1936 Ford Big Truck Project
- Thread starter luisv
- Start date
Thanks! Just curious what the little round cut out is for? There was no cut out for the battery? They just took off the whole panel then?
Thanks to everyone for the great info so far. Just wanted to chime in on the progress of some of the decisions we have made so far.
So it looks like we are keeping the axles for now. We will keep the truck as is in that sense. However, we will be going to modern wheels to move away from the locking ring wheels. Wheel/Tire combo will keep the approximate current tire height but they will be wider treads. (Bolt Pattern and wheels have been a mission but we found a solution) We will be keeping the mechanical brakes but we will go for the Flathead Ted brake change. (Ted, you'll be getting an email from me in a bit)
On the engine, the first thing we will be changing is the electrical/charging system. we will be going to the 12V conversion. In order to do that, I think we need to order the the following:
12V Solenoid - $20
12V, One Wire, Alternator on a 1949-53 Bracket. - Conversion Kit - $350
12V Coil (PerTronix - 40,000 V - Flamethrower) - $35
Starter - (Don't know if I need one - 6V unit should) - $170
Any recommendations on this?
The other thing we will be doing is the basics. Swapping plugs, changing the wires, oil change, filter change, draining and replacing the coolant, etc. On that, I have a question on the plugs. From what I have seen/read, the correct plugs would be Champion H10 plugs. The gap at .030". The problem I have is that the H10's are not around. What I see now, based on a couple of sites, are the Champion CPN-854 or CPN-857 plugs.
Question is, what plugs should I look at? A quick search of H10 replacements shows:
NGK - B6L or 3212
Autolite - 45, 46, 4316, 216 or MP4316DP2
Champion - 844 H10C
Which is it?
As for progress on the truck itself....
This weekend we will be starting on the dis-assembly of the body and general cleaning of the 70+ years of grime/grease/mud all around the engine bay and rear. We will be doing some banging, sand blasting and repainting of parts that are easy for now. Basically, we'll be getting stuff clean so as to know where we are with certain components.
One last thing I would be curious on is a bit of advice on the water pumps. I am going to buy a pair of rebuild kits for the pumps. I will change out the impeller and seals, sand blast the bodies, repaint and reassemble. Would the follwing be the right parts?
http://macsautoparts.com/campaign_product.asp?camid=F50&pn=JS0R3CHL1085912
This is Mac's 1950 to 1953 A8C-8591-KT. I would need two.
Is there something I should know? Something I am forgetting?
Thanks so much for the patience with my rambles.... ;-)
So it looks like we are keeping the axles for now. We will keep the truck as is in that sense. However, we will be going to modern wheels to move away from the locking ring wheels. Wheel/Tire combo will keep the approximate current tire height but they will be wider treads. (Bolt Pattern and wheels have been a mission but we found a solution) We will be keeping the mechanical brakes but we will go for the Flathead Ted brake change. (Ted, you'll be getting an email from me in a bit)
On the engine, the first thing we will be changing is the electrical/charging system. we will be going to the 12V conversion. In order to do that, I think we need to order the the following:
12V Solenoid - $20
12V, One Wire, Alternator on a 1949-53 Bracket. - Conversion Kit - $350
12V Coil (PerTronix - 40,000 V - Flamethrower) - $35
Starter - (Don't know if I need one - 6V unit should) - $170
Any recommendations on this?
The other thing we will be doing is the basics. Swapping plugs, changing the wires, oil change, filter change, draining and replacing the coolant, etc. On that, I have a question on the plugs. From what I have seen/read, the correct plugs would be Champion H10 plugs. The gap at .030". The problem I have is that the H10's are not around. What I see now, based on a couple of sites, are the Champion CPN-854 or CPN-857 plugs.
Question is, what plugs should I look at? A quick search of H10 replacements shows:
NGK - B6L or 3212
Autolite - 45, 46, 4316, 216 or MP4316DP2
Champion - 844 H10C
Which is it?
As for progress on the truck itself....
This weekend we will be starting on the dis-assembly of the body and general cleaning of the 70+ years of grime/grease/mud all around the engine bay and rear. We will be doing some banging, sand blasting and repainting of parts that are easy for now. Basically, we'll be getting stuff clean so as to know where we are with certain components.
