Finally after 25 YEARS !!! It's Mine!!!

[iehotrod]

After 25 long years of waiting for this day to come. My uncle who is and always has been my father figure to me has allowed me to get my hands his price possession.

He purchased it from texas as a custom built truck way back then. I had always drewed over this truck back then when I was 13 years old. When I was 15 I drove him and his family deep into mexico to visit family and drove back. At 15 he had already allowed me drive his bobtail truck and loved working summers with him. I got paid and I got to drive a big fricken truck. It was really cool to me.

So I am now 40 years old and after several years, hell decades of making myself clear that if he ever was going to sell the truck it had be to me no matter what. The truck has been parked in his garage for 14 long years. Many relatives and neighbors or driving by strangers would offer to purchase the truck and he would always say no LOL. Some people would offer like two times the value and he would replied "you dont have enough money to purchase it". He never budged Which makes even more proud to own today.

I went over there yesterday and began to dig into it. changed follwing items and still not ready to drive it yet.

New Water Pump, Thermostat, radaitor, heater and fuel hoses, filters, oil, spark plugs and wires, cap and rotor. Flushed out the cooling system. New Belts, and replaced the transmission fluid.

Things to do is figure out why I have transmission fluid in my coolant??

I also still need to the barkes and replaced those dried out tries and register it my name.

If anyone can please advise regarding the trans fluid in coolant please do.

[iehotrod]

More Pics...............

[54Caddy]

Glad to see you got a square. Trans fluid in radiator is going to be the internal cooler in radiator has a leak. Going to have to replace the radiator or add an external cooler.
Posted via Mobile Device

[iehotrod]

Hey bro how are you doing? I havent spoken to you in a long a** time. Yeah I finally got it. I will be mine till I die or one of my sons takes it over. I got a lot of history in it. That bench seat met a fine a** back in the days too.

I figured it would. I am worried about the trans having coolant & water in the trans fluid. Im hoping it won't but Im pretty sure it does. Coolant level went down and it spit out trans fluid.

If the trans has water and coolant its going to have to be dropped down or flushed out which I don't have the time to drop the trans to get to the converter. I am hoping worse case scenario I can have a trans shop flush it out.

[motornut]

looks like a great save!
I'd pull the lines off the tranny look for green
must have rotted inside the rad
Posted via Mobile Device

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by motornut

I'd pull the lines off the tranny look for green
must have rotted inside the rad
Posted via Mobile Device

Yup I agree. The trans oil cooler line coiled up inside the radiator end tank rusted through. Since the corrosion is that enthusiastic you'll prolly be replacing the radiator soon for other reasons... Just replace the radiator and drain the transmission fluid and replace the tranny filter.

If you're real worried you can "flush" the transmission with Dexron III. Don't use a commercial tranny flush. That stuff can sometimes kill a marginal tranny that would otherwise run for several thousands or even tens of thousands more miles.
Get a case of Dexron III, a tranny filter and pan gasket, 8 ft of clear tubing that fits snug over the cooler line ends with the retainers pushed back, a 2.5 gallon oil jug and 5 gallon oil jug.
Drain the pan, change the filter and re-fill the cleaned out pan.
Don't start her yet.
Fill the 2.5 gallon jug with new Dexron and run a clear line from the filled jug to the trans cooler return line.
Run the other line from the 5 gallon jug to the tranny cooler feedline.
Start the truck and run till the 2.5 gallon jug is almost empty or the waste fluid going into the 5 gallon jug looks pretty clean. Take this crap to the dump or Autozone or Advance or... and pour it in their oil recycle tank.
Top it off after the cooler lines are installed in the new radiator.
This should blow most of the coolant, cruddy fluid and loose crud out of the torque convertor and tranny guts without stirring up any of the "settled out" crud you really want to leave alone...

[54Caddy]

Hahahahha yeah trucks and the story's they could tell if they could speak. Drop the pan as stated. If it were me I'd install a drain plug into pan and then refill it. While its empty loosen lines off transmission and blow them out with shop air. After connect it all fill Trans run it through gears quick spin and drain again I work for a larger dealer here in town our bg Trans flush machine holds 14.5 quarts flushes them out clean.
Posted via Mobile Device

[iehotrod]

Hey Thanks guys... I feel much better knowing I can just flush out the trans.

I spoke to the guy at the radiator shop and he recommended that I do the same. What he also suggested to do before I change the radiator is after hooking the the trans line to the clear hoses and flushing the trans to refill the old radiator with water and some liquid tide to also flush the engine block cooling system. He states he has tried several times and it works better than any commercial flush additives available at any parts store.

What ya think?

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Nice acquisition. What year is it?

I am over in the Hills.

[iehotrod]

Its an 86. Small world, the truck has been sitting in chino hills for years. Its still there.

[iehotrod]

Any suggestions on getting the two tanks cleaned out? They have 15 year old gas and fuel gage is reading at half full.. I hope I dont have to drop them.

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by 54Caddy

Hahahahha yeah trucks and the story's they could tell if they could speak. Drop the pan as stated. If it were me I'd install a drain plug into pan and then refill it. Posted via Mobile Device

X2 on the drain plug.
I bought a cast aluminum pan with a drain plug for the 4T65E in my Impala. It makes trans filter changes so much easier and cleaner. You can get steel or aluminum pans for the 700R4/4L60, TH400, & TH350 with drain plugs already installed.

Originally Posted by iehotrod

Any suggestions on getting the two tanks cleaned out? They have 15 year old gas and fuel gage is reading at half full.. I hope I dont have to drop them.

