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Wes's Burb build/update/maintance

Towing a single axle box trailer to Lake Havasu tomorrow. maxed load would 1500 pd with gtwr of 3000. I have it loaded light with some garage stuff, dam it's hard to pick stuff in the garage I might not need for a bit. Will be a year or so till I'm full AZ resident. Going to be a good test of transmission cooling system, only going to be 72 in low desert. baby steps.
I'll update late tomorrow.
 
Trip was uneventful. Had to pull Cajon summit in 3rd, torque converter locked 52ish @3k, trans temp made it to 180. Outside temp low 60's.
Gased up in Victorville, cruised up i15 and i40 62 63 mph @2300, pulled all the hills in 4th top temp 175. Outside temps 70. In Az no more 3 axle speed limits, spun her up to 75 on the flat trans temp stayed below 180. Settled down to 70 till exit 9, only 7 miles across the boarder.
The little bit of in town towing got temps up to 180 again.
So low ambient temp and no AC temps run good.
 
Made the return trip pretty uneventful. Fierce head wind from Lulow till Devore. Newberry Springs thru Barstow and off at Dale Evans parkway I was in 3rd with the torque converter locked. Motor builds good torque 3250 to 3750, 60 to 75 mph. Fuel mileage sucked 6.9 west, got 8.8 east.

While in Havasu I thought I could smell gas, so while looking for a gas leak I noticed a missing vacuum cap from the ported vacuum port on the carb. I had been running the vac advance from manifold vacuum, I switched the advance to ported, and plugged the manifold port. I like it much better the trans shifts better, I thnik the truck on the whole runs cooler. I didn't reajust the timing my damper is either spun or I have the wrong pointer on, so it was timed by vacuum. I will need to adjust the idle speed.
 
Wes Harden said:
Made the return trip pretty uneventful. Fierce head wind from Lulow till Devore. Newberry Springs thru Barstow and off at Dale Evans parkway I was in 3rd with the torque converter locked. Motor builds good torque 3250 to 3750, 60 to 75 mph. Fuel mileage sucked 6.9 west, got 8.8 east.

While in Havasu I thought I could smell gas, so while looking for a gas leak I noticed a missing vacuum cap from the ported vacuum port on the carb. I had been running the vac advance from manifold vacuum, I switched the advance to ported, and plugged the manifold port. I like it much better the trans shifts better, I thnik the truck on the whole runs cooler. I didn't reajust the timing my damper is either spun or I have the wrong pointer on, so it was timed by vacuum. I will need to adjust the idle speed.
Click to expand...
find top dead center and then put a mark on the damper with a piece of soapstone or some white out. I had to do this on my 76 and I finally got to the point of just doing it by ear. The 400 in the Jimmy is a different story though, it doesn't knock, at all. Ever.

How can you tell if the torque converter is locked? I've never had a 4wd with a torque converter that would lock so I really don't have a clue. I bet you'll be one happy camper when you don't have to smog that thing any more.

Joel
norcal
 
I can manualy lock 2nd and 3rd electrically, trans is a 700r4, 4th gear lock automatically. When i flip the switch to lock in third rpm drops @200. Mine will ping, flat top pistons, and 1 or 2 to many mill jobs on some cast iron heads
 
I found out there are 2 sets of pointers and dampers out there about 20deg off from ea other. They are meant to be together as a pair and if you have them mismatched your marks will be off.
 
Yeah I have the 2 oclock that bolt on to timing cover flange. I am pretty sure I need the 12 o'clock tab which is welded on. I built this motor in hurry 20ish years ago, it was in a different square in front of 465, I that truck was a raisin with base trim, I got this Silverado with a spun rod on the a rebuilt sbc 400, motor swapped it in 04 or 05.
 
The difference in the two timing marks, on a 8" dia truck balancer, is 2 1/4 inches. I have a balancer, with both marks. Measure 2 1/4 inches from your original mark, and make a new one.
 
