|
I have been working steadily on the rebuild; lots and lots of small details to attend to!
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d185c3735a.jpg Original brake and clutch pedal assembly with part of aftermarket master cylinder bracket. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9809a47afc.jpg Detail of original and aftermarket parts. Tore that all down, finished sandblasting the parts, and figured out what I needed to replace: the bushings and the pivot bar. Ordered those parts and fitted them when they came in. I had to do a few modifications, as there was a bit of wear on the pedals and the support, leaving a sloppy gap. I turned down 2 shim washers to take up the slack and squared up the worn faces, When assembled, the pedals are smooth with no side to side play. No pictures of the process, but I will post the finished assembly. I took the aftermarket starter apart, cleaned it up, and painted it gloss black. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...279ffd8ea4.jpg Aftermarket starter dis-assembled for paint. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4d265f5d01.jpg Painted and assembled starter installed. |
I took the driveshaft, sandblasted it and painted it. There were a few pits, so I filled them with glazing putty between primer coats. Bought new "U" joints and installed the driveshaft.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...77a25a5b07.jpg Driveshaft installed. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5a9c37308a.jpg View from the rear of the truck. I did a bit of research and found that my original Ford Loadomatic distributor would not work well with the Edelbrock 4 bbl. carb, due to the vacuum advance. I bought the modified GM distributor from Bubba's Ignition, along with the correct coil and resistor. The distributor dropped right in and looks great. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1d74f69490.jpg Modified GM distributor. Once that was all done, I decided to tackle the braking system. Pictures and details to follow. |
That looks great, I need to work on my pedals. It almost feels like my bushings fell out!
JB |
The PO had purchased and installed new front disc brakes and new rear drum brakes, including front rotors and rear drums. I rebuilt the front calipers, described in a previous post, and installed them and the rest of the disc brake conversion kit. The rear brakes came to me in the same condition as all of the other parts of this truck-in a box of parts. The drums and shoes were practically brand new, so I was able to just sandblast and paint those. The backing plates, parking brake lever, adjusting screws, and parking brake links were in pretty good shape, so I sandblasted and painted those as well. Drums and shoes were painted with gloss black engine paint for the heat; the rest of the parts were painted with SPI Black Epoxy.
The wheel cylinders were in pretty good shape, so I cleaned them up and installed rebuild kits. I bought all new installation hardware for the brakes because the kit was cheap and it made no sense to re-use the old rusted springs. Assembly went pretty quickly. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...22d4c0bb1b.jpg Rear Brake assembly completed. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...bb8d83abc1.jpg Drum installed. I adjusted the clearance per the shop manual and moved on to the brake lines. |
Before I could install the brake lines, I had to finish and install the brake and clutch pedal assemblies, as well as the dual master cylinder with booster that the PO had already installed. I sandblasted the the booster and all the brackets and wire wheeled the master cylinder. Prepped and painted it all with the SPI Black Epoxy, then assembled it to the frame.
I painted the parts of the brake and clutch pedal assembly with SPI Black Epoxy followed with 2 coats of SPI Single Stage Black Urethane. It dried quite quickly, so I was able to final assemble and install the unit 2 days later. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...46007e6588.jpg Painted and installed aftermarket master cylinder. I had been researching the brake lines for some time at this point, and was hoping to just buy a set of pre-bent lines. However, due to the modifications to the system, stock lines would not work, and I did not want to bother with trying to order custom lines. I already had a flaring tool, so I picked up a 25' roll of 3/16" steel brake line, a dozen inverted flare fittings, a couple of packs of stainless steel clips, and a tubing bender. I practiced flaring and bending with some old brake lines that came with the truck. Once I was comfortable with both, I started laying out the lines. The factory brake lines were very precisely bent, so I went in that direction. I found some 8 gage wire in my scrap pile to use to make patterns. I started off with the pattern, used a string to follow the pattern to get my length, then cut the tubing a little long. I flared both ends; the extra length allowed me to cut off and reflare whenever I wasn't happy with the flare. Most of the time, I cut and flared each end at least twice. Doing brake lines the right way is VERY time consuming!! I started with the front lines, from the calipers back to a "T" fitting in front of the master cylinder. Of course, I had to remove the pedal assembly and the master cylinder in order to get my lines into position! Bend and fit. Fit and bend. Toss length in trash and start over. Bend and fit. Fit and bend. You get the idea. It took me about 10 hours and part of a second roll of tubing before I was satisfied with the results. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...64abee02a9.jpg Master cylinder plumbed in. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2e03779fab.jpg Master cylinder. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...b5711ca5c3.jpg Rear proportioning valve and brake light switch. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c2f2a91901.jpg Front right brake line from caliper to crossmember. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...375e5f00f6.jpg Front right brake line at crossmember. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a7171acc77.jpg Front right flex hose and hard brake line. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...007b3e5e10.jpg Front left brake line at frame. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8cfdc98977.jpg Rear brake line across axle. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...20ffdcbf7c.jpg Rear brake line bent over the differential casing. |
