Betsy Build Thread (1 Viewer)

[Finnyfam60]

Looks great Finny! Did you by chance notice anything with the front driveshaft as the front axle flexed? Probably not since you have such a good angle on your shackles (LUCKY!!). Iam slowly realizing I need to cut the front spring mounts off and slide em back a little! YEAH they're welded on. What great scenery to wheel in!
Thanks,
Danny

Sent from my PC36100 using IH8MUD

Hey bro. Georg had just flexed it out for me so we could measure for shocks and the front d-shaft and extended brake line looked good.
Mine looks previously extended though, but maybe not.... Here it is parked in the street.



After having done mine, if I had to change it now that its on, I think I would probably drill out the rivets on the rear hanger and move it forward. I say that due to wheel placement within the wheel well. Due to reversing the spring orientation (SR) in combination with moving the front hanger back farther than the original holes it was designed for, my front end is a little too far back in the wheel well. I think I mentioned the fix I plan in a previous post.

Thanks for subscribing!!

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

All showered and a shot of actual carnage to left rear qrtr:


View attachment 633203



View attachment 633204

Finny,

This is why I plan on using Monstaliner on the lower panels on Blue Marley.

$130.00 and an afternoon for a little more protection down there.. Also, it looks cool as **** on a blacked out cruiser IMO.

J

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

12 DAYS WITHOUT AN UPDATE!!! HMMM are you stuck in the mud somewhere?? Should I send out the search party??

J

 

[Finnyfam60]

Ha!! Almost... Been stuck in bed sick. You can send a fabrication crew

No updates except I got 1.5 doors done with generic dynamat... At least it's something...

And an oil change.... On that note, time to eat some humble pie and share what I don't want to.. I hadn't been checking the oil because I was consumed with other mods and such, did the valve adjustment and timing and had her running great and getting great mileage... Well, I decided to swap the oil out for some decent 15-40 TS generic diesel fleet oil, and when I go to dump out my drain pan I think, "geez this is light"! Well, I only got 2 quarts!!! Ahhhh!!! What have I done!!?? (I had kinda noticed a drop in oil pressure here and there while wheeling the other week, part of why I decided to change the oil.. Even had thought to myself I better check the sending unit) so..... It's probably been about 4-5 months since last oil change, and only a few thousand miles (heck, I've only put about 5k on her since buying her in sept, and done the oil at least 3 times due to oil pan gasket, etc...)....

So, what's the word gurus? Let's say it's been an even 3000 miles, she's burned 6 qts of oil!!! Ack!!! Compression is good/decent, 145-165 (1 month ago when I did valve adjustment), but I will recheck again. Plugs looked decent too.... Mind you she had all new tuneup stuff done last fall: plugs, wires, cap, rotor, vac lines, fuel filter, etc etc...
She does give some blue smoke when starting/warming up with choke on, and blackish smoke when I use the skinny pedal with choke on...

 

[Finnyfam60]

Ok, I'm back!! Kind of... Been busy with 6 day work weeks and daddy duties, yada yada...

Updates:

So, Betsy's not down any oil over the last 750 miles

Swapped the rear springs DS -> PS, and vice versa in an attempt to alleviate cruiser lean. (final straw was my mom noticing it!!) some improvement, but not as drastic as I would have hoped. I'll snap a pic mañana.

Swapped in longer and higher grade bolts into fixed ends of front springs, and added lock washers with the nylocks...

That's about it. Going to try to fab some recovery points and center section of a new front bumper sometime this week amid doing trailer axle wheel bearings and prepping/packing for a week of camping that will start this Monday!! (not to mention I am working all week thru Sunday!)

 

[Finnyfam60]

Well, awhile ago I posted up about my first wheeling trip and had a funky sound (I thought it could be clutch). Well, sight unseen, only a 10 sec utube video, Georg hooked it up!! Suggested the motor mount was broke letting the fan hit the shroud under torque. Well, sure enough!!! Betsy's fan was sanded down and DS motor mount busted!! Well, all that was just background to let y'all know she got two new engine mounts today

Also, I started in the front bumper.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

How long you end up making them Finny? Are you gonna use them for dual purpose? Frame mount and recovery point all in one?

J

 

[Finnyfam60]

12" (one was already 12 and one was 13)
Dual purpose, just didn't get around to drilling yet... I'm basically copying what's already worked for you (except I cheated and only cut down the area I needed to fit inside the frame...

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

12" (one was already 12 and one was 13)
Dual purpose, just didn't get around to drilling yet... I'm basically copying what's already worked for you (except I cheated and only cut down the area I needed to fit inside the frame...

Gotcha.. What size is that strap material?

J

 

[Finnyfam60]

3/4"x4"x12", 4" long section cutdown/narrowed to 3.25" so it will slide inside frame channel.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

3/4"x4"x12", 4" long section cutdown/narrowed to 3.25" so it will slide inside frame channel.

Ok, that's why you cut them down.. Mine are on the outside of the frame. Makes sense now.

J

 

[Finnyfam60]

Yeah, i couldn't do the outside because of the shackle reversal: it's moved back a couple inches so there is an uneven surface.

 

[Finnyfam60]

My method for avoiding door dings:

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

My method for avoiding door dings:

View attachment 644645

YEAH! But, with my luck that minivan would leave and some ***hole would park like a jerk part way over in my spot and still door ding me anyway.

J

 

[The Jade Bean]

My method for avoiding door dings:

I do the same thing!

-Daniel

Sent from deep in the mountains of Honduras using only sticks and rocks.

 

[Finnyfam60]

Duplicate post from my oil burning thread:
So, she is down about a half quart after another 500 miles or so... She sits at about 75% between L and F, which I think is where she should be, but is defiantly burning some oil, but not much, which makes me wonder about the last oil change an why/how she could have been so low!? I would hate to think that I fubarred an oil change so bad and only put in a couple quarts!! Anyhow, she is running very smooth, although at initial startup she dies quite readily, even after a brief warm up with the choke a couple notches out... A bit more warming up and she is golden, but odd thing is that she does it even after a long drive and stop for gas, with the motor nice an warm... Odd... A few throttle bursts seems to rectify it in the latter scenario.. I'm thinking debris in the carb/ICS....
She got 16.9 mpg on the last 150 miles though, and the last 50-60 of that was uphill from dixon to sac to auburn, all loaded up and towing the popup camper!

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

16.9 MPG... WOW! If Blue gets 14 I'll be a happy man!

J

 

[Finnyfam60]

Yeah, 11.1 the rest of the way up hill towing the trailer: no surprise here.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

So, how goes the battle with the bumper Finny?

J

 

[Finnyfam60]

So, how goes the battle with the bumper Finny?

J

Up camping still so I haven't done anything in the bumper. And first order of business when I get backups to clean out my garage so I can weld out of the wind!! I did pick this up in Reno for her though!!




And just got back from a fun little 3 hr quickie trip into the rubicon. Made it all the way in and down Cadillac hill from homewood. Betsy did great!! (took a little finesse to get back up Cadillac in one smooth run..)