1957 Chevy truck re-rebuild

[Stepside Jim]

Thanks for checking in Guys, it's always nice getting feed back.

daveshilling, brought up Zip ties, oh yeah, it would be so easy to just zip tie everything. I try to stay away from them being my go to fix. As long as I can plan the project I prefer to build brackets and use stronger /more permanent clamps to hold things.

But since we're on zip ties, on some projects I don't have the choice but to use zip ties. But since I know I have to use them I do have a way to make them more permanent and actually use them along with round steel tubing cut in half and welded to a plate that is bolted to the frame to create a solid support and help angle the direction of the lines.

In the pic below, of which is not my truck, I had multiple braided lines, battery cable, and fuel lines to run through a triangular opening in this frame. Once done, every thing was secure and nothing was rubbing on sharp edges.

Looking forward of that there are 2 black braided hoses be redirected along with being secured to a bracket.

This pic was taken during the fit up stage, there will be more zip ties in the vacant areas and the brackets will be painted ect.

Ok, just wanted to show an option for zip ties.

[dsraven]

I have a love/hate relationship with zip ties. they have their place and I love them for that, but, as a mechanic I can't tell you how many times I have sliced a hand or a forearm on a zip tie that has the tag end cut off but not totally cut off. leaving that nice rasor sharp bit sticking out right where your hand or forearm needs to slide past.
when wiring they can be great as a temporary loose loop to string wires through as you add circuits and build a harness. I use the zip ties with the added screw hole so it can be secured with a screw or a magnet to a spot where a harness clamp will be placed when done. the loop is left large so it will hold the harness in place but allow the wires to slip as required. then, when the circuits are done, the zip ties can be tightened up to hold the harness in a shape to fit the contours of where it is going to be secured, the screw or whatever is removed and the harness is taken out of the area and can be either taped or placed in a loom of your choice. as the tape or loom shielding comes to the spot where a cable tie is located that spot can be either taped help hold the shape or simply strung into the loom after the zip tie is removed.

[Stepside Jim]

Time sure passes by quick. As I've been working on the gas tank, one thing has been on my mind... weight distribution.

The front of the truck, over the 8 years, has sagged slightly, perhaps a 1/2 inch or so. The truck sits at a front downward angle. Everybody tells me it looks great to them but it's my truck so I installed a slightly stronger set of front coil springs, grrrrr I hate dealing with coil springs.

The front had to be attended to because I'm adding a very short 1/4 inch thick leaf to the rear springs. This leaf addition raised the rear about 5/8 inch. If I now put my body weight, around 170 pounds, on the rear bumper, I can squat the rear of the truck 1/2 inch. When I put the truck together I removed a leaf or two, it rides nice. If I would have left the spring stock, the extra weight probably wouldn't matter.

Why is this relevant? The truck has a cab tank now, 16 gallons, the weight of a full tank is distributed between the front axle and the rear axle.

This new tank, 20 gallons, over 120 pounds full is 100 percent on the rear axle. Long story short, I hope I've pre-thought the situation and acted accordingly to solve the stance of the truck before it's even an issue.

Couple pics of progress, putting gas in the tank should be relatively easy and hopefully without dripping gas on the bed. Lowering the tailgate, is easy, and I just installed new polished stainless linkage from Mar-k, they look great.

Plan is, drop tailgate, open lid, remove gas cap, bring in the nozzle, tip sideways, gas er up. No going over the bed side, no going over the tailgate.

I used the small polished aluminum opening cover. Pretty much too small to get your fingers in to twist the cap off. I welded on a vertical flat on the cap, easy to remove now. I went with the small opening because I didn't want to weaken the wood it fits into.

When installing the polished flip cover they don't give much space for bolting it down so I made a plate to bolt to, then welded a small tab to attach the cover opener/closer thing.

[Stepside Jim]

I've been taking care of many other odds and ends on the truck so I haven't put gas in the new tank yet.

One thing I did is install the factory style headliner and the most pathetic design of a retaining rubber piece. I attempted this project before, this time I decided I was going to win, nearly 6 hours later I won. I'd like to know how this was installed at the factory going down the assembly line? I did make a tool that I could pull the metal lip down to get the proper opening to fit the rubber into, it helped a lot.

Since we talked about zip ties and I prefer to stay away from them, I do however enjoy making brackets. If I can make them for my exact purpose and still look like an original piece, mission accomplished. If I can, I will weld the nuts on the backside to make the assembly easier, even these little number 10 screws. I ran the braided lines under from the frame, to the floor then over the bell housing, next to the distributor to the regulator. It's a clean look, all well supported and I plan on installing A.C. sometime, so I still have space for the compressor.

We touched on the tank vent line and how I make a support on the back of the tank where the line snaps into. From that point the line goes into the rear inner fender opening and I made brackets to support it as high up as I can.

The top aluminum piece is a safety check valve and was a screened opening on the hidden side. I like to put a fuel filter in also, mainly to keep the tank from freely breathing when it sits in a garage, I find it helps keep the garage from smeeling like gas.

[Stepside Jim]

I can say so far the tank making, mounting, plumbing, ect is working great.

The gas gauge reads full til the level drops, then reads fine til time for fill up. It's not as sensitive as the old style was when braking or turning.

Fill up is easy, drop the tailgate, open the lid, unscrew the cap. I can visually see the level of gas as it's filling.