Buttoned up the brake lines by connecting the front lines to a "T" then to the master cylinder.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2f6a2f8fbd.jpg Front brake lines connected and to master cylinder. I picked up a pressure bleeder and proceeded to bleed the brakes. This did not take long, but was a bit messy. It is surprisingly difficult to catch every drop of brake fluid before it hits the floor! Surprisingly, there were no leaks at any of my flared joints. Of course, time will tell! One thing that I should note is that I do not like bare metal or zinc plated metal; I don't believe that the zinc plating holds up to the weather very well. Because of this, I have been taking the extra time to sandblast all of the zinc plating off and getting at least one or two coats of primer on all surfaces. After I install parts, I wipe down the nuts and bolts and brush apply more primer. If I can't paint the metal, I am protecting it by applying cold black to the surfaces. I buy the "Steel Blacking Gel" from Birchwood Casey. All of the brake lines have been treated with this. In my experience, this gives a pretty good amount of surface protection. Next up: putting her on wheels. |
And finally:
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...eee84cafbd.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d859d03cfb.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...327ff9616d.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2362733900.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...19c895b320.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6321ac8788.jpg The PO had purchased new USA made chromed rims and American Classics radial tires, and had put very few miles on them. I cleaned them up and bolted them on. For the first time in I don't know how long, she is sitting on wheels! |
I have been nibbling away at the truck bit by bit. There are, as every one here who has been through a rebuild knows, a million and a half details to attend to. After installing the drivetrain, I decided that I wanted to add a by-pass oil filter just for the added protection. I bid on and won 2 of them on ebay, so I picked the better of the 2 for rework. I sandblasted it, welded up a few small holes, and primed and painted it. I will post pictures tomorrow.
The bolt for the cap was eroded quite severly, so I had to replace that. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7e647a168d.jpg New bolt next to old. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...23dc562601.jpg New Bolt head next to old. I could not find a source for a 7/16-20 bolt with an oversized head, so I took a 5/8" bolt with a head slightly larger than the original and turned it down on my lathe. Using a split die, it took 4 passes to cut the threads to fit. I don't know how I ever survived without split dies! I was able to reuse the fiber washer from the old bolt, and the PO had already purchased the correct filter, so now it is just a matter of modifying a "T" fitting for the input side and running 1/4" brake line for the input and output lines. The canister that I bought is the type that is bolted to the head using 3 of the existing head bolts, so I pulled those out, sandblasted them, and painted them black as well. I will bolt the canister in place tomorrow. |
As I am getting closer to firing up the engine, I pulled out the original radiator and radiator support. My regular mechanic suggested that I take it to Amherst Radiator for pressure testing and repair if necessary, so I di. Turns out that the lower tank is good, the upper tank has some stress fractures, and it needs a new core. Turns out that the shop owner's brother and father restore antique radiators, and they have the upper tank salvaged from another radiator. They will rebuild it, recore with a brass and copper core, polish it up, and have it ready to install for $650.00. Or he could sell me a new aluminum radiator for the same amount.
Now, I know that many have had good results using the aluminum radiators, and many have recommended sources that are much cheaper than $650.00, but I decided to go ahead with the rebuild, well, just because. I will post pictures as soon as I get it back. Meanwhile, I took the support frame and sandblasted it. The PO had been kind enough to have had this blasted and primed, but I wanted to do it over just in case the shop hadn't done a good job. Turns out-they di a great job. There was not one spot of rust under the very tough epoxy primer. Good news, and bodes well for the rest of the sandblasted parts. I primed and painted it, and started my research as to how it is mounted. Lucky for me (again!), the PO had bought the stainless steel radiator installation kit from Totally Stainless, so I had the carriage bolts, washers, and locknuts, all in stainless. I did not, however, have the rubber pad, and the original springs were rusted through. No problem-I still had the parts from the engine rebuild, including the old valve springs. I cut 2 of them to length, and, because they were only flat on one end, I spot welded a washer to the cut end to hold it square. For the rubber, I had a length of 3/16" x 2" wide rubber, so I cut 2 pieces and glued them together with rubber cement, then drilled the 2 holes. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c17581eb6e.jpg Original supports and pad next to new. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1aad16e60b.jpg Close up of modified vlave springs. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f05073e05b.jpg Modifed valve springs on new stainless steel carriage bolts. I will get a picture of the installed support tomorrow. |
Looks very nice! A very thorough job!
