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Topic: My first non-Ford in over a decade: (Read 7772 times) previous topic - next topic

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #60 –
Nothing really new to see here.. just decided to take some pics after I pulled the bedliner out and cleaned the bed with a broom and a hose and parked it out by the street to dry in the sun. It's almost perfect under that bedliner. Also took the bedliner and scrubbed it down with a broom and some automotive Simple Green on both sides. Doesn't look perfect in the shots, but it's a  sight better now than it was before I cleaned it.

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #61 –
Couldn't resist two more shots while I had it out there by the road:

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #62 –
Congrats, I like the way the truck looks now :) and it looks like you'll soon be having a two-line signature :P

2003 Triumph Speed Four
1992 Dnepr MT-11 30rwhp "Gracie"

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #63 –
This could've gone in my "show off the little stuff" thread, but I felt like putting it with the other truck stuff.

Got the first valve cover off, cleaned up, painted, and put back on. Made a makeshift seal out of Permatex Red around the part on the VC that was seeping oil. A little wary of having that stuff inside the VC, but it looks to have worked so far. Also replaced a collapsing vacuum line as you can see.

I don't like fake woodgrain, so I had to do something about the dash trim. Took that out last night and painted it today in the same Storm Gray that I did the headlight surrounds in. The air vents looked py next to the freshly-painted trim, so I painted those dark blue. (matches the interior trim color, which I didn't think about until after I did it)

Everything that got painted got clearcoated a couple times.. so hopefully this'll last awhile. I always use the 500 degree clearcoat meant for engine work, whether it's going on an engine part or not. I've done trim on the other cars that has held up for months and months of being in direct sunlight with that clearcoat on it.

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #64 –
Quote from: Bird351
As always, my digital camera sucks cbuttstuff water.

Curious, what camera are you using?

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #65 –
Logitech QuickCam Traveler.. it was free, so I can't bitch about the price. :p

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #66 –
Good looking truck.

I had the 318 in a '74 Ram Charger. I drove it for a long time and wasn't real impresed with the power. I started having a light hesitation with the throttle, and a buddy reset the timing. WOW what a difference. It was probably the fastest thing I have ever owned, once I realized what potential it had. It had just over 180,000 when I got it, and the speedo wasn't working. I fixed it, drove it another 45,000 or so, and never had to do anything to the motor. I finally killed it mudding with the local 4 wheel drive guys. The only trouble I had ever had to that point was to build custom u-joints because the drive shaft kept kicking out every couple days.

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #67 –
Thanks for reminding me, that's one of the things I should check in the near future.


Well, after talking to my uncle tonight and finding out I'm not the only one who has plotted to put a different engine in this thing, (he was thinking 340) I don't feel so bad about continuing to plot an eventual (once this engine is pretty far gone.. so I have awhile yet to plot this out.. couple years at the very least) Magnum swap.

I've included a chart listing EPA mileage estimates between my truck and a pair of example trucks, both are 2000 Ram 1500s.. one with the 318 and one with the 360.. both with a 4-speed slushbox vs. my 3-speed slushbox. From what I can tell, they're about 4200 lb. curb weight trucks vs. around a 3850 lb. curb weight for mine. Why make the comparison? Because someone earlier in the thread said I'd be living at a gas station (words to that effect) if I went with a 360. I'm hoping to put the 360 back in the running here. (although I would also not mind going with a newer EFI 318.. not too much of a horsepower difference between the two)

The next biggest hangup I foresee in this plotting is the rear end. There isn't jack for this Chrysler 8.25" rear end. Stuck with something like a 2.94 rear gear.. which will have to go once I went with an overdrive transmission. While messing around back there I figure limited slip wouldn't be a bad idea, either.


At any rate, back to more likely near-future scenarios: Should have a working stereo in it by tomorrow, along with a pair of 6x9s behind the seat. Started running the wiring earlier tonight, and got one of those plastic mounting adapters in place. Gotta start working on that other valve cover, too. Should have it in shape in time to go up either this coming weekend or next and pick up a bunch of tools I'm inheriting from my grandfather. May even get some of the bigger stuff I need/want like a bench grinder and a drill press.

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #68 –
Ahh, the ongoing saga of my first truck.

Dropped a few bits of valve cover gasket into the head while changing them out and taking the cover off to paint it. Gaskets were as brittle as a cold Kit Kat bar. Got one piece fished out, left the other one in. (back of the engine, hard for me to get to) Have both valve covers and the whole air cleaner painted now. Thinking about buying another blue vacuum line kit and re-running old lines with that stuff.

Used holiday money and then some to pick up a triple gauge set and a tach for it. Yeah, that cheap Sunpro  again. Only the tach is hooked up so far. To put in the water temp. gauge, I'll have to remove the A/C compressor.. also have to change out a hose while it's out, because whomever put this engine back together put the heater hose clamp on in such a way that you can only get to it easily if the A/C compressor is removed. Also ended up snapping a couple brittle old plastic vacuum lines late last night while searching for this mythical temperature sensor. To do the oil gauge, I'll have to get at the back of the engine, since that's where the oil pressure sensor is.

