Builds The Clustertruck Rides Again - Refurbishing a 1975 Chevota

[RWBeringer4x4]

Well, dug into a couple of little issues on the truck this weekend, and started making plans regarding what to do next. Found some definite issues to address.

1. My transmission was virtually bone dry. It took the quart and a half of gear oil I had laying around, and still needs more... It has a slow leak when it's sitting that just started about a month ago between the trans and transfercase...but it must be worse when the truck is moving to have drained all that oil that quickly...

2. Found out why I lost my right turn signal - the connector for one of the green live wires to the main engine bay harness had corroded itself in half. Spliced the wires together, and realized something weird: My "running" and side marker lights blink...but my blinker doesn't...Nor does the main blinker light ever turn on. Something is wired wrong here...

3. There is a TON of grease built up around the wipers on my front wheels...most likely why my brakes are so soft...

4. Do any SBC guys know what this hole is above my oil filter (circled in red)? It seems to be leaking oil. Looks like it's filled with some sort of clear rubber cement...

 

[Cdaniel]

Quite likely your transfer case has all the oil from the transmission in it from a leak between the two.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Quite likely your transfer case has all the oil from the transmission in it from a leak between the two.

That was my suspicion, but the transfercase was just resealed. I checked the T-case anyway, and it was perfectly topped off (just dribbling out the fill plug) but didn't seem way overfilled...

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Anyone have any idea what that hole is (circle in red in the pictures above) and why it would be leaking oil?

 

[Cdaniel]

Anyone have any idea what that hole is (circle in red in the pictures above) and why it would be leaking oil?

My guess would be a cross drill for an oil passage. Normally plugged with a metal plug. Somebody may filled it with silicone to stop a leak.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

My guess would be a cross drill for an oil passage. Normally plugged with a metal plug. Somebody may filled it with silicone to stop a leak.

Might be right - I also think that this truck was somehow "adapted" to take a 350 SBC oil filter, even though it's a 283...I thought 283 filters were cartridge type...

So is there a "proper" way to plug that hole, or once the metal plug is gone, it just leaks?

I was actually shocked when I went to add oil today. I've driven it about 100 miles this summer, and it has been sitting and leaking from the rear main seal, but I was only down about 3/4 of a quart of oil...And the oil is still spotlessly clean - I guess my rings are in good shape!

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Deconstruction Continues -

As I get the 40 more and more "stable," I'm going through this truck as I should have day 1 - finding the major problem areas. Today I started by finally unplugging the rust holes in the hard top by the back doors - the rust backed up in the pillars was incredible. There are holes in the top corners along the drain rails. My guess is the hard top sides are pretty thin at this point, based on what poured out...

Gonna have to get this top off and make sure the tub is rust-proofed ASAP. Doesn't seem like the rust has progressed too far into the tub at these corners. Hopefully it won't, now that the moisture/rust can drain...

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...

Or is it the other way around? Brand new 555 tie rod ends already appear to have malfunctioned...improper install, or just bad luck?

My transmission was also bone dry...finished filling it today - took 3 full quarts. It's either leaking way faster while it moves than when it sits, or the shop just didn't bother to fill it back up after replacing the T-case...

Needless to say, frustrating day...but not unexpected at this point...

Attempting to move forward, shackles, pins, and bushings have been ordered. I doused all of the same attached to the truck in penetrating oil in hopes that for once, maybe something will just "fall out" and go easy on me!

 

[Cdaniel]

Ick on the rust. That sucks. Weird on the tre's, seems they are spinning in the taper. Torqued properly? Worn out tapers in the arms?

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Ick on the rust. That sucks. Weird on the tre's, seems they are spinning in the taper. Torqued properly? Worn out tapers in the arms?

No idea what they're torqued to, again, I relied on a shop to get that right...What makes you think that they're spinning? I almost thought they looked like they were crushing...Guess I'll be backing off all the castle nuts and having a look...

