The 283 Rebuild Begins

[jason65]

Originally Posted by MacAttack

Oh gee - who didn't see that coming?

Can ya blame me?

[MacAttack]

Got juice in the block over the weekend: Nearly 6.5 gallons worth. Poured 50/50 anti-freeze through the thermostat hole first - filled the block - put everything together and tightened everything up (including the new heater hoses), and filled the radiator.

A small drip from the bottom hose for a moment (the custom clamps like to be perfectly round and the bottom radiator fitting was a bit oval), but I tightened the fitting down hard and it sealed.

Mounted the catch cylinder and hooked up the return tube - with a few strain reliefs to hold it in place.

Mac.

[4dranch]

[MacAttack]

pfffft!

[TimE]

[4dranch]

[jason65]

I think we got him broke in finaly.

[4dranch]

Originally Posted by jason65

I think we got him broke in finaly.

yeah and no pink coats or ducks were involved either

[joe231]

[MacAttack]

Is someone talking about me?

[jason65]

I'm glad to see you support the save the (o)(o) campaine. Quack, Quack.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

Quack, Quack.

[4dranch]

[MacAttack]

Got the wire looms back up (after cutting two full inches off the back station - that was running into the firewall) on the ‘283’ and the red Taylor wires look good.

Also completed plumbing my radiator catch bottle that I simply silicone’d to the radiator support sheet metal last weekend, as there was no real practical area to mount hardware and still have room for the new voltage regulator.

After setting for a week the coolant level was still at the same place, so my minor dripping problem seems to have been fixed.

-----

Then it came time to install the hard stainless steel transmission cooler lines - and this was a major PITA!

The two front fittings didn’t bottom out all the way where they attach to the radiator and you can still shake the lines a little bit - which means they’ll leak like a stuck pig under pressure. I tightened these lines, using a slotted wrench, to the maximum I felt comfortable with - and I don’t want to push it any further. I took the three clasps off the assembly so I could jocky the fittings in at the transmission, but the geometry was off just enough so the fine threads wouldn’t start comfortably.

I gave up, went in the house, and assassinated a six’er of Coronas.

[4dranch]

sounds like me Mac, finish one thing then start another and then end up drinking the night away, while you think about what just pissed you off

[jason65]

Are your tranny cooler lines the wrong tpi or size?

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

Are your tranny cooler lines the wrong tpi or size?

That's what I first thought - but they check with a thread gauge. I'm going to loosen the front ones and try getting the ones at the tranny going first, because we did a trial fit-up with the power train out of the truck - just prior to installation and they fit fine.

There's no real way to run a tap into the fittings at the bottom of the radiator, as it will hit the seal surface at the bottom of each port. I was thinking about putting a small coupling in between the radiator fitting and the hard line end, possibly with the deeper thread.

That, or just getting a case of Corona.

[MacAttack]

Just spoke with an old airplane mechanic and he thinks the hard lines might have a tapered thread, while the radiator ports are a straight thread. Simply putting a brass adapter fitting between them may solve my problem. He says the tapered fitting is jamming in the straight thread port - not allowing it to tighten the tube.

Makes sense.

[MacAttack]

This may fix it:

[MacAttack]

Two separate shipments from McMaster-Carr to finally get my fittings.

(2) pieces: $8.48 each - hope the guy that got my first pair enjoys them!

The passenger side bulkhead electrical fitting that got drug out of its hole while installing the power-train, wouldn't go back in Saturday. We tried everything we could - pushing, greasing, heating up the rubber, putting a big socket over it and banging it with a soft beater - nothing.

I'm thinking cutting the old rubber grommet off and replacing it, or cutting it off and going with black silicone. I need to get it secured before putting the hood back on - I'm thinking.

Don't expect any photos of this though, as I let Young Master Logan borrow my throw-away camera for a moment - while I set up his automatic bubble making machine in the back yard and while chasing them around he decided to throw the camera at a particular bubble and it, of course, went perfectly into his 5 gallon bucket of play water.



1,200 square feet in the back yard and he has to hit this container, sending 26 shots of my truck work to watery grave. It was not a good Saturday.

Mac.

[jason65]

How about cuting it halfway threw. Lubing it up with dishwashing liquid and useing a flathead screwdriver to eaz it on in. Then black silicone it from the inside.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

How about cuting it halfway threw.

Great minds.

[MacAttack]

Wal-Mart run last night - finally got the shots from 8 days ago (I know - go digital and keep the camera away from Logan), so these are going to have to hold you fiends for a while.

Deal with it.

[MacAttack]

[MacAttack]