mylow53 build

[54 jimmy]

i like to use the high temp red rtv i have had great luck with it.

[OrrieG]

How long have you been driving it? Moot point since you have it apart but if it is pretty low miles it might have just taken a little while to warm up and swell enough to not leak. When I got my 64 Chevelle it had not been driven much for two years, leaked and smoked like crazy the first two months I drove it daily, then everything tightened back up and was fine. Just a thought...

[mylow53]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

How long have you been driving it? Moot point since you have it apart but if it is pretty low miles it might have just taken a little while to warm up and swell enough to not leak.

thats always possible... i did have a rear freeze plug (i think) leaking and it seemed to go away. i've probably put 500 miles on it since its been installed. regardless i put the new drain pan gasket in last night. man thats quite a task tight quarters and a slippery gasket with probably too much silicone. but it's in there and tight. I let her sit overnight to dry the silicone before i put the oil in.
I did pull out a second strip of silicone from inside the oil pump screen. kind of looks like the engine builder was in a hurry.

thanks guys for the advise.
GT

[mylow53]

ok still testing and tuning. i took the truck to the tranz shop to try and figure out my squeaking issue when i shift in to second at a low rpm. craig AT CRC in Thousand oaks. said my flex plate is flexing and hitting something. maybe the starter. so i've made an appointment for him to put it on the lift monday. he also mentioned that my oil leak issues are most likely caused by my lack of valve cover vents. he thinks the engine is building pressure and it has nowhere to vent so it pushes out the oil where it can. news to me! it does make sense since when i pull the filler cap while at idle the engine exhales. he showed me where to connect a vacuum line (since the brakes stole my other access) and to also get a vent cap for the opposite valve cover. so since i had the truck running i decided to drive the 45 miles to hollywood (where i work) on the trip home from work that night the truck started sputtering and had trouble maintaining 50 mph. i pulled over expecting to see my gas leaking out of something or the fuel pump with a bad ground but none was apparent. i could limp home at 40 ok. so when i got home i tore into the fuel system. the rear fuel filter seemed free flowing and the pump when off was also free flowing. of course by now i was wearing most of the gas. turns out the second inline fuel filter was clogged. i couldn't even blow thru it... got a new one on order. The Pismo car show is 2 weeks away hopefully the truck will make the drive!

[bensimmons_05]

well, at least your flex plate is flexing. That is always a plus!

[bmfpeterson]

Originally Posted by bensimmons_05

well, at least your flex plate is flexing. That is always a plus!

Nice!

[54 jimmy]

damn those gremlins they sneak up on you all the time. well you have to expect to have a few bugs to work out. a fellow hot rodder told me that those expensive fuel filters are crap and for the reason he had the same problem as you. i see that you are running a carb if your 2nd fuel filter is after your regulator use one of those cheap clear fram filters so you can keep an eye on it to see if it clogs again and keep a spair one in the truck for cheap insurence that what that fellow rodder told me to do. p.s. he has never had a break down due to a cloged fuel filter so i think he might be on to something so don't tell the secret to everyone. uh oh i just did!

[mylow53]

had quite an adventure the saturday. got up at the crack of dawn and booggied to corona to pick up my new front bumper. took most of the day to get back and install. due to some other activities. i installed it as close as i dare to the front of the grill. currently it sits about an inch from the grill at it's peak...
the trucks at the tranny shop i will keep you informed of the progress
GT

[mylow53]

picts

[pgf545]

Greg, Great job on your truck. I think it looks killer and sounds like you are really enjoying it.

The kids look the are having fun tearing it up in the sprinkler...lol.

Bernie

[Daniel U]

When is the Pismo show? I'd like to see your truck. I missed the Santa Maria show.

[mylow53]

the show is sat june 20. i haven't received my parking spot assignment but when i do i will pass it along. I've been prepping for the show. not shining just making sure i can drive the distance. i feel the most important part of any show is the drive there! I don't plan on winning any awards i just want to have a reason to hang out in pismo. i think i've figured out the tranny shifting noise. when i have more time ill fill you all in.

[51 Devil Dog]

Is that ford rear end measured out at 60"? Do you think 20x8.5 would fit with your set up?

[mylow53]

51 im not sure of the width the guy who built it had it at the stock width the only problem was the rotors hit the bed look at page 4
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=215079&page=4
the rotors were almost exactly the same width as the bed. i think there is enough room for 20's" but you will sacrifice hight. in other words if you want to drag the frame you will need a large cnoch oh then it gets real interesting trying to clear your drive line once your rear is that low. then forget about a bed that looks original. 18 inchers gets the truck pretty low. i would only look at 20's" if i didn't want to be all the way down. I really believe this is a s low as you can go with the big tire feel and maintain the original frame. you could always run 14's" like i did in the 80's to get it lower but that may be too ghetto...
lets see what your truck looks like?!
GT

[51 Devil Dog]

Thanks for getting back to me. I found a 9" ford rear end out of a 68 cougar with disc brakes. It is a 1" shorter than stock. I might have to bring the frame in a little bit when i c-notch it. I will post some pics later. Truck is all tore apart. Thanks again for the info.

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by 51 Devil Dog

Thanks for getting back to me. I found a 9" ford rear end out of a 68 cougar with disc brakes. It is a 1" shorter than stock. I might have to bring the frame in a little bit when i c-notch it. I will post some pics later. Truck is all tore apart. Thanks again for the info.

Old street rod trick, many a Mustang and Nova donated its rear end to rods in the 70's. I restored a 67 Mustang with my daughter and one of the challenges was finding the right rear end, it had been replaced (poorly) with one from a full size that was not centered (one spring pad fit the other was only 1/2 on the spring). Car did a perpetural left turn into traffic when we bought it.

[Laid_Out_50]

Your truck looks great

I want to run a Cadillac 390 engine and maybe a 700 trans what kind of trans cross member did you use and did you have any clearance issues with the floor of the cab

[mylow53]

Thanks were still working on it. I'm currently converting the one wire alternator to a standard 2 wire. Since the supplyed alternator was draining the battery when it was parked. As far as the tranz mount that was super easy. I got the mount from brothers and it just bolted in. I did weld the tubes togeather but it was real streight forward. Tons of adjustability. Look them up it's just 3 tubes and some angle iron
GT
no real clearance issues. A tiny bit of triming but for the most part a very stock floor and fwall
.

Originally Posted by Laid_Out_50

Your truck looks great

I want to run a Cadillac 390 engine and maybe a 700 trans what kind of trans cross member did you use and did you have any clearance issues with the floor of the cab

[Tony@AirRideTech]

Nice truck Greg!

[mylow53]

thanks tony!
well i just got the alternator back with the new regulator. as far as i can tell the one wire alternator will sense a drop in voltage, then switch on the magnetic field in the alternator. i think my regulator was for what ever reason triggering the field when the truck wasn't running. so Steve at Continental transmissions in albany Ore. swapped out the regulator to one the will turn on the field when it senses ignition... i plan on buffing this before i re install....
GT

[mylow53]

ok dropped in the alternator and man does it charge. you can hear it whine, it really pushes over the amp meter. i would recommend this method over the single wire version. it just seems more reliable. i thought i would add the pict of me and the truck pulling in to the Brothers truck show...
GT

[bmfpeterson]

Damn good looking truck!!!!

[Kabwe]

Looking great.

[Smokejohnson]

What kind of rims are those?

[mylow53]

they are from billit specialitys i don'r remember the name...
GT