|
Originally Posted by ALBUQ F-1
(Post 16178098)
Looks very nice! A very thorough job!
It has been fun. A ton of work, but also many tons of fun. |
As promised, a few pictures of the remote oil canister and the radiator support, installed.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...98e5122aee.jpg Remote Oil filter canister. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...411b64fb38.jpg Remote Oil filter canister. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e54e9a285a.jpg Modified valve springs used for radiator support. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d1c8d72c77.jpg Radiator support installed |
I got my radiator back from the rebuild shop. New core-brass and copper, all soldered; bottom tank cleaned and tested; top tank joints re-soldered and tested; everything cleaned up and painted.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...44a3760561.jpg Rebuilt radiator installed. I had purchased a used remote oil filter canister, so I blasted, primed, and painted that. The flow restrictor was missing (of course!) so I had to make one by tapping one leg of a brass "T" fitting, soldering in a 1/4-20 brass bolt, cutting off the bolt head, and boring a .055 hole. Installed the filter housing, the fittings, and ran 1/4" brake lines to the motor block. The PO had supplied a new filter, so I installed that. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...dcea83d8a4.jpg Pretty copperized steel brake line installed as oil line. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c132413d22.jpg More pretty oil line. The PO had purchased the chrome upper pipes and the complete hose kit, so I just put it all in. I added 2.5 gallons of distilled water and 2.5 gallons of green antifreeze, and I was ready for the next step-getting her ready to start. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4221a23daa.jpg Radiator with pipes and hoses. I had a battery, starter solenoid, keyed ignition switch, a bunch of wire, and no clue. Lots of internet research later got me to this: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c4beb3899c.jpg Starter solenoid and keyed ignition switch wired and ready. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...06eeeee482.jpg Back of Keyed Ignition Switch. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5c40330af3.jpg Starter Circuit Wiring Diagram. I had to make a wiring diagram because, of course, there was no response when I hit the key. Dead silence. No click. Zip. Found out that the starter solenoid needed to be grounded (duh!!). Added a ground wire. Hit the key and..... She cranked. |
I finally figured out how to hook up the PCV valve that I installed into the intake manifold in place of the road draft tube.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1cf0d28b0d.jpg PCV Valve hose routed to carb. I also bought, blasted, painted, and installed factory wire looms, which you can see in the above picture. I found the rubber grommets for them at Dennis Carpenter, listed under Ford Tractors. I will install the grommets when I install the cut to fit spark plug wires. I wanted to run the fuel line from the pump to the carb using 3/8 hard line, so I bought a couple of lengths of soft copper tubing. a bunch of tries later, I tossed the copper in the scrap pile and started trying to find a plan B. 3/8" tubing is really tough to bend into the radii that I needed with the bending tools that I had! I found a Banjo fitting and a 90* fitting for 3/8 fuel line at Summit, and I am actually quite pleased with the end result. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...27d5e1d806.jpg Banjo Fitting at carb. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ba9bc52cf0.jpg Another view. I needed to hook up a temporary fuel tank, so I took a regular gas can and removed the pour spout. I cut a thick rubber washer using my gasket cutter to fit snugly inside the pour spout retainer, with a snug hole around the rubber fuel line. I connected the fuel line to the pump and stuck it down into the gas can. I had already charged the battery, so I was now ready to fire the engine for the first time back in the truck. I hit the key. And waited. And waited. And waited. It took a while for the fuel line and the fuel pump to fill up and purge out all of the air in the lines. But when it finally cleared.... Ignition!!!! What a freakin' glorious sound! Like a choir of rumbling angels!! |
Congrats on the first start! Your radiator looks nice. Good choice in my book on staying original with it.
|
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:31 PM. |
© 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands