well... after 13 months, it is time to move the truck into my own garage. It has been nice renting a 3 car garage, but as you might expect some of the restrictions and distance from my home make it less than perfect.
This weekend will be spent squeezing a 3 car garage full of parts and tools into a 2 car garage... Got to make it fit.

The bad thing is I know have to get my own garage dirty, and have to clean up my mess in the rental. The good thing, is I can get a little done without jumping in the car and driving 20 minutes each way, and I will be tripping over it until it is done... which should be some motivation.

Next update should be more interesting (aka have pictures)... Got the build book, new gaskets, and plastigauge all in my garage to get the motor checked out..

 

Hey Andrew did you get the old six banger you pulled moved on to a new owner yet?... (please tell me you did!)...

 

I know how you feel, I moved mine from a warehouse with lots of room to my woodshop, which is only 22' wide by 60' long. I just don't get enough time to work on it so it now spends a lot of time pushed out and covered up. But it is easier to work on it than it was when I had to drive to it. Now I can walk to it.

 

still have not sold it... I am trying to trade it at this point since no one has money...

If anyone at the meet was interested I could deliver.

 

So close, but so far away..

Lost a few days of working on the truck from moving it out of the place I was renting it.




With the rain today I am focusing on finding a place for all my tools and parts, Shrinking 5 car spaces worth of stuff into 2. Still have another 2 trailer loads to move... and finding a place to hide the trailer... (it folds at least) May end up with a small storage unit, but trying to avoid it.




Now that it is home I hope I can get more hour long sessions in while maintaining the 8 hour sessions to make up for lost time, and the free rent should help too.

Out to the garage... hoping to clean up the engine bay and painting in between organizing.

 

Looks like nice digs, is that a double-deep garage? IMO time spent making shelves and organizing your work space will pay off big time as you work on the truck. I hate tripping over stuff! (BTW, how many times have you banged your shins on the front frame horns??)

 

8' 6" extra depth + the truck. It is deep luckily . The back door opens in unfortunately... I am thinking about building shelves along the middle, and agree it would be time well sent. Compressor will go to in the corner by the door. I have been working on the truck more than organizing... and its quitting time after this last coat or etching primer.

Since removing the front and rear bumper I have not hit my shins once. I hit myself real good with the rear bumper, which had a welded on plate for a trailer ball... I think that's what sealed the deal to remove them .

 

Got the engine bay cleaned up on cinco de mayo with some help from the scrubbing bubbles and dos equis... the bubbles did some work, but I still had to.





Got the engine bay cleaned up and etch primer on, got the rubber undercoating for the inner fender stuff... Used the prepall after the bubbles, they left a film.

 

Finally got to focus some time on the engine... Got it stripped down, and found out a little more about it...

Dropped the oil pan and spun the motor upside down


Noticed a spot on this bearing, I pulled 2 mains and 2 pistons so far...
This is the worst of the piston

Rear main

Crank

Looks like the crankshaft was ground


Pulled the heads


Cylinders did not look too bad, and that's a good thing cuz there is probably not much left to bore.


I am going to be looking to do some upgrades, from the little information I have learned I plan to look for an aluminum intake manifold, upgrading to a 4barrel carb, I am thinking about just replacing the bearings and re-assembling, and maybe upgrading the timing chain if I get talked into it. The cam is the question, keeping in mind it's hopefully gonna be a driver, and I am not expecting a race truck.

I hope to order the parts by the end of next week, but there is tons of information out there on what products are best... I am on a limited budget, but plan to spend around $500 for the upgrades.

I am leaning towards a demon carb, and an intake not designed for too high of RPM. Any advice on carb, intake, etc. appreciated.

 

Don't know if you have this settled or not, but for those reading along: with a carbed engine the engine/trans should tip down at the back about 3 degrees. If you need a reference the intake manifold carb flange should be level when the chassis is sitting at ride height. (The intake manifold is wedge shaped). The engine can be offset in the frame to one side or the other (usually to the pass side for steering box clearance, but some engines are wide at the starter.) but the front to rear centerline needs to be parallel to the frame centerline. DO NOT angle the engine front to back between the frame rails! The tranny output and the rear axle pinion does not need to ( or should not) line up.

Unless those lines in the engine bearing journal are just oil streaks, you need to have that crank turned. Any journal wear you can see or feel with a fingernail is too much, the bearing journal needs to have a polished smooth surface. Those bearings were just about to fail when you can see the copper. While it is apart have the block boiled out in case the wear is due to a plugged oil gallery.

 

Andrew, It was cool to hang out with you at Truckfest! I will keep up with your progress! Glad you made it!

 

While you may not need to cut the crank undersize, the journals HAVE to be polished or the new bearings won't bed in. Those don't look bad, looks like the PO may not have been rigorous about oil changes, or it was assembled dirty. Those scratches in the bearing babbit aren't serious.

By all means have it vatted and the oil passages brushed out thoroughly. New oil pump too. Being 60 over already does limit you, I'm surprised an '80's engine can go that far without overheating. Is there much of a ridge?

 

What do you mean by ridge?

I called the local machine shop... not too bad to get it polished... I do need to get a second look at the block... I am also evaluating fast-tracking by getting a motor I know works rather than heading down the slippery slope of the machine shop.... Only time will tell, I ordered a set of pullers to get the harmonic balancer off... gotta make room to keep the parts organized then pulling the crank with any luck. It seems like if I can find a working motor and transmission, I might give that a shot, as who knows if the AOD I purchased is going to work. Second Guessing....

 

The crank really needs to be miked to tell whether it needs cutting or can get by with a polish. If it was run with loose clearances, the rods may need to be reconditioned.

You might just be trading a known engine (good or bad) for a pig in a poke, if you buy another engine. What year is the AOD? If it's pre-'90, it is considerably weaker than newer ones, unless it's been upgraded already.

 

Andrew I believe Ross is referring to a ridge at the top of the cylinders..aka ring ridge...wear in the cylinders.