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#1 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty - Tune Up
In addition to an oil change I always perform an old fashion Tune Up to any used car I buy.
In this case I held off on the tune up (aside from visual spark plug inspection and re gap to .035) because I knew I was going to be replacing the distributor with an HEI design, which dictates new (different) spark plug wires anyway did you know HEI is not a company that makes these distributors but actually just a GM acronym for High Energy Ignition. I did not know that till recently I thought some company called H.E.I. which maybe stood for Something Something Inc made them, LOL I used the ACDelco R44T Mexican spark plugs like the manual calls for, and Duralast (made in USA) new plug wires deisgned for the HEI distibutor (difference being the dizzy end is a female, on the traditional points dizzy the plug wire end is a male) I also regapped the new plugs from .035 to .045 cause you can run them hotter with an HEI distributor |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Midway, NC
Posts: 3,275
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Re: Restoring Rusty
I was thinking that cylindrical thing you were looking for was actually under the cap along with the points. I don't know for sure but this is just what I thought. When my uncle got first got my '76 it had points. Somebody had swapped out the HEI for a points distributor. Soon as he replaced it with the HEI he was very happy. Oh so many years ago that was.
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http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=581873 The low buck build threads. Check'em out! http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=666022 My build thread Crossmembers CC |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Des Moines IA
Posts: 1,250
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Re: Restoring Rusty
Nothing at all wrong with the Proform unit. Sure, stock HEI units work fine for stockish engines, but the problem for me has been finding them with advance mechanisms still in good shape in the salvage yard, plus you still buy new cap, rotor, mechanical advance kit, adjustable vacuum advance... by that time you may has well gotten the aftermarket cheap new one and avoid the headaches. I bought the Accell one though for $119.
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- 1981 Sierra 454, NV4500 swap - 2006 Z06, 25k miles - 1973 Nova - Project CarNova Virus on Youtube |
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#4 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty - New Distributor
so this is what the new HEI distributor looks like installed, it sits rather low
pardon the wiring harness mess, it was all tidied up and then I tore into it again |
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#5 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Re: Restoring Rusty - Fun With Tanks
decided to drop the tank to see if I can fix the following two problems
1. fuel gauge not working 2. tank difficult to fill up at the gas station, acts as if it is already full and stops every 5 seconds or so so first I removed the three phillips screws from the filler neck, and learned you can drop the tank with the filler tube attached there is enough wiggle room |
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#6 |
Post Whore
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Location: Sacramento, CA
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Re: Restoring Rusty - Fuel Tank Removal
I think it took me longer to undue this silly bracket clamp thingie, top bolt in the corner than to drop the entire tank, but you have to do it or the tank will get hung up, its the bracket holding the two hoses together in the bottom pic
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#7 |
Post Whore
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Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty - And She's Out
actually the removal wasn't too bad, it was poring the 8 gallons of fuel out of it 2 gallons at a time to a little red canister and into my wife's car that took a while
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#8 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
For some reason I could loosen the front ban (first pic - hole large enough) while the tank was on the truck, but I could not get to the rear one (hole too small to turn the socket) this proved to be a much needed feature when mounting the tank bank on
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#9 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
plugged the hoses using an AC Delco R44T spark plug, lol - that whole Safety Third thing
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#10 |
Post Whore
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Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
so I recall somebody saying blow the lines out leading up to the charcoal canister to fix the fill up problem we may be having
well I don't buy that, not after seeing how the tank actually works it seems that the vent needed, simply vents to the filler tube and it would take some serious clogging to plug this big 1/2 hoser, needless to say mine was working fine by the way that vent tube runs on the inside of the tank to the middle of the tank way up high maybe two inches from the top of the tank |
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#11 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Re: Restoring Rusty
then it was time to remove the fuel sending unit and I was shocked how much a brand new one costs I was expecting to pay about $25 bucks, but they are around $75 bucks even at AutoZone
I carefully used a hammer and a large screw driver to screw that retainer ring off, praying the whole time I would not blow myself up since AutoZone does not rent a tool for this job |
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#12 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Re: Restoring Rusty - Fuel Sending Unit
tried testing the fuel sending unit using the Ohms setting and not sure what the verdict is, sometimes the Ohms changed when the unit was on it's side and I moved the float back and forth, yet when the unit was vertical like it is when its in the tank the multimeter read 1 and did not change when I moved the float up and down
I wired the unit to the truck without the gas tank and turned the key to see what the fuel gauge says and it reads passed Full regardless if the float is almost at the bottom or in the middle or almost at the top, I thought it was a bad ground so I cleaned the rust off of the frame, the bolt, the connections, still no go no idea what is bad the unit or the gauge or if there is a wire short Last edited by Gregski; 01-20-2015 at 01:32 AM. |
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#13 |
Second Chance Program
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,642
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Re: Restoring Rusty - Fuel Sending Unit
I'm guessing mine idles around 750 in Park? Not too sure really.
