door assembly

Ecode70D · 2013-01-17 20:21

All the guys around here told me that you couldn't get the cast iron headers on a FE in a 57. That was enough reason for me to do it.

Ecode70D · 2013-01-17 20:33

Rich
I tried that already. When I adjusted the striker plate out, and tried to close the door, it was no where near the B post.
Tomorrow I am going to try again though and I'll let you know what happens.
This is part of the fun in playing with our toys. I enjoy a challenge.
Jay

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-20 23:03

well, after a little set back, my tudor finally has 2 doors. The electric window wasn't operating as smoothly as the driver's side, and the more I played with adjusting the glass channels, the worse it got. Finally I looked down into the door and saw the white pvc/nylonish tube that the worm drive rides in was broken on both sides of the motor. I pulled it out and looked at the way the tube was glued in to the housing and didn't think it was repairable. Checking a replacement price from Jegs, I found out the kit I used is just under 300. now. I think I paid 1/2 that 3 or 4 years ago at a goodguys show. anyways...looked at it some more and figured I might be able to fix it if I could find the right size tubing. Lowe's had some soft copper tubing just the right ID and OD. I drilled out the old tubing as far as I could and pushed the copper in. I didn't think I'd be succesful trying to glue copper to nylon, and I didn't want to use hose clamps on the nylon housings, so I just put the hose clamps on the copper and wired them so they couldn't pull out. Not pretty, but it worked really slick. So, finally got that back in, the door panel installed, and both doors are now wired to the switches located in the console.

57 Ford Kustom · 2013-01-21 05:29

Rich,
I can't say it enough, NICE

, really,really NICE!

Thanks,
Tim

PS: Even though you are out of New England, their is still some farmer blood in you! Cleaver fix!

Ford Blue blood · 2013-01-21 07:01

Nice fix Rich, you're living proof there is an answer, just have to look harder sometimes.

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-21 07:45

Yeah, something about having to pay 300 bucks to replace a new part that makes you look some more. Answers aren't usually my problem...it's understanding the questions needed to be asked that is what I have a tough time with.
Perfect example: after wiring up the contact switches in the door to the switches in the console, I of course wanted to check it out, so I hooked up a temp power source to the power supply wire feeding the switches. I clipped my leads to the grounding block and to the power supply wire. Being Lazy, I didn't unhook the power wire from the fuse panel, not thinking it would also run power backwards into the fuse panel. Yeah, stupid I know. Anyway as soon as I added power to the wire, I heard a motor running. I thought, how can that be...the doors are both open, so the contact switches aren't making contact. My neighbor came in at that point and I had to go help him with something. When I got back, I unhooked the power wire from the fuse panel, added power and everything checked out fine.
Later that evening some of the guys here were discussing wiper motor conversions..and
opps minor emergency..will finish later

gasman826 · 2013-01-21 08:48

Great save on the power window assembly! I view cobbling as a art form. I am discussed to see shoddy, unsafe, over priced, stupid work go under the name of cobbled. Every hot rodder has a little cobbler in them. It is a skill one should be proud of. Rich, I hope you take this in manner that I am offering, you are a Picasso of cobble.

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-21 09:03

I'm back. My Neice's truck broke down on her way to work, fortunatly only a few blocks from the house. My next door neighbor never returned the tow strap they borrowed, so I had to jury rig something up..but it was only a few blocks. Man, it's cold out there 20 * with a wind.
Anyways, As I said later that evening some of the guys were talking about the wiper conversions, and it dawned on me it wasn't the power window motor I was hearing, it was maybe the wiper motor. Went out and checked the wiper switch and it was in the "on" position. The good news is the fairly elaborate wiring harness I made for the wiper motor/control module/multi-function switch aparently works. The bad news is I hadn't finished figuring out why the hard arms I had installed weren't working as freely as they were when I first made it...think I have two of the arms switched. I had left some tools in there as well so I would remember to finish that up. Well, as you can imagine, I now have some more stuff to fix with the wiper motor having run unexpectedly. SHEEETTTTT!!!! But I am really really really happy about there being power to the wiper motor. LOL

Frankenstein57 · 2013-01-21 21:26

That being said, you should always test run the wipers prior to putting the arms on. Why you ask? If they are in the wrong position you might sweep them into the cowl and gidge the paint all up, ask me how I know.

