8N Grillle Question

[Greybeard PA]

My sheet metal is all finished and in the paint shop as I write this. I'd surely like to be able to get the hood and grille to fit like they should.

Every 8N grille I have ever worked with was smacked somewhere on the lower paner, below the vertical bars. When this happens, these things tend to lose their integrity in the distance from the pivot pin on the dog leg to the top corner of the grille frame. This results in the grille being either too long to fit properly against the hood or too short for the springloaded pins to fit into the holes in the hood.

My question is this: does anyone know this dimenmsion, or failing that, does anyone have an un-smacked part they could measure and report this dimension. This information certainly wsould be a good thing for 8N owners to have when refinishing or replacing a grille panel - unless you can afford one of those nice new ones Dennis Carpenter sells.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I know exactly what you are going through. The best and only way when working with the sheet metal is fit it on the tractor before paint. A die grinder and a small bit to tweek the holes a few washers here and there and when your happy take all apart and paint it and it will fit with out scratching everything. After market grills need work to fit also. Some after market grill also don't look right,no matter what you do. Good luck.

 

[souNdguy]

hit a tsc store.. or similar. most of them ( some of them? ) have repro grilles.

they don't look correct.. BUT they do fit.

the grill on my 8n was hammered I still have it and will one day straighten it with a dit and form I made out of some rod.. but enough about that. My hood was fine and square, and the repop grill from tsc went in like a glove.. no fudging needed.. lowewr pigs.. upper clips.. al lined up with top, and sides.. no gaps.. etc. that said... and mind you that was 11+ys ago I repalced it.. if you see one in a store.. take a tape measure and note pad and bang out some measurements real quick while the manager ai'nt lookin


soundguy

 

[Charles Krammin]

I had the same problem on my Ford 600 and wished I hsd fitted the old grill before painting. New doglegs, don"t match original and needed tweaking as old doglegs are spot welded. So this is what I done.
I reassemblied hood with doglegs already reattached and turned it upside down. I bolted the grill to the doglegs. I then used a screw sissors jack in the hood area (with block cusshons) and spread the hood, until the grill could fit between the doglegs at the top. I then put the assembly on the tractor, leaving the grill bolts loose. I then fitted the bottom of the grill to the doglegs, by bending the bottom solid part of the grill, placing on blocks on the sides and standing on the center.
I think the correct way I should have done the dogleg reattachment to the hood would have been to bolted the doglegs to the grill and then lay out the bolt holes that attach the doglegs to the assembly hood. The top grill spacing would the have eliminated the scissor jacking. The bottom grill spacing would still have to be done at mounting , by bending the solid part of grill.

Charles Krammin SW MI

 

[JOKER in Alberta]

Posting a before and after pic of the grille.
With the help of a Buddy of mine (A Classic Car/Truck Restoration Specialist), we where able to return the original back to a near perfect fit.
Used a lot heat and a lot hammering.
Took a bit of persuading to get it to fit into the doglegs, but all in all, not too bad.

 

[GB in MT.]

[b:4568b50151][i:4568b50151]
Tom;
You whine......."Took a bit of persuading to get it to fit into the doglegs, but all in all, not too bad. " Wish mine looked and fit that good!!!

Still soakin' yer head in the basement???????? :lol:

Gary
[/i:4568b50151][/b:4568b50151]

 

[JOKER in Alberta]

Hey Gary,
All dry now. Repairs are on-going though.
Still working on my driveway. All the trenching I did to devert the water made a real mess.
My lane looks like the streets of Bagdad. LOL
Not much fun, but manageable. My heart goes out to the folks in the SE U.S.
Hope all is well with you guys,
Tom

 

[Hobo,NC]

I have a nice look'n repop at a good price email open in modern view..

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[Greybeard PA]

Finhally did what most of you suggested - dry fit it to the hood with the doglegs bolted in place and a bungie to keep the pins in the holes while I fit it to the hood. Good thing I did this, too because everything needed major BFH-type adjustment. Now I"m confidenr it"ll go together properly after it"s all painted.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Dave Erb
New Holland, PA