I have been commissioned with building a Ford rail kit.  I want to design something really nice.  I have a few questions for the Ford aficionados.

The first question is in three parts:  1) What are these two (extra) bellhousing bolt holes used for?  2) Are they present in all factory and aftermarket 429/460 (385 Series) blocks?  3) Has anyone seen a marine engine mounting system that makes use of these bolt holes?

I am trying to make room to bring my CNC mill to my shop.  I'm having a hard time throwing stuff out.

I have a set of brackets, pulleys, alternator, water pump, etc.  Is that at all worth not throwing away and storing them for another 15 years?  Or scrap 'em?

While on the topic of useless junk to scrap, what about my old 3-point engine mount from my boat?

Thanks

I'm looking for a block to use for setup, preferably one that isn't particularly useable.  Hoping to acquire one on the cheap.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Joe

I have a small stock portfolio consisting primarily of Intel and IBM, from the employee purchase program, and a few miscellaneous tech stocks valued il~$16.5K.  Also, since I am no longer at the college, I have the 12 years of retirement that I now need to cash out.

My questions are:  1) Is it a bad idea to roll these over into an investment in gold?  2) There are many forms to purchase gold in, with many claims of liquidity and stability.  What form/s is/are most beneficial?  3) Where/how is the best way to buy?

I need an unbiased opinion on what's real.

Thank you in advance,

Joe

I thought vehicles with trailers were restricted to the far right two lanes.  Now i am regularly seeing people towing in the car pool lane, now big rigs.  When did this law change or did it?

I am looking into making & installing a down pedal my boat.  Does anyone have pictures or could someone describe the function of the mechanism.  I am assuming that these are pretty rare and that I will be making everything.

Am I understanding correctly that the pedal works in conjunction with the manual diverter control lever?  I am trying to avoid reinventing the wheel.

Thanks in advance,

Joe

Looking to get a factory intake, throttle body, etc. for a SBC Jeep engine swap.

Thanks,

Joe

I am contemplating making a steering wheel.  Wood has been a foundation in maritime history since the beginning of time and I feel that my boat needs more wood accents.  I would like to make some from possibly teak or probably mahogany.  The steering wheels that we most commonly sell are the Momo or a close copy, but I am gauging if there would be any interest in a wood steering wheel, with brass fasteners, along the lines of the Grant pictured but similar in size and shape to the Momo.

Thanks in advance,

Joe

My wife just learned how to use the cooking timer

My stepson is adamant about joining the US Military.  His plan prior to immigrating here last month was to join the US Marines in the Philippines through some sort of exchange program (sorry, I don’t remember what it is called).

The questions that I have for our Armed Services members are:

1.  There is some urgency regarding his high school graduation for the following reasons:
    a.  He turns 18 in February.
    b.  He can graduate from his high school in the Philippines by April if he goes back.
    c.  We can not get his transcripts to enroll him in high school here unless he gives notice that he is dropping out of school in the Philippines.
    d.  He has until this Friday (11/21/14) to either take an exam or drop out of school in the Philippines.
    e.  Without transcripts and because of his age, he will be required to repeat high school in adult ed. here.
    f.  If he drops out of school in the Philippines to enroll here, there is no chance of him finishing school in the Philippines.
    g.  Completing school here will likely take another two+ years.

2.  One requirement of enlistment in the US Military is a high school graduate or equivalent.  Will the Military accept a high school diploma from the Philippines if he doesn’t go through that exchange program?

3.  Another alternative is for him to get a GED.  In industry, a GED is often looked upon negatively.  Would having a GED negatively affect his military career?

4.  Would earning a high school diploma in the Philippines and a GED here be at all beneficial or just wasted time and effort?

Thank you in advance,

Joe

Do any of your winter projects include custom machined parts?  If so, why not consider learning to machine the parts yourself?

There are currently openings available in my machine shop class at San Bernardino Valley College.  Here I can assist you with learning MasterCAM, SolidWorks, and both conventional and CNC mills and lathes.  This class can help bring your projects to reality.

The machine shop at SBVC has 9 conventional mills, 12 conventional lathes, 4 Haas CNC mills, and a Haas lathe at your disposal.

This 4-unit class meets Monday and Tuesday evenings from 6pm to 10pm, beginning August 19, 2014 and ends December 16, 2014.  Tuition and fees amount to $215.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Cheers,

Joe

I teach manufacturing technology and Mechanical Crafts at San Bernardino Valley College.  It has fallen upon me to take over an Introduction to Rigging Systems class.  This class is a 16-hour not-for-certification class, rather a general information class targeted towards industrial and mechanical maintenance.

Twice this last year a rigging course, offered at another school, that my dept. head and I were scheduled to attend was cancelled.

My questions are:
1.)  Any suggestions where I could get training or certification on this subject?
2.)  What kind of certification should I be looking for?

The equipment that I have for demonstration includes:

1-ton fixed height gantry crane
Push trolleys
500# 110VAC electric wire rope hoist
500# hand chain hoist
Block & Tackle, pulley hoist
Ratchet hoist
3/8” wire rope sling
3/8” wire rope choker sling
2-leg wire rope bridle sling
4-leg chain bridle slings
Metal mesh sling
Synthetic web sling
Additional related hardware

The books and equipment were originally provided by Amatrol but is no longer supported.  The content of the Amatrol curriculum is typically targeted at the high-school level.

Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Joe

Hi all,

This question is directed at those who do (relatively) heavy towing with their light (1-ton) trucks.

My truck is currently equipped with factory in-radiator oil cooler along with the typical factory in-radiator trans cooler combined with a small front mounted oil-to-air cooler.  I am getting ready to install my new engine / transmission along with an upgraded cooling system.  My questions are as follows:

First, I have heard two schools of thought regarding plumbing trans/engine oil coolers.  1.)  Plumb both the factory style in-radiator cooler and the oil-to-air in series.  2.)  Omit the factory style in-radiator cooler and run only an oil-to-air cooler.  Which do you prefer and why?

Second, what are your thoughts on installing cooling fans on the oil-to-air coolers?  Will fans make any difference to oil temps at towing speeds?

Thank you in advance,

Joe