Work on My F8, No. 11

[peter simundson]

It's a new old stock original. He wants $250 for it. I'll measure it Friday.
I think al ww2 tanks were the same size but the spouts were different.
Early Fords had that big brass piece on top.

Peter S

[Jim Price]

Peter:
Will look forward to hearing from you further on the measurements.

Regards,
Jim
PS Ask the seller to advise the cost to ship to the US.

[peter simundson]

It is a new old stock tank all covered in a black preservative.
The size is 32 x 12 x 10. It has a Ford sending unit.
Available for $250.00. Owner will ship however you want but not prepaid .

Rare tank. Your call.

[Jim Price]

Peter:
Please advise the seller to pick the most convenient method for him to ship the tank to the US and then advise me what the shipping charges would be.

Thanks!
Jim

[Jim Price]

Am experiencing the doldrums; work has slowed due to an injured back and a sick child. My college helper's back pain and my other helper's sick child caused a loss of 6 man-days of work this week so work was limited the following:

Began resto of the steering wheel. (Will show pictures of the progress on the next post.) Am using a two-part epoxy which has set up and is filling in all the old cracks nicely.

Picked up a rebuild kit for the fuel pump and rebuilt it.

Picked up the windshield frame pieces from the metal shop. Although the long top piece is a bit warped (They were cut from a piece of 1/2" by 1" rectangular steel pipe.), with some "training" it should be ok for rebuilding the frame.

Gave the oil pan a first cost of Ford engine green paint. Looks great!

Began painting the spark plug wire tubes and the oil filter tank with some black engine paint. Will finish them tomorrow. (Have had to get up early in the morning to do the painting as the temps in the daytime cause the paint to turn to powder as it hits the piece being painted!)

Don't know if I mentioned this earlier but we're installing a 12 volt, negative ground system in the truck. Purchased a new starter and alternator for that system as well as a Mallory electronic ignition and coil. (Purists take heart; this system will be hardly noticeable! Wellll, maybe the alternator will be a give-away...... )

Had the winning bid on a NOS Ford Script 94 carburetor Model 91-99; it should arrive this coming week.

Got lucky and found an original bracket for the coil as well as an original Ford oil bath air filter (for the 1940 engine), both in almost mint condition.

Didn't like the looks of the water pumps after we had them cleaned in preparation for painting so purchased two new ones with bearings.

Picked up the new springs (all four of them!) and associated parts late this afternoon. Turned out that none of the original ones were fit enough to be re-arched. Will be taking them to the painter on Monday. Besides the lost time, not having these springs has also slowed the pace of our work. Didn't figure on needing to have 4 all new ones built!

Removed and cleaned the oil pump screen and pump itself and then reinstalled it.

After cleaing and spraying the underneath side of the engine with some lithium grease, bolted on the oil pan in preparation for cleaning off the red paint and repainting the rest of the engine with the Ford engine green paint. Should be able to get to that job early next week.

That's all for now!

Regards,
Jim

[Jim Price]

Bob, my welder and engine techie, came over on Day 60 and the two of us discussed the cooling system. Determined that the crankshaft location for the fan was much too low on the engine and that it would need to bolted to the alternator.

Not a problem said I; I'll order a new pulley with the necessary bolt holes and we'll be on our way! Got to looking at the pictures of the alternator I'd ordered (but has yet to arrive) and noticed immediately that the pulley on it was much smaller in diameter and the larger one I intended to order was much larger thus would result in a slower turning alternator.....

So. I determined that I needed to talk to a flathead expert at Speedway Motors, Nebraska and did so today. Much to my dismay, not only was my concern about the larger pulley on target but that alternators are not generally built strong enough to support a fan.

So, I'm back to square one with the need to have a generator that has a bearing supported shaft and an alternator that's on its way that cannot be relied upon for any regular use when a fan is mounted on it. Will have to find a 12 volt one somewhere!

Ordered a manual titled "The Official 12 Volt Conversion Guide" so as not to continue wandering around in a wasteland of ignorance.... Nothing like getting some timely direction .....

