Engine Compartment

I have been tinkering with the components of the engine compartment. I want to use the Stude shroud and throttle linkage as well as a flex fan. In Vegas, max cooling is absolutely necessary.
I do exhaust, so attempting to use manifolds in this instance is of no interest to me. The block huggers are so clean and easy to access, no decision to make.


I am using the original steering components. The center bell crank is tight under the shroud in the original position.
To lower the shroud and engine would require cutting a major portion of the shroud away.

Look at this long and hard prior to the cut. This large shroud needs all of its integrity to maintain its shape.

The short water pump is the only option when using the shroud and it appears that a 17" fan is going to be the answer to the blade.

The Split

Only those of us old enough (old as dirt), have experienced the terror of slamming on the brakes of dad's 1954 Starlight on the San Bernadino Freeway and having the pedal go clear to the floor several times, You pull the emergency through the firewall, move to the right and lightly kiss the concrete wall and then take the Atlantic off ramp (15 mph) at 45 mph and bury the car in the curb after you blew the stop sign. Absolute gospel!! Ever heard of freewheeling in O.D........

Even though we are going to set this up with drum brakes, I will have a split system for safety. 

The Turner Brake kit is well thought out and is precision enough to be tough to install. It all fits perfectly in the 63 year old Stude!!

I needed four adapter brake fittings and the fools at the parts stores cannot function even if you dare tell them that they are for  a 53' Commander?????

For the 8.8 Ford (7/16-27) you will need 2 ea. Dorman 072550BP to attach the 3/16" brake lines (3/8-24). The original Ford lines are 3/16 and use special 7/16-27 nuts so if you still have them, you can used the fittings and reflare your new lines. 

Do not use Edelman fittings in either of these applications (JUNK).

The adapter fittings for the Master Cylinder are ONLY  AGS BLF-20C.
They fit!!!

Brakin' Boss

I wish!! No breaks in site on this job!!

The Ford rear axle arrived with missing and damaged components. I needed all new everything except the backing plates. I have never understood why junkyard dogs cannot remove components instead of cutting them off.

As I was looking at the empty 8.8 Ford backing plates, I realized that emergency brake cables are first. Trotting back and looking at the old Stude 44.............
wouldn't it be nice if the brake cable from the 44 could be used with all of the rest of the Stude hardware in the 8.8 and on the Coupe.

NO PROBLEMO !!!!! If you shorten the inner cable coil to 4 1/2" , ream the backing plate holes a wee bit, and then shorten the intermediate cable coil spring 2", it works. I mean it works as it did in 1953!!!

I won one, I won one!!! I'm going to take myself out to lunch.

Dashing

We have spent some time arranging and mocking up the later fiberglass dash. It fits perfectly in the 53', even being 10 years younger. 

This is the mocked up unit as needed for the steering column measurement. 

The Hawk dash is definitely more attractive and versatile than the 53' unit. 

Undercar..........

I had a nice 2 piece driveshaft (no wear) and decided to try to use it. With the Ford 8.8 rear axle, length is the issue. The original shaft uses the 1310 series u-joint, and Spicer makes a 1310 flange yoke for the 8.8 pinion flange. Use

2-2-1379 for a direct bolt-on yoke. 

While replacing the original carrier bearing, I moved it about .090" to the rear and shimmed the rubber mount back about 3/16" and achieved full insertion of the splined shaft.

The front section uses a GM slip yoke, 1310 joint and is shortened as required. 

I want to repeat the necessity for insert spacing the frame when cross bolting. 

I fabricated these two spacers from 7/16 i.d. X 9/16 o.d tube and 1/2" washers. 

I drilled the nut side of the frame 7/16" and the washer/bolt side 916".

Tightened, the 14 gauge Stude frame will not collapse.