What Did You Do With Your Truck Today ?

[dubie]

the camera will be rollin'. How could I not record and share a moment like that?

[thump16]

Picked up fleetside bed from Qksilver outta NC. Perfect sides
Posted via Mobile Device

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by Johnny49

The rivets didn't give up easily, but finally got the gusset to come out. Easy access now for the frame rail fix...

Maybe it's the engineer in me but I have significant concerns. It looks like the top frame rail has been poorly repaired once before. We can see the side is rotten. I assume the bottom is just as bad. It is next to the spring shackle. When the truck is rolling the top rail wants to compress, bottom rail goes in tension and side distributes the forces to the spring shackle. It looks like the frame has already started to fail. I would pull the cab so you can access the complete frame in detail, usually that much damage is not an isolated thing.

IF there is good metal on either side AND you want to use it I would be putting in long fish plates, not relying on butt welds or small patches. It would be a shame to put in all the effort to restore the truck only to find your effort compromised the first time you hit a swale, railroad track or parking lot entrance a little too fast and find the frame bent in the middle and the truck dodging into the other traffic lane at speed.

It's your truck you can do what you want with it, but if safety is compromised someone else may get hurt.

[Johnny49]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Maybe it's the engineer in me but I have significant concerns. It looks like the top frame rail has been poorly repaired once before...

Thanks, OrrieG! I really appreciate the feedback. That piece on the top frame rail is one of four, on each corner where the bed sits. Pretty sure there was a flatbed on the frame at one point. I've spent a lot of time under this thing - - The rest of the frame is solid. Thankfully, I've got someone with 30 years of welding/fabrication experience who has seen the truck in person and is doing the fix so I can a least hopefully take it for a drive or two this year.

The plan after that is to take everything off and restore the whole frame in one shot, as soon as I can find an inexpensive place to do it indoors. No garage here at the house. Kills me to leave the thing outside but there's nothing I can do other than cover it. I've got the cleaned up bed pieces in the basement, but I don't think the frame will fit!

Thanks again...

[Daze57]

very nice lookin fleetside bed

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Maybe it's the engineer in me but I have significant concerns. It looks like the top frame rail has been poorly repaired once before. We can see the side is rotten. I assume the bottom is just as bad. It is next to the spring shackle. When the truck is rolling the top rail wants to compress, bottom rail goes in tension and side distributes the forces to the spring shackle. It looks like the frame has already started to fail. I would pull the cab so you can access the complete frame in detail, usually that much damage is not an isolated thing.

IF there is good metal on either side AND you want to use it I would be putting in long fish plates, not relying on butt welds or small patches. It would be a shame to put in all the effort to restore the truck only to find your effort compromised the first time you hit a swale, railroad track or parking lot entrance a little too fast and find the frame bent in the middle and the truck dodging into the other traffic lane at speed.

It's your truck you can do what you want with it, but if safety is compromised someone else may get hurt.

I agree If it were mine I would do a frame swap! There are just too many nooks and crannys that are questionable

[Coupeguy2001]

flipped the traction bars to try and get a bigger angle on the traction bars to eliminate clutch chatter. Then loaded the bars against the rear so it would control the spring wrap up.
Helped, didn't eliminate it.
Still have to check out the motor mounts and the trans mount for security.
played with the toe a little. It drives better.

[fabguy]

Ok, so my new tie rods and couplers came in at NAPA and I picked them up for installation this coming week. Great find today, while I was browsing around on a jobsite I am working on, I found rolls of 3/8" jute padding not the cheaper stuff either, this is the higher density stuff for homes(its used and flattened a bit) . Perfect timing as my carpet just came in and is lacking full jute padding. I guess I know what my weekend is going to consist of work wise on the truck. along with finishing up the wiring and battery box fabrication/ install.

[crossfire84]

worked on fuel tank install sliced my arm a bit on a sharp edge, had enough and took my wife to a brewers game today!

[dubie]

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=G6nqu...%3DG6nquIo_GFs

Fired the engine for the first time.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by dubie

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=G6nqu...%3DG6nquIo_GFs

Fired the engine for the first time.
Posted via Mobile Device

Link takes me to the site but won't let me view it.

[fabguy]

That sounds SWEET dubie.


