Los_Control

Have you pulled the distributor out, check the vacuum advance is working, also is a short wire in there that can lose it's cloth insulation, ground out on you. I like falco's idea, I would just go a bit further and check the dist at same time.

Powder coating is something I like, but not really understand yet. In some cases, it seems to be the cats meow. I followed a guy on youtube for awhile, and watched as he was disabled like me, and he did powder coating in his garage for a second income. He actually started out just using a old electric kitchen oven. Was limited to the size of parts he could coat, but he was able to do a good job. After a year or two, he actually built a booth, and shared the plans to build it, and could powder coat axles and other larger items. Was 6' tall and you limited to what you can get in it. For some reason I am bias against powder coating .... for myself. I think it may do a good job today, but ten years down the road when you need to do some mods or welding etc ... just gets in the way. It actually may be a great part time employment opportunity for me or others.

Good job, I was lucky and was able to find the brass welch plugs here in town. What I read, is actually casting sand from when the blocks were made and left over ... surprising how much is in there. I dunno, may not be true. Then I read somewhere else, brass is bad? Actually steel plugs will rust, and is the weak link and need to be replaced from time to time. While brass will not rust, and in time because of dissimilar metals, the block will actually start to corrode ? The block becomes the weak link. I dunno, I read it on the internet so I know it must be true ? I doubt will happen in my lifetime, but thinking I may pull my brass plugs and replace with steel .... I need a hobby and stop thinking maybe?

point is, if it was a rebuild done in the vehicle, years ago, the block would not be cleaned. If it is something you just did last week, I assume the block was hot tanked.

gratz, first thing to remember, re-torque the head bolts. I do question/wonder about the rebuild though. Did you take it to the shop and have it done, or is it a engine that was rebuilt and you picked it up and using it? My engine ran hot when I first started it, after it sat for 20 plus years. I cleaned the water distribution tube, I pulled the welch plugs and cleaned the casting sand out of the engine block, currently is running with no T-stat installed. It runs at 160, 180 ... it will creep up to 190. As soon as I raise the idle it drops back to 160 ... it needs a T-stat installed. But all of my issues would have been solved, if the block was taken to a machine shop and hot tanked. So this is why I am asking, did a machine shop rebuild this block, or were you told is was rebuilt?

Thanks again PA, going to write that down and see if I can pick some up to have it on the shelf. Napa seems to do well with paint. I wont use it on the cab lights, but running into a black on black on black situation. I do need some choices for contrasting colors, and with a silver motor, that would fit elsewhere as well. Maybe shock mounts and a few interior pieces. Heater for example, Body of heater is going black, but have the face plate in primer and trying to think of a contrasting color to go on it. Argent silver just may be the color I am looking for.

That is a good idea, I could try that and see what I think. I am kinda stuck with gloss black body color, is the original color of the truck. It will be a 30 footer anyway you look at it ... unless you are young, may be a 50 footer. The things that I have been using a rattle can on, I choose semi gloss black. I like the way it looks. It just might be the right contrast of the after market lights mounted on the body? At least it is just paint on a driver, nothing to get excited about.

Thank's PA, will look into it, also found a thread on a different forum. Was just looking at spectra. More I think about it and look at them, picture them in my mind installed. If they had a top notch real chrome job, they may look a bit gawdy and out of place. If they were painted the same color of the truck, I think they would blend in while adding a bit of contour to the body, and the amber lenses may stick out. They are real glass and in nice shape.. More subtle and not so ... Oh Gawd! Now I am sorry for making a post on it, But it really did help me make up my mind. They been sitting on my bench in my way for a year now, I just always thought would try to do a better chrome out of a can on them. When I am ready. Not perfect but would be a repair that works. If I had a magic wand right now, could choose like new in chrome, or like new in paint ... I would use the wand and choose paint.

