John-T-53

Has anybody ever broke down in a tunnel?? Last Sunday on the way to the folks' house with my gal riding with me, the truck sputtered out one third the way through the Caldecott Tunnel (Between Oakland and Orinda, CA). Had to put out flares and wait 30 min for CHP to push me out to the other side. Got some dirty looks and a few honks (but no birds). Not fun!!! Turns out it was the fuel pump (if ya haven't already guessed). Had to get towed home. When I could take it out, I found it was the pin that had walked out one side. Only 3k miles on it - just replaced it last January (mentioned earlier on this thread). Same Carter pump purchased at NAPA. This time I got an AIRTEX pump at the same NAPA and they refunded my money from the old pump. The old pump's casting wasn't staked around the pin, and neither is the new Airtex. So before installation, I staked the casting in hopes this will prevent any future break downs...so heads up on this issue!

El Toro!

Jeff - Not that I found. The floor is one piece of sheet metal...Other than a few bends, the seat base is the only brace in the middle that I know of.

I was checking out drip rail differences when I went our local Bay Area mopar yard a couple summers ago. For any of you with the later style (curled back to the cab), do you have any seam sealer in there from the factory? My 53 never did, and that's the reason they're rotted out along with the adjoining section of the cab. When I eventually replace them, they might have to be fabricated without the curl, so seam sealer can be applied after installation, then the rails bent inwards after that. BTW I've been a little MIA on here this summer, so howdy to all again! Been spending quality time with my gal and doing lots of traveling...

Sounds like a pedal adjustment would be all that's needed, like Merle said. This is easy to do. I doubt the T/O bearing and sleeve are to blame from the info you have posted so far.

Pics from the 2012 rebuild project. installation Day in December.

I'll bet new tie rods will tighten 'er up a bit. Also check the drag link like Joe said. That's 4 joints your steering must go through to get to the front left wheel, so a little slop in each adds up! Plus any slop in the King Pins on top of that. Make sure the wheel bearings are snug too. Like most of you have said, these will always ride like trucks, but IMO if you have a solid front end and radial tires, these things don't really handle all that bad. In fact they're a pleasure to drive. I'm on the freeway all the time with mine and it hugs the corners pretty good for what it is. The stock stiff suspension minimizes body roll well.

Wow, that interior looks amazing. I like the stitch pattern on the door panels, and looks like you've got chrome escutcheons at the door lever / window cranks? Top notch!

Use a high-tack gasket adhesive for the seal halves to the block/main cap, and permatex #2 (very sparingly!!!) to seal the halves at their mating point. Make none gets on the crank. Let is sit overnight before rotating the crank....I had problems with the seal spinning - had to re-set it a couple times before it stayed in place! EDIT: Make sure to lube the seal lip as well!

I just put a brand new mech pump in my Chevy (sb 283) and it leaved out the pin after the first run. In most engines, this area gets lots o' splash from the crank case, which is a good thing. So a lil' weepage here is a sign your pump arm is getting ample oil. I like the "look" of mech pumps, just my opinion. But with this type it's important to install a heat shield too!!! I need to get an electric pump tho when I finally put on my headers.

From my experience a little oil leaking out the pivot pin is normal. It should be no more than a very slow flow and collect below on the pump body. Excessive oil coming through here, though, is a sign of a loose pin (that'll eventually fail). Start the engine and put your finger on the end of the pin. if you can feel it moving around, it's too loose.

Hey....in SF, anything goes! Now days, the SF MTA charges so much at the meter, a sidewalk spot might be less costly including the ticket. Crooks.

Came across this one today.... on the SF Chronicle web site: http://blog.sfgate.com/thebigevent/2012/04/10/what-happened-to-the-hamms-brewery-sign/#4334-4 It would be very cool if they found and reinstalled the old Hamm's sign!

I like the Mopar wheels too - they look like they're from about a '69 Fury or New Yorker.

I heard some suppliers in Santa Cruz were still selling real paint (oil based). but that was about a year or two ago. Not sure if they've been raided yet by the state...

Sorry to hear about the lil' mishap. But I see you got 'er straightened out or replaced. Silver paint? I like the look...I might try this on mine when I do a repaint down the road.

Good article Tim. The author is right on about the fillet profile - this is where cranks crack. Here's pics of my the 230 crank I put in my motor last summer, with detailed shots of a rod journal and its edge profile. Beautiful work done by Armando of Custom Crankshaft Repair. I still have the old crank (that's cracked) I should take pics of the fillet area and put them on here for comparison.

mo pics....

Here's some pics of that truck I took in person. It ended up selling for $11,130. I was a nice truck...a little rough around the edges that the pics don't really show. Some details were overlooked when it was painted, but overall a nice looker.

Haha...ganster walls. Reminds me of this flick....

The whole assembly must come out of the vehicle, then you can pull the column off the box/shaft. But first, pull the wheel off.

Wow, that's a bright yellow, like limoncello!

It's imperative the stud nuts are re-torqued after first warm up, and then checked again at the second cycle, and then every few hundred miles up to the first 1k. Cheap insurance. I like to check mine at each oil change. With the ARP hardware, you should use the ARP lube that should have come with the studs you purchased. This is important for correct torque readings. Copper spray-a-gasket is the preferred sealant for the gasket before assembly, and thread sealer or PTFE thread tape on the studs in the block. Make sure the threads in the block holes are chased clean too! I'd double check the deck for flatness again too - you need a machined straightedge and feeler gauges for this. Any dips greater than .0015" it might need to be decked, but this is a guess. The red 3M scotchbrite pads are great for cleaning the block. Good luck, and keep us posted on the progress!

Merle - this spare might come in handy during your cross-country schlep next spring! Looks good. So I've got a p205-75-15 spare, but I'm running p235-75-15 tires. I just realized this when I had to use the spare a couple weeks ago. When installed on the back right, the height difference was noticeable. Would this possibly damage the rear end if driven on too much? I think this would cause the axles to be constantly turning at slightly different speeds, but the spider gears would be working OT.

Paul - might be a good idea. Water gets in from the window and will stay soaked up in all that bedding material, and do it's work on the sheet metal!