Johns 66

[Johns 66]

Well not much to report as of now...I am waiting on the machine shop to get the motor finished, waiting on the radiator shop to get the radiator rebuilt.

I am still looking for a steering column but do have a couple of leads thanks to Andy
(Classic V6 Gmc's) I have sent them a couple of messages so maybe soon I will be able to find one.

I did get the instrument cluster with gauges last night when I got home...Ill post some pictures of it..It does have a cracked lens but I am replacing that anyways.....Not much if any of the wiring harness came with it but that's ok I was gonna change it anyway...Ill post some pictures of it when I start on on...I read the rebuild thread on how to do it so Im gonna tackle that as well...yall pray for me..lol Lord knows I need it.

Seriously it should be fine.

Gotta do the graduation circuit starting Wednesday so Ill be away from home this weekend..but family comes first......

[Johns 66]

Well back at it again...almost. Graduation was extremely nice...I had no idea how these kids are sooo smart...both got several scholarships for academics...So very proud of them.

Went by and picked up the radiator and heater core from the shop. I will say the old radiator core was surely clogged up...not sure if that thing had even been flushed....Several of the rows had calcium deposits built up. So I am relatively sure that it was a good idea to have the cores replaced...They put an aluminum high efficiency 3 core radiator into it......Its pouring down rain now so I cant take any pictures of it but I will tomorrow.

I also went by the hospital ( machine shop) for visiting hours and checked on the patient.....All the prep work has been done...One final polishing of the crank is needed, all the parts have came in and the rods have been attached to the pistons...Heads have been completed....I must say that they look pretty good...those stainless steel valves look pretty awesome sitting in the heads and you can definitely tell that are bigger than the stock ones.....I think this thing is gonna breathe just fine.

I am waiting on a couple of people to get back with me on some parts I need..Sent CaptainFab a PM and another person concerning a steering column.

A couple of things I have ordered are starting to come in now, but am still waiting on the gasket set to get here so I can put the heater box back together and get it painted, then re-installed.

I am trying to get everything done under the hood before I move further...this way once I shut the hood the engine bay will be complete

Anyways here are a few pics from the machine shop......The single cylinder picture id the cylinder that the sleeve was put in...Looks good to me. Matt ( Machine Shop Guy) said that the engine block and all the parts still has to be cleaned again before he will start putting it together.

He did tell me that he had over 8 hrs alone just in the heads, boring them out and building them.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Engine parts look good!!

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

Engine parts look good!!

Thanks Andy. Matt is taking his time and doing a few little extra things just to make it work more efficient. He has smoothed out the oil galleys under the intake so that the oil will flow more smoothly to the pan.

He is also cleaning the oil ports on the crank to ensure everything is clean...He told me that he has the final polishing on the crank left to do and then he is going to clean all the ports one more time.

I also forgot to mention that he shaved the heads down 20 thousands just to give it a little more compression and horsepower. He said that when he degress the cam in that he will do it in such a way as to get the torgue on the bottom end, especially since he knows what the truck is going to be used for.

I feel pretty confident in his abilities and knowledge at this point...Just cant wait to get it back in.

[Johns 66]

Well went and played in the sand a little tonight...Got some more things blasted and started working on the instrument cluster....Not sure how that is going to turn out...kinda feel I'm in over my head when it comes to that thing.....but I will see how it goes....
Here are some pictures that I have been meaning to post...first couple are of the radiator with its new high efficiency aluminum core...Radiator shop painted it but I'm thinking I may have to sand it down and repaint...kinda rough for my taste......

As you can see on the heater core is still has the 1966 marking/stamp on one end....think that's pretty cool although no one will ever see it..lol

[Johns 66]

Here are some pictures of what I blasted tonight...The first picture is of the grounding straps that were attached to the firewall and valve covers....pretty cool I think.

Next are of the hood latch system...all I did was prime it

[Johns 66]

Here are a few pictures of the instrument cluster....Still have some more blasting to do on it to get it clean but this turned out ok.....Ill get the new decals ordered in a few days....Gotta figure out how to test these things to see if they are good or not.....but that will be fine.

Still not sure where the high beams indicator is at this point but I'm sure I will get that figured out as well.

[Johns 66]

The last few are of the trim ring primed and a coat of silver metallic...of course rattle canned...It will need another coat but didn't look too bad....

Then I did a little playing on Randy's wall....gotta have a little fun...lol Also known as the rattle can paint booth area..lol I couldn't find where he had the red paint but once I do I can tape it again and spray the red.

