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Mad Max - Galaxie Tow Rig

Checking out your running posts and updates is better than watching an episode of "Overhaulin!" Brings me back to when my dad did his '55 Fairlane Vic. I really like this thread!
 



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What kind of compression you going to have with that setup?
 






Surprised you kept stock intake. FE intakes can be had pretty cheap and almost any aftermarket is a big improvement over the stock. Regardless, those 390s are stout. We swapped one from a 69 Cougar into my buddy's 79 F-350. That thing was an ANIMAL! Could never stall it, it just plugged right along. That motor had over 100k on it before we swapped it and went well over another 100k in a hard used work truck.


Glad you spent the time to build it properly and not half-azz it. Before you go much further I would strongly suggest you look long and hard at swapping the manual brake master for powerbrakes, especially since its a tow rig.
 






Checking out your running posts and updates is better than watching an episode of "Overhaulin!" Brings me back to when my dad did his '55 Fairlane Vic. I really like this thread!

Thanks man!

What kind of compression you going to have with that setup?

To be completely honest I have no idea, but boy do the pistons come close at top dead center! I think there is only .020 - .030 of clearance!

Surprised you kept stock intake. FE intakes can be had pretty cheap and almost any aftermarket is a big improvement over the stock. Regardless, those 390s are stout.

Primary reason is expense, but the secondary reason is it has been impossible to find headers that don't need modification to fit this setup. I want to do a better intake (shoot, maybe even dual carbs???) but I can't tackle the exhaust end of things and still make the Moab deadline :hammer:


Also, forgot to add a picture of how the second hand tires look on the back half of the car :)

006_zpsojckrk79.jpg
 






Is that prep for paint I see there?!? :D looking good man!
 






Have more updates, but at the moment only one that matters:

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Broke the yoke that goes into the FMX transmission doing U-joints just now. !@#$ If anyone anywhere has any good intel on where to pick up another one help would be greatly appreciated!

1967 Ford Galaxie 500
390 ci - 6.4 Liter
MX transmission
Yoke takes a 3 5/8 by 1 1/16 U-joint, 31 spline, 6" barrel length
 






http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Shop/1967-Ford-Galaxie-500-Driveshaft-Slip-Yokes/30.html


You should be able to find a very similiar one at a junkyard. 31 spline Ford is pretty common. The depth of the slip joint and outside diameter of the barrel are most important. There are "adapter" u-joints that change sizes. To be honest, I don't think that is the original slip yoke. They usually had a vibration damper on the yome to help reduce driveline fatigue. If that yome broke that easily, how strong is the rest of the driveshaft assembly?

I know $$$ is tight, but a new driveshaft isn't that much.
 






That's some luck there! How often does that happen.
 






And just how many Hi-Lift jacks do you own ? ? ?
 






And just how many Hi-Lift jacks do you own ? ? ?



You can never have too many.... I have 3 around the house and I don't even off road or farm anymore.
 






Thanks for the heads up BuckWild! If I end up getting the right shaft dimensions from a similar one I may just snag it and get a U-joint to fit!

So here is what I've got/found so far. The MX transmission is a short lived transmission with a yoke that is close to hens teeth to track down. I haven't heard any definitive answer on whether an FMX yoke will work or not, but have gotten in contact with Russ Owens who is willing to measure a spare he has tomorrow which will hopefully give me a direction to go on that front.

The other lead is a gentleman by the name of Scott Kurel in Minnesota who from the text message pictures I received may actually have one!

The last shot I've got is just cutting off the 'yoke' end of the part, trueing up the end of it on a lathe, machining a new yoke, pressing them together, then welding them solid. Come Hell or high water I'm going to find a way :D

001_zpsihltxvs7.jpg


In other news my cousin's came over and gave me a hand getting the front end seated back on. I need to fine tune it to make the bodylines match and shim it to a good fit, but should be able to move on to the electrical and radiator at some point tomorrow!

006_zpsaqko8pqe.jpg
 






Sounds good! Those grumpy old timers have some serious parts hanging around. Hell, I'm not even old and I still have all sorts of parts.


