Los_Control

I replaced all the lines & wheel cylinders on my Dodge, the master cylinder looked good enough to rebuild. When I bled them out & was pretty happy with how it felt ...... I did the panic stop routine stomping on the pedal as hard as I could. Truck was still on jack stands in the air. The pedal went straight to the floor. Then I swapped out to a 2stage master cylinder. .... I figure the original probably was honed out to far, needs a sleeve. I just threw it in a box on a shelf and never gave it a second thought. I personally think the panic stop test is very important .... zero reasons why that pedal wont hold up to stomp on it as hard as you can.

I learned years ago, anytime you mess with points I like to use a business card from my wallet from some salesman. I just use the card to wipe the oil off the points, close them insert card & pull it through. Be surprised if you are using a white card how much dirt & oil comes off a new set of points after installed. May not be your issue, but I remember cars that would not start after messing with the points & cleaning them worked. .... Just saying. I would swipe the paper card through 2 or 3 times til it came out clean. New points from the factory had oil ... feeler gauges had oil or left dirt .... dirt on the points created a problem .... just make sure it is not your problem. Setup correctly and I know you have done much work to do so, they start pretty easy

First you need to check what year engine you are working with, then also transmission. Years ago I had a 1949 pilothouse ..... Uncle gave it to me. The truck lived on a farm in the past .... It was a 3/4 ton truck with a 1/2 ton front end and had a 1937 218 engine in it .... Farmers used what they had. This prompted me to do more research on these engines .... I read that somewhere around 1935 they changed the starter location moving it outward. This would mean if you had a 1934 engine you would need a earlier bell housing for it to fit. .... Probably correct flywheel also? As far as I know, this would be the only major change that would cause a problem .... I know very little in this universe though. So having a 1939 truck, is possible either the engine or transmission is pre 1935? ...... Just wondering what your actual issues with getting things to fit? Sure the 1939 will work fine either way.

nicop .... it is a mix of nickle/copper. Is certified for use with brake, fuel, ATF or can work for vacuum also. It is softer so easier to work with, comes in 25' or 50' rolls is easy to order & ship online. You flare the ends with the same tools as steel lines. I use a 2"x4" wooden block in a vice and drill a hole the same size as the tubing through the 3.5" side. Then when unrolling the tubing I run it through the hole and straightens it out so I start with a straight piece to begin with. The smaller line is possble to bend by hand, a bender still does a cleaner job.

No problem, I'm just guessing the Bronco is wider like a full size truck. You will need to remove the spring perches from the axle tubes and weld new ones on .... not a huge job. Any trailer supply store would sell spring perches for those building trailers or tractor supply use to sell them for $20 .... with inflation who knows now? I've heard over in the truck forum some have installed the Cherokee rear end using the Jeep spring perches .... I dunno. Think I would rather set the pinion angle to the vehicle when installing the spring perches.

If it is original I would replace it, but would replace all the lines not just one. If they look good and are not 75 years old you could flush the system ... Is recommended as normal maintenance on all vehicles to flush the brake fluid every 5 years or so. Nobody does it but it is a good idea.

I'm not familiar with the Bronco rear end, there are many rear ends that would work. The two most common choices are the Ford explorer & the Jeep cherokee. The explorer from the 1990's have the 8.8 which is pretty stout, would easily handle the HP of the hemi, they are the correct width for your vehicle & have the same wheel bolt pattern. They have a long list of gear choices. ..... What gear choice are you looking for? I had a 1996 explorer sport that had 4:10 gears & would make a excellent Hot Rod choice. Or maybe you would want some 3:08 .... 3:55 for highway cruising? .... Jeep or Explorer would have them. My 1996 had rear disk brakes, a older model would have drum brakes .... again what do you want? Something I think is often overlooked, when you grab the rear end try and get all the E-brake cables & brackets to go with it .... they can be adapted to work for you. Just cheaper easier to get what works with the rear end then trying to piece it together later. Again I do not know about the Bronco Rear end, maybe it is the same 8.8 as the Explorer?

While I have never posted a classified ad yet I plan to in the future. I just went to the classified section clicked on submit an advert Then selected individual member I see there are several fields to fill out for the info then at the end hit send? Just curious what you have tried and where it fails?

Looking good, a lot of work taking on a project like this. Thanks for taking us along. I know nothing about your engine. If there are any sensors or something you may need to access in the future .... now is the time to add a access panel. Was just thinking about a newer Dodge truck with a gasoline motor. Was either a crank or cam sensor located in this area. Was something stupid like pull the engine or the transmission to get to it. These modern engines do some stupid stuff.

