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Jomani

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Everything posted by Jomani

  1. I got most of the parts blasted and cleaned up. While I had the blast cabinet running, I decided to throw the axle in and get it cleaned up. Came out looking great but seems to have a bow in it. Tomorrow I will get the straight edge out and take some measurements.
  2. I got the front axle disassembled today. I was pleasantly surprised with the condition. King pins came out easily and had almost no signs of wear. I had already ordered a new set - had I waited I am not sure I would replace them. Drums came off easily. Bearings all look new. Drums are in great shape.
  3. I have yet to make a bad flare since I got mine. Not something that gets a lot of use but well worth the money. I can’t say that I have never forgot a nut though.
  4. You make some great points. My thinking is that It would be very rare for me to get much flex out of this suspension, especially with the overload springs. If I were planning to haul heavy loads regularly, I wouldn’t do anything different than stock. I only want to do this once so I want to make sure that I don’t regret skipping anything at this point.
  5. Definately need to put something between the springs for smoother movement. I was thinking about using a leaf spring liner with a lip to help keep it in place. Anyone tried this stuff? It comes in 1 3/4” x 20’. I think it will take a roll and a half to do each of the rear springs with the overloads.
  6. I had plans to get the frame ready for primer today but the rain came early. I ended up pulling the front axel and the rear springs off the frame and started breaking everything down. Got one of the rear springs disassembled and painted. Lots of springs to clean up - wire wheel did a good job knocking the rust off. Time to order some bushings for the springs.
  7. If I recall correctly, the big concern with the switch to unleaded gas was the valve seats and not the valves themselves. As it turns out, unleaded gas seems to work better in older engines because it reduces the amount of carbon buildup. The bigger problem is the ethanol that they are adding to gas. It tends to be more corrosive and holds more moisture than plain old gas. Back in the 70’s when ethanol was first introduced, I was working at a gas station in Minnesota. After we started selling ethanol, I spent the next six months pulling and flushing gas tanks - it tends to dislove all of the scale in the tank and plugs up everything in the fuel system. As you said, sodium filled valves cool better. Most burnt valves are caused by running too lean of a fuel mixture. The faster the heat gets transferred away from the combustion chamber the better.
  8. Had some time today to get back on the frame. I decided to build a stand to raise the rear up so that I can level the frame when I go to mock up the drive train. My driveway has a significant slope so the rear ended up fairly high in the air. The differential came out to make room for the Dana 60 from the old motor home. I will leave the front axel in until I get the engine set in and motor mounts fabricated. Once all the clearance issues are dealt with. The front axel will come out for rebuild.
  9. Do you know how many miles are on the engine? Is the low oil pressure something new or has it been getting worse? What are you using for oil? Like Dave said, this is probably not an easy fix and will most likely require removal of the engine. Unlike modern engines, the cylinders in these flatheads are relatively soft and prone to wear. It is very unlikely that you will fix the problem by just replacing rings if it is a high mile engine. A compression test will tell you a lot. First do a dry test, then repeat wet by squirting oil in the cylinder. You should see an increase in pressure when wet. If not, you have something other than rings causing the problem.
  10. I agree with everyone who has commented on your sketches ? i wouldn’t be too concerned leaving gaps around the mounting bolts. As long as the wood has room to move, it will crush the grain in the small area around the bolt. Keep in mind that the wood will also expand upward - very little but enough to eventually loosen the strips. If you cut a slight bevel instead of a 90 degree notch, you will get some spring action out of the metal strips. Rather than pull the bolts down tight, let the edges of the strip pull tight against the wood and leave a very slight gap in the center.
  11. Finally got the gauges and air cleaner. Installed the mufflers and fired it up again. Got the timing and carburator dialed in and ran it at 2500 RPMs for 30 minutes to get the cam properly broke in. Purrs like a kitten...
  12. Do you have pictures? There a lot of different techniques for “moving” metal - some better than others for different situations. I am certainly not an expert but there are guys on here who are. If you take your time and work the crease out slowly, my experience has been that the metal tends to want to return to its original shape. I have seen incredible things done with just a heat gun and wet rag - you just need to know what to heat and what to cool.
