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

I used to like to attend car shows - until I got my own truck. After that, all the other vehicles seemed boring in comparison. Ya think I'm prejudiced? ;)

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

I think for most of us it's a labor of love. When you put your heart and soul into something it's understandable how a person could develop an emotional attachment. I plan to hit a few shows and cruise nights next summer but I'm most happy just tooling around.

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

pulled it out of the garage so I could do some work in there. however it felt so good to be in it I took it for a short drive through the neighborhood.

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

Installed the new fuel filter system and AN fittings, filters nice but still have a flat spot under quick acceleration more diag to come. Also took the wife out for coffee in the 59. Met some folks with a 58.

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

Finally got all the wiring run to the roof. Wires everywhere. (CHMSL, cargo light, dome light, radio, equalizer, DVD player, lighted vanity mirrors in sun visors. Antenna wire from the power antenna went through there too. Hope I didn't miss anything. Who decided to put the radio and equalizer in the roof? Oh, I guess that was me...)

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

I got home from Idaho (actually leaving Winnamucca) after the 400 mile drive today and got out to the garage to move some things, plan some things and get her ready for getting the cab off the cart so I can do the underside of the floor. I will be getting the frame off for powder coating soon, not sure when. But I have the money to do it from selling stuff and am ready to rock! I'll have to take half a day off and use the company tow truck to make it happen so one day over the next few weeks I will get it over there.

Brian

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

Ready for my fourth attempt to get my NPT head plug to seal. Tried once with Permatex Hi-Temp thread sealant - held a few weeks. Tried again with 3 wraps teflon tape - didn't hold at all. Tried again with a different plug and 6 wraps teflon tape - didn't hold at all. And yes, I've chased the threads with a tap.

This time I've got a new brass plug (the others were steel) and I'm going to try Permatex Form-A-Gasket #1 hard curing sealant. If that doesn't work, I may as well try to JB Weld the plug in, because I'm going to need a new head anyway. :-(

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

I'd be concerned about how well the Permatex hard stuff would do in your heat-cycling environment. ...cold...hot...cold...hot... Maybe go straight to the J-B Weld? Unless you add a sensor some day you won't have to take that plug out again. This is really a bum deal for you.

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

That is a really cool set up. I enjoy when the 235 is still in place and spruced up.

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

Yeah, especially with the dual carbs and split exhaust!

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

Been out of town all weekend, got back about an hr ago, thanks for the comments guy's, much appreciated

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

No actual work ON the truck but I got some wood to prepare the attic in the garage to hold the hood while I get the cab off the cart and laying on it's back so I can do the floor. I plan on doing this over the next couple of days.

The other thing I did was to go through models I had up in that attic so sell them. Got to get rid of stuff for the move and it will get me a few dollars for the truck too, win win.

I will be keeping all the six models of my truck though. I have always planned on building a model of every version it's lived, that would be a hilarious collection.

