Flathead Fun this Weekend

[Vic Piano]

On Saturday Don & Steve came over to my place to help me get the "not running" '53 Panel Truck into the garage, to begin the extraction of the broken Flathead


Here's the old Flathead


And... Here's the new


Yesterday I got the front clip loose and, hopefully, next Saturday the guys will be back to help me lift the front clip off and pull the Flathead.

[Ken Crans]

Hey Vic, I want that Sinclair Pump.!!! I'm making a 48 Ford Sinclair shop truck for the wife to pay homage to my old man that had a station in Detroit in the 50's. Ken in Mi. Lookin Good !

[Vic Piano]

Ken, My Grandfather, on my Mother's side, had a Sinclair "Fillin Station" from the mid '40's to the mid '60's in Cleveland, Georgia.

[Vic Piano]

The fun continues... My Brother-In-Law came down from New York for a quick visit and I got him to help me lift the front clip off of the '53 Panel.
I sat in the shade under the hood and started to degrease everything.

And now, the sick Flat Motor is just about ready to be extracted. Hopefully I’ll get it out tomorrow…

[Vic Piano]

Well, she's out...

Now to continue cleaning.

[B Duncan]

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Cool deal! I had never thought of removing the sheet metal. It looks like it would make things alot easier. I hope the new flatty runs as good as it looks.

Brad

[Frank Cowan]

Looks good. And that little bit of dirt on the floor will wipe right off. lol

[oldford2]

Vic,
Sure looks like fun. Keep the progress pics coming. John

[Ray Parson]

hey Vic my dad ran a Sinclair station in Bay City MI in the 50s/60s im working on my barn now will make it look like a station Sinclair for shure your panel looks good to. hope to show pic soon of my 34 panel i now have 4 N.O.S. fenders for it and a N.O.S.grill and a right N.O.S. board still looking for a left N,O,S.board N.O.S. your new frend. Ray . P

[Vic Piano]

Thanks guys, I got a lot more work done today, cleaning, etc., not much to show. The firewall had been coated with undercoat, over the original factory commercial green paint, in some places it was a quarter inch thick. I've been using the Panel Truck as a driver and that's what I'm going to continue to do so, I think I'm just going to re spray undercoat on the fire wall. I cleaned up the inner fenders and gave them o coat of rattle can primer, I'll try to post some photos later, that's it for now. I need a cold drink.

[KiWinUS]

great job Vic , how bout bed liner paint for firwall ? just a thought .
Cheers
tony

[Vic Piano]

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

great job Vic , how bout bed liner paint for firwall ? just a thought .
Cheers
tony

Hi Tony, That's a good idea, does it come in a rattle can???

[Vic Piano]

Here are a few photos from today's fun

[Vic Piano]

Originally Posted by oldford2

Vic,
Sure looks like fun. Keep the progress pics coming. John

John, Wish you were here.. I could use your help. How are things shaping up for the New England Tour?

[Steves46]

Hi Vic. It sure looks like you made some great progress; I know it had to be hotter as a pistol working under the shade of that hood. This Florida heat is in full gear and it's not even summer.

[39coupe]

Originally Posted by Vic Piano

Hi Tony, That's a good idea, does it come in a rattle can???

Hey Vic, it does come in rattle cans. I used the Dupli-color brand bed liner on my floors and trunk. It works very nicely. Advance, Auto-Zone both sell it. Mike

[Vic Piano]

Originally Posted by 39coupe

Hey Vic, it does come in rattle cans. I used the Dupli-color brand bed liner on my floors and trunk. It works very nicely. Advance, Auto-Zone both sell it. Mike

Mike, Thanks, I'll go pick some up and give it a try.

[1952henry]

Originally Posted by Vic Piano

The fun continues... My Brother-In-Law came down from New York for a quick visit and I got him to help me lift the front clip off of the '53 Panel.
I sat in the shade under the hood and started to degrease everything.

And now, the sick Flat Motor is just about ready to be extracted. Hopefully I’ll get it out tomorrow…

Is it just wore out or something more sinister??

[George/Maine]

Vic Removeing the nose must be how they got the 302 with c4 in mine.Looks like i could pull both at same time.I got a sick 302.Looks like it will be back on the road soon.Good Luck.
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/pictur...&pictureid=618

Pic don't work today

[Vic Piano]

Believe it or not, pulling the front clip was easier than taking the hood off because of loose cage nuts in the hood (with no way to get to them except to cut) where the hinge arms attach to the hood. Also, by removing the front clip I was able to get to the fun things to remove like the starter, etc. I will also be able to clean up the frame rails, axel, backing plates, etc., etc., and grease everything with relative ease, to say nothing of putting the other Flathead in. The Flathead that was in the truck had been running fine and one day I went out to start it, no good . I checked the usual things, gas, spark... Took the air cleaner off, placed my hand over the carb and hit the starter button... No vacuum! We did a compression test and found the best cylinder had 55 pounds... I have no idea how the truck was literally running fine one day and the next, have no compression . Once we get the replacement 8RT installed, we'll pull the old one apart and see if we can find out what went wrong... Hopefully we can rebuild it as well.