I bought it at Sears - called a Laser Trac. They are about $35.00 there, but I found a couple cheap knock-offs at Lowes, and saw one at Big Lots, for under $10. I used it for leveling my motorhome when I had it, plus when I built my shop, for marking the walls end-to-end, for my studs, etc. They are really very handy, once you remember you have it...that was the hardest thing, because I often forgot I had it. But, once you get used to it, and use it for a few things, you can use it for a LOT of things.

R
See my bodywork HERE

That's great...Im on my way there this evening...Thanks

Door will not stay closed on 54 F100
 

First the passengers side, now the drivers side. The striker plate is what I hope to be the problem, any tricks or tips? (besides rope or bungee cord, as this is my current solution.)

There's a good discussion on that - discussing using original, or going to "bear claw", right now, in the following link:

Original or bear claw latch?

Seems the consensus is that the effort to go bear claw MORE than outweighs not doing it.

R

Removing Rear Shackle Pins
 

Been working on my rear end. Ford had a great idea - to remove the shackle pins, they put holes in the frame, to drive them out from inside the frame. Unfortunately, at least on the '51, they put a cross member in perfect alignment with the hole for the front spring shackle, making it just short of impossible to get to - the rear is easy, and drives right out. If you CAN get to it, your drift is at a pretty severe angle.

I've read of people cutting holes in the cross member, to make it a direct shot. Another option is to grind off the rivets, pull the shackle, then put it back on with Grade 8 bolts. While these are suitable for a "darksider", I am trying to keep my '51 F2 as stock as possible.

After mulling it over, I ended up taking a piece of 3/8" solid rod, and a 1/8" NPT die, and putting pipe threads on about the last 1/2" of the rod. I took the Zerk out of the pin, and screwed the rod in. I then clamped one set of cheap Taiwan vice grip pliers VERY securely to the rod, with another pair of true Vice Grips, behind that, so that they wouldn't slip, perpendicular to the rod. Then, I just hammered smartly against the cheapies, pulling the pin out. Slick as can be! Pretty much ruined the cheapies, but, at least I got SOME use out of them, instead of just laying around my tool box, until I threw them out.

My pins were very worn, and somewhat bent as well, and it still pulled them out.

I think a decent slide hammer would be great, if you can make the rod to fit the slide. Or, alternatively, you could weld a "beater block" to the rod, instead of the vice grips, but I just used what I had laying around.

Works for me!!

R

my 51 desoto's coolant system was full of rust debre,it would clog the radiator, so i back flush the radiator and then put panty-hose in the top inlet so every time you run it you catch the debre. later take it out ,clean the panty hose out then put it back,caught a lot of crap.now its pretty much clean.i know the wright way is to take it to a shop but,hey no money and i just wana drive it.

When working on a rusty vehicle PB Blaster is your best friend. Spray it on bolts nuts and let it soak and nine times out of ten you will save yourself from a broken bolt. I am in the process of taking the body off my 54 F1 and have only broken three or four bolts out of about a hundred.

I was working on my emergency brakes this weekend and had to pull the cables out at the rear drums. I remembered an old trick and thought I'd pass it on. To release the cable at the backing plate, you need to simultaneously compress inwards 6 little fingers on the clip that holds the cable to the plate. This is easily done by sliding a hose clamp over the clip and tightening until you feel it release. If you have one of those wire-type hose clamps that is the right size, they work even better.

You can free up a siezed park brake cable with a set of booster cables and a battery.Clean an area on the cable and clamp a set of vise crips onto to the cable. Next clean another area on the cable case.Clamp an end of the booster cables to the vise crips and then quickly attach the other end of boosters to cable case.There will be sparks. Watch for your connection for overheating.Inside the cable where its siezed will be getting hot. You can start to work cable back and forth. you can connect and disconnect as many times as you like till you get a feel for things.Doesnt tak long to overheat things so only use short burst of power.It works great.NOTE; will not work on new style cables with plastic liner.

I've had a small oil leak on my Series 60 detroit Diesel on my semi tractor. If you've ever worked under a semi with an oil leak, you know that used diesel oil is the blackest, stainingest engine oil on the planet. I decided that I really COULD get under there and fix it w/o trashing my clothes. Bad idea. My jeans were ruined, according to my wife. I ahve a 5 gallon pail of Purple Power degreaser. I put about 12 oz. in the washer on small load setting, along with detergent. My jeans came out nearly spotless.. Try it.

I use starting fluid to remove grease and oil stains, before washing continuely spray starting fluid on the stain until it is washed from the fabric, kinda like washing the mud from under the finder wells, ha ha , Garry

My father was a commercial roofer, his work clothes would get full of tar and roofing cement, and my brothers and I were always working on cars getting greasy and oily. My mother would soak our work clothers overnight in a 5 gal pail after dousing them liberally with "Lestoil" cleaner before washing. Lestoil was available there in the grocery stores, but the only place that seems to carry it here is ACE hardware stores. It also made great hand washing soap for cleaning us up.

LOL....

Mom always washed our greasy stuff with Tide detergent and a healthy dose of Pine-Sol. I smelled like a forest all through high school

Bobby

A can of Coke works on oily greasy clothes also needs to be brand name. I found that a log chain over a stud and a nut put on can be used to pull a rear axle on the 9 inch ford, snap the chain like a whip and it will pop right out. I used this method on stuck brake drums also by wrapping the chain around the drum.

i got a cool tip here. in my old truck the wind leaks threw were the window seals to the door so i took me some good ol RTV and stuck it the tracks on the top and around the corner, than i rold my window up all the way so it would form righ around the window, than i rold it back down and wiped it off the window and let it dry with the window down of corse. the next day no air was leaking and it also kept the window from rattleing. also i did it any holes in the cab. it helps alot in the winter and plus its RTV so it can be removed very ez if its needed