Yesterday I pulled my truck (frame and engine) out of the shop, and used the front end loader on my tractor to move the cab into the shop, then pulled the truck back in. Today I got busy working on the cab, just worrying about having the bottom side all ready to set on the frame. The last time I worked on the frame was back in 2005, when I did a bunch of patch panels and painted the bottom half of the cab. Then it sat outside uncovered until yesterday. I was amazed that it was still in pretty good shape, even the paint had held up, mostly. I spent several hours sanding down a couple of places where the paint was bad, then mixed up a bit of the old enamel with thinner and hardener and applied ti to the bad sopts with a brush! It actually came out looking good, and since it is on the bottom of the truck I don't think anyone will notice. But it is now protected. I may put on a second coat later today, but the brush put it on so thick that I really think it's good to go. And just in time before winter weather finally gets here!
Tim
I am currently digging back in to a 1953 3800 (one ton) with a nine foot bed. I've owned it since 1979, and drove it until 1982 (or so). My wife got me involved in restoring it back in 2002, got the body removed and the frame redone, then things came up. Now I am retired and starting again. If anyone is interested I have photos on Imagur ( https://timwhiteblues.imgur.com/ ). I live way back in the woods in the Ozarks on 40 acres at the end of a 2 1/2 mile private road.
Okay here's an attempt at showing the progress on my COE. Today I got back the passenger side pillar parts and the outer cowl parts. The windshield cowl was modified. The drivers side pillar was powder primed after repair. Some parts were made from scratch too.
"I always win." Working mainly alone I do not let my trucks win a war. Maybe a battle here and there but never the war.
Photos worked great. Some fine work you’ve got going there.ðŸ›
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Major job repairing a COE cab using a pickup cab. Way too much work to make it a reasonable repair. If the pillars were all good and I was just replacing the back cab parts it would be good. This is a major pain but worthwhile to me.
"I always win." Working mainly alone I do not let my trucks win a war. Maybe a battle here and there but never the war.
Solved a silly problem after 5 days for frustration! Had oil leaking, from what I thought was the bottom of the canister. Pulled the fittings from the canister and the block. New ferrels on both ends (copper tubing lines). Put it all back together, short test drive only to find oil pouring from the top of the canister around the lid! Pulled it all, including the canister, cleaned everything, new fittings & ferrels, filter & oil. buttoned it back up......oil still pouring out the lid! Decided to upgrade from the copper tubing lines and went shopping. Talking to NAPA he pointed out the obvious, something was blocking the flow, somewhere! Not ready to do a full engine flush, I doubled checked the fittings, the canister tube and the block, all clear. I could blow thru the copper tubing, so I assumed it was good to go. Ran a length of wire thru the tube, and found a bunch of gunk in the bends of the tube. Air could get by, but it blocked the 30 wt non detergent oil from flowing!! Shortened the tube by one loop, cleaned it end to end and problem solved!! Happy in Idaho!
I inventoried all the exterior bolts and nuts on my Frankland rear end and ordered them in stainless. Then will buff them up. Thought I would get my Wilwood brakes today but not yet. Then I can take it to Moser for axles.
I am cleaning front axle and rear axle parts. I just received the new bushings for the rear spring center pivot point so with any luck they will be installed today. :)
Started filing and grinding on the rear cover for my Frankland rear end to polish it. figure it should be flat first. It's almost like the guy making the casting and the pit guys banging gears in between races did not take into account that someday Mick would want to polish it. Strange. I can't wait to get to the little letters down in the groves. Hopefully someday someone will say that looks nice.
Pulled my engine out of the '62 C10 today. I developed a knock in the low end on Monday. Looks like it's time to do a full rebuild. After I dropped the pan, I didn't find any major chunks of metal, but I did find the issue.
The number 7-8 Rod journal on the crank was hammered. Probably caused by the number 7 rod bearing which was extremely worn and missing a chunk of bearing material and the number 8 rod bearing which had spun in the rod and was wafer thin and both halves were nested on the rod side of the crank.
Looks like I will be doing a full tear down and rebuild. This is an RPO L30 Spec. engine, (275hp). I think I will rebuild it to the RPO L79 Spec. (350hp)
I also found 2 of the expansion plugs were almost completely rusted through. One was on the back of the block behind the flywheel. I would have had to pull the engine to fix that one any way. I had already replaced 2 plugs over the last 6 months. I guess it was time.
1957 two ton Low Cab Forward, been working on rear brakes, today I made final adjustment on the rear spindle bearings and adjusted the shoes, I'm excided now to have pedal. Prior work includes rebuilding the master cylinder, rebuilding all four rear wheel cylinders, new line from master to hydrovac, all new lines to the rear, new hub seals. For now I have the front brakes bypassed so I can move the old girl in and out of the shop as needed.
