Rat repair.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

Bumper is looking good! Nice size.
Probably have another metal meet in Aug. Watch the WCMS site for a date.

I don't mind sayin that i totally spaced on the meet, just been super busy.

Thanks on the bumper too!

[sboris]

Awesome job on thebumper. Must say it's almost identical to mine.. Great choice

[swamp rat]

Ok its mounted, i used a couple tie down straps to make sure it didn't accidentally get bumped and fall on my legs when i was welding it, also fine tuned the fit be\fore i stitched it in place.

Done for the day. I wanna drive the truck around for a couple days starting tomorrow and make sure i'm not gonna have any problems with the rear tank, then I'll take it off and have it blasted. Humm, I need a better exhaust too, wonder if they will have any problems with routing it out the back with the tank in place.

Now i need to find a bumper license plate light.

[Dean'smeanmachine]

looking good! go with white! i painted mine black and it didnt look right! IMO

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Dean'smeanmachine

looking good! go with white! i painted mine black and it didnt look right! IMO

Well I want to repaint back to the Med Green i think, was leaning toward the black, but i can always repaint later if it don't work out.

So the last 2 days have been pretty hot around here, that makes it even hotter in my shop at work, add to it i have had 2 bust my butt days in a row and probably the same tonight, i think i'm gonna have a lazy butt today.

But i still made progress, ordered $250 in replacement panels, i just hope they end up being quality parts!

[mcbassin]

Very nice progress on the bumper.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Very nice progress on the bumper.

Thanks again!

[swamp rat]

Well, the gas gauge works!, first pic is about 6.5 gallons, the next pic is about a 15 mile drive with another 10 gallons added.

I will add the filler didn't burp once when at the station, pump handle fully depressed, works for me!.

I bit of a problem on the way home it started idling rough so i started popping it in neutral at the stops, got it home and put a rock in front of the tire, fired it up and put it in gear, raised the idle about 100 rpm, then started readjusting the air fuel screws.

I noted there is a slight howling that i think is from the alternator when the tranny is in park, the sound disappeared when shifted to drive, it seemed to idle better when it wasn't howling. The second attempt when i was adjusting the carb with it in drive the whine was gone, then all the sudden the whine came back and the idle dropped about 150-200 rpm (by ear)

Now i'm a bit baffled as to what the problem is, I cant imagine the alternator causing the idle to drop, thinking back every time i welded on the truck i disconnected the battery negative but left the alternator wires on, is it possible i could have fried a diode? but how would that slow the idle suddenly? The battery gauge is reading good but i haven't had a chance to grab a multi meter to check battery charge (13.8-14.2)

Any ideas?

[Molberg]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Well, the gas gauge works!, first pic is about 6.5 gallons, the next pic is about a 15 mile drive with another 10 gallons added.

I will add the filler didn't burp once when at the station, pump handle fully depressed, works for me!.

I bit of a problem on the way home it started idling rough so i started popping it in neutral at the stops, got it home and put a rock in front of the tire, fired it up and put it in gear, raised the idle about 100 rpm, then started readjusting the air fuel screws.

I noted there is a slight howling that i think is from the alternator when the tranny is in park, the sound disappeared when shifted to drive, it seemed to idle better when it wasn't howling. The second attempt when i was adjusting the carb with it in drive the whine was gone, then all the sudden the whine came back and the idle dropped about 150-200 rpm (by ear)

Now i'm a bit baffled as to what the problem is, I cant imagine the alternator causing the idle to drop, thinking back every time i welded on the truck i disconnected the battery negative but left the alternator wires on, is it possible i could have fried a diode? but how would that slow the idle suddenly? The battery gauge is reading good but i haven't had a chance to grab a multi meter to check battery charge (13.8-14.2)

Any ideas?

Looks good bud! Could be a bearing starting to pile up in your alternator... Would explain the noise and RPM drop at times. Hold a wood dowel or screwdriver on it... And stick your ear on the other end. Sounds hokey.. But works.

