What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter

[Sheepdip]

Originally Posted by Sheepdip

Pulled the hood and cowl off of Otis today as I'm taking it to a buddy in the AM to re-paint/clear them both.
The clear started peel on the hood, and the cowl has a pretty good surface rust spot that's getting bigger where a rock nailed it about 3 years ago

The hood is primed and working on the cowl cover...almost ready for color coat.
It was less labor intensive to blast and powder coat prime the cowl cover so it's a little behind but almost there.

[Orange Crate]

One of these has stripped threads and I made the other one. 304SS. It is hard to see but the cone shape does match on the new piece. The thread is 1" X 24TPI.

[KQQL IT]

Got a matching color and patina radio delete panel
Cover the giant hole hacked into the dash
Stereo in the glovebox.


Merry Christmas

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by KQQL IT

Got a matching color and patina radio delete panel
Cover the giant hole hacked into the dash
Stereo in the glovebox.


Merry Christmas

Cool.
Back in the Late Seventies, I found an Orange #516 radio delete plate inside the passenger side door of my '68 C/10 Stepside. Since I was installing a stereo cassette player, of course I hacked holes in it to be a stereo face plate and even sprayed it crinkle black.
When the truck was down in 2003 while I was rebuilding a 292, I pulled out the by-then-dead radio and other electronics, and got a white Delete Plate from a fellow trucker on this site. Hindsight.


Merry Christmas

[ohboy321]

Today I installed a new speedometer cable. I have a ratio adapter that is causing the cable to bend in a way that it eventually fails in that spot. This is the third time it has happened since I installed the ratio adapter. I may adjust the floor a little in the spring, or see what I can do about changing the gear in the transfer case.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Got the old girl aligned. I had matched the length of the tie rods when I put the CPP disc kit on, but she was way off. Drivable on surface streets, but no way was I putting her on the freeway.
Talked to a guy who has a '46 Jeep. He showed me pics of his Willy

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by Rust_never_sleeps

Talked to a guy who has a '46 Jeep. He showed me pics of his Willy

[un4gvn!]

I finally got my engine back in and running. Now I have to wait for spring to test drive. It's a ZZ 454 I bought back in 2012. This past Labor Day week end I decided to pull it and check it over after the starter took some teeth off the flex plate. Can hardly wait til spring. I don't know how to rotate the pitures. Sorry

[jhe.1973]

Do TO my truck you say?

Not today, but yesterday ......... I made it work for it's keep:



Moving this yellow trailer to our 'chateau' just outside of town was my motivation to get this wrecker roadworthy (safe) since last February. It has become a HUGE struggle as I keep finding more things that needed (still need) attention.

At least I can safely do this:



And ..... back it to it's resting area for a winters nap:



Now, back to work on clearing/organizing our back yard in town to make more room for a couple of other projects!

[brandnew72]

Removed the old lap belts out and put 3 point seatbelts in. Finally.

Since adding new 325 BMW bucket seats, the lap belts didn't work out so well. The new 3 points are quite nice! Got them from CJ Pony Parts and they fit great.

[fourspeedwagon]

Originally Posted by brandnew72

Removed the old lap belts out and put 3 point seatbelts in. Finally.

Since adding new 325 BMW bucket seats, the lap belts didn't work out so well. The new 3 points are quite nice! Got them from CJ Pony Parts and they fit great.

Awesome! Can you add a picture or 2? We’d love to see what they look like.
What year 325 did they come out of?

[brandnew72]

Originally Posted by fourspeedwagon

Awesome! Can you add a picture or 2? We’d love to see what they look like.
What year 325 did they come out of?

2008 I believe. The PO had a bench in there from who knows where. It was unstable and wonky. I will get some pics this afternoon. Mounted them on 1" Rigid conduit cut as spacers with big washers underneath the truck. Had to get creative on the front mount but it's stout. Even wired in the 12 way electric seats with some YouTube help.

[brandnew72]

Removed the bed to install a new front bed panel and POR15 the frame. Holy crap what a task. Broken carriage bolts galore! But front panel is on, waiting for frame paint to dry, then rewire rear of the truck and loom it.

[zicc1835]

finally got him inside today

[Sheepdip]

Well; it wasn't today but a couple of days ago I got my freshly painted hood and cowl cover back on Otis and all adjusted up... so back to normal again.

[Casper42]

static drop: 2" front/3" back

[3757chevy]

Originally Posted by Casper42

static drop: 2" front/3" back

Perfect

['68OrangeSunshine]

No pix, but today, a friend and I attacked my Starter problem on a '71 GMC Jimmy: 350 SBC/SM465/NP205/D44 Front, 12-Bolt rear, 3.73 w/Auburn posi.
[No-Start Gripe.]
We had to pull the Header on the passenger side to get to the Starter. Since I want to paint the Hedders white, anyway, we'll have to pull both. We got the passenger side off. Took the Starter into O'Reilly's for test and check. Flunked the Solenoid test. No surprize since it was installed 4/2008. [Lifetime Checker Auto warranty.] I had used an aftermarket Accel solenoid. That was shot -- the cap was loose, Solenoid is trapped behind the header so it got a lot of vibration and heat cycles in 16 years. I have a NIB bendix-type solenoid on the shelf. Gonna hook that on and go back for another test tomorrow or Tuesday.
Meanwhile to get the drivers side header free, I'll have to disassemble the whole Z-Bar and Clutch Pushrods and Clutch Fork business.
We ran out of daylight today.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

