Steering Clear
Q. I'm hoping you can help me with some information. I have a 1951 Ford car that I plan to subframe. Can you tell me what subframe to use, or maybe you know of a company that might make the steering link I need to make things work without doing a subframe swap? The car has a small-block Chevy in it, but the center steering link is too close to the oil pan and flywheel.
Jame Duggins
Via E-mail
A. You've found out the hard way that the Chevy rear sump oil pan interferes with the steering linkage, but you're in luck, as Fatman Fabrications (704-545-0369 or www.fatmanfab.com) offers a complete IFS front chassis stub that will solve your problems if subframing is the way you want to go. However, you could source a '65-67 Nova dual sump oil pan, which should also get you out of trouble. Fatman can also sell you a power rack-and-pinion conversion that will clear the Chevy with the Nova oil pan, or you could use engine and trans mounts from Opies (937-704-0956), which mounts the small-block high enough to clear the steering, crossmember, and firewall. We showcased these in our Rod Shop column in March 2007 (go to www.rodandcustommagazine.com for more details). The choice, Jame, is yours...
Copper Stoppers?
Q. While reading through yet another excellent issue of R&C I came across the article "Braking It!" I have often wondered about how the mix and match of braking components from different years and models would affect the stopping of a vehicle and what could be done to discover and fix problems. I found the article informative but then became concerned when I saw what looks like copper brake lines. If this is so I hope that the next upgrade for this vehicle is steel lines. (Which would make another excellent article...)
Scott Keck
Via E-mail
A.This is just one of a number of letters I received from eagle-eyed readers on this subject. While I would never use copper brake lines, the vehicle in question was built before I relocated from England to sunny SoCal, and the brake lines-and fuel lines-are in fact made from a material called Kunifer, which is a 90/10 copper-nickel alloy (UNS C70600). It was developed for its fine corrosion resistance in damp climates (England, for example!), and if you look under any early Mini, MGB, Triumph, or other British-built car, you'll find Kunifer brake lines. It is also used by Volvo, Rolls-Royce, Lotus, Porsche, and Audi. I may replumb them at a later date with steel and will certainly use steel on my Project '49 Chevy, but rest assured there's no safety issue with my brake lines. The driver maybe...
Paint proportions
Q. I've been reading and subscribing to Rod & Custom since I was caught reading an issue in high school study hall. That was about 50 years ago! (The teacher read my copy for the rest of the hour-I clearly remember that.) Now for the present: I'm building a '29 Ford sedan delivery, with a 350 Chevy, Jaguar rear, and Mustang II front suspension. I recently read an R&C letter stating that a proportioning valve is not needed for my car that has disc brakes all around, correct? What is your recommendation for paint materials on my engine, namely the primer? How about adhesion enhancer, followed by epoxy primer, then urethane single-stage plus clearcoat?
Larry Rice
Via E-mail
A. You'll need a disc/disc master cylinder for your discs-all-round project, which supplies more fluid pressure and volume to the rear brakes than a disc/drum cylinder. Using the latter will lead to poor rear brake function and a spongy pedal. Check out our September 2007 issue for more in-depth discussion. You should use a disc/disc combination valve and 2-pound residual valves to the front and rear if the master cylinder is mounted under the floor, the combination valve providing metering to the front to prevent nosedive and proportioning to the rear to prevent lockup.
Regarding your paint query, the key to painting an engine is cleanliness. It is vitally important to clean and reclean the cast iron with a suitable solvent and paint prep solution before contemplating paint. I've never used adhesion enhancer and not had any problems in that area. The many proprietary aerosol engine paints will work fine, even without a primer, though I usually use an epoxy primer, but if you're color-matching your engine to the car, a single-stage paint will work just fine for solid colors, and two-stage base and clear for metallics, pearls, or candies. I'd recommend using whatever primer the paint manufacturer recommends in this case. I've used regular single-stage paint on many engines with no problems from engine heat. If you're looking for standard colors, Editor Kevin has used POR-15 engine paints with great results (www.por15.com).