The water pump leak, maybe the front of the block isn't flat,take a staight edge and check it, or the pump, I would use some silicone sealer and try that,I would let it sit overnight after you reinstall it,good looking truck
Boy I'm really sorry to hear that the radiator is leaking. I didn't mean to send you scrap metal. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
No, not the radiator Mike. The radiator held water fine. Having problems with the seal between the water pump and block.
Did a little more investigation tonight......running a straight edge across the pump showed it was dished enough to plainly see daylight between the ruler and pump. :-( Back to Napa tomorrow to get a new pump.....
Did a little more investigation tonight......running a straight edge across the pump showed it was dished enough to plainly see daylight between the ruler and pump. :-( Back to Napa tomorrow to get a new pump.....
Despite water pump issues, we are still making forward progress. Time to install the new Sid's lowered 1/2 ton axle. Height reference picture!! 15 minutes and a grinder with a skinny wheel and the stock 3/4 ton axle was out. The ultimate goal is a 5"-6" drop. The axle is 4" drop, so the remaining 2" of drop will come from tires and removing some leaves from the spring pack. To start I removed 2 from the bottom of the stack. The spring retainer bolt came out easy, but I replaced it anyway. Today I need to round up a puller for the steering arm and start installing the new stuff!!
Little more progress tonight. I had to change out the races in the hubs. They stockers came out easy with a punch and hammer. I hit the hubs with a torch and left the new races in the freezer for a couple hours. Went together perfect!! Next came packing bearings and assembly!! I could not install the nut and cotter pin. I need to install a couple thick washers so the hole in the spindle aligns with the nut. Money shot......Henry at ride height with 28" wheels!!
Little more progress tonight. I had to change out the races in the hubs. They stockers came out easy with a punch and hammer. I hit the hubs with a torch and left the new races in the freezer for a couple hours. Went together perfect!! Next came packing bearings and assembly!! I could not install the nut and cotter pin. I need to install a couple thick washers so the hole in the spindle aligns with the nut. Money shot......Henry at ride height with 28" wheels!!
Why did you change out the races? I did the speedway disc install today and had extra inner races in the kit but the rotors had races in them that seems to fit the new inner bearings fine
Been busy in the wood shop....too busy and it is taking away from work on Henry. Oh well......such is life I guess. I did manage to complete my shift knob last night. It is a 200cc piston and it a bit big but feels really good. Might try to find a 125 or 144 piston.
Cool, we just put pistons in a 10 Sierra and wanted to keep one to do something with but they were too big and just didnt look cool at all.
Got Henry on all fours and off the jack stands this week. I love the stance.....but it may be too low. I picked up some scabs rims and tires at the salvage yard. Way too wide rims, and too big of a tire. They rub pretty bad past 1/2 lock. Took some measurements tonight off the wheel mounting surface. 5-3/8" from the wheel mounting surface to the tie rod ends 6-1/2" from the wheel mounting surface to the inside curl of the fender. Hopefully my tires will not rub. Will be running 15" x 6", zero offset, 3-1/2" backspacing rims with 215/75-15 tires. My shocks showed up too. The budget is tight........compromises had to be made. No Bilsteins. Midrange KYB's had to do!!
Today was an adventure that is for sure. Out goal today was to get the rear end cut out of the donor and get it mocked up in Henry, and hopefully get it down on the ground for a peak. Lofty goal maybe......but achievable. so I thought!! The donor: 18 degrees and a 20 mph wind means you work fast. Less than 45 minutes later the rear end was in the pickup, paid for and we were headed home!!. Good help is awesome!! The Scrap yard guys were generous today, $75.00 for the rear end and I can use the rims for mock up if I bring them back!! When we got home the train came off the tracks. Somehow I had missed it before, but the stock 3600 shackles and mounts were shot. No what?? We headed back to the scrap yard, pushed for time with a noon closing looming. Not sure what direction to go we looked around. There are two 3600 series trucks onsite....but both were in the same shape as mine. Next option, find a usable truck and steal the leaves, mounts and shackles. We located a mid 80's S-10, and had the man flip it on it's side. Quick work with an impact and a torch, as well as $40 lighter in the wallet we were back on the road. http://kustomcreations.smugmug.com/Other/Old-Truck-Project/i-BRNd6MQ/0/L/DSC_8961-L.jpg Once home I leveled the truck front to back and marked the centering pin of the existing spring pack. Then we stripped the old shackle mounts with a skinny wheel, a BFH and a punch. Some cussing, swinging and more cussing the frame is stripped!! The S-10 spring packs are longer. Stock 3600 leaf packs were about 45" eye to eye. The S-10's are 52". This means the rear running board mount will have to be modified. No big deal, but another step. Now the big question. Outboard springs or not? The stock outboard leaf to leaf width of the 3600 was about 41-1/2 center to center. The stock frame rails are 33" center to center. Would it be possible to mount my new leaf packs under the frame or would that be too narrow?
