The Ford Barn - View Single Post

Bruce Lancaster · 04-12-2012, 11:11 AM

The stud holes were very elaborate production...they were about 2 classes tighter than a general pupose tap and also had a little recess to seat the bottom of the stud firmly. They were too tight for hand assembly of stud, were pretty much leakproof, and held the studs straight so the heads would go on without a fight.
Many have of course been tapped out (some by me before I learned this), and if tapped with ordinary tap (modern class 2 I think, and every tap you can get easily is that) you will have to use the sealer that Ford did not need and go through a little ritual to set the studs straight while the goo dries, as they will no longer reliably seat at 90 degrees.
I would tap only ones with actual damage and clean the others with gun brushes and carb cleaner. Tell your machinest that you will put his head in his own hydraulic press if he taps them...machinests don't feel fulfilled unless they have run a tap through everything they can see!
You may of course have a block that was tapped out 30 years ago or that has corrosion and damage, in which case sealer time and extra work so the set straight.

04-12-2012, 11:11 AM	#8
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Cleaning threaded block holes The stud holes were very elaborate production...they were about 2 classes tighter than a general pupose tap and also had a little recess to seat the bottom of the stud firmly. They were too tight for hand assembly of stud, were pretty much leakproof, and held the studs straight so the heads would go on without a fight. Many have of course been tapped out (some by me before I learned this), and if tapped with ordinary tap (modern class 2 I think, and every tap you can get easily is that) you will have to use the sealer that Ford did not need and go through a little ritual to set the studs straight while the goo dries, as they will no longer reliably seat at 90 degrees. I would tap only ones with actual damage and clean the others with gun brushes and carb cleaner. Tell your machinest that you will put his head in his own hydraulic press if he taps them...machinests don't feel fulfilled unless they have run a tap through everything they can see! You may of course have a block that was tapped out 30 years ago or that has corrosion and damage, in which case sealer time and extra work so the set straight.