Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step

[Xeen]

Show that bedside whos boss Vic!

[Low Elco]

Looks firme'!

Glad I'm not the only one that had that spot sink. Oy, such a shunder! Glad it came out good for ya.

[jlsanborn]

More cool tools!! Adjustable butt clamps??? I'll have to look those up. That is the Cadillac slide hammer you've got there too!

Filler is going to be really nice especially with the rounded cover inside the bed.

[snipescastle2]

isn't there a tip for the stud welder guns that will allow you to "Shrink" the metal to raise a low spot? I thought I seen one not too long ago......or maybe it was the other way around......

http://www.eastwood.com/stud-welder-...trode-tip.html

a friend mentioned you could use this tip in a low spot, then immediately quench with a wet rag to shrink up the low spot, might be worth looking into.....

Ben

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

isn't there a tip for the stud welder guns that will allow you to "Shrink" the metal to raise a low spot? I thought I seen one not too long ago......or maybe it was the other way around ...a friend mentioned you could use this tip in a low spot, then immediately quench with a wet rag to shrink up the low spot, might be worth looking into.
Ben

Yes, there are shrinking tips available for some stud welders. Below is a photo of a draw pin electrode and an ornament electrode for my ancient Dent Fix gun plus a tapered shrinking tip. By the time I started looking, I wasn't able to find a shrink tip that actually threaded into my gun like the other two so I just remove the threaded draw pin tip and drop the shrinking tip into the opening. Works fine except when I forget and let it fall out.

I haven't had as much luck raising a shallow area as shrinking a crown using this tip. A lot depends on the natural curve of the panel and how the damage occurred in the first place. A shallow dent in a concave area typically worsens with the application of heat. So an honest-to-goodness metal man would first evaluate the primary and secondary areas of damage to form a plan of attack ...which may not involve direct heat in the shallow area.

As for using a wet cloth or compressed air to accelerate the shrinking effect, I'm guilty of doing that on occasion, but letting it cool naturally is really best as a rapid quench can harden the steel and cause it to become brittle. In fact, the advantage of using a shrinking tip rather than a disc or a torch is that it concentrates the heat and minimizes the loss of heat treated area on the panel. Back in the 40's, 50's and 60's, they used thicker, softer sheetmetal. More recently, the metal is thinner with a heat treat that helps it hold it's shape. Too much heat and it's toast.

All this is just my two cents worth! I kinda know what works for me, but I've never had any type of formal training in metal shaping. There are some threads on the forum that go into it in detail if you're of a mind to learn how to do bodywork without filler. Me ...I'm not a purist and plastic filler is my best friend.

[Vic1947]

Forged ahead with the fuel filler setup today. Notched the floor and assembled the tube which allowed me to measure the amount I need to raise the end of the tube (3.5"). Scouted online for 2" ID fuel filler neck hose to connect the metal tube to the Boyd tank but eBay, etc. was a bust. Looks like the best deal is at the local O'Reilly's parts store.

Modifying the steel tube will be a treat. I'd kind of like to keep the ground strap and vent provisions, but the angles and the amount I need to relocate the outlet probably mean I'll need to piece it together with scrap tubing. I also need to get off the fence and decide whether to fabricate the entire cover or use preformed tubing and modify it. It's always something...

[Xeen]

The fuel filler looks great Vic.
I also noticed you took care of that nasty circular shaped gouge forward of the fuel filler and it looks like it came out just fine.

[sduckworth13]

Looks great Vic, it doesn't look like your going to need much filler in any of your repairs. That lower body line you pulled out looks great !

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

The fuel filler looks great Vic.
I also noticed you took care of that nasty circular shaped gouge forward of the fuel filler and it looks like it came out just fine.

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

Looks great Vic, it doesn't look like your going to need much filler in any of your repairs. That lower body line you pulled out looks great !

Thanks, guys. After beaucoup massaging, the panel is where it needs to be for filler ...not perfect, but respectable enough for a DD.

[swamp rat]

Absolutely looks great. What is the OD of the filler tube?

[jeh]

Looks factory Vic, I was lazy and ran mine up thru the floor.

[jlsanborn]

You are a machine! I couldn't get off my azz today. Got out there and swept up all that filler I've been buying, put the tools away then kicked my shoes off. Well done on the tank relocate!

[jlsanborn]

Oh, and tools! You have collected some nice stuff there Vic. I'm pretty proud of my stash but each page here contains something I never knew existed, and that I'd love to have.

[Low Elco]

O'reilly's on 23'rd between Noland and Lee's Summit on the South side.. It's a warehouse location. Take your filler and ask nicely and tell 'em your deal, they'll let you go back and find what you need. Whole wall of fuel hose.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Absolutely looks great. What is the OD of the filler tube?

It's a 2" tube, same as the Boyd tank ...by sheer luck, not planning.

Originally Posted by jeh

Looks factory Vic, I was lazy and ran mine up thru the floor.

I figured having it in the floor would turn into an aggravation, thus the flog.

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

You are a machine! I couldn't get off my azz today. Got out there and swept up all that filler I've been buying, put the tools away then kicked my shoes off. Well done on the tank relocate! Oh, and tools! You have collected some nice stuff there Vic. I'm pretty proud of my stash but each page here contains something I never knew existed, and that I'd love to have.

