"Wrenchin'" is a new addition to R&C where we'll aim to answer your technical problems each month. We won't pretend to be experts in all automotive fields, but we know plenty of people who are; and there are even more of 'em out there we don't know, so we won't be embarrassed to print alternative or conflicting answers if you know better solutions to the problems we print.
So, if you need help with a problem, my e-mail address is at the top of the page. Just make sure to give us as much information as possible, as we're not magicians and we can't see your car. Photos would help, too, where applicable, though if e-mailing,please make sure they're at least 300 dpi and 5x4 inches.
Rear Steer
Q.Do you have or know of a complete list of rear-steer rack-and-pinion units (production line car/truck)? I'm building a '55 Mercury hardtop, and have already chopped the top 2 inches. When we were at Paso a few years ago, there was a '55/56 Ford Victoria out of Washington state that had this conversion done. I know they used a gM unit, Cad (Cimarron, I think), or J2000, but I don't remember the year it was taken out of. I don't have to have the same unit,just as long as it's rear steer and fairly common. Yes, I know there are the Flaming River, etc., aftermarket units out there, but I'm just trying to keep the cost down.Jerry oliverVia E-mail
A.Your Merc uses a steering box with centerlink and idler arm as standard, and if you check our rack-and-pinion guide in this issue, you'll see the importance of a geometrically correct installation, and the correct location of the inner tie-rod ends. The later Cadillac Cimarron ('87/88) had a rack-andpinion with the tie rods operating from the center, but it is a front-steer rack, which will not help your application. Power rear-steer racks make up a small list, but include Jaguar XJ6 Series I-III, Celebrity, omni, Sunbird, and grand Am. However, all but the grand Am will not provide correct geometry for your Mercury, being conventional racks with the tie rods exiting the ends of the unit.
The grand Am unit is a center-steer rack that might solve your problem, but only you can answer that by crawling under there with a tape measure. Remember, the geometry has to be correct, ground clearance and clearance for the oil pan and headers is important, and the rack will need to be mounted so the U-joints connecting it to the column don't bind. You'll also have to fabricate your own tie rods to connect to the stock Merc steering arms. It may be beneficial to check out Flaming River's new Travel Bar that converts a conventional rack to semi-center steer. This design could possibly be adapted to your car, or maybe slightly modifying a Flaming River assembly to suit would be the easiest solution to an awkward problem. Contact Flaming River at (800) 648-8022. Trying to keep the cost down could prove to be a massive headache if your answer has already been found!
Too Big
Q.I was reading page 48, "Different Deuce," of your February 2008 issue and was wondering where Dave Houston (the owner of the car) found a 302 '54 Chevy straight-six. I thought they where 235 ci, or was it 216 ci? I've seen and heard of the 292 (I seem to remember that displacement) gMC straight-six running a Wayne 12-port head. It was used in hardtop racing out on the West Coast, along with the Ford Flatties in the '50s and early '60s. The displacement limit for that type of racing was 300 ci. I hope you can find the answer to my question.TomVia E-mail
A.Yours was one of a number of letters we received on this subject, Tom, and the simple answer is that motor isn't a Chevy but a gMC six, as found in larger trucks (not pickups) from '52-59. our mistake, sorry! As an aside, the front and rear of every Chevy block (216, 235, and 261) are the same as the "small" gMC sixes (228, 236, 248, 256, 270, and 302), which allows for a great deal of interchangeability of motors. For Chevy or gMC parts and speed equipment, contact Patrick's Antique Cars & Trucks at (520) 836-1117.
Flamed
Q.Do you have any information available on a Flame-Thrower distributor like the one in the Troy ladd roadster? I have one I bought in the mid- 60s and would like to use it again. I'm not computer literate, so I can't go there!Jerry HasslerDeming, NM
A.The Spalding and grant Flame-Thrower distributors were produced in the '50s and '60s, and, as you can see from the picture of Troy ladd's one, were of a unique design. At the time, they were among the most expensive ignitions you could buy, and required two ignition systems, one for each side cap. They were available with vacuum advance, which will be obvious if you have one, as it's mounted on the top. We're not sure whether you are inquiring after parts or just information, but there are no aftermarket or reproduction parts available as far as we are aware. However, the points used in these distributors are '56 Ford, and the bearings should be available from any bearing supply house if you have the part number or an old one to match. If you need a rotor, we'd have to point you toward swap meets or the Internet, but your admission to being computer illiterate rules out the latter.
It will also rule out converting the distributor to electronic operation (as it's computer programmable), which is what Troy did with his, replacing the points with two PerTronix pickups, setting them up in phase using the internal adjustable phase plate, and using a four-cylinder rotor. However, the rotors in 12-volt configuration were prone to burning when the units were new, requiring frequent replacement, and this could be problematic with the lack of supply today. Not to mention awkward, as replacing the rotor requires dismantling the whole distributor. Plus, voltage bleed-through to the center shaft will occur if the voltage is increased above 12V. Do you still want to use your old piece, or keep it as a cool artifact and conversation piece on the shelf?