[Johns 66]

And heres just a couple of the operating room...Its kinda funny to me that the sign on the way says Chevy Truck Parking Only.

I did contact Captainfab about ordering a brake bosster adapter and power steering plate...Guess I'm gonna get those on the way as well.

I'm thinking that I will have the motor back early next week but want to get the booster installed before I set it back in...just a lot easier to work around...plus I am going to paint the cradle and frame rails with POR 15 before I set the motor back into it so once I'm done I can shut the hood and move to a different area.

[TJ's Chevy]

Hey I also have that chevy trucks parking only sign.

Engine and parts are looking good!

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Hey I also have that chevy trucks parking only sign.

Engine and parts are looking good!

Thanks TJ.....

Not a lot gonna happen tonight since its church night...But I have ordered the power brake booster and power steering bracket from CaptainFab ( Thanks John) So I am sure it will be on its way shortly.

Im going to sit down in the next day or so and make a list of all that I want to do, parts that I think I am going to need to get this thing back on the road. That way I can kinda keep things organized a little in my mind of what I am going to do and how to try and accomplish it.

Mainly right now I am focusing on the engine bay etc...but do find myself wandering to the cab, paint, wheels and tires etc...lol

I think the main thing is to get it running again, where I can drive it and then do little projects like power steering, etc...on the weekends and not tie up Randys shop too long.

Speaking of wheels I did look at some and like the look of the Torg Thrust wheels...Only issue I see is that they do not come 6 lug...or at least the ones I looked at didn't...I was considering 18x9s...The truck currently has 15's on it with 275/60/15...real wide tires and a decent set of wheels...not my taste but still decent. I think it would cost a lot of money to change over to 5 lugs and if I was gonna do that I might as well put discs on it....even MORE money.

Im still looking for an automatic steering column so if ya see one lemme know. I have sent a couple of PM's to some members here...maybe someone will have one laying around that I can get...time will tell

[Johns 66]

Well motor can be picked up on Tuesday...The machine shop closed today and Monday...cant say that I blame them one single bit.

I also got the paint code for the engine from Yelmer....So Ill try to see if I can get some mixed up so I can get the ole motor painted up....yep its gonna be green...Don't really like green but I guess Chevy thought it was a good color and that's fine by me. Hopefully they can mix it around here...if not Mike said he would get me some mixed up and send it to me which is so cool of him to do.


So looks like I can relax a little bit this weekend and just piddle around on some small things.

Hope you all have a Happy Memorial Day....Being a Former Marine Myself.....I truly understand what this day means.

[DPowers]

Some nice work you are doing on your truck.

[Prflyer1]

Great find and even better work! I absolutely love those valve covers with the vintage Chevrolet name on them!! subscribed

[Johns 66]

Well motor has been assembled!!!!!!!!!!YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went to the machine shop to pick it up and the Good Lord decided I shouldn't bring it home today because it started pouring down rain...so I decided not to risk filling a freshly built motor with rain water...So I left it.

They also drill and tapped the crank shaft to allow a bolt and washer for the harmonic balancer....I guess it was just pressed on originally but the added safety measure was worth it. The also milled the facing of the exhaust to make them flat again.

As you can also see they couldn't find the original color in rattle can...Imagine that..Neither could I...lol so they painted it high temp black...Fine by me...Its getting painted that wonderful puke green color ( Thanks Yelmer for the paint code) .....Went by the paint store and got the paint, plus some PO15....Boy that POR 15 stuff is EXPENSIVE....40.00 a quart...WOW.

Am waiting on the brake booster adapter from Captainfab...hopefully it will arrive this week so I can get the brake lines done up.

I bought me some foam brushed to paint the frame with the POR 15...I sure hope a quart goes a long way..lol......

I am going to attempt to paint the motor....never have done that before unless it was rattle can...this is a 8 to 1 to 1 mix so we will see how that goes.

Anyways here are a few pics...and yes I did check the casting numbers....its the original block and heads...albeit with bigger valves.

[rsd66C20]

Your truck/engine is looking awesome!!! Congrats on jumping into the deep end with all this. A couple of suggestions.

On the POR-15......the can will "weld" itself shut if you get the POR-15 on the edges while pouring, and put the cap back on. Try to avoid getting any POR-15 into the edges. The POR-15 goes a long way compared to regular paint.

I get a bunch of cheapy turkey basters, and transfer a smaller amount to a temporary container (soda can, plastic cup, etc)....with just the right amount that you will consume during that usage. I've also tried using saran wrap between top and the can....and it kind of works. This aids in getting the top off later, though you need to make sure it has a good seal.

