Hey, Nev.
Bit of a write-off this week. Next week is looking better. Spent all morning trying to stop the t350 from leaking even though I whacked a new aluminium pan and fel-pro gasket. on there. Fixed up the rear pinion seal. Gonna tackle the shackles next weekend.
Cheers.
Peter

 

shackles are in. We (well, big brother did actually) decided 1" was gonna be sufficient. Pics up later, but I think he was wrong. I reckon we could have gone the full 3". Still, it does look better.

 

This is how she is sitting at the moment. I guess, not too bad?
She is getting a new selector seal fitted up at transmission shop as well as a good check to see if there are any other transmission leaks.

She has a TH350 under there.

I changed the transmission pan over after the other one didn't stop leaking and discovered that it appeared to be leaking from the two bolts that connect my B&M shifter linkage to the underside of the transmission pan. Anyway, it seemed as if tranny fluid was escaping from more than one place, so I just took Dorothy down there and said fix it, unless you have found a cracked housing or something.

Good news was; it was just a selector seal, and very common, and often can be mistaken for a leaking pan gasket, so I was told.

Anyway, I still have around 8 minor things left to get sorted for registration. Fortunately, the hood latches aren't one of them.

One thing that WAS a problem, were the acorn style lug nuts that (according to Summit website and Jegs etc) are the proper lug nuts for these wheels?
Assuming they had it correct, I went and bought some local nuts that matched this description. However, registration inspector says they are the wrong type for this kind of wheel and I need one with a shank and a washer. They are American Racing Torq thrust wheels from what I can tell, and on the Summit site they have the acorn style lug nut as their recommended nut. Sure lost me.
Anyway, off to get some shoulder nuts and washers

 

Looking good!!! I like the stance.

 

Very nice, stance is perfect.

 

How does it ride since you changed the rear hangers?

 

The ride height looks just right to me.

 

thanks guys. Just that inch made quite a difference to the stance. To be honest, I haven't driven it much since (it is not registered yet), but it might have been a tad softer, a little less bouncy.
Turns out the Summit site is correct with the acorn style lug, as when I removed the old nut, could see the bevel.

 

Some small progress with registration. I received the inspection report yesterday. Apparently the garage where I had it checked is now supposed to fill out a form and lodge it, as they were not happy with decoding the faded chassis number even though there was only one number that had worn itself smooth. In any case, it needed a new engine number as well. So off we go around the merry go wheel once more. Well, it sure feels like a circus sometimes...The things we do.

 

Bluey, here's a question for you that I was wondering about. What colour are your rear indicators? As far as I know they have to be amber in Oz just like the UK but I don't see anything but red available. Did you have to fit additional units to comply? I gather the wiring is set up to cancel the brake lights when the indicators are on as well.


FYI
Indicators = Turn signals
Brake lights = Stop lights

 

Sure sounds like the inspector has it in for you!

 

Hi there. Blinkers are amber. My truck has 1959 Caddy tail lights for blinkers, frenched into the rear fenders by previous owner. Far too clever for a silly bunny like me to do. They were red when I bought the truck but found amber ones on eBay easily enough.



I am not sure about the cancelling brake light when indicators are on. Never tried that. I don't think they do.

 

Yeah, Ross. I will be glad to see the last of him.
I now have to take the failed inspection report to motor registry and they book it in to have engine number and chassis number assessed. It will be easy to assess the engine number as it has been sheared off, but chassis number is almost readable bar one number, so who knows, they might let it pass?

 

More about this registration gentleman:
Initially he found around 28 issues to sort on the truck. The second time I went around there he says "you haven't done anything I asked you to do," and I says "I thought I got pretty much everything sorted." Anyway, he found 8 out of 28 that needed more work. Minor stuff, but fair enough. It wasn't perfect for him. Anyway a few weeks go by and I take it down with those 8 things sorted and he gets it on the hoist and says "you STILL haven't done the things I asked you to do." To which he found my tie wire on the brake calipers didn't meet his standard and two bolts needed spring washers and that was basically that.
I had to go to work, so I asked him if he could do those few things for me and he says "sure, I will get everything right so it's fixed for you."

My wife went down to pay him and pick up the keys and he charges $300. No invoice. No mention of what he has done.

I will be following this up very soon, as 300 bucks to put some safety wire on 4 caliper bolts and to add spring washers to two bolts seems just a tad expensive to me.

On the other hand, of course, I don't want to rub him the wrong way as he is in the box seat with my rego, and I am sure he could make it much harder if he wanted to.

I should have walked away that morning after the third check because he comes roaring out of his workshop saying "listen, I don't want to really do this truck! I am only getting $62 for this inspection and it's not worth my time..."

Seems like he has taken advantage of me leaving it there to make it worth his while

 

Inspector sounds like he needs inspected but you're right to keep it to yourself for now.
Thanks for the info. I don't have any rear lights at all but will be ordering them soon. Fortunately I won't have to pass any stringent tests but they will have to be something close to amber or I'm asking for trouble.
Your stance looks perfect now BTW.