I wired the truck today all except the ign. Switch, light switch. Since I was under truck running all my engine wiring I though I would hook up my new vacuum booster S/S line to save the effort since I was already down there and low behold as I pushed the #&$%3+ plug into the vacuum booster, the rubber seal that holds it in falls INSIDE THE BOOSTER.
I guess now I am going to have to drop the master cylinder and booster and hopefully I can fish it out of there. It really feels like someone doesn't want me to drive this truck



Well, thats my 2 steps forward and 1 back for the week. My lesson learned was " I need to slow down'' and be patient.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by fabguy

That sounds SWEET dubie.


I wired the truck today all except the ign. Switch, light switch. Since I was under truck running all my engine wiring I though I would hook up my new vacuum booster S/S line to save the effort since I was already down there and low behold as I pushed the #&$%3+ plug into the vacuum booster, the rubber seal that holds it in falls INSIDE THE BOOSTER.
I guess now I am going to have to drop the master cylinder and booster and hopefully I can fish it out of there. It really feels like someone doesn't want me to drive this truck



Well, thats my 2 steps forward and 1 back for the week. My lesson learned was " I need to slow down'' and be patient.

And I thought I was the only one stuff like that happened to

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by mknittle

And I thought I was the only one stuff like that happened to

Thankfully one of my buddies had cancelled for today, otherwise the master cylinder would have been full because we were going to fill and bleed the entire brake system today as well as fill all the fluids in the truck. I am happy NOW that my brakes werent filled and bled today only because it would be a big mess and having to bleed the system again wouldnt be very fun at all. Although I did fill all the other fluids afterwards.

[OrrieG]

Weld, grind, plastic on the door holes left over from the one piece window install. Set up a stand for my drill press, no more kneeling to drill!

[Coupeguy2001]

Drove it to the local Saturday night car show and put it in the show. Determined that my toe was out, so tomorrow, I will fix that. Met another Corvette guy, and we talked fuel injection for hours.

[dubie]

Hmmm try this link maybe?
http://youtu.be/G6nquIo_GFs
Posted via Mobile Device

[fabguy]

Today I was allowed to go to the shop to work on my truck, my 10yr old daughter told my wife that WE need to get the truck done because we will miss car shows if we don't have it finished soon. She washed away all the over splatter from the buffing and polishing compounds. She cleaned 90% of the truck, meanwhile I finished the light switch and Ign switch wiring as well as starting gluing down the carpet and cutting holes for brake pedal etc. Then we went to lunch and Barnes & Noble cause she wanted a custom classic truck magazine.... a great kid I tell you.

[buggy5872]

Put my fresh heavy duty built tranny in Big Bertha......it works great just my wallet is complaining

[Dan in Pasadena]

fabguy, I think your daughter is a keeper!

You guys that rewire a truck in an hour and rebuild an engine in an afternoon kinda piss me off!

I had bigger plans but all I got done was to wash mine, razor some overspray off the window, and went to OSH for a couple bed bolts - since I've been driving mine for 1-1/2 years with only vice grips holding the bed on!

I also did a trial spray of my lower interior door with spray undercoating to kinda camouflage the less-than-I'd-hoped-for fit up of my speaker hole repairs. Jury is out on whether I'll leave it.

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

fabguy, I think your daughter is a keeper!

You guys that rewire a truck in an hour and rebuild an engine in an afternoon kinda piss me off!

I had bigger plans but all I got done was to wash mine, razor some overspray off the window, and went to OSH for a couple bed bolts - since I've been driving mine for 1-1/2 years with only vice grips holding the bed on!

I also did a trial spray of my lower interior door with spray undercoating to kinda camouflage the less-than-I'd-hoped-for fit up of my speaker hole repairs. Jury is out on whether I'll leave it.

Yes she is, I hope that by the time I get done with the suburban, she will be able to do a complete tear down and rebuild of a TF truck on her own.
Actually landing the wires took me about 2 hrs. Routing, soldering, shrink tubing, strapping, and installing it almost hidden took well over 24 hrs. I still have to wire the speedometer and the torque conv lock out thing. Hopefully going to fabricate my battery box today.
Posted via Mobile Device

[mknittle]

Yesterday I bought a bag full of cheap bolts to mock up the front sheet metal.
I can't get stainless bolts here by the pound so I will use the $2.50 a pound grade 2 for mock up.

[handyhands]

I've also been doing the mockup, 53/s10 cab height and front sheet metal,rad support. Everything lined up pretty good once I raised the front. Front cab mounts are clamped in place. Still need to make the rear mounts. My welding is getting better. Also been working on the guages, trying to use the s10 guages. Need to take more pictures.

[OrrieG]

Nutin, got roped into carb work on the other "new" car...

[mknittle]

Nothing. it's raining and my frame outside is under a tarp.