Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

great writeup as always Bruce!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

You did a good write up on the compressor install.

I will tell you the truth, I have the exact same compressor and the exact same blasting cabinet. The compressor is too small for me. Granted I use mine a whole lot though. You likely won't be blasting 2 hours a day like I do.

Over time, my compressor blew it's head gasket. I called the 1-800 number on the unit and they got me the needed parts real quick. A compressor guy I know told me to always run the compressor good and steady till it's fully warmed up and then put a wrench on the head bolts and cinch them down. Do this every few months until they remain tight.

I also have a dedicated box fan on mine to augment the cooling and keep the temps reasonable.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Your definitely right about the amount of time I’m going to spend blasting, it will be more like 4 hours a month for me. Where it’s a luxury for me to have a sandblasting cabinet at hand for a lot of small parts cleanup, it falls into the category that it’s a have to have tool for me. Must be addicted to blasting as to be the simplest and fasted way to cleanup parts. Blasting sure eats up a lot of air as do some other tools

Thanks for the heads up info about checking the head bolt torque a few times after using the compressor. This would probably be a good thing to check on any compressor regardless of the manufacture.

Compressors are definitely a heat generating item and keeping them cool with plenty of air circulation is important. A box fan may just be the item needing to be added to a compressor installation to aid in giving the compressor a chance for a long life.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Why is the build delayed again?
Unexpected things in life happen, time to put things in order and continue the build

Bizarre things happen some times in life, things in no way related to a build but have an impact on it. Earthquakes, fires, accidents, deaths in the family, more than could be listed hear and affect each individual differently.

Over a week ago at 7 AM as I was having my second cup of coffee and watching the news, a 19 year old young man broke and came thru the window next to the front door. He had a knife and informed me that god had told him that I needed to die. After I disarming him neither I or him were seriously hurt, just some cuts, scrapes and bruises. I’m thankful that the police where there within a very short period of time and the young man is in jail now and being evaluated. I new very little about this young man other than that he lived in the neighborhood.

This has been upsetting to me and the neighborhood, so a short period of time will be needed to bring things back to normal and cleanup/repair.

Why am I posting this incident hear in my build thread?

For those that are fallowing this build thread that there will be a short delay and why.

I’ve enjoyed working on cars and trucks for many years and recently creating this build thread to share how I’m building this truck. This bizarre incident will not stop me from continuing this build or posts and prevent me from doing something that I enjoy.

There’s plenty of things related to a build that could slow it or added together could become overwhelming to stop a build. The few complete rebuilds that I’ve been involved with have always taken longer than expected. One thing that has helped me is to break down the build into smaller packages of tasks and as I complete the tasks move them off the list of thing that need to be done. And some time even take the time to pat myself on the back for what’s been accomplished. The day will come when the to do list is smaller than the competed list and the end of the build will be coming in sight.

Hope your to do list is smaller than your completed list, enjoy your build and don’t let the delays get you down.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Wow! Gald you and your family are ok. Your right sometimes life takes over.:chevy:

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I am glad to hear that you and your family are ok... Your thread could not be named more appropriately.... Its just a pickup.... Life is much more important that a vehicle....

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

:agree: Glad you are okay and hope the kid gets real help and can turn around his life. Prayers with you, your family, and community as you try to heal the emotional scars tied to this.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Glad you and your family are OK. Real glad. And not just for the truck build either.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Bruce, glad to hear your ok!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Good job protecting your family and home. Good thing YOU were there! Keep up the good work when you are good and ready. Remember a hobby is for joy, not stress.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

A cup of coffee, the kitchen table and a shop towel laid down, the stage is set
I’ve rebuilt many small parts at the kitchen table it’s always benefited me in keeping track of all the small peaces.

The Windshield Wiper Motor was working OK before I started the rebuild so I just cleaned off the dirt and did a basic electrical check of the motor, switch and pump solenoid with a ohm meter. The star washer on the switch is very important, without it the switch case is not grounded and the system will not work (switch supply’s the ground to the motor and solenoid).

After many years in the truck the grease on the washer pump cam actuating arm was dirty and gummed up. The arm didn’t move freely and was probably the reason the washer pump was not working.

Attachment 505831

Disassembled the Washer Pump and found very little wear if any on the parts, just needed cleaning the old grease off. Since I had it apart any way ordered a Water Pump Repair Kit 36-4082 from LMC to have new seals and check valves (kit is on order and expected in a few days). Just a note to any one disassembling the pump piston, push the piston in approximately 1/8 inch and turn it 90 degrees and the piston will come off the slider.

Used a light grease similar to white lithium for slide, ratchet and cam arm pivot point (spent about 20 minuets working it into the pivot area). On the star cam on the motor will be using heaver grease and for installing the new seals on the pump a light coat of Vaseline.