The tanks will probably have some pretty nasty stuff in them that'll cause you fuel system grief forever. You won't get rid of without pulling them.

I know an antique tractor guy who's into resurrecting old beat up Fordson and Caterpillar tractors.
He recommended building a stand and mount to rotate the tank with an electric motor.
Then sealing the fill holes etc... except the sender hole.
Dump a bag or two of steel shot or several boxes of steel BBs and 5-10 gallons of carburetor dip through the sender hole.
Then put the sender with caps on the lines or a shaved sender plate back on the tank and leave to spin for a couple days.

OTOH unlike antique Cats and Fordsons you could just replace em with fresh tanks and carb dip the senders without the socks installed. You won't have to find a place to dispose of 20 gallons of carb dip...

[KQQL IT]

New tanks are 100ish $ and replace all rubber fuel lines.

Great save too
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[Tx Firefighter]

I'm never the guy to say the sky is falling and things are terrible, but I guarantee you are in for a trans rebuild. The coolant softens the friction material in the transmission and it will begin to come apart soon. I learned this lesson first hand. I was stubborn and tried to flush it several times, but my trans guy was right all along. Needed rebuild (again). The worst part was, the trans was completely fresh when I assembled it and I only ran it a short while before I caught the ruptured trans cooler issues.
Posted via Mobile Device

[motornut]

Originally Posted by iehotrod

Any suggestions on getting the two tanks cleaned out? They have 15 year old gas and fuel gage is reading at half full.. I hope I dont have to drop them.

that long,drop and clean

[54Caddy]

Getting the tank out isn't too bad. I've pulled a few off I remove them with the complete bracket verses losing the straps. Quit being lazy and just do it hahahahha!!
Posted via Mobile Device

[iehotrod]

Lucky for me my uncle had installed one a while back.

Originally Posted by hatzie

X2 on the drain plug.
I bought a cast aluminum pan with a drain plug for the 4T65E in my Impala. It makes trans filter changes so much easier and cleaner. You can get steel or aluminum pans for the 700R4/4L60, TH400, & TH350 with drain plugs already installed.



The tanks will probably have some pretty nasty stuff in them that'll cause you fuel system grief forever. You won't get rid of without pulling them.

I know an antique tractor guy who's into resurrecting old beat up Fordson and Caterpillar tractors.
He recommended building a stand and mount to rotate the tank with an electric motor.
Then sealing the fill holes etc... except the sender hole.
Dump a bag or two of steel shot or several boxes of steel BBs and 5-10 gallons of carburetor dip through the sender hole.
Then put the sender with caps on the lines or a shaved sender plate back on the tank and leave to spin for a couple days.

OTOH unlike antique Cats and Fordsons you could just replace em with fresh tanks and carb dip the senders without the socks installed. You won't have to find a place to dispose of 20 gallons of carb dip...

Fresh tanks? Are you telling me to fill them with new fuel and some carb dip and run the motor?

[iehotrod]

Originally Posted by 54Caddy

Getting the tank out isn't too bad. I've pulled a few off I remove them with the complete bracket verses losing the straps. Quit being lazy and just do it hahahahha!!
Posted via Mobile Device

I am going to have to do it. I refuse to pay anyone to have fun. I am just eager to drive this truck. And honestly I rather use my money on getting it painted, air bags and wheels. But she has to run right first. And today was not a good day. My suburban transmission took a Sh** today. I have to fix it but its going to take $1000 of my spending money for this truck.

[54Caddy]

Too bad you live over there I get them done for way cheaper here from a buddy who owns a shop.

[iehotrod]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I'm never the guy to say the sky is falling and things are terrible, but I guarantee you are in for a trans rebuild. The coolant softens the friction material in the transmission and it will begin to come apart soon. I learned this lesson first hand. I was stubborn and tried to flush it several times, but my trans guy was right all along. Needed rebuild (again). The worst part was, the trans was completely fresh when I assembled it and I only ran it a short while before I caught the ruptured trans cooler issues.
Posted via Mobile Device

Dang it you my be right. The tow truck dropped it off at my house today. I went ahead started the motor and put into reverse and it took a few seconds to go into gear with that in mind, I might as well just go ahead and do it right and not even take a chance like I did on the radiator. But with wifes suburban transmission goint out today this really bums me out. Thats two transmissions to repair.

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by iehotrod

Fresh tanks? Are you telling me to fill them with new fuel and some carb dip and run the motor?

Nope "Fresh" meaning brand new or good clean salvage.
Carb dip won't do nice things to the engine. And. Whatever you do don't run her with those tanks the way they are right now.

[iehotrod]

Originally Posted by hatzie

Nope "Fresh" meaning brand new or good clean salvage.
Carb dip won't do nice things to the engine. And. Whatever you do don't run her with those tanks the way they are right now.

What should I expect from running it with 15 year old gas? I did drop in sea foam bottle in each tank. I ran it for maybe 15 minutes at idle.

[hatzie]

Bad gas can gum up the carb but sitting 15 years will too.
Varnish will plug up the tank pickup socks and fuel filter. If the tanks weren't full there will usually be rust from condensation to plug up the filter etc. The alcohol in most pump gas now will shake all that stuff loose.

[iehotrod]

Okay, So I will have to drop both tanks and check them to see just how bad they actually are. I do expect them be pretty bad. If brothers has them in stock I think I'll just buy new ones. The cost of carb dip cleaner is over a $120 for a 5 gallons. The cost of each tank is $100.

[MalibuSSwagon]

Go to Rockauto buddy, 16 gallon tanks are priced from $50 to 80 each. Likely the same tank you'd get from Brothers.