1957 country sedan build

Very true, on both accounts.

 

One wheel down one to go tomorrow and then the front brakes and suspension will be done-minus the sway bar. I put self adjusters on both fronts and eventually the rears as well. Question, I bought a new tank from Auto city classics and it is a bit smaller dimensionallly than my original. Is there supposed to be this much slack in the straps or should they be tight all the way around. At this point I am planning on adding some rubber to take up the slack.

Mike

 

I’d be tempted to cinch it up somehow. Wouldn’t want a lot of play with road bumps and filler neck, etc.

 

Looking at your brake setup, it appears that both shoes are identical. There should be a short shoe and a long shoe, with the short shoe facing the front of the car. Maybe you want to check the other pair of the set. By short and long shoes, I mean the lining material, not the metal holding it.

 

Old Fox, you are correct and I asked at NAPA where I got them and he said that is how they are making them now. Now I have to figure out if i have the adjusting set up on the correct shoe? I have them on both front shoes but can't remember if they go there or back shoe.

 

Your picture is correct. The star wheel should be in front of the punch hole in the backing plate.

 

Well, replaced the axle seals in the diff and am getting ready to hang it with new springs this week. Front end is done minus the sway bar (trying for this week) and the steering just needs to be tightened down. After that rear brakes and tires!

mike

 

On the brake adjusters, I gave up as I can’t use them on the front brakes. I looked at them backing plates and discovered that the adjusting holes are punched so as to be in the back on the left and in the front on the right. And with the adj set up on the back shoe I could only get one side to function properly. So I just yanked them both. She will get disk brakes eventually up front anyhow so no big loss.

mike

 

In preparation to take the block and crank to the builder I tore down the rest of the engine today. Not all that bad actually. The cylinders and pistons were in really pretty good shape, same with the crank. The cam bearings on the other hand were all shot beyond belief.
Mike

 

One wonders why? I had a 64 Fairlane with a 289. I was one a trip buzzing along at 70 mph and felt a slight stutter in the engine. Kept going for another 12 miles and pulled into a small town. Noticed people were pointing at me. Pulled over and the engine seized. A hose had blown and all the AF lost. The temp gauge never registered hot because it was in the intake and there was nothing for it to sense. I replaced the hose and filled it with water. The engine gave a mighty groan and fired. I drive it for another couple of months before tearing it down. I found melted globules of cam bearing in the pan. I had to replace the block. Perhaps yours was overheated at some point to damage the bearings.

 

Who knows. Got it from a yard so it is anybodys guess. Either way she is going into the shop and I am hopin not a lot of work needs to be done other than the crank, boil out and hone.

mike

 

Ok, got the diff and new springs in. According to the manual it should diff, metal spacer holder, rubber spacer, spring, rubber spacer, metal spacer holder then shock pad.

Now my 57 wagon didn’t come with any of these spacer things. I am going to add them IF they should be there from the factory. My questions are these:

1) if installed, how does the diff keep from shifting front to rear? Will the U bolts keep it from sliding?
2) how do I install the top metal spacer holder? I can install the rubber pad, just not the spacer as it would force the diff spring pad to sit up about 1/8”.

Thanks.


Mike

 

The spring packs have fasteners that hold the leaves together, and the head of it fits into the center hole in the spring pad on the axle tube. Once the u-bolts are tightened onto the spring plate on top, both should keep the axle from moving.

 

Well since the car did not come with any of these pieces I probably will just go back to the way it came. As in no rubber and just the axle on the spring and then then shock plate all bolted together. I ran fine for 60 years so unless I find a major reason to add them I probably won't. Then I can add the rear brakes and roll her out into the sunshine on Friday.

Mike