Has anyone carried out the Bill Bolton scuttle shake mod to a 4-cylinder
frame? Emily developed a shake 2500 miles after a complete suspension
rebuild, and various attempts to dynamically balance mitigated but did not
cure the manifestation -- curiously changing the speed range at which the
shake was mainfest. Originally I noticed it at 63-69 mph, with sudden onset
and rapid fall-off below and above the range. After balancing, I'm left with
lesser shake in the 54-58 mph range.
I've also noticed fine harmonic vibrations, totally independent of the
remaining scuttle shake, evident in the mirrors, curiously in the fender
mounted mirror at some engine speeds, and in the rearview on the cowl at
others. Would the scuttle mod reduce these as well? (not annoying, and rather
part of the "Flight of the Phoenix" mystique, but I would have to think over
time these would fatigue metal over the time frame I intend to drive the car
(viz, the next three decades, or until my body develops its own scuttle
shake).
The shop painting the car has also suggested using a number of different
DuPont seam sealers to pack between the front cowl's undersection and the
understructure, and to work into the fender-cowl seams. The owner showed me a
number of different kinds on the sample board, some of which are more pliant,
some compatible with different metals and primers, and so on. Any experience
with these products? I have to imagine they would do more good than what I
discovered had been used at the factory: During an autocross, two essentially
pertrified rubber bulkhead seals dropped onto the carpet, apparently having
been placed as spacers during original assembly (no evidence the front cowl
had been off before). Each was deeply compressed across part of the flat
surfaces with the markings of frame metal.
All guidance welcome. The panels are off and we'll be doing metal repairs in
the next three weeks.
Allen Miller
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