I got my self one of those Milwaukee battery power angle Ratchets , oh my how did I survive with out on for all this years...

What a freaking nice tool, is so narrow it fits pretty much anywhere, even better than a and ratchet since you don't need to swing it..

Very Torqueie little sucker..

 

At the moment I don't have access to my welder, but I need to address this Pronto, no idea why is the only Rusty spot in the whole van (Unless the replace some panels everything is very solid, I already wire brush the whole body and some of the chassis too)



Is rotten to the beams that are holding it..


I have done some body work so I'm not scare, I just don't have my MIG..




I think the problem start on the wheel side for some reason, time for a trip to pick and pull

 

I have Hobart Handler that surely could handle that. You are welcome to use it..... .023 flux core.

 

Thank you Dan..

I'm getting Divorce and all my tools are stuck on a POD, but pretty soon we have a court date so hopefully I can find my own place to work, if not I ask you for the favor,

Very graceful from you...

FYI: The van is running great, i think all the leak fixing and ultrasonic cleaning is starting to pay at last..

Thanks again for the offer..

 

Feel the pain. Been there, did it, have the t-shirt. Let me know about the mig...

 

Well I'm doing in it and I don't even want the Tshirt..

let me get the panel and fancy cut my floor and then I ask you for the MIG favor..

 

Finally finish the brackets to install my new bucket seat (Super simple aluminum plate brackets) so I took the van for a ride..


Night and day difference from what it used to be, but since I have never try another 7.3 I really have no idea if I can make it run even better..

For now the noises is driving me insane, but i have a few ideas how to tame it..

 

Hmm. Not sure if I'd use aluminium there, maybe if it was 3/8" thick. In an accident I'd want to be assured the seat stays in place, don't see aluminum having enough tensile/shear strength

 

Well this is 6061-T6 but you are right, I just chose it because aluminum is far easier to work with hand tools, then when I'm really sure the seats are where I like them I will make the same plates out of steel with welded captive nuts..

Remember this seats came a Chevy Cobalt, so they are dimensionally different that the bulky ford seats



But I do thank you for your arguments and concerns..

I take pictures later so you can see how is bolted for the R&D stage..

PS: I mange to transfer the "Rapid Winding" from the Ford van seats as well as the seat belt buckles and so far it looks pretty good (I do need two longer bolts for the plastic trim..)

 

Ok. Don't take it as a bashing, just safety concerns

 

On the contrary I'm here to learn, actually if you see something stupid or I did wrong tell me right away..

I really appreciate your honest concern, but man drilling and tapping the very same holes on a steel plate with a cordless tool is so much of a pain..

 

I mess up again, well maybe I'm just not done with all the things I need to fix on the van..

For the first few miles of todays ride the van was acting fine, then Crap, the pedal became as sensitive and with a narrower powerband than a Pre-Redd-valve 50cc two stroke racebike, I don't have a guage but lets say if produce more power in between 950 and 970 RPM, after that Nothing, "WOT" (Wide Open Throttle) was even less power like the engine was not even running..

horrible experience, the engine and the van where shaking so bad i even crack the windscreen..

Plus is leaking oil from somewhere, time for a Riff raff call and replace every freaking oring on that engine..

 

Finally some real Improvement..

I purchase my Glow Plug Relay from CNC Fabrications (really cheap but apparently really nice) my van still have the original (like everything else)

So far a little to much White smoke, but is also super cold today in Minneapolis (about 25 or so and me working on shorts)

I decide to take the alternator, well I did not have much of a choice since you can not even see them so far back, but taking it out makes the job so much easier..

I'm worried about a "Oil leak" but I wonder if it is because I have dump so many cleaners on the valley of the motor but did not drive the van to much so now with the heat they are becoming more liquid (This engine has 1/4" Thick "Grease" all over and some places are just impossible to get with a brush..

Will see, tomorrow I'm dropping the tank but just to clean the mesh filters, rinse the tank and cut the tubes.. (I still don't have the right racor filter)

 

The two little filters where absolutely clean, sameas the tank, The two mounting straps to the tank where very new, so maybe the last owner got the tank clean and reinstall with the new straps ..

Still those not run well, so i have to do more extra work, but have to wait to earn more cashola..

 

Okay who is into Vintage Mountain Bikes around here...???

What is this..??