My 16 year old son, Cam, (named after the engine part) is getting started on a 37 ford pickup project. My Dad got the truck from his neighbor who was over 90 years old, and couldn't finish the restoration work that he had started. The truck has been sitting around here for about 4 years, and now Cam suddenly has a giant burst of enthusiasm to get it done!
The truck came with a freshly rebuilt 1942 Flathead, so that is what is going to stay in it. We pulled engine out because the previous owner thought that he forgot to put a pilot bushing in the crank. Low and behold, we found that there was brand new pilot bushing in there. Too bad, what old age can do to a persons memory. So he took the opportunity to paint the engine the original color.
The next item on the agenda is to lower it. He started on that today. First, he got the spring out. There was one big surprise, when he started loostening the bolt that goes thru the center of the spring and the crossmember, the bolt snapped off and the spring un-sprung rather violently. Luckily, no body parts were in the way, and he now has a healthy respect for the potential danger of a spring, one that will hopefully last for a lifetime.
Once he had the spring apart, he traced the shape of the main leaf on a peice of cardboard, then flattened it out using my press.
Then, using the cardboard as a guide, used the press to arch it the other way.
Then he had to cut the ends off the 2nd leaf to make it fit on top of the main leaf.
Here it is all assembled, with the eyes reversed and only 7 leaves instead of 12.
It seems that this will drop it at least 3", and the cost will be zero. Hopefully tomorrow, it will be all installed.
