Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I came across a picture from a cruise Saturday... I decided to leave the emblems off for now.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

You can use the stainless conduit that's made for these lights:
https://www.classicparts.com/1941-87...tinfo/49-603/#

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Dransport - I think I will pass on bluetooth taillights, I want them to work ALL of the time. :lol:

57tailgater - Plug boots, that is a interesting way to finish the over braid hadn't thought of that, thanks.

Fitz57 - You had them long? Mine were not old, nor did they see a lot of UV, just cruddy cracking rubber.

Daze57 - Wow, 3/4" brake line, what are you stopping. I've seen on some old post of folks using bent tubing for this. They double duty it to hide the wire and support the light, it's very clean.

jweb - I saw those stainless conduit while looking at the rubber boot type. The part that goes over the tail light connection almost looks screw on. Have you ever tried them?

idbeast - I like the truck without the emblems. Your truck looks great!:metal:

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I have them on my '51, if I remember correctly the conduit goes in through the front of the tail light. It's been awhile since I installed these, so I will double check tonight after work.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I started making a distributor block off plate for my 292. For a few bucks you can buy many different styles for V8's but can't find one for a 292. 3 O-rings is probably overkill but I have a whole box of them. I will be running a vacuum in my crankcase.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I just bought them about a month ago, so not sure how they will hold up

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

dang! fancy smancy :D

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1598795017

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I cruised out to a nearby ghost town for a photo session:

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Still working on my distributor block off plate. I always seem to miss the hole when I measure it so I made a little pin to mark it. I made this little jig so I could cut the small radius. The large one I could put in the rotary vice.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

OK went and looked at My tail light wire covers and they are cracking. Junk.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Still working on my distributor block off plate. I used a round over bit for the edges. I usually just sand or file them but they never look quite right. All that is left is to sand polish and prep the block.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I finished the block off plate and cleaned up the block. The inside was never meant to be a sealing surface so I ran a small drum sander in it. She's a plain Jane but I'm happy with her. I realize that a plate with RTV would have worked fine. All it does is maintain vacuum and keep it from sucking in rocks. This is the second time I have made something from scratch on the lathe. I learned a lot and tried new things like O rings. I buy random scraps of 6061 aluminum for about $2 a pound. I only have about a buck in this if you don't count the parting tool I broke. FYI if you don't know anything about speeds and feeds don't use power cross feed for parting. Thank goodness for inserts. Now I will have to address the ugly SBC fuel pump block off. Thank you for your time I feel I'm posting too much.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

sweet!

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

mick53, looking good, I don't think you are posting too much. i like seeing what you are making. The blank off plate turned out nice.
Mac

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Fitz57 – That stinks. Manufactures put out junk and don’t care what a pain in the back side their stuff becomes. I’ve read so many posts on this site with folks buying parts to find that it's trash. It always makes you ask yourself, “is it junk or will it work?” when looking at parts.

Now you have the same issue I have with cracked wire covers. From classicparts Jweb bought the metal looking version. I’ve thought about those, sounds like he’s had them for a while. I’m not sure of the installation since there isn’t any instructions on their website. I do know stainless over braid will work with some shrink tubing or the spark plug boot (unsure on the UV with these) that was suggested.

Well another project.:metal:

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Cool stuff!


Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Yep, amazing work for sure. I will never forget when Billet Aluminum stuff first hit the hot rods, in the eighties. John Buttera funny car racer and rod builder was one of the first to use it on his Model A roadster that would win the "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" award.

He said one of the funniest things ever about it. I forget what it was he had made, I think it was a mirror. And he was quoted in a Street Rodder or Rod Action magazine saying "You simply get a piece of aluminum and mill off everything that doesn't look like a mirror." LOL I have used that joke about bondo ever since.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I started my fuel pump block off plate today. I had one on there for a SBC. It looked terrible and barely covered the hole. It almost seems that when they cast the block 50 years ago that they didn't take into account that one day I would want to put a symmetrical cover on it. So I ground the block to fit the cover around the edges. Time to sand and polish, hooray.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I put my 57 chevy stepside up for sale this week. I have had it since 2011 and enjoyed working on it. Since winter is coming I need the space for one less truck as I must now protect my 66 bronco.