Just curious if any have had good luck using this product, which brand you used? I have heard it works good! Last year I was working on my wifes plastic hub caps on her dodge caravan. Looked like silver paint, not even close to chrome ... kinda dull even. They still came out fine and holding up well, just not the effect I was looking for. So now I am working on my cab lights, this would be a good place to try it again, but want to try a different brand. Or maybe just paint them the body color of the truck otherwise. Anybody have a brand they used, and would recommend?

good video too watch

Working on my neighbors car last month, 1954 ford, all original except it has a modern 5.0 EFI with AOD trans. Very quick, but has factory drum brakes and a single master cylinder. My job was to fix the cooling system, it all needed to be replaced ... Owner bought the car as is and was never able to drive it because it overheated. I charged him $200 to get it running ... but he lets me drive the car anytime I want Soon as we get it running and put a few miles on it, the brakes absolutely suck. Step on them and it pulls to the left, seems to have good pedal but then they start to fade ... slam on them, and besides a handful keeping it in your lane, they squeak. Would be a bit skeery driving it in rush hour traffic on the freeway, sure will smoke the tires though But this is a ford, they are easy to get parts, and simple to work on .... mopar is not easy for either one. This ford is going to get a disk brake conversion next. Drum brakes always need to be adjusted or maintenance. Just about the 3rd time you finally get them right, and ready for new shoes again and start over. Most people do not have the tools or the knowledge to setup mopar brakes properly, but you can get the help here if you ask. My rear brakes have 2 slave cylinders, and you adjust the toe and heel of the brake shoes to fit your drums, you need the correct tool to shave the shoes to the right arch to fit the drums first. Done properly, they almost would match performance of small disk brakes .... very few people know anything about the process anymore. Look at the brake parts on your parts car, you can put your worn out drums back on the parts car to keep it moveable. Maybe you can hire a mechanic to come over and pull the parts off and do the work ... then take the parts to the shop. Your existing mechanic can then inspect, and possibly make them work for you. Good enough you can drive around town. If a spring is bad, at least he has one to look at, and can match it up with a new one that would work? As PA said above, do it once, bypass future headaches. Me, I do my own work, still have plans to make the original brakes work ... even though I have the rusty hope kit on the shelf, update later as I feel the need. Welcome to the ugly duckling club, price we pay to be different from the rest.

The issue is cost and safety. The older mopars are really not that popular, if it was a chevy or ford, you could buy any part at a reasonable cost .... just finding drums, you are limited to used parts sent ups to your location, hope you can make them work. Then you have to deal with brake shoes, hope you have good cores and can find a old school shop to re-line them. For the era, many claim mopar had the best brakes available .... they are not easy to setup and adjust, they require special tools no longer made or used today. Then with a single master cylinder, as stated above, one leak in the system and you got nothing. For the money you spend on the above brake system, you can buy a disk brake conversion kit, bolt it on. I bought the rusty hope kit, it is a simple kit with the bracket to mount the rotors on .... requires you to use a drill and enlarge 2 holes for bigger bolts. Then it supplies you with a detailed list of parts and napa part numbers for the off the shelf parts you can buy to put it all together. Also there is scarebird kits, I hear you do not need to drill the holes larger and people are satisfied. Just buying the tool to pull the rear drums, you could buy a bone yard explorer rear with modern drums and 3:73 gears for the freeway. You will need to grind off the spring perch mounts, tractor supply sells new perches for $20, weld them on where they are needed. Lots of options for the master cylinder ... There are options to rebuild factory brakes, unless going concourse resto, now is a good time to upgrade them. And the upgrade will likely be cheaper and safer if you can do the work. Certainly worth looking at the brakes on your parts car, might be enough to get you going, then upgrade later.

Sounds great then. I suspect PA is correct then, crud in the tank and a one way flapper valve created from rust. I had same issue on my truck am working on. I ran it off the tank for some time, then it started running out of fuel. I replaced fuel pump and no change. I rigged up some fittings and connected my air compressor to the fuel line before the fuel pump. I could hear air coming into the tank, ear to gas filler tube. It still would run out of gas. Now I have a gas can on the bumper, and rubber line from fuel pump to can. It works fine this way. You could also try that, just put your can on the ground and see if your fuel pump pulls gas from it. I have a new gas tank from Tanks on the shelf, need to weld in the new floor before installing the gas tank though. Will also replace line. I really doubt your cam is bad .... old small block chubbies had soft cams, was always wearing cam lobes. I am not sure it is even possible for you to mount the fuel pump on wrong side of cam lobe. I could be wrong though.

Less then a shade tree mechanic here, If the cam lobe was worn, would not operate the fuel pump ... that be pretty desperate and a electric fuel pump would cure it. I suspect a stuck needle for the float? ... can you stick a gas can on the hood and gravity fill the carb? Would eliminate the fuel pump from the picture. The B&B carb is pretty simple to work on ... basic as it can be.