 

[Cdaniel]

I guess it looks like the cotter pins are all chewed up from beieng twisted in the nut. No? Hard to say really from the pics

 

[lefty b]

Hey Rick, what's making you think the TREs are failing? Other than some grease on the boots, I don't see anything too alarming (other than the big washer below the nut on the Saginaw pitman arm to pull the taper further in, just like mine). Double checking them isn't a bad idea, but with wear the tapered shafts will pull into their respective bores a little more, and squeeze the boots accordingly.

On your turn signals, what it looks lie to me is a grounding issue. My fronts occasionally loose ground, I think from vibration (no, not in a 40!), and when they do, some lights flash, some glow, and some don't work at all. It has to do with where the lights DO find their ground. I'd clean some grounding spots and go from there.

The grease build up on the wipers is most likely from a bad inner axle seal (separates the gear oil from the birf grease). As long as the spindle seal is holding it shouldn't affect your brakes, but it does mean a knuckle service is in your future. Fun fun. Might be thinking about front disks if you are going in...


lefty b


BTW Rick: Shot some pictures of the pivot ball and slave installation when I was putting in my fresh front driveshaft the other day. I'll send them your way in a bit.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

I guess it looks like the cotter pins are all chewed up from beieng twisted in the nut. No? Hard to say really from the pics

Yeah...gotta love the iphone in low light conditions...blurry disasters of photos...I didn't notice the cotter pins being particularly chewed up...I think the PS cotter pin might have been "floating" obove the castle nut though. Not 100% certain of that though.

Hey Rick, what's making you think the TREs are failing? Other than some grease on the boots, I don't see anything too alarming (other than the big washer below the nut on the Saginaw pitman arm to pull the taper further in, just like mine). Double checking them isn't a bad idea, but with wear the tapered shafts will pull into their respective bores a little more, and squeeze the boots accordingly.

Hey Lefty, thanks for chiming in -

I guess I was under the impression that fresh tie rod ends shouldn't weep at all, even around the edges of the boots. I've been told that's not necessarily true, so you may be right, it might be nothing to worry about. The driver side one seems oddly "flat" and a little misshapen though - almost doughnut shaped, flat in the center by the shank, and bulging around the outside.

On your turn signals, what it looks lie to me is a grounding issue. My fronts occasionally loose ground, I think from vibration (no, not in a 40!), and when they do, some lights flash, some glow, and some don't work at all. It has to do with where the lights DO find their ground. I'd clean some grounding spots and go from there.

I did check the passenger side headlight ground on the inner fender. Seemed to be not overly corroded. Haven't checked the other side, in the light housing itself. The running light and side marker both blink, but only when the truck is running. If the truck is turned off, the blinker switch seems to "hang" which seems to suggest an issue with the ground. I also think the side marker and running light blinks on that side because the wires are crossed. Easy to fix once I replace the male/female plug that corroded out on me - just uncross the wires.

The grease build up on the wipers is most likely from a bad inner axle seal (separates the gear oil from the birf grease). As long as the spindle seal is holding it shouldn't affect your brakes, but it does mean a knuckle service is in your future. Fun fun. Might be thinking about front disks if you are going in...

I'm actually already looking for FJ60/62 axles...I haven't dug into the drum yet to see if they're leaking inside, but with a knuckle rebuild in my future, disks seem like a no-brainer. The part of me that wants to keep the truck "stock" wants to keep drum brakes - bu that part of me is stupid, because it's already got a 283, Saginaw steering, aftermarket bumpers, (slightly) cut rear wheel wells...you get the point. I guess there's just part of me that doesn't want to add insult to injury for the old frankentruck, but disc brakes seem to be the #1 most worthwhile upgrade on these things...


lefty b


BTW Rick: Shot some pictures of the pivot ball and slave installation when I was putting in my fresh front driveshaft the other day. I'll send them your way in a bit.

Awesome, send them my way! Still debating between the clutch and the front axle rebuild (or disc swap) as the next major undertaking...

