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

By the way, you are doing some very nice work!
Jim W

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

Thank you and everyone else on the forum that helps me out. This is my first time doing anything on this level. I have only been a R&R car guy before. I build dry ice manufacturing plants in my real life. I have a good understanding of principals but without the help of others I would be stumbling in the dark. I am and will be forever grateful.

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

Get ahold of me via PM with any questions you have, I'm on graveyard right now, so it might take a day for me to get you an answer!

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

There is some info here. https://www.chevyhardcore.com/tech-s...rearend-guide/ It is a bit vague but does give you a little bit to go on.

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

Thanks for the link. I did figure out that there is a serial number (? ) on the front of the right axle tube. my problem is the many years of grease and dirt covering it up. looks like next weekends project is to soak the area with brake clean and take a wire wheel to it. hopefully i can find the number.

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

You might measure the inside diameter and inside depth of the drum and the width of the shoes. Then take some pics of the installed shoes and the front and rear of the rear end and post it all. Someone here should be able to help you with what you've got.

For extra credit, media blast the front of the right tube while it's in the car. Good Luck!

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

Hey dransport, if you dont mind the smell, spray a little diesel on the area and let it soak. Castrol super clean works well too. If you get it cleaned but find it hard to make the numbers out try a quick coat of lacquer, let it dry, then use a fine file lightly over the area, or sandpaper on a wood block. This removes the paint from the tube but leaves the paint in the divets made from the number stamps. It has worked for me before for things like this.

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

I think I'm ready to try again. One of the problems I had with the 4 jaw chuck was getting it tight enough to suit me without deforming it. I went back to the 3 jaw because it lines up with the spokes (6) in the pulley. I also made this thing to hold it against the chuck for piece of mind. I figure if it slips it might not destroy itself and me. I also made a new and improved tool. Nothing left but the doing. I have .004" runout.

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

Well I haven't failed yet because I haven't given up. It is now a quest. Here's what I know. Pulley is 6061 aluminum. Coating is type 3 anodizing .002"-.004" thick. The tool bits I'm using are not some overseas sweat shop steel they are repurposed Armstrong high speed cobalt. I think it's pretty hard stuff. The test pulley I made is 6061 aluminum. It cut it like butter. The same tool worked terribly on the first groove on the real pulley. After looking at it I thought I forgot to put a relief cut on the front of the tool. The manufacturer and the anodizing company both told me that machining the finish was no problem. After thinking about it they have probably never done it. I sanded the finish off the face for countersinking and it was a nightmare. It laughed at aircraft stripper and we get the good stuff here. I spent a lot of time making the second tool and was quite proud of it. I checked my tool height and set my RPM's. I ran it in and it Angelina Jolie'd itself and was gone in 60 seconds.
it barely scratched the surface, more like a dent. I took an insert tool and came in from the side at .005" and shaved it off. Gone baby gone. I ordered a nice grinding wheel and some HHS tool bits, probably from a sweat chop overseas. Sorry so long. Thank you for your time.

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

I'm betting that you'll get it. Persevere!

I am a little concerned about the .004" runout. I could see that causing a resonance at some RPM if the grooves are not concentric with the O.D. of the pulley, and with the shaft that it's mounted on.

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

Well it could have been the coating? I cut it off so it's round now I guess. My secondary radiator has an electric pump on it so it wouldn't strand me. at least the A/C and P/S would still work.

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

That should do it. Looks like you're ready to soldier on!

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

I finished my water pump pulley! I'm calling it a big win. It seems my problem all along was the coating. This is the first time I made a lathe tool from scratch. I used a jewelers file and 500 grit sandpaper to radius the tops and deburr it. Thanks for everyone's advice and support. A special thanks to idbeast. I still need to have it anodized black but they have a $100 minimum so I might wait until I have more to take in.

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

Whoa! Nice job!! I suppose you know you'll never run out of stuff to talk about when you show up at a cruise in. The most common stupid question will be, "Where did you buy that?" Maybe put together a numbered picture album so your answer could be "See picture #27", or "See picture #152".

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

Impressive work!! Top notch :)

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

Got the new calipers and stainless brake lines installed after the false start last weekend. I also cleaned inside the front wheel wells and the front half of the undercarriage, including the chrome oil pan, pulleys, etc...

Tired and sore from rolling around on the floor for 2 days.

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

Congrats on going with Wilwood.

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

I took the panel truck out for the monthly gathering at the local country store. Fun little show with a couple dozen cars, live music, and food vendors.

BTW: I got my new gauges installed. Dolphin sent me a free replacement set, and they work perfectly. Kudos to Dolphin for great customer service!

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

Removed and replaced spark plugs. Holy crap were they covered in thick black carbon. Its amazing the truck started. Seems I've been warming her up with the choke too much. Starts so much easier with the fresh plugs. Had black coming out the tail pipe as well. To much choke.

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

Dunno if you are familiar with the old stuff, manual chokes etc, but in general if it is running like it has a big cam in it, "loping", then too much choke. You gotta babysit the old girl, release the choke a little at a time and enough so it still runs but just on the edge.

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

been driving the wheels off of it lately. love when everything works.

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

Haha, as teenagers, when cruising the main drag we used to pull the choke out to make the car lope like we had a nasty cam!

I know what you mean. After getting my gauges sorted out I'm feeling real good about my truck.

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

Broke the dang master cylinder cover. I actually remembered to keep the battery charged this year so I could get it fired up quickly when I found the right day for first drive. Yesterday was the day. Brake pedal was low so I attempted to open the stock master to check fluid level and it broke in half. Grumbledy grumble. The cylinder date codes to the truck correctly and I'd like to keep it so I guess it's off to Ebay to try and find a replacement cover for cheap.

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

I went to Wisconsin and picked up another chassis for the 53 3100. It's in nice shape and was only $150 from a guy on Stovebolt. It should have taken 8 hours but someone put Chicago in the way so it took 11.

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

I FINALLY finished my dad's old masonry box for use in the '55 bed. Considering what I started with I think it finished out nicely. The Chevrolet script is from a 1954 car sourced from eBay.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...080&fit=bounds

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...080&fit=bounds