Making that new ride reliable

[dccarpenter]

In my ongoing compulsive car acquisition spree I'm thinking of adding another truck to my barely functional current 3. I've endured much scorn from my girlfriend, friends, relatives, and others regarding my vehicles and their roadworthiness or lack thereof.

Let's say the cost of parts was not a question(and an engine swap was prohibitive due to time, location, etc..) what would you do to make a new 'old' truck to the family as reliable as possible?

My goal is essentially to make the new truck as reliable as possibly can be, granted things occasionally break on their own but the goal being to minimize the chances of problems. The cost in missed days of work and storage/tows on these things is what kills me more than buying the parts..the parts tend to be quite cheap.

I'm thinking if I perform all of the following tasks then with a stout enough engine I should be good to go, granted I may be tossing some good parts out unnecessarily I figure the peace of mind factor may make up for it. Any additional items to add? My goal is to get 2 years of 10K mile/year use without anything but fluid change type maintenance, that should keep my girlfriend off my back about the old trucks, so I can then buy more and frustrate her again.

Replace
* Oil and filter
* Spark plugs and wires
* Distributor changed to HEI
* Ignition Coil
* Rear end fluid
* Alternator/Starter
* Tires
* Brake shoes, wheel cylinders, drums turned
* Master cylinder
* Shocks
* Leaf springs re-arched
* Belts/Hoses
* Radiator flush/fill
* PCV valve, fuel filter
* Body mounts, motor mounts, transmission mount

[Copytron]

well, i just did this the other day and it got me wondering how many people actually do this. I cut open my oil filter and inspected it with a 10x magnifying glass and a flashlight. Luckily i didn't find anything, which is good cause I was concerned. I have only owned the truck for a few weeks and you never know how people really treat them.

[highperf4x4]

2 things I would certainly add is a coolant flush and refill with a new thermostat and change the tranny fluid and filter (but don't flush). I'd also inspect ball joints, tie rod ends, etc.

[Trip59]

I'm anxious to hear as well, I just bought a new truck and am trying to put together a list. I'm as of now planning:

Swapping out TH350 (squishy and leaks) with a 4 speed that was fresh built, new clutch and machined flywheel.

Pulling all wheels this weekend (before driving) and inspecting brakes and bearings, replacing as needed.

Oil change, Air filter change (carb only has couple thou on an off the shelf reman)

Diff gasket (possibly pinion seal) and lube.

Radiator was just flushed and filled and is actually a new replacement with only a few thousand miles.

Found out three wheels are the same and a 4th is different, so I have a set of rims from the shed, planning new tires in a week or two.

Shocks are a little soft, but I may be dropping it next month so I'm holding off.

Checking all lighting and repairing some sketchy switches.

Next are comfort and 'ought to's

Installing new ignition and door locks (door locks don't work). ANYONE HAVE A FAVORITE SOURCE?

Rebuilding the seat with a cheapy cover until I redo the interior.

Next on the list is new rubber around doors and windows, as they're shot, but I'm waiting till I start stripping the paint, will re-rubber on the primer and then next year when I paint.



Trip

[67ChevyRedneck]

Don't buy another truck and take the money you would have spent to get the other(s) running properly, that would shut everyone up. Girl would be happy you don't have "another one" and your family can kiss it when you get your trucks going properly again

...ORRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

sell everything you have now and buy one that someone has already gone through. Like a 3-5K home built truck with a new/rebuilt motor/trans, they're out there.

[OARNGESI]

Id add in fuel pump and filter possibly get the tank cleaned and check all your wiring from one end to the other 40 year old wiring can lead to really costly repairs

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by dccarpenter

In my ongoing compulsive car acquisition spree I'm thinking of adding another truck to my barely functional current 3. I've endured much scorn from my girlfriend, friends, relatives, and others regarding my vehicles and their roadworthiness or lack thereof.

Let's say the cost of parts was not a question(and an engine swap was prohibitive due to time, location, etc..) what would you do to make a new 'old' truck to the family as reliable as possible?

My goal is essentially to make the new truck as reliable as possibly can be, granted things occasionally break on their own but the goal being to minimize the chances of problems. The cost in missed days of work and storage/tows on these things is what kills me more than buying the parts..the parts tend to be quite cheap.

I'm thinking if I perform all of the following tasks then with a stout enough engine I should be good to go, granted I may be tossing some good parts out unnecessarily I figure the peace of mind factor may make up for it. Any additional items to add? My goal is to get 2 years of 10K mile/year use without anything but fluid change type maintenance, that should keep my girlfriend off my back about the old trucks, so I can then buy more and frustrate her again.