Ordered a supressive core wire spark plug kit for use with the electronic ignition. One needs this type of wire so as to not interfer with the operation of this type of ignition.

Took Day 61 off being Sunday.

Got up early this morning and gave the fan a coat of paint.

Today all were on the job and Bob began wire brushing off the engine in preparation for painting it. See Bob at work below.

Dylan, my college guy, is back on the job and continued work on the steering wheel resto. The second picture is of him hard at work.

I took all the springs and accessories over to the media blaster and spoke to the painter when I did; both advised that I should have everything back by this coming Friday.

It reaching 111 F by noon today, we stopped work at 1 PM.

Regards,
Jim

[cletrac (RIP)]

Jim, why not use the car style fan that bolts onto the intake manifold separate from the generator and then mount the alternator to one side?

[Mike K]

Hi Jim

I really dont see why or how the 12v system is going to be a huge benefit in the long run.... The later 6v system with the crab distributor and stand alone coil is quite OK and reliable. It's only the divers bell distributor ( up to 1941 ? ) that gave the problems and also gave Ford V8's a bad reputation with ignition breakdowns.

I guess a lot depends on what your plans are .. how many miles per year is it being used and night time driving . In terms of aftermarket accessories , yes, 12v is the way to go. Are you installing halogen headlamps ? Sounds like your planning a high power system with that alternator .

6V components are around, motorbike shops and VW specialists are good places for 6v flasher cans and other bits . Mike

[Radek]

Hi Jim

what material use your friend for repaire the stearing wheal. I have broukened it on my 2nd Austin K30.
Thanks Radek

[Tony Smith]

Maybe this cold be helpful?:

12v Generator on e-bay

[Jim Price]

Tony:
Thanks for the eBay tip; I have that generator on my watch list now.

Regards,
Jim

[Jim Price]

David:
I hadn't thought of that arrangement and will keep it in mind. Did some preliminary measuring today and am not sure that it'd work. However, will see once the engine is in place on the frame.

Regards,
Jim

[peter simundson]

Grab that 12 volt Generator. It looks like your answer.
Hell..He offers the regulator also...Go for it.

Peter S

[Jim Price]

Radek:
We used The Steering Wheel Repair Kit from POR-15, Inc. of Morristown, NJ. USA. See this eBay US Item number: 150241646591. Although it says it is for a VW this kit can be used on any vehicle's steering wheel. Hope this helps!

Regards,
Jim

[Jim Price]

Mike:
My engine came with the "diver's bell" distributor which needed to be replaced. I considered going to a "crab" style but the location of the distributor led me to decide to install an electronic 12 volt system. The ease of adjustment as well as the efficiency with which this Mallory system performs was the deciding factor. By the way, it looks quite similar to the "crab" style.

As for the 12 volt system, it's just easier to get electical parts!

I do plan to drive it at night to and from and during WWII reenactments and parades but will not install halogen lights. As far as other aftermarket goodies are concerned, I have no plans whatsoever to install any thing of that nature. I fully intend that the outward appearance of the F 8 will remain the same as it was originally.

Regards,
Jim

[Jim Price]

Continued on the things-to-do list and completed the following over the past three days:

Cleaned the transmission housing in preparation for painting it.

Riveted the double-row beaded material on the frame that supports the windshield. See the picture. The material was a bit narrower than the original but turned out ok.

Finished cleaning the engine and painted it with the Ford engine green paint applicable to a 1940 engine. Bob did a great job on it! See the picture.

Finished restoring the steering wheel. Although there were many cracks it turned out to be a nicely done job! See the picture.

Put a coat of paint on the wheel rim sides that bolt to each other; the painter had left them unpainted. We got lucky on two missing studs; Bob found replacements for the two and welded them in place on the rims affected. The new ones were a bit different and needed some good tacking to stay in place.

Received the starter, electronic ignition system, carburetor, sparkplug wiring, coil, alternator and pulley for mounting the fan on the alternator. Am going to go with that type of mounting as the truck will not be a daily driver.

Dug out the emergency/parking brake parts from the parts removed box and cleaned them. Will be replacing the cables but the rest of the parts are good to go.