Is this picture what you are looking for? This is same as my 1949 truck .... but they have different lengths. ..... If that is correct style also need to know correct length you are looking for. I think I know this, because when I went through my brakes I had one that was shorter then the others. I bought a modern spring correct length to replace it with. While the short spring seemed to work, it was in the wrong hole & rubbing on the brake shoe .... I was not going to put it back together that way. So I have a spring like this 6" long ..... how long are yours?

I went to one parts house, Charlie just keeps a assortment box under the counter ... if he has what you need he just gives it to you. Just a convenience for customers. I thought about going to the hydraulic repair shop .... Anything they would have is for their mechanics .... awkward to go ask. I found out yesterday what the correct size was & ordered a pack.... I think there is 50 o-rings for $5.87 + $6 for shipping $13 & will be delivered here tomorrow. $13 for the o-rings might be a bit costly. I'm lazy I did not have to leave the shop then waste gas running around looking .... I was able to finish welding in my floor of the truck & got a few other things checked off the list ..... I'm satisfied spending the money for saving me time to do things I would rather do.

I agree, sounds like @jgreg53 has a floater inside the tank. Using the air freed it from the tube for now ..... sooner or later it could end back up in the tube. Possible it floats around & deteriorates into smaller pieces & gets sucked into the filter .... anybody's guess if problem comes back again. Glad they got it figured out though.

You know @wallytoo is people like you that make people like me do things. I want no part of installing my 2 piece windshield .... I figure I will first need to make two friends to help me install it while I work the inside. .... I'm too grumpy of a old man to make 2 friends. Then someone like @wallytoo comes along and claims ..... is just a job that needed done so I did it .... nothing special was given. I now have no choice but to dive in & do it myself ..... shame on you Wally

Just a thought .... I wonder how far a guy could run some wire through the fuel port of the tank? There should be a filter sock on the bottom of the pickup tube .... I'm guessing ... still may be able to run a probe wire into the tank ..... I dunno .... if there was a filter sock the tube should not be clogged? Snake it out like a plumber does with drains may be a option to think about.

Ouch! .... I also have a Tanks tank that is not installed yet .... I'm pretty happy with the quality of the tank but still welding so not installed yet. I wonder what would be involved in using air to blow the tank out? .... I still think it is clogged somewhere, but you are now stuck unclogging it. Couple months ago I took off the temp fuel line from my temp gas tank to the fuel pump. There was a large bug that was clogging the fuel pump. It got into my temp tank, sucked through the rubber fuel line .... just too big to get into the fuel pump. ..... These things happen. I remember years ago hearing multiple issues about bad fuel delivered to the gas stations. I'm not suggesting you did anything wrong .... just saying it happens. I remember fighting a fuel issue for almost a year before I realized it had water in the tank .... This came from the gas station. ....... Did the gas station get a big flying dragon in its tanks that then pumped it into yours? ..... I have no idea. I hate to say it, I think you need to pull your tank & see if you can figure it out where it is plugged. My Tanks has a drain plug on the bottom .... that should work .... I would be really interested in what the gas looks like after it is poured out & settled in a bucket. Maybe run it through a filter to see if anything is caught. Look for water in it .... Water will look like a big air bubble in the bottom of a bucket .... it is heavier then gas & collect together. ..... Not your problem but would still be looking for it. My Tanks has two covers on top, 1 for fuel sender & 1 for a aftermarket electric fuel pump .... you should have some decent access to the inside. You disconnect the fuel line from the tank, you have fuel in it .... it's not draining .... the problem is in the tank.

Common sense says the problem is in the tank? If you take the gas cap off & tank still does not gravity drain on the ground .... the tank is plugged. Couple reasons why this can happen ..... question is, how old is the tank? If it is original do you just want to replace it & be done with issues? Or do you want to pull it & try to clean & restore it? My tank failed because of rust inside. I could run it for awhile then the pickup tube would clog & it would die. .... Let it sit for awhile & it would run fine for awhile til it clogged again. ...... Run it off of a gas can on the bumper it is fine. Possible your mechanical pump is still working? Just run a fuel line from a 2 gallon gas can to the pump & see if it runs.

Well I still say your welding on the practice piece was very good .... So I was just a bit disappointed when you had someone else weld it for you You would have done just fine. The little carbide bits are just something I use, by all means use what you are comfortable with. As a retired carpenter ... my first career was retreading semi truck tires & I was the repair man. Using carbide bits on the sidewall of a semi truck tire is delicate work ..... Think about a dentist using carbide bits working on your teeth .... you can do very delicate work with them. ..... I spent 15 years at work using them so I'm comfortable with them .... Just a very useful tool to have when you come up against different challenges. I can't wait to see your finished product, you are doing fine ..... I will sit & watch now.