Replace
* Oil and filter
* Spark plugs and wires
* Distributor changed to HEI
* Ignition Coil
* Rear end fluid
* Alternator/Starter
* Tires
* Brake shoes, wheel cylinders, drums turned
* Master cylinder
* Shocks
* Leaf springs re-arched
* Belts/Hoses
* Radiator flush/fill
* PCV valve, fuel filter
* Body mounts, motor mounts, transmission mount

Oil and filter yes. Then do it every 3000 - 5000 miles depending on your driving style.
Spark plugs and wires yes. Gap your new plugs to .045 (.030 until you do HEI).
HEI. Yes.
Ignition coil. NO. It is part of your HEI upgrade. The coil is on top of your new distributor.
Rear end grease. Yes. Probably first time in a long time if ever. If you have posi make sure to add the posi additive.
Leave the starter and alternator alone. MOST of the Checkers Store rebuilds are crap. Changing out to one of them may LOWER your perceived reliability factor.
Tires. Check them for wear. Replace if/when necessary.
Brakes. Inspect the shoes on the rear and pads or shoes on the front depending on if you have disk brakes or drums. If you have drums, putting on a power disk brake setup will help lots with how others perceive your truck. In other words when your girlfriend is texting her way through DC traffic in your truck, looks up and needs to get on the binders, disk brakes will bring her to a stop a whole lot faster than the drums.
Also, flush your brake fluid. Yes I said flush your brake fluid. There is a good chance it is 40 years old. Use a turkey baster or similar tool to suck old fluid out of the master cylinder - being careful not to suck it below the ports in there. Throw that old stuff away. Fill with new. Then run around to each wheel and bleed the brakes until clear fluid comes out.
Master cylinder - again only replace if you notice symptoms of it not working properly.
Shocks - inspect. Replace if necessary.
Springs - inspect. Replace if necessary.
Belts and hoses. Replace them all. Toss the old ones in a box along with a gallon or two of mixed 50/50 anti-freeze. Box goes in bed for long trips.
Radiator - yes. Flush. The proper way to fill it after a flush is to fill with 1/2 the quantity stated in the owners manual of UNMIXED anti-freeze. Then with the cap off the radiator, fill the rest of the way with straight WATER. Start the truck - cap still off the radiator. After the truck is up to operating temperature - coolant constantly flowing through the radiator, fill to the top with straight WATER. Put on the cap. And you're done. Now you've burped the system and you know the mix is exactly 50/50.
PCV valve. Inspect. Replace if necessary.
Fuel filter. If it makes you feel better replace it.
I'd also toss in a new air filter and new breather element.
Body mounts. Step back from the truck. If the beauty line in the lower part of the bed doesn't line up with the line on the cab. Replace the mounts.
Motor mounts. Inspect. Replace if necessary.
Transmission mount. On my 4x4 the transfer case/tranny are mounted by bolting the metal transfer case adapter to the metal crossmember. There is nothing to wear out there. If you have a 2wd auto, there might be a tranny mount back by the tail of the tranny. I've never owned a 2wd truck but on my rear wheel drive cars of this vintage there is a mount back there. I'd inspect it and replace it if worn.

If I did all of the above to a truck or car I'd be willing to take it ANY place in the country. There isn't much else you can do to make it more reliable.

[dccarpenter]

Thanks for the replies, gives me some confidence in my plan going forward.

As for fixing my existing ones..one is actually complete, one is one part away, and the other ..welll we won't talk about it. Unfortunately none of them are the mix of exactly what I want, just had bought them all as temporary rides. Hoping to get better mileage, 4x4, and a standard transmission in the next truck, the existing are all missing one element or another of that group.

[chas350]

x2 on the brake fluid flush.
I would also consider the water pump.
What about gaskets and seals? As you probably know, the 2 piece rear main seal on a small block Chevy is not a good design and is pron to leaking. The valve cover, oil pan and intake are also leak spots. Gasket makers have muck better products avail now compared to the multi-piece cork junk used by the OEM.

[Tx Firefighter]

I'll put the trucks I build up next to anyone's on reliability. Over the years I have developed my own way of doing things. A lot of this comes from my background of being an airplane mechanic where reliability is paramount.

