Restoring Rusty

[GRAY GOOSE]

Bummer!!! Really enjoyed following along with this build. I am working on a 86 Custom Deluxe. Have finished everything except under the hood. Still debating on whether to replace the 305 or just drive it until it has to be replaced. Put everything back stock except lowered the front 2 inches with springs and removed 2 spring leaves in the rear. Just can't figure out how to post photos. Not real good at this computer thing. Love driving it most every week.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by GRAY GOOSE

Bummer!!! Really enjoyed following along with this build. I am working on a 86 Custom Deluxe. Have finished everything except under the hood. Still debating on whether to replace the 305 or just drive it until it has to be replaced. Put everything back stock except lowered the front 2 inches with springs and removed 2 spring leaves in the rear. Just can't figure out how to post photos. Not real good at this computer thing. Love driving it most every week.

Cool, but I would dump the 305 and pull a used Vortec L31 350 from a 1999 Suburban and put a nice roller cam in it with a new intake manifold and a 650 cfm carb of your choice and enjoy the 300 hp

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by GRAY GOOSE

Updates ?

yes, we finally bought a house and moved AGAIN, I kid you not fourth house in three years, last night was the first night in the new house, Rusty did help in the move, a truck beats an SUV for loading and unloading things hands down

[Titomars]

Originally Posted by Gregski

yes, we finally bought a house and moved AGAIN, I kid you not fourth house in three years,

Damn Dude! You move as much as I normally do. Until my present location of 12 years, I never stayed in one place longer than 4 years. That includes growing up too. My parents moved every 4 to 5 years also. The 12 years in one place is only because it is work supplied.

[D13]

Good to see rusty soldiering along. I was thinking about you yesterday - I spend 3 hours disassembling and cleaning the shifter for one of my A833's I'm going to sell. Removed half a cup of grease and dirt out of the guts, and whaddya know, it moves! Total cost so far $3 mineral spirits and one dentist supplied tooth brush (I use electric ones so the freebies become parts cleaners).
My little back brain was saying 'Gregski would approve your low buck approach here'.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by D13

Good to see rusty soldiering along. I was thinking about you yesterday - I spend 3 hours disassembling and cleaning the shifter for one of my A833's I'm going to sell. Removed half a cup of grease and dirt out of the guts, and whaddya know, it moves! Total cost so far $3 mineral spirits and one dentist supplied tooth brush (I use electric ones so the freebies become parts cleaners).
My little back brain was saying 'Gregski would approve your low buck approach here'.

LMAO yup, well done mate, but did you use any paper towels? And I can see you one day using the electric toothbrush on your truck and the manual on your teeth!!!

[D13]

Originally Posted by Gregski

LMAO yup, well done mate, but did you use any paper towels? And I can see you one day using the electric toothbrush on your truck and the manual on your teeth!!!

Actually used the last towels off the roll and had to pull some from the box of better quality Scott paper shop rags! Plus totalled 2 tee shirts.
ANd my old electric toothbrush, that only holds a charge for a day, is in line for use on my next motor project...

[blazer2007]

would you happen to remember where your dash pad repair is

[GRAY GOOSE]

If you click on my avatar you can see what I started with. Don't know how it got there when I tried to upload photo of the Gray Goose when I bought it.

[Bennydog]

Just got through all 211 page... only took a week or so.. What a ride. Great work on your truck, love the attention to detail and elbow grease cranked up to 11. Learned a lot from you and all the other posters. Wish you the best!

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Bennydog

Just got through all 211 page... only took a week or so.. What a ride. Great work on your truck, love the attention to detail and elbow grease cranked up to 11. Learned a lot from you and all the other posters. Wish you the best!

thank you for reading, unfortunately my computer hard drive did not survive our last house move and I lost all of my Rusty project pictures thank goodness all the best pics I posted to this forum to be preserved on the line for eternity

once I settle in I have a couple more tasks to do before we will be done with Rusty, step side bed conversion, POSI rear end, etc.

