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Well I am able to work again. I went and bought an inversion table. It’s my new best friend. I can walk upright again.
Anyway, I put some stuff together to see what else I have to move. The steering shaft support had to be rethought. The original support bearing is way too bulky for this installation. (Jack, you need one?)
The long water pump eliminates any hope of using a standard fan. I’ll need a pusher electric. The radiator will need to be spaced forward about a 1/2″ also. The double jointed universals for the steering column are overly complex. Gonna try singles and see how they pan out. I also ordered a more compact shaft support.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Can’t tell from this angle, but would the fan you need fit behind the grill after you push the rad a half inch forward? And will the rad still fit inside the grill shell? I wonder if a shorter water pump might not be the easier solution….
I believe I’ve got room for an electrical fan. I considered the short water pump, but it’s an expensive aftermarket piece. Then you have pulley issues. Another snowball.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Glad you’re up and around again. Having both shoulders replaced, I know what its like not being able to do this things you like the most.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackBOTH SHOULDERS?
Not all the same day I hope? And also hope you can spring for the bionic “forklift strength” upgrade.
Already had the shoulders replaced last December. Now have the final release in two weeks. Then we’ll see about turning on my bionics. Steve Austin look out! 😆
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackA rethink on the steering column.
I still need to add an additional support for the lower portion of the shaft.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"I think you’re in the neighborhood now.
Is the MC as tight on the valve cover as it looks here? My only concern would be maybe header heat and its effect on the brake fluid.
Doesn’t look like Bill could move the master cylinder enough to make much difference. But, it looks pretty good to me where it is.
Really good looking job on the steering shaft.
I was thinking heat shield and/or air flow enhancement, not MC relocation. But probably best to see what happens before making new projects for Bill.
Ok. Time for an update.
I rethought the steering column. Running it above the headers, then down at the front of the engine sounded cool, but was unnecessarily complicated. It now runs similar to the original but makes a couple kinks to clear the headers.
I cut the large flanges off the radiator and mounted the radiator a half inch farther forward. This is my clearance.
I hung the other body panel and checked the fit of the front grill shell. Gonna have to trim the grill at the bottom to clear the radiator.
The steering column #2 U-joint was up against the side panel. Luckily its contact patch was below the line the fender bolts up to. Quick fix.
It’s almost ready for teardown for final cleanup and then the reassembly.
This is going to be one hell of a sleeper. Can’t wait.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"For the last two days, Jack and I have been having exactly the same interference problems with the radiator as well as the steering shaft clearance. We think (hope) that we have figured out an elegant fix. Just a bit more cutting and tweaking and drilling and then bolt it (fender, side panel, radiator and and front grill) all together…..and hope that the hood still fits.
Hopefully the last disassembly. Body panels and engine removed.
Flywheel and clutch installed. Clutch slave cylinder mount fabricated and installed.
Original battery box removed to provide room for the Accusump.
A little fiberglass work, some minor welding and some paint and we can start on the final install.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Lookin’ good!!
The pictures really help me in seeing where stuff is located in an “already built” kit — since I only have a book and a bare chassis to start with on my project.
I still think you sprinkled some MG magic dust over that engine to make it fit under the hood.
Keep up with the pictures — can’t wait to see it at Carlisle in May. If the weather and Roy will cooperate I may have my “new” Ford TDr done and at Carlisle this year.
Jack
Spent a few hours in the garage today. Pulled the transmission, removed the bell housing and clutch to drive the pilot bearing deeper into the crankshaft. Initial installation was tough. I had to pull the transmission up tight with the mounting bolts. Now it slides right in all t he way. While it was disassembled I finished the mounting of the clutch slave cylinder. After 25 years, I finally tested the back up lamp switch. I had a back up lamp when I first built it, but that quit and I just let it go. Switch is good, I’ll have to check the feed.
I was able to drill and tap mounting holes for the Accusump.
Drilled and tapped mounting holes for the steering column support. That was a job. The mount is positioned in an area where FiberFab added 1/2″ plate steel reinforcement along the frame rail. As if drilling wasn’t bad enough, I was unable to run the tap in without removing the handle every half revolution due to the bracket for the lower control arm strut rod.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"OK Bill,
What is an Accusump and how does it work??? Does every hill climbing MG TDr need one? == especially if the car has a fine front engine????
If you don’t mind, Bill, I can field this question.
The Accusump is an oil accumulator: when your oil pressure is high, the tank fills up with oil. If or when your oil pressure is low, the Accusump injects oil into the engine, raising the oil pressure.
The idea is to prevent oil starvation, which can happen when you’re pulling a lot of G’s in the turns (or on the drag strip).
You can imagine what happens in your oil pan; it’s like those amusement park rides with the big spinning drum, where they stick you to the wall and then drop the floor and leave you hanging there. If your oil does that there might not be enough at the pickup tube, and you can starve the bearings for a second. Do that too much and you might find yourself changing out your old 2.3 for a 302…
I’ve got one I’m putting in the Spyder as well. Not strictly needed but it’ll look cool sitting there where the dry sump tank is on a real Spyder.
Those who have a drys sump oiling system, of course, have all the benefits of an Accusump built-in to their engine oiling system. (So mounting one on the Spyder is kind of a sly “tell” that she’s not the real strudel, but whatever).
The bonus is, if you rev the engine a little and then turn the Accusump off before shutting the engine down, it’ll have a nice charge when you turn the key on, and you can pre-oil your bearings before start-up. Pretty sweet.
The accusump that I bought is the small one with only a 1quart capacity. It’s basically used at startup to preoil the system. I push a switch and pressurized oil circulated through the engine. Once started, engine oil pressure refills the unit to be ready for the next startup. As it sits for long periods, there won’t be any dry starts. There are larger 2 and 3 quart units that will work as Ed described, but those are huge and would have to go inside the car.
http://blog.cantonracingproducts.com/blog/importance-of-accusump-valve-selection-how-to-choose
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Alright. Mother Nature decided to cooperate this weekend and we were able to get things done.
I really didn’t like all the washers to space out the existing engine mounts. I decided to go with an earlier Ford setup where the mounts used studs to anchor the engine before they went to that horizontal thru bolt.
Remodified the mounting points on the car.
Got out my best designing tools
And created huge brackets to utilize those older mounts.
I had that engine in and out several times.
So now the mounts are finished. The hole I cut in the firewall now has a bubble glassed in on the inside to seal it. I ripped the wire harness apart to remove the unused fuel pump circuit that went bad a few years ago.(why not?) We’ll also repair the circuit for the never used back up lamp circuit. All that is left is reassembly.
Gettin antsy.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"All the circuitry for the Ford Duraspark system have been eliminated and the wiring added for the MSD ignition. The circuits for the exhaust cut outs are in along with the circuit for the Accusump. Back up switch circuit has been repaired and several unused circuits that have never been hooked up to anything from the original Ford harness have been removed. Once everything is tidied up, the engine should go in for the last time.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"
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