  13. The engine came to life today. I finished up the stand - control panel installed, electronic ignition and charging system wired up, battery installed. My tach arrived but the gauges didn’t make it. Fired it up anyway - had to hear it run. I picked up some Borla mufflers that will eventually go on the truck. I will use them on the run stand for now. It is a bit noisey with 2 foot straight pipes.
  14. Yep - right next door. Did they change the steering when they dropped the 350 in? I am in the process of putting a 360 in my 47 WD-21 and haven’t figured out which direction I am going to go with the steering yet. We might have to get together when the rain stops.
  15. Does the angle of the lug nut come into play when using newer wheels? I remember someone telling me a long time ago that older vehicles used a different angle where the lug nut seats against the wheel. I don’t know it that applies to Dodge...
  16. That tank tucked in there nicely. Your progress is looking good - seeing you check off all the details reminds me just how much work I have ahead of me. Have you figured out the rest of the trans tunnel? I know I will have to build something for mine - can’t wait to see how yours turns out. keep plugging along it will be on the road before you know it.
  17. Didn’t take pics, but was able to get the battery box mounted and starter wired up today. My NOS Holley 600 arrived yesterday - got it installed. Added a couple feet of exhaust on each side - I will probably install mufflers to keep peace with the neighbors. As soon as the gauges and trans filter gets here, it will be ready to crank over.
  18. I was able to use the radiator from the motor home. I mounted it in the same position in relation to the engine/trans so the radiator hoses and transmission cooler lines all worked perfectly. I will pull the yoke off the driveshaft - I intentionally made the stand long enough so I can put a plate behind the yoke to keep it from flying out while running.
  19. I learned to weld on an early 40’s Forney - those things never die. Great advice on the O/A for body work. Unfortunately, it is quickly becoming extinct - being replaced with TIG (welding) and plasma (cutting). I supervise all of the Vocational shops at a school - we are getting ready to do a complete makeover of our Welding Program. Oxygen/Aceyteline has been completely eliminated from the program with the exception of a single setup for heating and bending. Up till now, students started with O/A to get a better understanding of the weld puddle - pushing or pulling it while adding filler material. Personally, I didn’t see a need for MIG until just a few years ago. Now, that is my go to welder. Can’t remember the last time I pulled out the old stick welder. I pull out the O/A for occasional thin stuff, but primarily use it for cutting and bending. I don’t think my eyes are good enough for TIG - some day I might give that a try.
  20. Got the transmission cleaned up and bolted to the engine. Fabricated a trans mount on the run stand and got the radiator mounted. I decided to put casters on the run stand. Spent $35 on six casters - not bad since everything else was recycled and no cost. I am very happy with the stand. Seems like a lot of work for a temporary engine stand. I plan to do the cam break-in on the stand. The engine will spend the next 6-8 months on the stand while I get the rest of the truck ready for it. I don’t have a shop, so the truck has to live outside. I can easily pull the engine and trans off the stand, get the fab work done on the truck, then back on the stand for storage. I ordered a cheap set of gauges that will be mounted to the stand. I also have a battery box that will get mounted. In the end, I will be able to start and run the engine every few weeks until it gets permanently mounted in the truck.
  21. Got started on the engine run stand today. It takes a little extra time to cut the old lumber rack up, but the price of the material is right. I should be able to get everything I need without spending a dime. Hopefully I can get the transmission mount fabricated tomorrow and get the transmission installed. If all goes as planned, I should be able to use the radiator hoses and trans cooler lines from the old motor home
  22. From what I was able to gather, it is hard to get much lift out of the stock 360 heads without machining. The stock cam was .410” lift and 252 degrees. This has just a little more of each (.440”/260) so it should still have a smooth idle but hopefully increase the low end and mid range torque. The new springs are significantly stronger than the old - not sure that is necessary for this application, but they came in the kit...
  23. The truck had been converted to 12v before I got it. Power steering is an option since I kept the pump from the motor home. I hung it back on the engine so that I can get a better idea of clearance when I start to fabricate front motor mounts. If I eventually decide to move the engine toward the passenger side of the truck, I will most likely upgrade to power steering. If I try to center the engine and modify the steering to fit, space will ultimately be the deciding factor.
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