No pix, but today, a friend and I attacked my Starter problem on a '71 GMC Jimmy: 350 SBC/SM465/NP205/D44 Front, 12-Bolt rear, 3.73 w/Auburn posi.
[No-Start Gripe.]
We had to pull the Header on the passenger side to get to the Starter. Since I want to paint the Hedders white, anyway, we'll have to pull both. We got the passenger side off. Took the Starter into O'Reilly's for test and check. Flunked the Solenoid test. No surprize since it was installed 4/2008. [Lifetime Checker Auto warranty.] I had used an aftermarket Accel solenoid. That was shot -- the cap was loose, Solenoid is trapped behind the header so it got a lot of vibration and heat cycles in 16 years. I have a NIB bendix-type solenoid on the shelf. Gonna hook that on and go back for another test tomorrow or Tuesday.
Meanwhile to get the drivers side header free, I'll have to disassemble the whole Z-Bar and Clutch Pushrods and Clutch Fork business.
We ran out of daylight today.

Actually yesterday, I tried my new slime green creeper under the Jimmy. I disconnected my Lower Clutch Push Rod. My piece is custom and 15'' long. We had to go with a lengthened rod because the wrong size Throw-Out Bearing was instally, and my helper said ''No way'' to pulling the SM4695/NP205 tranny/xfer case lashup back off and trying again. We went with extending the Clutch Push Rod.
Clutch is a 3-Finger Borg & Beck. Clutch Pedal also has that stiff vertical spring under the dash. A machine shop [that also did some custom gunsmithing back in the day] built up my Push Rod. The rear section has a threaded extension that goes thru the hole in the Clutch Fork and is secured by a 1/2'' locknut. PO's idea that I kept. To get better reach, A Square Body clutch rod was spliced to the fron, giving over 4'' threading to to mount nuts and jamnuts securing the Z-Bar Swivel. A section of 9mm submachine gun barrel was welded over the angled splice. This system creates tension on the Clutch Fork. To work on any of the Z-Bar and clutch linkage, a ratchet strap from a chain looped over the rear axle and hooking the clutch fork was to be ratcheted back to relieve the tension.
Once the backpressure is releived, a Vicegrip pliers captures the Rod, so first the nuts on the ends can be pulled. The front nut comes off easy with a 9/16 deepwell on a ratchet, Then two 9/16 open wrenches loosen the Jam nuts.
Following that the aft-most 9/16 nut is worked back with short strokes [1/4 -- 1/3 turns] until pulled back enough to slip the elongated rear shaft out of the Clutch Fork hole.
Whole operation took me about 90 minutes,

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Actually yesterday, I tried my new slime green creeper under the Jimmy. I disconnected my Lower Clutch Push Rod. My piece is custom and 15'' long. We had to go with a lengthened rod because the wrong size Throw-Out Bearing was instally, and my helper said ''No way'' to pulling the SM4695/NP205 tranny/xfer case lashup back off and trying again. We went with extending the Clutch Push Rod.
Clutch is a 3-Finger Borg & Beck. Clutch Pedal also has that stiff vertical spring under the dash. A machine shop [that also did some custom gunsmithing back in the day] built up my Push Rod. The rear section has a threaded extension that goes thru the hole in the Clutch Fork and is secured by a 1/2'' locknut. PO's idea that I kept. To get better reach, A Square Body clutch rod was spliced to the fron, giving over 4'' threading to to mount nuts and jamnuts securing the Z-Bar Swivel. A section of 9mm submachine gun barrel was welded over the angled splice. This system creates tension on the Clutch Fork. To work on any of the Z-Bar and clutch linkage, a ratchet strap from a chain looped over the rear axle and hooking the clutch fork was to be ratcheted back to relieve the tension.
Once the backpressure is releived, a Vicegrip pliers captures the Rod, so first the nuts on the ends can be pulled. The front nut comes off easy with a 9/16 deepwell on a ratchet, Then two 9/16 open wrenches loosen the Jam nuts.
Following that the aft-most 9/16 nut is worked back with short strokes [1/4 -- 1/3 turns] until pulled back enough to slip the elongated rear shaft out of the Clutch Fork hole.
Whole operation took me about 90 minutes,

I wonder if the high stiffness of the Borg & Beck clutch is why your z-bar has failed a few times over the years.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

I wonder if the high stiffness of the Borg & Beck clutch is why your z-bar has failed a few times over the years.

Could be. I figured it was beause the "Ears" were joggled, plus a lot of doube clutching in city traffic, plus Over-Fifty steel/metal fatigue.
I had CenterForce II clutch on before the Borg & Beck -- also stiff.
All these factors gang up.
How long is the stock Rod?

Attached a pic of my Super Lower Clutch Push Rod:

[brandnew72]

The only thing I completed today was achieving excessive levels of frustration, lol. Craftec Tonneau is nigh impossible to get into the groove once any two sections are in. Gave up for the evening. Can't use any screwdrivers or tools because if you slip, cover gasket will be toast. Heat only makes it worse. Heckuva way to close out another wise successful day in regards to rust repair and stake pocket filling.

[Sheepdip]

It was a nice day today, so I took Otis and got the oil changed, then took him to the handwash and got all the barnacles off.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Got a rebuilt Starter from O'Reilly's today. Rolled over to Harbor Freight to get a new creeper. If I like the weather, I could reinstall the Starter tomorrow.

[1970cstblazer]

Installed the rechromed/restored T handle and nice original control assembly on the Blazer's liftgate. With all new correct bolts and screws, new strikers, NOS latches, and misc parts the total was around a grand to make it like OEM new.