Thought I would post this here. I ordered a assortment of O-rings. A pack with 1500 o-rings and it did not have the right size. Still handy to have around the shop, needed one for my compression tester so it is fixed now. I dug around some more & stumbled across the correct size o-ring for these jacks ... or at least my jack. Just search for a 208 o-ring, I ordered from Amazon. My plunger or shaft, whatever it is called was in pretty rough shape. I could see visual imperfections on it then feel them with my finger nail. I dressed it lightly with sand paper finishing it off with 2000 grit to polish it. It at least has a chance to seal with a new o-ring. 208 Buna-N O-Ring, 70A Durometer, Black, 5/8" ID, 7/8" OD, 1/8" Width (Pack of 100)

Watch a few videos .... I just watched one the other day. Just on installing a one piece windshield ..... since ours is two pieces of glass, you kinda need 2 friends to help. The gasket is a bit bulky on one side, that is the inside the outside is streamlined for good looks ..... do not install the gasket backwards. <---- common mistake. We all know we need rope or twine ..... after the gasket is installed on the glass, then put the rope in the channel that sits in the windshield hole of the truck. Everything needs to be lubricated while installing the windshield rubber. Lots of oils & silicone products out there ...... just keep spraying it down with glass cleaner keep it all lubed up spraying the glass cleaner all through the process .... when finished it is easy cleanup compared to using silicone or oil. Watching videos you will see how they force the glass/rubber in one direction or the other by slapping it with the palms of their hands. .... Not direct blows with fist. A trick I learned when installing house tempered glass windows. .... we would take the old tempered glass back to the shop & put it in the dumpster. Sometimes the glass was bigger then the dumpster. As a rookie I was made fun of as the other crew members held the glass, told me to use my hammer & break it. I could not break that big 5' x8' picture window hitting it in the middle. Then the crew leader took my hammer and lightly tapped the glass on the edge .... it shattered into a zillion pieces & fit into the dumpster. I'm just saying to not use a pry bar on the edge to move the glass a 1/8" .... stay away from the edge ..... use the flat of your hand in the middle to move the glass. Glass is vulnerable on the edges. Keep that gasket lubed up & easy to work with, do not work the edges with a tool, use good twine .... nylon or something ..... limit alcoholic beverages to your Friends before the glass is installed. I have never installed a windshield before .... just stuff you watch others do & pick up tricks.

I sure enjoy this thread. I like to see what is involved in repairing these running boards. The welds in your first photo actually looked pretty good. I do not remember or know if you said how many passes it was to get the bead you showed. .... you were well on your way to getting it done. I would expect it would take several passes with a mig welder .... grind it down to shape & size .... then run another bead .... eventually getting it to where you want it. Just takes time and wire from the welder. I bought a 10 piece set from amazon .... this photo is a 15 piece set for $20. Works great in a dremel tool ..... you build up the weld, carve it to shape, then sand it smooth with paper. I have more larger bits for my mini die grinder that runs off of air .... The die grinder is a beast, the dremel offers more control. The way I see it you need to shape the welds on the dies to match the existing running boards. I would not get that in one try, I would expect a few tries while I perfected my grinding & welding skills. To get exactly the piece of art you are creating. This practice could make you a really good welder I just suspect your tig welder did a really nice job, when you shape it you will find defects in it ..... porosity, one area is to low, the edge is not straight or you made it not straight when grinding .... you will need to weld it again until you are satisfied it is correct. Your welds were just fine for this job. I'm glad I'm the type of guy that looks at a dent in my running boards ..... I will call it character ....... even make up a story of how the truck saved the world from a nuclear explosion & got dented ..... Would be destroying history if I removed the dent. ..... I can live with the dent Knowing the previous owner went night fishing, got drunk & ran into a log on the way back to the highway.

Curious how tall you are .... Just the average height in the 30's-40's ... 1940 average male height 5'7" ..... this would have something to do with it. average female would be shorter. I am installing bucket seats from a 1990's chebby truck into my 1949 Dodge truck. I nee d to have the seats all the way forward on the runners, then shoved all the way to the back of the cab against the wall to fit properly & get comfortable leg room ..... I'm short & 5' 6" tall ..... I have short legs. These vehicles were not made to have leg room. ....... My neighbor has a 1953 Ford 4 door. He is a big boy, he had me move the factory bench seat back so he could drive it. I think it is just a common issue with the cars built back then, not just your model or even Mopar .... all cars across the board ..... unless maybe a Hudson or a certain Chrysler, Lincoln Zephyr offered more leg room.

