More F' ert

Well its the anti climb bars now. I cut some tube and welded a cap on them, with a hole so they would fit dead centre over the lower inner fulcrum bolts and so fit flat to the lower tie bar plate (yet to be shaped nicer). Er more to come I had to redo wrong angle so I have removed the old photos that looked great but were wrong ;o(
Some detailed shots of the rear anticlimb bars and radius rods.Click Here

Well I finally got a parcel of parts from JohnsFFun100's http://f100.com/ with new cab mounts, pick-bed mounts, rad mounts, new bonnet hinges, rubbers for this that and the other, door handles, wiper mechanism and a few other bits and bobs...

I managed to get the new front springs I got through Ross Morrison fitted. Last time they took me a full day messing and fretting. This time after I had made spring compressor mk 2, thanks to Ray Newman (www.rodandclassicmart.co.uk) who told me how to make one that worked and being in a mega temper, I had both sides fitted in 35mins flat. The Rear is bolted up now also and looks proper cool to me and impresses the hell out of everyone I have shown round the truck.
I shall make a prop loop to bolt to the front tie bar crossmember soon aswell + lower diff plate. The cab sits real square and solid now with the new mounts which it never did before, it looks quite strange to see it sat straight. I have hung the doors to now, as I am going to listen to those who know and build the Truck to finished and then strip to paint. Though Dave Brown says that is what he has done, but he has never stripped it back down to paint it as its to much fun to drive ;o)

The Truck was now a roller, so I pushed it outside for a shufty and I loved it and dream of the day I drive it out the garage. I did feel I was eventually making progress and decided to get my engine built up. I ground the block smooth..ish and painted it in 2 pack silver and it looks pretty good like a solid block of billet, just to upset all them that don't like the modern look or modern material ;o) I was real excited at the prospect of fitting my Ally heads.

I sat I cleaned every part of the motor, cam lube'd all that should be and got my first head and sat my self down and proceeded to fit it. Lube'd the top bolts and silicone'd the water jacket bolts, perfect. came to do the 2nd head and all was perfect up to the last head bolt and the final torque... and Strriiiip the biggest of all nightmares had happened the block had stripped.. no not the bolt the bloody block. Oh no!!! I sat and I cried BooHoo... what can I do? well I thought and thought, asked a few mates and I got my mate Nige the snap on guy to come and fit a helicoil to it as everyone suggested. I bought a new head gasket and it happened again except this time the hole was worse.. Now I did sit down and cry... *sob* What now? I was offered another block cheap... did I want to put all my bits in it?

I thought stop messing with the engine and get on with the front suspension, before I attack the bloody thing with and axe. So I put it t one side and concentrated on the front suspension or brakes to be more precise.

I had managed to get some 4 pot calipers from Steve Walker from the Acme gang for free, They had 12mm holes and the ones on my hub carriers where 7/16th so I drilled and taped the caliper bolt holes to 12mm.. and then proceeded to fit the calipers. *hum?* something wasn't right the caliper sat quite a way from the disc.....?????

After some head scratching and after a search, I found some other hub carriers at my Banger mate Robs that were from a car that had vented discs and 4 pot calipers. Yep they have different hole centres...... Cheers! I thought what fun this all is eh.. Rob gave me the whole units, calipers, disc's, hub carriers etc again for free cool eh though most of them were scrap, but the hub carriers I needed were mint. Yep once back and checked they were different, see above. Cleaned and painted they went on... again having to do my favorite job compress the road springs and remove all the new ball joints and tab washers wheel bearings etc etc and fit them all to the other Hub carriers just so I could have 4 pot brakes We are nuts!

The Motor? well after some searching on the net I found Weir Engineering in Oldham, after a phone call with them I decided to take my sorry block down to them to see what they could do.. They were fantastic and fitted a large bolt into the stripped hole, then drilled and tapped that to 7/16 unc for the head bolt. It was with much trepidation I might add I torque 'd the head up.. All went well and I cant thank Wier Engineering enough they were great and reasonable and saved my sanity.

More F' ert

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