Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I took inner fenders out today so I could wrestle with the exhaust manifolds. They came off surprisingly easy. I thought for sure I was going to break a bolt. Once I got them off, I realized that there are four plugs in each manifold presumably for the old smog stuff. The plugs on the right manifold came out very easily because they were all brass. Just when I thought I was home free, I discovered that three of the plugs in the left manifold were steel and they were FROZEN. This was a job for...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s9ba8btve0...eeze.jpg?raw=1

This CRC product has never let me down before, so I felt pretty confident. After spraying and soaking for about 30 minutes, I got the first two out with no problems (well, a little help from the vise-grips). The third one was impossible. I ended up ruining the head of the plug so much that there was nothing left to grab. So, I ground the plug flush with the manifold. My plan was to drill it out and then tap the threads. As, soon as I started to drill it, the plug shattered and all the pieces fell out, exposing the original threads in the manifold. To my surprise, the threads were unharmed. I got super lucky there!!! Time to media blast these guys.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xms2je6jp2...4692.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I media blasted all of the parts in my stack today. No problems to report, just good looking bare metal. Time to start coating tomorrow hopefully.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rkf216ixwk...cket.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3xtd03v99f...4698.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

So, I decided to do a test area for the POR15 Metal Mask today. The nice new steering box we installed back on page one wasn't looking so new anymore. It was starting to rust on the surface and I always did regret not painting it before we installed it. So, it was the prime candidate. We scuffed it with scotchbrite and then washed it down with acetone. Two coats of POR15 later and, presto!!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d7ok5kz4rq...4695.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Great build neighbor. We're pretty close. We should meet up and talk 70's. If you ever need a hand let me know. Btw. If you ever really want to polish up that trim, remove it, spray it with easy off oven cleaner, it takes all the old anodizing off, then you can polish it up to a mirror shine.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Today, I got some painting done on the power booster/bracket and brake distribution block. I am pretty happy with it. I can't wait to see it all put back together.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eobgi6x0uc...4710.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lzatrogjj8...4709.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Today, I got all the parts lined up for two coats of Metal Mask. After one coat...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7o08tcytcv...4708.JPG?raw=1

Here is the finished product. They all turned out looking awesome!!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qnqna1jg1p...4711.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dh72ucxr81...4712.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Ok, so this is one of the posts I have been waiting to make for a long time. Today, the time has come to coat the exhaust manifolds. I researched for days about how exactly to use the POR15 Manifold Gray coating effectively. There were definitely conflicting instructions all over the web. So, I called the manufacturer. They were very nice to speak with and were very helpful. They told me exactly what I needed to do based on what I had already done to this point.

First, using our brand new Kenmore four burner grill, I heated the manifolds up to 400 degrees to get rid of any moisture that might still be in the metal. My wife was excited to christen the grill with this application...not! Once they reached 400 degrees, I turned the grill off and the lid remained shut so the manifolds wouldn't rapid cool.

Next, using rubber gloves, I washed the manifolds down with acetone. POR15 recommends some other product that they sell to wash them down with, but that is to neutralize rust. Since I didn't have any rust, acetone worked just fine to remove any oils or residue that I may have gotten on them since I media blasted them.

Next, I made sure the garage was at a steady 70 degrees and began dabbing my first coat on with a foam brush. Once the first coat was on, I allowed it to dry for two hours and then applied the final coat. I will be letting the final coat dry for twenty-four hours. Then, they recommend baking each manifold at 400 degrees again and then letting them cool slowly again. This is so the coating will harden and resist heat in the future. Here is what they look like after the second coat. They look phenomenal. I can't wait to install them!!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pp38hy5xjp...4714.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Looks good, nice work

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

The power booster boot came in today, so I installed it and reassembled everything. Once I got it back together, I remounted to the firewall with stainless hardware and connected the rod to the pedal. It looks great. I can't wait to hang the master cylinder.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tkttbq7trd...4719.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kkls6100o9...4735.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I want to give and update on the exhaust manifolds. A few days have gone by now since they were treated and baked. They have darkened up quite a bit and they look even better now. Here is one waiting to be installed.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s36j8ok9uv...4750.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Had some time on my hands today, so we decided to start taking apart the front steering and suspension. Everything came apart really quick. Since I have new ball joints to install, I wasn't afraid to use the pickle fork to break everything loose.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/87f1yual54...4718.JPG?raw=1

