What did you do with your truck today, Part 3

[Daze57]

mick53

v v cool damper

[Kevin Mac]

I have been in the 2004R swap from TH 350 turbo. I first made a carb bracket to accept the TV cable. Next up was installing the TCI lock up kit for the converter and changed speedo gear. Had a friend over Wednesday night to help with the swap, but when the 2004R was bolted up the torque converter was 7/16" shy of flex plate. I googled dimensions on TC and it's in spec at 5.860 from mount pad to face of snout going in transmission. With more research I have read to that 3/16" gap is ideal, so I have 1/4" gap left to deal with. Any input on using spacers as much as 1/4"? Motor is 383 stroker. Thanks for reading such a long post.

[idbeast]

Originally Posted by Kevin Mac

I have been in the 2004R swap from TH 350 turbo. I first made a carb bracket to accept the TV cable. Next up was installing the TCI lock up kit for the converter and changed speedo gear. Had a friend over Wednesday night to help with the swap, but when the 2004R was bolted up the torque converter was 7/16" shy of flex plate. I googled dimensions on TC and it's in spec at 5.860 from mount pad to face of snout going in transmission. With more research I have read to that 3/16" gap is ideal, so I have 1/4" gap left to deal with. Any input on using spacers as much as 1/4"? Motor is 383 stroker. Thanks for reading such a long post.

you can research the web for precision ground washers, You need the precision ground washers (the same thickness) to keep from flexing the flywheel, I started to do this for you, but tonight I have to fix dinner as the wife is sick, not corona!
I'm thinking the Torque converter bolts which are metric are close to 7/16" so you will need longer bolts to make this work.
Jim W

[Kevin Mac]

Thanks Jim, I have found spacers on the web, I guess my question is has anyone used them as thick as 1/4" or even thicker, and maybe why would it be do far off?
Here is a pic of my bracket, because everyone likes pictures.

[lowdownstar]

nice work!

[89AKurt]

Now for the other end of the spectrum, I went to the You-Pick-It for the first time, it's fairly new in Prescott Valley.
I finally replaced the windshield, really needed to.


Grabbed this because the windshield was already busted.


Glad to get a real mirror in place. Not sexy like above, but sort of important.


BTW: Every Square Body pickup had the mirror missing, what is with that? I looked at every Chevy in the yard.

[MARTINSR]

I got my new lights up in the garage, I can see my truck again! WHOOO HOOOOO!

Brian

[MARTINSR]

I know this isn't my "Truck" but it's what I worked on today.
It's what I call "Memory Art." This is the head stock off the first guitar my mom bought me with blue chip stamps. It was a cheepie thing that didn't hold up well and the body collapsed on it. Wasn't worth fixing but I stored it for 50 years! When I moved I decided I would do this and I cut the head stock off and threw the rest away. This is why I am big on the "Memory Art" instead of storing stuff like this up in a box in the attic get it out, display it! See it every day and smile instead of it being a burden make it a good thing! Check out the 1970 license plate registration sticker, is that hilarious or what! My dad was a car salesman and we changed cars often that my mom drove, we ended up with a sticker that wasn't used and I stuck it on my guitar. The Logo had fallen off years ago so Dorothy the house artist painted the little "M P" in the same font the "Melody Plus" guitar had on the sticker in the body that I also had saved. Anyway, I love it, and it's on display in my living room where it belongs.

Brian

[evilokc]

when I went to do the final install on my passenger fender I couldn't get the outer fender to cab bolts in the rear to line up. they were off by over an inch. I messed with everything until I got them right and put some bolts in there. now ii just need to shimmy it right where I want it and then tighten the bolts and she's done.

[idbeast]

I took the '56 out for a drive, came across this and chased it down...

[idbeast]

I found a loose tach wire going to the Dakota digital control that appears to have been causing my engine dying problem. But while I was chasing electrical problems I found the wires on my new aftermarket replacement LED Tail lights are backwards so I just switched them in their connecter location and now they work like they are supposed to. then I worked on the front turn signals again new aftermarket replacements, the dual pigtail in the sockets were both backwards, so I fixed those now all my lights are working correctly!

[nvrdone]

I like the flag paint on the grill on the blue panel

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I know this isn't my "Truck" but it's what I worked on today.
It's what I call "Memory Art." This is the head stock off the first guitar my mom bought me with blue chip stamps. It was a cheepie thing that didn't hold up well and the body collapsed on it. Wasn't worth fixing but I stored it for 50 years! When I moved I decided I would do this and I cut the head stock off and threw the rest away. This is why I am big on the "Memory Art" instead of storing stuff like this up in a box in the attic get it out, display it! See it every day and smile instead of it being a burden make it a good thing! Check out the 1970 license plate registration sticker, is that hilarious or what! My dad was a car salesman and we changed cars often that my mom drove, we ended up with a sticker that wasn't used and I stuck it on my guitar. The Logo had fallen off years ago so Dorothy the house artist painted the little "M P" in the same font the "Melody Plus" guitar had on the sticker in the body that I also had saved. Anyway, I love it, and it's on display in my living room where it belongs.