Sealed the fuel tank with a sealant made by the same company that made the steering wheel repair kit, POR-15, Inc. See the picture. It's a plastic-like material with silver coloring in it. Dries to a really nice, hard finish!

Finished sanding the plywood seat inserts. See the picture. As I'm fairly handy with a sewing machine I'll probably restore the seats myself. We have several upholstery materials shops in the area and I should be able to get some suitable period material for the seats and seat backs. I'd earlier picked up some springs of the appropriate size and length to replace some of the ones that had failed or were missing from the seat backs. I do have an original seat back to use as a pattern. I did check out Dirk's store and he has some really nice sets but decided to go it on my own.

That's all for this report!

Regards,
Jim

[Jim Price]

The past week has been a transitional one with Dylan, my college student returning to college, and Loren, my new guy, coming on board. We did accomplish the following:

Took last weekend off!

Picked up the springs from the painter on Monday and installed them and the axles today. Had to have the spring shop fabricate the front springs' rear brackets; the originals were trashed beyond belief!

Installed the steering wheel and column.

Finished cleaning the transmission and painted it.

Painted a number of small parts too numerous to take to the painter.

That's it for now!

Regards,
Jim

[Bob Carriere]

..... I took 5 long agonizing years to get were you are at today.....

What do you take...... Geritol ......or what do you smoke.....???

What ever keep it up!!!!!

You are an inspiration.

Boob

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

..... I took 5 long agonizing years to get were you are at today.....

What do you take...... Geritol ......or what do you smoke.....???

What ever keep it up!!!!!

You are an inspiration.

Boob

I have to agree . Took me 8 years to get the C8 on the road - even then it was in a semi finished state. I only ever took it on 2 club outings - on very old, perished and cracked Dunlop 'S' pattern bar tread 900-13 tyres.

Mike

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

I have to agree . Took me 8 years to get the C8 on the road - even then it was in a semi finished state. I only ever took it on 2 club outings - on very old, perished and cracked Dunlop 'S' pattern bar tread 900-13 tyres.

Mike

And what's it doing next March? Hopefully ready for another outing

You can always trailer it there.

[Jim Price]

Bob and Mike:
Thanks for your kind words! I'll have to admit that this is my third restoration project so I had some experience to base my planning on when starting the F8 project. As a result of these previous projects I developed a list of suppliers and contacts which also has been very helpful.

However, the help I've received from my two friends, Bob and Dylan, has proven to the most important aspect of the success so far. I've paid them both a minimum wage for the 15 to 20 hours a week they've both spent on the project. Bob has brought numerous tools and equipment as well as his skills as a welder and mechanic to the project. Dylan, the college student, brought the enthusasim of the youth and a desire to learn. Together they've been invaluable.

My decision to have the cleaning and painting done by someone else has been a big help and has given us all time to work on other tasks.

And, I'm a retired Certified Public Accountant, (Chartered Accountant to the Commonwealth countries) and a bit compulsive when it comes to organizing a project.......

Last but not least, has been the help and wealth of ideas I've either read or directly received from you MLU site members. My hat's off to you, Geoff, for hosting this great site!

Regards,
Jim

[Jim Price]

The person who observed, "It's easier to take something apart than it is to put it back together." sure was right on the money! It seems than this past week every time we turned around we were missing a bolt, had the wrong size fitting or incorrect part! We did, however, accomplish the following:

Re-mounted the tires on the rims. (Found that one of the tubes has a short stem so will need to replace that one.)

Installed all the brake backing plates.

Installed the front brakes. (We're replacing the entire brake system with all new parts. See the picture.)

Installed the front bumper brackets. (They needed to be straightened out flat. See the picture.)

Installed the front wheel spindles and the new king pins.

Installed the steering tie rod and assembled all the steering parts together.

Did some more work on straightening out the major dings in the fenders. (Will leave what's left to do on them to the tender mercies of the body shop.)

Installed one of the rear brakes lines. (The original lines were copper and am replacing them with steel. See the picture.)

Started the upholstery work and finished both seat back covers. (See the picture.)