Busy day in the garage after Church and a nice long run to clear my head. With the help of a couple friends and a little bit of treated lumber we were able to get the rear suspension on the drivers side somewhat mocked up. The S-10 springs have more arc to begin with then my 3600 springs, but also settle a lot more under the weight of the truck. Understandable. Trying to figure out ride height has been a really tricky math problem. Guessing on how much the truck will sag with the bed weight....tire heights, etc etc!! We did enough today to know what we need for a front mount, which will be 4" x 4" x 1/8" square tube. Should look just like the 4" x 4" wood block in the pictures. I will bolt it to the frame, box the tubing and do a final weld to the frame. Probably overkill........but I want it to be solid and last another 60+ years. The rear mounts are the question mark that I do not want to make a call on until I get rims and tires all the way around and some weight above the axle.
Spent a couple hours in the garage tonight getting the rear suspension squared away. Decided to add some tubing to the outside of the frame and use the stock S-10 mounts. I could not find any external spring mounts locally and am not willing to wait. $10 in tubing and some 45 degree cuts and we are business. I bolted the tubing to the frame using 1/2" bolts and will also weld it completely once done. I am also going to box the end of the tubing.Overkill probably...... I have tomorrow off of work.....so I am hoping to get this stuff finished and get the rear end prepped for install. Got the word today that my Hurst Whitewalls shipped, and my Cragars will be here on Thursday!!
Huge day and a half for Henry. Pretty pumped on what got done and how it all turned out. Started out the day hauling some scrap metal in and picking up some 4" wide x 3/16" flat strap to make notches. Working with some pretty primitive tools at home. 4-1/2" grinder and a skinny wheel used to score the flat strap and then bent to 45 degrees in the vice. I made the notch 4" wide. Probably did not need to be that wide.......but this is my first one so I claim ignorance. Bent. Welded. Next I lowered the truck into close to ride height and figured out where to place the notch. I had the center of the rear diff marked on the frame, so I centered it on that. Frame is 4" tall, so I made sure with the notch it was never narrower than 2". I marked it and cut it with a skinny wheel. I had thought about a pipe notch, which I am told is stronger. I strayed away from it because I did not have the ability to cut the frame in a circular pattern beside a big hole saw which did not sound fun. Notch done. After the notch was done the leaf springs were bolted up and the rear end was fastened into place. After I got everything buttoned up I quickly attached the temporary Blazer rims and dropped it onto the ground to check out ride height. Looks great. The temp rear wheels are about 1-1/2" shorter than what I will be running. I also need to come up with a permanent solution for the rear spring mounts. That will all come into play for final ride height. Right now it is sitting with about the perfect amount of rake, in my opinion anyway. About 2-1/2" from front of running board to back of running board. Problem #1. The driveshaft is about 1" too long. I will have to shorten it. I spoke with a couple local guys and sounds pretty easy. Problem #2. The stock S-10 springs are very soft. I do not have any shocks mounted, but I can stand on the center of the frame and bounce and almost bottom the frame on the rear end. I weight about 175lbs. Not sure exactly what to do. Overload "helper" springs crossed my mind. Looks like they can be had for about $70.00, or just bite the bullet and install some helper bags which would come in handy for leveling the truck if I haul a load anyway. Any advice?? The long awaited money shot. I had to roll it outside to get a decent shot of the stance. Still not a great photo....
It's strange seeing that frame straight. On mine (and all 1/2 tons) the frame gradually gets wider as it goes back. Anyway, looks good...
The Jalopy Journal
