Bubba's recycling project

[bubba327]

Thanks rbar! Welcome to the forum!
Kinda funny how things work out. Glad you passed up on it.
It still has a long way to go to be a really nice ride, But the most important thing to a high school driver is that it stops and goes and has a cranking sound system. If it were stellar and finished she could not afford the insurance.
The body and paint still needs done but I wanted it to be reliable and SAFE to drive first.
My Chevelle is tucked in for the winter under a soft cover, and the truck is sitting out in the snow.
Parts of it are a little rusty but I know it will make it a few more years that way.
We can finish it in a few weekends now.
Bubba

[bubba327]

Santa came early this year , Maybe cuz I have been really good!!!
It is painted silver but has lots of runs and drips , I always wanted a offenhauser intake!!
You gotta love E-bay.---- The guy Had a "buy it now" option at a great price and it had only been listed less than 2 hours. I was the second view!! I grabbed it.
I have a non heated clifford intake listed on E-bay now for sale and it's current bid is almost Twice what I paid for the Offenhauser and it still has 5 days left! Yippee!
Kinda rare to be making money on these old trucks for a change.....

[daverod]

Maybe the heavy paint is to cover the bondo. Just kiddin. Get that thing on there. Does it need headers?

[bubba327]

Does bondo smell bad when it burns off???? I never inhaled before......
The offenhauser bolts up to the stock exhaust manifold and uses the heat riser box. Or If you have headers the riser box has a optional water heater that can bolt in to warm things up. I am just going to use the stock Exhaust for now

Dave, What jets do you have in your 390CFM Holley 4160?? Did you have to change them from stock???

[daverod]

You sound like Clinton. Me nether.Stock jets? I'm not sure it has jets. Maybe just no jet on the secondarys.

[AmmoSS]

Looks good! So do you have your work cut out for you for Christmas vacation?

[bubba327]

Holidays are now over, the In-laws are gone back to Yuma, the College football bowl season is about over.

Time to get back to work.. First.. clean the garage and get the truck inside.
That took a little while to find enough room to work , more shelves were built and stuff reorganized.
Cuz the Chevelle is not going outside until spring.



Finally got the old 3.73 rear axle pulled out today and slid the new '69 3.07 axle in place .


Cleaned up a pair of '72 trailing arms and primed and undercoated them. It is hard to get the undercoat to dry in an unheated garage. I hung some heat lights over them and shop quartz lights under them and it is working , just takes longer in the cold. It is staying about 50* F in the garage

[daverod]

Just take them in the kitchen and put them on the counter for awhile. Thats where I do all my rattle can powder coating.

[bubba327]

I tried letting them dry in the laundry room, but I got run out. You remember what they say about "if Momma ain't happy"...........

[daverod]

Least u tried.

[likaroc13]

nice...this past Fall, we swapped my '66 rear with 3.73's for a 72 rear with 3.07's...much better for driving the highway now

[bubba327]

I was really happy to find the 69 rear end.
I wanted to stay with the narrow width and the 6 lug wheels.
Just put another coat of spray on tonight ,Things may be dry enough by tomorrow to start installing the trailing arms.

[bubba327]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

A little bit of advise on switching that rear end. Get yourself 2 new U-bolts with nuts and washers, as well as new hardware for the panhard bar. IMO it is worth the small investment for those new parts versus the time and aggrivation of trying to remove them without cutting them apart. Besides most of the time if you do get the U-bolts out without cutting them, they are likely very rusted and not worth reusing.

John was right, They would not budge even with a big cheater and had to be cut loose with a sawzall. I am glad I ordered new ones.

[daverod]

Bubba do you know when the axle increased in width? My 66 has a 71 and it's 1.5 wider. I would like to change out my 64 staying with the 6 lug. I wonder if I could just get new gears? What did you give for the axle? I found one here for 200? It's a 70 1/2 6 lug. Guys checking the ratio. He said the truck only worked in reverse? That most likily a trans problem would'nt you think?