The first thing I noticed when I got the left front apart, was the spring. Here is the reason I am replacing all this stuff in the first place!!! This is what a cheap lowering job looks like...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a0iw8c03v5...4725.JPG?raw=1

Everything is off. The amount of grease is ridiculous. Every joint was wayyyy over greased and of course the boots were bad. Time for a clean up!!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qrzpwlu8tt...4722.JPG?raw=1

While the suspension was off, I thought it would be a good time to flush the front brake lines. I got some real nasty stuff out of there, but they are all clean now.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ub244yd6dh...4721.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Today, I wanted to get the shafts out of the upper and lower control arms. They all came out fairly easy. However, I noticed that one of the bushings had quite a bit of slop inside the lower. Once I got it apart, I realize that there were no threads left inside the arm. The bushing just slid in and out. I immediately got on the board here to see what was available...slim pickens. I PMed two board members that have taken care of me in the past, t korinek and tll70. Before they could get back to me, I found one local. I do want to say thanks to these two anyways, because they did get back to me quickly and would have been able to help me as usual. It was nice to save on shipping though because that would have been pretty expensive. The new arm is off a 1971, but since we are replacing the ball joint it will work just fine for us.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I spent some time today cleaning up the threads on each of the upper and lower control arms. We tried to remove each bushing by hand (ratchet) because I know these threads can be sensitive. However, they were locked down pretty good, so we ended up having to use an impact. The threads were all in poor shape. Even the new arm needed some work. I wish there were taps available for these holes but I'm sure they would be very pricey. So, I used a dremel and did the best I could to refresh each thread. After two hours of careful and tedious work, all of the holes were good enough the run a bushing in by hand, with anti-seize of course. I even confirmed that I could torque them to 160 foot pounds with no problem.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I wanted to take all of the steering and suspension parts to work today so I could media blast them. Before I could, I had to make a stop at the car wash. The grease and dirt buildup on these parts was crazy. I used a half gallon of super clean, two wire brushes and about $4.00 in quarters. An hour and a half later, I had some really clean parts. Time to head to work.

Before I started blasting, I took a few minutes to research what I will need to do about bump stops for the lower control arms. I know that with the heated coil springs, it rested on the left front stop just sitting there. So, I assumed I would have to at least cut them down, if not buy something shorter. I scoured the internet and this forum and couldn't find many answers. Most of what I found pertained to bagged trucks. I did find one post here that led me to a comment posted by member lolife99. I know Keith has been following my build thread and sort of suggested that I needed to lower my truck correctly. I also remembered his signature contained cool the write-ups on brake conversions, so I was sure he knows his way around these trucks. So, I PMed Keith and asked him for the details of what I should do. Thanks to Keith for getting back to me almost immediately! Keith recommended cutting off the tower for the bump stop while making sure to leave the steering stop intact. He sent me this link http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=416186 to a previous thread where he discussed this very topic. Inside, there were some great pictures for reference. I'm not sure how I missed this thread in my quest, but I am thankful for Keith's help and other members like him. This kind of support is what makes this place so great. Here is one of the lower control arms after the modification and a good cleaning...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nftr36fw91...4740.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/oeouejhf54...4742.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9f38lnpa3g...4741.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u4swjwe98d...4744.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

More clean parts ready for finishing...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4150o2wp7e...4751.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l36h00n7tm...4746.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

It's pretty cold today, but not cold enough to stop me from coating some more parts with the POR15 Metal Mask. I cranked up the propane heater, got the garage to about 70 degrees and busted out the foam brush. Here we are after two coats...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/61uvadwx1y...4737.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qsiqccvew9...4738.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hmh7ows9vc...4736.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jdgb9b7r36...4739.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Great job on the lower a-arms bumpstop removal .
Did you trim the "gutters" on either side of the ball joint area also?

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I decided to not trim the gutters for two reasons. One, there was a guy on that thread that said his lower failed and he crashed after he trimmed his. Two, I don't plan on switching to five lug so I won't have a clearance issue with my current wheels. Should I be trimming them anyways? I'm sure the guy that crashed trimmed too much or something.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I trim them so I can use a 15"wheel with a max of 4" backspace.
I normally do it on the truck, so I can check the fit,... and just trim the minimum.
I use a thin cut-off wheel and then clean up and radius everything with a flap disc on a grinder.
You can't go in there with a torch.

