Steve's 64 Short-bed Project

[SteveCanup]

Thanks Grump. Bodywork does try your patience...and I'm not always as patient as I need to be. I need to take the "long board" to it and get it just a little bit straighter...I really would like to spray some glossy paint on it.

[SteveCanup]

Busy week-end followed by a rainy Monday. It is supposed to clear off later today and be sunny. I'm planning on getting some pics of current work on the truck. I installed the sway bar last night and drove the truck and IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! I recommend this suspension update. It was tight through the corners. Front disc brakes and dual reservoir master cylinder are next. Right now I'm focused on bodywork as I want to get it in paint within the next few weeks. Stay tuned...
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

The sway bar that I installed yesterday afternoon...pardon the funky u-bolts holding the bar to the axle. I am going to fabricate some better bracket to hold it to the axle. I was so pumped about installing it to see how it would work that I didn't mind the funky u-bolts...and I hope that you don't either. Btw, Uncle Skip is right...a sway bar will make your truck handle like a go-kart!


Another view...

And yet...another view...looking at this I realize that I need to get busy cleaning and painting under there!


Also note the reversed eye mono springs...they drop the truck 4 1/2"...

Stay tuned...more to come. I will get this thing into some fresh paint....soon....I hope...
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

Non important info deleted for times sake....

[SteveCanup]

Rust never sleeps. Dealing with more rust...the right front fender had a small hole in it and I knew that I would have to deal with it sooner or later. After all metal doesn't just "grow back."

[SteveCanup]

I have someone on the HAMB working on a Photoshop of satin black with the red wheels. The wheels are actually the exact same color as the interior.

[SteveCanup]

Here it is..."Late Evening Black"....

[SteveCanup]

Well it's major decision time. I have put off the rear main oil seal for almost a year now. I've been nursing it along, and today I took a peek under it and found oil almost literally dripping off of the cross member, tranny, etc. I just ordered a new rear seal and I will probably drop the oil pan tomorrow. While I am at it I may drop the tranny and get into the clutch assembly. I have had clutch chatter from the time I bought the truck last May. Sooooo, although I really don't want to get into all of this...I must. I will admit, though I have decent mechanical skills, I have read horror stories about rear seal replacement. What has accelerated all of this is a strange...knocking type noise from somewhere around the bellhousing/clutch, tranny or front of the driveshaft. It is not a consistent noise, but it bothers me and I know that it is not right. Also, I know that the rear pinion angle is not precisely right, but I do not have any vibration, etc. But I am afraid I will get somewhere away from home and the truck will break down on me. So lets tear into this thing and see what we find...Stay tuned....Stevie Horror Picture Show.....

[therealjoeshmoe]

from what ive been told you have to either pull tranny or motor to replace rear main seal..

[SteveCanup]

That's why I am going to pull the tranny and the bellhousing, clutch assembly etc. and drop (of course) the oil pan. The engine runs strong and doesn't smoke, but I am losing oil. It is from the rear mail seal which, undoubtedly is shot. So, in will go a new seal, clutch assembly and so forth. I expect the truck to be down at least a week...if not more. I think what worries me more than the oil seal is which size clutch I have.

[bird55]

read up on changing the seal. It doesn't have to be the nightmare if you get prepared. I've done several successfully. just did another a couple months ago. with the rear main cap off and the spark plugs out - and a tool used to take the old seal out (you know the screw-in one). Have someone rotate the crank off the front of the engine AS you ALSO pull the seal out in the same direction. You can also loosen all the mains if you are up to trusting yourself to re-torque properly. I recommend BEST brand Urethane rear seals.

