Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

the donor truck you bought looks to me like it is a 3/4 ton.if it is you probably don't want to change suspension since it is 8 lug.

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

I have a buddy at work who has an auto lens, they sound pretty cool.

The numbers as best I could read them are:

3817778 11:41 0/2 3 69 2

Whatever all that means :help: :lol:

As ever, thanks for taking a look!

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

the gear is a 373 (44-11). i know exactly what your talking about with the parts guy, it looks like they would hire some people that know cars instead of computers.

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

I will have to check on the size of the truck Collins, when I originally looked at it I was thinking engine and other bolt on-bolt off upgrades.

so is that good Flips?
I could not tell you the difference between gear ratios unless we were on bicycles. Even then I only know the basics!

Thanks for the looking and the comments guys !! :metal:

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

thats what i am running in mine, but i dont do a lot of interstate driving so it works great for me. if you think it might be to low, your doner truck more than likely has a 700r4 in it and that will be perfect with your gear. but you could always trade it for a case of mountain due and a 3.08:lol: i sure hope its a half ton truck, pop one of the hubcaps and count the lugs and hope for five.

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

I am planning on a 4sp manual transmission, and towing a trailer with another car on it for the interstate...Hopefully that will be Ok.
I looked at the registration and title for the 85 Sierra but it does not say if it is half or quarter ton. I will pop a hub cap in the next day or two on it and check.

You know, I actually feel sorry for customer service folk when they are dealing with me....
I bought an auto darkening hood today, but the purchase process is never pretty when you are having me in front of you.

AIH Clerk: We have these in 2 styles, the hot head and the bone head (referring to the graphics)
Me: Which one will make my welding better?
Clerk looking at me like I am retarded: I dont think either one will help with that....
Me: I dont care then, guess it is like go fast stripes on a car....
Clerk: Hot Head it is!

And so a pic of my new toy that may or may not make me a better welder!

Heheheheh thanks for looking guys!!

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

those auto darkening helments are the ticket. You will love it!!

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looking good man wish mine was step side some times really wish it was a 4x4 step side

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nice hood, and it will help with your welding i guarantee it.

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Well ..... see below.

Thanks Kro, I am quite a ways behind you though still...

Ok, not to be a whiney little biotch but I really REALLY cannot make this stuff up. In the pic you will see the instructions for use on the new welding hood.
See where it says "NOTE: Expose the solar cell to bright sunlight for 30 minutes before use" ????
You would not think that is a problem here on planet Earth... but right now we only get daylight from 10am to 3pm and it is not necessarily direct or bright.

Le Sigh. :waah:

This fits my definition of irony.
"Irony is Fate's way of flipping you the finger!"

I wonder if taking it to a tanning salon and cooking in one of their beds for 30 min would work?? :lol:

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

thats wired on your welding hood never heard anything like that the arc from your welder should do the job its much brighter then the sun

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I would'nt worry about it. Instructions are way overated.:smoke: If I was you I would be more worrired about that sunlight thing.

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Yeah my welding helment never sees the sunlight because im most the time welding in my shop with the door open at night. It never goes dead and it just sits on top of my welder when not in use. I would put it on and walk up to a bright light and it should dim.

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

Thanks for the comments guys.
I just think it is funny when I read that I looked out the window at the 20 hours of darkness we have right now and just figured it was my Irish luck laughing at me.... :lol: yeah like that. ;)

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Oh Oh Oh .... gots my stud welder and spot weld tool today :metal:
I am going to mess some stuff up with weekend... or fix some stuff.... whatever!

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It is called answering the questions in the computer... I used to be an assistant manager with O'Reilly's before I went back to teaching.... most guys behind the counter don't even know what you are asking for...

Oh, before I get any further, thanks to you and your wife for your service to our country! :metal::metal::metal:

and I love the fact that you are redoing this truck in Alaska. I live in bush Alaska and I have not made it up to Fairbanks area yet, but hopefully I will soon.

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Oh and I used to have a '66 1/2 ton long bed that I found that only had 80,000 miles on it.... had to sell it to my brother when I moved....sigh....

Keep up the great work on yours!

