Hi All. Me again. All the questions, no answers. Anyway, to get to the point. I have my master cylinder mounted under the cab, and I have my floor panel cut and ready to weld in. Before I weld the floor panel all in, I want to cut/create the opening for the door to access the MC. Heres what Im thinkign of doing:
Ill cut the opening in the 16ga sheet to the size I want it. Then Ill probably use my crimpers I made (the ones I use to make bent lips in sheet metal) and make a recessed lip on the opening. Ill make the peice to fit nicely into the newly created recess in the floor. Then Ill use a typical cabinet hinge and just spot weld it in the screw holes.

Now, what can I use for a latch????? I an wanting something cheap, and very low profile so I dont have a huge bulge under my brake foot. Any of you guys have somethign creative, or something old, tired, and true? How about aircraft panel fasteners? Im wanting to stay away from somethign I would have to drill into the floor that would extend down and get all corroded up from road grime, such as Dzus fasteners would.

Also, if you guys do have the answer, can you help out with pictures/links to where to get them? Thanks!
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Damn, I wish I had more time.
35 Ford Pick-Up

One word. Velcro

Two words....Duct Tape!

JOKING JOKING...Good God lets not cheap out here LOL!

In all seriousness I did my gas door in the floor exactly like your doing the door for the master cylinder. The tank I used had the filler come straight up from the center so I thought Hey why not make a hide away door in the floor instead of routing the tube up over and around to the fender (personal opinion of mine- Gas filler necks look hidious sticking out of the fender or body). FLUSH MOUNT MY FELLOW RODDERS, FLUSH MOUNT!!

When I laid the floors in and saw that this neck was gonna be a problem if I ran the filler tube up over around across down up loopdey loop etc..ANYWAY all I did was make the floor all around it bent a L in the steel I used for the floor on all 4 sides around the filler (that recessed it down 2" right even with the top of the filler neck) I got a Hagan flush mount square bucket (resembles a recessed tag
bucket, only this has a hole in the center of it) welded that in brought the neck up thru yadda yadda...hinged some wood put that bad boy on and left it at that.

For your master cylinder door if ya dont wanna just leave it at that ya might wanna try velcro like Ed said.

Slammin
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Hold your ears folks...ITS SHOWTIME!!!

Try the business card style magnetic material-you can cut it easily and it'll be a nice flush mount.

Circuit breaker boxes have a nice flat door and an almost flush simple spring loaded slide latch. You might have to put some gasketing of some kind under it to keep it from rattling and leaking....if you're planning on driving it that is ;-)

Before you weld the hinge on make sure you have room to swing the door after the seats and interior is in. An option for the hinge side is couple of tabs and slots. Just slip the tabs into the slots and drop it into the recess you've made, latch it and it won't open til you want it to.

Whats a matter wid a screw? It was good enough in 49 for the Dodge I had. Besides the undermat and carpeting would keep it quiet. Dave
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Life's too short to drive an ughly car!

Put a remote reservoir on the firewall. RP peggys other half
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Peggy Diegan

You forgot, the guy said "CHEAP" That usually means free or under a dollar. Remote is the answer, but cheap is cheap.

Most guys we build for dont even cut a hole cause they dont want the hassal of pulling up sill plated and carpets. Most fill from under the car and check with a mirrior. Or go the remote.Tilton and gm have cheap ones.You just need to adapt it to your mastercyl cover.I drilled and taped a vette cyl the other day for fittings in the side and ran a an3 line to it pretty easy.Fill is in the trunk(you could put it anywere you want).Cheap ,trick and easy. Or just use neverseze on a screw. LOL
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Drive like you stole it !!

Thats a GREAT idea George! I love these boards! Gonna go check out local electrical supply store during lunch.
Oh yeah, I kinda wanted to keep the firewall bare. Would be kinda silly to use a under floor MC to make the firewall clean, only to add a filler to said firewall. I could put a remote filler inside the cab, but space is quite limited.

Im gonna check into the remote fill gigs. IF I did go with one, then I wouldnt need a trap door at all!

Can you guys tell me about them, both the good and the bad? Oh yeah, PLEASE DO talk to me like Im stupid and dont know a thing, that way you wont miss anything. :)
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Damn, I wish I had more time.
35 Ford Pick-Up

Dirk,

When I put my Studebaker together, I happened to be taking an adult education Machine shop class, so I built my own remote reservoir. I used a Dodge Omni master cylinder that used a plastic reservoir that just snapped in. I machined 2 plugs that looked like the bottom of the reservoir, had about a 1 inch diameter flat top about 1/8 inch deep, then necked down to about 1/2 inch diameter about 1/2 inch deep, and then flared out to about 5/8 inch about 1/8 inch deep. I rounded the edges on the bump on the bottom so it would pop in the rubber seals in the master cylinder. Drilled a hole through said plug and then threaded the top of the hole. For the reservoir, I went down to the parts house and checked out the "Help" type parts, and found a master cylinder lid gasket that I liked. I milled a block of aluminum out for 2 separate fluid areas, so it looked like a standard GM master cylinder from the top. Bolted on an aluminum plate for a top and then drilled a hole in each side of the reservoir. Used 2 pieces of braided line (this has no pressure on it, so any kind will work) from the reservoir to the master cylinder. I also cut a small piece of aluminum strap to sit on top of the plugs and clamped it around the master cylinder so nothing could pop out. I ran this for the 5 years I had the car and never had a problem of any kind. I figured I had about $25 in the whole thing, not counting the cost of the class. Even without the class, with a little looking around I am sure you could get access to the equipment needed, basically just a mill with an end mill cutter. I got fancy and milled ribs in the top and rounded the vertical edges, but you would not need to do that. I also recessed the bottom so the fittings would not show. The entire unit was 5" long, 3" deep and 4" high. I drilled and tapped the backside and bolted it to the firewall from inside the car. I figure that anything the someone out there builds, you can probably also build with a bit of thought. I tend to run to the cheap side myself, so usually build as much as I can.

Hope this helps, e-mail me for more info if you need.

Doug


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The Land Yacht specialist

Try your local v/w junk. The have plastic resevoirs, So I was told. RP
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Peggy Diegan

A flush, cheap, and lightweight fastener for this application would be a dzues tab. Quarter turn and it's open. They're available in Jegs, MSC, McMaster Carr, etc. Or, any local speed shop should be able to get them. All of our body panels on the sprint car are fastened by these, so it won't vibrate loose.

HRB
aka MrWillys

if you go with an access door. a couple of magnets epoxied under the floor should hold it snug.
rickd
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project...39 ford pickup

Saaaaaaay wasn't that my idea??????

Rick said it better, but now I see what you meant. Shouldn't even need a hinge.
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Mike J

Sorry, I'll try and be more eloquent next time. LOL.