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So I spent yesterday and today working on this gadget and I'm not gettin' any work done on the car.
I met with several Machine shops yesterday and today. Yesterday was over an hour away and I got caught in a horrific T-storm and had to sit it out in the car for a while.
Today was more rewarding than yesterday, and turns out the shop is 15 minutes from home. He has a CNC machine and can make a finished product for a very reasonable cost. He'll be giving me a estimate next week after he gets material costs.
I wasn't planning on it, but at the last minute I decided to go to Carlisle. I need a little break and some fun, and hope to meet many of the folks here and other Corvette folks I've known for years.
I'm going to take this little gadget and some sample pieces with me if anyone wants a demo. I'll be hanging out with 2 close friends at their swap space. I forget the space# but it's right in front of the separate Rest Rooms/Showers Building directly across from the food court area.
I'm leaving late Tues/Wed AM for the 1k mi drive. I'm torn between driving the 18 mpg '06 Chevy Silverado or the 30 mpg '07 Corvette. I don't care about rain so not a decision maker.
Quit sure that would be G row #s maybe 2,3,4,0r 5????
Originally Posted by rich5962
I wasn't planning on it, but at the last minute I decided to go to Carlisle. I need a little break and some fun, and hope to meet many of the folks here and other Corvette folks I've known for years.
I'm going to take this little gadget and some sample pieces with me if anyone wants a demo. I'll be hanging out with 2 close friends at their swap space. I forget the space# but it's right in front of the separate Rest Rooms/Showers Building directly across from the food court area.
I'm leaving late Tues/Wed AM for the 1k mi drive. I'm torn between driving the 18 mpg '06 Chevy Silverado or the 30 mpg '07 Corvette. I don't care about rain so not a decision maker.
Did a few thousand miles to Carlisle and back. JT at Zip sent me a few samples of the C2 and C3 fasteners. Thanks JT !
The C3 appears to be the same tip size as the C1's. But the C2 tips appear a bit wider at the tip. I have to re-think those.
More to come when I return from a Air trip to Boston and drive back with my Corvette buddy Chuck. We have a lot of catching up to do. We're taking the Rt 81 Inland Route back home.......right past Carlisle again.
Yesterday I met with the Machine Shop owner and he's working up a quote for me for the C1 version of the tool.
I measured the firewall hole sizes on a '66 at a buddy's house to prep for another version to use on those years. The '66 is strpped and missing the insulation so I measured several of the seven holes. They were all around 7/16", or approximately 0.438". These are larger than the C1 firewall holes.
The OD of the C2 fastener tips is 0.550" with a 0.5" shank, substantially larger than the C1 parts. So today on my lathe I made the C2 version to accommodate the larger opening and larger fastener.
But the insertion of the fastener into the tool requires a new method. The C2 fasteners are very different and punch through easily when trying just the soapy water and blunt tool method. I have to push the fastener into the tool around the edges using a screwdriver, then drive it home using the blunt ended driver tool. Not as easy as the C1 method, but it worked.
Below are pictures of the C2 prototype tool and the method. I may ask some of you folks to test both versions of the tools. Of course you can keep the tool for yourself after testing them out for me. More on that later.
Below is a auto-multi-shot sequence showing the fastener popping out of the tool....It stretches out to approximately 3/4" before popping out, grabbing the firewall to hold the insulation. I have to test this prototype out on that '66 project car to verify it'll work.
While I had a '63 here for some engine tasks, I noticed it was missing one firewall insulation plug tip in the area directly behind the driver's side cylinder head.
Looking inside the interior, I could see the plug, but it was obviously broken away or missing deep in the insulation. I wasn't in tight against the insulation.
The plug was deteriorated. Note this is one of the most difficult plug positions as it has to hold the overlap of 2 layers of the insulation at the joined sections.
The hole as seen from inside after the plug was removed.
I discovered my C2 version of the tool was too big for this hole. I had to use my C1 version.
I inserted the soaped-up plug into the tool with a slotted driver. Then drove it home with the soaped-up blunt push-tool.
I reached inside the footwell and inserted the tool and plug assembly through the hole.
Here's the result. It popped right in perfectly with a "POP".
Did a quick video clip with my shaky right hand on my old camera, while pulling the plug with my left.....
My machine shop has the material now in to make a production run. When the first lot is made I'll be passing a few out to those interested for trials testing. I'm going to send a few to some of my restoration shop acquaintances to help me verify it's usefulness.
Hey
When you finish this one... how about making something to get the tach/speedo cable through that dang grommet!
