Let it Begin! 87 frame off, vortec, H55...

[orangefj45]

i shall brother, i shall!

 

[klinetime574]

Thanks for the shout out. Sorry I missed this thread til now

I'll be watching

 

[Elbert]

did I miss the details ...what exact engine and transmission do you plan to run?

eidt...I see the H55 reference in the thread...

 

[orangefj45]

mere semantics........just tear the thing apart and go from there.

 

[WallyWagon]

You're about a month or two ahead of me! Your build is like my yellow brick road. I'm hooked. Thanks man.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Elbert, probably an LM7; the garden variety 5.3. I don't have a donor yet. I want to get it all torn down, do some cosmetic restoration of the interior and engine compartment, get all the drivetrain in the garage and then put it together. So some changes may still happen (in tank pump or not...etc...etc)

Wally, month or two ahead??? I am just tearing sh*t off and seeing what happens. I'll probably slow down once the engine is all out and I'll be painstakingly glass-ing the dash, POR-15-ing the inside of doors and panels, etc...time I have...know how and money...not so much

Thus let the newb questions commence...

Yeah, I think/thought I'd done plenty of research, I CAN search and reread every thread out there or I can bite the bullet and ask away...

Are there any parts I can/should reuse from the 2F? air pump, PS pump, etc? I assume most/any donor will come with these and most are specific for engine but...I want to be sure before I unload stuff.
Watch for the answer here and then the 'for sale' thread.

Thanks in advance (AGAIN) all.

TDC.-

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Dowel Pins

OK, I have read through DBLEON's thread again, some of MANUCHAO's portions of RMPO's and some others looking for a correct search term to answer this.

How do these little bastards (the block to bell dowel pins that are just about dead center in the picture) come out?

Or, after I destroy these with the vise grips, do I just get some new ones from summit for $20 and work the original Bell and the Mark's adaptor from there?

Thanks. I hope to contribute SOMETHING soon rather than just asking random little questions...

TDC.-

 

[dbleon]

Why you wanna remove them?? You want them on the engine side... makes mating the trans easier.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

But I won't be mating back to this engine...

The dowels are currently pictured in the 2F block - they were between the block and the bell housing before the latter came off - will need to go between the Marks's adaptor and the Toyota bell housing to allow me to mate up the V8 and the toyota trans.

Thanks,
TDC.-

 

[ivdusmc]

It can be overwhelming but once the 2f is out it becomes really exciting and more clear what's has to be done. I am doing it with limited knowledge and it is amazing how much more it cost then expected. I thought 4k Max, but 6k is becoming real close figure. Plus replacement or rebuild of all running gear gets you that much closer to reliability.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Little bits of progress

It's been a while since I updated this thread, work, kids, etc... (after a few deployments I am happy to be able to spend time with the fam, but it does mean less progress on the L/C).

While I was waiting to get the old block out of the garage (and making sure I've got enough pennies saved for the 5-speed) I did a little body preservation.

I said in the intro; I've got a little OCD so although this truck really didn't need the treatment I've done it anyway.
Vacuumed and sponged out the rear quarter (only DS so far)

Removed the factory dampening material (that wasn't fun). I'll put some new mass dampener/sound deadener back in there. The OCD just took over!
I did find a bit of surface rust in there...odd.

Cleaned it up, POR-15'd the flat surfaces, ATF where the panels joined and bolted in Rowland's panels (yeah it's money, but these things are sweet). I am wary of putting POR near the seams as I don't know exactly WHERE that dirt and water will go if I seal over the crevices. I don't want to create a shell effect where the metal rots under the POR, but I think I'm safe with this flat surface.

I really only put it in there at all 'cause of that bit of surface rust that was UNDER the factory stuff. And I am gonna put some other sound deadener in there so I want to try to protect where I can't see.

I also did some work on the dash, continued to clear off the firewall, and started trying to dig through whatever the hell this is to get to the hub, brake, knuckle work:

but I'll save that "progress" for some other ridiculously long post.
Hope to make more progress on the power plant over the summer - I've always said this will be SLOW - and can share/learn as I go.

Thanks all.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Other side not so good

OK, so I don’t update too much – busy, no progress (or at least nothing too terribly interesting…), etc – but have knocked out a few small items so will toss this thread back up for a moment.

While I wait for the H55F to arrive – thanks BENO!!! – I’ve been messing around with the body panels. All the DS needed was a bit of cleaning and the Rowland panel was ready to go in – thanks Kevin! Hey, I never said I have any original ideas, I am just taking what I think is the best from all the real fabricators and trying to bring it together into my project.


Then on to the PS.
This is what it looked like on the outside and inside before I started (hey, that’s no big deal, I’ll just wire wheel it, scrape the seam sealer out and seal it back up right?)!!

RIGHT! FML. So I don’t know if this was just improperly sealed from the factory or if the sealant dried and cracked and let some water pool in. I know this is THE spot for cruisers, I’ve just never worried about it before – sand it off from the outside, bondo it up and drive on. Not this time.

An hour or so later after peeling back the onion.

So that’ll get some new metal and some new sealant, clean up the lower part of the quarter and panel it up – yeah, in another month of F’ing around! I know this is minor compared to what some guys have repaired, but I paid for a good starting point as I am not a great welder - read, "I don't know how but will learn"

I’ve been working to take up the jute also – a little wire wheel action is great!!. I’m undecided as to whether I’ll take out the tar mat. Tomorrow may have me going the dry ice method and then application of a little more modern dampener, then probably rubber floors in the back 1/3 and reuse the carpet in the front. More to follow.

