What did you do with your truck today, Part 3

[lowdownstar]

Hey Brian don't beat yourself up my friend.... Sh1t happens!



Ray

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by lowdownstar

Hey Brian don't beat yourself up my friend.... Sh1t happens!



Ray

Thanks Ray, it just sucks because I can't get out there like I use to, I am getting so little done and this is a back track. But I thank you and I am pushing forward.


Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by mud.man.rj

You may have dropped the ball a bit back then, but your on it now, will get nothing but better..
Mudman.

Thanks!

Brian

[Black_Sheep]

Originally Posted by evilokc

I DROVE! I DROVE MY TRUCK today! ... being behind the wheel of my truck after a year was almost magic. my guts are still smiling.

Great feeling isn't it? I still remember the maiden voyage in my Plymouth GTX after 12 years of work, you couldn't knock the grin off my face with a sledgehammer!

[evilokc]

I did some research and my shifting issues pointed to a kick down cable that was too tight. according to the online masses the cable needs to be tight at full throttle but loose enough hat it doesn't hinder the throttle opening up all the way. makes sense to me. the second issue with tip in sounds like it could be the accelerator pump adjustment. on the accelerator pump cam there are 3 places you can put it. you choose the position based on where your vehicle ides. if its a hot cam and idles at 600 you used the first spot so when you hit the gas the accelerator pump shoot way more fuel in to get you idle up to driving speed. if your truck idles at 900 or more you need a lot less fuel to get you moving so that another position. the next steps are to loosen the trans cable until I can get full throttle with the kick down getting tight right at full throttle, check the adjustment on the accelerator pump arm and the mounted location of the accelerator cam, finalize the pedal location on its splines and put the set screw in hopefully for the last time. the good news is that all of that shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. once that's done its back to the "track" for test and tune. if it performs well there I will try and get 20 or so miles on it to help wake it back up. so nice to have the death rattle breathing again.

[Whumbachumba]

Got the final headlight/park light wiring figured out. Turns out the park lights were on the wrong plug so they didn't turn off when the headlights came on. Got that switched, so they turn off when the headlights are on. Front turn signals are working too! Driver side door is now properly hung and closes. Doesn't fit flush, but that's okay, it latches and holds shut for now.

[MARTINSR]

Right on guys, let's get something done!

I got out there for my five minutes and made templates and made the patches with them to fake the "Hemmed" edge of the door skin at the bottoms where I had cut that area off when I sectioned the door shell.

I still need to sand blast that area and apply some weld thru primer before I weld them in place.


Brian

[bowt1ed]

Ordered my TF crossflow (w/cooler) and polished shroud with dual 11" SPAL fans/wiring from U.S. Radiator! One step closer.

P.S. Jim Allen at U.S. Radiators is a stand up guy, answered all of my questions in a timely manner and easy to work with.

Cheers, Jim

[evilokc]

did some test and tune on the " track". moved the accelerator pump cam around a little and have all but fixed the lean tip in issue. the transmission cable adjustment I did may have been a slight improvement but its still not right. I will continue to work on that until it makes me grin. after 20 minutes of driving 20ft then stopping and slowly easing to a go again. once I felt I had made some real progress I started pushing the gas a little. it was fun to peel out a little and slide around a couple corners. it was all very hot rod. I will continue to tune on it this week until I have it correct. as it sits I feel like I could drive around town without issue. it was a good day.

[Clay54]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Made a patch panel for the bottom of the cowl tonight. Last night I fit the rain gutter, holy crap I may be back on my 5 minute a day plan! I hope I can keep it up.

Brian

Can you/will you explain to me as simple as you can how you made that cowl patch. I really, really need to learn how that is done. Thanks, Clay

PS by the way, your help several months ago with my welding torch was very much appreciated. I ordered the small gauge tip but have not had an opportunity to try it.

[MARTINSR]

Without some photos it's pretty hard. But first I cut the piece off the truck, cleanly as could be with a very narrow cut off disc. I drilled the spot welds that were on the bottom out http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/basi...ls-222549.html

Hopefully you can see the photos with the stupid photo bucket crap.

I then made a template out of poster board (thin cardboard, the boxes you put a shirt in at Christmas work perfect) marking where the folds will be.

