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it's just around the corner......IWOYTD


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14 hours ago, 48Dodger said:

OK.....Thank goodness for Brent, Tim and Mark to keep me on my toes.... COVID-19 has kept me pretty busy out here......and not with the trucks!

IWOYTD is normally in the last days of May, so the International Work On Your Truck Day #9  is ALL WEEKEND AND MONDAY!!!

 

No excuses from me, its awesome to know its still a thing nine years later.

 

The Five Rules:

1.  Work on your truck. Not Mark's, but yours...unless you are Mark, then work on your truck buddy. Its not done....it needs a working pass side mirror.

2.  Report what you did to the Forum, not the girl at the post office, she doesn't care, she's just trying to get the junk mail sent out.

3.  Post a picture of what you did. Its all good, sitting in it counts.....but at least hold a hammer or something.

4. Explain how you got the truck, what inspires you about it.

5. Try to share the days experience as soon as you can!!!

 

Sharing is caring!!!.....Believe it or not, your story could inspire one of us to get back to it! Your story could help build another truck!!!

 

Good luck!!!! ITS HERE NOW!!!

48D 

 

Okay, so this is a new thing for me; just so I understand, it is a 'thing' to work on your truck, on International Work On Your Truck Day? (IWOYTD)? I never heard of this before, so please excuse my ignorance. 

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Well... I didn’t actually work on my truck yesterday, All I got done, truck related, was to hang my new Battery Tender so it didn’t have to sit on the fender.

I realized my old battery maintainer/charger (Schumacher brand) wasn’t keeping the battery charged up when I tried to start it up a couple weeks ago. So I got a new Battery Tender brand (I’ve always had good luck with them) and needed to get it mounted so I could monitor the indicator lights, and be able to plug it into the truck without an extension cord.  It was good filler work while I was smoking some short ribs on my smoker. 

 

 

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One last thing I needed to do on IWOYTD...

A brake and grease seal check....all A-Ok!

It's been a great IWOYTD weekend!

 

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That’s awesome Rob!

even wore the shirt! 
 

Dang, that is a “no joke” brake system!! ?

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I even wore my NOS "EIS" brake cap...

BTW....I only wear my special "EIS" cap and DT shirt for the IWOYTD weekend !

A very special weekend event!

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Worked on my race truck today, "The Brick"........doing my best, to continue to domesticate the poor bastard. lol

I sorted out a low-side bed for it, and unfroze a correct "side" mirror.

The replacement mirror always bothered me....well,  because I knew it was wrong.

The correct mirror frame, casing, housing, which ever....has its pivot off center.

I unstuck the pivot and got it ready for some shaping and new reflective glass.

Its slightly larger too, but not much, .....so there you go.

My truck is far from original, so who knows why an incorrect mirror would bug me. :D

 

48D

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Edited by 48Dodger
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sorry no pictures of the "work", but had some friends over for some barely pops on Saturday and my buddy and I talked TODD interior layout concepts for about 45 mins.

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Glad we got a number of folks out in the shop/yard/garage for the event.  I did Saturday only on the truck and accomplished my scheduled events plus a few other minor things...yesterday I spent prepping for my concrete for the new Bend-Pak lift to be placed,  grass removal with the roto tiller, raking and shoveling and such.  We had such a wet winter with the ground soil in saturation for months on end so missed my 'wanted by' install date.  Today, felling a tree, son is cutting...I am handling the lines.  I don't play squirrel much these days....!

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Huh, I thought the event had been changed to IWOYTM?   I admit my wife had a funny look on her face when I explained the event had changed  :)

 

Starting to put the puzzle back together, got the heater mounted yesterday, more sheet metal today and hopefully get "A" radiator in. Getting nose and inner fenders on is a big goal, from there can start some wiring , maybe by tomorrow? ... one bite at a time.

The event was a good push for me and did help me get moving. I do have to get back to a couple other projects soon and then every day can be a IWOYTD.

 

 

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Well I unknowingly participated in IWOYTD. I'd post pictures, but I'm still early in mock up stages on my 1928 Ford roadster pickup (converted to a cabriolet). Its going to be powered by a 265 flathead Chrysler :D. Its a wreck at the moment... but as soon as I get the frame details ironed out (specifically how to stretch it all and make it look decent - stretched up front for the much longer motor, stretched out back because the cab is stretched so I'm not so cramped. 

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You sound like you are having fun. I watched Jonathon build a roadster, he was all gung ho and when done, He looked like a gorilla driving a kiddie car.

Now he is building a RPU. He stretched the cab and also running a Buick straight 8. Took a stock A frame and used some parts while building a new frame.