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That helmet must have a photo cell power supply for the autodarking to work. Mine has a small battery I have to change every other year or so. No flames on mine. LOL A guy I know had his lens special made for his bad eyes.. I do not know what it cost, but he has more money then god anyway.. LOL Anyway he will probably use very little anyway.. does most of his truck building in the catalog and check book... If you know what I mean.:waah:

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

did your donor truck turn out to be a 1/2 ton? when you get done with the stud gun can i borrow it:lol: , the back of my cab is for sure going to need one,looks like someone used to store their boots between the cab and bed its dented from one end to the other right below the window.

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

Wow ... Teaching!
Now there is a service to our country!
You are welcome for my humble contributions to our nation, it truely is an honor to serve!
Yeah these Alaskan winters are just too long and too harsh for a lower 48 guy like me. I had to find something that was equal parts destruction and construction for me to keep my sanity.
Come on up, i have a frig full of beer!

There are a pair of AAA batteries that go inside as well... I assumed there was something about the photo cell though.
I will admit I did some of the work on my Tempest thru the catalog and checkbook.
I can swap an engine out, anything more technical than that and I am either begging or buying someone to do it LOL


We been working some long long days in the Hospital this week Flips, so no. Have not gotten out there to pop a hub cap on it yet. Working from dark to dark (we work in the Operating Room so there are no outside looking windows) really puts a damper on doing much of anything after work. Especially when it is cold to boot!

I looked at a couple of the stud guns at my fave pawn shop. The prices were almost the same as getting one new from HF, but did not have the 100 studs or the slide hammer. So for like $10 more I got the whole kit; I just had to wait a week or two...

Gonna read the manual with my coffee in the morning and then go out and play with my new toys!

So far I think I have about $550 into the Truck, and about $3,000 in tools for it.

Go figure.

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That stud gun from HF is the same one im using that I borrowed from my cousin. It works good.

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Ok for all you guys that have the auto dark welding hood all I can say is wow, how the heck could someone have gotten this far without them!!

And the stud welder works like a charm too.
Pulling a dent is alot like reading the lie on the putting green. I have seen it isnt just about planting the stud in the deepest part of the dent and going to town on it. I had better luck by planting 3-4 in that area between the outer edge of the dent and the deep center and pulling it out one side/quarter at a time..... thoughts?

Started the weekend off with the spot weld cutter and cut out the drip rails from the leading edge of my doors. I have to agree with all you "old timers" it does look alot cleaner without them, and the rust under them !! What a crappy design.

Then it was filling the CB antenna hole in the top of my cab.
I was having a hell of a time because the hot air keep blowing up thru my welds and I could never get the weld to seal the hole. Not until I got my wife to hold the shop vacuum up to the bottom of the hole inside the cab. With that back pressure for the hot air I was able to get my welds to seal up finally.

Then I moved to the drip rail.
Stodder did a "sombreo" style where he flatened and tapered his all the way around, and that gave me the idea.
I did more of a "fedora" style where I only flatened and filled mine in the front with a down drip lip.
At this time it is still a little rough, but it is looking along the lines I want it to.

I love this hood!
I was looking for holes to fill and stuff to weld ... but i am down to 500psi on my tank of gas so it is going to be time to change that soon.

Pic #1 and #2 is my drip rail before and after.
#3 is my CB Antenna hole filled (yay!!)

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

Just a few more pics of my drip rail mod...

Pic #1 is the before (as if you guys dont know what these look like, I know)
#2 is my flatened drip rail, and I filled my seams too.
#3 is another view of the drip rail
#4 is just the drivers side, which I have to say was more cooperative. It was so bad I started to wonder if it was because I am right handed, and standing on the front frame doing all this...???

Please comment, the only skills and ideas I have in this are from you guys on this board.

Thanks for looking !!!

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

Nice looking work!! I been thinking about taking my side drip rails off also. I know mine has rust under them too. It looks like the door gap is still ok even with them off. Can you get a straight on pic of the door gap where the side drip rails were removed? Are you going to have to add any filler metal??

Re: Not Another Rebuild Thread....
 

The gaps aren't bad at all, maybe 3/16 to 1/4". I got some welding rods and they look to fill the space pretty good, or I may just cut the original drip channels and flip their direction to fill the gap.

Not sure yet.

One thing I learned with those rods is they make filling holes alot easier and faster. If you can imagine holding a rod like you were brazing or soldering while you were mig welding then that is how I have been doing it. A lot of the time the working end of the rod will melt off, but if not I just cut it with the grinder.

Pic #1 is head on to the gap.
#2 is squared off to the side of the truck.
#3 is the welding rod idea.