I then cut the metal out, leaving it a little big being I can trim it later. I made the little body line using a piece of metal laying on my "anvil" (a 2.5 inch thick piece of metal on my bench.) I simply laid the patch on top of this piece of metal lining it up with the marks and put another piece along the line on top and struck the top of that piece with a hammer to push the metal down along the line. It works cool in that the body line fades away as it rolls under, so I only hit it down along that line where I wanted it and not at the bottom, wham, it looks just like the original.

I then folded the large end on it where it goes into the door jamb between two pieces of angle iron in the vice (a mini sheet metal brake) and then using a shrinker/stretcher shrank that fold where it was needed to make the curve in the panel to match the cowl.

I punched the holes to plug weld it, and the larger hole for the lower fender bolt.

That's all there is to it but I know it's not easy to picture without....pictures.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Ok, I ran out to the garage to take a few photos and give you hopefully a better idea.

The first photo shows the sample patch laying over one piece of metal and the other beside it. Then the next photo the piece is in place over the patch. Both pieces of metal by the way in this case are 1/8" thick flat stock. I tried to make it softer at the closest end just to show you how you can manipulate the line a little by how hard you hit it.

I then hit the piece over it with the hammer and you can see how it made the line in the patch in the next photo.

The next photo is the little mini brake in the vice with a pair of angle iron. I first ran the grinder over the corner of the angle iron so it would be sharp and smooth being it's just rough angle iron.

One quick bend and wham, a beautiful sharp bend.

Brian

[evilokc]

took the rattle out on a fun little drive tonight. got about 25 miles in running between 45 and 60mph. truck was pretty happy. still tuning on the carb but its drivable as it is. I just want to get it as good as it can be. pulled into a parking lot to turn around and couldn't resist taking a couple of pics.

[MARTINSR]

WHOOOO HOOOOO!

Brian

[la hi]

https://austin.craigslist.org/search...57+chevy+truck

Austin craigslist this morning

[mud.man.rj]

Nice truck for the $ in Austin, has a lot of quality parts into it.
Mudman.

[Black_Sheep]

Shot the cab and hood with 2K...

[Russell Ashley]

Originally Posted by la hi

https://austin.craigslist.org/search...57+chevy+truck

Austin craigslist this morning

The initial price tag scares a lot of people but it's surprising at how quickly you can get that deep into a truck and still not be able to drive it.

[la hi]

High price is right. But the cost of what you have into it goes way beyond what you try to sell it for. It is time for me to to bail. Any ideas about price?


.

[Michaelgi]

Still thinking. Found a super straight solid 48 coe with a perfect frame. Think it's a 2 ton, it has 22 springs on rear. Unsure of what I want to do with it.

[MARTINSR]

You want to really have fun, drive it the way it is! We are talking every day, just drive it, what a blast!


Brian

[Michaelgi]

It does drive well, stiff. I need the big projects to keep occupied. Last winter I did a 41 Pick up with a 12 valve cummins. But someone made me an offer I could not refuse. So onward I go.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by Michaelgi

Still thinking. Found a super straight solid 48 coe with a perfect frame. Think it's a 2 ton, it has 22 springs on rear. Unsure of what I want to do with it.

Good looking truck! Do you have any idea on how it stayed so straight and solid?

[MARTINSR]

So I finally got my sheetmetal to make the patch on the drivers door. I don't know, I should have gotten 20 gauge being the truck was 19 but I went with 18 and DAMN that makes a hell of a difference, it is MUCH harder to work with. It laughs at my low buck tools brake, holy crap.

I had to fight but I got the first patch made. It kills me, I had to buy a 4x10 sheet, $100 with cutting it into manageable pieces. I have a hard time spending money so the thought of getting another 20 gauge makes me want to puke.

We will see, maybe I'll just get better at making these parts. It will work good on the inner side cowl parts I have to fab.

Brian

[gigamanx]

Got my 5 minutes a day. Took about 5 minutes to figure out how to install the gennie shifter kit. The instructions leave a lot to be desired. I'm happy I didn't have to invent this contraption, but I'm still a bit miffed it costs almost $300 for a couple of bits of metal and some springs.

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

laughs at my low buck tools brake

Pretty nice bend for hand tools. I ended up buying the desktop 30" press brake from HF. Every time I want to use it, the darn thing is too short haha. It's great for small jobs though. For your application, you'd need a pretty long brake. I believe I'm using 16GA sheet. I can't imagine using 20. That seems too thin for body work.