Also, after you paint the engine, I'd suggest using a tap, and chasing out all of the bolt holes. It takes a little time, but makes like a lot easier in the years to come. I use a little motor oil on the taps while chasing.

A number of threads back, you mentioned the staples in the radiator siding pieces. LMC sells these replacement rubber pieces. I actually made my own staples by buying the same diameter steel wire (that comes in rolls) from the local hardware store. It was actually pretty easy, to align up the rubber pieces with the original staple holes, and "make" the staples.

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by rsd66C20

Your truck/engine is looking awesome!!! Congrats on jumping into the deep end with all this. A couple of suggestions.

On the POR-15......the can will "weld" itself shut if you get the POR-15 on the edges while pouring, and put the cap back on. Try to avoid getting any POR-15 into the edges. The POR-15 goes a long way compared to regular paint.

I get a bunch of cheapy turkey basters, and transfer a smaller amount to a temporary container (soda can, plastic cup, etc)....with just the right amount that you will consume during that usage. I've also tried using saran wrap between top and the can....and it kind of works. This aids in getting the top off later, though you need to make sure it has a good seal.

Also, after you paint the engine, I'd suggest using a tap, and chasing out all of the bolt holes. It takes a little time, but makes like a lot easier in the years to come. I use a little motor oil on the taps while chasing.

A number of threads back, you mentioned the staples in the radiator siding pieces. LMC sells these replacement rubber pieces. I actually made my own staples by buying the same diameter steel wire (that comes in rolls) from the local hardware store. It was actually pretty easy, to align up the rubber pieces with the original staple holes, and "make" the staples.

Thanks RSD for the wise advise, especially on the POR 15...I will definitely use the ole turkey baster method to transfer the paint. I plan on painting the frame, front cross member, and suspension parts this way...Im not really sure how this is gonna turn out since I am not taking all of this apart. Plus I have never sprayed auto paint before or even mixed it for that matter but Im sure gonna give it a try....worst thing that could happen is it looks like garbage and Ill never open the hood...LOL I have to remind myself that this is going to be a driver truck and not a show quality vehicle, while I want it to look nice...I understand that it will have some flaws....just like I do.

It is easy to get caught up in "modifying" these vehicles and street rodding them.....I have been there and done that..Unfortunately there are not too many trust worthy shops that do this...My 63 C10 Stepside turned into a 10 yr nightmare and cost me a truckload of money.....This will not turn into that.....especially since I am doing the majority of the work myself...The only thing that I am going to pay to have done is to have it painted once I am done mechanically.

Matt from the machine shop gave me the break in instructions when I finally get to that point and I have to fight myself not to rush what needs to be done first before just sticking the motor in to hear it run.

Im figuring in a couple of weeks I will get to set it back in and fire it up....Waiting on brake booster adapter right now, along with the gasket set for the heater box, firewall grommets etc.....Once I get entire engine bay finished I will then work on the interior part...mainly the fuel system....have to make sure the tank is cleaned. I was told by Mike that this truck came with 2 options for tanks..and I have the smaller tank..I am considering putting the 24 gallon tank back behind the seat.......I know this is an open debate when it comes to gas tank placement and depending on what day of the week it is I go back and forth but Im leaving the tank behind the seat.

Randy is getting all the parts together to build the 700R4 right now so that should happen in a few days....

My HOPES are that I will get to drive it 4th of July weekend.....I don't think that is unrealistic at this point.

The funny thing is I started making a list of things Im gonna need to get it back running....boy was I naïve in my thinking..lol there is a lot of stuff still yet to buy...plugs, oil, antifreeze, waterpump, flywheel, starter, wires.....and the list goes on.....

I have decided that once I get it running and am realtively sure the little bugs are worked out then I will put the power steering on...kinda like a weekend project......Not a lot will get done today since its church night....gonna sure pray for some wisdom tonight....but I am one step closer....gotta love the journey as much as the destination

[demckenz]

Also, can you give me the green engine paint info. Sorry, just going through the same stuff.

[Captainfab]

For the minimal price difference of an under bed Blazer tank, I would never replace an in cab gas tank.

Many years ago I had someone close to me burn to death in the cab of a truck after being in a wreck that she would have otherwise survived.

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

For the minimal price difference of an under bed Blazer tank, I would never replace an in cab gas tank.

Many years ago I had someone close to me burn to death in the cab of a truck after being in a wreck that she would have otherwise survived.

