Project Frog Princess

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That's cool. How would one connect the speedo? I would not care about the signal lights as I'd do them like the customized version I showed.
I do like how aftermarket gauges provide other functions including warning functions. Still undecided.

Anyone hazarding a guess on the "bushings"?
 
Time to take a break from the front for a while and move to the rear. I have my cut down axles back from Dutchman.

Just for fun, can anyone guess what I'm doing with these?
John, you already know so don't give it away.

Making your own rear end welding Jig, so you dont warp the crap out of it when you weld it together.
 
You guys nailed it. Too easy I guess :)
I'll post pics later.
 
Thanks. Another member just purchased those. Just not sure about the shop's reputation. Have you used them?
 
Thanks. Another member just purchased those. Just not sure about the shop's reputation. Have you used them?
I have not YET my 99 Durango 5.9 needs a top end rebuild (220k on the truck) and instead of $600 into having the stock heads redone I'm going buy these for $700... this summer it will happen

And they're NEW castings, good valves (SS 2.02/1.625), really nice valve springs, and they have a couple versions of them with standard intake mounting pattern and the magnum pattern.. plus porting and valve spring options

FAR better than stock magnum heads that are known for cracking.. Plus my truck has low compression in cyl. 5 which is also common from what I have read on dakotart.com

So the top end will come off and inspect the cylinders and if it needs a short block it will get rebuilt- other wise put the top end on it with a few improvements "while I'm in there" and break that in and rebuild the trans to support a T70 turbo and 10psi.. then it will get a single turbo mounted behind the passenger side fog light opening

Sorry kinda a off topic reply but oh well

If you want to learn about magnum motors head over there.. there are guys in the 10's with EFI Magnums
 
You can tell you have some metal fabrication experience From one metal worker to another nice job ! Nice seats too !
 
That's cool. How would one connect the speedo? I would not care about the signal lights as I'd do them like the customized version I showed.
I do like how aftermarket gauges provide other functions including warning functions. Still undecided.

Anyone hazarding a guess on the "bushings"?

The speedo is still a mystery to me as far as doing it in reality, but on paper, it works, and you'd basically have to make the cable yourself. I've been reading up on it, and nothing from the miata specifically, but I think it can be done. If all else, you'd use the sender on the diff to power a newer cluster speedo along with a vss. I'm still working on it. There are a few gauges I've seen as well with warning functions, but isn't that the idea behind putting a real volt meter, and oil pressure etc?
 
There are a few gauges I've seen as well with warning functions, but isn't that the idea behind putting a real volt meter, and oil pressure etc?

When you're old and senile its nice to have both :)
Sad to say it but I once did not notice an overheated engine until I saw steam even with a gauge.

You can tell you have some metal fabrication experience From one metal worker to another nice job ! Nice seats too !
The car is my excuse to weld :) I'm no pro but getting better and having fun.

I've seen some unhappy reviews on Clearwater. Google them and see what you think. I've been thinking RHS but also considering the EQs. To me choosing a good shop is as important as the head.
 
Got the 8.8 shortened today, well tacked in place at least. I cut the first end off with a large HF pipe cutter. I moved in 3 1/2" from the flange since it starts the taper at 3" and wanted a flat surface. This took a lot of effort and on the second I was frustrated trying to get the cut lined up so I went with a recip saw instead. I scored a line using flashing metal and was happy with the result. A little touch up with a machinist square and file and it came out nice.
My welder pro friend emphasized good metal prep especially with gear oil around so I sandblasted the weld areas inside and out.

Dutchman warned me to check for a bent diff as one axle had a slight bend (they did a little touch up on the bearing area so it runs true). Sure enough you can see the tube is off. Both sides. I used a heat and quench method that I found here (Straighten A Bent 9" Ford Rear End Housing: - The Garage Journal Board) and got them close enough to satisfy me. The small remaining imperfection was corrected using the outer bushings to ensure the bearings will run straight.

I plan to have a pro do the final weld, just because he offered and his welds are always pretty.

One near goof up was forgetting to make a mark for alignment. Turns out there's a weld line on the inside of the tubes that saved my butt.

frog 136-1.jpg


frog 136-2.jpg


frog 136-3.jpg


frog 136-4.jpg


frog 136-5.jpg


frog 136-6.jpg
 
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Got the 8.8 shortened today, well tacked in place at least. I cut the first end off with a large HF pipe cutter. I moved in 3 1/2" from the flange since it starts the taper at 3" and wanted a flat surface. This took a lot of effort and on the second I was frustrated trying to get the cut lined up so I went with a recip saw instead. I scored a line using flashing metal and was happy with the result. A little touch up with a machinist square and file and it came out nice.
My welder pro friend emphasized good metal prep especially with gear oil around so I sandblasted the weld areas inside and out.