Brian

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

miracle,
first, ensure the leak is actually the threads and not a crack in the head which can happen when a steel plug has been over-tightened at some point in it's history. as you know npt is a tapered thread and when forced into the hole, by over-torquing to get a seal, it acts like a wedge. the wedge action can cause the head to crack because the steel plug has no "give". the plug will either strip or keep forcing itself inward. sooner or later the hole can start to crack. the crack may not be visible with the naked eye especially if there is a nice coat of engine enamel on the area. of course the best way to check for this is to remove the head, dissassemble, hot tank, and then magnaflux or use some other type of crack detection method. there are some spray methods that could be used while the head is stil on the truck but the area still needs to be cleaned down to bare casting.
alternately, I suggest to clean the area, run the engine up to temp and shut off. then use compressed air to start drying the area. a crack will possibly show up as a spot that just doesn't want to dry. it may be just a bad thread seal, in which case I would use the recommendations in the links below, but if it is a crack then you may be in for some jbweld or another head casting. I guess you could try drilling it out to the next size of pipe thread and see if you capture the crack that way, if it is cracked.
from what I have picked up over the years, pipe dope thread sealants contain solvents, which offgas and can cause the sealer to shrink over time, especially on hot joints like an engine would be. with that said it is my go to npt sealer and my son, a proffesional plumber, also uses it for most of his day to day pipe connections. teflon tape is more of a lubricant and the sealing part of this is simply whatever gets stuck in the threads can fill a few voids plus the joint can possibly be tightened easier due to the lubricating qualities which causes the tapered thread to be forced further in to seal better. the anaerobic sealers rely on the sealer filling any voids in the thread contact areas and then hardening in a chemical reaction with the metal in the lack of oxygen environment when the parts are assembled. it seems to me that the anaerobic sealer may be the best for use in your case this time. it would fill any voids in the threads and harden there to form a seal. since you are only sealing 15 psi it may be the best sealer to use. this is assuming the leak is actually coming from the threads and not a small crack.
if the head is good and you want to try a new plug, I would try a new brass plug but be sure to check, if using an anaerobic sealer, if the anaerobic chemical will react with the brass to cure the product or if a steel based plug would be better for that. the cast iron in the head may be enough to make the anaerobic sealer work, not sure though. pull the block drain to ensure the hole is cleared of any coolant. then use some brake clean and a small brush (like a tooth brush) to clean deep into the threads all the way around so you know they are clean-clean. blow dry with compressed air. ensure the plug is cleaned of any oily residue and then apply some anaerobic thread sealer. then screw the plug in hand tight and add 3 turns with a wrench. walk away and let it sit overnight. this will allow the sealer to cure. then pressure test the system with air at 15 psi, or whatever your rad cap is rated for, before adding any coolant. a pressure tester is a handy tool for anybody who works on cars and could be resold after if you don't see yourself using it. the alternative is possibly you can borrow one. some tool rental places carry them as well.
on another thought, you may be able to find a pipe threaded plug with a flange that you could put a gasket under to seal against the head surface on the outside, or a special, possibly custom made plug that would thread into the npt in the head but have a normal thread on the outside part that you could use to install a gasket under a nut/washer on the outside of the head. maybe not that pretty though. it would be a conversation piece for sure. see the first pic in the last link where it compares different thread sealing methods. it would be like the parallel thread style. maybe accomplished with a long fitting and a thin npt nut with O ring, like a bulkhead fitting would use.

the first article below explains the different types of thread sealers and their properties. the second shows a few different ways to seal pipe threads of different sizes. both are industrial applications so they deal with this stuff every day.
hopefully this helps somebody somewhere.

https://www.plantengineering.com/art...hread-sealant/


http://www.jgbhose.com/technical-ref...aling-tips.asp


https://www.permabond.com/technical-...ermabond-a131/


https://www.adaptall.com/info-tutori...ng-methods.php

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

Wow, thanks for the extensive answer. Coincidentally I'm draining the cooling system now in preparation for my fourth attempt, this time installing a brass plug with anaerobic sealer. The main problem is inaccessibility - it's down on the passenger side below the exhaust manifold, access blocked by the inner fender - all my work is being done by feel. If this doesn't work, I must concede that the head is cracked and the truck goes to a shop for new heads :-(

Edit: Finished the installation. Chased and cleaned the threads, used new brass plug coated with Permatex High-Temp anaerobic sealant, will give it at least a week to cure. Fingers crossed, but I'm not optimistic; the fact that it hasn't sealed yet shows something is amiss. Maybe the brass plug will have better tolerances or conform better than the steel. No pressure tester so will just check it the messy way - fill with coolant and fire it up.

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

I got out to the garage and added a few more strips of wood than I had up in the attic in the garage so I could put the hood halves up there until I am ready for them.
I then removed some bolts from the gas tank brackets and a crossmember. It's the first time I have actually touched the truck in over a week and it felt good.

Brian

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

I love how we all adapt in different ways when working in tight places. The stuff we put up with when working on our trucks.
;)

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

Got to make due. They are all nicely primed, I realistically could put them outside but just couldn't see myself doing that after all the work on them!

