What did you do with your truck today, Part 3

[MiraclePieCo]

Bad news for me:

Tried to test fire my engine today (SBC). Would start with gas poured into carb, but never would pump fuel up to the carb. I pulled the mechanical pump and checked the pushrod stroke - barely 1/4 inch. I'm becoming suspicious that my Craigslist engine has a flat cam. Another bad omen was when I pulled the valve covers, all the rockers were aligned - hardly any high or low. I wondered why someone would sell an apparently new rebuilt engine for so cheap - now I'm getting an idea.

Maybe there's something I'm overlooking - anyone have any other ideas before I tear this whole engine out?

[Black_Sheep]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Bad news for me:

Tried to test fire my engine today (SBC). Would start with gas poured into carb, but never would pump fuel up to the carb. I pulled the mechanical pump and checked the pushrod stroke - barely 1/4 inch. I'm becoming suspicious that my Craigslist engine has a flat cam. Another bad omen was when I pulled the valve covers, all the rockers were aligned - hardly any high or low. I wondered why someone would sell an apparently new rebuilt engine for so cheap - now I'm getting an idea.

Maybe there's something I'm overlooking - anyone have any other ideas before I tear this whole engine out?

Before you pull the engine, pull the intake. Check the face of each lifter with a straight edge and inspect each cam lobe through the lifter bore. If lobes are wiped it will be very apparent. If the cam is wiped then the engine will have to come out for teardown and inspection. My cam failure trashed the oil pump and the bearings were full of metal filings.

[MARTINSR]

I don't know much about that stuff, but from what you say, that doesn't sound good!

Brian

[nvrdone]

id start by checking the valve adjustment. many builders will unscrew the rocker arms to remove pressure on the lifters if the engine is going to sit after being rebuilt.

[evilokc]

you may also try to run it off of a gas can to rule out a fuel delivery issue. hope its not a motor issue man. good luck.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by evilokc

you may also try to run it off of a gas can to rule out a fuel delivery issue. hope its not a motor issue man. good luck.

Ding, ding, ding - we have the winner!

My local engine builder told me it's very unlikely to wipe the fuel pump eccentric on a cam. But it wouldn't run off a gas can either. The fuel pump is BRAND NEW, so it couldn't be that, right? Nonetheless, I happened to have a greasy old zillion-mile fuel pump on the shelf, so I installed it. Sure enough, it picked the fuel right up and the engine ran fine. Incredibly, the brand new fuel pump was bad.

The build is back on track! Now that I know the motor will run, I'll start assembling the front sheet metal around it.

[evilokc]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Ding, ding, ding - we have the winner!

My local engine builder told me it's very unlikely to wipe the fuel pump eccentric on a cam. But it wouldn't run off a gas can either. The fuel pump is BRAND NEW, so it couldn't be that, right? Nonetheless, I happened to have a greasy old zillion-mile fuel pump on the shelf, so I installed it. Sure enough, it picked the fuel right up and the engine ran fine. Incredibly, the brand new fuel pump was bad.

The build is back on track! Now that I know the motor will run, I'll start assembling the front sheet metal around it.

congrats man! love to hear a simple fix for what seems to be catastrophic failure.

[MARTINSR]

All I got done was some practice. I screwed up the outer window moulding and need to see if I can get better at welding and finishing for chrome that 24 gauge moulding. So I got out there and made some changes, one of them being going to .030 wire for filler, I am getting better.

Brian

[nvrdone]

quality control isn't what it was in the past. ive had many "new" parts turn up bad. went thru 5 new alternators before i found a good one.

[Black_Sheep]

I drained the fuel tank to reseal a minor drip where the NPT to IF adapter fitting screws into the tank and did a little wiring at the junction box I mounted to the rear sill.

[MARTINSR]

I used my Chevy authorized 26mm impact socket as a dolly to round the edge of the roof a little to match the section I am putting there bringing the window down to the body line. I thought I was ready to go with the window that I cut out of my other roof.
I started setting it up making the next step to trim it and weld it in and found that it had to be modified as the top of the window curves down on both sides.

So to continue the proper curve I had to make some mods. I spent over a friggin hour on this part that I thought I had already fit! :drunk: Geez

Anyway, I think I got it but I cam going to tack it in place and do the other side and get the cab out in my "viewing courtyard" to be sure that window looks right.