That is horrible! Always heard horror stories of those gas tanks and the old Ford Pinto gas tanks.

I was lucky and the PO moved the tank to the rear (with a small gas tank..that i upgraded), but even if he didn't, I would have anyway even if I was doing as close to an original restoration as I could...Maybe mock it up behind the seat to look correct, but have the actual tank under the bed. I am thinking of putting the filler neck back on the cab (blocked off) for looks.

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by demckenz

Hey, still looking at your old posts. The quadrajet had a small metal tag and one of the top cover screws. It had a number on it. Mine matched to the 327. Sometimes if the carburetor was rebuilt, they left it off. Still following all your posts.

Darrell

Yeah my tag was long gone by the time I got it.

Originally Posted by demckenz

I'm wondering..do you have the P/N off the intake manifold? Do you know where I can get the piece that goes under the thermostat that has the fitting for the bypass hose?

Im not sure what the part number is on the intake....I had a time trying to find the water pump bypass fitting, luckily Yelmer found me one.

Originally Posted by demckenz

Also, can you give me the green engine paint info. Sorry, just going through the same stuff.

If you get with Andy....Roll_The_Dice he will have the code...I think it is Alpine Green but its been awhile since I painted mine.

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

That is my philosophy for the entire truck...purchase and forget....at least that is what I tell the wife..."huh...what did what cost? I don't remember, not much!"

This thing nickels and dimes you to death...in my case 20's and 50's....LOL

Originally Posted by Captainfab

For the minimal price difference of an under bed Blazer tank, I would never replace an in cab gas tank.

Many years ago I had someone close to me burn to death in the cab of a truck after being in a wreck that she would have otherwise survived.

I am so sorry for your loss....Ironically I had a friend who died in a car fire because he was unable to get the seatbelt unlatched, this was many years ago....and it took a long time before I would even touch a seatbelt. I thought about putting it under the frame and at the time I bought it I simply was gonna have to change the rear main seal because it was leaking......boy how wrong was I then. Little did I know what depths that seal would take me.

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

That is horrible! Always heard horror stories of those gas tanks and the old Ford Pinto gas tanks.

I was lucky and the PO moved the tank to the rear (with a small gas tank..that i upgraded), but even if he didn't, I would have anyway even if I was doing as close to an original restoration as I could...Maybe mock it up behind the seat to look correct, but have the actual tank under the bed. I am thinking of putting the filler neck back on the cab (blocked off) for looks.

I have heard a lot of stories about exploding gas tanks, especially in the Pintos and I know it wont be good if I get hit in the cab corner.....at some point I may change it but since I have already bought it I will use it. I would need a lot of fab work to make it look like I would want with the filler neck coming out of the side...I am gonna get Bryan to weld me a bracket on the frame rails in case I choose to do it later. My thoughts are if I were to do that I would go with either the Holley Sniper, or Fitech Fuel injection systems....but that is a long ways away......gonna do the discs first and rear axles, Power steering and Maybe AC.....The never ending project..lol

[Johns 66]

Well opened up the old rattle can paint booth again tonight and sprayed just a few parts to see how they were gonna come out...I used a purple scotch bright pad to sand down the primer and they few parts I did turned out pretty good.

I know you can see my super secret paint holding apparatus that I use in the rattle can paint booth...lol I know I know...but cant keep secrets forever...lol

[Johns 66]

So after spraying these I decided to get some POR 15 on the engine bay area. I will say that I really wished they made this stuff in rattle can because it would be SOOOO much easier to apply....but NOOOOO they haven't done that as of yet...lol So I used a foam type brush to apply it.......Lets just say that its not my favorite method to apply this stuff...And on the wise advise I used everything I poured out so that is why you will see some areas that look unfinished....cause they are......I am thinking that these areas will need another coat but it doesn't look too bad...I have to remind myself I am gonna drive this truck because the urge to rip everything apart and make it perfect as I can get it still gnaws at me. But here are some pics of what I got done tonight after work.

[Johns 66]

And here are a few more...These pictures were taken when some of it was wet and some semi dried...I am hoping it kinda evens out after it dries tonight....I am thinking that a little scuffing before the nest coat will kinda smooth it out....but I can always use this as a base layer and rattle can it once the POR 15 dries and sets.

Also got a PM from Capatainfab and my brake booster adapter should either be here Saturday or Monday....

Still looking for an auto steering column...I'm sure one will come up soon.....least I hope so.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Engine bay and parts are looking good.