Not Another Rebuild Thread....

[Nopocustoms]

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Well guys, even though I had to work a full day yesterday, and today I began with going over our ATV to fix why it wasn't starting.... I still got some stuff done on my build.

Just to put it close to home...
This was the engine on 29 April when I got the engine stand assembled and got it mounted on there.

Attachment 946851


This is it today after I got done.

Attachment 946852

Attachment 946853


I have the dizzy set in there, but I am pretty sure it isnt timed right. I looked at some videos on how to do it, and for the most part I think was doing Ok. But you know that nagging feeling that is never wrong?
Yep, got it.
So it is not tightened down yet at all, I may dink around with it more but I am pretty sure I wont be satisfied until I can get someone who knows what they are doing over here to help me.

I have decided that I want a shorter dip stick too, that one is for all the emmissions stuff that was on the engine, and now just looks silly long.

The intake manifold is on and torqued down, but the carb is just sitting up there. I need to get the mounting bolts. I also need a longer fan belt for the PS pump, this one is the 3 port for the hydroboost and the wheel is larger, as well as the mounting bracket. Otherwise it was a productive day... time to wash up for dinner now.

I love your build - I can give you pretty good advice on the Distributor placement, it will give you a 50 50 chance without pulling the drivers side valve cover. If you're so inclined - here is my technique for both ways. This also assumes you have the same timing cover and balancer that came with the engine.

Without removing valve cover:

1. Rotate engine until the timing tab and line on the balancer line up at zero degrees.

2. Identify the location you wish to use for #1, I reccomend the post immeditaley to the right (standing in the center of the grill looking at the dist.) of the vaccum advance can. See picture below.

3. Make a pencil mark on the dist. housing DIRECTLY under the post for #1

4. Remove cap and drop the Dist. into the hole with the rotor on.

5. While Lowering in the dist. the rotor should be pointed just further right than the mark, when lowering it, it will catch and move to the left towards the mark.

6. If it doesn't drop all the way to the intake rotate the motor until it does.

7. place the clamp on loosley, and look at the "point" on the star wheel on the shaft- towards the point on the stator - (circle around the point)


Right now, the motor is either perfectly static timed for #1 or #6, because the dist. is driven off of the cam, which rotates once for ever 2 crank rotations, it may be timed for TDC (Top Dead Center #6)

So if no run - pull the cap, point it at #1 in the dist. again, then Rotate the motor 1 Revolution, and pull dist. and re-install to the #1 position. Like I said - without pulling a plug and cranking it feeling for compression, it gives you a 50-50 chance.

If you choose to pull a valve cover I can guarantee you will nail it on the first try !

1: Pull Drivers side valve cover

2: Rotate motor Clockwise (as you face it) watching intake valve - when it opens and starts to close look at the timing mark --

3: Line up the timing mark - as long as you hit it before the the exhaust valve opens - you are on TDC #1

Then follow same procedures from #2 above.Kind of long winded, but I hope it's helpful.

[dbomb53]

Mad skills McMurphy, keep it up! your doing great, your fab work is looking good.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

looking good ..stay on top of it

Thank you Pirate, I appreciate you taking a look.

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

looking good McMurph!

Thanks CRGRS, you keep me smiling !!

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

wow, some cool lil mods you have been doing! i really like the way the wire mesh in the cowl panel looks, i was thinking about doing something like that myself! keep it up you have it done in no time!

I hope you stop working so hard that you can get some time in on your build, I been going thru withdrawls for an update from you.

Originally Posted by 66ChevyMax

Power plant looks sweet Murph.

When I go to drop a Vortex in my next build, can I call you? I want to do a build like yours one day!

Originally Posted by Nopocustoms

I love your build - I can give you pretty good advice on the Distributor placement, it will give you a 50 50 chance without pulling the drivers side valve cover. If you're so inclined - here is my technique for both ways. This also assumes you have the same timing cover and balancer that came with the engine.

.Kind of long winded, but I hope it's helpful.

Yes same cover and balancer. Thanks for the step by step, I will print this off and take it down to the garage with me! I really dont want to pull my valve cover, just got them sealed on and snugged down good.
Your written directions were exactly what I got off the YouTube video I watched, but had to commit to short term memory for the trip down stairs to the garage, but I am not 100% sure I got it right. thanks for letting me know the rotations ratio, that will help a lot !!
Glad you like my build too.... it is a humble project (I think...)

Originally Posted by dbomb53

Mad skills McMurphy, keep it up! your doing great, your fab work is looking good.

Thanks man, I really dig your build too !!

[CRGRS 66]

If the distributor won't seat down all the way, you will need a long screw driver to rotate the oil pump to match the distributor. Easy as pie if the engine is on a stand, bit of a b*tch when it is in the truck (this I know from experience)!

[b2948kevin]

Yep, I remember doing this as well. You have good advice here already, but maks sure to watch some Youtube videos on this. That's what helped me the most in visualizing how it worked.

Watch this whole series:

Installing a Distributor Part 1 - YouTube

[flips72]

great work on the seat belt mounts and the windshield wiper grill is awesome, i need to steal that idea. as far as the timing goes, i bet you have it allready in time, just second guessing yourself, i do it all the time.keep up the good work.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

If the distributor won't seat down all the way, you will need a long screw driver to rotate the oil pump to match the distributor. Easy as pie if the engine is on a stand, bit of a b*tch when it is in the truck (this I know from experience)!

I will have to revisit this as I get nearer to dropping the engine onto the frame. Right now it is dust covered, waiting patiently....

Originally Posted by b2948kevin

Yep, I remember doing this as well. You have good advice here already, but maks sure to watch some Youtube videos on this. That's what helped me the most in visualizing how it worked.

Watch this whole series:
Installing a Distributor Part 1 - YouTube

Thanks for the link!!
I did watch one of those, but didnt take any foot notes to have with me in the garage.

Originally Posted by flips72

great work on the seat belt mounts and the windshield wiper grill is awesome, i need to steal that idea. as far as the timing goes, i bet you have it allready in time, just second guessing yourself, i do it all the time.keep up the good work.

Thanks Flips, and yes I do second guess myself up until the decision is made... then it is either game on, or it is game over !!



This weekend was all about the front end.
Got it mostly put back together after a cleaning and some (oh yeah baby) paint !!! Just have one of the spindles cleaned and painted at this time, will probably get it put back together tonight if I dont work too late that is...
Then I will tear down and refurbish the other one.
I will post pics tonight too, but the ball joints are in and have got it mostly reassembled.

More later guys, and as always thanks for the positive feed back, and for reading this mess !!!

[McMurphy]

First off, I was trying to get with a local shop that has a pile of the blue plastic 55gal drums to make a sand blast cabinet from after I got a neat little portable blast gun and feeder bucket off CL real cheap. Then while the wife was at a tool store in town (sort of like a Harbor Freight place but with good stuff too) she called me and asked about a set up they had on sale.

So I offer up this as proof that my wife loves me and wants me to be happy (and do good work) LOL


This mess is what my front suspension looked like on 06 July...


After some disassembly and high pressure spraying...


The first thing I ever sand blasted, awesome difference between the before and after, I think I am in love.


Then I learned that big things take a LONG time in a small cabinet like that. This lower control arm took me 3 days of spray for 5 min, wait for compressor for 20 min... repeat....

After this one I decided on big stuff like that with alot of surface, I would wire wheel it first, then blast the areas the wheel could not get to. The second control arm only took one day using that method.

[McMurphy]

So while I was working on all the hard stuff (yeah right) and doing the detail work, my wonderful wife was wire-wheeling the cross member, and laying down paint on it for me!
So when I got all the other stuff done, and yes popping old ball joints out IS a PITA, getting the parts cleaned and the new joints in, she had the cross member ready for me.


The red shows in the photos MUCH more brilliantly than it does in person. I blame it on the metallic flake in the paint. In person it isnt so .... over the top I suppose.


Had to close the garage door, the camera did not like the back lighting.


An up close just for giggles, and I like posts with lots of pictures, so I am padding my thread ;o)


This is the before pic of my spindle. Now the questions I have are, That big semi-circular plate, is that just a mud guard? I notice on a lot of rebuilds guys dont have that on there. If this rig is generally going to live its life on city streets, can I leave that off?
And how do I calculate the bolt pattern for the hub? Tomorrow I am going to look at a fantastic deal on some wheels and the set up is 15 in. x 7 in., 5 x 4.75 in. Bolt Circle, 4.00 in. Backspace.....The fronts are BF Goodrich Touring T/As 215/60R15 and the rears are Mickey Thompson ET Streets 255/60R15 and other than taking a hub with me, I dont know if they will fit or not. I know I am going to have to change out the rear end hubs/axles to go 5 lug, but that is pretty much a given at this point.


I also gotta send out a note of thanks to b2948kevin in particular for this part of my build. The fact that he did all this in his driveway with the hardware still mounted on the truck, just blows my mind and was an awesome motivator for me to go ahead and tackle the job. I also need to give Dave a nod, the guy I bought the 85 Sierra from, he has a '72 fleet side and he just replace all his ball joints on it too, and that poor guy is in the Air Force !! (yeah that is kinda like saying he is handicapped LOL)

But really if you are reading this, and you know I have posted on your thread, then most likely I am at this point because of something you have done too, and I just want to say Thanks for the inspiration and motivation so far !!!

[chad64chevy]

question why did you cut off you front frame horns?? other then that everything looks great, glad to some of us are able to work on there trucks, lol!! keep it up you'll be done before me!!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

question why did you cut off you front frame horns?? other then that everything looks great, glad to some of us are able to work on there trucks, lol!! keep it up you'll be done before me!!

Answer: because I am lowering my front bumper and putting in a valence for a cleaner look.