Attachment 505832

Things have settled down around hear and I have time to dive into the rebuild again. Definitely a lot more enjoyable than doing other things for me, enjoy your build.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Glad to see you're back at it. Another EXCELLENT writeup. Your entire build should be in the FAQ when completed. I've tried to fill my build pages with info on the tools I use and details on how to do it but always realize how inadequate my posts are when I read yours and see the associated highly detailed pictures. ;)

Keep up the good work

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Thanks VA72C10 for the encouragement and complements

Been over looking over your build thread and would defiantly not categorize it as inadequate there’s plenty of good information and your build is definitely moving along faster than mine

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Glad to see you back at work on her. I love to see the details you put into your writeups. Thanks for all the great info.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Glad to see you working on your truck! Thank you for the write up and the instructions ON the pictures, I just saved them for future reference :)

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Mistakes are made, time wasted, things that needed to be checked before starting.
A correction to my last post on the washer pump rebuild

After looking over all the pump parts I missed that the wear on the ratchet gear (see below picture) was to much and prevented it from locking the pump into what I would call the idle position. This would mean that the pump would be running all the time the wipers where running (no repair parts for this item available)

Attachment 507672

At least I will know to look for this in the future and all that I’m out is some time and the cost of the pump rebuild kit. A new pump will have to be ordered.

I’m glad that it was found before it was installed. Some times this kind of things happen in a rebuild. I would like to hold it to a minimum but some times it’s just the nature of a rebuild to jump up and bite you.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

great write ups!!!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Thanks for the info. I have had several of those....I tried to save a part and in the end it cost me more than buying new.... moments on my build too... but they are good learning experiences. Thank you for sharing yours as a thing to look out for others.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

This build thread is worthy of publication. Thank you for going to such detail. I am now subscribed. Happy days.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Looking for the right angle
Bringing small parts together to reach the end desired goal

I haven’t had good experiences with the stock washer nozzles used on these trucks. Plus the ones on the truck had been bent and hose added by the previous owner in an attempted to create a wiper arm spray nozzle.

I picked up some more modern type universal washer nozzles that are found generally mounted in the hood. I didn’t want to mount them in the hood so I set about to create a bracket to hide them under the cowl close to the stock nozzle location. With this idea in mind you can fallow along as I figured out what angle to mount them at.

Using the spray angle nozzle adjustments and mocking up a bracket to see if it would work.

Attachment 509486

The forward area under where the cowl mounts to the cab is small and cramped to add a bracket; modifications will be needed to the cowl seal for clearance. The new nozzle bracket dimensions and bend angle was determined from the mocked up bracket.

Attachment 509487

Decided to use 8-32 SS screws with 8-32 rivet nuts to mount the new bracket, the screws have to be as close to the aft edge as possible for clearance to the cowl. Could have used sheet metal screws or welded the bracket to the cab. Also drilled a .5 DIA hole in forward surface below the new bracket location for the hose.

The fwd area of the cowl is normally attached with sheet metal screws I’m going to replace them with 10-32 SS pan head screws and 10-32 rivet nuts (you can see one of the 10-32 rivet nuts in the picture below)

Attachment 509488

See next post for continuation and more pictures

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Continuation of above post

Hears a couple of pictures of the brackets installed on the right and left hand locations without the cowl hiding them.

Attachment 509490

Right and left washer nozzle shown with the cowl installed. Also the hose elbow used to keep the hose close to the wall at the new location plus its relationship to the old hose location.

Attachment 509491

Another picture of the nozzle at a different angle (all that’s left is to disassemble and paint the new brackets).

Was down at Pep boys Auto Parts just wandering thru the store and found some new stile 15 inch frameless wiper blades for the truck. They seem to be the only ones making the newer stile blade in a 15 inch size.

The new windshield washer pump came in and installed it on the wiper motor.

Attachment 509492

One small part in making the truck my own, fallowing in the line of innovating Hot Roding. May all your innovations work without problems and if problems exist they are corrected easily. Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Very nice writeup as always. Good info and a small mod like you said in the scheme of things, but something very useful for a truck that will see a lot of use.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Time to start putting some of the puzzle peaces together
With all the patch panel items involved with the rocker replacement definitely want them in the right place in relation to one another.

There wasn’t any damage to the cab from an accident just plenty of rust and cancer in the metal. Before starting to cut in earnest I took some measurements to make sure everything is put back in the right place. Even checked the measurements against the other door opening and another cab that I have and all the measurements where very close. At the door opening where the rocker is attached, seal area to seal area is 35.75 inches and top seal area to bottom seal area in the middle of the door opening is 74. inches.

When positioning the Outer Floor Extension there where a few things that didn’t line up. The forward edge had to be cut back about ¼ inch to get it to sit right. The four holes in the forward end of the extension that are for the bolts thru the support where about ½ inch forward of the support holes. The hole location will be worked out with test fitting of door and fender to find the lower fender attach point prior to welding in the lower pillar panel. All the rest of the Outer Floor Extension lined up very good with existing floor and panel contours.

Reminder to self buy some more cleckos, I used all the cleckos I had to locate the panels and could have used more. I definitely like to have every thing cleckoed in place to keep everything in alignment prior to welding. They take a little longer time to use with drilling the holes but I definitely prefer them compared to clamps.

I took a lot of pictures as I progressed thru this portion of the rocker replacement now to figure out which ones to use and what notes to add to them. I think if you go thru the pictures you can see how I’m progressing up to this point.

Attachment 514173

Attachment 514174

Attachment 514175

Attachment 514176

Attachment 514177

A few days work and more to come on the rocker replacement, enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

great work Bruce!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Nice work, pictures, and write-up as usual.