You should have a 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern. Would be jeep, ford ranger, explorer etc... Be aware, your truck has lug bolts and not lug nuts. So factory installs a locating pin on the hubs, to keep the wheel in line while installing the bolts. Any modern wheels will not have the hole for the locating pins. You can drill holes in the modern wheels for them, or you can use a hammer and break the pins off ... is your truck and your choice. Also the left/driver side, the lug bolts are left hand thread. You will go clockwise to loosen them. The rust holes on your fenders, if that is all that is wrong with them, you may as well keep and fix them. They all rust out in that area and need repair or have already been repaired. There is a mounting bracket riveted to the fender in that location. It traps water and rust out. Just sayin, good luck trying to find a set without that area rusted Grind the rivets out, patch the hole, mount the bracket back using carriage bolts, looks close to original rivets. Good luck.

Once you see it you cant unsee it .... better move over PA and make room for me in the corner

Not saying I agree, but just for discussion. We would normally add rebar to the forms to tie everything together. What if the rebar was made of fiberglass? It is still tying the concrete together, is it possible it will last longer then steel rebar? I have no honest opinion, rebar has worked well for over 100 years ... is it possible fiberglass rebar is better?

Have 2 local parts store in my small town. A car quest, and a parts plus .... they both carry wix filters. parts plus is my main squeeze, even if not in stock, they usually get it delivered next day.

Not only are they the same, wix makes some high quality filters. I would assume their other products are also of high quality. Is a youtube vide I watched, where they cut open a new fram, wix, napa filter. I was impressed how much garbage the fram was compared to wix. Fram actually had cardboard inside the filter .... Glad my local parts store carries wix filters .... I sometimes buy oil from walmart, not filters.

Thank you sir for the sanity check. It does start with no choke. maybe 3 seconds on the starter twice. Second try it fires right up and idles. Warmed up it starts instantly. I did have one cyl down to 60 psi, then got it up to 80 psi , I bet it is higher now. I really hope it just needs a drive. other cyl are over 100 psi I used a wood stick, I chased the tick down to the timing chain. I have a engine rebuild gasket set, so when I pull the radiator will also pull the timing chain cover and look. Also need to change the valve cover gaskets on the side of the engine. And of course check the valve clearances. Just have these gremlins in my head, the left side is saying, pull it, re_ring and bearings and rear main seal now. The right side is saying, drive it and have fun ..... sigh!

I find it impressive, how we have ideas on how we will spend our time, then life happens and shows us how we did spend our time. I made another vid today, you need to understand my thinking here. My goal is to make this a driver. No concourse restoration here. I plan to clean and then paint what is needed, my goal is to enjoy driving it, while saving it for the next generation. Let them restore it if they want. I guess I am just looking for a sanity check here.I have been running compression checks on it in the past, none in last 6 months, each time they improve though. Truck sat for at least 20 years before started. There is some blow by, and smoke from the tail pipe. I am wishing, take it out for a drive and it will almost disappear. Maybe not completely, but be drive-able. So my plan is to keep it as is, get it back together and drive it. If there ever was a good time to pull a engine and work on it, now is the time. Does anyone else think the rings will seal up with a good drive? The oil pressure is good at hot/idle. I guess I feel that with the new floor, brakes and other issues fixed, pulling the motor in the future would seem less intimidating. But it would be so much easier now, just not convinced it needs to be pulled now. Pulling it would require the purchase of new tools, cherry picker & engine stand. pull it now, or wait and pull it later? worried about project creep and end up with something that is a pile of parts also.

Going to agree with PA on this one, this was the norm and done at your local gas station. My father was a mechanic that did these jobs and worked at a local gas station. Which is why our cars were always shiny, but broke down often .... cobbler kids have no shoes Same time, 80k miles is nothing to our modern cars, for these older cars it is time for new rings and bearings anyways. 100k is very good to get. I think I would want to do all the rings and bearings while in there, assuming all the cyl and crank check out to specs. Maybe just start with #4 and see if it meets specs, then proceed with caution from there.

yummm, biscuits and home made gravy

what I was thinking Straps seem fitting also, what the factory used to hold the butterfly hoods in the wind. Use what works.

I am even more blessed. My wife of 40 years, even drove a ford over the 4th of July, just to please us both. I still say driving a 54 ford is above and beyond call of duty.