I will own up to a big mistake I made when I put p heads on the 289 block.   I did not check and drill for proper steam hole location.    Early blocks have them at 12:00 oclock.   Later blocks Ford moved then to 1:00 oclock.   The Ford head gaskets have the holes for both locations.   I realized my mistake in time, but it's still cost me an extra set of gaskets.  There is a lot of debate online whether it even needs to be done.  I am in the i believe it does corner.   Ford put them there for a reason..

I too it seems like have had never ending health issues that have delayed me getting things I want done, so I get that!   

I want to finally get my engine put back the way I want it with my custom valve covers and air cleaner.
The second of mistakes I made on this engine.   When I "refreshed" it, I should have put the crankshaft sleeve on.  I did switch from rope seal to a rubber seal and I remember the diagonal lines in the crankshaft oil area.  I realise how that is just going to eat that seal to pieces.   I have those parts as well. 

I have all the parts, now I need an apprentice!

Get the 1157 sockets from autozone.   You got to grind out the hole until the new socket fits tight and push it in and splay the tabs a bit.   That is what I did on a previous car.  If I were doing it today....

I think I'd find a washer that the bulb fits into, then grind out the old socket.  Then I would spot weld the washer over the hole after I made that area flat.   Then the socket would always be removable from the inside to change the bulb. 

If I had an old bucket I'd try that idea out to see how it works.

Edit:  or..   These look kind of cheap but something similar to these I could spot weld onto the buckets.   Then it would be an original type repair.   I found these in a couple of minutes, someone might make some good ones with tabs.

https://www.amazon.com/Socket-BAY15D-Adapter-Connectors-Signal/dp/B0CGR8515N

That looks like a viton "high temp" type seal.   If it is, they get hard with age and leak.   That was the biggest source of oil leaks on those Mitsubishi 3.0 v6 engines at the camshaft.   Those, and valve stem seals aside that engine was nearly indestructible otherwise..  Anyway.

I know your bearing has its own seals, but you might want to check if power steering fliud leaked past it.   Or that bearing will be watered down and not long for this world.

On a van I used to own the fan quit working.  I spent a lot of time trying to trace the fault and no matter what I tried no joy.   I could get the fan to come on by grounding the relay, so I knew everything upstream was working.  It had to be in the engine control module, but it wasn't throwing any codes.   I just gave up and installed a GM 555? fan switch and ran that wire to the ground on the relay.   It worked great the rest of the time I had it.

I always thought if I ever put an electric fan on an old car, that I'd just wire a relay and a switch like that.  Keep it simple.

I put the hf bucket inside the home Depot bucket!

Ron68 wrote:

Greg B wrote:

I was considering putting a Chrysler Lebaron style convertible third light on my convertible, but everyone thought it a stupid idea.

If one was going to do it, that would to me, be about the cleanest way to do it. But that is neither here nor there, not are they a dime a dozen at pick in pull anymore.

Don't you mean the Chrysler Corrrrdoooba (my finest Ricardo Montalban voice) with it's fine Corinthian leather seats?
Those tail lights look like the ones off my old 1950 Cadillac.

 



Chrysler Cordobas are good for old school window switches.

Anyways, I had a lebaron convertible.  Sold it to my brother.   He doesn't speak to me anymore, LoL.
(he still does).  One thing that was really neat about that generation, was those cars actually had an inside headliner that really seemed to cut down on the convertible road noise.   That is another idea that would be cool to incorporate.

I was considering putting a Chrysler Lebaron style convertible third light on my convertible, but everyone thought it a stupid idea. 

If one was going to do it, that would to me, be about the cleanest way to do it.   But that is neither here nor there, not are they a dime a dozen at pick in pull anymore.

MS wrote:

If you like my motor oil storage cabinet, you might like my RECOVERY ROOM fridge

Not that I drink much beer anymore, but I've switched to Yuengling's  FLIGHT beer.   Just no reason to drink anything else after getting hooked on it.  Although it does sometimes get hard to find.
 

Man, we can all probably learn a thing or two about garage organisation from Steve.   Although, I do write what each thing is for with the sharpie already!

I was filing my personal property declaration and I noticed something I hadn't before.   The serial numbers on my Galaxies are just right at a hundred apart.   That means they probably could have rolled off the assembly line on the same day a few hours apart.   

How neat is that?

I never had the tool to make those stepped ends on lawn mower throttle cables, but I learned how to do it with a pair of vice grips after my dad showed me.  Made hundreds of them for him.   That was like the number 1 thing that people broke on their mowers back in the day. 

Now they are all self-govenering.   Dang it, if I want my mower to idle, I want it to idle! 

Don't get me started on gas cans!   

Anyways cool tool idea.    I guess that is one thing I inherited from my dad.   "If I need a tool I will make it!"

Or any other parts? 

I have a side project I've always wanted to do.  I'm going to strip chrome from a set of ratchets and then refinish them with a black oxide finish.   I was originally going to use gun blueing, but now that I'm Starting to learn about this process,  there are better methods. 

What I am converting is going to be a set of Craftsmen rhft ratchets.   I've watched auctions over the last couple years and waited to get the right candidates.   And that is 3 ratchets so clapped out with either rust or peeling chrome, AND cheep!! cheep!! Fun! Fun! (That is a Midwest thing). That this is worth doing this too.   Now I have all three of them.  I also do know products like evaporust leave a black coating.   I'm wanting to go a little deeper and permanent. 

Anyways, if anyone has played around with oxide, I'd like to hear your thoughts.    I