One last thing I would be curious on is a bit of advice on the water pumps. I am going to buy a pair of rebuild kits for the pumps. I will change out the impeller and seals, sand blast the bodies, repaint and reassemble. Would the follwing be the right parts?
http://macsautoparts.com/campaign_product.asp?camid=F50&pn=JS0R3CHL1085912
This is Mac's 1950 to 1953 A8C-8591-KT. I would need two.
Is there something I should know? Something I am forgetting?
Thanks so much for the patience with my rambles.... ;-)
We started. Mostly just taking it apart. We discovered some more things, but overall, pretty much what we expected.
Front rotors seem to be in good shape examining it externally. We'll be pulling them off, sandblasting them and then putting some high temp paint on there.
The fenders as they are now before we removed them. We have dozens of photos of the lower area where the bolts sit. On those.... they will all get replaced with stainless steel for certain. Most of the bolts where good but with a great deal of surface rust. Almost all the washers disintegrated as I was getting them off. About a third of them had complete destroyed nuts.
As we took the left fender off the rear lip that bolts into the left step is completely destroyed.
The front fenders removed.
With everything off....
And the future owner of the truck.... He "called it" for himself. LOL
We'll be working a bit more today... We'll post some more.
Front rotors seem to be in good shape examining it externally. We'll be pulling them off, sandblasting them and then putting some high temp paint on there.
The fenders as they are now before we removed them. We have dozens of photos of the lower area where the bolts sit. On those.... they will all get replaced with stainless steel for certain. Most of the bolts where good but with a great deal of surface rust. Almost all the washers disintegrated as I was getting them off. About a third of them had complete destroyed nuts.
As we took the left fender off the rear lip that bolts into the left step is completely destroyed.
The front fenders removed.
With everything off....
And the future owner of the truck.... He "called it" for himself. LOL
We'll be working a bit more today... We'll post some more.
get that young man involved, if he isn't already, we need a new group of V8'ers. Autolite 216, NGK B6L- are the plugs to use. I would highly recommend that you purchase a new set of water pumps with the high flow impellers, if you watch they are put on sale from time to time. I do not know if the Mac's kit has these impellers. You will need to learn to weld, if not make friends with a welder as there will be a lot of welding for the metal work. Try to find some other old Ford metal to make patches-it will have the same metalurgy as your truck and seems to weld better. Good progress and keep up the good work
Don Rogers
Well-known member
Here are some images of the toeboard detail and floorboard #2 that should help. Please note that floorboard #2 drawing shows battery opening for both right hand and left hand drive variations.
Attachments
tubman
Well-known member
I don't like to contradict anyone, but if the water pumps don't leak or make funny noises, I would put off replacing them. By the time Ford got to making these motors, they had pretty much solved the inefficient impeller and bearing/seal problems. I got my '51 in 1987, and one of the first things I did was buy a set of water pumps; they are still in my box of spare parts. If you don't really need them, that $200 can be put to good use elsewhere.
CWBAYER
New member
I restored this model 20 years ago with a 59AB engine and, after sprucing it up this summer, find it quite reliable. Mechanical brakes and all. I simply filled the worn clevis holes with brass and redrilled them. There are instructions on the brake adjustment online. It looks like you have the 131.5 inch wheel base--the short wheel base--like mine. This is very nice--comes out about the size of a modern large pickup truck. There are a lot of model 51s still moldering away in fields and you can find other sheet metal if you need to. I had four of the them to make one--taking the best parts. Cut a new wooden floorboard this summer, boiled out the gas tank, replaced the starter, fuel pump, carb, generator, exhaust and a few other things. Starts great. Runs great. I added hydraulic aftermarket shocks at the onset, in the front, and that helped the ride a lot. I also disassembled, painted and lined the rear springs. The differential came in two ratios--chances are you have the higher speed one. One caution, if you overpower the truck you will find yourself hanging on to the wheel for dear life as it does not have anything like modern steering. At the least, replace the steering worm if worn and adjust the steering box well--you won't be happy with sloppy steering if the truck is overpowered. Good luck.
38 coupe
Well-known member
I am the "wife", the one that doesnt want to become a widow!The wheels do have me a bit paranoid, but hopefully we will find a solution for them soon.