I know I went through a couple driveshafts in the Duster and upgraded everytime. Ended up with a custom built driveshaft with 1350 joints. It was pretty resonable to be honest, shaft, 2 u joints and slip yoke was $300. I already had a hardened yoke on the rear.

Good luck!
 






Quick update! Front end is on and aligned finally!

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Radiator out of a 428 1969 Galaxie is in

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Tried to get the motor started Sunday just to see what would happen. Went to prime the motor with oil before putting on the distributor, ended up dropping the dang oil pump drive shaft into the oil pan :( Had to drain the oil, undo the motor mounts, lift it up about 2 inches, take off the oil pan, and fished the shaft out of the oil pan.

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After getting that all put together and priming the engine with oil we found out we had a bad distributor UGHH!!! Here is a picture of the oil pump drive shaft after I fanangled it back in to position

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So it turned into a bust, but did get a lot of stuff hooked up like the transmission lines, speedo cable, radiator, & linkages. On the flip side, tonight Super Swampers for the front are on

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I have a **** load of stuff that went wrong to make right still. I leave in 12 days. HOLY SMOKES!

Here is the oh crap list:
-Distributor
-Fuel line to carb
-Thermostat housing
-Alternator bracket
-Broken Trans Yoke!
-Ignition switch
-Ignition cylinder
 






Well I can check off the fuel line. I made that last post around midnight and decided I needed to check at least one more thing off tonight/this morning. What a pain in the neck trying to bend that large gauge steel line! I kinked it and had to start over twice! Here is a shot of one of the more challenging spots to navigate the line (has to dodge where the power steering pump goes).

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And here is a little bit of an over view shot of the green line snaking around the front there.

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Till tomorrow (or later today??)!
 






I don't envy you be ding that line! Looks pretty good though! Why not just clip the fuel line off just above the pump and run a piece of rubber fuel hose to the carb? Much easier than all that bending, better heat soak protection and easier to replace in a pinch.
 






Hey!! Did you find a yoke?? Guy here local has a 1968 390 4bbl complete with c6 trans for sale. Want me to see if he has extra parts?!?
 






Just about there! Hope she purs like a kitten! 11 days
 






Hey!! Did you find a yoke?? Guy here local has a 1968 390 4bbl complete with c6 trans for sale. Want me to see if he has extra parts?!?

Thank you so much for the heads up BuckWild! Luckily (well, we'll see) I found a local transmission exchange place down here that has both a C6 and FMX we are going to try the yokes out of! It is out of an MX transmission, but from the looks of it a C6 may fit. Thank you so much for the follow up! Had I not run across these guys I'd be shipping that guy down here! On another front, may have found a guy in Minnesota with this same no name Cruis-0-matic transmission. He is sending his yoke my way as well. Hopefully one fits!!!

As for the infamous 'Oh Crap' List, I'm down to just the Broken Trans Yoke and Alternator Bracket. I found a bracket on Ebay that should be here next week, hopefully it gets here in time!

Here is the new distributor installed:

001_zps7mnrhzg7.jpg


I also have pictures of the Cylinder and the wiring that is giving me a headache, but PhotoBucket isn't cooperating this evening so those will have to wait till tomorrow!
 






Well, I was able to track down a C6 yoke and measure it. All the dimensions jive as being exactly the same, except for the length of the barrel (shank?).

003_zpsz9sh8rze.jpg


The splines are the same, and start at the same depth. I have the one from Minnesota still on its way if this doesn't end up working, but I'm feeling reasonably optimistic about it. Either way we'll see right? :dunno:

Here is a very bad picture showing where the splines start, basically the same point on both:

004_zpsv99vi7fv.jpg


And, here is what every night is turning into till we can get this thing running!

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Right now we are stuck on the last little bit of the motor. The coil has 12v to it, both in the run position and when we jump the starter solenoid, but can't seem to get the starter to work from the key, and more importantly, we can't get any spark??? We've put the volt meter on it while cranking it over and there is indeed 12v getting to the coil, but can't get any spark out of it? Hopefully I just got a lemon coil, but it would go well with the lemon of a distributor I ended up with, one of the posts on the cap were broken off so I am reusing the old cap. What can go wrong will go wrong, boy is the suspense killing me!!!
 



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Is the coil well grounded?
 






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