51 B3B build thread - after all these years

[ggdad1951]

Well, helps if you don't have the straight edge on the floor and the panel at an angle and the extra 3/4" is from doing so!  DOH!

 

These things were from this project which I have since decided Im not going to do.  A trialer I'd hardly use (have other ones now) and the sides can go to a better use than original plan.

 

 

[bkahler]

I dropped the vent window frames and glass along with the roll up window frames and glass to a local shop for installation.  I tried to install one of the vent windowpanes and failed miserably.  At that point I realized it was time to let money do the talking

 

I might have them back by this weekend.  With luck the cab paint job might also be done this weekend...

 

[Los_Control]

Do not blame you on the glass. It scares me thinking about it. I have never installed auto glass before.

While my glass is usable, all the rubber needs replaced.

 

My plan is to get it on the road, then drive it to a class shop with all new rubber in hand and let them deal with it.

 

Wishing you good luck on getting the truck back soon.

[bkahler]

I just got a text from the painter with this picture attached.  He was asking about the brown stuff around the thermostat housing.  I've never seen anything like it before.  I don't remember what gasket sealer I used when I replaced it last year, but it might have been Permatex #2 non-hardening.  

 

I plan on stopping by his shop tonight or tomorrow to get a closer look.  I don't see any antifreeze in the picture, so I'm definitely baffled at this point.

 

Brad

 

[ggdad1951]

That would be burned leaked coolant.

[Los_Control]

Just now, bkahler said:

but it might have been Permatex #2 non-hardening.  

Certainly looks like gasket sealer .... seems about the only logical solution.

I have never used a non hardening sealer. At least check the bolts to see they are tight.

Clean it up & see if it comes back.

 

Just guessing metal expands contracts with temps, the engine is cool metal contracted ..... summer heat the sealer starts to ooze ???

 

Or it could be what @ggdad1951 said 

[bkahler]

15 minutes ago, ggdad1951 said:

That would be burned leaked coolant.

 

The engine was clean and no leaked coolant when I parked it in his shop.  The truck hasn't been started since I took it over there, probably four months or so.

 

 

[bkahler]

11 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

Certainly looks like gasket sealer .... seems about the only logical solution.

I have never used a non hardening sealer. At least check the bolts to see they are tight.

Clean it up & see if it comes back.

 

Just guessing metal expands contracts with temps, the engine is cool metal contracted ..... summer heat the sealer starts to ooze ???

 

Or it could be what @ggdad1951 said 

 

I do know when the bolts aren't tight that coolant will seep out of the threads, even with sealer on the threads.  I'm pretty sure they are tight.  It could be expansion and contraction but the temperatures here this summer have actually been on the mild side.  Yesterdays high was 78 and today it's 79.  It's gotten as high as about 93 if I remember right.  

 

I'm going over tonight or tomorrow to get a closer look.  

 

 

[Los_Control]

Just now, bkahler said:

the temperatures here this summer have actually been on the mild side.  Yesterdays high was 78 and today it's 79.  It's gotten as high as about 93 if I remember right.  

That explains it ..... You have big bugs & they leave big poop 

 

Couple weeks ago I walked out to the shop in the morning and it had about 100 butterflies inside.

Must have laid eggs & they hatched. These things were flying everywhere.

They are all gone now but for 1.5 weeks it was terrible. Now I have these big brown spots everywhere .... is bug poop!

 

I still wonder about the gasket sealer though .... not even sure where a non hardening sealer would be suited for?

Sure there is some place for it though.

I use the permatex Indian head shellac gasket sealer for places like that. Dries & seals good.

 

My chebby 10 bolt rear end I need to pull the cover to drain the fluid. I use the shellac to glue the gasket to the cover.

Then goes on dry to the housing. Have had the cover off 3 times using same gasket and is fine.

 

I guess I expect my sealer to dry to be of any value? ..... Not smart enough to figure that one out 

 

[ggdad1951]

Did you have a gasket in there or just the sealant?  Still looks liek burned coolant to me....but?