I am almost 100% sure the wheels on your truck are not "widow makers". The dangerous wheels are on post WW2 trucks. I think your wheels are only dangerous during tire installation or if a tire has gone absolutely flat. For absolute confirmation take good pictures of your wheels and get truckdog62563's attention. He is very knowledgeable about wheels. He recently discussed wheels like yours in this thread: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132442&showall=1
Depending on how you plan to use the truck you can remove some of the leaves from the springs. When your truck was built it was used to haul a lot of weight down very bad roads. If you are still hauling two tons down dirt roads you will need the strength. Otherwise, you can make it a bit softer.
funrunr
Well-known member
I would suggest leaving both temp senders hooked up or even running a seperate gauge for each at least until you know both are running close to same temp.Here's a link http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88541
As for trading your 81 Stromberg carb for a holley, you will be losing on the deal, your carb is more valueable and you can pick up an 8ba carb needing a rebuild for about $30 at a swap meet and kit for $35 from Napa. Even if you still need a carb temporarily, post on the "wanted" section and someone will help you. Enjoy your build and I think it's cool your wife joined in.
P.S. I was able to pull vacuum off my intake for the dist. when I switched to Stromberg 97's
As for trading your 81 Stromberg carb for a holley, you will be losing on the deal, your carb is more valueable and you can pick up an 8ba carb needing a rebuild for about $30 at a swap meet and kit for $35 from Napa. Even if you still need a carb temporarily, post on the "wanted" section and someone will help you. Enjoy your build and I think it's cool your wife joined in.
P.S. I was able to pull vacuum off my intake for the dist. when I switched to Stromberg 97's
Tinker
Well-known member
My suggestion would be: Slow down and make a solid plan (easier said then done sometimes), find out what you have and what you want or can fix before buying, spray everything down with oil :]', take lots of pictures during tear down.
I think you were kidding when you were talking about a 3 carburetor manifold but I'd see about getting it running very well on one first. 3 carburetor setup needs a real healthy engine, a load of cash, and a lot of setup & tuning knowledge.
Neat truck.
I think you were kidding when you were talking about a 3 carburetor manifold but I'd see about getting it running very well on one first. 3 carburetor setup needs a real healthy engine, a load of cash, and a lot of setup & tuning knowledge.
Neat truck.
Wanted to post some updates.
Over the last 4 weekends we have been working the fenders. More specifically the front passenger fender which, by far, is the worst piece on the car. We figured, once we finish it, the rest will be far easier.
This is the passenger fender before we began.
This thing was in bad shape. The dents in there had been banged out very badly. More like a sledge hammer to get it to a general area rather than getting it done right. Some of the cuts/breaks in the fender were also repaired horribly. Essentially, the cuts were made to clean the edges and then they were forced to overlap so as to weld them together. This deformed the fenders a great deal. All of this is completely understandable as it was clearly a work truck. Judging from the amount of tar/asphalt under the fenders, I would say it was in roofing and/or road work at some point. Regardless, it made for a great deal of work.
What we did was clean out the inside of the fenders first. We hit it with a wire wheel and then removed the inner supports and headlights. Once the inner side was smooth, we could go to hammer and dolly. We used a combination of them to get the fender far smoother.
Here is the same fender as it sits now.
The process of the dent pulls took some time. I figure about 10 to 12 hours working the different areas one at a time. Problem is that we had to work in sections. One dent went into the next (because of the way it had been corrected before) and in order to get the shape right, we had to work highs and lows slowly to get it to where it is now.
The edges are a COMPLETELY different matter. Those had a number of issues. The truck had some plates welded to the frame to accommodate the use of a snow plow. In addition to that the other repairs made destroyed other sections. The problem with that is the edges we have the detail bead on the fenders.
To that end I made up small sections of the bead detail on new metal. That was then cut into small sections to get the profile as close as I could. I made the bead using bead roller to start up the profile. I then extended the curve (my bead roller maxes out at 3/8") with a couple of hammers, a bench vise and some patience. Once I had the parts, time to start welding.
This is the current look.
I took me about 8 hours, total to do this. This includes the time to make the patches, clean and prep the areas, cut the parts into place, weld them all in and partially clean the welds.
Here are some details on the work...
If you look closely the curves are not 100% perfect. Impossible to get the perfect curve with straight pieces. I will use some fill welding to build up some low spots and that grind down to the final curve.
This is the fix on the snow plow cut...
