2/75 rebuild

[gator25]

Rockers and d/s floor pan were scheduled for surgery.

There wasn't much left after cutting out the cancer, so the decision was made to do a transplant. But first I needed to put in more bracing.

Then got to thinking why not go ahead and get the floor pan out of the way. Bracing was tacked along where it was to be cut out, because of how flimsy it was.

Rechecked everything to make sure nothing had moved.

across the lower wheel wells

 

[gator25]

The red neck rear sill

and the table, also did a cross measure and re measured the door openings. All was still good.

Then went back to working on the rockers, or cutting them off. Rust Bullet was used to treat down inside everything.

The other side had a couple places that got cut out.

Patching

 

[Downey]

Ok, getting back to you (and/or anyone interested) on the higher performance valve springs for use with cams that have higher than stock lift. They are still made by Pioneer, #053432700 (evidently still a good number), but they have to be purchased in a box of 100 pieces (8 sets of 12). This will keep me from purchasing them since it took me many many moons to sell off the last 3-4 sets Downey had left in stock when I closed the business. At this point this is only going to happen with a group buy- - -and they still did not quote me a current price- - -they were a mere $1.44 per spring last time Downey bought them, doubt that price is still in that ball park today though.

 

[gator25]

Thanks @Downey , good of you to check anyway.

 

[gator25]

Might oughta stay on one thing at time, even though I was jumping from one to another at the time. Hell I still am. I must have measured where to put those mount a gazillion times. I scribbled all over that thing before it was all said and done, but as it turned out it was right on the money. Well almost, height was off about 3/16".

Here's some more, hard not to second guess yourself. I had been thinking what I was going to use for mounts. Didn't like the idea of just cutting a window and welding a piece of plate on it. Even though it would have been plenty.

The small part of the clamshell or what ever you want to call it, the part the bolt is supposed to thread into is about 1 3/4" wide, the bigger part that lays between the frame and the beam is about 2" or a little over if I remember right. Hadn't bought the body mount bushings yet so I was going off the old stuff. The hole in the original mount is around 13/16" so you have quite a bit of play. Seemed to me square tubing would be just the ticket, and stout as hell. I had plenty of 2" tubing laying around, but at the time was worried about being off some. I wanted something just a tad bit bigger but all there was to be found was either 2" or 3", 3" just looked huge. 2" would have to do.
Cut the 2 pieces of tube and closed up the end with some 14ga. With the end welded up there might be a chance the body bushing would bottom out on the inside, so it got built a little long. With it being a little long, there was the chance of the clamshell inside edge where it folds over could bottom out on the outer edge of the tube. It was cut back a 1/8 or so to make sure there was plenty of room for error.

Then it got a 3/4" hole drilled in it, those cutters come in handy.

That mark is where I thought it was supposed to stick up above the beam, but it wasn't that big a deal. Both where short the same amount, 3/16".

 

[Downey]

Gator, I couldn't attach a drawing to the PM I sent you, so I'll do it here. This would be the McMaster Carr brass sleeve and nylon bushings for your springs with 1 3/8" eyelets.

 

[gator25]

Mr. Sickles, I can't thank you enough! You just saved me a lot of time, thank you again for your time sir.

 

[gator25]

After getting them built and drilled, made sure to mark them clearly so as to get the holes centered with marks on beam.

Then the beam got cut out for the mounts.

Had to figure out a good way to keep the mount where it needed to be while it got tacked in. I know, but it worked.

Tacked on some angle and finished cutting it out, did this on both sides just to be on the safe side.

Then when I got them where they needed to be, welded them in.

 

[gator25]

Back on the floor pan. Cut the support from D/S floor pan, it lines up directly across from the other. Not really a big deal to get back in the right place, but take pics. and measurements to be on the money.

The inside edge where the hump bolts down was in pretty good shape so it was left intact. No reason to make it harder then needs to be.

Cut the rocker out of the way, wasn't much left of it anyway.

Finished cutting it out to the braces and clamped on the rocker.

Tacked it in place.

 

[gator25]

Then finished it up.

Now for the rockers, I wanted this thing stout so the rockers were bent from 14ga.

Built some supports for the inside.

Tied them in to the corners and floor support.

Then came back and made up the nut plate (that's what I call them anyway) for the seat bracket and welded in a few nuts for the tool mounts.

 

[gator25]

Just found this pic, got to add it in. On the P/S rocker had to cut out along bottom edge so I had an angle made up. It will try to pull in as you weld it, if you do the same make sure it fits the contour of the floor and rocker.

He's the angle I'm referring to.

Had a spot in the lower D/S firewall that needed replacing. Pretty tough to get to.

Really tuff on the inside but not impossible.

Welded it inside and out, looked better then this but that's the last pic I have.

 

[gator25]

I tried patching the inner wheel wells with some scrap pieces. Do yourself a favor and just go ahead and buy the whole thing and be done with it.

Wasted a lot of time on these patches. Metal was just to rotten.

But Ryan @rkymtnflyfisher saved the day with the patches he sent.

More Better!

Those pin holes got filled in when it was all said and done.

 

[TheHardWay]

Whew, I'm exhausted - - it's Beer Thirty!

 

[gator25]

No !! me too!

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

We all know you are WAY farther ahead than you are showing us!

 

[gator25]

We all know you are WAY farther ahead than you are showing us!

Should have done this when I started on it, would have been so much easier.

 

[gator25]

Frame was looking pretty nasty as well. Removed all the broken bolts and ran a tap thru the holes.

Time to crank up the winch truck and get this thing in the air.

Got a big sand blasting unit. Good deeds do come back to ya every now again. After cleaning it up turned it green.

Then black.

Vroom, Vroom he says.

 

[gator25]

Parts got repaired, blasted and painted along the way.

We all know little things like this add a lot of time.

Went a little different route with the radiator support. The bottom was in pretty ruff shape so fender washers were welded in with nuts, had to make sure they lined up right with the frame.

Here's what it looks like on the other side.

Before it got mounted to the engine cart. Of course the fan shroud had to be repaired as well.

 

[gator25]

The intake looks very fj60ish.

Went back and looked thru my records @brian and 17111-61021 shows to be 1981-87 intake, so yep your probably right. 17111-61010 I have wrote down for the right one for 75.

 

[gator25]

The alt. is off a later model from what I can tell, and Ray Charles could tell the pulley was way to narrow. Pulley on the right came off it, the left one I found in a pile at a friends shop.

Of course the one I wanted to use and the only one I could find, wouldn't go on the shaft. So it got bored out.

Damn if it didn't work!

But that top bracket had to go, the left one should be the right one...if it had the original alt.

I remembered seeing a late model with a adj. bolt, that's what I wanted. I think that was the first thing I ordered from @65swb45 , I cut the bottom off the right bracket and welded it to the newer bracket. Came up with this contraption, looked pretty good and it worked.