March 23, 2012

 

 

1932 Tudor Sedan Continues: Engine & Front End Removal

Lets skip the more obvious details (we all know how to remove screws) and get into the thick of the project. We’ve made quick progress on the car, but had to slow down and concentrate when removing the engine and front end.

HOOD REMOVAL

This is definitely a two-person job. These early hoods like to wobble and will twist out of shape if not handled carefully.We lifted each side of the hood to access and remove the front hinge bracket (B-8220) (it is simply screwed in place), and then slid the entire hood forward off the rear bracket (B-8221). Setting the hood in an out of the way spot, we made sure not to lay it flat (doing so may cause unnecessary damage), but propped it upright on the rear edges. We’ll look at the hood again in the future to check it for proper function.

RADIATOR AND ENGINE REMOVAL

Taking out the radiator and engine is not difficult, but spotting all the pieces that need removed beforehand is time consuming. There is a long checklist of connections to uncouple and detach

After disconnecting the radiator support rods (B-8133), hoses and radiator bolts, we removed the radiator from the car and covered the front and rear finned surfaces in cardboard before setting it aside in a safe place. These fins damage easily and need to be protected when storing the radiator

After pulling the floor boards, we removed the emergency brake lever, shifter, anti-chatter rods, clutch linkage, battery cables, torque tube bolts and transmission mounts. And then disconnected all the wiring (starter, generator, coil), fuel line, exhaust pipes and motor mounts (B-6038). Finally, we pulled the engine.

 

Better to be safe than sorry and chock the rear tires so the car does not roll back. Additionally, after raising the car and supporting it on jack stands, add an extra block of wood underneath. If the car does fall off the stands, better to have it land on the wood than your body.

Having raised and supported the front of the car, we disconnected the brakes (ours had hydraulic hoses, but many still have the mechanical brake rods) and shocks. We removed the two u-bolts holding the front axle to the front cross member as well as the two bolts holding the wishbone to the middle cross member. The entire front axle assembly could then be rolled out.

We highly recommend using a spring spreader to remove the tension between the springs. After relieving the tension, the shackles can be safely removed.

With the springs safe to disassemble, we removed the center bolt and pulled the individual leafs apart. Here’s an old trick many of you will recognize – we ground the ends of each spring to encourage independent leaf movement. The smooth ends permit the springs to function much more freely and not dig into each other. After painting, we installed our own spring liner (TI-2640-BLK) in between each leaf (remember: the U section of each liner should face downwards so as not to capture any dirt or water). The liner will act as a lubricant and promote free movement. We recommend using a new center bolt when reassembling the springs.

SPRING PERCH REMOVAL

We then loosened the spring perch nuts (1148-A) and used a hydraulic press to push out the pins. A common mistake is to beat the perch bolts with a hammer – do not attempt this as you won’t get very far. Use a hydraulic press. We also soaked the pieces in penetrating oil for about a week before even attempting them on the press. It is doubtful they would have pushed out otherwise.

When it comes time to reassemble, we will use our new spring perch (MG-2660). It is much longer than the stock version as it must reach into the axle and hold the bottom of the new shock mount (MG-2670) we will install.

KING PIN REMOVAL

Finally, we turned our attention to the king pins and removed the tapered lock bolt that passes through the axle. Tapping lightly with a ball-peen hammer was enough to get it out. We took the king pins, themselves, out by tapping lightly with a brass drift and hammer. We thought it best to have the bushings reamed and installed by an outside machine shop – most friendly ones will do it for cheap. The bushings must be reamed to the size of our new king pins (78-3111).

CONCLUSION

Finally, we cleaned up the axle, applied paint and installed our new springs. When we get ready to put everything back in place, it is simply a matter of working backwards and repeating our disassembly steps in reverse.

 

 

 

We came across this gem at last year’s NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville Kentucky and picked it up with the intention to help our team learn more about Henry Ford’s first, mass produced, V8 car.

This is a good example of a “back garage find” and a perfect foundation to test future parts we might make and carry. Also, we can learn about some interchangeability and what it really takes to build the car up into the style we want.

Talk about style… this is such a great ‘ol Deuce that we’re going to keep the body, paint and upholstery in the same shape it is now and only do some modern upgrades to the drive train. "This kind of car you would buy and drive for $300-400 in the 60's, all over Southern California. Those were the good ol' days."

We hope you follow along as we do the work and tell the story. We’re going to show you what we do and how we did it, and maybe you can pick up some “pointers” along the way to help you with your project too.

 

 

All the parts we use come right out of our Grants Pass warehouse and are available to you as well. Look for this cool sedan at some of the West Coast shows we attend later this summer.