Awesome job so far! Just saw this and read every page. Mostly cause the FJ I picked up has a 283 and a quadrajet on it as well. I definitely noticed quite a few similarities our PO's did!
Build The Clustertruck Rides Again - Refurbishing a 1975 Chevota
- Thread starter RWBeringer4x4
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Glad you are getting some drive time RWB!
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- #903
Well, the Clustertruck now sounds like it's ready to run a NASCAR race... The truck has had an exhuast leak since I bought it. I was driving around town today when I notice a sudden and VERY abrupt change in tone from the engine. Freaked out, pulled over, realized it wasn't overheating and I still had oil pressure. I pretty much found the problem immediately:
That's where it was leaking before. I guess it just decided to quit entirely today...
No big deal as exhaust is on the list when the engine come out...but I'll probably be driving it a lot less until this gets fixed! Sounds like one of my father-in-laws hot rods
That's where it was leaking before. I guess it just decided to quit entirely today...
No big deal as exhaust is on the list when the engine come out...but I'll probably be driving it a lot less until this gets fixed! Sounds like one of my father-in-laws hot rods
I see your muffler bearing went out, good luck with finding another one
- Thread starter
- #905
I see your muffler bearing went out, good luck with finding another one
Kinda liking the "1/2 open" headers sound. I turn a lot more heads this way...
- Thread starter
- #906
Still nothing to report on the 40 - but that will be changing soon. The cruiser coffers are replenished, and I spent the better part of the summer bringing my garage out of the Stone Age.
I still need some finishing touches, to improve the lighting and, obviously, I'm missing a welder - but in the short term, this is already a huge upgrade:
Some shots along the way:
Adding 100A service, more outlets, and 220 lines for compressors/welders:
Spackled and painted in 105 degree weather (with assistance from
) The color was "free beige," ie: what you get when you mix a bunch of leftovers from my father in law's jobs.
Building benches:
I ultimately built two - a stationary "heavy" bench and a lighter bench on casters with a drop leaf, so I can roll it out into the driveway and expand it. When "stowed" it matches my stationary bench and becomes the "L."
Sweating pipe:
Built a heat exchanger with drip legs to dry my air - this gives it a ~45ft run to cool and condensate the water into those drip legs - I decided this was the way to go since it seemed ridiculous fully plumb a 2-car garage with ceiling drops.
All in all - pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll be recruiting my buddy with a welder to assist over the winter with the engine relocation. All that's left now is pulling the rest of my tools out of the basement, then pulling the front clip, seat, and transmission hump...
I still need some finishing touches, to improve the lighting and, obviously, I'm missing a welder - but in the short term, this is already a huge upgrade:
Some shots along the way:
Adding 100A service, more outlets, and 220 lines for compressors/welders:
Spackled and painted in 105 degree weather (with assistance from
) The color was "free beige," ie: what you get when you mix a bunch of leftovers from my father in law's jobs.Building benches:
I ultimately built two - a stationary "heavy" bench and a lighter bench on casters with a drop leaf, so I can roll it out into the driveway and expand it. When "stowed" it matches my stationary bench and becomes the "L."
Sweating pipe:
Built a heat exchanger with drip legs to dry my air - this gives it a ~45ft run to cool and condensate the water into those drip legs - I decided this was the way to go since it seemed ridiculous fully plumb a 2-car garage with ceiling drops.
All in all - pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll be recruiting my buddy with a welder to assist over the winter with the engine relocation. All that's left now is pulling the rest of my tools out of the basement, then pulling the front clip, seat, and transmission hump...
Still nothing to report on the 40 - but that will be changing soon. The cruiser coffers are replenished, and I spent the better part of the summer bringing my garage out of the Stone Age.
I still need some finishing touches, to improve the lighting and, obviously, I'm missing a welder - but in the short term, this is already a huge upgrade:
View attachment 1348477
Some shots along the way:
Adding 100A service, more outlets, and 220 lines for compressors/welders:
View attachment 1348478
Spackled and painted in 105 degree weather (with assistance from
View attachment 1348480
Building benches:
View attachment 1348479
I ultimately built two - a stationary "heavy" bench and a lighter bench on casters with a drop leaf, so I can roll it out into the driveway and expand it. When "stowed" it matches my stationary bench and becomes the "L."
