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FE Technical Forum / Re: Cast Iron Welding Block Repair
« on: September 15, 2025, 03:15:06 PM »
That's the sort of thing that would be a perfect brazing candidate.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Converting Holley 4160 short bowl carbs to true dual feed for 2X4 setup ?
« on: August 15, 2025, 06:03:08 AM »
I use Viton o-rings for the needle and seat assembly. I got a bag of fifty for very cheap. You should be able to find Viton seals for the transfer tube. Sort of one of those reinventing the wheel deals. Surely your effort is a unique solution but might not be very necessary.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: cross bolt conversion cost
« on: August 04, 2025, 05:36:45 PM »
And then, there is the air cooled VW or the Porsche flat six. Bedplates are also common on diesel engines like the earlier Ford Power Stroke.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Summit branded distributor
« on: July 29, 2025, 05:49:36 AM »I've used those aftermarket Durasparks, but one thing I discovered is that many of them won't accept a stock small cap without machining the bodies. The several I've bought, all chinesium, all had cap-adapt for the larger caps. They worked fine, and they are very inexpensive.
...
That is true. A little time with a flat file is all it took for me to get a small cap to fit. I guess chucking it up in a lathe will get you a cleaner result, but with the cap on, you can't see my ham-fisted effort.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Fuel line run under the car
« on: July 14, 2025, 08:02:28 AM »
Just something else to consider: I replaced my 5/16 steel line with 3/8 cunifer. While cunifer is vastly easier than steel to bend, it's still not as easy as running a braided line but it will last forever.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: TFS Tunnel Wedge Carb options
« on: July 09, 2025, 06:02:31 AM »
There is a metering plate conversion that maintains the short profile of the plate and uses screw in Holley jets.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: What is this stuff gathering in my carburetor?
« on: July 06, 2025, 05:08:09 PM »
The zinc in the carburetor is probably disintegrating. Zinc powder is a dark grey/blue color. While gasoline is generally neutral, there may be additives that have become or are acidic, particularly high levels of sulfur or bad storage conditions. It's hard to measure that so you end up accepting the symptoms as the evidence...unless you can send the fuel off for analysis, which may be worthwhile. Blackstone does fuel testing.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Clutch suggestions please
« on: July 05, 2025, 08:29:40 AM »...Again, everyone has a preference and that is all that it comes down to. I'm not trying to persuade anyone one way or the other. My sole input here is that a diaphragm plate is a viable choice. No merits one way or the other.
I'm still curious as to what the perceived differences are. "They've always worked" doesn't really answer my question.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Clutch suggestions please
« on: July 05, 2025, 08:00:39 AM »...
I do have to ask though, what do you think you're gaining by switching to a diaphragm pressure plate? There is work involved to make them work with an older factory vehicle, so I'm just curious why you think there's a benefit there.
It is a preference. I know they work and they have always worked good for me even in racing conditions. The work involved is nothing more than removing the assist spring and setting up the pedal travel to keep the spring from going over center. Both are quite easy. You are misjudging benign sarcasm for snark. Not everything is an assault.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Clutch suggestions please
« on: July 05, 2025, 06:46:39 AM »...My Toploader is a big in and out. I seem to be able to do the impossible. Seriously, you can have a preference just as does everyone else. I don't know where the leg pressure argument comes in. I know I can't be the only person using a diaphragm clutch with good results with a big in and out Toploader.
I'd have to dig a little bit, but I think with a big input Toploader, your choice is going to be necked down anyway. Trying to get that input shaft to work with a diaphgram pressure plate would be pretty much impossible. Even some of the Long style pressure plates have to have the fingers modified to work with the larger trans.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Clutch suggestions please
« on: July 04, 2025, 02:04:42 PM »
I've used diaphragm clutches for decades. They work fine in a Ford application. I'm using a Center Force Dual Friction in my Fairlane. They need to be properly adjusted for the right pedal feel and to make sure you don't over center the diaphragm spring and stick the clutch at high RPM. You have to remove the Ford assist spring from the pedal as this will also cause the clutch to stick. Pedal effort without the assist spring is not very high. You can also put in a lighter spring if you want a lighter pedal effort. Everyone is right in that the factory clutch setup wasn't designed for a diaphragm clutch, but it certainly is easy enough to get it to work with very good results.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Ring and pinion source and ratio suggestions
« on: June 30, 2025, 08:01:12 PM »
Your decision also must take into account your transmission. Also, with an automatic, a taller gear will make the converter tighter and it will stall at a lower RPM. If you have a lumpy cam, you can easily end up with a situation where the car wants to pull through the brakes at the stoplight.
A taller gear can make the car more fun since gears multiply torque and it's torque that puts the grin on your face.
A taller gear can make the car more fun since gears multiply torque and it's torque that puts the grin on your face.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Fuel Pumps - Mechanical / Electrical - What do you Run?
« on: June 14, 2025, 07:33:47 PM »
I run an electric back by the fuel tank and a mechanical on the engine. Yes, the electric pump works just fine along with the mechanical pump and the mechanical pump works fine with the electric.. I mostly use the electric pump to get fuel in the bowls when I haven't run the engine in a while.
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Detroit Lockers
« on: June 14, 2025, 07:28:51 PM »
35 Spline uses a 3.25" case. The 31 spline used a 2.89" or 3.05" (I forget the size but think it's 3.05 but for sure it's less than 3.25).
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FE Technical Forum / Re: Suspension questions
« on: April 21, 2025, 08:19:11 AM »
This one seems a little odd. Ford is the only manufacturer to mount their engines centered in the engine bay and use an asymmetrical axle assembly.
In a Chevy (or others), the engine is offset to the passenger side to align the drivetrain to the symmetrical axles.
If I put an angle gauge on the FE in my Fairlane, it shows the engine to be level.
I'm probably not understanding any of this.
In a Chevy (or others), the engine is offset to the passenger side to align the drivetrain to the symmetrical axles.
If I put an angle gauge on the FE in my Fairlane, it shows the engine to be level.
I'm probably not understanding any of this.