36 Ford drag link orientation question

davids2toys said:
Found this on ebay but part number is wrong?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1937-41-Ford-steering-gear-pitman-arm-11A-3590-A-/352466964634
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That "11A-3590" is a 1941-ONLY arm and I have no first-hand experience with it lengthwise, nor if the taper in the drag link hole is UP or DOWN. I believe the LENGTH is the important detail here. If it were me, I'd take a chance on the '41 arm working-out, as I doubt that Ford would shorten it again. The fact that the 11A does not appear to have the bends in it like the 78A does may work to your benefit. But, what do I know?


To answer your earlier question, '37 CAR and PICK-UP arms will be the same. DD
 
davids2toys said:
If the 37 is a direct replacement onto the 36 box, and is an inch longer which would bring it an inch forward(away from the oil pan). That is adapting to the 8ba engine no? I think this was V8COOPMAN point in posting it.
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David....You say you have an 8BA-type ('49-'53) engine in your car. I'm curious....what type of FAN do you have in that thing? Because of the rearward slant on a '36 radiator, it's usually pretty tough adapting a decent fan assembly for the '49-'53 engines.


Do you work for Sikorsky? DD
 
Hi V8coopman,
I do not have money to waste so I don't want to take a the chance with the 11A-3590 arm. I was searching for the part you specified and it seems like nobody has that part. I did find one on Ford barn but it was sold already. Any suggestions?


It has an electric pusher fan mount in the front of radiator.


Yes, I do work for Sikorsky.
David
 
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davids2toys said:
. I was searching for the part you specified and it seems like nobody has that part.



David
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I had an ad here on the barn for a 78A pitman arm. After I bought one I got a message from user name "v8fordman" that he had one. You might message him, or place an ad in the wanted section.
 
V8COOPMAN said:
I don't think I'd worry too much about turning a drag link only 1/2 turn. Most drag links have 18 TPI (threads per inch). Each full thread (one full turn) equates to a length of roughly 0.055". Correspondingly, 1/2 turn would equate to a change in length of about 0.028", roughly equivalent to the space of the gap on a flathead spark plug.


If you're still having clearance problems, I have one more suggestion. The picture below shows a '36 Pitman arm as well as a 1937-'40 Pitman arm. As you can see, the '37-'40 arm is longer, and would position your drag link farther forward. It is a direct replacement on the '36 steering box, but the added length should cause slightly more effort to turn the steering wheel while sitting still...the result of physics and the length of levers. Anyway, the '37-'40 Pitman arm will have a "78-3590" number on it. DD


410336
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I found a box and arm on ebay. I would buy the whole thing if I thought the 37 box would work in my 36. It would be nice to have a spare I guess. Do you know if it would fit and work correctly in my car?
Thanks
 
The 37 box and arm I found on ebay. The guy was willing to just sell me the arm for 40.00 shipped, so I just bought it. Thank you
 
davids2toys said:
I found a box and arm on ebay. I would buy the whole thing if I thought the 37 box would work in my 36. It would be nice to have a spare I guess. Do you know if it would fit and work correctly in my car?
Thanks
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David....Yes, a popular modification for a '35 or '36 is to replace the steering box with the later '37-'39 box. Although steering boxes '37 thru '48 are the same internally, shaft and column lengths vary, plus the '40-'48s don't have any provision for the headlight switch at the bottom...'37 thru '39 still have the headlight switch provision. It's easy as pie to replace the entire box AND column assembly as a unit. The only other mod necessary for a clean, correct-geometry installation is the replacement of the '36 steering box mount (which is riveted into the frame rail) with a later '37 thru '40 steering box mount like the one in the picture below. They also show-up in the "for sale" section here on the 'Barn as well as on eBay from time to time. Surely does improve the steering effort.


Would you have any interest in seeing the mechanical fan that a fellow FordBarner and I devised to get rid of that ugly electric fan on his '36 3-window coupe with an 8BA?


The '37-'40 steering box frame bracket below. DD


367728
 
Thank you for the great info on the 37-39 box, that may be in my future, but not now. The reason I bought the 37 pit man arm was the extra length as you pointed out to me. From your post I am assuming it will bolt right on my 36 box?


Yes, I would love to see that fan setup. I hate the look and sound of the electric fan!
Thanks...Dave
 
davids2toys said:
Thank you for the great info on the 37-39 box, that may be in my future, but not now. The reason I bought the 37 pit man arm was the extra length as you pointed out to me. From your post I am assuming it will bolt right on my 36 box?


Yes, I would love to see that fan setup. I hate the look and sound of the electric fan!
Thanks...Dave
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David...Yes, the "78A-" Pitman arm bolts right up!


Now, for the fan we came-up with, click on the link below and scroll down to POST #12. That's the whole story in a nutshell with a few pictures. If you have any interest, I have quite a few more pics and lots o' details. Picture is the finished unit that bolts to 8BA intake manifold. Click the link below! DD


https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237098&highlight=mechanical+fan


290072
 
Awesome that it bolts right up, I cant wait until it gets here. Hope fully it doesn't go to far forward into the other rod that goes from wheel to wheel


I read the whole thread, very nice indeed. Can this be purchased?
 
davids2toys said:
I read the whole thread, very nice indeed. Can this be purchased?
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Sorry Dave, but we're not manufacturing this unit for sale. On the other hand, if anyone has an interest in reproducing a similar rig for themselves, I'll be happy to offer details, additional pictures and advice to get you thru the project. In theory, this entire project COULD be done with a couple of arc welds, hand tools and a drill press, EXCEPT for some minor machining on the upper, two-belt alternator pulley. The rear-most belt slot in the pulley must be machined slightly wider to accommodate the wider flathead belt. Heard was able to accomplish that on a small, not-very-sophisticated lathe that he has. DD
 
davids2toys said:
To bad, he could makr a good buck I bet
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You'd think, huh? Actually, for the number of folks I've seen over the years seeking a solution for a mechanical fan in a '35 or '36 with an 8BA, we were amazed at the complete lack of any interest shown. The damned thing is relatively easy to build. The hardest part was scratching our collective butts while figuring and fitting pieces for materials and spacing (R&D). And like I said earlier, the KEY to the whole thing was stumbling onto that Corvair fan hub. DD
 
Well, I got the 37 pitman arm yesterday and tried it out tonight. It is about an inch longer but it also curves in in upward direction so it basically still hits the oil pan only at a higher point. It only can go on the box one way it seems, If I could flip it around I think it would actually work because then it would curve down and away from the oil pan instead of up and closer to the oil pan. Am I missing something or can this only go on the 1 way? Does anybody know the torque range for the pit-man arm castellated nut? I guess if it is not able to flip, I will re-install the original arm. The tie rod I am Torquing 40-50 lbs ft, is this correct?
Thanks...Dave
 
No reason it can’t be flipped other than interference. Maybe the drag link will be too long to accommodate the “flip”. Check from wheel lock to wheel lock. I would also make sure that your coupler in the drag link is threaded equally. If not sure, unscrew it clean the threads an start it at both ends at the same time.
 
No, there is no interference at all, it just will not go on the splines when flipped over? Is it maybe a slightly tapered fit? Maybe the other side is a slightly smaller opening??
 
Is it? it did not look it, so if it it is, then it very slight! I wonder it it could be heated up and bent down toward the floor (away from the oil pan). The 37 arm is bent and the 36 is not. To bad the bend is the wrong way!
 
Find someone with oxy acetylene gear and heat it up and bend it to the shape you want. let it cool slowly.
 
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