by "RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
Published 01/23/2017 at 19:55
by "RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
Published 01/23/2017 at 19:55
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STARS: 7
Here is a picture of tiny second gen Skylines with a small Lincoln on a huge Ford. See below for another pic and mechanical updates.
The tiny Skylines are courtesy of Flavien Vidal, who is pretty much the best. At any rate, in my last update, I had just reworked the shifter transfer bar bushing:
This dude. Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t long enough to prevent the shifter transfer bar from popping out and converting PRND2D1L into RND2, so I had to add washers. That test drive was, however, after replacing the upper ball joints as a preventative thing. 98,000 miles, *possible* popping, and alignment off, so time to change ‘em, sez I.
The Galaxie is an older design than later Fords with track rod lower suspension, so has a full lower A-arm (trivia!). The upper and lower A-arms each have a bump stop to limit travel, both down and up. Both are iffy in this picture. One will become more iffy.
The original installation of the ball joints was with two rivets and the bolt holding the bump stop. What you see in this picture ON FIRE is 50 years of grease... and a little bit of rubber because I forgot to tear it off before torching the bolt. Oops.
Anyway, a little work with an air chisel later, il est remove.
After this (replacing the ball joints, of course), I took it on a test drive down our (long) driveway. This turned out to be bad, because the front brakes I was hoping would loosen up... didn’t, and the left front continued to intermittently snag.
What can cause this, is that rubber lines can delaminate on the inside, producing rubber flakes. These flakes can act like evil one-way valves and stick your brakes on. I hadn’t seen any indication that the cylinders themselves were bad when I’d had the left drum off, but if I was going to be replacing the lines...
Anyway, a short disassembly of wheel bearings later it looked like this:
I can hear some of you hissing like vampires because drum brakes. Well, I’m not all in on a disc conversion at this point because fresh lines and cylinders were <$50 all in, and the linings are still good. Deal. Here’s where things get FORD, however:
The wheel cylinders are held in place by a nut on a machined plug... thing. Not bolts, not studs and nuts. The weird plug thingy has a bolt through the spindle on the back side, holds the wheel cylinder with a keeper and a huge nut, and then has a series of steps for shoes, a shoe keeper thing, springs.... It’s pretty much the embodiment of “make one insanely weird part to do the job of three”.
Anyway, got both sides back together without incident and with the fresh lines, and I now have brakes. Huzzah!
Incidentally, replacing the cylinders wasn’t a bad move, because both dribbled a little brake fluid when removed, from *both* cups. Every seal was a little bad.
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
01/23/2017 at 20:06, STARS: 1
I have a mini skyline sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!
"fintail" (fintail)
01/23/2017 at 21:16, STARS: 0
Is the Lincoln an old promo or AMT?
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
01/23/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 0
I was holding my breath for a sec thinking you were going to have to replace the weird plug thing and not be able to find it.
Good call replacing the cylinders while you were at it. Also good call not doing a disc conversion if you’re only going to use the old girl for occasional local trips.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 08:55, STARS: 1
It *is* an original ‘59 acetate AMT dealer promo with flywheel motor. As handed out for the kids! It’s not an exact match to mine (it’s a two door Continental Mark IV instead of a four door Lincoln Landau) but it’s the right color and since everything but the doors and the grill/tail deck are pretty much the same...
I want one for the Galaxie, but the only boxtop ‘63 dealer promo I’ve seen so far was like $140. It was in Champagne, though, so that *was* one of the promo colors.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 08:58, STARS: 0
Let’s be frank, the original drums are perfectly okay for long trips as well. I’m not going to be drag racing with a 289 and 3.25 gears, and anywhere but the track I’m not going to expect repeat panic stops. The two tests of brakes are repetition and whether they’re enough to lock the tires, and these brakes can absolutely do the second with a solid foot, even without assist and on radials.
"fintail" (fintail)
01/24/2017 at 09:48, STARS: 1
Very cool. Promos are fun things, and have a cult around them. I’d like to find a red/white 60 Ford wagon promo to match the old car my dad had 20 years ago, but I don’t think it was made in that color.
I have a 63 Galaxie convertible promo, but it is beige on beige. It was free though, so that’s forgiven.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
01/24/2017 at 09:56, STARS: 0
Fair enough.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 10:06, STARS: 0
I expect to be scooting with the Ranchero more, so I upgraded to discs on it, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong per se with 4-wheel drums on a DD. If I find I don’t like it... $600 gets me a dual circuit + front disc setup.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 10:23, STARS: 1
On looking again, I think they did the ‘63 in blue, Champagne, and Ming Green for the boxtop, and beige and red for the convertibles. Here’s the only boxtop in Champagne I’ve seen so far:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/172460454498?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true
O_O
At any rate, your beige on beige convertible is worth at least $50, it looks like.
"fintail" (fintail)
01/24/2017 at 10:47, STARS: 0
That ebay price seems optimistic. There’s a toy show here a couple times a year, and I see the same promo seller there every time. I’ll see if he has any 63s in champagne the next time I attend.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 10:49, STARS: 0
If he does I will jump through hoops for it.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
01/24/2017 at 12:11, STARS: 0
It’s been so long since I’ve had anything but 4 disks and ABS, but really all you need to do is pay more attention to your braking in weather, which you should do anyway. That money is probably better spent elsewhere.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 12:22, STARS: 1
My Rover has four drums in a pretty small size, but brakes just fine - probably why I wasn’t worried.
"fintail" (fintail)
01/24/2017 at 16:14, STARS: 0
I’ll let you know. I think the seller has contact info, so I’ll pass it on if the price looks good.
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
01/24/2017 at 20:32, STARS: 0
Fire, old Fords, and diecasts. This is my kind of post. Nothing wrong with old drums when they’re set up right, I was actually impressed with how well the Fairlane hauled up. When did they change from the A-arm lowers to track rods?
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 20:39, STARS: 0
Track rods and single point of support LCAs on Falcons from the beginning, on the Falcon-style Fairlane from the beginning, but the Galaxies as late as ‘64 were a full A. ‘65 was the first year for the track rods, though being a full frame car the execution was a little different than the unibodies.
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
01/24/2017 at 20:41, STARS: 0
Ah, that’s what I was wondering because I’ve never actually poked around a ‘65-up Galaxie.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/24/2017 at 20:52, STARS: 0
It more or less has the same upper control arm, but switches to an inverted U-channel brace under the engine which the LCAs mount into (rather than a tube), and the track rods go through the front frame crossmember. So rather than two points of mount like this with eccentrics:
You have this:
The older style on the pre ‘65 is, I think, continuous all the way back to a ‘49 with just a few of the parts and at least the general style.