Well As the old thread gets so big , it's nice to start a new thread to continue new phases of the work. Here is a link to V2 of my build https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...uck-v2-28.html.

 

Well after talking to body shops and looking at trading my older projects I was about to trade my 30k custom Manx VW buggy for a paint job.... After pulling the buggy out to clean it up for the shop to inspect it, I was hit with the sentimental blues..... I put a ton of hours and money building that car. I killed the deal and will keep the buggy . I like it more than my new RZR.


Now Back to my truck.
Since I bought a bed for the truck I have dented it 2 times..... WTH.. I found another bed In CA that was 245 miles away from me. I dove there Friday afternoon and traded a 350.00 item for a near perfect bed and tailgate . I found he had a perfect hood and fender too. He had a sliding rear window, rear bumper and a door with a small dent. for an additional 150.00. Not bad but took 11 hours to do everything.


I'm going to buy the other fender needed and paint the hood fenders and the bed first then pull all the old stuff off the truck. While the front parts are off, I can replace the manifold's, up pipes, collector and install the e fuel. I just worry about the studs snapping off in the block. when all that is done I can paint the cab and doors. Sounds easy right?

 

Always sounds easy but it never actually is always a curve ball in there somewhere good luck though you have one nice truck despite all the setbacks you have had

 

Good to hear. I do not follow regarding the studs snapping off in block...

 

The Bolts that hold the manifold / headers on. When removing they will likely all snap off in the block. Requiring drilling out and rethreading.

 

Ah! Heat and Oil my friend. Cummins are 10 fold worse for warping, bending the studs and usually snapping a few flush with the head surface.... 7.3 take a few squirts after shutting the truck off, let sit overnight and you are fine.
Cummins , take half a can of penetrating oil for a few days after a torch.... but they finger out. I don't care the miles or the state she lived in... Otherwise pay for an EDM extraction...

 

Sounds good Mike! Your talk about getting rid of it after all that work didn't make sense but I can understand. I want to light a match to mine every now and again, lol.

 

I was told to cut the bolt heads off and pull the header off first as the binding if mostly from the header/ manifold then weld a nut on it. Good or not good idea?

 

My 96 C&C 350 lived in Michigan in it's early years, and when I went to remove the manifold to replace a broke off bolt, the majority of the remaining bolts were rusted in the manifold to a point that I cut the bolts to get the manifold off. I then used a stud extractor socket to screw the cut off bolts out. My youngest sons runs a welding/machine/repair shop, and welding a nut to a broken off bolt is his favorite way to remove one.

 

That is what was thinking. I read somewhere the manifold is the cause of the studs snapping. I will try the heat and oil soak a few times, hit the manifold with a air hammer and see if I can knock some rust lose inside. Anyone bother painting the parts? probably not worth it at all.

 

Additional to do items.
AC bypass.
Back up cam.
Fix rear door window mech.
Water injection.
Rebuild oil cooler.
Maybe a tilt steering... what truck to pull from.. more modern look would be nice.

 

If it were not for bad luck I would have no luck at all. I was backing up my trailer with the new undented bed on it. Had flipflops on and my flipflop got caught on something and I was not able to hit the brake fast enough. I crushed my good tailgate......... Unloaded my dent free bed and dented it. FML. I just don't have anyone near my to help me. Lucky It's not a bad dent and I can fix it but come on......... I do have some extra parts now like fuel lines and tank transfer thing. front fuel tank plastic, skid plate and other minor stuff. I'm making a trailer with the other bed I got to fix my truck but dented the hell out of it too.

 

my truck is going in for yet another major job. New hard lines on the engine, e fuel, new manifolds and up pipes. Trans service and inspection.

 

It been in the shop 2 days now. I'm worried the bill is going up and up. Darn rusted up crap. With new manifolds and up pipes , is there a t5 flange that will bolt up to the up-pipes? Or will I need to change everything out again? New hpop and sticks are next. then turbo.

 

The shop has been working on my truck for 3 days and hopes to be done Thursday. I have seen them working on it every day when I drive by after work. Worried I may have 40 hours into replacing the manifolds I called to see what was going on. I guess 3 mechanics had to be medevac out for lockjaw and the rest of the shop are too scared to work on it. One person said I could use that laser the removes rust but I may not have a truck left after using it.