5-lug 15x6.5 and 15x8 truck ralleys need it.(4" bs)
15x7's dont. (3-5/8" bs)

6-lug 15x8 rally's don't need it, (3-5/8" bs) ,... but the rare 6-lug 15x7's do. (4" bs)

You could plate the bottom if you really want to.
I've been doing this since 1986, without issue.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

So I researched for a few days how I want to go about finishing my suspension parts. I decided to use another POR15 product called Chassis Black...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ffgb5eppqp...15cB.jpg?raw=1

I had some left over foam brushes so I hung the parts and gave it a try. I noticed right away that this coating is much thinner than the other POR15 products I have used. This makes sense because they said it is suppose to be self leveling. However, shortly after I applied it, it started to puddle. So, I tried to dab it with the brush to spread it out. That cause hundreds of tiny air bubbles. So, I resorted to using a bristled paint brush. Once it dried, I noticed there were serious brush strokes in the finish. NOT COOL! This is not going to do. Fortunately, I limited myself to painting one part after I started to encounter problems. So, I'll media blast this stuff off tomorrow and start over.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I spent the last few days finding out what I might have done wrong with the Chassis Black. It seems most people that had success in the past have all sprayed the stuff on. Spraying really isn't an option for me right now because it's too cold outside and there is no way I am spraying inside the house garage. I won't even spray paint in there. So, I considered foam brushing again except this time, doing it horizontally. I went to Lowes to get some more foam brushes and I found this...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z3wwo73xeu...eval.jpg?raw=1

I could use this system at work but it looks like the reviews are mixed. Mostly people that didn't take the time to prep their projects correctly, which is typical. I'll report on the results soon.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

So, I got to use the Preval system today. All set up and ready to spray...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1f9xceklli...1166.JPG?raw=1

I started on the sides that can be easily seen. I applied two coats and laid the second coat on pretty thick. The finish looked absolutely gorgeous. I had to reduce the paint down so it would spray correctly. This cause it to be even thinner and it ran down to the lowest points. It puddled up pretty good. I'll see how they turned out when I come back tomorrow to paint the other side.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x5e9fj7yeg...1170.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hh3jxamapf...1169.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/39v460ibov...1168.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vg03nh4aw4...1167.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

So, I came back today for more painting. The undersides turned out really nice. The paint self leveled as advertised and you couldn't even tell where it had puddled. The only issue I saw is that it overflowed off the back under the bushing hole. The string of paint froze in mid air so I just broke it off and you could even tell it ran. So, I proceeded to paint the top sides. I didn't thin it as much this time, in hopes that it wouldn't run. I went with three thinner coats this time. We'll see tomorrow how it turns out.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Well a few days have gone by. I had to take a few days off to calm down from my anger and disappointment. The topcoats didn't turn out well at all, which I'm afraid to say was my own fault. The thin coats were where I went wrong. The paint still managed to run down into the gutters. However this time, there were visible thin spots on the vertical surfaces where you could see the bare metal beneath. Also, there were several dry areas that just looked like really bad overspray. So, needless to say, it is time to start over. The good thing I have to report is this... After two days of this stuff setting up, I tried to media blast it. It took almost one hour just to blast the idler arm bracket. It took 30 minutes to blast one half of one side of a backing plate. Forget that, this stuff is crazy tough! So, I did what I should have done to begin with, called the dang powder coater. He told me he would get the coating off one way or another and to bring them on over. Bottom line... the Preval Sprayer and the POR15 Chassis Black are both great products. I am quite sure the coating would have lasted the life of the truck. However, you need to practice the application technique before you paint something important!

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I called the powder coater today to check on progress. He informed me that he wasn't able to blast the POR15 off with sand and his outdoor pot blaster. So, he acid dipped it, and it melted right off. Powder coating is coming in a few days.