By the way, the rust you see on this is just some flash rust from the exposure. I still have to clean off the welds well. Once I am there I will primer it to protect it. I'll likely clean this off in the coming days and we'll be good. Crazy thing is that the parts get like that in a day or two.... Florida sucks in that respect....
Over the last 4 weekends we have been working the fenders. More specifically the front passenger fender which, by far, is the worst piece on the car. We figured, once we finish it, the rest will be far easier.
This is the passenger fender before we began.
This thing was in bad shape. The dents in there had been banged out very badly. More like a sledge hammer to get it to a general area rather than getting it done right. Some of the cuts/breaks in the fender were also repaired horribly. Essentially, the cuts were made to clean the edges and then they were forced to overlap so as to weld them together. This deformed the fenders a great deal. All of this is completely understandable as it was clearly a work truck. Judging from the amount of tar/asphalt under the fenders, I would say it was in roofing and/or road work at some point. Regardless, it made for a great deal of work.
What we did was clean out the inside of the fenders first. We hit it with a wire wheel and then removed the inner supports and headlights. Once the inner side was smooth, we could go to hammer and dolly. We used a combination of them to get the fender far smoother.
Here is the same fender as it sits now.
The process of the dent pulls took some time. I figure about 10 to 12 hours working the different areas one at a time. Problem is that we had to work in sections. One dent went into the next (because of the way it had been corrected before) and in order to get the shape right, we had to work highs and lows slowly to get it to where it is now.
The edges are a COMPLETELY different matter. Those had a number of issues. The truck had some plates welded to the frame to accommodate the use of a snow plow. In addition to that the other repairs made destroyed other sections. The problem with that is the edges we have the detail bead on the fenders.
To that end I made up small sections of the bead detail on new metal. That was then cut into small sections to get the profile as close as I could. I made the bead using bead roller to start up the profile. I then extended the curve (my bead roller maxes out at 3/8") with a couple of hammers, a bench vise and some patience. Once I had the parts, time to start welding.
This is the current look.
I took me about 8 hours, total to do this. This includes the time to make the patches, clean and prep the areas, cut the parts into place, weld them all in and partially clean the welds.
Here are some details on the work...
If you look closely the curves are not 100% perfect. Impossible to get the perfect curve with straight pieces. I will use some fill welding to build up some low spots and that grind down to the final curve.
This is the fix on the snow plow cut...
By the way, the rust you see on this is just some flash rust from the exposure. I still have to clean off the welds well. Once I am there I will primer it to protect it. I'll likely clean this off in the coming days and we'll be good. Crazy thing is that the parts get like that in a day or two.... Florida sucks in that respect....
Last edited:
These were from May 2014
These I am posting for the first time anywhere....
So some more fender work. We have 95% of the fenders pretty much as they should be in terms of removing all the dents and dings. The wife and I share the duties there along with some help from a few friends that have come over to help and relieve some frustration on 78 year old steel. Once that is done I started to work on the bigger cuts and gashes.
This is the passenger side fender. There is a before shot in one of the earlier posts. Here is the first patch in on the left side of the shot removing the big weld spot up there. I made the cut to relieve the spring pressure holding the fender in an odd shape.
A tighter shot to show the "bubba fix" with the lap weld.
To fix that I basically started cutting patches out, shaping them and then welding them in. THe next few shots are another patch going in.
On this last shot you can see how I shape the piece to keep the curve of the fender. A bit of a pain in the ***, but with patience I get there. As I weld, I hammer the curve, weld some more, hammer the curve, etc until I get there.
These I am posting for the first time anywhere....
So some more fender work. We have 95% of the fenders pretty much as they should be in terms of removing all the dents and dings. The wife and I share the duties there along with some help from a few friends that have come over to help and relieve some frustration on 78 year old steel. Once that is done I started to work on the bigger cuts and gashes.
This is the passenger side fender. There is a before shot in one of the earlier posts. Here is the first patch in on the left side of the shot removing the big weld spot up there. I made the cut to relieve the spring pressure holding the fender in an odd shape.
A tighter shot to show the "bubba fix" with the lap weld.
To fix that I basically started cutting patches out, shaping them and then welding them in. THe next few shots are another patch going in.
On this last shot you can see how I shape the piece to keep the curve of the fender. A bit of a pain in the ***, but with patience I get there. As I weld, I hammer the curve, weld some more, hammer the curve, etc until I get there.
