1 Dec 01 8 hours
It has been getting pretty cold... too cold to work in my non heated garage. So this weekend I installed a vent-less gas heater. I had to run a gas line out to the garage.
2 Dec 01 6 hours
I moved some of my work lights around and installed a few more in the garage. I also carved a mold for the instrument knobs (lights, choke ect..) out of a aluminum block. These knobs are not available and the originals are in too bad of shape.
3 Dec 01
I finished my mold. I have some more pricing for engine parts... wow! the engine will cost more than expected to rebuild.
Camshaft (the gear key has wore out the key hole reason two to replace it) $112 & exchange, gasket kit $450 double wow!!, rod bearings $100, Main bearings $175, Rings & Pistons $450 to 600. I am having problems trying to find pistons. It will cost @180 to balance the crankshaft.
4 Dec 01 3 hours
I attempted to pour some of the plastic resin for the knobs. I forgot the mold release the first time, the second time I remembered the release but it wouldn't release.
5 Dec 01 5 hours
Success, I was finally able to get a good plastic knob from the mold that I carved out of an aluminum block. I ended up modifying my mold some more. I milled all the sides of the plastic knob perfectly square with my vertical mill. I then lightly sanded all the sides and rounded the edges. I will use this plastic knob for a master piece, I will make some rubber molds from this piece. If I would have had a good knob in the first place, I could have made a rubber mold from it.
6 Dec 01 3 hours
I got out my oxygen & acetylene torch and cut off some rusted bolts so that I could remove the running boards. I also cut off a bunch of other bolts & tacked on pieces of metal off the chassis that were not stock. I worked on the chassis to get it ready for the big weekend project...Sand blasting the chassis... yeah!
8 Dec 01 7 hours
I spent @ 7 hours sandblasting the truck this weekend, I only got about 3 feet of the chassis sandblasted.
10 Dec 01 4 hours
I started to manufacture a new floor pan. I cut the pan to size and filed the edges, I still have a lot of hammering to do.
May 2002
Alright folks you al probably thought that I've been sitting on my duff not working on the truck huh? I have been getting a lot done I just haven't had the time to update the website.
I installed a gas heater in my garage so that I could work on the truck over the winter months but, it was still too cold my little gas heater wouldn't get the garage cold enough
.
20 May 8 hours
I separated the intake & exhaust manifolds... boy that was a job. It took a torch and several chisels to break it loose. I still had two bolts that I couldn't get out so I drilled a hole in the center of the bolts then blew the rest of the bolts out of the hole with the blow torch. I don't know if I will be able to save the manifolds.... they are cracked pretty bad. I also sandblasted some parts and painted the valve cover. It looks like the water pump may have a hole it it too....... boy this is a job!
I
ended up replacing the intake & exhaust manifold, I bought them from my
contact in Quebec.
I received a call from Clem Automotive.... the crankshaft machining is finished. the total comes to $525 to resurface the flywheel, machine the lifters and grind the crankshaft also the main bearings & rod bearings. I still need to bring the crank shaft plus parts to Clem to get the engine balanced.... another $180.