Disassembled the instrument cluster. Found some push-pull, three position switches to replace those present. Was able to save all of the knobs. They've all got age cracks and I haven't decided whether to replace them or not.

That's it for this report!

Regards,
Jim

[Mike K]

Jim,

Excellent job on the seat covers . What type of sewing machine are you using ( make and model ) ? I see piping around the edges I think.

Mike

[Jim Price]

Mike:
Thanks for the compliment! I use a Sears Kenmore 24 Stitch (programable) portable sewing machine. It's an old one but works quite well! Yes, you do see piping, two rows of it around the front and back panels just like the originals. As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I do have an original seat back cover to use as a pattern. I found the "push the dot" furniture both at a local hardware store as well as at the upholstry supply store.

Regards,
Jim

[king of obsolete]

looks good jim, i have follwed your daily updates since you started. in the Great White North a week a go, the temp got to +89f. that was it, too hot for any of us to work or do anything. my hat is off to you and working in the extra hot heat.

thansk
KoO
Published Author

[T Creighton]

Speedy progress Jim,
More photos of the seat apholstery work please.
It's the next job to do on my project.
Regards, Terry

[Mike K]

This is the tiny sewing machine Jim is using to make his seat covers ! .. Amazing , all I can say .
Mike

[Jim Price]

Several of you have expressed an interest in how I went about making the seat covers for my F 8, Cab 11. Here 's my best shot at it!

Mike, you're right on target with that picture of the sewing machine I own and used to make the covers. Where on earth did you find that picture of one just like mine?!?

The first thing that I did was to make a plywood insert that fits into the bottom of the seat "pan". I used 1/2" thick plywood and drilled holes at each of the four "drain" holes in the pan and then inserted those "nuts" that have prongs for holding them in place in wood.

I purchased 4" thick medium to heavy density foam for the seats and 1" thick medium density foam for the seat backs. Also on my shopping list was enough piping cord to make two seams on the seat back and one on the seat itself. The material was approximately 2 1/2 yards by 60" wide outdoor, khaki (with a tint of dark green) material. I opted for that as I didn't think that my sewing machine would have the power to sew cotton duck material. I'd had some experience with this type of material as it was used on my Kubelwagen (instead of a black vinyl) and has proven to be quite weather-proof!

I sewed the piping strips first using 1 1/4" wide material. Having cut the foam to match the edges of the seat back, I used it as a pattern to cut the front and back seat panels. (I added 1/2" to all pieces to allow for the seam coverage.) I first sewed each of the piping pieces to the 2 1/2" piece that goes around the edges of the seat and then sewed on the front and back panels. Although I'd had an original seat back cover to go by I did change the way the "push the dot" fastners were installed by making separate panels for them. That way I was able to control how tight they fit around the bottom metal flat strap on the seat back frame.

As for the seat, I made a sort of a "sack" for the seat foam and board bottom and tied off the material with some parachute cord. Although both of my seat frames have the pins for the fastners I opted to go with the thought "if you don't see it, it isn't there" and figured that unless someone pulls off the seats they won't know the difference.

I know that I've been a bit wordy but one never knows how far to go when describing the steps one has taken to make something. Please excuse if I've bored anyone!

Attached are some pictures of the seats. Any questions, please let me know.

Regards,
Jim

[Mike K]

Thanks Jim

So as I understand it : you made up the piping yourself by using a length of cord or plastic filler , sewing it into 1 1/4" wide material ?

Anyway, your covers are easy to remove for washing . The end result looks very nice.

Sounds like the material you used is a relatively lightweight fabric . The original canvas cover material was probably 16 oz or so.

I found the sewing machine pic by using GOOGLE.. they are popular little sewing machines .



Mike

[Jim Price]

Mike:
I purchased the piping cord with the material. It's necessary to use a piping or zipper foot on your sewing machine when making the piping. This foot allows one to sew a seam right next to the piping material.

The material I used is an outdoor material and appears to be waterproof. Although it's lightweight it's tough and doesn't stretch.

The machine is a good one and no doubt that it's popular. I used it for many a sewing project over the years I've owned it. Figured that if I could build model airplanes I could operate a sewing machine!

Regards,
Jim