Just saying ya both doing the same thing and you may enjoy watching what he is doing.

 

 

 

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I think I am going to have to set down my tools, raise my hands and back away very carefully.

I put a few items on just for inspiration, If I think about my original goals, A daily driver to go to the hardware store for lumber or bags of concrete, grocery store post office etc... Do I need paint? Thinking I don't need no stinking paint!

 

If you open the hood and see the frame painted, all maintenance up to date, new brake lines and fuel lines it is safe to drive, new wiring ... Do I really need to extend the project another year for body paint?

Or just get it on the road and start driving it? I am 57 years old and retired on disability, have limitations and have a lifetime of IWOYTD.

 

This truck is rougher then a corn cob, a paint job for a noobie is not  ideal. I love the work others are doing on their cars/trucks, I want to see a mud puddle, yell "HANG ON MOMMA"

And hope I do not need to dry out the distributor on the side of the road.

 

Just another reason why IWOYTD is valuable,  I can work on my truck fer next 20 years, what I need to do is get it on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

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16 minutes ago, Jeff Balazs said:

So in keeping with the spirit of things on Saturday I pulled a couple of weeping soft plugs and flushed the block. Nothing worth taking pictures.....but needed all the same. Good for another 5 years. ?

Jeff

Amazing how much sand comes out of original blocks

 

 

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4 hours ago, Los_Control said:

 

 

Amazing how much sand comes out of original blocks

 

 

That's got to be hard on the water pump seal.... if all stirred up?

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8 hours ago, Los_Control said:

You sound like you are having fun. I watched Jonathon build a roadster, he was all gung ho and when done, He looked like a gorilla driving a kiddie car.

Now he is building a RPU. He stretched the cab and also running a Buick straight 8. Took a stock A frame and used some parts while building a new frame.

Just saying ya both doing the same thing and you may enjoy watching what he is doing

 

 

 

I'll have to peruse through his videos. Similar problems for sure. 

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19 hours ago, Los_Control said:

 

 

Amazing how much sand comes out of original blocks

 

 

Who said anything about sand? Just scale etc....

The lower two soft plugs had been weeping slightly the last few months. As I suspected there was a fair amount of scale behind them. These blocks are extremely difficult to flush stuff out of. Those two plugs are in the lowest spot on the water jackets so present the ideal collection location. When I built this truck I spent a lot of time flushing and fishing junk out of the water jackets. It has since been flushed a few times but never with these soft plugs out. But I have put more the 25k miles on it. So this time I pulled them and replaced them with expandable rubber plugs. From here on out it will be much easier to get and keep the cooling system clean.

Jeff

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34 minutes ago, Jeff Balazs said:

Who said anything about sand? Just scale etc...

I just assumed ... I do that to much sometimes  :D  I also assume that a cooling issue along with the po age is why my truck was parked.

My first hurdle was to correct the over heating, and with much reading older post on this forum learned we need to pull those soft plugs. Often the original casting sand will be left in the block and it all gathers here.

When I pulled all the soft plugs on that side and flushed mine, along with wire to reach up and probe and clean, I pulled a lot of sand out of my block.

 

Just a guess  or assumption :D on my part, maybe your engine was rebuilt and hot tanked with the plugs out sometime in the past and you had no sand.

 

51 minutes ago, Jeff Balazs said:

These blocks are extremely difficult to flush stuff out of.

I have to agree with you there, because my truck is still apart, was easier for me.

Just thinking here, the scale will also build up in the distribution tube. For you to access that, you need to pull your hood, radiator, water pump. Not a easy job.

I am positive that was my real issue, the scale blocked the water passage in the tube. I was able to use a 3/4" flat bar 4' long and insert it through the grill. I manually removed the scale.

I had to use a hammer to drive the flat bar in, and a slide hammer to pull it out ... that's how bad the scale in the tube "can" get.

I do not recommend this as a permanent repair ... just how I did it, I also filled the radiator with vinegar warmed it up a few times and let it sit for a few weeks, rinse and repeat ... it now runs at 160 with no T-stat installed. 50/50 chance I will be pulling the motor and rebuilding it first year back on the road. Why I did what I did.

 

I assume :D the scale build up in this tube, is why they are so hard to remove and replace. The scale build up will expand the tube out of original shape. That scale is so hard it wont allow the tube to go back to original shape and come out easily. 

I bet if a guy hollowed the tube out like I did, or at least check it first, it will slide out much easier.

 

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40 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

I just assumed ... I do that to much sometimes  :D  I also assume that a cooling issue along with the po age is why my truck was parked.