[swamp rat]

Before i drove to get gas i did a blinker check being as i had the bed off, If the blinkers work the brake lights work, they worked fine, so I went ahead and drove the truck to work today, home at midnight.

Woops! I neglected to check the tail lights and i had a blown taillight fuse, no tail lights and no dash lights, I did the headlight relay some time back so my headlights were fine.. Possibly due to a couple of uncovered trailer coupling wires that looked like they were touching... No spare fuses in the truck so about 13 miles home without tail lights, thankfully no cops to write me up.

[swamp rat]

My temporary exhaust is just way too loud, i almost ran down to the local muffler shop today to work in installing my new duals, then i thought that when the tranny and transfer case come out they may have to cut it so i figured I'd better back up a sec. I just called a transmission repair facility about rebuilding my tranny and reseal the transfer case, he said that it is possible that the exhaust may have to be cut out of the way, so i made an appt for Monday 8am.

Haven't said anything about it yet ( i don't think ) but the transfer case leaks pretty bad, the tranny is a bit tired and bangs a bit going into reverse, adjusting the modulator won't fix it, he mentioned something about a different pump may be necessary to stop the reverse banging, i'm no expert but i have been inside a Turbo 350 a couple times, have never heard about different pumps for these trannys.

Hopefully this will be the last of my mechanical repair for a while, i had decided long ago that i'm getting too old to pull the case and tranny out the bottom again, plus this way they can road test it before i get it back.

[swamp rat]

So while the neighbors are wasting there money on fireworks i'll just watch them and spend my money on the truck or tools.. We don't usually go anywhere for the 4th, don't wanna get hit by a drunk out on the road.

Today i removed the cab gas tank, i was surprised on the condition inside, no rust that i could see but a bit of a white film on the inner walls, way better than i thought, the pick up tube's mesh sock was still intact but looked like it was close to being due for a change. Until i fab a plate for the filler hole i just covered it with some aluminum tape.

I still have the original jack, jack handle in its wrap and lug wrench. I promptly knocked over my Coke in the truck right after this pic. LOL!

[swamp rat]

Figured now was the time to clean out the cab corners, i was surprised to find a thick layer of dense material that was poured in there and hardened, it wasn't stuck to it so bad that i couldn't remove it with a screwdriver. Is this common? i also had some seam sealer and it looked to be different material.

Until i can figure out how I'm gonna sand blast some of this i won't know for sure but i may be able to just weld a couple small pieces of filler on these corners.

I just hope the replacement panels i ordered for the rockers, kickers, floor ect are decent quality, the webpage didn't say what brand, but they were running a 20% off sale.

[swamp rat]

Lastly here are some pictures of the floor, i didn't buy complete floor pans but the ones that go about 4" in from the inner rocker. My thinking was i can always buy some flat steel if needed.

First 3 pic's are passenger side, last 2 are driver side.

A bit concerned about how to deal with the seam on the passenger floor. (2nd and 3rd pic)

The main floor still feels solid, just surface pitting, all the cab mounts appear to be solid.

I think this will be a good time to hit the floor with some muratic acid after i wire wheel it.

Any tips on this floor and or cab corners will be appreciated.

[Molberg]

What panels do you plan on replacing? I did cab supports, inner/outer rockers, cab corners, lower kick panels and floor pans. They're all connected... If any are questionable nows the time to tear em out. I used that full length outer floor pan/inner rocker piece. Worked great.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Any tips on this floor and or cab corners will be appreciated.

After doing two of these old haulers, my observation is that not all replacement panels are created equal. Tabco seems to make pretty good stuff, but selection is smaller. It seems a lot of "foreign sourced" panels are meant to lay over the existing rotted areas. They don't actually "replace" the panel unless you spend hours re-contouring them with sheetmetal tools. Hopefully you'll get some vendor suggestions from other forum members that have found good sources. No matter what you get, you'll probably have to make some "adjustments". But from what I've seen, you're up to the task.

