If there is such a thing as a "winning" in the breaking department, that would be it. Glad it was a quick easy fix.

 

Got the steering gear resealed for dad's truck, so once the frame repair is completed, it's ready to go back on.
Spent a little time straightening out the drivers front fender. Thought I was going to have to replace it, but I think I can save it. Dunno about the bumper though.
Spent most of friday at dad's, and took him out for dinner. He's really excited to hear about the progress I'm making on the truck. If I can get the tag/insurance taken care of this week, I just might be able to take him for a ride in it by sunday. Kinda depends on how much work the brakes end up needing. Front pads are nearly gone, and at least one rear wheel cyl appears to be leaking, so it will get a new pair.
I've been spending a bit more towards the truck than I should, in hopes of getting it into a driveable condition by father's day.

 

Havent quite done it yet but soon this will be my new shifter ****

 

progress!?



The quetion now is do i enlarge the hole in the grenade or cut the shaft to the right width

 

I installed a new grille, changed horn button, installed wood grain panel around cluster and mounted tool box

 

Disassembled head, singular, from parts truck's 351W and ran the pieces through the parts washer. Or rather, am running cleaning fluid over the rocker arm assemblies as they are the grungiest engine parts I've ever seen. Oh, wait, maybe second to the pan, or the valve covers. Fluid, actually Simple Green @ 120 degrees, will run over them all night.

Along the way I cataloged a few more fasteners, like the rocker arm and AIR manifold bolts, for the what-bolt-goes-where file.

 

Got the backs of the doors and underside of the hood painted and cleared....

 

Dad took the shifter to be threaded today. Now all we have to do is drill and tap the grenade

 

Hope you get it done in time Rogue!

 

Picked little rocks and bugs out of my radiator fins with a knife, straightened out the bent-over fins as best I could. I'm running out of things to "fix" on my truck. Next I might tackle replacing all the vacuum lines.

 

Well the idea of threading the shaft didint work, its to hard. Going to have to drill out the grenade and press fit it now

 

Replaced the radiator, heater core, all hoses and the thermostadt...getting to be 100 F in Dallas so maybe not I wount run hot in traffic. Old radiator was 1/4 full of sediment and would not even drain from petcock. Next up is to finish my interior which includes painting dash and door panels to match my dash cover.

 

Pulled the bolts holding the torque converter access plate on the driver truck (Explorer) to catalog them for the fastener document I'm working on. But, I discovered they aren't matched and they are metric. Hmmm. About that time the postman came with the Master Parts Catalog CD and it proved what I had suspected - wrong bolts. But, with the help of the catalog I found the right ones in the tub of bolts the PO supplied with the parts truck.

And, speaking of the fastener document, I have a page up on my website. Just click on the bottom link in my sig. Neither the document nor the web page are done, but we are open for business and eager for suggestions. Further, since there are so many nuts and bolts left to do, if you have near-term needs please tell me what they are and I'll try to concentrate on that area first.

But, someway somehow I've got to split my time 'tween sorting that pile of bolts which came off of the parts truck and get back to working on the Explorer. Maybe I'm afraid of what I'm going to find when I get serious about testing the cooling system, heads, head gasket, etc.

 

Did a complete brake rebuild on the front, rear and master cylinder for the old 85 F150 rust bucket, now on to rebuilding the steering, ball joints, tie rod assembly and sway bar bushings, maybe I won't have to herd it down the road anymore!

 

Got my shifter in tuseday night. What do yall think