Here is the process for the patch. This is the big vertical cut in the fender.
First I measure out the patch size I'll need, making sure to get the entire damage covered.
Next we cut out the patch to size and hammer it into the general shape we need.
After about 20 to 30 minutes, checking constantly.... we get there.
Then we lay it in place and trace the cut that we will make in the fender where the patch is placed.
Then we spot weld the panel in place like we did the others. First a few spots spread apart to avoid warping then we begin to fill in the blanks one spot at a time. As we go, hammer it into shape, weld more, etc. Then we have the patch in.
I did this on both fenders. Once the top side were all done I had to rebuild the back flanges that hold the fenders in place against the chassis, cab and running boards. All in, this took the most time BY FAR of anything we have done to the truck. In all, I'd say we spent about 40 to 50 hours of work on these. But they are now all but complete. There are small patches left but those will not be done until the fenders are put back in place. This is because the last "slit" will allow for the fenders to flex a bit and get the shape perfect when bolted in place. Once there, I weld the last patch and we will have a perfectly shaped fender.
First I measure out the patch size I'll need, making sure to get the entire damage covered.
Next we cut out the patch to size and hammer it into the general shape we need.
After about 20 to 30 minutes, checking constantly.... we get there.
Then we lay it in place and trace the cut that we will make in the fender where the patch is placed.
Then we spot weld the panel in place like we did the others. First a few spots spread apart to avoid warping then we begin to fill in the blanks one spot at a time. As we go, hammer it into shape, weld more, etc. Then we have the patch in.
I did this on both fenders. Once the top side were all done I had to rebuild the back flanges that hold the fenders in place against the chassis, cab and running boards. All in, this took the most time BY FAR of anything we have done to the truck. In all, I'd say we spent about 40 to 50 hours of work on these. But they are now all but complete. There are small patches left but those will not be done until the fenders are put back in place. This is because the last "slit" will allow for the fenders to flex a bit and get the shape perfect when bolted in place. Once there, I weld the last patch and we will have a perfectly shaped fender.
So now onto November and the marathon weekend of Thanksgiving 2014. I worked on the truck Wednesday, skipped Thanksgiving day itself and went back Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Got a lot done though....
Move onto the cab...
We took the cab off with the help of Raul, Manny, Carlos & Jay a few months ago. To get that job done we had to get through 50 years of mud mixed with grease to get the steering and a few other things out of the truck. Then beat a few bolts into submission and off came the cab.
What we had then was a good clear photo of what work had to be done.
The two front lower corners had to get replaced. These we found stamped panels for.
The lower chassis channels on the cab need some work and new metal.
The inner corners were OK on the driver's side, mostly some surface rust. On the passenger side though.... I need to rebuild it.
To do the lower channels on the cab I pulled out some paper to make a template. The left and right sides are mirror images of each other, so I picked the better side to make the template with and cut out two replacement pieces.
The new piece complete with the inner flange for added strength. Makes it look simple by seeing it in parts... but the cutout, making the flange, straightening and cleaning took about 45 minutes per side.
The tack welded in place. Now onto the sides that will support the outer panel.
Move onto the cab...
We took the cab off with the help of Raul, Manny, Carlos & Jay a few months ago. To get that job done we had to get through 50 years of mud mixed with grease to get the steering and a few other things out of the truck. Then beat a few bolts into submission and off came the cab.
What we had then was a good clear photo of what work had to be done.
The two front lower corners had to get replaced. These we found stamped panels for.
The lower chassis channels on the cab need some work and new metal.
The inner corners were OK on the driver's side, mostly some surface rust. On the passenger side though.... I need to rebuild it.
To do the lower channels on the cab I pulled out some paper to make a template. The left and right sides are mirror images of each other, so I picked the better side to make the template with and cut out two replacement pieces.
The new piece complete with the inner flange for added strength. Makes it look simple by seeing it in parts... but the cutout, making the flange, straightening and cleaning took about 45 minutes per side.
The tack welded in place. Now onto the sides that will support the outer panel.
Now the outer flange/side. Same thing here. Made a template, cut out the part, shaped it to get it as perfect as possible....
The flange welded in place. You can also make out the inner corner rebuild a bit. All of these ultimately got completely welded as a seam then cleaned up smooth.
The stamped replacement patches come next now that the support structure is strong again.