Today I decided to fix my leaky left valve cover, and remove AIR system tubes from the left exhaust manifold. While I am there I wanted to swap out the temp sender. I have late model heads with a 3/8" pipe thread sensor boss, 1977 heads use 1/2" pipe thread boss. Currently I have an 80's something gauge sensor, which has a different resistance range . My temp gauge barely moves if it gets to 1/4 above C I know it hot hot.
A couple months ago I dug into finding a sensor that would work with my current temp gauge. I found a Stewart Warner sender that had the correct range, today when I want to put it in I can't find it :angry1:.
So I noticed tell tail coolant trail from the upper hose neck on the rad. Started to investigate hose or neck? I couldn't definite nail it down. I decided to pull the rad I had noticed some crusties near the tube inside, is the radiator from when I got the truck in 2003ish, and I will be towing a lot this spring and summer so I figured just do it. Well when I got it out it was very heavy, probably more crusties then I imagined. Also is saw some corrosion at the header so it was only a short matter of time before it failed.
Radiator off to shop for recore, finish valve cover and exhuast manifold find the dam sender, new coolant, heater hoses. Maybe do the heater core.

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Dropped the rad off at my local shop, thank god he is still in business. So am getting re-cored and the upper neck changed to 1 1/2' from 1 1/4". be ready Friday. New brass core American made out the door 490.00. Order some Gates upper and lower hoses.
Removed the T stat and back flushed the block. Got the Valve cover back on and the exhaust manifold. Found a temp sender on Amazon that looked like it had the correct resistance range, and was next day Prime, so it came today. Needed an eye terminal soldered that together. I'll post up the part number after I see how well it works. Got all the A/C brackets back on. Would have gotten more done, but the neighbor came by asking how retired life was. I told it was good, normally it would be stressing getting this stuff done or not doing an item. Tomorrow I am going to do the heater core, I ordered a brass core from summit after seeing they are getting hard to source.
 
So today I went after the heater core. I got it out easy enough, the worst part is the lower right fastener. I got it after removing heater hoses, 18" 1/4 drive extension a universal and a medium deep six point chrome socket. I used some painters tape to stiffen the universal.
Got the plenum out on a bench, I notice the dash vent-floor door actuator plastic connector was broken and the door would never seal off the dash vents. Normally I would sworn a blue streak, and put it back together with the planned repair done. Then attempted to find a new or used part. Well I did look for a new part I didn't find anything. So being retired and the truck doesn't have a chore to do in the near future, I made a bracket out of some stainless steel sheet metal. Took me a couple hours.
While doing the bracket the radiator shop called my radiator was done I went down and grabbed it. New brass American made high fin count 4 row, for $465.00 cash. Old core was crusty, prob 20 years old, should have nabbed a picture.
So heater plenum is back in, some ducts left off to see door adjustments. Radiator is back in, shroud, fan, belts, new lower hose and heater hoses, trans lines are in and tight.
Left for tomorrow. Thermostat gasket find or make one, upper hose, tighten belts, repair a/c coil power wire, fill fluids, connect exhaust head pipe. warm her up adjust idle speed, and test plenum door functions.
I may pull the top off the Qjet and lower the float another 32nd we shall see

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Didn't get a lot of burb time today, Some other chores and more retirement paper work, almost as bad as buying a house:doah:. I did get some done. T stat is in, upper hose. tighten belts, connect exhaust, only filled 1/2 gl distilled water all I had atm, will get coolant and more water tomorrow. Soldered a new terminal on the a/c wiring.
 
So got out and grabbed 2 gl coolant and distilled water. Filled her up, started right up. Checked the gauge with new sensor, it started to move. Checking temps with infrared thermometer just below t stat in intake, at 130* gauge read mid way at 165* gauge was pegged. So this sender was worse than the TS76 for 3/8 npt, barley moved the gauge.
So I need to change it again, but what sensor ? So back to web surfing, I had looked numerous times attempting to find a 3/8 npt sensor with a 350 to 46 ohm range. After an hour or two I decided to turn down and re-thread the correct gm sensor for pre 79 chevy gauges, which I have had for years.
Swap out the sensors, (trick put cellophane under cap when only making one opening, keep a vacuum on the cooling system) new wire end. Fire her up 130* gauge moved off cold, 160* gauge is on the first line. I can live with that.
Finished up the duct work after testing all the positions and checking the doors everything works as designed. I did notice there is a 1/2" gap between the lower plenum and the defroster ducts, that will let a lot of air escape in to dash and not get to the wind shield. So I gorilla taped all the seems on my duct work.


