Someday (soon I hope) I'll be starting to put parts back ON my truck instead of removing them! This weekend I painted my radiator, and bolted it onto the reworked radiator mount along with the new mounts for electric fan and AC condenser. Put it into the truck for a test fit, and realized I needed to modify the pass side deflector for routing the AC hoses to the condensor and both sides to clear the new mounts. OK, no biggie, just a few bolts so I'll just take them out do the mods, hit em with some paint and put em back in, shouldn't take long... FAMOUS LAST WORDS!
A PO had decided to flip the front end, so he had Put in chrome hinges onto the air deflectors and inner fender panels. The person I bought her from bolted the fenders back to the cab and rehinged the hood, but left the flip hinges in place. They were put in with SS allen head cap screws, 5 each side with lock nuts. First after much searching I finally decided I didn't have an allen wrench that big, so out come the vice grips. Can't turn the bolt with the vice grips so I have to unscrew each nut with a box wrench while laying on the ground under the truck (of course the bolts were > an inch longer than necessary so thats a lot of wrenching) Take out the bolts holding the pass side deflector. Two out of three of the bolts holding the grill on each side have had nuts put on them, so the headlights and buckets had to come out first to reach the nuts. Now the grill is dangling in the breeze, so out it comes. Finish removing the bolts under the fenders, and realize the deflector isn't going to come out with the inner fender panel in place ( I had taken out the driver's side one when I put the PS box in) so there was no choice but to remove the pass inner fender. Now the fenders are dangling off the cab with only the lower valance panel now sitting on the frame horns connecting them.
Finally get to take out the deflectors. Put the radiator in place, and discover I bought the wrong rubber pucks, so the radiator mounting will have to wait until I get the right ones (56 used different ones than 53-55 ones I bought since they matched the ones I took out. DMAN POs put in the wrong ones!).
Cut the deflectors to clear the condensor mounts, then go to cut the one for the AC hoses and in putting it in place to mark it I discovered the bends in both sides aren't supposed to be there, must have been from supporting the front end when flipped up. Break out the hammers and dollys and spend 2 hrs taking the bends back out. By this time it's starting to get dark so it's time to put all the tools away once again.
Weekend score:
constructive- bolted the radiator, fan and condensor mounts to the radiator support.
deconstructive- removed headlights, grill, inner fender panels, air deflectors, flip hinges, wrong support biscuits. Only good thing is I am clear to do more frame cleanup and painting and replacing the inner fenders with the polished SS ones, but I should go ahead and take off the fenders and straighten them as long as I'm this far into it, but that has to wait for the garage to be completed...

 

AX,
WOW, when that snowball starts rolling it sure picks up momentum in a hurry!! All in all, it sounds like it was a goodly amount of progress.
I saw your post about getting a new contractor for your garage, I hope this time it actually happens and you are able to roll the ol' girl inside and have a warm place to work before too long.

Bobby

 

Supposed to bring the contract by tomorrow AM.

 

Just like peeling an onion! Wish I had your energy, sounds like you'll get it done garage or not!
Cheers!

 

Took some pix of the fan and condensor mounts, will add them to my gallery soon.
Energy heck! I'm trying to get it done in time to haul the race car next season.

 

Ax,
I feel yor pain. Things always are more than they seem.
I'm now on my 3rd or 4th design for the single piviot forward tilt hood.
(I pretty sure I have it now)
Good luck on your garage.
Mike

 

Best part is I bought it as a "driver", and drove it across country to bring it home. Glad I didn't buy one that "needed work"!

 

what a great post, sometimes a ''driver'' is the way to ruin your mental state. Sounds like you are coping though, stay after it!

 

Boy can I relate AX, the PO of my truck had the tilt front end also. I think the body shop the PO had removed it and installed the original hood with original hinges. When I was redoing the wiring to the headlights I really noticed the damage. Whoever installed the tilt mounted some very heavy duty metal arms to the frame horn and welded all kinds of funky metal brackets to the firewall, etc. Fortunately, they used regular bolts on mounting the brackets and it wasn't difficult to remove. They cut the heck out of the inner fenders with a torch for clearance purposes. What started with a simple wiring to the headlights and turn signals, ended up being removal of half the front end. By the way, I invested in a set of ratcheting box wrenches. They are a lifesaver for those guys who use 3" longer than needed screws and are well worth the cost. The best part is, now that you've torn it apart, you can make it better and do it the way it's suppose to be done. It makes driving it and appreciating what you got just that much more while knowing it's done right. Like my dad always told me, "If you don't do it right the first time, don't do it at all."

 

Same here, they cut the heck out of the inner fender panels along the bottom and the entire back end (that's why I'm replacing them with polished SS ones) and some on the deflectors and front valence. Fortunately they didn't cut the fenders! I have ratcheting box wrenches, they are great but the other bolts they put in wouldn't let me use one, had to use a deep offset box.

 

gotta love the air ratchet with a deep socket!!!

 

Just hook up the 1/2 impact and "tighten" them off

mmmwwwaaahhhaaa mmmwwwaaaahhhaaaa

(man, I think I really need to think about those meds)

bobby

 

I think it would take a lot to twist off a 3/8" SS allenhead capscrew!

 

I've used a torch and heated the bolts up good and then quenched it with cold water. Hit it with a hammer and it'll (not always) snap off because the metal is brittle, or if there is room, the old cut off tool comes in handy.

 

AX, yea I guess you're right,I remember you saying that they were SS allenheads.

I didn't find the meds but I did manage to scare up a few frosty beverages......

Bobby