TA_C10: Stage 1

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

I did the same thing... I'm hoping to hammer and dolly it out more so I only need less than 1/8" filler.

Good idea, I will hammer and dolly as well tonight and see if it works.

[Scurry67]

Patch looks good! I know when I was doing the body filler in that area that it can be tough to get the correct contour. It looks like your patch fits the contour pretty solid. Nice work!

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by Scurry67

Patch looks good! I know when I was doing the body filler in that area that it can be tough to get the correct contour. It looks like your patch fits the contour pretty solid. Nice work!

Thanks, I think the contour is ok but its recessed a little but nothing a little filler can't fix


.

[TA_C10]

I got my cab pulled back off the frame again. Getting it ready for paint!

I've been welding up a few small items and now that I got it upside down to work on the bottom I see how badly these cab corners fit. Huge gaps everywhere.








So tonight I basically just welded everything up. I cut small slivers of sheet to patch these holes and other places I just welded her up. I want this thing air tight to keep water out and lessen road noise and not to mention keep temps stable. Hopefully this won't cause any issues I know some guys say not to weld these areas so water can drain but these were rediculous. I ended up welding my cab corner to rocker seams and cab corner to floor on the underside where the cab corner lip wraps around the floor pan edges. Screw it... It's a daily not a trailer queen...


This is the bottom seam I welded together. This is a shot of my cab corner cut in half when I installed it so it gives a good look at how these reproduction parts fit poorly. I welded the seam the top arrow is pointing to.



.

[TA_C10]

I fixed my pictures in last post. If they don't show up let me know.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

I fixed my pictures in last post. If they don't show up let me know.

I'm still not able to see them. Maybe it's a problem on my end?

[SCOTI]

Steep learning curve but you're getting the hang of it.

On the wire size…. The smaller dia wire works better on thinner stuff (think sheet-metal or slightly thicker). The thicker diameter is used on stuff like frame brackets or sheet stuff over 1/8". Of course, w/each change you'll have to re-adjust settings according to your material. I always keep a spool of each handy. The later pics have your tack welds looking much better. I like to do a series of tack welds, check the fit of everything & if good, grind the tack welds down @ that time. Repeat after each round of tack welds & you get a more consistent weld seam vs missed areas between tacks.

On your Blazer tank, nice job w/the in-tank pump mods. Been looking @ that same kit for my Blazer tank as well (I've been eyeing the TB style aftermarket FI set-ups for the SBC in my 64 build). I would recommend supporting the bottom of the tank as the flange alone was not intended to carry the full weight & will probably cause issues on down the road. A strap set-up can easily be made to work w/your mounting arrangement since you can fab & are getting better w/the welder.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Steep learning curve but you're getting the hang of it.

On the wire size…. The smaller dia wire works better on thinner stuff (think sheet-metal or slightly thicker). The thicker diameter is used on stuff like frame brackets or sheet stuff over 1/8". Of course, w/each change you'll have to re-adjust settings according to your material. I always keep a spool of each handy. The later pics have your tack welds looking much better. I like to do a series of tack welds, check the fit of everything & if good, grind the tack welds down @ that time. Repeat after each round of tack welds & you get a more consistent weld seam vs missed areas between tacks.

On your Blazer tank, nice job w/the in-tank pump mods. Been looking @ that same kit for my Blazer tank as well (I've been eyeing the TB style aftermarket FI set-ups for the SBC in my 64 build). I would recommend supporting the bottom of the tank as the flange alone was not intended to carry the full weight & will probably cause issues on down the road. A strap set-up can easily be made to work w/your mounting arrangement since you can fab & are getting better w/the welder.

Thanks for the advise on the welds, I get what your saying and I'm not doing that(obviously you can see that i'm not ) and will start trying that method.

AND Oh man, I'm glad you told me that!! I didn't know the flange wasn't able to support the tank... That sucks because I really didn't like the straps but now I guess I will have to use them after all... I will be looking into making a different bolt setup for the straps as I don't like what they designed. The j-hook or whatever they call it will dig into my painted frame and cause it to crack and then rust... Might be as simple as just adding a washer under it we will see.

And I got curious and found your recycle build. I quickly flipped through and found your tank stuff on page 26 or so. I don't see straps on your setup either but I assume your not done yet. I see some of your other work and dang man, experience really shows, your doing some amazing work over there. Didn't realize your were in Dallas. I'm in Justin just behind TMS. Maybe someday we can check each others rides out.

Thanks!!

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

Thanks for the advise on the welds, I get what your saying and I'm not doing that(obviously you can see that i'm not ) and will start trying that method.

AND Oh man, I'm glad you told me that!! I didn't know the flange wasn't able to support the tank... That sucks because I really didn't like the straps but now I guess I will have to use them after all... I will be looking into making a different bolt setup for the straps as I don't like what they designed. The j-hook or whatever they call it will dig into my painted frame and cause it to crack and then rust... Might be as simple as just adding a washer under it we will see.

And I got curious and found your recycle build. I quickly flipped through and found your tank stuff on page 26 or so. I don't see straps on your setup either but I assume your not done yet. I see some of your other work and dang man, experience really shows, your doing some amazing work over there. Didn't realize your were in Dallas. I'm in Justin just behind TMS. Maybe someday we can check each others rides out.

Thanks!!

You should be able to make 'straps' that connect to a common tab. Just make them so they work w/the current mounting plates you already created. Basically a 'sammich'..... The plate/anchor inside the rail (one slice of the bread); the gas tank flange (the meats or PB); & the gas tank strap/flange for under the rail (the other piece of bread). The bolts would go through the tank-strap flange, through the tank flange + rail; & then thread into your mounting flange inside the rail. My re-pop tank has 2 channels formed into the steel where the straps would be positioned under the tank for the added support that will dictate the size of your 'tank-strap' flange.

I did mine that way but now have to re-create them (I did a similar mount/set-up like your build for bolting the tank in place using nuts welded to a plate). But, my tank was originally set-up for my old 68 swb truck w/stock rear rails. For that app, I actually set the tank between the frame rails, raised it 2" so it wouldn't hang as low, & made shorter S.S. straps that worked w/the raised position. The bed floor was getting raised 3" so raising the tank wasn't an issue.

Since I raised the rails on this frame & I'm using a wood floor, I'm going to mount the tank under the rail like OE. I'll modify (shorten) my inner frame piece w/the welded nuts for inside the rails & re-make the tank straps to accommodate the increased depth under the rails.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

You should be able to make 'straps' that connect to a common tab. Just make them so they work w/the current mounting plates you already created. Basically a 'sammich'..... The plate/anchor inside the rail (one slice of the bread); the gas tank flange (the meats or PB); & the gas tank strap/flange for under the rail (the other piece of bread). The bolts would go through the tank-strap flange, through the tank flange + rail; & then thread into your mounting flange inside the rail. My re-pop tank has 2 channels formed into the steel where the straps would be positioned under the tank for the added support that will dictate the size of your 'tank-strap' flange.

I did mine that way but now have to re-create them (I did a similar mount/set-up like your build for bolting the tank in place using nuts welded to a plate). But, my tank was originally set-up for my old 68 swb truck w/stock rear rails. For that app, I actually set the tank between the frame rails, raised it 2" so it wouldn't hang as low, & made shorter S.S. straps that worked w/the raised position. The bed floor was getting raised 3" so raising the tank wasn't an issue.

Since I raised the rails on this frame & I'm using a wood floor, I'm going to mount the tank under the rail like OE. I'll modify (shorten) my inner frame piece w/the welded nuts for inside the rails & re-make the tank straps to accommodate the increased depth under the rails.

Ok that makes sense, I need to double check but I'm guessing the gas tank flange holes are in line/centered with the tank strap channels so they should work like a charm in the existing holes I drilled. I hope so cuz that's exactly what I'll do. I'll have to modify the straps a little cuz they don't fit snug and precise but that's easy fix.

I really wanted to raise my tank as well so it didn't hang so low but that wasn't gonna happen with stock location of bed and rail. It will be fine though, 4.5 front, 5.5 rear with stock style chrome bumpers should hide most of it and I'm prob gonna paint it black.

Ok now off to read your build thread... Whew, 30 sum pages and your not done lol...

[TA_C10]

Under Coating the Cab


Well I finally laid down some paint this weekend. Took forever to clean and prep the cab. I needed to clearance the trans tunnel a little so I cut out the flange and welded a bead to seal it up. The trans needed to be lifted a little due to angle.







I pretty much just scuffed the bottom of cab, washed with dawn soap and water, dried it with air hose, then cleaned again with wax and grease remover, and sprayed Eastwood rust encapsulator (2 coats) for my epoxy base. This stuff is fortified with epoxy for better adhesion so I thought it was an easy way to apply something to keep the bottom sealed and any future rust at bay if a rock or something were to penetrate my undercoatings.







This sat for 24 hours with the heater on in the garage to keep the temps up above 70 degrees. I decided to go further up on the firewall than originally anticipated so I had to grind down and weld up some firewall holes and clean up and shoot more epoxy again but no big deal. I waited about 2 hours to let dry well.

