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My 55 F350 heater core leak. So today I was working on getting it out. That is until I couldn't open the radiator pet **** to drain off some antifreeze. So I sprayed some WD 40 on it. I was being careful so as to not bend the ears. Then it started to rain so I quit. But I did get the cover off of the heater.
Look at the condition of this 65 year old rubber gasket! They don't make them like this anymore.
Not being made in China is a big reason. Even some of today's U.S. made parts are questionable. Also, I think back then auto manufacturers were more focused on building quality. Today, they seem to also design a shorter life into parts and vehicles so they are more assured to resell parts and vehicles.
I find the strangest original items on my 1956 F100 that just need some cleanup and are still in good usable condition.
I find I am almost always better off repairing the original if possible. At first it seems like a lot of time and still end up with and old piece of junk.
Wrong! A lot of time spent in the effort? Answer is yes. And the part is good for maybe another 70 years, at least 35 years!
Now, you may ask, why not just by the China replacement and save all that time and money.
Well, I'll tell you, my track record is that I have spent a lot of time and money trying to make parts from Sum Ting Wong Corporation work, only to give up and just fix the original part.
Ironically, the one in my 54 when I painted the heater was toast, all dried up and about gone. I bought one from MidFifty in 1999.
Originally Posted by bigwin56f100
Looks like it’s been replaced. That looks like a reproduction gasket
I didn't replace it. Im quite sure the original owners didn't replace it. To them it was just a truck to get fruit to the market. The second owner didn't do much to the truck. He just gave it a poor paint job and did nothing to the inside of the cab.
I even found a note in the glove box with a list of fruit that Mrs. McArther (or McArthee) wanted: pears, plums, prunes, and peaches.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