[Molberg]

The panels I used were tri-plus.... Fit awesome. Outer rockers fit like factory.

[swamp rat]

Well Classic industries had a 20% off sale so i jumped on it, but i have no idea if the panels are Tabco, Tri-PLus or just plane ole junk as they don't list who makes the parts..

Molberg and Vic i would like to know what venders you use for the body parts.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Molberg

I used that full length outer floor pan/inner rocker piece. Worked great.

Can you find me a part number or link for this piece from a vender so i can know which part it is? Thanks.

I ordered these.

http://www.classicindustries.com/tru...ts/t71015.html

The 20% off go's till tomorrow. If you guys have any suggestions for what i may need list them so i can go look at the truck a little closer.

My order:
T70137 67-72 FRNT DR LWR PATCH PNL-RH Oversize 1 $19.99 $19.99
T70138 67-72 FRNT DR LWR PATCH PNL-LH Oversize 1 $19.99 $19.99
T70149 67-72 PU FRNT DR HINGE PLLR-LH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70150 67-72 PU FRNT DR HINGE PLLR-RH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70162 67-72 PU FT DR RCKR PNL-OEM-RH Oversize 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70984 67-72 CHEVY P/U FOOT WELL-LH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70985 67-72 CHEVY P/U FOOT WELL-RH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T71014 67-72 P/U OUTR FLR/INR RCKR LH UPS 1 $51.99 $51.99
T71015 67-72 P/U OUTR FLR/INR RCKR RH UPS 1 $51.99 $51.99

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Well Classic industries had a 20% off sale so i jumped on it, but i have no idea if the panels are Tabco, Tri-PLus or just plane ole junk as they don't list who makes the parts..

Molberg and Vic i would like to know what venders you use for the body parts.

I've used several and would agree the Tri-Plus are usually good quality. Tabco can be found online here ...not that I'm shilling for them. I've had less luck with CounterParts, but the thing is, on any given day operator error or a die malfunction can cause even a normally good part to turn out crappy. In many cases, the tooling is long past its useful life. Not much you can do about that ...garbage in garbage out.

[swamp rat]

The main part of my floor is a little pitted as mentioned earlier, but it feels solid, hit it with a screwdriver tip and it won't faze it, would you guys replace it anyway? I think its probably still stronger than what a replacement panel would be due to its thickness.

[Molberg]

My dealings with these trucks usually means front and rear cab supports, inner and out rockers, cab corners, lower front pillars and outer floor pan area along the inner rocker. I made patches for my floor pan as required. Then the doors. Lol.

[Mustard72]

All of the panels I used were from LMC. I replaced basically everything, including the entire floor on the bottom 10" or so of the cab. It all required work to fit. Guys with skills like Vic use body tools and can make poorly made parts look real nice. Guys with skills like mine use a ball peen hammer and a block of wood make poorly made body panels look like they were hammered into place. But it's solid again. I think the wide assembly tolerances used back when GM made these trucks can make or break the fit of a patch panel, and probably vice versa. Sometimes folks get lucky and part just line up. If I had to do it again, I'd probably think real hard about using the Tabco stuff. If nothing else, it's made here in the good old USA.

[Molberg]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=6407080
Scroll through this if you can. Helped airbrushguy this past winter through same repair. I've heard top banana supplies tri plus

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

The main part of my floor is a little pitted as mentioned earlier, but it feels solid, hit it with a screwdriver tip and it won't faze it, would you guys replace it anyway? I think its probably still stronger than what a replacement panel would be due to its thickness.

My experience with the floor - aside from patch panel quality - is that the braces under the floor can be tough to work around. On mine, some were okay, some needed repair and some needed replacement. All are spotwelded in and while you can remove the floor above them by cutting the spots, the new panel will be hard to clamp and weld to the supports. Not impossible but a bit of a test. If the existing factory parts are structurally sound and can be saved with minor repairs, I'd probably keep them.