Concerning the lights, I usually just replace the headlight switch and dimmer pedal as they are pretty cheap and lights being reliable at night is pretty important.

Ever figure out why the vacuum gauge was jumping around? Usually that means a valve not closing properly: sticking valve, burnt valve or broken spring. Could also mean that an exhaust valve isn't opening properly: most common on an FE motor would be a bent push rod.

About your stumble, is the jetting in your "new" carb the same as in the old carb? Do you have the idle too low? You said the choke needs to be hooked up, is it stumbling when fully warmed up?

 

I will probably just end up replacing the headlight switch and dimmer as well, but first I want to see if it might be a fuse.

As far as the vac. gauge goes, no I haven't hooked it back up in a while. I think I might today once the temp comes up some, just to see if it was related to the old carburetor being on there.

The "hesitation" I'm talking about is more like a transmission that is low of fluid, like after you've just changed the filter and pan gasket. How you have to shift through the gears a few times to feel them all engage. I've read in some places online that when these transmissions get old and sit a lot, the seals around the pistons and servos dry up, causing it to not shift into drive while it is cold.

If you let it sit and idle for a good 5 minutes or so from a cold start it will go right into drive, but before that it has no drive at all.

Actually there is no stumble with the new carb, even without the choke hooked up. It started right off this morning with just a tap of the accelerator, no choke required. This is pretty impressive for 19F outside, on an old truck.

Going to see if it will ever get above freezing today, so I can get outside and get in some wrench time.

 

I currently do not have my factory service manual at my house, it's at my shop 120 miles away...

The reason I bring it up is that there is a periodic adjustment for Drive, as with most old vehicles I imagine that this adjustment and other maintenance items like the front wheel bearing adjustment have not been done in a long time, if ever.

Since you brought it up, have you given the transmission a service since you've had the truck?

Sounds like the "new" carb is doing a fine job.

 

I serviced the transmission last year, new fluid and filter in the pan. Until recently it has worked perfectly, went right into gear with very little hesitation. It has only changed since the temperature has dropped into colder temperatures here as the hesitation appeared.


As far as the drive adjustment, I have no idea if it has ever had it done or not. If anyone has the procedure I'm willing to try it if it will fix this hesitation issue.

 

Wow it has been a long time since I've thought to update my build. Since my last post a few things have changed about the truck.

Most recently I serviced the timing set. You would think after all this time someone would have went in and changed the chain/gear set, right? NOPE! It still had the original FoMoCo stamped cam gear and crank sprockets installed. Chain was a single-roller type, and was so worn out i could push both sides of the chain to the center without any tension on either side.

I've also replaced the power steering hoses due to a leak, and am getting ready to replace the noisy, leaky pump and steering box. After almost 40 years I think these are due for replacement as well.

Next on my hit-list is to figure out the dash lights. Even changing the headlight switch out did nothing to fix this. All the bulbs are good, voltage regulator on the back of the cluster is good. I have a spare printed circuit I'm going to try too.

Got to drop my gas tank too, filler hoses need replacement, and it needs a sending unit.

Coincidentally, it has been serving as my daily driver off and on for about 5 months now without many issues. It occasionally doesn't want to idle in drive, but aside from that feels pretty healthy.

It still needs work, but it has come a LONG way since it was a parts truck sitting in a field.

 

oddfordjunkie, I finally worked out why my carburetor was not wanting to idle. It seems that not only were the idle mixture screws backing themselves out of their bores, but the annular boosters in my 2100MC had loosened themselves up. I've seen the screws back out before, I have never seen the annular boosters loosen up in a sealed carb.

Long story short, the truck now fires right up with a touch of the key, and will idle perfectly in park or gear now.

 

Nice detective work tracking down the issue Tim.

 

Finally got the power steering pump swapped out. I no longer have to fight the wheel while driving down the road to remain in my own lane. I'm also thrilled to not hear the pump groaning and squealing when trying to park anymore either.

I also picked up a new carb to spacer, and spacer to manifold gasket to swap out today. Still trying to nail down a random no-idle issue that I can't seem to figure out.

Still don't have a camera assistant, but that's just one of those problems I've got to solve eventually. I'm just glad I'm making progress on getting these small issues worked out, and soon I can really get into other areas that need attention.

 

Just wanted to update on the no-idle issue. It seems that the new gaskets have done the trick, and the truck now idles how it should. That said, I'm waiting until tomorrows commute to work and back (Around twenty miles or so both ways) before I call it 100%.

Also had to put my drivers window back on the regulator as it fell off while I had the window rolled down. Took all of 10 minutes or so to put it back, and it's letting me know that I need to service those next.

 

It has been since August two years ago that I updated my build thread. I guess this would qualify as the slowest "build" in history I'd think.

That said, there has been some news. I managed to make it into February of 2016 before the truck actually broke down on me. Blew out the front seal and puked up all the fluid. It was also starting to have a wander in the front end, and not wanting to keep the lane without constant adjustment.

(That's actually pretty impressive for a truck I paid $500 for and pulled out of a field as a parts truck. Funny how the "parts truck" became a driver.)

With these two things going wrong I decided it was high time to put the old girl down....

....And bring it right back! I since acquired a parts truck with lots of goodies that I'm going to refurbish and install on my 76. I'm starting with the front suspension, swapping beams and radius arms from the parts truck. This scores me a set of fresh kingpins without the effort of replacing the old ones in my current setup. I've read and watched enough videos to know that it can be an ABSOLUTE bear to do those kingpins. I'm also going to install new coil springs, shocks, tie rod ends, and bushings so that it should drive nice for a good long while.

Since the transmission got sick on me, I've decided to rebuild the one in my parts truck since it worked well when I drove it home. I've got a buddy that's going to do the overhaul for me on that, and add some upgrade parts to make the C6 last even longer this time.

Moving onto the engine in my 76, I've decided that I'm going to at least pull it out with the trans and re-gasket it. Got given a nice 1407 Edelbrock to install, just need to source a cheap 4v intake for the FE. I'm also going to remove those exhaust logs and replace them with headers. I need a decent quality header for a reasonable price here, I'm not sure what would fit the bill.

Engine will get a new HV oil pump, rear seal, oil pan gasket and valve cover gaskets. Also installing a new water pump as well as a new distributor.

So far I've got the front end removed, and I'm getting ready to put the "new" stuff in there. Just waiting on parts.

But what everyone wants to see....

PITCHERS

Front suspension surgery's - Album on Imgur
More surgery - Album on Imgur

PITCHERS!

As always I'm looking for suggestions guys.

 

If you're going to pull the engine and reseal it then you should do the timing chain/gears also. No better access then when the engine is out.

Today is the first time I've logged on since 2015 so don't feel bad about your "delay" with the build thread, I need to update mine also.

For finding parts cheap, I search Craigslist in every state where I know people in order to find things. If you need someone that can buy/ship in western Wa let me know.