26 27 Body Block Question

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: 26 27 Body Block Question
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 08:04 pm:

I have two questions for body blocks for a 26 roadster.

Does the rabbeted face go up or down on the mid-body blocks?

How is the second rear block held in place? I've read that they are held in place with a screw or two though the sub-frame from the inside face but there are no holes in the sub-frame there. Another option may be to glue or screw the two blocks together so that the long body bolt holds both in place.







Thanks,
Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker in Sumter SC on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 08:41 pm:

Jim,


Antique Auto Ranch has a nice explanation of the 1926-27 body blocks and their installation at:
http://www.antiqueautoranch.com/montana500/body%20blocks/BodyBlock.htm

The following earlier postings also have some good information including the link to the same Antique Auto Ranch illustration.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/37229.html?1191975343,
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/9709.html and http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50893/52046.html

I don’t own an Improved Car [may be I should mention that to my Santa Claus?]. So I will let others with more experience with the 1926-27 cars provide additional inputs. But if you review those postings and still have questions – ask away and I’m sure the folks here can help you out.

Also thank you for all your many postings with photos helping to document how things went together etc.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Travis E. Towle on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 10:21 pm:

On my 26 roadster blocks C. I needed to rabbet out both top and bottom, to fit for the body rivets and to bring the splash apron up to the body snugly.

Travis


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rick Goelz-Knoxville,TN on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 11:33 pm:

The blocks fit into the subframe very tight, you can't fit them to the frame as shown above, there should be a small hole in the subframe that a screw goes into to hold the rear blocks together, the others go into the crossmember under the seat with the rabbited side facing down for the splash apron to attach to.I have a picture somewhere.

Rick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Thursday, May 23, 2013 - 12:54 am:

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Hap,
I've seen those references but they were not really clear to me.

Travis,
Rabbeting the top and bottom may be a reasonable option to get a real tight fit between the body and splash apron. I really think the top needs to be rabbeted to provide some clearance for the rivet heads. If the top side is flat, the block will not bed well in the sub frame cross channel. It will only contact the inner body end and set on top of the rivets with a space between the block and the channel where the body bolt goes.

Then the question becomes, is there a reason that a rabbet is needed on the bottom side? If you look at the hood shelf, it sets the top of the splash apron equal to the top of the frame. It makes sense that the splash apron should continue on back on the car at the same elevation of equal to the top of the frame. This would require that the C blocks have no rabbet on the bottom side. This would would also leave about a 1/8" to 1/4" space between the top of the splash apron and the bottom of the body. This space seems to be normal and would prevent the body and splash apron rubbing and wearing the paint off.

Rick,
You are correct, the two rear blocks can not be assembled both at one time. Because of the rabbet on the bottom and how it fits over the lower sub-frame flange, they have to be installed separately. My thought of gluing or screwing them together before assembly will not work. However, they could be glued together during assembly.

I have looked very closely at my sub-frame, inside and out with bright lights and a magnifier, there are now or never were any holes on the sub-frame to hold the second rear block. Maybe they were glued during assembly or maybe that were screwed together at an angle from the bottom of one block up into the second block. I don't know.



Thanks again for the ideas,
Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 11:23 am:

Here is the final report on my solution.

For the "C" mid-body blocks I placed the rabbet on the top face as pictured in the first photo. That's the only way they fit correctly.

I found no evidence or history of how the second rear block was held in place originally. So I installed angled 1/8" diameter pins (really SS wire) to keep the second block in place. The pins are totally concealed and held in place by the frame bearing pad when the sub-frame is mounted on the frame.

The body is now setting on the frame.









Jim


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration