Pieces

[Palf70Step]

More progress but no pictures. The wife came up and stole the camera (dang visiting relatives ).

Anyways, I tore down the tilt column to rebuild it. what a P-A-I-N! Good thing I had patience and the right tools. I don't remember who had it years ago, but God Bless you for the step by step (and pictures) directions for doing this. Now to clean it up, paint it (after I fix a few nicks and scratches made on the dis-assembly), and put her together

Now I gotta cook. Happy Turkey Day y'all!

[VA72C10]

Happy thanksgiving. you're rolling on the progress updates. keep at it. I will be back on mine next week.

[Alan's Classic]

Pics, or it didn't happen. Happy Turkey Day

[Palf70Step]

OK Alan, proof I took it apart

Today I started cleaning up the pieces

All the internals had a light coating of rust, so I started with the shift tube, then I started stripping the outer pieces.

The cast column piece had some damage,and deep scratches, so some JB Weld will hopefully allow me to use it with out having to find another piece

[Palf70Step]

I have most of the outer tube parts stripped and primed. I still need to do some more work on the cast shifter housing before paint.

While things dried, I inspected all the inner parts. The upper and lower bearings seemed good so I cleaned and repacked them. I'll clean off the corrosion off the main shaft tomorrow if I get time to play again.

I didn't really think the tilt column would be this complicated/pain to get apart and cleanup, so I hope it all comes out good after all this messing around. Of course what job ever is as simple as we hope it to be.

[67ChevyRedneck]

My tilt is still in the garage about 1/4 apart. I got "stuck." I don't think I've messed with it in a couple years.

[lclippard]

very nice work, i'll be keeping up on this one for sure

[Palf70Step]

Did some work on the tilt again. I was not pleased with the way the collar came out (strength wise), so I cleaned it up and did some JB weld on it. Even with the shop being heated it wasn't quite warm enough for the JB weld to cure right, so I took it down to the house and baked it at 250 degrees, for about an hour. The JB weld set up good and firm this time. Oh yeah, the wife was NOT at home while I did this. However, she got home and wondered why the piece was sitting on the stove (cooling). Needless to say, she thought I was .

I had to use a bit of glazing putty on it, but the shop heater did it OK. Now she is primed and waiting for some warmer weather to get painted with the rest of the pieces.

[Palf70Step]

Patched two holes yesterday on the cab floor I had when I was thinking about using bucket seats instead of the late-model bench. Today it got some eastwood to seal things up.

I need some painting weather!!

[67ChevyRedneck]

Quit blaming the weather

You'll definitely beat me on one thing Bill, My tilt is still in pieces...

[marks1972]

Hey Bill. Have you made any more progress?

Mark

[Palf70Step]

Yes Mark, I have in fact made a little progress.

I painted the tilt column pieces and mostly reassembled it. I am missing a few special screws, so it will be a week or so till I get the missing items in (then I will probably find the old ones).

This tilt-column has been a challenge using only the info from the board, which was very good, Just a few little items I should have though of.

Remember, always but the two rubber seals and the plate to hold it against the firewall BEFORE, you assemble the inner, outer housing and collar. They don't go on otherwise which means you get to disassemble it again. Ask me how I know

[Alan's Classic]

Nice work Bill, maybe I should start a thread on lessons learned working on these old trucks. I would have at least 10 pages worth.

[SOON2BLAZE]

good job! any chance you want to start a faq on how to rebuild one of these? I'm going to tear into mine next week.

[Palf70Step]

I am planning on putting one together. I just have to get all my notes and pictures together.

[Palf70Step]

I do not know who originally posted or who I got these from on the board, but they sure helped me a lot when doing my tilt. It's a fair bit different than a car tilt.


I did find having this tool is critical

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUN-7889

I guess you could make one, but I had heard a number of folks ruining the pins with homemade tools.

My schedule won't allow me to put together a good how too for a week or so, so hopefully those of you that are trying this can make sense from these photos like I did.

Some quick notes about the pictures and what Iran into.
My column set exposed to the elements for a while, so it had a lot of surface corrosion, so some of the things I had to modify

Picture 1. I could not use a gear puller, it jut kept pulling the lip out. I had to use a small blade screw driver and some PB blaster. I had to tap it out from the edge between the cover and column collar

Picture 5 - again corrosion played a factor. I hand to put the column in a vice and use a block of wood to tap (beat) the collar off the inner tube. Using a socket to try and tap the tube through only fubar'd the end of the tube up.

[Palf70Step]

This also filled in the gaps

[Palf70Step]

Funny how things roll. Been reading how others change course in their builds and all, thought I am glad I finally got myself focused forward to get mine on the road.

Then I started thinking, did I do right changing from a stepside to a fleet side (this one is NOT going back to a 6). This was especially true after a meeting withj a bunch of board from from Louisanna. I sorta wished I had kept the stepside of the original truck. Well the opportunity came and I decided to go with it. I swapped my fleet bed out for a completed stepside bed.

I really like the color of the bed, so I'll try and get the paint matched and paint the cab to match the bed. The taillights in the bed are from a 70 Malibu.

The bed came with with a roll pan and under bed tank. The tank I'll use at first, but will probably get a larger tank made for it. This one by calculations is only 13 gal.

Not sure about the roll pan yet either, I am more of a bumper man. I was hoping to mount the bed this weekend, but had some computer jobs.

I am going to check in two weeks about getting a paint code/mixture match for it and probably pick up some to start painting the cab.

So the crazy man goes yet with other ideas.

[charx2]

Wow, that bed is nice!

[Palf70Step]

Not a lot done. I put the bed on the so I can work up the stuff for the tank. MT plan is to mount the small 13 gal tank I have until I can get a custom tank made. I never got around to finish up measurements. I took a few pictures of it, but then I decided to clean things up around the shop so I didn't get much else done today.

[Palf70Step]

The stake tie downs are only temporary. They give me something to hook the cherry picker up to so I can get the bed on and off by myself.

My son donated his old bed spread for protection and to put the bed to sleep for the night.

Friday I go to look to get the paint matched so I can do the cab.

[bigguy69]

lookin good!!!!!!!

[67ChevyRedneck]

It's almost a truck again!!!!!!!!

[Palf70Step]

Finally finished putting the tilt back together. Everything is working smooth and just waiting for me to finish painting the interior so it can go in. Maybe by that time I'll find the horn ring/bearing piece I bought and evidently safely stored it "somewhere".

[Palf70Step]

Well it looked like a truck for a few weeks, now the parts come off so I can sand/prime/block paint the interior of the cab.

So off with the bed and doors