[bkahler]

8 hours ago, ggdad1951 said:

Did you have a gasket in there or just the sealant?  Still looks liek burned coolant to me....but?

 

Yes, gasket with sealant top and bottom.  My best guess is I just way over did it on sealant.  Previously this housing had been a problem and I guess I just got carried away

 

It cleans up with mineral spirits so other than cleaning up the mess I'm not going to worry about it. 

 

If things go as planned I should be getting the truck home on Sunday.  Need to make room for it in my shop.  Previously it had been living in my garage.  Plan is to move the truck to the shop and my TR6 to the garage.  

 

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by bkahler

[Los_Control]

Looks like sealer to me, I have been lighthearted about it. I think your plan is just fine & what I would do.

Clean it & keep a eye on it.

 

On the other hand, that lower left head bolt looks like it might have had some coolant leak past it.

Just a little bit of rust around it. ..... Probably just the paint got damaged when the head bolts torqued down.

Then wet at some time so it rust.

How many times have you re-torqued the head bolts? Might just do it 1 more time.

[bkahler]

Nope, there are no coolant leaks past the head bolts.  Any rust spots that are present would be due to condensation over the past 25 years of sitting.  All of the coolant leaks have been on the thermostat housing, water pump to block gasket, also I noticed the other day the heater control at the back of the head was weeping a little past the stem seal.  I purchased a stem seal kit but have been waiting to get the truck back from the painter before repairing.

 

Head bolts have been retorqued 3 times and there was no movement the last time.  I don't think they are anything to worry about now.

 

I didn't pick the truck up from the painters this weekend like I had been thinking about doing.  I decided to take the time to reorganize my shop to make it easier to move the truck in.  I have a gantry crane that I want to use to assist in hanging the doors and the front sheet metal but that required a shop cleaning, plus it gave me the opportunity to replace some overhead fluorescent lights that had burned out.  I replaced them with LED high bay lights and am quite pleased with the outcome.

 

The truck should be home by the end of next weekend.

 

 

[Lingle]

2 hours ago, bkahler said:

Nope, there are no coolant leaks past the head bolts.  Any rust spots that are present would be due to condensation over the past 25 years of sitting.  All of the coolant leaks have been on the thermostat housing, water pump to block gasket, also I noticed the other day the heater control at the back of the head was weeping a little past the stem seal.  I purchased a stem seal kit but have been waiting to get the truck back from the painter before repairing.

 

Head bolts have been retorqued 3 times and there was no movement the last time.  I don't think they are anything to worry about now.

 

I didn't pick the truck up from the painters this weekend like I had been thinking about doing.  I decided to take the time to reorganize my shop to make it easier to move the truck in.  I have a gantry crane that I want to use to assist in hanging the doors and the front sheet metal but that required a shop cleaning, plus it gave me the opportunity to replace some overhead fluorescent lights that had burned out.  I replaced them with LED high bay lights and am quite pleased with the outcome.

 

The truck should be home by the end of next weekend.

 

 

any input on those high bay lights??  Im looking at future shop projects and want to do those

[bkahler]

20 minutes ago, Lingle said:

any input on those high bay lights??  Im looking at future shop projects and want to do those

 

I'm really like the LED high bay lights.  They are a definite upgrade to the 8' fluorescent lights I have installed right now.

 

I've been buying these 100watt High Bay LED Lights from Amazon.  Currently they are available in 5-, 6- and 12-unit packs.  I've had two of these lights hanging in my barn for over two years now and one in my shop for the same amount of time with zero issues.  They are instant on, and I never close the barn doors, so those two have been exposed to high moisture as well as heat.  I installed the first one in the shop to see how it would perform over time and I had zero issues and I like the light output.

 

This weekend I installed 6 more in the shop and have 7 more to go.  My original fluorescent lights were hanging from small chains and plugged into 120vac duplex outlets.  All I had to do was remove the fluorescent hanging figures and plug the new LED lights into the outlet.  