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-23 21:30

Funny you should mention that. Actually, since my windows checked out ok, I thought I'd fix the wiper cowl setup. First thing I did was unhook tho motor arm...figured I'd attach one piece at a time and adjust things as I went along. I went around to all the wires I had coming out of the fuse box and still open at the other end, putting wire nuts on them just to make sure I didn't cause any shorts. I then ran power and ground into the fuse panel. Now I can't get the wiper motor to work at all. Windows and dome light still work, but no wipers. When I get back to it, I'll check all the fuses, connections, grounds, etc. Not sure what's going on there. I do hear a slight constant ticking noise when power is applied...very similar to a clock ticking. No, I don't have a clock in there. I'll also try power to the motor direct to make sure I didn't screw that up when I unexpectedly powered it up the other day. LOL..man, if a little knowledge is dangerous, VERY LITTLE knowledge may just turn into a nightmare.

6cyl57 · 2013-01-23 22:34

Wow Rich that car is beautiful.

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-24 19:20

Thank you, thank you. I'm starting to like it a little.

RICH MUISE · 2013-02-07 22:23

Quote from: Ecode70D on 2013-01-17 20:33
Rich
I tried that already. When I adjusted the striker plate out, and tried to close the door, it was no where near the B post.
Tomorrow I am going to try again though and I'll let you know what happens.
This is part of the fun in playing with our toys. I enjoy a challenge.
Jay

If you posted anything on your door adjustment, I didn't see it. Any luck?One of the new guys on the Hamb was having same problem with his '57. I told him pretty much what I told you, but he was leaving for a months vacation the morning after I emailed him, so I'll have to wait a while to find out if he had any luck.
Rich

LAUDY57 · 2013-02-08 19:00

Rich, I tried moving my striker plate all over the place but I think my door is being held out by the like new door seals. I left it latched while I'm away, the rubber probably isn't liking the move from dry Arizona to the wet coast.
I plan on using a product called Fluid Film inside my doors and other body crevices, it sticks like sh*t to a goose and is a penetrant. Any metal that hasn't had the moisture removed, eg heated, and is painted still is susceptible to galvanic corrosion under the paint. Rustoleum is good stuff as long as the metal is dry. We use FF around here in boats - I've had that stuff in my wet hatches for over 2 yrs and it's still good. A friend did a test by putting a bunch of these products on steel and left it out in the weather for 6 mons. and FF had the best results for longevity.
Here's a trick you may be interested in for your wiper arms and door work. I wanted to see my hood latch's working alignment so I hooked up one of those cheap USB connected cameras to a laptop, put on top of the engine with a light, and watched the video as the hood closed -recorded it even! It also was helpful to watch my new clutch linkage just clear one of the header tubes as I pushed in the pedal.
Only 1 night since I left my new baby and I think I'm having what they call "separation anxiety".

RICH MUISE · 2013-02-09 10:08

Lorne..Missed this post yesterday...lots of good info there, thanks. I used a parifin based product inside my rockers that may be similar to the Fluid Film you're using. I would have used it in other areas had I found out about it before I assembled my interior. Nifty idea with the camera. I won't need it with my wiper setup though..it's totally visable from the cowl vent openings.It may come in handy when I set up my remote trunk release though.
Speaking of your clutch pedal..It was hard to tell from your photos if the clutch brackets/z-bar were causing any clearance issues with the steering issue we were discussing.
Door seals are a major headache trying to get the door to latch. I had to strap my driver's door closed for a few weeks before I was able to get it to latch just shutting the door hard. One of the topics we've talked about on here is the problem with the seals being one of the items that are available, but not made all that well. They seem to be too thin in some spots, and too thick in others. Just something we have to live with...at least they're available.
Rich

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