In the plant, we used a cone-type aluminum tool and a 50-50 mix of Joy soap and water to open the grommet hole wide enough to pass the speedo and tach cables through it. Photo below shows a home-made wooden version of the production tool.
My machine shop called me yesterday. His machine is fixed and we decided to make some today. We made the first batch this afternoon. Below are a few photos of the process on a Methods Slant 50 CNC at my local machine shop. We start with a 6 foot length of 1/2" Stainless Steel rod.
I was the operator for part of the machining. I drilled the pull-holes on a Bridgeport, then ran the CNC for the ID drilling operation.
The turret was setup with the turning bit to size the diameter from 1/2" stock to the correct size, the knurling tool for 1/2 of the tools length, and finally the cutoff tool to cut to length.
Once this operation was complete, I drilled the pull-holes, then the CNC was setup again for the ID to be drilled to size.
First a special bit to shave the cutoff tip leftover from that operation and also to start a center for the final ID drill. Then the turret would swing to drill the 1.3" hole depth in the end of the tool. After this step the tool fabrication was complete.
My machine shop called me yesterday. His machine is fixed and we decided to make some today. We made the first batch this afternoon. Below are a few photos of the process on a Methods Slant 50 CNC at my local machine shop. We start with a 6 foot length of 1/2" Stainless Steel rod.
I was the operator for part of the machining. I drilled the pull-holes on a Bridgeport, then ran the CNC for the ID drilling operation.
The turret was setup with the turning bit to size the diameter from 1/2" stock to the correct size, the knurling tool for 1/2 of the tools length, and finally the cutoff tool to cut to length.
Once this operation was complete, I drilled the pull-holes, then the CNC was setup again for the ID to be drilled to size.
First a special bit to shave the cutoff tip leftover from that operation and also to start a center for the final ID drill. Then the turret would swing to drill the 1.3" hole depth in the end of the tool. After this step the tool fabrication was complete.
Yes, I dropped the body onto my 60 alone using 4 rachet straps.
I had to ask a neighbor to come over and help me with the rubber
$%&@$ things. As I remember I had to cut one in half and install/glue a
threaded small piece inside to finally make it long enough to get it in.
(somebody will call out Bubba some day)
Now get me a tool so I can install the clip into my trunk lock!
LP
Yes, I dropped the body onto my 60 alone using 4 rachet straps.
I had to ask a neighbor to come over and help me with the rubber
$%&@$ things. As I remember I had to cut one in half and install/glue a
threaded small piece inside to finally make it long enough to get it in.
(somebody will call out Bubba some day)
Now get me a tool so I can install the clip into my trunk lock!
LP
Larry, The only tool for that is really your fingers to install it, and maybe a pair of right angle pliers to remove it.
Larry, The only tool for that is really your fingers to install it, and maybe a pair of right angle pliers to remove it.
I guess I need stronger fingers. I installed it when I did the restore and it came loose last summer. I some how lost the clip which was original and can't get the repo to go in.
LP
I've used the reproductions, but as always, they're not exact and they need tweaking.
Chances are that it wasn't completely latched on yours which is why it fell off. There are 2 burrs that must lock past the mating tabs of the lock cylinder. You can see them on the sides above.
First.....They have to be bent to conform to the curvature of the inside of the trunk. Then the 2 lock burrs that are on the sides of the clip need a little rework, They're too big. I massage them with a small hammer so they don't stick up too much. If they're too high, they won't go past the mating tabs on the cylinder. Sometimes I have to file them down and reshape them.
When I do these rework steps I can get the repros to work. If there was any trunk damage and then repaired, it MUST be perfectly flat in the inside trunk area of the lock cylinder, and it must be the same thickness as when new.
For those that requested a trial tool, you will receive your tool in the mail this week or early next week. Please note I have enough of you that signed up for the trials.
Please provide me with feedback when you use it. I'll include some instructions. You have to provide the fasteners, the soapy solution, the insertion device, and the pull tool.
Today if I get time, I'm planning to install the firewall insulation on a '59 I have here. There are 11 fasteners. I'm going to try to video the event.
I plan to load 11 fasteners in 11 tools, then by myself see how fast I can do the job. I hope to get it done in less than one minute.
Rich
p.s. I met several of you at the Regional in Lakeland. I'm glad I had them with me to hand one to you.
08-15-2014, 02:55 PM
He has a CNC machine and can make a finished product for a very reasonable cost. He'll be giving me a estimate next week after he gets material costs.