Every truck I build get the following at a minimum:

-new fuel pump and all new rubber fuel lines with a new filter inline
-gas tank cleaned and lined with POR15
-New water pump, upper and lower hoses, heater hoses, and thermostat. Radiator gets looked at real close for clogging or leaks, rebuilt if necessary
-New brake linings on all wheels, all 3 new brake hoses and master cylinder. Service wheel bearings too.
-I rebuild my own starter and alternator using either Borg Warner or Delco parts
- 3 new battery cables, positive, negative, and ground from engine block to frame
-All new bulbs front to rear including dash lights
-Replace all fuses in fuse box with proper amperage rated new fuses, cleaning all contacts
-Change rearend fluid, make sure the differential breather is clear of obstructions

The following items are inspected very closely and replaced if any doubt about their condition...

Suspension ball joints, bushings, tie rod ends, idler and pitman arms, shocks and springs. New lug studs for any that are not perfect. Any and all leaks repaired front to rear, trans, P/S, engine

To illustrate this, I built a 72 short stepside about 7 years ago and drove it 100k miles as an everyday commuter without a single mechanical issue during that time. It started and drove every single day, never leaked a drop of any fluid, and every single thing worked on it. All I did for 100k miles was oil changes on 3k mile intervals and 1 set of tires.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I'll put the trucks I build up next to anyone's on reliability. Over the years I have developed my own way of doing things. A lot of this comes from my background of being an airplane mechanic where reliability is paramount.

What a coincidense.

I make airplane parts whose loss of function is viewed by the FAA as catastrophic. Failure of the thing I make would prevent continued safe flight and/or landing.

I too would put vehicles I maintain up against anybody's on reliability. I gave my last daily driver to a needy family after I took it from new to 284,000 miles. It never once left me on the side of the road.

Another item not on anybody's list is the timing chain. On a small block V8 they are pretty stretched at 100,000 miles. If a guy did one of them every 100,000, and all the other stuff mentioned in this post, there isn't much else you can do.

Maybe change the fluid and filter in your auto tranny. Drain and fill your straight stick if so equipped. If its a straight stick you may want to inspect the clutch every 3 oil changes or so.

I use the airplane analogy all the time. If everybody maintained their cars like the FAA requires you to maintain your aircraft, EVERYBODY would routinely get 300,000 out of their vehicles. Up here in the rust belt - provided you maintain it - you're usually limited by time on the road verses miles. The bodies usually rust out long before the mechanical stuff wears out.

[Copytron]

small world guys, I'm in school to get my A&P now. Since i have only had my truck for about 3 weeks, i guess i need to make a list and just keep marking things off till everything is tip top.

[57larry]

I drive mine every day to work & back. get a new girl friend who likes trucks

[cparman]

someone posted that you sell down , and buy one nice truck. This make sense to me. Me on the other hand bought my truck Dec.07. Drove it 550 miles home, and was making a list in my head as to what it needs to be a DD. I converted to HEi, and a 4 BBl carb as soon as I got it home. The intent was a 700r4 trans, and continued with a list of what it needs until I was satisfied that I could let my wife drive my truck. She will drive it, but I just don't want to hear why she ------, well you guys know. I have over 7000 miles on my 69 since I decided it was ok to go anywhere. I guess I would suggest that you make a list of " what it needs " to all of your fleet. Figure out which one is the most capable of being your DD, and sell one or two to get you to where you want to be. As ALOT of guys on this board will agree with though " IT'S CHEAPER TO BUY ONE THAN RESTORE ONE" I just aint that smart, and still love workin on my stuff. Had to replace the fuel pump on the 69 a couple of months ago. Did it at home, turned on the stereo in my garage, got all ready, everything went well, was disappointed it did not take longer. I love my truck.

[Sammy]

Brake hoses were mentioned. Even axle seals. You might add replacing all the brake lines front to rear especially if they are still original.

[highperf4x4]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm








Now listen here. I jerked this thing out of it's 4 year sink hole in another state and drug it home and got it to fire with some new gas and an old battery. Then I took care of ALL of the IMPORTANT stuff. Tinted window, mags, exhaust, stereo, bucket seats and my fantastic proportioning valve is doing it's absolute best at bypassing the rear brakes which can't seem to hold their fluid.

That's what I call "roadworthy"

So.................................. how about them apples?

[oldblue1968chevy]

good thread

anyone mention battery and all rubber hoses (think rubbers have been mentioned already)

windshield wipers/and make sure they work
heater controls possibly

[dccarpenter]

I'm very glad some of you folks have chimed in, I hadn't even thought of the timing chain and water pump, I'll definitely consider those.

I had been somewhat reluctant to do the gaskets as it can be a lot of work getting at them..especially the oil pan when you are beneath it on the ground but it might be worth sucking it up and doing them.

I'm going to try and finish up the 1 last nagging issue on my dually tomorrow before the snow, I've got it up for sale so hopefully that'll happen and bring some cash in for new projects.