What did you do to your Wagon this week?

Fred Kiehl said:

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I measured and made a cardboard template for a fan shroud because I need more cooling for the BB. I got a couple of 16 inch fans, and had to make an unusual shroud. I will probably need a higher output alternator for the added draw of the motors. I will transfer it, and the small modifications to the aluminum sheet, and start cutting. Any idea for a sealing foam to apply to the perimeter?

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It sounds as though you will have irregular enough mating area not to allow for even a small lip flange running around the shroud. Any number of construction fireblock foams are available, but the colors are garish (by design) and not easily contained to a trim bead. I've never used them, but a spray type RTV gasketmaker may work. Last idea: A long-legged duct transverse joint that's coped and RTV'ed to the irregular surface, then allowing a straight cut shroud slipped in. Added benefit is the shroud is removable.

I Don't Have A Wagon - But Bear With Me

I had occasion to amble through Sears yesterday, and boy there's sure a bunch of new wrenching options, - sockets, ratchet drive designs, box-end ratchets of all angle permutations...... A billion ways to part with your dough. And the $1,200 Taj Ma-boxes wow! I need enhancement pills considering my tiny 27" 2-pc. Husky.

I was surprised they sell something like this already made up. I hacked this up 15 years back for an ornery plug with SLP headers. I drilled out the center for the plug to slip on further too. Can't use a ratchet anymore with this one, but I rebent a boxend (??3/4") and together they worked perfect. The only reason I thought to show it is those real short sockets might not project out enough, along the same lines that you often can't just use a box wrench alone.

Fred Kiehl said:

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Pics from photobucket will not display any more. They want you to pay $99 per year for that function. ...

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I think you have to do the $400 level to get what they call '3rd party hosting'. I went to IMGUR as the lesser of all (current) evils.

Fix Until Broke said:

The picture in the earlier post is just a cut/resize/paste of the stock wheel photo over the standard 15" wheel with a 31x10.50x15 light truck tire on it (same OD as the 22's I'm looking at)... Here's the original picture

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[Yosemite Sam:: Richa Ratcha frikka Dadburnit/::] Well thanks at least for fessin' up there. I thought I hit the look I'm after.



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Now I just need to figure out a way to do this that is robust and serviceable. The compromise with this solution is that I will loose some steering angle (about a 1/4" at the spindle stops) since the tie rods/center link hit the oil pan before the spindle stop. I would have to pull the engine and weld in pockets on the oil pan to get full steering angle. It's possible, but I'm just not willing to do that at this point. If the engine needs to come out in the future, then I'll do it. For now, I'll just add spacers to the spindle stop

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In a 'not even close to valid engineering perspective' sorta way, I saw that pic and figured a good candidate for a 'backward, upside down or both' attack on a solution. As in, flip the pitman arm and idler arm sides of your cutoffs outboard and shorten the tie-rods to match. It might put the end swivels closer to bind through full suspension limits, but do not immediately appear to limit steering travel. The upside to all this would sure seem to be less moment distance on all components and able to weld in a stouter cx bar closer to the pitman/idler.



Also, during full front-end rebuild I did this entirely by dufus accident letting the jack slip from the crossmember after just a couple pumps onto the steering link. The metal is soft enough the bearing did not "appear" damaged and was able to travel smoothly across full travel. I didn't realize I damaged anything until I couldn't get everything bolted back up - after 20 tries. Entirely uncertain whether altering the angle of the idler and pitman down a few degrees to clearance the pan is contraindicated as far as steering geometry goes. New fubared on top. 'New' new replacement on bottom.

If any solace for you both the rest of us get 'free' learning curve based on your unfortunate experiences. I've seen the before-after of Fred's and it looked like T. Rex and Thor's hammer had a field day with the entire left side. I recall Dan's was subjected to special malfeasance at the shop (?had to get the cops involved with its rescue??). I recently had occasion to take the Cady in to patch 2 doors after altercation with a Tahoe. Of 3 licensed shops, 2 were booked out for 4-8 weeks, and one said they could get it in after just a few days, but their lot was loaded up. Plus super sketchy (i.e. "It'll be X with a receipt, but X-$100 for cash") I didn't know from all that whether I'd actually ever see my car again. lol A 4th shop was Highly recommended but said he didn't want the work since he's doing so many $XX,XXX classic and custom jobs. (you gotta love the current 'good' economy)

My take is that too many shops love the chance to load up their booked work by promising quick attention while knowing you have little recourse after its been held captive in their lot and they know they won't even touch it until muuuuuch later.

I did notice something with those 3 shops that there could be 12-20 cars inside, but almost none over 10 years old. Quick in-n-out assembly line for newer ones must mean our antiques spell trouble and go to the back burner.