Brian

[Black_Sheep]

Among other things, finished up the filler panel for the core support and shot it with some 2K.

[evilokc]

many of you have read my battle with the carburetor on my truck. it ran good then it ran like crap for no reason. I adjusted something and it worked again only to run like crap again over night. I went to adjust the choke ( this was around christmas) and the electric choke body wouldn't rotate. I had to remove the screws all the way and pull the choke body off to get it to rotate. weeks later went to tweak the choke adjustment and again it wouldn't rotate. discovered tonight the choke body retaining ring was on backwards. I didn't install it and hadn't noticed it was backwards. once I flipped it the choke body rotated freely. I'm hoping that issue is resolved. did a slight choke adjustment and it fired great! before it fired well but the exhaust was very rich. smelled a lot better now. I plan to do an adjustment on the fast idle tomorrow.

[la hi]

The Parrell people did it!

[evilokc]

Originally Posted by la hi

The Parrell people did it!

I bought it second hand. the guy said he bought it just to run his motor after he built it and then swapped to fuel injection. I think he screwed up all the adjustments and assembly then sold it thinking it was bad. what a jerk. there have been a number of small things wrong that I adjusted out. it will probably need 2 sizes of main jets added and I need to set the fast idle and its golden.

[evilokc]

WANTED! since I'm not cool enough to play on the wanted/for sale boards I need something guys. I need a section of firewall to use as a patch panel. I need the far passenger side section that has the access hole. anyone have a firewall they don't mind cutting up and selling?

[evilokc]

started installing the alternator bracket but didn't get finished.

[MARTINSR]

First off, I can't believe I didn't get something done this weekend, I started out thinking I would have that whole window done over the weekend, yeah right good luck with that. Between cutting my fingers pretty bad yesterday (not related to the truck) and Mothers Day today, going to two different cemeteries and putting flowers on a number of graves and going out to "Linner" and all that, not much happened. The photo of the truck up on the wall was my wife's choice of the restaurant to go out to, I had to think to torcher me looking up at "my truck" in the garage. LOL No, she is an angel she wouldn't do that to me.

But I did get out there and found that I was WAY off on the whole damn rear window thing! I am SOOOOOOO glad I caught on to what in the heck this whole thing was about because I could have made a real mess out of it. I can't even explain because it's so complicated but basically the window area that I am welding in isn't uniform across it, the shape changes because the glass is basically flat while the cab back is curved. I know I must have know this but I just caught it this evening after working on it the last two days. Soooo, it gets a lot more complicated but it's falling into place, glad I caught that!

The "flow" from the body line at the bottom of the pillars to the area beyond that where there is no line is one of my issues. But I think I have got it!

Anyway, we will get out there tomorrow and see where it goes.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Fine tuning the left side of the rear window. The other side will be a breeze I am hoping once I get this side done.

Brian

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Fine tuning the left side of the rear window. The other side will be a breeze I am hoping once I get this side done.
Brian

Nice works, looks great!

But I see from the background that you're still working on "Right Tighty, Lefty Loosey." ;-)

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Nice works, looks great!

But I see from the background that you're still working on "Right Tighty, Lefty Loosey." ;-)

I'm an old dude, I need to remind myself or I will be breaking bolts off.

That sign brings back some great memories, I put it up in the garage back when I was a Cub Scout Den leader and I would have den meetings out there with the boys and their dads building Pinewood Derby cars and stuff like that.


Brian

[Black_Sheep]

I was makin' dust in the garage and my brother in law Ronny stopped by with a couple of custom bed rail end caps, designed to replicate my tail lights. He added the rings around it for a nice little detail, I think they look pretty cool...

[evilokc]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

I was makin' dust in the garage and my brother in law Ronny stopped by with a couple of custom bed rail end caps, designed to replicate my tail lights. He added the rings around it for a nice little detail, I think they look pretty cool...

dude those are amazing!

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

I was makin' dust in the garage and my brother in law Ronny stopped by with a couple of custom bed rail end caps, designed to replicate my tail lights. He added the rings around it for a nice little detail, I think they look pretty cool...

those are doper than a meth lab

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

I was makin' dust in the garage and my brother in law Ronny stopped by with a couple of custom bed rail end caps, designed to replicate my tail lights. He added the rings around it for a nice little detail, I think they look pretty cool...

That is some amazing craftsmanship.

Brian