320 Newb Posted July 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2020 Pretty excited to pull this steering wheel off a 521 in a field in rural Montana. The chrome and plastic horn button emblem are as nice as they come. Shined them up and swapped them in. 4 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 6, 2020 Report Share Posted July 6, 2020 My 66 520 had that horn ring and button. 2 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2020 Pretty excited to get a couple more puzzle pieces. Both were a little grimey but cleaned up nicely 3 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 Here's a question on that fuse box. It's a little warped I'm assuming from heat and the catches don't snap into place. Would I be stupid to use a heat gun on low and try to massage the sides back in a little? Also does anyone have 320 inspection lamp on their rig? I'd love to see some pics of factory placement. 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted August 8, 2020 Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 A heat gun will work, but your decal will get discolored from the heat. It will require just the right amount of heat to bend it back into shape, and if you go too hot, it will make the plastic shiny. Obviously you will need to figure out a way to hold it so it can cool down while holding it's new shape, and your fingerprints may remain if it gets to hot. Maybe rig up a couple of 1x2's screwed together. I do a similar job for my Toyota LC LS swaps. The heater ducting need to be molded into shape to make room for the ECM and I made a jig out of wood to hold it in the right shape while it's hot. Someone here a while back mentioned acetone and ATF mixture for bringing old rubber back to life. I tried that one and it actually does work. I wonder if there is a liquid solution for plastic too. I bet the acetone would eat that plastic beyond repair. 1 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 Great advice. I've got another sticker if it browns or curls, but it's tough to get centered so I don't want to pull it just in case I get lucky and survives. I think I'll just cut two 1x2s and use a clamp or two with some tension, and go super slow with the heat gun. Also truck bro Dale in Phoenix hooked me up with an early Z car inspection lamp I want to put in my engine bay. I know the legs on the 320 inspection lamp are about an inch longer but I'm thinking of just using some spacers to bump it out a little. Does anyone have a factory inspection lamp installed that can share some pics? Here's a pic of the lamp--I cleaned it up the best I could, polished the lens, and put on a new bullet terminal. 2 Quote Link to comment
stevecar Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 (edited) Here is a picture of a Z lamp that I modified to have the longer legs along with another Z lamp. By the way, I am happy that pictures are now easy to add. Edited August 10, 2020 by stevecar corrected 2 Quote Link to comment
stevecar Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 And since pictures are so easy to add, here are a couple more: 3 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 Was the wiring for that light taped up in the wiring harness and all you had to do was remove the electrical tape to find it? 11 minutes ago, stevecar said: And since pictures are so easy to add, here are a couple more: 1 Quote Link to comment
stevecar Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 9 hours ago, wayno said: Was the wiring for that light taped up in the wiring harness and all you had to do was remove the electrical tape to find it? yes 2 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 Thankyou, my harness is kinda fat in that spot and I was wondering if that was the reason. 1 hour ago, stevecar said: yes 1 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2020 Does anyone on here have a decently in tact steering column grommet they'd be will to lend for a possible reproduction? 1 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2020 Getting close with a TPU 3D print. Will check for fitment next week. 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted August 15, 2020 Report Share Posted August 15, 2020 Is it the same as the 520/521? There was a guy on facebook with NOS. He was pretty unresponsive, though. 1 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2020 Not positive but I think they're pretty different. Wayno would know he's got both. 1 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted August 15, 2020 Report Share Posted August 15, 2020 I don't actually know what a 521 column grommet looks like, I just make my own out of a flat piece of scrap sheet rubber bought at the local hardware store using the mount hardware the stock grommet was held on with. The 320 grommet has no hardware holding it, a lip in the grommet holds it in position in its firewall hole. 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted August 15, 2020 Report Share Posted August 15, 2020 Ah, yeah, here's the 521 style... 1 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 I wonder if the openings are the same. If so, it might be neat to ditch the hardware and stick a 320 repop in. Matt if you give me rough measurements I'll tell you if you're in the ballpark. I'm getting a sample to test for fitment next week. 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 45 minutes ago, 320 Newb said: I wonder if the openings are the same. If so, it might be neat to ditch the hardware and stick a 320 repop in. Matt if you give me rough measurements I'll tell you if you're in the ballpark. I'm getting a sample to test for fitment next week. It's not mine. Trying to talk the guy out of it... 1 Quote Link to comment
Serge Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 Hi, Good on you for modelling this. I started to make some RHD mould masters sometime ago, but havent completed them. The original moulding differs from your sample in a couple of ways, but what you have done is probably more durable... OK: the part where the column goes through is quite thick, around 3/8" from memory. The column hole isnt fully cut through from the factory - is indented both sides with 1/16'" or so thickness (for floor change). The thick column part doesnt join the angled body - it is inset, so there is only a thin flexible bellows type piece connecting it (sorry bad description). Will try and post some photos soon... 1 Quote Link to comment
Serge Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 First time loading photos here.... the two main pieces are a work in progress yet to be joined - note taper to the underneath of the thick part that the column goes through - there is a gap between this and the more flexible sides (differs from your 3d printed version). The base lip is a fiddly J shaped section, which locates over the small lip to the firewall. Hope this is helpful. 3 Quote Link to comment
difrangia Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 (edited) Serge and Newb, those are two quite ambitious endeavors. Kudos to both of you guys. Serge brought up a point that could/should be worked into a repop of the boot, and that is to do with the smaller hole that the shift lever rod goes through. Ideally it would be closed off and in place of a hole should be a depression like the white one Serge posted that the installer would cut/punch out at installation time. The floor-shift pickups don't need the hole as there is no column shift rod. Also as Serge indicated, to cover all 320's a left and a right hand boot would be needed. Left-hand/right-hand or mirror-image parts are a way of life in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Edited August 16, 2020 by difrangia 2 Quote Link to comment
Conner Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 Were you able to 3D print the lip that locks into the sheet metal on the firewall? 1 Quote Link to comment
Conner Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 6 hours ago, Serge said: Hi, Good on you for modelling this. I started to make some RHD mould masters sometime ago, but havent completed them. The original moulding differs from your sample in a couple of ways, but what you have done is probably more durable... OK: the part where the column goes through is quite thick, around 3/8" from memory. The column hole isnt fully cut through from the factory - is indented both sides with 1/16'" or so thickness (for floor change). The thick column part doesnt join the angled body - it is inset, so there is only a thin flexible bellows type piece connecting it (sorry bad description). Will try and post some photos soon... Agree, the surface with the holes needs to be thicker. Moses is aware of that. Here is are a couple of pics including a cross-section of the model--I think you'll find that the way "bellows" you describe is in fact how the part was 3D-rendered--assuming I'm understanding your feedback. 2 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted August 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 Great info, thanks both! A 521 truck brother named Jake is doing the printing and he'll be selling them once they're dialed in. He sent me a sample and I'll check for fitment this Wednesday. See attached pic for the groove that seats on the firewall. Once the dimensions are spot on Jake will be able to print both RHD and LHD, hole open for column shift, hole closed for floor shift. 2 Quote Link to comment
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