Silver Hawk Major Modifications

[Treblig]

MAN!! This stuff really works!!! I bought some header wrap based on a suggestion from another member:



It made a humongous difference. The temp of the AC dryer has dropped about 100 degrees!!! That's amazing!!! I also figured that one of the reasons for the high temps under the hood was as a result of the fact that I didn't have a mechanical fan??? I started to think about it.....then I thought to myself, although I have those nice electric fans on the radiator it doesn't really help with the overall engine temps. I thought to myself...if the engine had an mechanical fan it would continuously blow air "back" around the engine. The electrical fans do a good job of "pulling" air through the radiator but they don't really move any air back to the engine. So I installed the mechanical fan that I had originally put on the engine. It's one of those reverse rotation fans. :



After I installed the mechanical fan and started the engine I definitely noticed a lot more "air" being pushed back around the sides of the engine. That's exactly what I wanted. This air movement would force "cooler" air past the exhaust manifolds and past the AC dryer and the brake lines. Even though the air being pushed backwards would be 180 degree air...it would still be much cooler than the static air temp around the manifolds!!






I also rerouted the fuel line. When I first got the engine running (LAST YEAR) I was in a hurry to get the car home. I quickly bent a piece of fuel pipe to get fuel to the carb. But after all the heat problems I decided the reroute the fuel line to decrease the amount of "heat" it absorbed.


I've run the engine a few times since all these changes and the electric fans actually turn themselves "off" as it sits there idling in the driveway. I LOVE IT!!!! That's the way it sould be!!

Treblig

[Treblig]

That came out nice. I still need to connect the wires but that pretty simple!!:



That bracket blends so good with the engine bay it's almost invisible. Now I have a relay for both headlights and the trans cooler fan.

treblig

[Treblig]

Well now that the Silver Hawk is running nice and cool (took it out for another 40 minute drive with the AC "on") I got around to swapping the steering wheel for the Lark steering wheel. If you've been following this thread you'll remember that I had a machine shop make a small adapter bushing to make the Lark steering wheel adapt to the Hawk steering shaft and signal mechanism. The dark wheel is the original Silver Hawk wheel the brown one is off a Lark.

In this first 2 pics you can see the copper/brass semi-circle the factory used to cancel the signals::




Here's the Lark wheel with the adapter ring installed:





"Clock rotation" or "position" of the signal cancel is really important so check 3 or 4 times before you heat the adapter and install on the new wheel.:




I installed the Lark wheel in the Silver Hawk but it was raining so I'll have to wait til tomorrow to test drive to see how the cancel mechanism works. The horn works just fine and everything else fit with no issues. You can't really mess anything up here. If you get the adapter in the wrong spot you just get a puller and remove it then reinstall. It doesn't hurt the steering wheel in any way.
I'll have pics of the new wheel in the car tomorrow.

A "BIG Thanks" to "Garrilla" for donating the steering wheel. I would have hated to buy one on ebay only to find that it wouldn't fit, this way, if it hadn't worked, my losses are minimal. Besides, I'm sure other Silver Hawk owners would like to know how to get a smaller Stude wheel to fit their car!!


CHEERS,
Treblig

[Peanut]

Glad to see so many elements falling into place! Your determination is paying off, and should allow you to breathe easy when you finally toss the keys to your daughter.

[Treblig]

Glad to see so many elements falling into place! Your determination is paying off, and should allow you to breathe easy when you finally toss the keys to your daughter.

You hit the nail right on the head "peanut"!!! I never stop worrying about something happening to my daughter as a result of something I did or didn't do to the car. I've triple and quadruple checked all the front suspension nuts/cotter pins, fuel line security, electrical system, etc, etc, etc. I stay up at night lying in bed thinking of things that I might have forgotten. But now that I've driven the car numerous times I am starting to "breathe as little easier" as I approach the day that she will take the car. It should be withing the next two weeks!!!

Pics Later.

Treblig

[Treblig]

Here are the pics of the Lark wheel in the '59 Silver Hawk:



Here's a quick pic of the new larger Brake pedal. The small round pedal that came with the brake assembly was not only too small but it also had a tendency to unscrew itself and fall off while driving the car. This new one is held in place by three 5/16 grade 8 bolts and lock nuts.





