The 3G swap is an alternator swap which gives a better overall charging system. Do a search that involves the bump and dent forum and you will find a ton of info. The electric fan swap will also show up.

On a side note. I'm digging the dog dish rims.

 

Thanks guys.

The only issue thus far with the 15 x8 wheels and the dogdish hub caps is removing the hubcaps. After I took the pic, I realized there was no room to lever off the hubcap except to push and pop it off from the back side. Zoiks!

As a solution, I'm gonna have to fab up some sort of spoon to get enough angle to get behind the hub cap's lip.

 

When you do get those hubcaps off, take a hint from the old VWs, and drill two holes in the hubcap sides. 1/2 inch apart, and use the finger-ring style VW puller to get them off. Cheap, easy, effective.

 

That or you could notch the hubcap like modern day rangers.

 

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing your experience and insight!

I've had watercooled VWs but never an air cooled. I'll pick one of these methods for when it's time.

 

Subscribed

 

Well project is sort of taking a different direction. But my plans are flexible and the wallet slightly elastic!

After reviewing the headers options for this rig, I went ahead and <gulp> ordered a set of Sanderson FF427 headers..... ceramic coated .

Why Sandersons? Hooker, Flowtech, and Hedman headers are lo-buck but each had something funky with them like having to jack up the engine to install or having to remove the header to R & R the starter. That's a freaking pain in the azz. Replacing a starter shouldn't be a half-day affair. Time is money, right?

Sanderson calls them 'shorties' but they are more half-length to me. In any case, the exhaust system will cost more than what I paid for the dang truck! This in turn, will require 2.5-inch tubing and mufflers. I've got some extra tubing and bends left over from the 73 F-100 but looks like I might also have to scratch using the 2.25-inch Flowmasters take-offs from the 73.

Any of yall ever replace the inlets and outlets of a smaller muffler with larger tubing?

Next up is an intake manifold. Hopefully an Edelbrock Performer (PN 2105) can be found at the next swap meet (June 4 and 5).

 

'had Friday off but came down with a gawd awful headache.

Saturday was better... tried to fire it up but had to pull the carb and blast out the passages. California gasoline is not kind... it's literally green.. not a golden amber like normal states have. Anyhow, cleaned out the boosters and reset the float. Then I managed to mangle one jet cuz it's stuck tite. Cleaned it out with some copper wire and reassembled it. Fired it up and it idles and revs great. Ran short on time cuz of domestic duties

Sunday morning I powerwashed the engine and compartment to break off the loose stuff. While waiting for it to dry, I went to the Autozone and got some engine degreaser. It, some brushing, and scraping managed to get more layers off. However, alot is cake and baked like alternating layers of dirt and oil.. it was friggin rock hard....decided today I'm gonna pull the engine for cleaning and detailing plus installation of an intake manifold (Edelbrock 2105) and an Autolite 4100 for Stage 1 of the engine upgrades. Plus it'll make it easier to do the disc brake swap, DJM beams, and run new brake lines and the power booster upgrade.

Removed the battery, battery tray, alternator & brackets, PS brackets, fan, shroud, pulleys. Set timing to TDC. Powerwashed again all the nooks and crannies that I couldn't reach in round one.

I've also come to the conclusion of modifying the crossmembers (RA bracket crossmember & tranny) and fab up some clearance humps so I can run a dual exhaust like normal... stay tuned.

 

My Sanderson headers (PN FF427) arrived the other day. Got them with ceramic thermal coating. Purty.

I opted for these after reading the installation for Flowtechs, Hooker, and Hedman headers where it says to "unbolt the right engine mount and jack up the engine about two inches". No way! Plus they would trap the start in place and require disconnecting the headers to simply R & R the starter. Screw that!



Thick 3/8-inch head flanges...


.... and 3/8-inch collector flanges too!


The insides are even coated.

 

When installing these make sure you don't have any wing nut type block drains as the drivers side will hit and work it open and leak. Plus you'll never get your fingers on again . When they say block hugger that's what they mean.
The down side of these headers is your back to dropping the header to r&r the starter as you'll only have about 1/2" clearance between to two.
I went with the mini starter later while putting in the nv4500 now with the mini starter is about 2.1/2 but the header pipes do run a hell of a lot cooler being C-coated. Driver side dropped right in place the P side I had to go under the truck. but my is a 4x4 may be a little differences for installing.. I also running the 07 mustang mufflers with 2.5" pipes an a H pipe only loud when getting on it. These don't have the tiny can sound like flow Master do unless you like that.. my 2cent orich

 

Thanks for the insight. My 360 has the pipe plug drains.

Oh well on the starter R & R. I'm glad I don't have to jack up the engine to install long tubes... I don't have a two- or four-post lift so all the better for ease of installation.

 

Any updates?

 

Arright... life, car shows, and work has been getting in the way.

However, over the past month I powerwashed it TWICE and dismantled the front end and removed the front accessories. The block has been really hard to clean cuz the dirt/oil/dirt/oil was baked on in multiple layers. Plus, the tranny is CAKED with "mucK" - nasty, gummy, sludge. I called the PO and asked him about evidence of an oil leak. 'Turns out the rear manifold seal leaked for a long time until he had a shop do a bunch of things which included fixing the leak.

I found an Edelbrock 2105 manifold at the swap meet for $200... bead blasted and everything. All the threads are good.


Beginning the teardown. My side yard looks like a Bumpside exploded.:


A naked front end.. I'm gonna paint the core support, inner fenders, hood latch, and all that good stuff. The idea is to have the engine bay well-detailed while the outside is gonna stay looking tired. Sleeper? You could call it that:


How the engine looks today:


But wait.. I've been de-rusting parts (using electrolysis) and refinishing what I can until my schedule opens up. The paint is Rustoleum satin black engine paint. Nice sheen and not too shiny.

I set up a 30-gallon vat to dissolve the rust. It's cheap and easy but you've got to have patience. I don't have a blast cabinet so this is the next best thing - maybe even better. If you're interested, here's the web page for information. Rust removal by electrolysis



My mother and brother drove up from San Diego so working on the bump is on the back burner this weekend.. plus we (brother and me) are going to the NASCAR race at Sears Point (Sonoma). This week I plan to remove the starter, exhaust manifolds, and exhaust system so I can gain more access to the rest of the baked on dirt and oil in order to lay down a decent coat of paint.

 

Man you have quite the project goin on. Your doing a great job. How have you been removing the 40 or so years of muck build up on your engine and tranny?

Cant wait to see it when your done!

 

Thanks for the link, HIO. I'll find that useful sometime soon. I'll rep you a little bit later.