Black Betty - Formerly Blaze the Monster Machine

[centexk5]

Just glad the doorbell and dogs didn’t wake the kids haha.

As with all good things on this build, dummy here forgot to keep the hinges from the stock doors before I trashed them so now I get to buy new hinges.

 

[stump_puller]

Door looks great.

 

[centexk5]

Got my new hinges in today and I wish I could punch the designer who decided to run one bolt in through the inside on the upper hinge. What an idiot. So now I’m punching out the pins on my new hinges and bolting the door side to the new doors and using the remote able pins I made to tie them into the factory body side hinges.

 

[centexk5]

Still need to align it but one door is on.

 

[Truckman4life]

Either buy new strikers with the plastic part on them or get some 1/2" PEX and cut a short piece and then slit it and pop it over your striker. Your doors will close better than they ever have before. I did it to my K5 and my crew cab. No more slamming doors.

 

[centexk5]

Roger that.

 

[centexk5]

Gotta be honest, I’m not impressed with the way these doors fit. I’m sure the truck is tweaked some but damn. I fought the driver door for a couple of hours trying to get the latch working and aside from having to weld the capture nut because it broke free, I can’t get the striker centered left to right in the latch. Either a screw on the latch is hitting a washer or the head of the striker is to big or it’s just that much to far off. I’ve tried different thickness shims and have ground on the metal around the latch trying to widen it up some. I’m over a 1/4” of spacer trying to make it work. I gave up and went to install the passenger door. I was bending the hinges trying to get the bolts started. The hinge face is flat but the nuts in the door are welded on a bend so everything has to get bent and forced in and then tightened up. I feel sorry for the door pins. Of course the striker has the same problem as the other side. Tomorrow I’m going to the hardware store and doing some shopping and thinking.

 

[nvrenuf]

I thought the Diy4x doors required a different / specific striker bolt?

I have tube doors also, I chose ORD’s doors because they use the stock striker (with adjustment). I will add that the ORD latch is a simple, spring loaded lever vs the actual latch mechanism used by Diy4x.

 

[imiceman44]

I thought the Diy4x doors required a different / specific striker bolt?

I have tube doors also, I chose ORD’s doors because they use the stock striker (with adjustment). I will add that the ORD latch is a simple, spring loaded lever vs the actual latch mechanism used by Diy4x.

Yes, you need the special latch

 

[centexk5]

Well shit I missed that. I wonder if they are buried in the box somewhere?

 

[nvrenuf]

Website says they’re included.

 

[centexk5]

Found the special pins taped to a random piece of packaging. You’d think they would be taped to the doors. They still don’t fit. Going to have to grind the heads down on those to make those fit. So back to being not super happy on the fit.

 

[centexk5]

Got it done. Still need to do some tweaking on the door to make it fit better but they are both installed and latched.


Much better sight line on the tire with these doors.

 

[centexk5]

Went to fix what I thought was a leaky transmission pan gasket and do a fluid change. What I found was three stripped pan bolts causing my leak and a bunch of grit, a welded crack, and what looks like a piece of clutch material.

 

[centexk5]

Replaced three of the stripped bolts with longer ones and that solved that. Found a 4th when I was retorting that’s I had to drill and tap one size larger. Also realized that I’ve got a warped pan because one bolt on the corner starts to leak the moment you torque it down. Loosen it up and it nearly stops. I think the copper line on my oil pressure gauge is cracked and causing the oil leak I’ve got but that’s a fix for another day.

 

[centexk5]

Took it to the exhaust shop to have a complete new exhaust put on the truck. They said $600. I said make headers slip fit and put an h-pipe in and be done. $160. Much better. Now I don’t have to worry about header gaskets any more and have plenty of clearance around my shackles.

Question for y’all. When turning to the right every thing is nice and smooth but when turning left it groans. What could cause that? It’s a brand new PSC box with a remand pump that has 10 miles on it. It did it with the old original pump to which led me to replace it since it was original to the truck and I thought it was weak. I’ve bled the system a few times now and no bubbles or leaks of any kind.

 

[6872xtc]

You could peel the shipping labels off before they smoke or melt. My USA flag stickers melted quickly and my exhaust is farther away.
But we could all blow up your phone just for the fun of it!!


I have noticed some pumps making more noise in one direction before, but I am no help with what you can do about yours.

 

[centexk5]

Haha I keep forgetting about those.

 

[84k5oleyeller]

Nice build...I’ve been wanting to make a trip to hidden falls and test out my ORD springs.

 

[centexk5]

I think it’s time to schedule a trip out there and break it in. It’s about as ready as can be. I want to find a trailer though just to be safe. I don’t want to risk breaking something on the maiden run and be stuck there.