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Old 09-05-2013, 06:21 AM   #1
t-head
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Default Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line



The story of Ford’s enormous production facility located at the confluence of the Rouge and Detroit Rivers is very well known. Developed between 1917 and 1928, it’s specifications were staggering. It was a mile and a half wide and more than a mile long. It’s 93 buildings covered 15,767,708 square feet. Within that area was everything necessary to convert raw materials into finished Fords. It was truly a wonder of the industrial world.

These are just two of the latest patch of photos that you can see courtesy of The Henry Ford along with many others on The Old Motor.



Last edited by t-head; 09-05-2013 at 06:30 AM.
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Old 09-05-2013, 07:39 AM   #2
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

That first photo looks like he's putting the cam in with his eyes closed...
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Old 09-05-2013, 03:30 PM   #3
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

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Originally Posted by Vic Piano View Post
That first photo looks like he's putting the cam in with his eyes closed...
He probably has put in so many that he can do it with his eyes closed.
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Old 09-05-2013, 05:55 PM   #4
51 MERC-CT
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

Wow! In the second photo it looks like all the intake, head and exh. bolt holes, including the oil pressure sender are being drilled/tapped at the same time.
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Old 09-05-2013, 07:09 PM   #5
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

Today it is all computers and robots. Not sure today's engineers could build a mechanical machine to do all those functions in one pass.
T-head - any pictures of the body painting? Thanks for your posts.
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Old 09-06-2013, 12:53 PM   #6
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

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"Those were the days my friend. I thought they'd never end." But, sadly, they did.
Seems like so very long ago. Wonder whatever happened to all that tooling?
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Old 11-30-2013, 11:33 AM   #7
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

He doesn't have his eyes closed, he is doing his job and not posing for the camera.
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Old 11-30-2013, 11:40 AM   #8
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

Thanks for the post.

The Old Motor has a caption for photo #2:

"A Ford worker operating a state-of-the art multiple-spindle drill press on a flathead V-8 engine block in 1934."

Amazing machine to build an amazing machine!

-VT/JeffH
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Old 11-30-2013, 12:16 PM   #9
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

One belt driving the single vertical shaft that drives the gearbox "whirling" all that stuff 'round and 'round. Obviously long before OSHA was around to enforce safety issues like eye protection...neat time in American manufacturing history, never-the-less. DD
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Old 12-01-2013, 12:31 AM   #10
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

Thanks for the post and the link to the old motor. Very enjoyable.
All that hard tooling and labor. What an achievement.
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Old 12-01-2013, 05:27 AM   #11
BILL WZOREK
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

If you look close the guy putting in the cam is wearing a neck Tye.
So I thought the caption should read ( Guy one production line saying to the engineer )
O-YEA YOU THINK IT IS SO EASY LETS SEE YOU DO IT !!!

Then you look at his hands & that ain't his 1st cam install / BUT STILL A NECK TYE ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE
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Old 12-01-2013, 01:36 PM   #12
Graeme / New Zealand
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

Just imagine how noisy it must have been in there.....and no ear or eye protection in those days.

GB
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Old 12-01-2013, 05:29 PM   #13
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

The workers wore hats, neck ties and formal three piece suits which was the norm in those days.
Today a tee shirt ripped pants and sneakers seems to be good enough, yes how times have changed.
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Old 12-01-2013, 09:50 PM   #14
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

Looks like you had to be a tall guy to bid on the cam installers job!
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Old 12-01-2013, 10:26 PM   #15
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Default Re: Photos of the Ford River Rouge Plant, See the Flathead Production Line

Quote:
Originally Posted by BILL WZOREK View Post
If you look close the guy putting in the cam is wearing a neck Tye.
So I thought the caption should read ( Guy one production line saying to the engineer )
O-YEA YOU THINK IT IS SO EASY LETS SEE YOU DO IT !!!

Then you look at his hands & that ain't his 1st cam install / BUT STILL A NECK TYE ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE
I'm willing to bet the guy installing the cam is the trainer for the production crew. An Engineer or Eng. technician training the crew.
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