Looking good Gary! Before he preps and paints the main part of the cab, I would do a complete reseal on all the seams.

 

Bill - Agree on the seams. He said he would but I'm going to remind him. Thanks for reminding me.

 

Sundays are short days, but I got a bit more done, inc pulling both drive shafts, the t-case & shifter, and the starter. Picture attached of the teeth of the starter - they look perfect.

Picture also attached of the pile of "stuff" that came out from under the truck when Marshall used the reciprocating saw on the bed. And I thought the truck was pretty clean! Bruno - I think this would work for the "tool finder".

Speaking of the parts he took, I'm a bit concerned with the way the wheel wells on the beds are made. There sure was a lot of rust on the piece we took off of Dad's bed, and Marshall said that Brownie's bed was worse. That spot on top of the well is a perfect spot for junk to accumulate and rust to start. Hopefully he'll get lots of undercoating in there. He's going to do the undercoating with the bed upside down to ensure he gets it on everywhere.

 

Now we know why your gas mileage doesn't like to go into the 16+ range.

Heck, you were hauling a load and didn't know it!

Looks like 200 lbs because of the picture. The tire treads put it into perspective though.

 

I guess so! I am surprised you didn't find some treasure in that pile.

 

I took the picture at a low angle to emphasize the height of the pile, but maybe it was a bit too emphasized?

Didn't even find a 15/16" socket with red paint on it. For everyone else, Dolly Pam is evil and loves to hide wrenches in her cleavage, and ample it is. We started handing the tools to each other to keep her from grabbing them.

 

That is the tool grabbiest truck I have ever worked on. It hides tools as well. When something was dropped on the floor it took 30 minutes to find it. I bet we had a full day in time dedicated to manipulating something to get a tool back and just plain searching.

There is a square hole in the inside of the fender behind the degas bottle and wiper fluid reservoir. It measured about 1-1/2" x 1-1/2". That hole swallowed a 3/8" drive ratchet with a 3" extension and a 5/8" spark plug socket. It was like watching a snake unhinge its jaw and swallow a rabbit.

 

You'd crap your pants if you dropped a wrench between the cross member and the oil pan on my truck, you can never find it! let alone a socket, good luck LOL.

 

Years ago I lost a short 3/8" drive extension into the headers on a Roadrunner. The oner and I spent the better part on an hour and never did find the damn thing.

 

Bruno was standing in front of the Bronco and I was on the driver's side. We were removing plugs and I'd laid my 3/8" ratchet, extension, and plug socket on the coolant recovery bottle. I heard a clunk and the ratchet disappeared, and Bruno said "It went in there." But, as he said, the hole was only 1.5" square, so something that big couldn't have gone in there. However, he said "I saw it go in", so we started looking. Sure enough, there it was down on top of the wheel well inside the fender and the only way out was the same way it went in. As compared to getting a tool out of "the cleavage" between the condensor and radiator, both of which are aluminum, getting something out of the space in the fender with a magnet is a huge, sticky problem. We probably did spend more time getting it out than removing the plugs, and that in itself was a MAJOR problem given the copper gaskets for the headers - but that's another story for a different thread.

 

Heck, mine grabs tools all the time too! Mine usually go between the radiator support and grill, down in the pocket below each of the headlights, down on the cross-member below the engine, and down in the hole between the cab and splash guards.

I've dropped a socket one time that went through the driver's side fender and made knocking noises all the way through till it popped out on the ground. I thought my truck was a pinball machine!

I've dropped nuts and bolts and crap and it fall down and miraculously end up sitting on the inside of the frame rails. That's usually the first place I'll look now.

Funniest I've heard in a while.

 

I use that hole to hold my oil checking rag (dipstick wiper)
There IS a reason!
It is just too tempting to use the flat surface of the reservoir for a tool shelf.

 

I use the washer reservoir and the radiator support as tool shelves all the time. Maybe that's my issue?

 

Removed a few more parts today, including the transmission, radiator, condensor, core support, bumper, fender liners, and valance.

And, I took a few pictures:

1. The first shot shows the input shaft of the ZF. Three things to note. First, that the pilot bearing has been running right where I wanted it to, at the rear of the pilot bearing area, which was unworn. Second, that the splines are in perfect shape after ~5000 miles. Third, that the throwout bearing is in perfect shape, which is a good deal given that the first one I put in was destroyed by the fingers of the pressure plate.
2. The second shot shows the fingers of the pressure plate as well as the splines of the clutch and the pilot bearing - all in great shape.
3. The third shot is a close-up of the fingers of the pressure plate - no damage.
4. Next (4th) is the passenger's side core support bushing - flattened and cracked. Glad I have new poly ones. Does anyone know how to get it off?
5. Fifth is the driver's side - flattened but not as badly as the other one.
6. Sixth is tranny - just to prove it is out.
7. Seventh shows what's left in the engine bay.

Tomorrow the front dress comes off the engine. (I took LOTS of pictures of the brackets, but fortunately the M doesn't have the the dreaded arrangement the W's do.) Then the engine comes out, followed by the spare tire, gas tank, rear bumper, and exhaust system. That should leave essentially nothing on the frame, making it easy for Marshall to clean the frame and paint it.

 

If there's a rag in it, your nuts, bolts and tools can't fall inside.