SS French Locks (exhaust keepers) for Nailheads, any interest?

Thanx for the feedback.

Have not gotten any complaints so I think it has been a Win-Win for all involved.
There are some sets left so I am hoping to place the ebay ad this week. When we made them I upped the quantity to get a lower price and try to cover all the packing/postage/and general time. So if I sell all the remaining ones........I get to keep a set for my car!

So please pass the word to any other Nailhead addicts, this is what I have for Ebay search terms: "Nailhead, Wildcat, 445, 425, French Locks, Exhaust Keepers", anything else sound good to yous?

 

Just wondering if you received payment for my 4 sets???


Tom T.

 

Yes Tom, do you have them yet?
Also sent out Gary in Fenton, Mike in Hobe, Ceresco, Omaha, Mendota, and lost track of who else. Don't want to keep listing the same folks here more than once. Please post if you got yours folks!

Ebay is up right now, but they have a weird rule of the BIN price being 1/3rd more than the min bid price, so I think they look over priced.
Please pass this deal onto anyone you know so I can clear these out!
Thanx.

 

Yes, they arrived in today's mail. Look like a quality piece & comparable, maybe better, than what was offered before.


Tom T.

 

got mine on Monday. Look Good.

Glenn

 

received mine, thanks.

 

Mine are here, thanks. Also thanks for the call to confirm. You didn't have to that but was very nice proving you do what you say etc. And yes I do have an FLH, it's my other toy that has limited time on. Hope picture uploaded. I'm going down to garage to set on manifold. The extra wide ones are for the outlet ports i see nice touch but the ones I took off were the single French locks. Any idea what they are suppose to be (individual or like you made)? Again very nice pieces, thanks.

 

Untamed - Check will be on the way when I get back to the office Friday for two sets. Thanks.

 

FLH,
Good to hear yours got through. Have not had any delivery failures yet!

From what I have learned, the single locks were used later on from the standard ones. And there was one that was longer but they were extended in a different place than the ones I had made. It kind of made them "J Shaped". But the idea was the same to use them on the thicker parts of the exhaust manifold castings.

My guess is that Buick found the J-shaped ones were only needed in a smaller volume overall which made them more expensive, so the small singles were developed as a cost saving measure. BUT, the small ones do not work. If you think about it, the torque of the bolt puts pressure on the single lock just like a washer. As it heats and cools, there is nothing to resist the bolt unscrewing because the keeper is not connected to anything! The connection between the two bolt of the keeper is what stops the rotation. And do not underestimate the power of that thermal reaction, I have seen some stock locks twisted like a pretzel when the engines were run hard in below zero temps.

Untamed Kitty

 

Got mine Saturday. Nice work! Can't wait to use them someday when I can afford to do a full engine rebuild. Do you have any other projects in mind for our Nailheads?

 

Funny you should ask about additional projects.... since I am now driving and slowly breaking in my "407 Nailhead".

I am posting my next project to the "Carb Forum" for some advice before proceeding! Check it out there!

 

I know. I know...OLD THREAD, however, do you have any sets left over???

Wheelz, Tampa Bay

 

I'd buy a set, any more? Looked on Ebay and nothing there.