Still looking for a ball joint

[TheDude]

I have not worked on my Mustang for several days now. Last weekend I went to three different hardware stores (A.D. Moyer, Sears Hardware and Home Depot) to look for a ball joint. None of the stores had a ball joint. Three stores...many nuts, bolts and fasteners...but not one damn ball joint. Slade suggested going to Ace or True Value for the ball joint. There is no Ace store close by so I went to the True Value website and looked under store locator. It does not come up with any True Value stores in my area but it came up with several A.D. Moyer stores. Am I missing something? Is a ball joint always this hard to find? All that I need is a ball joint with a thread on the other end to hook up my carburetor linkage...thats it. Home Depot had a HUGE aisle full of nuts and bolts. I looked for ball joints but saw nothing. I asked a clerk but he did not know what I was talking about! Shite...

One good note: I did find the AL flat stock at a local A.D. Moyer. Now where the hell is my ball joint?

Sorry for the rant but I just want to get this 2bbl carb upgrade done. The weather is nice and I want to drive my Mustang.

 

[Anonymous]

Are you just looking for a "ball-stud" to mount on the carb and give the linkage a place to attach? Holley sells a kit (has a few different sizes) that most AutoZone's or PepBoys would stock. Or just go to a junkyard and pull one off a (heck, almost any) car.

 

[TheDude]

I need a ball joint to attach to the pushrod that the arrow is pointing to. There must be a thread on the other end so I can attach a piece of AL flat stock to it. As seen in this picture.

 

[SixFoFalcon]

Ok, this is ghetto, but you might try using a Zerk fitting (aka grease fitting.) They are about the right size, usually self-threading hardened steel, and readily available. Just a suggestion...

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, exactly... the grease zerk might work if your AL stock is thin enough, but don't you have any junk yards around? Just about every car ever made has one or two or three of them on it. Or, like I said, Holley sells them in a blister package. I have a few laying in the bottom of my tool bag if you get really desperate...

 

[TheDude]

I found a zerk fitting in my shed. It came from a part that was replaced on the lawn mower. It is too big but from looking at it I can see that using a zerk fitting would work. Thanks for the help.

 

[FastRonald]

8) For future reference. that's not a "ball joint", It's a ball end stud fastener

 

[MustangSix]

Or you could just order one from Summit or Jegs. Look under Holley carb parts.

 

[xctasy]

Hmmm. Which side to you measure the ball diameter from