All back together and road worthy till next project

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It's an antique, needs a lot of love. Was given to me a few years ago. Tail stock is not centered I think I can shim it. The 4" 3 jaw chuck is blind, @ 4" deep.
The original drive for it is long gone, some one "adapted" a belt drive. is kinda hokey.
I am not a machinist, and the only tool bits I have for it are some I found in my great grand fathers tap and die chest.
It is good enough to this job, and it felt good to make the correct range sensor work.
 
After all the work last week I saw the steering stabilizer started dripping. Ordered an AC Delco part from Rockauto arrived next day wtg RA. Put it on yesterday, went for a drive. Stopped at the VW shop got some parts for the motor going in the Hi Jumper. Then since I was close I stopped in at @jkroberts shop to say hi. Busy guy shop is full of great trucks, thou he stopped and shot the shit with me for a bit.
So today I decided to get started on my shackle flip, and body mount replacement. I air Hammered the rubber bushings out of the brand new 56" 1 ton springs I got awhile back, primed all the ORD parts. Pulled the rear bumper, discovered PO had been U Haul'd . 2 different trailer pig tails. Both of them done with Scotch locks, can't stand those F'n things they are gonna go, along with extra pig tail. I will solder and heat shrink the one I use.
Then I need to drain the fuel tank which was almost full. I drained 5 gl at a time filled the wife's car and my old van. Lawn equipment, still at least 10 gl in the tank neighbors may be getting topped off too. I used my electric fuel pump, just disconnected the outlet and put a longer hose on, filled 5 gl can @ 1 minute.
tomorrow I hope to get the gas tank out, springs and rear hanger off. We'll see wifey has covid vaccine appoint right in the middle of the day :doah:. That will slow me down some.
Fedex was supposed to deliver my supper duty shaft today, I need it to double check the pilot hole on the cv so I can order the correct flange for the np 205 rear out put.
But no Fed ex seems to have lost my order in Kansas some where, on Wednesday. delivery estimate is "Pending" Fedex can bite me their service has gone to crap in the 2 years. If I get choice I'm not choosing Fedex any more.
 
Wes Harden said:
Kansas some where, on Wednesday. delivery estimate is "Pending" Fedex can bite me their service has gone to crap in the 2 years. If I get choice I'm not choosing Fedex any more
Click to expand...
Same here, ordered from LMC Sunday, sat in Kansas for 2 days now going on third day in Aurora, Colo. About 20 miles away but can't get away from work to go pick it up. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
 
Wes Harden said:
After all the work last week I saw the steering stabilizer started dripping. Ordered an AC Delco part from Rockauto arrived next day wtg RA. Put it on yesterday, went for a drive. Stopped at the VW shop got some parts for the motor going in the Hi Jumper. Then since I was close I stopped in at @jkroberts shop to say hi. Busy guy shop is full of great trucks, thou he stopped and shot the shit with me for a bit.
So today I decided to get started on my shackle flip, and body mount replacement. I air Hammered the rubber bushings out of the brand new 56" 1 ton springs I got awhile back, primed all the ORD parts. Pulled the rear bumper, discovered PO had been U Haul'd . 2 different trailer pig tails. Both of them done with Scotch locks, can't stand those F'n things they are gonna go, along with extra pig tail. I will solder and heat shrink the one I use.
Then I need to drain the fuel tank which was almost full. I drained 5 gl at a time filled the wife's car and my old van. Lawn equipment, still at least 10 gl in the tank neighbors may be getting topped off too. I used my electric fuel pump, just disconnected the outlet and put a longer hose on, filled 5 gl can @ 1 minute.
tomorrow I hope to get the gas tank out, springs and rear hanger off. We'll see wifey has covid vaccine appoint right in the middle of the day :doah:. That will slow me down some.
Fedex was supposed to deliver my supper duty shaft today, I need it to double check the pilot hole on the cv so I can order the correct flange for the np 205 rear out put.
But no Fed ex seems to have lost my order in Kansas some where, on Wednesday. delivery estimate is "Pending" Fedex can bite me their service has gone to crap in the 2 years. If I get choice I'm not choosing Fedex any more.
Click to expand...
At least it's not stuck in the suez canal :doah: :doah:
 
Only thing I can think off that might be stuck in the Suez that I would be interested in, is Ethiopian coffee. Will substitute Costa Rica coffee till then.:waytogo:
 
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