[smpoulin01]

Just a thought Greg - You might be able to re-save the pics you posted in this thread.

[Ratman74]

subscribed... I have enjoyed reading this thread.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Ratman74

subscribed... I have enjoyed reading this thread.

thanks for the feedback, we are not done just yet, since Rusty become my daily driver in March we have almost clocked 10,000 miles on it, but creature comforts come calling, so I had to hook up my heater core, but when I did that I started smelling coolant in the cab and sure enuff saw some leakage down the passenger side floor board so I unhooked it and am waiting for a free weekend to swap the heater core out for a new one, stay tuned

oh, Injury Report, blew out my MCL in my right knee a few weeks ago, AWESUM!!! no idea how it happened didn't bump it on anything, did not twist it in any way

[Bennydog]

double post

[rusty76]

Sucks about the knee. We seem to be on the same wavelength. I’ve been have some problems with my knees but that’s what I get for getting just a little older. I had to replace the heater core in my truck when I first got it. It was fun. Take care.

[Gregski]

so watched Rusty turn over 10,000 miles on the newly rebuilt engine, feels good fellas, for all of you out there getting close to having your projects driveable it is such a wonderful feeling once you can drive them, they may rattle, shake, squeak and leak but they are moving, its great

[Gregski]

alright, I think this may be the first project in our new house, new garage, my garage, LOL (the wife gets the single car garage on the opposite side of the house, win win)

so we got a leaking heater core on my '74 non AC 2WD, so how do we get the old heater core out

I went after mine from the inside of the cab, my glove box was already wiggly so it came out for better visability, not sure you have to remove yours but it helps

correct me if I am wrong, but there are 3 fasteners on the inside of the cab that need to be undone

in addition there are 4 fasteners in the engine bay on the firewall, we will get to those later

the three inside the cabin are as follow, there is a screw on the passenger side of the heater core assembly

[Gregski]

the second fastener to be undone inside the cab is the support rod neighbooring the ashtray, just down and to the right (it has a corresponding nut inside the engine bay, it's one of the four fasteners to undo there, maybe one that is overlooked as it is not directly attached to the heater core assembly like the other three studs)

[Gregski]

alright, one more tiny little screw on the inside of the cab, this one is hidden directly behind the ashtray, thank you General Motors, the German intern must have designed it's location, LOL

I slid the ashtray out as you would to dump the ashes of your Cuban cigar, then using a long extension I think a 1/4" socket was used to remove that pesky little guy

this tiny screw holds the heater core assembly to the upper vent housing, it's just enough to keep you from being able to remove the lower heater core assembly, so it must be undone, or you risk cracking plastic and you can kiss your concourse de elegance resto goodbye, ha ha

[Gregski]

I believe in all the excitement I forgot to take fresh pictures of the three studs which pertrude out the firewall inside the engine bay in triangle formation, I will take a pic of them upon re assembly

which brings us to the Fun Level meter, on a scale of 1-11 I give this job a solid 4.5 (factoring the cooler time of the year and the fact that I waited to do this job until the first rainy weekend of the season, lol)

[Gregski]

provided you loosened all the 7 fasteners, 3 inside the cab and the 4 under the hood, now you may commence the wrestling match with said opponent

I found that if you are not going for style points you can get the heater core out of the assembly without undoing any of the cables, you can gently flip it on it's back and tickle its belly

[Matt Man]

Looks like a Harrison core, I held on to mine just in case I ever have the money to have it re cored one day.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Matt Man

Looks like a Harrison core, I held on to mine just in case I ever have the money to have it re cored one day.

yeah, my seems pretty nice and solid like it has some quality to it, I may try to braise the leak, I am sure the replacement one will be a flimzy China plastic one

[Matt Man]

Originally Posted by Gregski

yeah, my seems pretty nice and solid like it has some quality to it, I may try to braise the leak, I am sure the replacement one will be a flimzy China plastic one

If it helps, I put a spectra "premium" heater core in from pepboys and it was good for the 2 years it was in my truck before I put the vintage air in. My unit was all aluminum.