Thx, John, but I gotta say, cleaning up the shop counts as progress, especially when plastic filler is involved! As for the tools, I always figured if I paid someone to do a job, I'd already be halfway or more toward the purchase of the tool I needed. Added benefits include not having to accept substandard work and/or loudmouth pushback, all while waiting endlessly at the back of the line.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

O'reilly's on 23'rd between Noland and Lee's Summit on the South side.. It's a warehouse location. Take your filler and ask nicely and tell 'em your deal, they'll let you go back and find what you need. Whole wall of fuel hose.

Thanks, Chip, I'll check them out. The tubing scrap box yielded a 2" U-bend that will serve perfectly for reconfiguring the stock filler tube. Once that's done, I can measure what I need and see what O'Reilly's has to offer.

[Vic1947]

After digging out the tubing I needed this morning, I cut up the existing filler tube and its vent, then grafted it all back together to better line up with the tank inlet. Next up is the cover ...still mulling that over some. Meanwhile, I need to measure for and acquire the rubber connecting hoses. Also still have some welding to do on the other bedside where I only have tack welds, but no fabrication is required so it should go fairly quickly. One day soon it will be time to assemble the bed on the chassis for the moment of truth.

[bguild]

Great work Vic! I need to get over and see that long bed now short bedside. I might swing by sometime this week.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by bguild

Great work Vic! I need to get over and see that long bed now short bedside. I might swing by sometime this week.

That would be great. I'll be here all week ...anytime works.

[jlsanborn]

Ground strap and vent tube - no prollem! Looks perfect Vic.

"I'll be here all week ...anytime works." You DOG!

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

After digging out the tubing I needed this morning, I cut up the existing filler tube and its vent, then grafted it all back together to better line up with the tank inlet. Next up is the cover ...still mulling that over some. Meanwhile, I need to measure for and acquire the rubber connecting hoses. Also still have some welding to do on the other bedside where I only have tack welds, but no fabrication is required so it should go fairly quickly. One day soon it will be time to assemble the bed on the chassis for the moment of truth.

Curious, did your filler tube have the rollover check ball in it and were you able to weld the tube without damaging it?

And shoot, i believe my filler tube is 1.5" or 1.75?? gonna remeasure, my tank is 2", so i may comb a few junk yards to see if i can find a 2" tube like the one you have. I know the muffler shop can make an adapter but a 2" tube would be nice.

I found the spot welder shrink tip today, had to make a run up town today instead of hammer high spots.

The package was abandoned by the UPS guy on my front door step about 4:30 today, my wife got home about 8:30 and carried it in the house, i'll open when i get home.

[Low Elco]

Muffler shops only go so small- my filler adaptor is the top rail of a chain link fence!

Looks great, Vic. I like the way it all lines up.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Curious, did your filler tube have the rollover check ball in it and were you able to weld the tube without damaging it?
...believe my filler tube is 1.5" or 1.75?? gonna remeasure, my tank is 2", so i may comb a few junk yards to see if i can find a 2" tube like the one you have. I know the muffler shop can make an adapter but a 2" tube would be nice.

The check valve mechanism is in the gas cap. When I leak checked the tube, I put the cap on and filled it with water. Nothing came out around the cap with the assembly upside down. The vent would only require a rollover check valve if it's open to the atmosphere. This setup carries the vent from the tank all the way back to the top of the fill tube.

I welded out the vent tube and the lower section of the filler tube first. Then when I mated the upper and lower parts, I wrapped a wet towel around the upper portion where the plastic insert is crimped. Since I couldn't remove it, I wanted to be sure the heat transfer didn't melt it. I'd weld about an inch of the gap, then quench the area with the wet rag. Repeated until the entire gap was welded. Voila, no problem. For heavier items that require more amps to weld and have heat sensitive parts nearby, I'll suspend the delicate part in a cup of water, leaving just enough room above the water line to weld. But for this thin material, a wet rag was sufficient. At one time I had some putty like material that was marketed as a heat fence, but the crap wouldn't stick to anything and was only good for making a mess.

This 2" filler tube came off a late 90's to early 2K Blazer or Jimmy.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Muffler shops only go so small- my filler adaptor is the top rail of a chain link fence!

Chip is right, finding an adaptor might be tricky.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

"I'll be here all week ...anytime works." You DOG!

That just sorta slipped out.

[Vic1947]

The fuel filler cover is done (for the most part). Started with a 12" square piece of sheetmetal, marked a diagonal and measured up 2.5" and marked a parallel line. Clamped it in the brake on the offset mark and manually rolled the rest of it around a piece of 3.25"D solid material. Tuned it up a bit with the round stock and a rubber mallet. The rest was just trimming, welding and grinding. Can't see it too well in the photo, but I also made a couple of small dams and welded them on either side of the biggest groove. When the bedside goes on for good, I'll use some pookie around the bottom to seal it up before shooting the bedliner. Meanwhile, I can remove the bedside as needed.

[jeh]

Some more slick work Vic!!