Hahaha! Great comment!

 

Oh - and the truck now has a name. It was simple, really. Says it already on the dog tags on each side...



"FIDO"

 

So the Fido story so far reads pretty well. No major dramas, just keep on trucking. The oil consumption has always been a cause for concern, and the graphic tell-tale of where the problem lies...



However last weekend saw a major turn for the worse in this area, with oil almost pouring out from underneath the engine...



And with it appearing at the back of the block, between the block and transmission, I presumed the rear main crank seal had given up the fight. A rebuild was always very much on the cards, so I ordered the full gasket set, new clutch components, top and bottom hoses, new valve stem seals, new thermostat, various other bits and bobs, and thought about how the planned winter off-season rebuild would have to be brought very much forward, and into mid-season.

I ventured underneath for a detailed inspection of the problem, and was a little surprised by what I found. I removed the flywheel cover plate, and although there was a little gunge in there, it was not at all caked in the stuff. It was clear that the oil wasn't coming out from there - rear main seals now forgiven.



However the oil pump was awash with the stuff. The puddles on the driveway were directly in line with this, as was all the oil plastered to the underside of the truck. All down the driver's underside...

So I drained the sump, removed the oil pump and cleaned it all up.




Nasty, eh? But it scrubbed up ok, and with a new gasket and O-ring (the truck came with a load of spare bits and bobs, including most of the engine gaskets) I re-assembled everything and tried it out.



And I'm very happy and reliEved to tell you that this did the trick. The underside of the engine - and truck - is now oil-free. Or rather, it won't be getting any worse now. I'm going to jet-wash the crud off very soon, so it will make it easier to monitor the situation. But for now, I'm almost euphoric. The rebuild can go back to the planned schedule, unless something else decides to change my mind about that - again.



Happy days.

 

Good catch . It's always easier for some of us to think of the worst , but the upside is we are rarely shocked and often very happy when it turns out to be much easier-cheaper than expected .

 

He ran like a train today - absolutely no issues at all. Went to a local American car meet at a nearby attraction. Great day, great weather, great location and great company.

 

I have been looking into the feasibility of fitting those fat fenders to the sides of the rear body.

The two main issues to resolve were - a) that side door, and b) whether the fenders could be bolted to the body sides, and if any internal structure (or other access issues) would get in the way.







So I think we're in business. The door will require a good size notch taking out, and the fender top only just clears the door handle. That would have been a deal-breaker if it didn't clear. The inside reveals a clear area of side panel to bolt on the top line of fixings, so I'm happy about that. Most, if not all, fixings will be available to me. Or I could just weld studs to the sides, and not drill at all. We'll see...

The other minor issue to fix is that the body must be a little wider than the standard pickup bed, because the fender doesn't 'key' into the shaped rear of the running board. It juts out about 2.5". In the photo, you can see it makes the fender sit about an inch further back than it should. I'll modify the running board so the fender can butt up against it properly. The wider fender will easily accommodate the fat TorqThrusts I've got planned.

Lastly, in clearing out the interior to see if the fender could mount to the body sides, I unearthed this little treasure trove from a dark and distant corner of the body:




So it was definitely a lineman's truck then!

 

I think the fenders are doable. Have you considered cutting the fender so it swings away with the door? Kind of like the bonnet against the cowl? I'd really hate to see the fender notched out. The fender section could be attached to the door with nutserts.

 

Yes, that is exactly my Plan A. The notch-out would be half the fender and would look really stupid if it was simply missing. The gap would need panelling out and finishing to a decent standard. Same with the bit on the door - that would need closing and boxing off rather than leaving as a flap stuck on the door.

I also have to consider the step between the side panel and the door. The door is proud by a few mm, so if I simply cut the fender and bolt it on, the door piece would then also sit proud of the rest of the fender. But I have a plan to remedy that too...

 

That phine receiver is an authentic NOS piece of equipment! Good find.

Good luck with you fender. Could you narrow the fender so it fits on the running board?

 

If it were me I would cut the door to clear the fender and leave the fender complete .

 

I agree...

 

Then how would you get the drawers out? Asking for a friend.

 

I wasn't aware there were drawers but it should only affect a couple at most and I have my doubts it's going back into service . The work would be far less and the look much cleaner . IMHO

 

See his post #126.

 

I use those trays the most! That's where I put my shopping, camera equipment at shows, beer, etc. It would be a real loss to lose its utility.

For me, having considered many options, and measured up many times, the only viable option is to cut the fender and attach the cutout to the door. And it is also the only option which is just about fully reversible, should that need ever arise.

Abe - I had wondered about narrowing the fenders, but that's a lot of work and I think the extra width will come in handy for some lovely fat wheels.

Incidentally, the rest of that stuff I found appears to be the petrified remains of an old tool holster. There's a pair of parallel notches in it where a belt would go through, just visible above the phone earpiece in my photo above.