Brian

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

I needed to upholster the panel behind the seat so I could install it and run wires to/through it. The power antenna had to go in first. All of the wires going to the roof are in as well, along with the few controls and A/C vents that go into the dash. Center speakers mounted in the dash and wired. Wiper mechanism installed. No sooner did I have the rear panel in that I realized I have to pull it to put in the lower outside seat belt brackets and the "B" pillar brackets. That'll be tomorrow.

Later: I just realized that the headliner has to be in before I put in the seat belt "B" pillar brackets and it's not upholstered. I'll have to think about all of this...

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

You are making a hell of a beautiful truck for sure.

Brian

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

Tonight the cab got unbolted from the cart, cleared the way to get it off, probably won't happen until Saturday but I'll find something tomorrow.

Brian

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

Thanks, Brian. I've got a lot of folks on this forum to thank for all of the ideas, encouragement and tips.

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

Very nice, I like all the one off personal touches. That is what makes the truck unique.

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

Thanks, Mike. As Ogre knows, it's almost as unique as his truck, because I stole a lot of his ideas. Kudos to Ogre! :D

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

ive been neglecting work on my truck. I have been driving it though. I need to get out and do about 2 hours of work and get my heater going but I have been concentration on my daily driver. everything I own is broken. well not broken but it all needs some maintenance.

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

Sometimes life gets in the way. Ask me how I know...

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

My plans for lifting the cab off the cart have changed a little.:waah: I was going to use floor jacks on each side with a 2x6 board under the length of the rocker cowl to rear of the cab. Then I started thinking about the crazy balancing act that would be and the thought of having the cab roll off like a ball onto the garage floor gave me the shakes!

So last night I got the cherry picker out planning on starting one of those wooden braces under roof to lift it......then I see that with the chopping and sectioning of the cab and the big cherry picker I have I will have to go over the top of the cab! So I will be making a more complex piece for that, we will see!

That is my project today.

I also got a load of strap metal and wheels I had from my sons Falcon, that FILLED my little F100 bed trailer down to the shop to throw in the metal bin last night. That is always good, getting crap out of the yard!

Brian

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

So last night I got the cherry picker out planning on starting one of those wooden braces under roof to lift it......then I see that with the chopping and sectioning of the cab and the big cherry picker I have I will have to go over the top of the cab! So I will be making a more complex piece for that.

Brian[/QUOTE]

Why not use a strap?

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

That just seems so slippery!

Brian

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

just make the wooden part long enough to attach some uprights on the outside ends. then make another mirror image wooden part that goes above the cab and attaches to those uprights with pins that pull out easily. that way there is no slipping of the strap and the cherry picker idea still works. ensure to make it long enough to attach the picker and lift but not hit the cab.

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

you could even use the single wooden part above the cab, like a spreader bar used by cranes, then drop down some J style hooks to slip into the door openings. just would possibly be slippery in the door opening area.
you'll figure it out, you always come up with something innovative.

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

straps bend the little rain channels above the doors. I use the wooden framing under the door jambs, with a second one with stand offs over the roof to keep the lifting straps from doing any damage. Unfortunately I can't find the pictures right now.


Jim

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

After I did this I went into the house to get my wife and daughter to show them what an awesome dad and husband they have, just incase they didn't know really how awesome I was.:D

I rolled the cab back onto the rolls of bubble rap I laid on the garage floor and wham-o-bam-o it went back like it was nothing, like laying over a cardboard box, wham, done.

Also got the rear fenders up in the attic to get them out of the way until I need them in the future. I also relocated my inspirational picture so I can still see it. :D

I spent some time cleaning it up a little more and gave up for the day.

Brian

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

Steering column in

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

Made a bracket to hold master cylinder res.

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

sound this in the kitchen last night when I came in from the garage

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

Ruh-Roh...

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

It's 65 degrees in SW Ohio this afternoon, so I'm painting some small parts in a 40-MPH wind.

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

stand up wind, use high temp reducer,
don't park your good stuff close, lol

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

LOLOL, I love that, "The management." Sounds like you have a nice lady to share life with.

Brian

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

Hope to get more done but this kicked my butt. Went to Harbor Fake tools and got some discs to keep going, I may get out there for some more.

Brian