1957 Chevrolet 5700 LCF 283 SM420 2 speed rear, 1955 IH 300U T/A, 1978 Corvette 350 auto, 1978 Yamaha DT175, 1999 Harley Davidson Softail Fat Boy
The other day I swapped out my voltage regulator and when I went to put the battery cable back onto the battery post, the clamp broke as I was tightening it.
Today was change the battery cable day, which involved me having to drop the starter, so yay that I had it up on the ramps.
Broke the little solenoid wire, fixed that, got the new cable snugged down and routed. Bolted starter up, hooked up battery cable, lights and radio came on, electric fuel pump was humming and then no starter action.
now what?
After checking and troubleshooting several things, I realized that somehow I put the small solenoid wire on the wrong post.
jeez. I think maybe I should stop working on things. haha.
Got that swapped over, put battery cable back on and hit the switch : vrooom!
Mic53, your links here and on Chevy Talk didn't work. :-(
Side note: they worked this morning but they don’t work now. Keep trying to post photos, don’t give up because of one failure. Might not be your fault.
Last edited by Justhorsenround; 12/11/20178:33 PM. Reason: Added side note
Brian 1955.2 3100 Truck The older I get the more dangerous I am!!!!!
Waiting on parts for my transmission arrived in Sydney last Saturday from Oregon in 4 days taken 6 days and still haven't got them and I'm only 100 miles from Sydney not happy is that why they invented beer
Just before I pulled the truck onto the front yard as the centerpiece of the Christmas decorations, I glued some small, round discs over about 4 holes in the firewall that were letting hot and cold air through directly into the cab. I found the discs on some kind of nails at Home Depot. Slid them off the nails, painted them, and glued them on with Super glue. They were the perfect size. The cab is much more comfortable now.
Chuck 1950 Chevy 1/2 ton (all original) 1951 Chevy 1/2 ton (future streetrod) 1941 Chevy coupe 1938 Chevy coupe streetrod
Took the block, crank, rods and pistons to the machine shop. Block is already +.030, crank is already at 10/10. Looking forward to put it back together and back on the road.
I brought the engine to the machine shop for cleaning and machining. I brought home the front axle with the king pins pressed out. They only charged $40. That was a great deal compared to the hours of frustration of doing it with a hammer. Now time to clean up the axle.
Over the weekend I got the firewall cover and floormat cushion installed. Slowly but surely making progress.
Ron - - Dusty53 1954 Chevy 3604 In the Gallery Forum "You can't dance with the Devil and then wonder why you're still in Hell." "They will forget what you've said, and they will forget what you have done but they will never forget the way you made them feel."
New valve springs got here today. Went to the machine shop to check the time line on my block, crank, rods, and pistons. Waiting for size determinations so I can order the master kit.
New pushrods are supposed to be here tomorrow and the new cam and lifters are due in on Friday.
Installed the new .500 lift valve springs today. Push rods got here yesterday. I got an update from the shipper, the cam and lifters are now supposed to be here tomorrow instead of Friday. Machine shop is supposed to have the bearing and piston sizes to me today. Then I can order the master kit. I'll be ordering a new clutch kit at the same time. Clutch, pressure plate, throw out and pilot bearings. I figure while I have the engine out, why not do the whole thing.
Edit: I got the measurements from the machine shop. Rebuild kit and clutch kit were ordered today.
I am cleaning up the front axle getting it ready for paint. I should get the king pins on the 29th so I will be putting the axle together on new years. But I will be all ready when it gets here.
Installed my Steele replacement windlace on both doors today.I had to chisel out what was left of the old one. Here in AZ rubber gets hard as a rock after time. Install went well . made sure track was not pinched closed anywhere along edge . and used lots of silicone paste to lube it up . Still took several hours , but sure looks good.
started tacking front end apart new king pins are on the way disc brake kit already in pole barn along with power brake kit.....if i ever get done with this truck it will be a kit truck
Wednesday - 12/27 - installed steering box and column and drag link. Of course - I had to start the truck to see if it would move on it's own. It did, very nicely.
Thursday - 12/28 - fit inner fenders against cab and radiator mounts. I am out of the 5/16x18 taper bolts and Dorman is closed for inventory this week.
Got a new gas gauge installed , cleaned up the gauges and installed new bezels and glass to bezel gaskets, got the Gauges and dash wiring in, new light switch, correct ignition switch and bezel. Finished the floor mat installed, new accelerator pedal, brake and clutch pedals along with NOS pads. Got the heater and switch put in and and the radio delete plate. Plan to do the glove box tomorrow. Need to change the top bearing/horn button on the steering column and then refurbish the steering column. Spring / Summer please hurry, the 35 degrees in the garage is wearing me down!
