66 Panel truck Worlds slowest build

[RainH2O]

I bought this truck back in 1989 for $800 completely stock from an old lady's son who didn't want her driving anymore because she kept getting lost. So they sold it to me with the condition I could not drive it down her street again because they were going to tell her it was in the shop! Well I have wanted one of these trucks since about 1974 when I was 14 so I said OK and the deal was done. This truck has been driven everywhere since I have owned. California,Louisiana,Arkansas,Texas and everywhere in between.So as the truck is today it has drop spindles with lowering springs in the front and heated coils in the back. Running a straight 6 cylinder 250 with integrated head progressive 2 barrel carburetor and an Art Carr Racing transmission TH350 (long story). all while getting 16 mpg! So this is not so much a build thread but place for me to post what is happening with this truck and what has happened with this truck in the past!

[flashed]

Im in ,very nice rig .

[RainH2O]

Here is a picture of the truck from a few weeks ago trying to figure out what went wrong on disc brake conversion? Now it seems to not have any brakes. Well actually I converted the front brakes only with a kit that included a power booster master cylinder Rotors and calipers about 5 or 6 years ago and the brakes have been flakey ever since. not much pedal at all and they portioning vale does not seem to do much. I still have the stock drum brakes on the rear and they were rebuilt a few years back as well they seem to be fine. I wonder if I have the Master clyinder hooked up wrong? you wrong wrong line going to the front and rear? I have just been driving it very cautiously but I really need to figure it out before I crash the truck!

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by flashed

Im in ,very nice rig .

Thank You!
I have been through a lot in this old truck 25 years of adventures!

[Steve-W]

usually the brake line(s) towards the front of the car on the master brake cylinder are for the front brakes, because for the rear there's only one brake line which splits at the rear of the car.

can you get a picture of the proportioning valve? that could be the wrong type.

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by Steve-W

usually the brake line(s) towards the front of the car on the master brake cylinder are for the front brakes, because for the rear there's only one brake line which splits at the rear of the car.

can you get a picture of the proportioning valve? that could be the wrong type.

Sure Steve I will post some when I get home tonight. Thanks for the help. Just so you know its the valve they sent me in the kit from McGaughys with the drop spindles, springs and brake conversion kit. But I will post the pictures tonight.

[Free Candy Inside]

Cool panel. I'm currently building a longer version. Body dropped and bagged. Been years in the making but I'm getting closer. Gonna be done by spring one way or another. Lol

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by Steve-W

usually the brake line(s) towards the front of the car on the master brake cylinder are for the front brakes, because for the rear there's only one brake line which splits at the rear of the car.

can you get a picture of the proportioning valve? that could be the wrong type.

Well here are the photos of that valve like I said earlier it all came in a kit together from McGaughy's


This is what it says on the bottom of that valve

[duallyjams]

Good looking panel.

[Captainfab]

How do you have the master cylinder plumbed? The front port should be the rear brakes, and the rear port to the front. That brake valve is not exactly a proportioning valve, but an adjustable valve. That would typically be installed in the rear brake circuit to tune the rear brake application.

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

How do you have the master cylinder plumbed? The front port should be the rear brakes, and the rear port to the front. That brake valve is not exactly a proportioning valve, but an adjustable valve. That would typically be installed in the rear brake circuit to tune the rear brake application.

Are you sure about the port alignment Captain? in that case I've plumbed it the wrong way around aswell..

But he is right about the valve Rain.. that's not the one you should be using. with this one, you can close of your rear brakes so it becomes easier to do burn-outs

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

How do you have the master cylinder plumbed? The front port should be the rear brakes, and the rear port to the front. That brake valve is not exactly a proportioning valve, but an adjustable valve. That would typically be installed in the rear brake circuit to tune the rear brake application.

Hey Captainfab thanks for your input. I am assuming when you say front you mean the port closest to the front of the truck and rear is the one closes to the firewall ? If that is what you mean then I have it plumbed backwards as you can see the valve is inline to the rear drum brakes. I will try and swap them around this weekend and see what happens!

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by duallyjams

Good looking panel.

Thanks DJ

[RainH2O]

All this talk about brakes reminds me of a time when I was living in New Orleans and my friend Matt and I are in the panel truck hauling up Napoleon Ave from Tipitina's club the light at Saint Charles Ave turns red and we are flying I go to hit the brakes and the pedal goes straight to the floor! (No e brake since I lost the clip to the wire when I was putting a V8 in it). My buddy turns white as ghost as we shoot the intersection and manage not to hit anybody by some miracle! So I pulled the truck over to the side and slowly scraped it along the curb and until it stopped. my buddy looks at me and says that was crazy and then we both started laughing That's how I lost my curb feelers and that's when I thought you know i really need to upgrade these brakes!

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

How do you have the master cylinder plumbed? The front port should be the rear brakes, and the rear port to the front. That brake valve is not exactly a proportioning valve, but an adjustable valve. That would typically be installed in the rear brake circuit to tune the rear brake application.