[bubba327]

Originally Posted by daverod

Bubba do you know when the axle increased in width? My 66 has a 71 and it's 1.5 wider. I would like to change out my 64 staying with the 6 lug. I wonder if I could just get new gears? What did you give for the axle? I found one here for 200? It's a 70 1/2 6 lug. Guys checking the ratio. He said the truck only worked in reverse? That most likily a trans problem would'nt you think?

The whole banana was $250 on Craigslist. I did not argue with that. I was the first caller, And there were other guys waiting if I passed.

That price is about what a ring and pinion will cost from Summit . I know the 71 style are wider and 5 lug. 1971 was the first year front disc brakes were standard issue.The carrier size changes at 3.42 also.
I think that 70 was the last year , but they used up inventory till they ran out mid way through the 70 year. There is info here if a guy will search.
I still have the 72 axle in 3.08 but due to the backspace of my wheels, clearance would be within 1/2" at the fender. I thought that is too close with the side to side movement allowed with the track bar.
If a guy has skinny tires and narrow wheels that 1 1/2 would not be an issue
I found most 60-66 years had the 3.73 or 4.11 Due to most had 3 or 4 speeds, and usually the 3.07 were in a truck with a automatic.

I am going to lose some low end power but hope I will make it up with the Offenhauser intake and new Holley 7448 carburetor. The Inline six is a low end beast anyway.

$200?? grab it!! Reverse only is probably transmission problem. Just drop the drive line and spin things by hand and feel for a smooth rotation, no grinds or play in the pinion gear

[daverod]

I also have a 69 work trailer sitting out side. I need to go look at the axle on it. Do u know where the ratio is stamped on the gear? I hate to wreck my dump trailer though. I guess I could just put the old axle in that.

[bubba327]

You can jack it up and spin the wheel and count revolutions . Best way is to pull the rear cover and count the teeth on the pinion and ring gear and divide. Then you can check the oil for chunks or stray shrapnel. The ring gear should have a stamp with the tooth count and a date code

If it is a proper ratio, just swap them. The trailer does not care what the ratio is...As long as it turns

[daverod]

It's 10 out. I'm going for it. Might just have a axle for free. It was a manual trans though.Damn and I just remember it's 3/4 ton 8 lug.

[bubba327]

Dave Does "no nothing" include hot toddies or liquid sugar in the coffee???

[daverod]

The funny thing is I don't drink. I did find out that I'm hooked on caffine. Two days without had a bad headache the whole time. When I was in the Navy I did all my drinking for the rest of my life.

[bubba327]

WOW I just discovered that they make conversion Universal joints.
As I was installing the drive line and discovered the new 69 yoke was wider than the old 64. It was the same diameter caps, just about 1/2" wider across the caps.
A trip to the driveline shop found this conversion U-joint for about 20 bucks.
I still had to press it in myself or leave the driveshaft until they had time next week.
A lot easier than changing and rewelding the end of the driveline and a whole lot easier than trying to change the pinion yoke and tear the rear end apart

[bubba327]

I decided to build adjustable track bar while I had things apart.
Used a spare track bar perch from a spare 72 frame

Used the leftover parts from the 64 tie rods and adjusters

Cut the inner rod end stem off the joint. this is the 5/8-18 RH thread

[bubba327]

I cut off the mounting eye on the old 64 track bar and welded the tie rod on to it , Turned 5/8 -18 LH threads on the remaining piece of the track bar and used the adjuster in the middle.

[bubba327]

Drilled the threads out of a big nut and slipped it over the adjuster and welded it in the middle.


New Energy Suspension bushings. Total cost of the track bar was the 13 bucks for the bushings and a little time to build it.

[daverod]

Why do you need an adjustable one? I like the idea. Making stuff from nothing.$$ You going for a drive? I need to change my track bar. It's horizontal.