MS LIBERTY a Wild Weasel's belly tank

[SPARKY]

Andy and I had a pretty good day---intake is back on---sure do need that oil pan---Started hanging the various pieces on the frt mtr plate and such!!

[kiwi belly tank]

Sparky, put your magnet base on the pinion snubber pad of the housing & set it up on the bearing caps. Ping it a few times to make sure it zeros then check the other three. If you have an odd cap joint, check them in pairs. If you have any more than .005 or .006, reseat the jiont & check it again. The tube is only relevant to the the accuracy of the fab & is normally balanced out.
Trans shaft/pinion angle are critical being that close together & I see you have a "fine china" Harbor Freight angle finder that I consider a ball park gauge. Better off to make up a dummy shaft to go up the back of the trans & through the pinion bearing races in the diff. You're going to have to be right on the money with the crank centerline but this way you know it's right on.
On a build from scratch, it's best to put the whole package on a center bar & build it in. I don't know how you did yours, this is more of a general info statement for others.
I envy you having many hands in your build, it sure speeds things up.
  Sid.

[SPARKY]

 Thanks for the feed back---as far as helping hands----every little bit helps---these guys are WAY more help than a little bit

Jeeze  I forgot how tedious it is to PLUMB these things when you are dealing with "Packaging issues"  Andy and I  hit the An hoses and fittings boxes today all day long ---- when you are trying to  be AWARE of the trade offs---you become very aware of trying to dance around all of these things ----darn it---- we need the pan--- we are just guessing in the lower dry sump area without it!!

[kiwi belly tank]

I'm also playing the guessing game without the B&J overdrive unit's, I'm stuck in the "hurry up n wait" mode in drivelineville.
  Sid.

[SPARKY]

yesterday was a very good day Wild Weasel is on the floor with for the first time with the tires on!!!!!!! YEAH!!!

  John came over and we  worked on how the canopy is going to be cut and began to mock up some windscreen lines-- big day with tape, knives, sissors and card board---finally found a reason to like the almost worthless Chicom cardboard boxes theya are so flimsy when playing paper dolls--- it rolls and cuts easier

[SPARKY]

 it rides just a little higher in the front than I thought  it would--  doesn't have much rake but that can be changed---not now though

[Peter Jack]

Love it when those major steps make things appear like a lot has happened. It really does things for the morale.    

The problem is that all the little things that take just as long or longer often don't show nearly as well.    :| :|

Keep up the great work Sparky. It really is looking good.

Pete

[SPARKY]

Paper dolls widscreen # 1  Me 109 version

Coming up maybe today #2 version SR-71 version 

Marty brought Tom by today from Southwest Fabricators he offered the use of their big slip rolls to roll the top and bottom of the rest of the car  also if we go with the  109 version we can break the skin and that will add lots of rigidity to the canopy and it should be fairly stable at speed remember the rear of the canopy area was projected to generate a fairly pronounced low pressuer area.

The 109 version  will only stick up about 3 -3.5" at front but will have to have larger side panes to comply with the 120 deg. visabilty rule requirement.  The front panel gives very good forward visibility and we will have a side  diagional frame member that will be hidden from the driver because it will be hidden behind the fron roll bar.

Whoo ee  it is begining to look like a car--got a call from the Sry sump folks and the made a second Tueday will ship it in bare metal--seems like all he got was promises from the company doing the finish coating---bare metal will not bother me  so next week we will get the eng out and finish assembly it---now to finish all of the support systems so that it can be live when we go back!!

[kiwi belly tank]

Yep, you're at the stage that makes the blood flow pick up speed, looking good mate.
What's the wheel base?
  Sid.

[Glen]

SPARKY, DO YOU PLAN ON ADDING RADIUS RODS TO THE FRONT AXLE??

[SPARKY]

no radius rods planned  on 205 wb

[Tman]

Funny Sparky, I have been contemplating the 109 shape on my car as well.

I would be afraid of running w/o some struts or radius rods. My axle  is much narrower and I am making DOM supoport struts.

[Jon]

Coming together fast now Sparky.

Can you fit if the canopy takes the same line as the original tank?

Cheers
jon

[Rex Schimmer]

If Sparky set up his rack parallel to the axle and then runs long links that are approx the same length as the distance from the axle mounting bracket to the spindle the axle and links will form a parallelogram so that any deflection of the axle back due to rolling resistance loads will not cause the wheels to toe in or out, or at least a very minimum amount. I am sure this is what he had in mind.

Sparke, what is your axle size? O.D., wall thickness and length from spindle to spindle? What is the width between the axle mounting brackest? I'll do a little "pie are square, three bags full" and tell you what the deflection is.

Rex

[SPARKY]

Jon we are going to put a piano hinge on one side now there will be a slight pie shape to the canopy fore and aft--

Rex you are correct the rack and pinion is virtually parallel to the axle as well as the tie rods

  it is a Speedway Gasser axle  46" and it is 2 inch .250 chromolly  if my memory serves me

The weight is supported 14.5 inches apart by frame members
the back of the axel is welded 12.5" apart to the verticals that are bolted to the frt plate the hoops of the axle are inside of that but my guess one would figure the deflection fore and aft from the 12.5" dimension