I just re-read your last post again and if your are pulling the bellhousing be sure to check to see if the rear cam bearing plug has been leaking? something else to fix on the neverending "as long as you are in there, you might as well …fill in the blank

[SteveCanup]

Thanks bird55 for the heads-up about the rear seal and the rear cam bearing plug. I removed the rear oil seal without too much problems. It was the original rope seal. I ran a 1" screw into one end of it and worked it slowly with a pair of pliers until it slid out. Patience is the key. I still have to drop the tranny out and get the bellhousing off tomorrow and get a clutch kit ordered. After removing the cover at the bottom of the flywheel, I could reach up and grab the throwout bearing and wiggle it on the shaft...does anyone know, is that normal? To have that much wiggle or wear? I have not done enough clutch jobs to know what is normal...but this doesn't seem normal. This might be the source of the noise I have been hearing...anyway, thanks for all the input from everyone...it is appreciated. Btw, bird55, if the cam bearing plug is leaking do I just replace the plug? Is that something that is readily available from the auto parts store? Thanks...
Steve

[bird55]

the plug is available. But now that I said that I'm not sure it can be installed from the outide of the block. it is positioned the opposite of a freeze plug but I have a fuzzy memory on this. I'll check. OK, I was wrong it is like a freeze plug. At any rate It won't be easy to get to to install next to the firewall. The back of your flywheel looks to be pretty dry, which is a good sign.
Also this will be a good time to check the numbers on the mains. From the looks of that crankshaft throw it make me curious to see if you might have a 312 there.
Main cap #'s and the "DOT" on the crank is a 100% chance you may have one.





312 main caps are always marked ECZ , all other Y-Block main cap are marked EBU. This is the only positive way to identify a 312 block. (from John Mummert)

[bird55]

Here some additonal scoop from one of the best guys I know with the yblock
http://www.eatonbalancing.com/blog/2011 ... stallation

[SteveCanup]

Hey bird55...thanks for the 'heads-up.' It's late and dark and I now want to go out and look and see what engine I have....and yes, the flywheel is dry, so, from what you are saying, that's good news. And I can use some good news right now. Thanks again...
Steve-


Well, I went out and looked and it has "EC47" on it....

[SteveCanup]

Tranny is off...old pressure plate along with throwout bearing and clutch disc are removed. And indeed I have a 12" clutch disc... Ordered a new clutch set and now I have to sit back and wait for parts to arrive to put this thing back together. I opened up the tranny and the gears look good and spin very smoothly...that's good.




Hurry up UPS man....I wanna drive this thing....
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

Removed the flywheel today and will take it to the machine shop in the morning. Hopefully it can be machined and reused. The rear oil seal arrived today and will be installed tomorrow. Pics to follow...stay tuned...
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

Flywheel is good and the machine shop is resurfacing it, and it will be ready tomorrow. The rear main oil seal is installed and the oil pan gaskets showed up today, so it is installed also. The clutch set will be delivered tomorrow and hopefully by days end tomorrow I will have the truck back on the road. I also removed a leaking freeze plug and will pick one up from NAPA today. Moving along...



Stay tuned...
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

Busy day. Freeze plug installed...check. Flywheel picked up from machine shop....check. UPS man delivered clutch set....check. Wallow, squirm, clench, and wallow...repeat. Bolts do not line back up with original holes, put parts on...take parts off. Scratch head. Take a coffee break....wallow, squirm, clench and wallow some more. Flywheel is now installed, clutch set installed, tranny and drive shaft back on...truck backed off of the ramps. Ran out of daylight...will finish buttoning everything up in the morning and take it for a test run. Fingers crossed. Thanks to my neighbor, Billy, who is a mechanic by trade. He brought me the correct alignment tool this evening and helped get the pressure plate and disc on. Then he picked the tranny up...crawled under the truck....lifted it up and stubbed it in on the first try. What a guy....Cruise in's here I come...
Stay tuned....more to come....
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

Test drive today....all went well...until I drove back into my driveway. I now have a radiator leak.... One step forward and a half step backwards. It's a small hole or crack close to the bottom on the engine side of the radiator. I had been smelling coolant lately, but didn't see where any was leaking. Well today it made itself known. I just ordered a radiator and it will be here week from Monday. I was hoping to drive it over to my daughters house next weekend for a birthday party...no luck, unless the radiator comes quicker than expected. Oh well...it's still cheaper and way cooler than a new truck with a new truck payment...
Plugging on...
I'll get back to bodywork soon....
Stay tuned....
Steve-