if it was, I plan to change the 3rd member to different gears anyway. I got the idea for the jig from another site called Fordification, so I can't take credit for it. He built his jig out of steel tubing though. For a one-time use, I thought wood would be fine.