https://westslope.craigslist.org/cto...189179486.html

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Good luck with the sale. I'm wanting to sell mine too due to my health problems. I like your comment in your ad that the body parts need to fit together better, but that is a comment you could have made about these trucks when they were still in the showroom, LOL.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Thank you for your time I feel I'm posting too much.[/QUOTE]
No, you are not posting too much. I like what you are doing with that engine and enjoy reading about it. You are doing some beautiful work.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

The search continues, I can’t use the metal version on a short bed because it will rub on back of rear fender

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

That looks good. I usually just make a round plug in the lathe then use the distributor hold down plate. Then again, my engines don't have as much shiny stuff on them.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Mick, You're not posting too much. You're doing all the stuff we all wish we had the time, money, equipment and skill to do! When I pull up this thread I can always tell if the post on the screen is yours or not - in a good way!

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I finished my fuel pump block off plate.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I sold it. Due to cancer I was not able to work on it like i wanted to. I went to a local cruise in a few days ago and mentioned that I wanted to sell it and one of the guys there said he was interested. I gave him a price and he was OK with it and we made the deal. Sad to see it go but I've had it for thirteen years so it's time to let someone else enjoy it.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Sorry to hear that - very nice looking truck. I really like the stance. How was the front end set up and what size tires?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

All the best, Russell.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

The front suspension was from Scotts, rear was TCI. Tires are 235/75/15 from Coker Tire. I hated to sell it but it was time to let it go.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

It's time to attempt to make the oil filter delete plate and attach an A/N fitting. I bought these pieces of 6061 aluminum for $57 with shipping. The bigger one is in case I need to make a water pump pulley. I buy these as drops so you get the length they have. It is a really strange thread on the filter mount where it goes into the block. It doesn't fit any of my taps or dies. I just made one with a flat face to seal it and put a 1 1/8" hex head on it. I made a handle on it to hold it in the lathe. I started with way more than I need to have room to play with it. I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm having fun.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

man, too bad you have all those machine tools. you gotta "do this, do that" all the time. takes up a lot of time. I wish I had the tools problem. lots of times I could use a lathe, mill, cnc, the list goes on. nice to see you being innovative. your project looks top drawer.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Installed a set of PML valve covers.
Www.yourcovers.com

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Mr .Ashley Sir.

Am very sad about your medical problem --i really hope you bounce out of it healthy !!!
you have (had) a really good looking truck sir -- sorry you had to sell it - hopefully it goes to someone who will treat it like you did ------ best of luck sir in a recovery ---
i hope i speak for this forum and wish you well .

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

x2.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Those valve covers are works of art. In fact, your entire engine is a work of art!

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I got the holes made in the oil filter doohickey. First time doing anything precise with the indexing plate on the rotary vice. It fits perfectly. The small protrusion was so it would fit in my little rotary vice. Still a lot of extra material there. Now I have to thread the A/N fitting in the front. It will need to be flat bottom so I will try to do it on the lathe, first time. I have enough material there to screw up a couple of times.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I started mocking up this radiator support, wanted to have adjustment for lining up fenders etc, . . .copied the OG support with the brackets at the bottom

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Looks like fun, but you may have to increase your front spring rates when you add the extra weight to the front of the truck :). Is there a reason why you can't use an aftermarket core support? If your time is worth anything, it might be cheaper. Depending on the year of your truck, it could be as low as $140 + $23.61 shipping on Ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-1957-C...wAAOSwEppUPCyO

You can adjust fenders with simple shims.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Too much smoke here in the Yakima Valley to be able to do anything you don't have to outside Today> I walked out and took a photo of the 51 1-1/2 ton that my daughter wants to build and the shot across the hayfield shows that truck and trailer about 900 ft away partially hidden by smoke and the trees at the golf course 1/2 mile away almost hidden by the smoke.

I was going to build a fixture to hold my doors when I stretch them that I can rotate to be able to weld and work on them while having them held steady but it is too nasty out to do that.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

We have so much smoke in Oregon you can't see more than 150 feet.