For that the panel is positioned and the scribe is made to cut out the old panel. The old panel is spot welded in some spot around the perimeter so I worked my way around to get the old part out. I then wire wheel and clean the area. Hit it with some primer as some parts will be harder to get to later.
We then start butt welding in spots to avoid warping. Hammer out, fill in a bit more, hammer out, etc.
Grind down the welds all the way around the panel.
Ultimately, we end up with the the panels replaced....
The flange welded in place. You can also make out the inner corner rebuild a bit. All of these ultimately got completely welded as a seam then cleaned up smooth.
The stamped replacement patches come next now that the support structure is strong again.
For that the panel is positioned and the scribe is made to cut out the old panel. The old panel is spot welded in some spot around the perimeter so I worked my way around to get the old part out. I then wire wheel and clean the area. Hit it with some primer as some parts will be harder to get to later.
We then start butt welding in spots to avoid warping. Hammer out, fill in a bit more, hammer out, etc.
Grind down the welds all the way around the panel.
Ultimately, we end up with the the panels replaced....
Now the back of the cab including reinforcing the floor and rear straps.
Here is a shot before I got started. The back floor panel/strip is badly pitted and not in good shape at all. The two straps coming down are rusted loose and need to be rebuilt to give the cab strength. The back cross member has also come off the floor panel and needs to be re welded in place. It was spot welded originally, but that will be changed....
To make this right, I made a pair of panels with a flange at the back for the floor. These will come in from underneath to replace the rusted floor panel. I will then build out a pair of new angles that will be welded to the rear starps/braces. These new bottoms to the straps will then sandwich the old floor with the new lower, flanged panels I made. Last, the rear cross brace will be welded to the new floor steel as well.
The new floor panels with the flange spot welded in place. I drilled a few spots on the good steel left in the old floor and then welded from above. On the lower side of the panels you can see the weld penetration into the new steel. On the first shot, you the the back strap lower angle spot welded. On the second shot the cross brace was welded which is why you see the long weld penetration across the panel.
In these shots, you see the rear straps welded to the floor panel and new flanged piece I had put in before. You can also see the shot of the rear cross brace welded in as well.
Here is the final product (inner portion) of the rear floor rebuild. Now it is sturdier than the original.... in my opinion.
Before I moved onto the panel to close this all off.... everything gets cleaned off. All welds ground smooth and a coat of primer is laid to avoid rust if I don't complete paint coverage in every nook and cranny from above.
Finally, the rear panel is added. This was also purchased as a new stamped part. Process was the same as the front corners. Basically, place, scribe, cut out, clean, dry fit (30 times) and then butt weld the spots around and fill in a bit at a time. Hammer, weld, clean, let cool, repeat.
Here is a shot before I got started. The back floor panel/strip is badly pitted and not in good shape at all. The two straps coming down are rusted loose and need to be rebuilt to give the cab strength. The back cross member has also come off the floor panel and needs to be re welded in place. It was spot welded originally, but that will be changed....
To make this right, I made a pair of panels with a flange at the back for the floor. These will come in from underneath to replace the rusted floor panel. I will then build out a pair of new angles that will be welded to the rear starps/braces. These new bottoms to the straps will then sandwich the old floor with the new lower, flanged panels I made. Last, the rear cross brace will be welded to the new floor steel as well.
The new floor panels with the flange spot welded in place. I drilled a few spots on the good steel left in the old floor and then welded from above. On the lower side of the panels you can see the weld penetration into the new steel. On the first shot, you the the back strap lower angle spot welded. On the second shot the cross brace was welded which is why you see the long weld penetration across the panel.
In these shots, you see the rear straps welded to the floor panel and new flanged piece I had put in before. You can also see the shot of the rear cross brace welded in as well.
Here is the final product (inner portion) of the rear floor rebuild. Now it is sturdier than the original.... in my opinion.
Before I moved onto the panel to close this all off.... everything gets cleaned off. All welds ground smooth and a coat of primer is laid to avoid rust if I don't complete paint coverage in every nook and cranny from above.
Finally, the rear panel is added. This was also purchased as a new stamped part. Process was the same as the front corners. Basically, place, scribe, cut out, clean, dry fit (30 times) and then butt weld the spots around and fill in a bit at a time. Hammer, weld, clean, let cool, repeat.