It does not put off any noticeable gas smell in the shop when sitting with the garage doors closed.

The only sound the pump makes is a slight humming sound when turned on and that's only without the engine running to hear that.

Dialing in the regulator was a breeze.

Now, I am old school, I prefer to be independent. I can't help myself. Yes, that is a fuel pump mounted on the frame rail. I always carry a spare HEI distributor and a spare fuel pump in the cab.

I still carry the HEI distributor in the cab, but I now carry a spare fuel pump back by the gas tank. It's plug in is fitted to plug into the power supply going to the in-tank pump. The fuel lines that are attached to the spare pump are cut and have the proper ends to pull gas from the return line fitting that goes to the bottom of the tank. The outlet of the spare pump is cut to length and has the proper fitting to thread onto the line going to the regulator.

I have the threaded caps to close the open fittings to keep dirt out. Flip the switch and I should be rolling down the road.

No, the bypass line won't work off the regulator now but the pump is only 7 pounds, I won't need a bypass. If I need to bypass the regulator all together, I'll run the inlet line to the regulator directly to the carb inlet.

With all that spare pump work, I sure hope I never have to use it.

[dsraven]

have you been stuck on the side of the road due to a fuel pump issue? dunno why i would ask, lol.
now that is some forethought, not even really gonna get dirty if the in tank pump fails and you gotta switch. you did forget to bag up a tarp and hang it under there with a rip cord to release it so you have something to lay on if need be, haha.
the underhood pic that show the regulator munting, curious if the reg mount is bolted down in more than a single spot, otherwise vibration may eventually cause a failure that has potential to be catastrophic. once set you could also remove the reg gauge to remove another failure point that could spew fuel all over the hot shiny parts.

[6DoF]

holy belt n suspenders batman! only people i've ever seen do that are endurance racers.

[Stepside Jim]

dsraven, I think you know the answer as to if I ever had a fuel pump fail, yup.

Two times, same car, it's my daily driver, 43 year old Pontiac with a 305 Chevy motor. The first fail I had to wait over night to get it going, second time, with no A C compressor in the way, 20 minutes I was back and running again. The Ignition failed once, in 20 minutes I was back and running again.

Although my insurance has road side service, I find that once I loose control of most any situation, like watching my truck, being on a flat bed, stupid crap seems to happen and things don't go my way. I'm a victim.

If I can fix and be on my way, what a great feeling of beating the situation.

As I made the regulator bracket I used 14 gauge flat steel. The regulator came with a mounting plate, it has 4 bolts and it fully straddles the bottom of the regulator. I welded my flat to the mount and fitted and drilled and mounted. Stood back and decided stronger would be better.

I was thinking, I better make it stronger so the fittings stay solid and not leak fuel on my shiny aluminum.

By adding the 90 degree front 3/8 inch edge really firmed it up.

Pictures are always nice, here's one hiding the spare pump.

[Stepside Jim]

The last four months have been all about taking care of the big and small odds and ends that while driving, takes away from the enjoyment of the drive.

The toughest issues are the ones that happen now and then but they don't stick in your mind when the truck is in the shop.

This issue happened, I remembered, now it's fixed and the truck seems more refined just going down the road. The issue being the hood flapping in the wind at the rear center area. This happens at highway speed driving into a wind and especially on a two lane road and oncoming traffic.

I never drove this truck before the restoration, I never experienced the hood issue. I only read other people writing about it. While doing body work I was concerned about it being an issue because the hood was weak while sanding so I did come up with a fix, a brace that would reach from front to back and along the way, support the weak zone.

I learned a single 4 inch area of support would not solve the problem, I found two legs would solve want we would call the ''oil can '' issue. I cut a brace from 1/8' steel, fitted it and mounted it. It sure did the job but I did not like the weight of the brace.

Fast forward to now when my aluminum capabilities are much better and with aluminum, the weight issue is solved. Trying to bend 6061 aluminum in the pan break is a pain, it holds its flat shape. This told me it would be perfect for the brace. I cut the brace and forced the bends making rounded bends, and made the brace follow the underside of the hood at about 1/8" gap where the contact to the hood would be.

Using 1/4" foam rubber I hole cut to open where the brace has holes and added a few more holes so the foam rubber would have equal give it's whole length.

Unless one is looking for the brace it's not seen and the benefit is, even without high speed and winds that braceless hood is buffeting and sending a vibration through out the cab that I didn't realize til it was gone.

Now I've seen people build a brace that rises up off the under hood X brace. One, I don't think it centers at the weakest part of the hood and two, I can't use the X brace, my air filter is too high.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by Stepside Jim

...

I used the small polished aluminum opening cover. Pretty much too small to get your fingers in to twist the cap off. I welded on a vertical flat on the cap, easy to remove now. I went with the small opening because I didn't want to weaken the wood it fits into.

When installing the polished flip cover they don't give much space for bolting it down so I made a plate to bolt to, then welded a small tab to attach the cover opener/closer thing.

great modification to improve a mass-produced part

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by Stepside Jim

I did make a tool that I could pull the metal lip down to get the proper opening to fit the rubber into, it helped a lot.

We may all need to see the tool and how you use it, if this is a common struggle!

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by Stepside Jim

I can't use the X brace, my air filter is too high.

That sounds to ME like you have gained an opportunity to make a custom brace that perfectly surrounds your air cleaner.

I had a truck with a missing brace and using the hood was awful... never again.