We had a chance to install one of the exhaust manifolds today. I can't wait to fire it up!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8euuiv8lq...4809.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

While we are waiting for the powder coating to be finished, we decided to paint the last two parts with Metal Mask. I forgot to get a picture of the centerlink, but here is how the pitman arm turned out...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9hknvmu7nj...4757.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I got the parts back from the powder coater today. We went ahead and installed the ball joints and the cross shafts. I saw where several people here said to make sure that you have equal threads showing on each side of the cross shafts after installation. However, the assembly manual says something different. I went ahead with what the manual said. I still need to grease the fittings, but I will do that after everything is installed on the truck. We also installed the idler arm to the chassis.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p5mjlw59wj...4830.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qjlxbkxi95...4829.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4im6y0qt8e...4752.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4a4azqlbdv...4755.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nn65upyp97...4758.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

We installed lower control arms tonight. There was a ton of clay packed to the crossmember, especially inside the saddles for the lower control arms. I cleaned all of that up to make sure everything seated up real nice, especially around the guide pin. After careful placement, we installed the refurbished U-bolts and made sure to torque them to 40 foot pounds. It's coming together slow but sure.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/omix9ncg01...4805.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

We got a few more things installed tonight. We started with the upper control arms. When we first removed the old stuff, I tagged and bagged all of the old camber shims so I could reinstall them they way they came off. I figured this would get us close. However, the old shims were half painted over and very rusty and greasy. It sure would look a lot better if I had new ones. It took me awhile to find some them locally but NAPA came through for us. Here is the UCA installed with the new shims...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o7ivzhzwpp...4814.JPG?raw=1

Here are both arms together. We also got the centerlink installed...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8lg487b5jr...4815.JPG?raw=1

Spring is going in...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ist1k1zlti...4816.JPG?raw=1

Spindle is on...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8ryh0201x3...4817.JPG?raw=1

Steering feels nice and tight now. It's getting exciting over here.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yjoqvq3l7d...4818.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Thanks for the info on the crossshaft installation.
I saved those pics for future reference.
Everything is looking good!

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Thanks for the compliment Keith. That assembly manual has really come in handy for this project. The torque specs alone are invaluable.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

We got the tie rods installed today. Then we set the toe to -0.125". Torqued all of the new parts to proper specs.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4m763mkgfz...4820.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n5u4i6qjqn...4821.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

We painted the new drums today flat black and the front hubs cast color. Between coats, we assembled the front brake internal parts.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c0h728eya7...4822.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ec0g8yhh0y...4824.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Very nice. It's not often you see folks going to this detail and sticking with front drum brakes.

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Thanks for the compliment I think. LOL. It almost sounds like you are saying that I should have gone with front disks. Hopefully I won't regret it later. I have to learn my lessons the hard way though...I always have!

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Allowed the hubs to dry for a few days. We used Mobile 1 synthetic grease to pack the bearings and installed new Timken seals. Finished everything off with new grease caps from Classic Parts. The front is pretty much finished...for now we move the back of the truck.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3xeaofyr6s...4835.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Got the rear brakes dismantled tonight. Everything came off really easy, it is just very dirty. Leaky wheel cylinders and axle seals will do that. Time for some clean up and more powder coating.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v8cukckft2...4837.JPG?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q1tqkvwsq1...4838.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

So while I am waiting on the powder coater to finish up, I decided to change out the rear brake hose. The old one was in very bad shape so it definitely needed to go. Unfortunately, the fitting on the frame rail brake line was frozen. I rounded the stupid thing off, even though I was using a line wrench. With the help of vise grips, the line eventually came loose. Once I got it off, I realized that I bent the line pretty bad at the fitting and it won't even spin now. So, now I have three brake line fittings that are rounded off (previous owner rounded off the two front ones), and a bad brake line. I didn't want to do it, but here lies the crossroad...time to order a new brake line set. I researched what pre-bent lines guys usually go with around here. It seemed like manufacturers all had some negative feedback, but some a lot more than others. So, I narrowed it down to Inline Tube. I ordered their nine piece stainless set, new brake line clips and two new brake line tees. Now I wait for even more work to arrive. This is never ending! :waah:

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

Had a spare hour that I could dedicate to cleaning the axle tubes and installing new Timken seals. It turned out pretty good. Still waiting on parts.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a9m4a4om21...4853.JPG?raw=1

Re: Omodified's 1970 SWB Custom/10
 

I have been wanting to address a few small transmission leaks. While I wait on parts, I figured it was a good time to address it. I marked the driveshaft and removed it. Then I removed the tail shaft. While the drive shaft was out, we went ahead and replaced both u-joints. I'll take the tail shaft to work tomorrow to remove the old seal and bushing, so I can do it right.