Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

John ~ jopizz gave me the answers to my questions. If Steve decides to go the electric fan route, which has been suggested to him, he won't need to buy the 7 bladed fan. Also the Thermal Fan Clutch, which he would need. He would also need the fan shroud to add to that set up. He can save all that by installing a good single or dual electric fan system, save some money and have a better cooling system. He will probably have to upgrade his alternator though. It is my understanding that the rating on the '66 alternator is 60amps. He will probably need to upgrade it to 100-130amps. Thanks, John.

[pbf777]

In response to your inquiry on the fan; It would appear that the components you have outlined should be correct. The 390 & 428 engines are the dimensional the same in this relationship. The concerns would be: condition of the used fan (bent or cracking of blades?) and a truly correct thermal-clutch hub assy. w/ proper offset and register (the bronze spacer? for the pilot? makes me nervous).

The use of the thermal-clutch, allowing a variable/intermittent operation, was deemed necessary due to the increased fan load (H.P. loss & noise) w/ the increased number of the rigid blades, and to reduce fatigue of the blades (which could lead to cracking & separation) and also trust-load on the pump bearings (among others).

Remember, the mean average operating R.P.M.s of engines was increasing during this period, and the rigid blade fans of old were being taxed.

I do not recommend, for a number of reasons, replacing the mechanical fan with "simple" after-market electric units, but rather adding an electric fan as supplemental to the "proper" mechanical, if necessary, to increase the air pressure/motion thru the condenser/heat-exchanger, when operating the A.C.. Hope this helps? Scott.

[Sjp3003]

Update:

Thanks Chris and Stubbie for the recommendations, and thanks to Ray for his extensive offline support in considering options for a TBird that is ready to roll.

I have been on vacation this week in California with my family, flying home tonight. As Ray mentioned, I've taken his and Joe's advice and located a restored ’66 428 TBird in New Hampshire that I will be shipping to the DR (pics attached).

It turns out the car is only one hour away from my brother in MA who will collect the car in the next few days. Yesterday I ordered a Perfect Fit A/C kit for the car (it had no factory air) and it is being shipped to my brother’s home in Hopkinton. Ray helped identify a restoration shop in Shrewsbury MA that has worked with these kits and we will have it installed and have the car serviced before it is shipped.

With respect to our original ’66 390 Landau project car, Calavera quoted $40K for a total makeover including a new engine so we passed. We shipped the car to the original shop we had considered in a town called Salcedo in the middle of the island. Yesterday we signed a contract under which all the bodywork would be completed and the car painted by early December (we’ll see about that), for a fee of US$5000. This will require us purchasing and delivering some panels and parts. While the car is there we will get the interior and mechanicals done separately. I’ve already found a few (rearview mirror, fender skirts, floorpans, door and window seals) that are on their way to the DR. We are aiming for this car to get done for $12K, which is ambitious as I tend to nitpick details of my cars.

I am sure we will make good use of this forum’s knowledge with both of these cars.

Steve

[Sjp3003]

More pictures

[Sjp3003]

Interior picture

[Sjp3003]

Rear view pic

[Sjp3003]

Side view pic

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

This is all coming together for Steve. His brother David will soon be making the drive from his home to pick up the Tbird and drive it the short distance back home. Then he will turn it over to Dan, the owner of the shop that I found about 15 minutes from them. Dan's shop specializes in repairing, and restoring classic cars. His people will do the install of the Classic Auto Air "Perfect Fit" AC system and probably an electric fan setup. When I was talking with him, they were installing a "Perfect Fit" into a Ford and had a couple more installations to do. So he really knows the "Perfect Fit" equipment well.

In checking out the Data Plate, the only thing that was different on the car from when it left the plant was the paint color. It has a Paint Code E on the plate, for Light Gray Metallic, Silver Mink. Apparently, a previous owner did not like the color and re-painted what appears to be Paint Code K, Dark Blue Metallic, Nightmist Blue. I think it is a beautiful color and if you look at the pix closely you can see the metal flakes. Other than that, it is the only change I can see. It has the 428, with C6, Trim Code 22, which looks really nice! DSO 11 for the Boston area. It may have been in that area all along. It was born around 1 November according to the Date Code, 01L. Here are the additional pix of it for you to enjoy.

[scumdog]

More pictures

Nice, really nice!

One suggestion: that steel line that runs from the carb to the vacuum advance housing on the distributor should have a 'hump' or upside-down U on it that rises higher than the body of the carb.
That is so there is no chance of gas making its way to the vacuum housing.
If it DID get there it would (a) ruin the diaphragm and (b) then create a situation where a spark inside the distributor could ignite the gas/gas fumes and blow the ditributor cap off and/or apart!
THAT would ruin your day!

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

Hi Tom, thanks for the comments. How would Steve go about fixing that steel line? Take it loose and move it around in such a way that it is sticking up, instead of down, almost touching the belt it looks like? Steve will appreciate knowing your comments, I am sure, as this is his first Flairbirds to own. It certainly looks to me to be in the wrong position according to what you said.

[Sjp3003]

Thanks for the key suggestion Tom...I never would have caught that. Was there a standard "upside down U riser" that fit the car originally? On pictures of other 428s engine bays I see it routed differently.

Steve

Nice, really nice!

One suggestion: that steel line that runs from the carb to the vacuum advance housing on the distributor should have a 'hump' or upside-down U on it that rises higher than the body of the carb.
That is so there is no chance of gas making its way to the vacuum housing.
If it DID get there it would (a) ruin the diaphragm and (b) then create a situation where a spark inside the distributor could ignite the gas/gas fumes and blow the ditributor cap off and/or apart!
THAT would ruin your day!

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

I had asked jopizz and scumdog if they could post any pix of how this steel line from the vacuum advance housing to the carb should be installed. Then I got the idea to google the engine bay set up and I came up with several good pix to show you how it was set up on a 428, a 390, and probably the best example, on a Mustang engine. Here are those pix. David could print them out and show them to Dan and they should be able to install it correctly.

[Sjp3003]

Thanks those are very clear Ray...the upside down "u" kink is clear.

I had asked jopizz and scumdog if they could post any pix of how this steel line from the vacuum advance housing to the carb should be installed. Then I got the idea to google the engine bay set up and I came up with several good pix to show you how it was set up on a 428, a 390, and probably the best example, on a Mustang engine. Here are those pix. David could print them out and show them to Dan and they should be able to install it correctly.

[Sjp3003]

Just returned home to the Dominican Republic where I found plenty of reading waiting for me to build my knowledge of T-Birds:

[Alan H. Tast, AIA]

I had asked jopizz and scumdog if they could post any pix of how this steel line from the vacuum advance housing to the carb should be installed. Then I got the idea to google the engine bay set up and I came up with several good pix to show you how it was set up on a 428, a 390, and probably the best example, on a Mustang engine. Here are those pix. David could print them out and show them to Dan and they should be able to install it correctly.

I would not use the Mustang's 289 as an example of how to route the vacuum advance line. The first photos appears to be from a '66-'67 Galaxie, the second photo from FE-equipped Fairlane GT, BTW. The second photo should give them a better idea of how to route around the driver's side of the distributor, across the front of the carb base and then return into the passenger side vacuum port in the base of the carb.

The factory shop manual, along with reprints of the Engine Assembly Manual and illustrations pages from the '65-'72 Master Parts Catalog, also should provide good guidance.