 

I got tired of the 8' fluorescent lights burning out every couple of years so hopefully once I get the other 7 lights replaced, I'll be done with that exersize for a long time

 

Brad

[bkahler]

Progress is finally starting to take place again 

 

I got the truck back from the painter last week and parked it in my shop where I can use the gantry crane to help install the front end sheet metal.  So far I've got the front shroud panels installed (loosely) and I hope to have the front nose installed this weekend.  I'm also ready to install the doors which may also happen this weekend.  

 

 

 

 

Before I get to carried away with the install of the nose I'm considering adding an original hood ornament.  My truck didn't come with an ornament originally so I'll have to be drill the appropriate holes.  My question is on the back end of the ornament where it sits proud of the hood center section.  The front of the ornament fits the curve pretty well but it just sits high in the back.  Is this something I need to be concerned about or will the center section conform to the ornament once I start tightening the ornament mounting bolts?

 

I'd hate to drill the holes only to find out it's not going to fit properly.

 

 

[ggdad1951]

It SHOULD sit flush in some orientation.  What I see a lot (and maybe here) is this area cracks and causes a change in curvature making this happen if you didn't align first with an ornament before fixing the stress crack.  And since you don't have the nose on yet the center section can droop down.

 

[Los_Control]

Making great progress, really looking good. 

 

Mine just sits flat on the hood, I have it installed to look at but the bolts are just finger tight.

Looking at yours it could be a optical illusion .... kinda looks like your ornament curves up at the end.

Here is a picture of one sitting next to a straight edge. .... once it gets past the curve it is flat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bkahler]

Here's an interesting development in fitting the hood ornament, it turns out not all ornaments are created equal.  A long time ago in a galaxy far far away I salvaged a hood ornament off a truck in a salvage yard.  Didn't pay much for it due to the condition it was in but figured what the heck.  Later I bought the nice one that I have from Larry Frank.    

 

If you look at the two pictures below you can see that the rusty ornament fits the contours of my center panel quite well.  

 

 

 

So now I have to figure out if I want to spend the dollars to get the rusty ornament rechromed.  If any of you know of a good reliable chrome shop I'd like the info.

 

Thanks,

 

Brad

[Los_Control]

While I have never had any items re-chromed myself .... I remember this thread and it might answer your question.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/chrome-platers-in-midwest.1294699/#post-14894216

 

Thats about all the help I can offer on the subject.

[ggdad1951]

Before you drill mount the whole front so the center section is fixed for flex.   Mark and drill after that.   The center can flex a lot with not being fixed at both ends.  Just saying.

[Los_Control]

@ggdad1951 has a good point, you might be able to bolt that down with no issues .... just might have been better if done before paint .... since the painter is still on the project .... you might want to bolt it down now while he can still touch up if needed.

 

My hood ornament when I got my truck was in really nice shape so I'm keeping it ... I have 2 spares.

The hood of my truck had such a dent in it  ...... The only way I can see the dent happening is if someone took a base ball bat and swung it as hard as they could on top of the rams head. .... Possible something heavy got dropped on it .... baseball bat sounds more realistic.

 

This tells me the hood ornament was broken, the one I have is not original to the truck. The PO replaced it but left the dent. .... It was pretty easy to work the big dent out, it looks great and no bondo or filler added.

 

Just a modification that should have been worked out before paint, since you still have a painter on the job it may be easier to touch up the paint IF NEEDED! ......  It may be fine .... then it is to  send off for new chrome.

[Dave72dt]

The sweet spot where the ornament sits now may change once all the front sheet is aligned.  Drilling those holes now is fine as long as that spot doesn't change. If it does change, even as little as 1/4 ", someone gets to weld those holes up, body work and paint and drill in the new location.

[billrigsby]

 

Not sure if this helps or not,

my hood center piece has elongated mounting holes for the ornament.

 

I can provide measurements if needed.

 

[billrigsby]

On 9/15/2023 at 3:05 PM, bkahler said:

If any of you know of a good reliable chrome shop I'd like the info.

 

I used this guy for my Kubota restoration, did great work

small shop in a small town....

 

Lowell Beaman     199 W 9th Ave, Yuma, CO 80759     (970) 848-2065

https://www.facebook.com/QualityPlating/