I used some seam sealer on my welds underneath first, let dry for hour, then I laid down some lizard skin(CI). I used the Eastwood undercoating gun and it worked really good. This stuff is super easy to spray and it sprays really well with this gun, not much over-spray at all. I put 3 coats on, 1st coat was light and I let it tack up nice before next 2 thicker coats went on.











The next step happens tonight. I will spray on about 2-3 coats of rubber undercoating on top of the lizard skin. After talking to Eastwood about the lizard skin products, they say you can use it for undercoatings but it was designed for internal not external usage so its not really heavy duty. They recommend top coating it with a flexible durable coating.

[TA_C10]

Oh yeah, and I got a birthday present worth posting over the weekend. My wife used her crafty skills and figured out which steering wheel I was wanting through friends, then she drove down to Summit Racing because 1st she wanted to see it before she bought it, and 2nd she shopped around and found it cheaper there!! Shee's Crafty.....

[Kronald_70GMC]

Wow great progress this weekend! That wheel looks super nice too. Keep up the good work!

[1971Stepside]

I want to do something like this on the bottom of my cab. Watching to see how it goes. Keep it up

[Scurry67]

That's all looking real sharp! Question - how'd you flip your cab? I'm getting close to that stage but I'm trying to figure out how in the heck I'm going to tip the cab without damaging it.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

Ok that makes sense, I need to double check but I'm guessing the gas tank flange holes are in line/centered with the tank strap channels so they should work like a charm in the existing holes I drilled. I hope so cuz that's exactly what I'll do. I'll have to modify the straps a little cuz they don't fit snug and precise but that's easy fix.

I really wanted to raise my tank as well so it didn't hang so low but that wasn't gonna happen with stock location of bed and rail. It will be fine though, 4.5 front, 5.5 rear with stock style chrome bumpers should hide most of it and I'm prob gonna paint it black.

Ok now off to read your build thread... Whew, 30 sum pages and your not done lol...

I couldn't answer your question w/o dbl checking to make sure but yes, the strap channels on the bottom of the tank do line up w/the mounting holes on the tank flange. They're not on center, but they are still within the channel width dimension.

Here are some pics from the tank set-up as it was installed in my stock frame rail 68:
* The retaining plates I made to work w/my 2" SS tank spacers (they're inside the SS tube)
* The tank spacer attached for a visual
* The SS tank straps

[SCOTI]

A different angle of the retaining plates I made...

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by Kronald_70GMC

Wow great progress this weekend! That wheel looks super nice too. Keep up the good work!

Thanks! I'm pumped about that wheel. I still can't believe she picked the exact wheel I wanted. #awesomewife

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

I want to do something like this on the bottom of my cab. Watching to see how it goes. Keep it up

I gotta tell ya this process really went great. I just finished the rubberized undercoating tonight and will be posting pictures and details on it soon. I would definitely go this route if I had it to do all over again. My techniques would change and you can read about that very shortly lol

Originally Posted by Scurry67

That's all looking real sharp! Question - how'd you flip your cab? I'm getting close to that stage but I'm trying to figure out how in the heck I'm going to tip the cab without damaging it.

These cabs are pretty strong after you get them all welded up and ready. I had a friend over and just he and I picked up the cab several times during my process of cleaning and painting. So you probably saw my earlier posts how I built a jig for it to remove the cab from frame as a one man show with my cherry picker, this method worked great, completely balanced itself and I could swivel it no prob.

Once I had it on the ground my buddy came over and we picked it up and moved it outside on an old bedroom door so it wasn't sitting on concrete. This worked excellent while I washed with soap and water. And during this process I was flipping it all on my own from it sitting on its back, I would roll it over(pivoting on the 2 back cab corners) to sitting upright position and back. Man those cab corners didn't even budge. I payed attention to this closely. And I didn't let it sit on those cab corners long, I immediately and with a very quick and fluent motion rolled the cab without stopping.

Man handle that beast!

I just made sure there was either the cardboard or the door under the cab at all times so it was always padded from the hard ground.

Another option is to use 4x4's bolted on via the subframes under the cab. You could extend them out the back of the cab so they would pivot on those instead of the cab corners. Plus when it was sitting on its back those would also pick the bottom edge of the cab off the ground some which would angle the cab up towards you while you painted which would have been nice as I found that spraying material between the rear most frame rail and the back of cab(small gap) took some finess

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

A different angle of the retaining plates I made...

Thanks for the detail SCOTI, I will be tackling this in the next couple weeks now that I finished the underside of my cab. It's now time for fuel system, brake lines, and ebrake cables....