Lastly some pics of the installation of the passenger's mirror process. I'm 1 1/2 feet taller than my daughter so I had her sit in the driver's seat with the seat adjusted and tell me the best location for the mirror. I also made sure that there was some adjustment left in the mirror after I got it where it needed to be. You also have to take the vent window into consideration:



I didn't have much time today because I had to help my nephew. He had a large tree fall on his roof and AC unit. It took a few hours to chop it up.


Treblig

[Treblig]

Well it was scary but easy:

You have to make three holes actually. Two for the screws and one for the alignment button:




you can see the alignment button here:



Once you get the two screw hole in the correct location you can see where the hole for the "button" needs to be:


On my mirror gasket (plastic) there was a thick side and a thin side and since the thick side was on top on the driver's side I did the same thing on the passenger's side. It is very important which side (up or down) you want the thick side because once you drill the hole for the button the plastic gasket will only go "on" one way:


After making the three holes you simply install the mirror and pat yourself on the back:




I had time to replace the passenger's door striker and install the antennae. Tomorrow I'll start making the new rear view mirror shaft (the one that goes from the headliner to the mirror. I've ordered a slightly larger mirror from ebay and it will require a shaft (rod) that needs to be shaped a little differently than the original.

treblig

[Treblig]

Got the new slightly larger mirror installed today. I had to manufacture a new rod (stand) for it. It required drilling a hole and tapping a 1/4 X 28 threads in the end of some 3/8" rod. Then put all the necessary bends to get the mirror in the correct spot with plenty of adjustment. After bending I drilled a 3/16" hole in the other end to install a shank of a 3/16" bolt/screw which was the size of the internally threaded ball on the new mirror. I forgot to take pics of the process but it turned out nice and my daughter likes it:

These first two pics show the comparison between the old and new mirror:


Here a side view of the old rod (stand). Since the ball joint was made as part of the rod I couldn't use it because the new mirror already had the ball pressed into the back of the mirror frame:




The ball on the new mirror had a 3/16" internally threaded hole. So I got a 3/16" bolt and cut the head off. Then drilled a 3/16" hole in the lower end of the rod. I used my grinder to cut a slot in the side (exposing the 3/16" hole). I inserted the 3/16" bolt shank into the hole and welded it in there through the slot I had cut in the rod. then i filed it smooth, sanded it good and painted the rod.




I had my daughter sit in the car with the seat properly adjusted and located the exact position for the mirror so that it wouldn't interfere with the driver's view out the front of the car.
For an old timey mirror I found on ebay it turned out real nice!!

Treblig

[Treblig]

Sorry folks...I had a heart attack last Monday (at least that's what they told me at the hospital). So, I'm at home getting my meds worked out so I can finish the car. My wife won't let me do anything. I feel fine but the Doctor told me to lay low for a couple of weeks??

So, I think I'll order the head liner and clean up my parts table so I don't go crazy!!!
Treblig

[rstrasser]

Treblig
Take care of yours; the car can wait. We tend to work and work and then one day we discover we are mortal. We are only on this earth for a very short time.
Ron

[Lynn]

Hey Gil.

Get better soon. Follow Doc's orders (and your wife's too, if you know what's good for you!).

[55 56 PREZ 4D]

Hey Gil.

Get better soon. Follow Doc's orders (and your wife's too, if you know what's good for you!).

Yeah ! What he said.

[S2Deluxe]

Gil,

I'm sorry to hear that! Take care, but don't forget to find yourself some kind of enjoyment. Like they say, laughter is the best medicine.

Take care,

Mark

[Treblig]

Thanks for the kind words!! I feeling better today. I would have felt better sooner except that the meds they gave me cause me to get a massive headache. They tell you to go home and relax....that's pretty hard to do when you're fighting a massive headache. So I have a choice, massive headache OR pain in my left arm from low blood flow to part of my heart. Boy...what a choice!!!!
They also said that there wasn't anything they could do about my condition, THAT'S CRAZY!! Guess I'll have to figure it out by myself, as usual???


Treblig

[sweetolbob]

I'm not sure who "THEY"are but a good fried of mine was recently told but "THEY/THEM" that there was nothing could be done for the poor circulation in his lower legs. Well, the next "THEY" said is shouldn't be to difficult to improve the circulation, which they are now doing.

Moral- Keep looking at "THEY'S" as hopefully you'll find one with better skills. Ask around the area where the skilled cardiologists hang out. Even Michigan has several noted facilities within reasonable travel. Texas should have even more.

IAC, Best of luck.

Bob