Steve I might be rude, I could even be wrong .... it has happened before I like to think of the members here in this forum as a family. I will say things to friends & family that I would not say to a stranger .... cause just none of my business. So I spoke what was on my mind .... do with it what you will. I feel if you are comfortable with it and want to drive it .... thats on you buddy. .... When you offer a service to someone, that changes your responsibilities substantially. Just my opinion and I mean no harm from it. My 49 truck, I feel pretty lucky that it was parked in a field for 20+ years in pretty decent mechanical shape. It had problems, I understand why they parked it. With it in the air, there is less then 1/2" play before the tires turn.... maybe a 1/4"? .... There is some but almost impossible to actually measure it. Just a old truck pulled out of a field. The steering box is full of oil & not leaking .... I got lucky. .... Is your box full of oil? I just feel a proper working steering system on our old cars are doable. That has me curious ... I'm told you only go 1/4 of a turn at a time. On the 1969 Ford thats what I did, then drove it 7 or 8 months and then adjusted it again. The 2nd time around really helped a lot then drove it for 4 years before it broke. Steve says he could only turn the adjustment 1/16" .... Maybe the gears are not worn & actually too tight now? .... I do not know correct answer .... seems like there should be some play in between the gears and not bottomed out tight between each other. That would just cause other issues. Not play. I would almost want to back off the adjusting nut 1/16" put it where it was & not tight. If the box is full of oil, not leaking, is that tight .... maybe the issue is elsewhere?

I want to say @Plymouthy Adams has the tools and has done this job many times .... he is not blowing smoke up your caboose . @keithb7 has done a video of rebuilding these boxes .... A very good one. Not sure if this is the correct one but looks like a good place to start. While I do not want to be a negative Nelly .... I wanted to say something earlier I put the zipper on my mouth closed. Ford trucks are notorious for needing to adjust the steering box. I had a 1987 & it was sold cheap because the steering was so bad. A 1/4 turn on the adjusting nut & I drove it for over 15 years. Years earlier I had a 1969 Ford truck with the same problem ... I adjusted it a 1/4 turn & it was fine. Drove it for 3 or 4 years with no problem. This truck was a retired furniture moving truck that had a zillion miles on it. Was a box truck with a heavy duty lift gate on the rear. Got driven daily. I cut the top of the box off & made it a flat bed with no removable sides & a lift gate & was used for construction. One day on my way to work with no warning, the gear in the steering box broke. I had a long driveway to the road & thank God it broke in the driveway. I could turn the wheel 8 times and get no reaction from the front tires .... It took over a 1/2 hour just to back the truck back up the driveway to the house to park it. As I say, no warning it just broke going down a driveway .... If it broke when I was on the freeway going 65mph Somebody would have died. Or seriously injured .... zero control of the steering ..... only just to stop as fast as you can .... How many people would have I ran into with that big truck before it stopped? Yes I believe we have a God .... maybe not looking after me that day but someone that might have been in my path? We need to adjust the steering box because the gears wear thin. Every time we adjust the box they continue to wear thinner. They can only be adjusted so many times before they are to thin to be safe. You adjusted it once, can you tell us how many in the past has adjusted it? Miles & history can give us a good guess. Are you certain you want to rent out your services with a possible deadly steering box? If that car ran off the road & rolled over, killed the bride on her wedding day .... would your insurance cover it ..... what about your conscious ? You do you, you know your steering is fugged up ... 3" of play is ridiculous .... fix it or call it off. ...... IMHO.

I was watching a guy do a alignment after installing a new steering box & rebuild the front end. Very first thing he did was turn the wheel all the way to one side, then count the turns to get to the other side. Lets pretend it was 4 full turns, so 2 turns puts the steering box in center position. ..... This is where your wheel should be centered. (spoiler alert) ..... It will be some odd ball number like 4 & 7/8 or 4 & 1/4 turns .... some guess work will be involved. Kinda crude method but will eliminate the wondering of if the wheel was installed in wrong position. Just a guess because I cant see whats going on ..... 3" of play is coming from somewhere, if you can not see it I suspect it is inside the steering box. Seems like you would still see it from when the steering shaft turns & when the arm off the end of the box turns?

Should not be a problem in my mind .... My 1991 chebby truck has the same 5 on 5 bolt pattern. There is just about everything made for these trucks as they are popular to restore and customize. Also older rear wheel drive GM buick, olds ...Cadilac .... very common bolt pattern. I have seen many used wheels on FB market place that have this bolt pattern ... I never searched but feel new wheels should be available. Hrm .... is it 5 on 5.5 or 5 on 5?