1952 F1 Handbrake Woes part two

 Just getting over a nasty virus and decided rather than sit there like a stunned mullet beside the heater, I'd venture out in the garage and pull the handbrake to bits, as you do. I discovered this about the pawl

Looks like a burred over pawl. Probably has a lot to do with my problem. It has definitely seen better days.

Poor pawl (pitiful me). Heheh, yes I am a bit of a Zevon fan.

You can buy new pawls from a couple of locations in the USA, but I don't like paying over $100 for postage for something that will fit in a matchbox.  So, I dragged out the Unimig welder and dusted it off.

There was a time when I thought my days of messing with old trucks had come to an end, and I even put things like the welder up for sale. Good thing I didn't because it came in handy for welding some metal back on that tired old pawl. I put it together with the spring which seems okay and dummy tested it. So far so good. Tomorrow, if I get some time, I will weld up that area where the ratchet teeth thing pivots with the handle (seen above) as I think this could also be causing issues with the handbrake not engaging with the teeth. 

Handbrake woes

 Trying to get the handbrake/ emergency brake to grip, but the little latch that supposed to lock against the teeth just slips right off the moment I pull on the lever. It looks like the cables are ok. Could the thing just be worn out?

Well, it could be a lot of things I suppose. the pawl could be worn, the spring that engages with the pawl could be weak, the teeth could be worn, or it could be the bushing inside the handbrake lever that has clapped out.

Here is the bushing in question. You can see here that it has seen better days, but the poor old thing is over 70 years old, so it's forgiven. If I can knock that bushing out and have someone mill up a new bushing that might be all that is needed. 

The other thing I discovered is the actual condition of the front brake cable. Somewhat stuffed, methinks. Anyway, I have a friend who is going to take a look at the handbrake to see if he can make something up to suit. I'll keep you posted. 

First assignment: getting it lowered

 

It has been two weeks since the truck arrived and would you believe this is the closest I have come to checking out the front end? I have been trying to source a dropped axle for the truck, and the nearest thing I can get is a 3" drop from the USA which will set me back close to $1000.  

In the hope of finding someone local, I threw it out there on a Facebook group and a guy got back and said there is a guy in Melbourne who makes them (Garry Page). 

I have never met Garry, but by all accounts he is a very nice guy who has been doing this stuff for a very long time. I gave him a call up today and he advised he was snowed under with jobs and call him late July. I was also advised he could do the job if I supplied stub axles and steering arms and that it would cost around $1200 for a straight up bolt in affair with a two inch drop.  That sounds like a possibility, but the cost of it is making me think about other options, such as a Jag front. I have done a few of these over the years on a 54 and a 56 F100, but I believe the jag front is actually an ever better fit on these earlier model trucks, and I know how good these front ends are, and as a bonus, disk brake front, power steering and excellent road manners. So, why would I opt to mess around with archaic stuff?

The other thing is, as you can see in this crappy photo of the undercarriage, it has front springs as well, and I am guessing we might be able to get it down an inch closer to the ground just by removing some of those springs. And, you know what? That might just be enough. 

I wouldn't be changing a thing except for the truck just clearing the top of the garage door, and I still haven't taken it out for a drive as it is too damned cold in Goulburn and I am also waiting for a blinker set to arrive. 

Folks, here she is. Our charming 1952 Ford F1 pickup

 Folks, here she is. Our charming 1952 Ford F1 pickup truck that my wife has nicknamed Coco (on account of the Coca Cola signage on the truck. Look, to be honest, ANYTHING is better than Annabel, which is what she called our ill-fated 1956 F100 disaster. (In the coming weeks, I will revisit that complete mess so that you can see just what kind of shitful situation the whole thing was from day one.)

But, putting all that behind us for now, this is the truck that I hope will stay with me for life, and I am planning on it being our ticket to fun times.

I picked her in a place called Edensor Park up from a charming lady by the name of Sonja, who told me her dad previously owned the truck and drove it regularly over a twenty year period. Apparently the truck was part of an advertising promotion out front of their Thai Restaurant? Either way, I picked her up for a very reasonable price and had Wayne truck it down to us in Goulburn, NSW.

The truck has been with us just on one week and I can tell you I have done basically nothing with it as the weather here in Goulburn has hit a miserable minus three to six degrees over the past week, and even though she is snug in a garage, it is still way too cold to be messing about with trucks.. I did, however, get the bonnet to close after adjusting the spring mechanism, and I discovered one indicator was on the blink. A quick inspection showed it was full of water and totally rusted out, so ordered a new one. 

The truck has been fitted with a rather weird aftermarket rear bumper bar (as well as a front one of similar dubious styling), and the indicators that were fitted are a fairly common Hella brand. So, the replacement units were easy to source. Plus, their amber qualities has dulled into a creamy white lens. And because of this, I haven't taken it out for a drive as yet. Once the new indicators are in and it stops sleeting, I will give the truck a good run. 

The other thing is, I am petrified of it clearing the top of the roller door. There is barely a centimetre in it. My wife has convinced me it will not get through the door without scraping the roof. So, I am keen to prove otherwise. 

Here is the whacky rear bumper bar that has been fitted to the truck. I don't actually dislike it too much, and it is very functional in that it has a nice place for the number plate to live and has a light over the plate as well as housing the indicators.

I can tell you she is a Flathead v8, but I am not sure if original. Anyway, more to come soon!