The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Re: What did you get done on your 'Bolt today?

Ran a compression test and found all 6 cylinders between 150 psi and 155 psi.

Recently added some wheel tubs after realizing that I was getting some rubbing on the bedsides while cornering. I'm running 285/55/18 mounted on 10" rims. Came across some tubs from a mid 60's chevy that I cut down to fit. Had to rush and do it because I'd promised to let the Hospital use it for a display months ago & forgot the date. I cut out one side and tac'd it in on Saturday then found out Monday they needed it the next day. Pulled an all nighter and finished it up but I've got to go back and smooth do some more detail work.

Got the leveler bolted down to the engine and ready to get the cherry picker hooked up and then yank the 283 and tranny. Then start on the danforth crossmember. why does it all go so slow?



Weeds

Looking good Robert.

Got it running and broken-in.

http://lymanhall.smugmug.com/Trucks/1953-Chevrolet-3100-Truck/i-qxb8DWF/0/M/DSC_1388-M.jpg

Got the hood on, ready for first test drive (truck has not been on the road in over 20 years). Then, off to the body shop for touch up and buff.

bajones238, congrats on a nice looking truck. Maybe you can drive up to Columbia the next gabfest we have there?

Washed up the truck and put it in the annual neighborhood July 4th parade. Everybody loved it! Looked good with the bed stakes installed and American flags flying from the rear posts.

Ba,
I can relate to the wheel-dollies. Happy wife happy life" lol

This weekend I completed the body work on my truck cab.
Here is what it looked like before I shot it with primer: pic

I did the following things to it over the last 2 months:

Completely disassembled it

Hauled it to the dipper in Milwaukee and back

Cut out rusted metal and welded patches in the front inner and outer lower cowl area and one spot in the back of the cab

Welded up aftermarket antenna holes and some cracks in the rear cab corner flanges

Hammered out dents to within < 1/32 of the metal surface and filled with Merson filler

Melted out the lead in the A-piller seams and replaced it with fiberglass reinforced filler

Sanded entire cab lightly to promote primer adhesion and wiped down with wax/grease remover

Sprayed it with two coats of epoxy primer, being careful to cover all surfaces thoroughly - inside and outside and underside.

Dribbled epoxy primer into seams with a wash bottle


Next step is high build primer to fill rust pits and small imperfections and then lots of block sanding.

I got mine (1960 short fleetside)moved into the shop.

Just received the front axle back from the spring shop. New kingpins , new shocks and I just did the front shackles. I love that ball joint C clamp. Real help in getting that pesky bushing sleeve in the frame. Getting closer to starting the Good Humor Truck.

http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s554/icecreamman55/005_zps989cc47c.jpg

pulled the engine and transmission. Got trans fluid all over the floor. Summit tailshaft plug didn't work, Plastic insert came out. Need to make cradle for 283 rather than letting it sit on the floor. Next need to unbolt and remove the Steve Andereggen IFS and get ready to install the Danforth crossmember that I have had for 2 years. Took the boxing plates that became rusty to the blaster. I am slowly getting there. Hopefully will be done before it snows. Going to the Iola old car show and swapmeet Fri/Sat/Sun. Anyone have suggestions on building an engine cradle?



Weeds

Weeds, you can almost buy an engine stand for what it costs for materials and your time. Harbor Freight is one place. I'm sure some Pawn Shop in your area might have one.

Martin, thanks for the suggestions. However no pawnshops in this little town. We don't even have a stoplight. Anyway the 283 still has the TH350 attached so it won't fit on a stand. I have it on a cart with casters on it and I think it will sit there OK until its ready to go back in the truck.




Weeds

























anyway the 283 still has the

weeds, find a derelict shopping cart and cut the basket off, use bottom rack, the wheels carry a lot of weight - worked for me

Bill

Weeds,

I built a cradle from the Tech Tips page (http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/engine_dolly.html) with my 9 year old. Easy enough and it seems safe enough.

First wrench turning on the truck over the weekend! It was beautiful.

Drained the oil, filled the cylinders with Marvel Mystery Oil to let them soak for a month or so. Also pulled the valves covers and lubed the top.

Next pull the seat and fuel tank.

Just a heads up CJ,if you find the usual underseat horrors (rat/mice nests and 'by products') a mask and gloves are a must!

Thank you JB50.

I have had the seat pulled forward in the cab to study the non-original tank. It wasn't all that horrible, we had gloves and found a little 'by-product' but nothing I would call a nest.

We did find

• a brass fire extinguisher (with bracket) like this
• a wood handled tire pump (that still works) a wood handled tire pump (that still works) like this
• a first aid kit from the mining company with Iodine,
• and a couple of my grandfather's 'men's magazines'!

The magazines dated June and August of '63. My 20 year old daughter seemed to have mixed feelings about finding the magazines. Dad said he doesn't think he ever looked behind the seat of the truck.

Always an adventure.

Been working steady, but not a lot that shows. I got the power windows figured out and the passenger side mounted and working.