My first hurdle was to correct the over heating, and with much reading older post on this forum learned we need to pull those soft plugs. Often the original casting sand will be left in the block and it all gathers here.

When I pulled all the soft plugs on that side and flushed mine, along with wire to reach up and probe and clean, I pulled a lot of sand out of my block.

 

Just a guess  or assumption :D on my part, maybe your engine was rebuilt and hot tanked with the plugs out sometime in the past and you had no sand.

 

I have to agree with you there, because my truck is still apart, was easier for me.

Just thinking here, the scale will also build up in the distribution tube. For you to access that, you need to pull your hood, radiator, water pump. Not a easy job.

I am positive that was my real issue, the scale blocked the water passage in the tube. I was able to use a 3/4" flat bar 4' long and insert it through the grill. I manually removed the scale.

I had to use a hammer to drive the flat bar in, and a slide hammer to pull it out ... that's how bad the scale in the tube "can" get.

I do not recommend this as a permanent repair ... just how I did it, I also filled the radiator with vinegar warmed it up a few times and let it sit for a few weeks, rinse and repeat ... it now runs at 160 with no T-stat installed. 50/50 chance I will be pulling the motor and rebuilding it first year back on the road. Why I did what I did.

 

I assume :D the scale build up in this tube, is why they are so hard to remove and replace. The scale build up will expand the tube out of original shape. That scale is so hard it wont allow the tube to go back to original shape and come out easily. 

I bet if a guy hollowed the tube out like I did, or at least check it first, it will slide out much easier.

 

I built my truck several years ago now. I am fairly certain my WDT was one of the worst ones ever. I have attached photos....

The PO must have left water in the poor thing and then parked for around 30 years. I figure it sat there doing its thing until the radiator rotted. To say I removed a mountain of scale from this engine is not an over statement.Interestingly I did not have to rebuild the engine to get it back on the road. That had been done at some point I suppose shortly before the truck went into a long hibernation. It still runs great and does not smoke or burn oil. I drive it daily.

Jeff

the Tube.1.jpg

PHish.1.jpg

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2 hours ago, Jeff Balazs said:

Who said anything about sand? Just scale etc....

The lower two soft plugs had been weeping slightly the last few months. As I suspected there was a fair amount of scale behind them. These blocks are extremely difficult to flush stuff out of. Those two plugs are in the lowest spot on the water jackets so present the ideal collection location. When I built this truck I spent a lot of time flushing and fishing junk out of the water jackets. It has since been flushed a few times but never with these soft plugs out. But I have put more the 25k miles on it. So this time I pulled them and replaced them with expandable rubber plugs. From here on out it will be much easier to get and keep the cooling system clean.

Jeff

 

I've not heard of using expandable rubber plugs in place of soft plugs.  Do you have any details you could share?

 

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5 minutes ago, Jeff Balazs said:

.Interestingly I did not have to rebuild the engine to get it back on the road. That had been done at some point I suppose shortly before the truck went into a long hibernation.

I think that is probably the worst tube ever. That I have seen.

 

My issue is one sticky lifter and some oil burning... I think  a nice long drive may correct this, a long idle in the driveway will not. 50/50 chance I will be pulling the motor.

 

7 minutes ago, bkahler said:

I've not heard of using expandable rubber plugs in place of soft plugs.  Do you have any details you could share?

IMHO and I send hugs to Jeff, just not something I would use on something I cared about. They are rubber, they get affected by heat cycles  they expand and contract and dry up and shrink, then you need to tighten them up .... this imho is a get me buy fix on a daily driver you do not care about.

After a few years and they dry up and shrink, they can fall out while driving down the freeway ... lose all your coolant. Good fix if you are a 20 year old kid.

I assume :D Jeff is smarter then me and knows what he is doing.

 

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Keeping one of these almost 70 year old trucks in daily service sometimes requires creative solutions. One of the locations had some metal loss at the bottom of the recess in the block. I tried using the correct item which held for a few days and then fell out just as I was leaving work one day. I suppose I could have done a metal repair with epoxy but I found these expandable plugs and with a little lathe work got a really good fit. Held 12# of pressure and I am not using a pressure cap so I am totally comfortable with these in place.

As to how long they will be in service? I plan on draining the system about once a year so if they look bad I will replace with new. They are super easy to remove and replace......unlike the standard item.

Jeff

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the expandable rubber are in my opinion get you home fixes and should not be a permanent fix...again, in my opinion.  I have limped in with these in the past and have found that the rubber is too thick and cannot be inserted fully WITHOUT bottoming out against the cylinder liner....I have cut these in half for best application...

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