Ok so I finally had a chance to work on the brakes and I believe you are right sir. When I was bench bleeding the master cylinder after re-plumbing everything I noticed that the front bowl is the first to engage. I had to rebuild the rear wheel cylinders as they had become all gooped up! Will test it out tomorrow got to late and the truck is too loud to try it out tonight but the pedal already feels better. Thanks for the help

[RainH2O]

Argh! I guess I forgot to put stabilizer in the gas last time I filled up and now the gas has gone bad! So no testing nothing until I get the fuel drained out.

[Steve-W]

How long since you last filled it up? Gas doesn't go bad that quick..

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by Steve-W

How long since you last filled it up? Gas doesn't go bad that quick..

Not since the first of October! so its been almost four months! But the funny thing is although you can smell its bad I did get it to fire up last night but man that gas smells bad.I sometimes think these inline sixes will run on anything.

[chevy_mike]

Another item that is very commonly overlooked is when converting to power brakes, the push rod that hooks to the pedal needs to be an inch lower then where it would go for non power brakes. The pedal ratio is different between the two systems. If you don't do this, the pedal seems to have a lot of travel before really doing anything and the brakes are touchy. Went through this on my '64 wagon.

BTW, nice Panel! Sure makes me want to get mine on the road...

[RainH2O]

So last Night I got it cranked up and took it out to test the freshly cleaned and bleed master cylinder, rebuilt rear wheel cylinders and re-plumbed lines and I still have really soft brakes. I mean it stops but I can not get the front or rear to lock up. Tried the valve in almost every amount of turns in both directions and turning it all the way out seems to give me the most brake but its still seems soft and wont lock up the rears. I seem to have a new problem as well. now it seems the cap for the master cylinder is leaking? Does anyone know what master cylinder Mcguardys uses in their kits? I have tried contacting them but its no use they wont reply. Them seem to just want to be a manufacture of parts now and not really deal with the public.It looks to be like a corvette one but not sure just wondering if the problem could be with it. Anyway anyone got any ideas?i am sure I must be missing something here

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...912C310182.jpg

[TJ's Chevy]

Welcome aboard! Nice panal! I like that it has a straight 6. Simple head conversion and you could change manifolds to rid of the integrated head design if you don't like it. But keep the progressive 2 barrel...those are needle in a hay stack anymore. lol

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by chevy_mike

Another item that is very commonly overlooked is when converting to power brakes, the push rod that hooks to the pedal needs to be an inch lower then where it would go for non power brakes. The pedal ratio is different between the two systems. If you don't do this, the pedal seems to have a lot of travel before really doing anything and the brakes are touchy. Went through this on my '64 wagon.

BTW, nice Panel! Sure makes me want to get mine on the road...

Hey Mike Thanks for your help I will look into that. I know I bought this as a complete kit from Mcguardys you know drop springs drop spindles rotors calipers and power master cylinder. I know I had to adjust the push rod on it. It came with a new one that was adjustable. But I don't remember anything about relocating it. i put this kit on it about 8 years ago and that the brakes never were right and at that point I quit driving it much. Now I am tried of it being messed up and trying to get right.

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Welcome aboard! Nice panal! I like that it has a straight 6. Simple head conversion and you could change manifolds to rid of the integrated head design if you don't like it. But keep the progressive 2 barrel...those are needle in a hay stack anymore. lol

The thing I like the most about that motor 16 mpg! uphill, downhill, towing, headwind, tailwind it don't care the old 6 it had when I bought 10 mpg! the built 350 I had in it 9-10 mph the only thing I don't like about it. It is almost impossible to keep the valve cover from leaking!

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by RainH2O

The thing I like the most about that motor 16 mpg! uphill, downhill, towing, headwind, tailwind it don't care the old 6 it had when I bought 10 mpg! the built 350 I had in it 9-10 mph the only thing I don't like about it. It is almost impossible to keep the valve cover from leaking!

Yeah and plus everyone and their brotha has a 350 in their truck. lol Simple solution to stop the leaky valve cover is rubber gasket and blue silicon. Small layer on the cover...place the gasket on the cover...let dry...then small layer on the gasket and place on the head..tighten down and worrys should be over. Nice thing about blue silicon to is that its not to hard to peal off.

[RainH2O]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Yeah and plus everyone and their brotha has a 350 in their truck. lol Simple solution to stop the leaky valve cover is rubber gasket and blue silicon. Small layer on the cover...place the gasket on the cover...let dry...then small layer on the gasket and place on the head..tighten down and worrys should be over. Nice thing about blue silicon to is that its not to hard to peal off.

Pretty sure I have tried that combination as well.I have owned a Chevy with inline sixes in them my entire life all of them leaked a little oil from one place or another. I started with my first car in 1974 was a 1931 Chevy with a six and then after that in 1975 I bought a 63 nova ss with an inline six and then in 1988 I believe i bought this truck with an inline six they have all lasted and I still have them all but the panel is the only one operable right now. But hey I really like the motor your building that is going to be great!your videos are cool too!