The windshield frame came back from the platers. Looks real nice with the glass in it. Tonight hopefully it'll get hung.

got the rocker panels installed and a new floor installed.

began unbolting the Andereggen IFS. Maybe get it removed from the frame tomorrow.



Weeds

Pulled off the complete front end sheetmetal the day before yesterday. Last night I pulled the interior, all the glass, and got the doors down to the bare shells. Gas tank and dash guages are out too.

Nothing done on the sub today. Took the weekend off and went with number 5 son to the Iola old car show. had a good time. checked the car corral for prices on AD trucks trying to get an idea of what my 49 sub is worth. Saw a gorgeous 50 3100 with an asking price of $19,500. Others from $2000 to$6500. Saw a rusted out 49 clamshell for $3000. Body completely gone and rear seats missing.

Will hit the 49 hard next week


Weeds

Last two weekends have been productive. My long, national nightmare is over. Fuel line now connected to both sides of pump and all the way from tank to carb. That was much harder than it should have been. Never buying a prebent fuel line again.

Removed the old aftermarket seat cover and cleaned up the seat frame to go back in. Tank is all buttoned down. Need to clean 60 years of dirt off the original vinyl.

Went and bought all the goodies I needed to put the battery in its original locale. Found out I didn't measure closely enough and the battery doesn't fit. Oh well.

The store I bought it from was closed so my father in law helped me pull the radiator today. It had been moved forward in the distant past to account for the 235. Bolts were nigh impossible to access but we got it done. Looks like I'm in the market for a new radiator.

The battery was the missing piece to try a startup. That was my goal for the weekend but was not meant to be.

New feet.
16x6 stock rims

got my metal bed strips installed (until painting), hung the left fender (until I start patching it).
Found that my front bumper brackets are off... the two outer arms will line up, but the two middle arms don't come out far enough (or the outer arms are out too far)

Replaced battery cables with big #2/0 cables, and now that 6 volt starter cranks that tight new motor fast even when hot. Took first long (15-mile) test drive, temperature stayed right at 190 and oil pressure at 15 psi. Put new roller kits on window regulators, installed left & right vent wing assemblies and door windows.

Monday morning it's off to the body shop for some small repairs, final buff, and pin striping.

Over the last week:
- Painted interior
- Painted interior trim
- Painted steering column and wheel
- Repaired a wiper arm assembly (splined outer came off with wiper arm)
- Painted cowl vent
- Painted twin "sea shell" horns
- Started re-wiring (under hood done, starting in-cab/behind dash)

I hope to finish the wiring this weekend and take it for a test drive!

Took the wrong era seat and tank out and test fit the original tank and seat. So glad my Grandad and dad kept those after all these years.

Good news: I fit behind the steering wheel now!

New (old) interior

I got the gmc back from repair shop after fighting with it for a few weeks, missing, lurching, coughing, occasionally a backfire, then ran fine for 10 days, then it got real bad. I was thinking fuel, so had a carb kit done. Turns out it was a bad condenser in the distributor. The old guy said it was only the 3rd one he remembered going bad. Anyone else had this happen?

checked the timing tonight, right where it should be. Ned to pull the carb off and go through it again and make sure everything is working right. Running real rich regardless of where the mixture screw is set.

RBS56, I have had one fail like that. I don't remember how I figured it out but I was traveling in a '55.1. Had to get a room in Atoka, OK.

This past weekend:
- Installed restored fresh air heater
- Completed wiring (including turn signals, power port [cig. lighter], trailer pig tail, and heater)
- started re-assembly of interior
- started it up

Fuel gage works for the first time in 30 years! (when my brother first bought it)

Thanks all for the posts, tech tips, and advice.

The rebuild will continue after I enjoy driving it for a few days.

Pulled the Andereggen IFS out of the sub. Will begin on the Danforth crossmember tomorrow




Weeds

Weeds,
I see you have pulled the Andereggen IFS and are adding a crossmember. What precipitated this?

started running the new classicparts wiring harness in my 54... took a little bit to get it figured out (orientation of it), but once I got the light switch hooked up, outside of the truck, it all started making sense... will start working on that more over the next few days

Been soaking all the old brake line fittings with PB blaster the last few nights- got them all off last night.
Removed all the rotted rubber lines, removed the crossmember hardline & axle hardlines- just need to remove the last two long hardlines and I'll be ready to start fabbing up the new.

Have an adapter bracket from POL to convert over to a dual pot master cylinder, So will be mounting that tonight to start the new line building process.

Installed the new headliner in the GMC today. Lots of great tips from fellow stovebolters made it a lot easier. One thing I did was positioned the headliner in the opening and held it in place with clothes pins, then glued half at a time. The gasket went pretty easy after I brushed soapy water on flange and used the end of a rubber handled hammer to set it. Less than an hour and it looks great!

I used a cotter pin extractor to install the gasket in my '56 headliner.

Painted my passenger door, had bad paint reaction, stripped it all back down. Now time to epoxy prime & paint again. Lesson learned, don't paint on high humidity days.