In this concept drawing you can see where the frame horns were (in dots) and they protrude from under the grill mount. On mine I have alread filled those precut notches, and will add a valence (possibly using the front vented part of a hood) in the darker pencil fill of the drawing between the mandibles of the two fenders.
Then I will decide on dropping the horns (possibly 4") and reinstalling a cut down/thinner version of the bumper with the ends cut to match the fender well angle (not shown in this drawing because I seen that done after I drew this) or go with a tube push bumper.

The idea is to give the profile of the truck more of a slanted forward at the hood look, and less of the old man with his dentures out with the bumper as his chin and sticking out so far....

In my head it looks cooler than I can make it sound in words LOL.

[McMurphy]

Something like this:



Only with the bumper mounted lower and being more of an accent than a protrudence.
Hey ..... I am Irish..... crazy and whiskey are my birthrights !!!

[chad64chevy]

ya, i forgot you were adding the front of a hood to the bottom, i'm a lil slow sometimes, lol!! working so much i forget what other people are doing to there truck along with forgetting were i'm at on mine!!
looks like sept. i'll be able to make alot of REAL progress on mine, work will slow down a bit to were i'm only working 5 days then! i really shouldnt complain about work atleast i'm working, right, lol!!

[piratexpress1369a]

sounds like you need a bigger air compressor ..looking good so far

[flips72]

you are a very lucky man to have a wife that likes to clean parts and buy tools crossmember looks great, your doing some awesome work........... well your wife is keep it up and you will pass me.

[KroAutomotiveInc]

looking good man love the spots you use to put that touch of red in and that blast cabinet is sweet i need one of those so bad i may be pro at clean parts with a scraper clear and a brush but i cant say i enjoy doing it lol

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

ya, i forgot you were adding the front of a hood to the bottom, i'm a lil slow sometimes, lol!! working so much i forget what other people are doing to there truck along with forgetting were i'm at on mine!!
looks like sept. i'll be able to make alot of REAL progress on mine, work will slow down a bit to were i'm only working 5 days then! i really shouldnt complain about work atleast i'm working, right, lol!!

In todays economy it isnt enough to just have a job, but you need to start paying your future as well because I really doubt it will get better for the majority of us. I tell my soldiers this: "Live Today, but Live for Tomorrow"

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

sounds like you need a bigger air compressor ..looking good so far

Aye, that I do!!
But I still have at least one more major move in my Army career, maybe two, and an industrial compressor just isnt in the cards right now! Sure would be nice though!

Originally Posted by flips72

you are a very lucky man to have a wife that likes to clean parts and buy tools crossmember looks great, your doing some awesome work........... well your wife is keep it up and you will pass me.

Well.... I may pass you on putting it all back together, but I cannot touch you on the quality of work you do sir! And go ahead and tease me about my wife, the guys at the junk yard do too, like they are seeing her there more often than me...."what am I here to help my wife with today?.....If I didnt bring my wife, then why am I there?".... you know, that sort of stuff.

Originally Posted by KroAutomotiveInc

looking good man love the spots you use to put that touch of red in and that blast cabinet is sweet i need one of those so bad i may be pro at clean parts with a scraper clear and a brush but i cant say i enjoy doing it lol

I like the effect you get with blasting... the dust is tearing up my shop vac though, and the mess is kind of a bother. I think in the future a small shed or something just for blasting will be in order with a dust evac system, but I would need a breather for a set up like that.
It is addicting though.... I blasted that coil spring and almost immediately started eyeballing my frame with delusions of grandure!!

I like your rattlecan approach to your new 4x4... you know I watch everything you do now!

[KroAutomotiveInc]

thanks dude yeah i love the rattle cans lol paint is paint to a point its all about prep in the first place no matter the paint going down and i plan on doing quit a bit of off roading in this truck and i feel a lot better about scratching or denting some rustoleum that i can pick up on the way home to fix it then raking a tree down my sweet paint job

[CRGRS 66]

McMurph, cross member looks reeeaaaally nice, your honey does nice work

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

McMurph, cross member looks reeeaaaally nice, your honey does nice work

I think that she is probably doing most of the work & McMurph is just the photographer/parts-cleaner on this build!...Ha-Ha!

[dbomb53]

Keep sender her to get your parts....she probably gets a better deal!...haha

[dbomb53]

**sending

[clemdaddy]

Hey ..... I am Irish..... crazy and whiskey are my birthrights !!![/QUOTE]

somebody say whiskey... I'm in.

your build looks real fine, gonna stay tuned in.

[chevy_man5]

McMurphy, If you could take pictures from these locations from straight out, it would make drawing your truck from the front much easier. If you can take them from the same distance away (maybe off of a tripod, etc) that will help too.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by chevy_man5

McMurphy, If you could take pictures from these locations from straight out, it would make drawing your truck from the front much easier. If you can take them from the same distance away (maybe off of a tripod, etc) that will help too.

Heck... if you could just render THAT photo into a line drawing for me that would work for my needs !!!
And thanks man !