Sweating pipe:
Built a heat exchanger with drip legs to dry my air - this gives it a ~45ft run to cool and condensate the water into those drip legs - I decided this was the way to go since it seemed ridiculous fully plumb a 2-car garage with ceiling drops.
View attachment 1348484
All in all - pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll be recruiting my buddy with a welder to assist over the winter with the engine relocation. All that's left now is pulling the rest of my tools out of the basement, then pulling the front clip, seat, and transmission hump...
Looking forward to seeing some progress.
Nice job Rick! Great home/garage improvements!
- Thread starter
- #909
Thanks @Vae Victus - Your 40 is looking awesome. Glad to see you're making progress!
- Thread starter
- #910
Ok - after a much longer detour than anticipated (it has seriously been almost a year since I did anything formidable on the truck) - I'm diving back in...
I picked up the final major piece to the driveline project earlier this week:
And started tearing into it:
Bib, battery, bumper, driveshaft, alternator, plus motor and gear oil all came out tonight. Slow going because I'm bagging, tagging, and labeling things as I disassemble.
I'm a little concerned with the amount of metal shavings I found in the transmission and transfer case. The truck has only be driven a couple thousand miles since I changed the oil - this seems excessive to me - am I right?
Reason number 800 I can't wait to reroute this horrible exhaust system:
I picked up the final major piece to the driveline project earlier this week:
And started tearing into it:
Bib, battery, bumper, driveshaft, alternator, plus motor and gear oil all came out tonight. Slow going because I'm bagging, tagging, and labeling things as I disassemble.
I'm a little concerned with the amount of metal shavings I found in the transmission and transfer case. The truck has only be driven a couple thousand miles since I changed the oil - this seems excessive to me - am I right?
Reason number 800 I can't wait to reroute this horrible exhaust system:
- Thread starter
- #911
It's almost hilarious how many miscellaneous bolts of all shapes and sizes (metric, JIS, SAE, etc.) are holding this truck together. Pretty sure I used every socket I have at least once...
Last question:
Does this bracket look familiar to anyone? It has clearly been welded, and the fender modified to accommodate, but it looks like it might have belonged somewhere else at some point...
Lastly - this radiator. First, complete with 40 years of dead bugs:
But more importantly - it still works great, but I'm debating replacing it on account of all the bent fins and rust. Any opinions? Salvageable?
Last question:
Does this bracket look familiar to anyone? It has clearly been welded, and the fender modified to accommodate, but it looks like it might have belonged somewhere else at some point...
Lastly - this radiator. First, complete with 40 years of dead bugs:
But more importantly - it still works great, but I'm debating replacing it on account of all the bent fins and rust. Any opinions? Salvageable?
shift bracket... likely was on the transmission.... no guarantee a Toyota transmission.
- Thread starter
- #913
Whats it doing at my front frame cross-member next to the radiator??
More importantly - I'd like to know what implement of destruction my PO used to make his cuts...literally every cut made to metal anywhere on the truck is the same jagged disaster. I'm thinking Sawzall?
@SuperBuickGuy - what are your thoughts on the radiator, and the metal goop on my drain plug magnets?
Well, it was either that or walk home
joking aside, it looks like someone was concerned with the radiator moving about - but who knows, all of our rigs are better then 40 years old so they, like us, have scars, stories and stories we hope never come out.I think your bearings have added themselves some clearance - fine flakes, even shards (the hairy things on the plug). I don't usually care about, it's the large flakes that concern. That said, it could also be nothing at all - and be something like a distributor gear wearing. The oil looked good, and as long as your pressure is fine - I seriously wouldn't worry about it. My H3 Hummer, Alpha (5.3 LS) has hairs like that about every oil change - I cut the filter because it's just good practice - but it's also got nearly 150,000 miles and running (with great oil pressure) just fine... wear happens, flakes - how new is the motor?