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90 Chevy Suburban 2500 5.3 swap/th400/np241/14bltSF/10blt. 77 C20 crew cab Silverado. 396/th400. In work. |
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#14 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Ruston, LA
Posts: 44
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Re: Restoring Rusty
Enjoying your build, keep up the good work!
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#15 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
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#16 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
nothing ever good happens when I go to check out CraigsList, especially if I say I'm not going to buy anything but just to look
so I see this benign ad for a '75 truck short bed, I do need one but wasn't planning on getting one till summer, don't want to store it for 6 months cause I don't want to paint it in the winter so I call the guy just to see how much he wants for it ad he says $40 bucks, next thing I know I am filling up the tank, hitting the ATM and askin' my boy to come with |
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Echo, MN
Posts: 107
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Re: Restoring Rusty
$40 bucks?!?! I wish I could find a bed for under $400!
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Dad's: 1973 Chevy C-60 Grain Truck 366 Big Block Dad's: 1982 Chevy Silverado 6.2L Diesel K-10 Dad's: 1987 Chevy Silverado TBI 350 R-10 Dad's: 2007 GMC Sierra Classic 2500HD SLT Mine: 1982 Chevy Silverado 6.2L Diesel K-10 |
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#18 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
I know right, well I do see your types of prices on our Craigslist here in Northern California too, that's why I jumped on this opportunity even if it was a 50 mile drive one way, figure additional $25 bucks for gas (gas is cheap right now only $2.40 ish) it was a beautiful day and got to spend some time with my 13 year old boy
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#19 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Re: Restoring Rusty
only took three guys to load it up, she aint perfect but she will do, the gentlemen who sold it to me was really nice and I figured the wheel wells are worth $40 by themselves
best part, Rusty ran real good and there is nothing better than using the truck you are working on as a parts getter, and not beggin the wife for hers |
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#20 |
Post Whore
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Location: Sacramento, CA
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Re: Restoring Rusty - Old Short Bed
let me set the stage so you all can see what we are dealing with
this is the condition of my old bed, I bet it is one of the worst ones you all have ever seen, it's pretty shady |
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#21 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty - New Used Short Bed
so my son and I unloaded the new used bed in the garage and I began the disassembly process
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#22 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
I would say I spent a good half a day taking it apart, stopping to take pictures, documenting where certain bolts go, since there are two different types, ones are pointy at the end ones are what I call flat, but both are just 1/2 inch so one tool can pretty much take the whole bed apart, how nice is that
oh almost forgot PB Blaster (move over WD-40 this stuff is the bomb!) |
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#23 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Des Moines IA
Posts: 1,250
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Re: Restoring Rusty
Wow, super nice score on the bed! Best I've ever seen around here was 100 bucks and that was a steal.
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- 1981 Sierra 454, NV4500 swap - 2006 Z06, 25k miles - 1973 Nova - Project CarNova Virus on Youtube |
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#24 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty
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#25 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 10,820
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Re: Restoring Rusty - Welds
so is the entire bed held on with just nuts and bolts or is it welded on too?
I was a bit surprised to find out that the sides of the bed are welded on to the bed in the bottom corners of the tailgate section and need to be ground off / cut with an angle grinder |
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