Send questions or advice!
Thanks,
Trav.-

PS, not many of the 2F parts sold. I'll be posting up a "you pay shipping" in the classifieds soon. If you know you want something PM or email me.
TDC.-

 

[M1A1cruiser]

H55 is here

Yeah, I'm "that guy" that Beno's sending a transmission to in the thread about where to source an H55F. I won't bore anyone with the pics - it is a box of gears - it's damn pretty but...seen one...

Let me just say (as so many have) Beno (and his nearby-former-coworker-compatriot CDan) is the best when it comes to taking care of us 'mud'ers!! I got the trans, all the gaskets and seals, new koyo T/C bearings, the shifter and all the other odds and ends for the new tranny SHIPPED TO ME for less than the local toyota guys quoted for just the H55. I won't spend a lot of time bashing the local guys, but when they won't even CONSIDER coming near a price that another dealer has quoted - well...their loss of business!! 'em. I'll be ordering everything I can from Beno.

OK. A little work and a question. (I warned that I'll jump around from body to trans to ???)

Tearing into the T/C in anticipation of moving it to the 5-speed.

Why is there rubbery sh*t on the rear output shaft

and in the companion flange?

The oil seal SEEMS to be intact but I can't imagine what else this is

The seal is getting replaced of course, but I don't like leaving the unexpected unexplained.

Thanks, and more pics as I get into the t/c and tranny. I've read most of the threads on rebuilding the T/C but will certainly have questions on spacers, oil slingers, etc...like I said, I think I am prepared but very much appreciate this forum so will as all I can.

 

[orangefj45]

It's silicone!


I use a small amount of silicone on splines flanges to avoid oil leaks. The oil will creep along the splines and leak out. So put on a dab of silicone and problem solved.

Hth

Georg

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Ah.
Makes sense - and I feel better hearing it from a pro.

So just enough in the splines to (lightly) seal the o/p shaft and flange?

I thought it might have been a "quick-fix" instead of replacing a bad seal; especially since the front had none (?)

Thanks!

progress....progress....I'll keep telling myself it's the journey not the destination but I'd like to get on the road TO the journey in the next year or so.

 

[orangefj45]

Yup, just a small amour will do. The factory did not apply any silicone on the companion flange splines or the pinion splines. It's not uncommon to see a leak on either. I bet one of the previous owners noticed a leak and applied the silicone to the splines ( got a little carried away ) to cure it.

Hth

Georg @ valley hybrids

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Transfer teardown (literally)

So, it’s easy enough to show success and exciting sh*t here on the board. But I figure that in addition to leveraging others’ knowledge and experience it can be a resource to share mistakes so that others don’t make the same.

First of all my F-up could have been avoided by reading just a little more here before hitting a snag. I have the FSM and had reviewed a number of T/C teardown/rebuild threads. But each of those had (seemingly) gone smoothly and according to plan. Mine’s not SO bad but worth noting for others to learn from.

I was gentle with the soft aluminum when separating the rear case; used a plastic mallet and only hit the little ears and it all seemed to be moving slowly but surely apart with no prying.

My first hint of a problem was that never-good ‘tink’ sound of metal on metal when I wasn’t expecting it. Turns out it was the thrust washer on the front-case side as the idler shaft came off WITH the rear case. This is apparently not uncommon, but I wasn’t expecting it.

So I got the rear case off, but that M-F’n idler shaft was stuck!!

I graduated from the plastic mallet to the ball peen to the three-pounder. Of course it came out eventually but not before I had smacked the hell out of the case all around the shaft as I whaled away (getting more and more frustrated every swing)! :whoops:

Also, it’s obvious NOW I should have used a drift (or an impact socket, or a press, OR ANYTHING!!!) to pop this out so as not to bung up the case. But I didn’t, so then I was faced with a scarred up case and wondering if the shaft would go back in given all the divots around the sides of the hole.

I spent some time reversing the procedure. Lots more pounding (this time with various items between the hammer and the case ) and cursing. The case went back on, but it wasn’t pretty; little slivers of aluminum came off where I had fouled the case as the shaft went in, and the idler gears were tight, tight, tight by the time I’d pounded, pried, pushed and used the bolts to pull it back together. (*possible explanation below)

It came back off too – a little more correctly this time; I’d back the rear case out, tap the idler shaft back in, case out, shaft in, etc ‘til I was back apart – so I am hoping I’ve crested the hill.

*I noticed this time that somewhere along the way I had bent up the ‘oil reciever’. Probably caught it on the trans-input shaft one of the times it was all coming in and out. I think (hope) that this is what caused the idler gear to not turn easily when I was re/test fitting the case back together.

So here I am. I’ll progress with the rebuild and attachment to the new tranny, but I won’t REALLY know if there are any serious problems for a while as this is just one small part of a large project and there won’t be even close to a drive train to hook all this to for months and months. I WILL show off the new H55F as I move this t-case on to it over the next few weeks (not this weekend – SocialD in Salt Lake and then mother’s day so I don’t see too much wrenching...) and will try to continue to document.

Sorry for the novel of a post. I Hope this helps someone someday. It helps me to “vent” about my stupidity.

TDC.-

 

[dbleon]

Should be usable. The idler doesn't spin, the gear spins on needle bearings. Clean that hole up, and as long as you get a good seal with the idler o-ring... i don't see a problem.

The slinger... you may be able to straighten it out and use it too. IIRC it's a $30 part.

 

[OGBeno]

Great build and great attitude.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Good point. Thank you for the reassurance (I hadn't really thought through the physics of what spins, and whether or not I'd effected (affected?) that. I was more worried about bunging something up)

I've said it 100 times in my own garage and maybe others will take away from this; maybe you don't need EXACTLY the right tool for the job, but you sure as hell better think about it before swinging away.

Thanks again.

TDC.-