Radiator... looks like it's leaking and been fixed a few times - what does it look like under the cap and what does the bottom hose (inside) look like?
- Thread starter
- #915
Well, it was either that or walk home
Well, as long as it's definitely not SUPPOSED to be there, (as evidenced by the cut in the inner fender) I may cut it off - it clearly isn't doing anything now. Wonder if it could be the old radiator support, mounted vertically instead of horizontally...
Those flakes are from my transmission and transfer case (equal amounts in both). No shards, "finger nails" or "chunks" just a mm or two of fine metal powder built up on the drain plug of both trans units. I'm not normally concerned except that this gear oil has only been in the truck for about 4 years/2000 miles. The old oil that was in it when I bought the truck looked similar.
It's definitely not leaking now, and the coolant is clean. Cap looks corroded. I'm hoping to have the radiator out today, I'll be able to tell you more about the bottom hose at that point. I misplaced my drain pans in the move which definitely stalled me last night!
EDIT: Actually I take it back, the cap is actually pretty clean.
Good to see you working on the clustertruck again. Its amazing how life gets in the way of hobbies. My 2 cents; If it's in the budget, and you are concerned with staying oem, I'd replace the radiator now while it's available. If you don't care about the originality, maybe stay focused on the engine rebuild and swing around to the radiator later when you know what the rebuild will cost.
Glitter in the gear oil. If the gear boxes are working properly and relatively quiet (t-cases have a natural whirr), let it ride. Otherwise your options are pull inspection covers to see what you can. Most likely the wear is hidden in bearings that need disassembly to inspect. Major or minor wear repair got to pull it all out.
maybe you know already or have fixed it, but i feel the need to mention it.....your engine hoist is not correctly assembled.
the two straps need to be fastened to those lower bolts.
the two straps need to be fastened to those lower bolts.
- Thread starter
- #919
It's fixed! Yeah - that picture was taken a bit prematurely. Following the assembly instructions to a "T" the straps wind up about 1/4" too short (can't feed the bolts through). However, loosening the two bolts that hold the arm to the base gives you enough "wobble" to feed them through. High quality harbor freight construction!
Thanks! The biggest delay was renovating the garage, so that I could proceed with the truck - that and I flew 100,000 miles for work this year - tough to wrench when you're anywhere in the country but your house!
The whole driveline is coming out, so I'll have a chance to inspect. I've had a not-too-subtle "chugging" when the transmission is in neutral since I bought the truck - which goes away when I step on the clutch. I'm HOPING this is a throw-out bearing issue, but I suspect it may be the input shaft bearing on the transmission. Beyond that, it seems to shift OK - a little slow in engaging on a downshift with lots of synchro whine, but that's sometime I've seen in a lot of manual vehicles from that era. My fear is exactly what you suggest: I may not be able to SEE any wear without completely disassembling the transmission - which is way outside of my comfort zone. Having looked at a couple of transmission rebuilds on this forum, it does not look like a fun or straightforward process.
Here's a video of the noise in question:
And a video of the transmission noises when the truck is cruising around, including a loud whine at higher RPMs that goes away when I let off the gas:
All said though, it shifts OK - so I may be overthinking it...
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- #920
Radiator didn't put up much of a fight coming out. I will say I think it might be time for a replacement - the current one has a serious fin issue:
On top of that, the petcock is seized and stripped.
Inside, the coolant was in pretty decent shape. A little rusty brownness but no sign of oil or anything more sinister:
And the inside of the radiator wasn't too bad either:
The radiator frame itself is functional, but in worse shape than expected:
Not sure exactly what I'll do about this.
On top of that, the petcock is seized and stripped.
Inside, the coolant was in pretty decent shape. A little rusty brownness but no sign of oil or anything more sinister:
And the inside of the radiator wasn't too bad either:
The radiator frame itself is functional, but in worse shape than expected:
Not sure exactly what I'll do about this.