Dutchman warned me to check for a bent diff as one axle had a slight bend (they did a little touch up on the bearing area so it runs true). Sure enough you can see the tube is off. Both sides. I used a heat and quench method that I found here (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46369) and got them close enough to satisfy me. The small remaining imperfection was corrected using the outer bushings to ensure the bearings will run straight.

I plan to have a pro do the final weld, just because he offered and his welds are always pretty.

One near goof up was forgetting to make a mark for alignment. Turns out there's a weld line on the inside of the tubes that saved my butt.

Does Dutchman cut and respline axles?
 
Yes. Very reasonable too. Good people to deal with.
 
Nice. I ended up spending $100 on a new short side axle for my 8.8. I did not want to run a used axle in reverse rotation. I figured because of the C-clips it would be a PITA to respline the long side axle I had.
 
I see guys doing this without any jig. The guys at Dutchmen commented that many of the wrecker diffs are bent. You cannot detect it without a jig. I suspect mine was in a rollover causing both tubes to bend. I'm very glad I made the jig.

Anyone doing this can contact me to borrow the bushings. The pipe is just black pipe from the hardware store. I did use a long level to pick one that was straight. Some were off a bit.

It is not rigid enough to be a true jig. Rather it is an alignment checking tool. The final welding will be done without the end bushings in place, with frequent checks as the welds are completed. Being so close to the end, as long as short opposing welds are done I do not anticipate a problem.

Some technical info on heat straightening here in the second part.
http://www.repairengineering.com/shaft-straightening.html
 
I see guys doing this without any jig. The guys at Dutchmen commented that many of the wrecker diffs are bent. You cannot detect it without a jig. I suspect mine was in a rollover causing both tubes to bend. I'm very glad I made the jig.

Anyone doing this can contact me to borrow the bushings. The pipe is just black pipe from the hardware store. I did use a long level to pick one that was straight. Some were off a bit.

It is not rigid enough to be a true jig. Rather it is an alignment checking tool. The final welding will be done without the end bushings in place, with frequent checks as the welds are completed. Being so close to the end, as long as short opposing welds are done I do not anticipate a problem.

Some technical info on heat straightening here in the second part.
http://www.repairengineering.com/shaft-straightening.html

What size are the adapters? The big 9" ford bearing ends are 3.150" if they are close I may ask to borrow your adapters.
 
The carrier bushings are 3.060" OD
The axle bushings are 2.523" OD
The ID for all is 1.320 (The black pipe OD is 1.310")



For reference purposes, the axle bearing diameter is 2.533" and the carrier bearings are 3.063".
 
I guess during the night ADD got to me and I dreamed up a way to get the axle to move a little further. It involves another love of my life that makes my wife jealous - my tractor. It still took three heat and cool cycles but it is much closer now.

I also took the other side apart and did a light grinding on the welding surfaces as as I remembered reading somewhere that a sandblasted surface does not take weld all that well.

Everything is tacked in place again.

frog 143-1.jpg


frog 143-2.jpg
 
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Nice idea. Is that a 4 speed kubota? do you have a stinger on the back? I drove one around a lot. It made it 60,000 hours till the thing started shooting coolant everywhere and had to be put down.
 
The Kubota is hydrostatic drive. Stinger? I have a 3 point blower and a few other attachments. After blowing with a clutch for a few years, the update to hydrostatic is a major luxury.
 
Got the diff end welded back in place. Very happy with the alignment. With all the bushings in place, the pipe spins easily. I also had the tube to housing joint welded.

Next I'll sandblast the whole thing, rebuild it and give it a coat of POR-15. The rebuild should be interesting.

frog 146-1.jpg
 
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The Kubota is hydrostatic drive. Stinger? I have a 3 point blower and a few other attachments. After blowing with a clutch for a few years, the update to hydrostatic is a major luxury.

I call em stingers, and only ever heard a couple other people say it. The hydraulic shovel arm that hooks onto the back with the added seat. When you look at it from profile view, it looks like a scorpion stinger tail. Stinger.:D
 
OK, thought that might be it. We call it a hoe (backhoe). I ran one for my Dad in my teens. Would be nice to have, but can't justify the cost. I use a post hole attachment for planting trees and such. My box scraper with rippers can do a lot of digging as well.
 
Got the diff end welded back in place. Very happy with the alignment. With all the bushings in place, the pipe spins easily. I also had the tube to housing joint welded.

Next I'll sandblast the whole thing, rebuild it and give it a coat of POR-15. The rebuild should be interesting.

I did the same thing with welding the housing to the center section, great improvement in strength. I bought the carbon fiber clutch kit from summit for my 8.8. They seem real rugged. Here is the link, fit like a glove in my 99 Explorer rear:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fms-m-4700-c/media/images
 
When I found out the "posi" 8.8 from the wrecker wasn't posi almost a year after purchasing it, they sent me a new Yukon brand posi carrier.

So refreshing to deal with people like that.

They specialize it rear ends and say if yours is making noise they can fix it :bootysha: :blob:

http://www.billsautoparts.net/about.php
 
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