[TA_C10]

Undercoating the cab | Part 2


Well it only took a couple of coats of the rubberized undercoating tonight and I am officially done. The lizard skin cured over night and man did it look good. That pro gun really was nice. I forgot to mention it was ridiculously easy to clean up too. Anyway tonight I simply blew off the cab and sprayed the rubber undercoating. I decided to buy the aerosol cans since it's price was better than getting the quart size container and there was no cleanup. These cans are larger than your normal paint can too. 18oz cans. They have a ton of pressure inside them too and the pressure outlasts the material in the can.

This stuff comes out of the can really nice, they did a good job with this stuff. However, one thing I learned was to hold the can about 24 inches from your surface, not the 12 inches it calls for. When you hold it out further it sprays really good and doesn't build up and bubble. It took me a min to figure this out so I have a little blotching/big bubbles or whatever its called.

I did 2 coats, first one light, second one heavy. 15 min between coats.

Here are the pics.








First coat:





Second coat:





Close up after 2nd coat. This is an area that turned out the way its supposed to. When I figured out holding the can 24 inches away it sprayed perfectly.







I taped off this line under the firewall. Turned out pretty cool looking. All 3 layers of products go up to that line. I plan on smoothing the upper firewall some so that comes next.






Here you can see some of the area like under the firewall cowl and on the side kick panel where I got too close and it bubbled some. But even these areas came out better after the second coat went on. And it dries pretty quickly.






I will be using this same rubberized undercoating on the underneath side of the inner fenders and other body panels that can benefit from this.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Looks great man! Hey I got a favour to ask you. Do you think you could pull the measurements between the two front cab mount holes, center to center, and the two rear cab mount holes, again center to center? I found on another thread that says they are supposed to be 37-1/2" at the rear and 41-1/2" at the front. My rear measures 37-3/8" which is fine, but I'm getting 40-5/8" in the front. Really hoping that what I was reading is just a typo or something as I have no idea where I could have possibly lost 7/8". Thanks

[cornerstone]

Nice work. I sealed up the bottom of my truck before I started smoothing the firewall and didn't consider where the line would be that differentiates the painted firewall vs. the undercoated floor. I really like how you taped off that line and where it is. I'll be stealing this! I've seen many that paint the doghouse dome behind the motor, but I think I like your setup better. Plus it will be less bodywork to get that surface to look right since the undercoating will cover any minor imperfections in the metal better than paint. Looking great !
Brian

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by Kronald_70GMC

Looks great man! Hey I got a favour to ask you. Do you think you could pull the measurements between the two front cab mount holes, center to center, and the two rear cab mount holes, again center to center? I found on another thread that says they are supposed to be 37-1/2" at the rear and 41-1/2" at the front. My rear measures 37-3/8" which is fine, but I'm getting 40-5/8" in the front. Really hoping that what I was reading is just a typo or something as I have no idea where I could have possibly lost 7/8". Thanks

I sure can, I will grab those measurements tonight for you. But hey, just curious, what are your frame measurements from center to center on the body mount holes? That to me would be the best measurement since it is the frame your sitting the cab on yeah? Just a thought.

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Nice work. I sealed up the bottom of my truck before I started smoothing the firewall and didn't consider where the line would be that differentiates the painted firewall vs. the undercoated floor. I really like how you taped off that line and where it is. I'll be stealing this! I've seen many that paint the doghouse dome behind the motor, but I think I like your setup better. Plus it will be less bodywork to get that surface to look right since the undercoating will cover any minor imperfections in the metal better than paint. Looking great !
Brian

Thank you sir. That's exactly why I did that plus I thought the lizard skin would push a lot of the engine heat down under the cab instead of the firewall absorbing it in the tunnel area. And you won't see that area all that much anyways, at least on my truck you won't as I have the engine back as far as I could get it.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

Thank you sir. That's exactly why I did that plus I thought the lizard skin would push a lot of the engine heat down under the cab instead of the firewall absorbing it in the tunnel area. And you won't see that area all that much anyways, at least on my truck you won't as I have the engine back as far as I could get it.

Either way works but I'm pretty sure 99% wouldn't be able to see the area well enough to critique the dog-house area behind the motor.
Texture = less work in most cases.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

I sure can, I will grab those measurements tonight for you. But hey, just curious, what are your frame measurements from center to center on the body mount holes? That to me would be the best measurement since it is the frame your sitting the cab on yeah? Just a thought.

I am planning on measuring my frame as well, I'm just curious to know and since your cab is belly up anyhow I figured it would be simple. Thanks again man