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

My guess would be a cross drill for an oil passage. Normally plugged with a metal plug. Somebody may filled it with silicone to stop a leak.

You were right, Cliff - did some research on this hole that is weeping oil above the filter - it's an oil galley. Should be a metal plug in it - looks like it was filled with silicone.

Seems like cleaning the silicone and oil out of the ID and knocking in a galley plug would be easy enough...am I missing something? Seems like if it was that simple, the PO would have done it instead of filling it with permatex...

 

[Cdaniel]

I'll bet there is plug under the silicone. Don't think it would hold the pressure otherwise. Shouldn't be hard to replace if you can get at it with the right tools. I'm not sure I would credit your PO with any rational thought on the matter. If there is an old plug in there make sure you get it out. Don't knock it in to possibly plug the passage.

 

[lefty b]

As an oil galley I have a hard time believing that the hole is blocked by just silicone. It would have full oil pressure on it, and permatex just wouldn't hold very long. There is probably a plug of some variety deeper inside that is leaking, and the schmutz is just a bandage. I'd ask some machine shop, or good parts counter guys about what's in there that needs attention. Other than where it's located, it shouldn't be that tough of a fix.

lefty b

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

I'll bet there is plug under the silicone. Don't think it would hold the pressure otherwise. Shouldn't be hard to replace if you can get at it with the right tools. I'm not sure I would credit your PO with any rational thought on the matter. If there is an old plug in there make sure you get it out. Don't knock it in to possibly plug the passage.

I gave up on assuming my PO's were rational long ago...

As an oil galley I have a hard time believing that the hole is blocked by just silicone. It would have full oil pressure on it, and permatex just wouldn't hold very long. There is probably a plug of some variety deeper inside that is leaking, and the schmutz is just a bandage. I'd ask some machine shop, or good parts counter guys about what's in there that needs attention. Other than where it's located, it shouldn't be that tough of a fix.

lefty b

Thanks guys, I'll look into it. Based on this image I found on another site, showing the plug in question, it almost seems like I could just drop the filter and knock it out from the inside, if it was still in there...but again, having not taken a real hard look I may be oversimplifying.

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/t...rtblock/83818_block_plug_basics/photo_04.html

 

[Cdaniel]

Maybe you'll be extra lucky and you have a threaded plug. : ) Of course then the hex would be trashed and you would have to drill it. : (

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Maybe you'll be extra lucky and you have a threaded plug. : ) Of course then the hex would be trashed and you would have to drill it. : (

Nothing is ever that easy! After all, this is the clustertruck we are talking about here...

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

As with everything else on this truck - I have discovered that my wheels are, apparently, a one-off, bizarre size...

In preparation for my potential disk brake conversion/front axle rebuild, which I'm hoping to knock out over the winter, I went down and measured my spare wheel today. The results were not what I was expecting!

Turns out the generic "wagon" wheels that are on my truck are 16x9 with 4 inch backspacing. I was thinking this whole time that I had 15x8x3.75, which seems to be the common wagon wheel replacement size.

At first I was happy, since this likely meant I could run IFS calipers without grinding the fins, or spacers...that was until I looked for replacement tires.

A quick search on tire rack revealed exactly zero 31x10.5x16 or 33x10.5x16 tires (or metric equivalent). I'm surprised by this since it seems like wheels have gotten wider in recent years. Seems like plenty of trucks are running 16inch rims though (every 60 and 80 series) so I'm sort of surprised I couldn't find any 16x31xX tires....

A quick check on Summit Racing also revealed that, apparently, they make virtually no wheels in this size at all, which leaves me wondering where the heck these came from? (Probably the 80's)

Anyway, pictures below for reference, maybe I just don't know how to measure wheels...If I'm right, I guess I'll be tracking down a set of 15x8x3.75's, and going with stock 60 calipers to avoid the grinding/spacing debate that comes with IFS. Even the 60 calipers will be better than drums, anyway.