Last edited by Dusty53; 12/31/20174:24 AM. Reason: silly grammar
Ron - - Dusty53 1954 Chevy 3604 In the Gallery Forum "You can't dance with the Devil and then wonder why you're still in Hell." "They will forget what you've said, and they will forget what you have done but they will never forget the way you made them feel."
Sweet helped me remove Charlie's front clip yesterday. Everything went very smoothly and we found zero rust lurking between the fenders and the cab. Not a surprise but still nice to find. The plan is to clean it all up, install new welting, put the engine back in and reassemble.
Oh yeah, the wiring harness needs to be replaced, too...
And Sweet performed an upgrade to the Stovebolt HQ heads -- two new Kohler Flushmates.
Thanks Chris!!
~ John
"We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are"
1948 International Farmall Super A 1949 Chevrolet 3804 In the Legacy Gallery | In the Gallery Forum 1973 IH 1310 Dump 2001 International/AmTran RE3000 "Skoolie" 2014 Ford E-350 4x4 (Quigley)
For my 55.1 COE I wanted a more classic looking mirror but I also wanted power, heat and turn signals for everyday driveability. What I ended up getting done today was a proof of concept on my plan. I'm going to use a mix of parts to put together a 1970's - 1990's era chrome 6x9 style mirror but incorporate the functions I wanted. I figured out the combination of parts, the wiring and the looks of the switch in the dash. All in all I'm happy with it.
"I always win." Working mainly alone I do not let my trucks win a war. Maybe a battle here and there but never the war.
Removed the tired back glass from the '46 and then removed the interior rear liner. Was pleased to discover the rear of the cab looked new with zero rust. Wet sanded the rear liner and began repair of 4 holes and associated warps where someone had evidently mounted a gun rack.
Cleaned, sanded and painted my future spare tire wheel... new tire and tube in route!
Fabricated a bracket to mount on the side of transmission; the top of the bracket will protrude up through the floor to position a lever actuated micro-switch near the base of the shift lever for back-up lights. The micro-switch will activate a relay which will in turn hot up the reverse lights. Before I make final adjustments, I need to order and install a repair kit to tighten up the shifter.
Replaced the round rear view mirror on my '56 with a 4x6 mirror... much improved! Every time I threw a glance at the round mirror all I could see was my side-mounted spare tire. It also had a nasty habit of shifting out of position after a few door closings.
Robert - please educate and impress us with photos?
Here's some photos of my mirror project. And how all the parts come together.
Power Dodge mirror head - classic styling I was looking for - PN: CH1320132 USE THE AFTERMARKET PART!! NOT OEM! Muth Turn signal glass with defroster - Best to use PN: 2292 (2291 requires extra trimming - yeah I screwed that up!) 3/4" x .065" Stainless tubing bent to 90 degrees (leg lengths depend on preference) Stainless base from a 6x9 style Chevy mirror from the '60s-'80s - Not shown in photo. You won't use the late model base from the Dodge mirror that bolts up near the glass. The Chevy part mounts down on the door sheetmetal.
The plastic backing for the glass has to be modified to clear the defrost terminals and the turn signal base.
"I always win." Working mainly alone I do not let my trucks win a war. Maybe a battle here and there but never the war.
Worked on the '53 I'm trying to finish as a driver before I sell it. I decided to change out the 3-spd column shift for a 4-spd floor shift just for the simplicity of driving. Got ready to unbolt the transmission and realized two of the bolts come from inside the bellhousing. Now that is a dumb design. You can't get a socket and ratchet in because of clutch housing interference. You can't use an end wrench because of bellhousing casting interference The wrench slips off because it's on at an angle.
The cheapo tool drawer comes to my rescue! I took a 3/4" socket and an old u-bolt and welded them together. A little bending for clearance and presto-change-oh I've got a "special tool" transmission/lower bellhousing bolt breaker bar. Is that name too long? I had the bolts broke loose in seconds, AFTER 30 minutes of pondering and welding the contraption together.
"I always win." Working mainly alone I do not let my trucks win a war. Maybe a battle here and there but never the war.
Got ready to unbolt the transmission and realized two of the bolts come from inside the bellhousing. Now that is a dumb design. You can't get a socket and ratchet in because of clutch housing interference. <snip>
The cheapo tool drawer comes to my rescue! I took a 3/4" socket and an old u-bolt and welded them together. A little bending for clearance and presto-change-oh I've got a "special tool" transmission/lower bellhousing bolt breaker bar. Is that name too long? I had the bolts broke loose in seconds, AFTER 30 minutes of pondering and welding the contraption together.
The SM420 uses the same idea. Top bolts go in from the outside, bottom bolts go in from the inside. Silly Idea, but it does work.
I like your ingenuity. Home manufactured tools are great. I have a few in my tool box as well.
The plan is to clean it all up, install new welting, put the engine back in and reassemble.