Brian

Very nostalgic and cool...

[MARTINSR]

Thanks Bob.

Brian

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by idbeast

I took the '56 out for a drive, came across this and chased it down...

There's a lot goin' on there. I like the chains welded to the bumpers and the dots on the hubcaps. If the chains were a little longer I'd say they were lightning rods!

I wonder if those little yellow domes on top of the front fenders are for intergalactic communication? They couldn't just be lights.

I have a feeling the driver was an interesting sort as well...

[mick53]

I received my SFI damper for my 292. The V pulley will be turned down for an adapter and to clamp the crank trigger. A spacer needs to be made between the damper and the crank trigger. They sent me a mock up hub with a slightly larger hole in the center at no charge.

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by mick53

I received my SFI damper for my 292. The V pulley will be turned down for an adapter and to clamp the crank trigger. A spacer needs to be made between the damper and the crank trigger. They sent me a mock up hub with a slightly larger hole in the center at no charge.

Awesome! I want to see a picture of your machine shop!

[Kevin Mac]

Lots of shinny parts there mick53, I like it.
I may have found my problem with my torque converter gap to flexplate. I pulled the flexplate and it looks bowed bad to me. I'm taking it with me tomorrow to get opinions.
I did run new AN line for transmission cooling line. Wasn't a fan of the steel to rubber hose with clamps, I will travel with more confidence.

[mick53]

Originally Posted by Kevin Mac

Lots of shinny parts there mick53, I like it.
I may have found my problem with my torque converter gap to flexplate. I pulled the flexplate and it looks bowed bad to me. I'm taking it with me tomorrow to get opinions.
I did run new AN line for transmission cooling line. Wasn't a fan of the steel to rubber hose with clamps, I will travel with more confidence.

Very nice. I'm a huge fan of braided lines and A/N fittings.

[mick53]

Originally Posted by DransportGarage

Awesome! I want to see a picture of your machine shop!

I didn't make any of this stuff. I just dream it up. My machining skills and machines are very basic.

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by mick53

I didn't make any of this stuff. I just dream it up. My machining skills and machines are very basic.

OK. I know that you've been modifying stuff as needed, like the timing chain cover.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by DransportGarage

Awesome! I want to see a picture of your machine shop!

That is such a whole different world! When I had my body shop in the '80's there was a machine shop in another space in the building I was in. This place had been there for years and had a crank lathe for 6' long cranks! The guys daughter spoke to me one day about protecting my body at work wearing respirator, ear and eye and knee protection. She was very sweet and told me in a way that made me start protecting myself as I should. I am so thankful for her words, I am SO THANKFUL as I have seen what no protection has done to old dudes like me. I have tried to pass it on and it's just not that easy. A lot of guys don't do it and it breaks my heard when I see them at work beating their bodies up.

Brian

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

That is such a whole different world! When I had my body shop in the '80's there was a machine shop in another space in the building I was in. This place had been there for years and had a crank lathe for 6' long cranks! The guys daughter spoke to me one day about protecting my body at work wearing respirator, ear and eye and knee protection. She was very sweet and told me in a way that made me start protecting myself as I should. I am so thankful for her words, I am SO THANKFUL as I have seen what no protection has done to old dudes like me. I have tried to pass it on and it's just not that easy. A lot of guys don't do it and it breaks my heard when I see them at work beating their bodies up.

Brian

99% of us have short-cutted the safety aspects from time to time, and some of us are paying for it. In my 20s I thought I was invincible, so I wrecked my hearing on the flight deck in the navy.

Talking about old machine shops, I worked in one of the largest in the world in the late '60s - Cincinnati Milling Machine, that became Cincinnati Milacron. They are all but gone now, reduced to a "me too" injection molding machine manufacturer. We even had a plating shop, and some guys would sneak their cars into the paint shop on the weekends.

[dsraven]

hey mick53, do you worry at all about the stresses on the front main bearing and crank snout? how much is that set up going to protrude out the front? it looks awesome. too bad it is sooo shiny, lol.

[mick53]

Originally Posted by dsraven

hey mick53, do you worry at all about the stresses on the front main bearing and crank snout? how much is that set up going to protrude out the front? it looks awesome. too bad it is sooo shiny, lol.

I think it's a little less than 8". I haven't measured it exact yet. When it was being engineered that was a big concern. That was a big factor with getting a $7000 billet crank. They also went with big block oil seal and specs. I have really good people in the industry working on this and my engineers looking over the results. I'm 2.5 years into this project and hope to start working on the truck soon.