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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1946 FORD COVERTIBLE TOP

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Discussion Topic: 1946 FORD COVERTIBLE TOP

OLDE GUY

05-16-2013 @ 12:54 PM

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I purchased a 1946 Ford Convertible coupe. The top goes up and down manually. I could barely get it down by my self and could not get it up by myself. Trouble shooting the problem I found that the top springs were removed. I have not found any available and would have some made, but I do not have any spec's on the springs, such as length and diameter of coil wire. I was told they are about 12 inchs long and quiet heavy. Does any one out there have spec's on these springs?
Thanks

supereal

05-16-2013 @ 2:31 PM

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I found the counterbalance springs at Baxter Ford Parts in Lawrence, Kansas. They are essential for proper operation of your top. I equipped my '47 convertible with new cylinders, piping, and pump from Hydro-E-Lectric. It is basically a good system, but was very slow as delivered. Since then, I designed and installed a relay control, and now the top functions like new. The original system used brake fluid as a medium. It usually resulted in the destruction of the pump and cylinders thru corrosion. It now uses transmission fluid. My installation is invisible to the onlookers as it is placed behind the rear seat and ahead of the spare tire.

flathead47

05-16-2013 @ 6:08 PM

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Supereal,do you have any pictures of your new top control setup?

flathead47

05-16-2013 @ 6:09 PM

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Supereal,do you have any pictures of your new top control setup?

supereal

05-16-2013 @ 7:23 PM

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Yes. I will attach one. The problem with the original top mechanism was that it didn't receive sufficient power to operate properly. The original setup was controlled by a simple double pole double throw toggle switch. After checking the voltsge drop, I determined the pump was not being fed full power via the switch. The design was complicated because the raising and lowering of the top is accomplished by changing the polarity of the power to the pump to to change the direction of the fluid. The trick was to use relays capable of handling the considerable current, so I used 4 common 6 volt starter solenoids (Echlin 541). The original switch is used to raise and lower the top by triggering the solenoid pair for the positive/negative feed from the control box. I built it in a 10 X 8 X 4 inch aluminum box that would fit next to the pump, and sent power from the firewall to the control via #8 copper cables. I've had the car for 18 years, and this design has been rolling around in my head for a long time. Much of the required materials were already in our shop. The four solenoids were a main expense, about $50/each and $50 for cable. I worked from a simple pencil sketch, but will make up a schematic plan if anyone wants to try their hand at duplicating it.

DEAN333

05-17-2013 @ 4:27 PM

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Bob, you are genious when it comes to designing electrical systems to overcome some problems we all face. I want to publically thank you for all your help with my '36 halogen headlight conversion. I hope to have your dual-solenoid system installed this week.

TIM CARLIG

supereal

05-17-2013 @ 5:05 PM

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Thank you for your generous words. Not everyone agrees with modernizing parts of our old cars. No one appreciates an exacting restoration more than me. I prefer to drive my cars, and find that today's traffic requires some upgrading to assure safety. I don't go the "resto mod" route, but prefer to retain the authentic driving experience with brighter lights, etc.

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