Got a new 180 degree thermostat in it, and new upper rad hose. Gotta flush it out and refill it tomorrow with fresh anti-freeze and distilled water. Just put some filtered tap water in it to replace the gallon or so of anti-freeze I drained just to get at the thermostat.

Got the stereo in, although it's on a fresh power wire as of today and I have to shut it off manually.. but I may fix that tomorrow. It sucks, tho.. I want my  MP3 CDs. :p But it's better than nothing.

My long-term plans are leaning towards (when this engine finally dies) getting just a basic Magnum 360, since you can get a reman 360 (over .020) short block w/ roller cam for $1300. The big expense this truck might get is (if I can hack one in there.. but signs are promising since the V10 is based on the 318/360) a T56. With the .5:1 2nd OD, I could (if my math is right) run 4.56 gears and still do better on the highway than I do now with 2.94s and a non-OD transmission. 1st gear would pretty much become a granny gear. Mostly stock 360 + T56 + 4.56s and a limited slip diff. would be all the entertainment I'd need. Couple grand into the engine, (and only at a time when it would require it anyway, since the plan is to hold off until the current engine needs a rebuild) four grand or so into the transmission, another grand into the rear end.. I'd rather spend that than buy a whole new truck. This body is still in phenomenal shape for 21 years old.

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #69 –
yeah man, i know where you can get a punched out 318 that needs a intake gasket.... .030 over pop up pistons, torquer cam,new lifters, in need of a bit of a valvejob but yeah

my uncle wants a grand for the truck seeing how it isnt feasable to drive  (told you those 318's rattle the frame to bits) the frame is really weak.... its up here in indy if your interested i could drop him a line the motor is awesome.... it runs great just throwing that on your plate for the time being...

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #70 –
Can't afford (or even park) any new vehicles right now. Gotta get rid of both '88s, and even after I do that, any money I make will be going into the 3 remaining vehicles. My '89 needs a brake job, my '86 needs some suspension work, and the truck may need more little . (already blown like $220-250 on "little " in the past couple weeks for it)

Besides.. Indiana is about a thousand miles away. Easier to just have one of these shipped a year or two from now: (or longer if this engine keeps going strong)

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=DCC%2D4876913&N=115&autoview=sku

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #71 –
Got both radiator hoses changed today, although AutoHole neglected to tell me the first time I picked one up (got the upper and lower on separate days for no particular reason) that they're cut-to-fit. Lower one also didn't come with a spring to prevent collapse.. so I reused the old one. Got the coolant flushed and filled and even cleaned out the nasty slime in the overflow tank.. heh.

Glad to have that off my mind.. because with my mother now in the hospital from chest pain complaints, (on top of everything else that's gone wrong this holiday season) my whole world is pretty screwed up right now. Who'd have ever thought of car/truck work as a comforting thing?

Tomorrow's probably the day to at least rough in the first of the 3-gauge set. Voltmeter. Don't think I'm feeling flexible enough to run the oil gauge. Also got a buffing/polishing head for my cordless drill, so I may try to clean up the paint with polishing compound. Hopefully I can get some pics going tomorrow, too.

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #72 –
I really dig those wheels! Nice find!

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #73 –
Not really a "find".. more of an "inheritance".

As I said in another thread, got the gauges in tonight, on a temporary mounting. (I'll buy real 2-gauge plates soon) Got the lights tied into the dash lights this time. (on the Lincoln, they're on a switch slaved into the switch I deactivate the voltmeter with) As is also the case with the Mark, I put a green lit toggle switch on the power line to the voltmeter, so I can turn off the residual drain if the truck is going to sit for awhile.

The water temp. gauge, along with a vacuum gauge I still need to buy, will be going in on a second 2-gauge cluster below the first two gauges. Wasn't enough room between the drop panel for the fusebox and the ash tray to mount a 3-gauge cluster there.. so I'm doing 'em this way. Only had to pop two small holes in a blank trim panel to run all this and not have anything hanging down or around the sides of the gauges.    :sawzall:

Threw in a py through-the-steering-wheel pic.. will take better ones tomorrow w/ daylight.

My first non-Ford in over a decade:

Reply #74 –
As promised, a pic in daylight. (2nd pic was taken later in the day, shows that the tach functions properly.. was blurred out in the first pic) Also finally got a pic of the engine with both valve covers painted and the air cleaner finished. (the black heater hose will be changed out sometime soon.. hard to get to the clamp on the engine side of the hose.. may have to do it when I remove the A/C compressor to do the temperature gauge)

EDIT: Late this afternoon I decided to paint the black part of the rear bumper, and did so using 3 coats of Storm Gray (same color as the dash in the pic below) and 2 coats of 500 degree clearcoat. Should have a pic tomorrow.