Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I know right, well I do see your types of prices on our Craigslist here in Northern California too, that's why I jumped on this opportunity even if it was a 50 mile drive one way, figure additional $25 bucks for gas (gas is cheap right now only $2.40 ish) it was a beautiful day and got to spend some time with my 13 year old boy

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

hmmm I might just go into the Used Short Bed Flippin' Business, wonder what it costs to ship one of these beauties cross country ~ $400 bucks!!! LOL

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/pts/4862343446.html

Is that a short bed? Hard to tell at the angles, but I think it is... and more than just a bed.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Craigslist around here is really hit or miss. Finding a bed espeacially a prior '77. Just like the '73-'76 doors nonexsistent. If you do find parts on there. They are either really high or rusted hulks. I can find beds for the later body styles but earlier ones are harder. Great score. I'm really jealous of other areas when it comes to CL. They always seem to have better deals and parts. Guys finding drop spindles for 100 bucks. Not here.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

It's kinda like looking at the dinner plate your spouse or friend ordered when the food gets to the table at the restaurant and saying man I shoulda had that, lol

I hear you, but to comfort you it's a trade off. For instance we (Kalifornia) lead the Nation in regulations and controls. Not bragging just saying.

Take the SMOG systems for example we can only remove them from vehicles 1975 and older, I hear in other states you can do what you want with yer cars and trucks, so to quote an astute colleaague of mine "I'm really jealous of other areas"

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I understand what you are saying about smog. It wasn't so long ago I used to fight with the smog police with my old truck. I played uncertain death with getting it inspected. It was a pain. Then I moved to a county that didn't do smog inspection and I thought man this is great. Then the next year the laws changed. Finally after waiting forever the laws changed in my favor. Honestly it's a money racquet. When I got my '07 inspected it cost 30 bucks. How does the inspection guy make money? I think somebody is putting the money in their pocket.

Easy in some ways around here, but we pay for it one way or another...... I still envy other states with good CL finds.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Been working, so just went through the last three pages. Coupla notes.

With a stock HEI and stock advance curve you should be able to set the base timing to 16* BTDC with no problems, and it will really improve performance.

RPM you set the timing at doesn't matter as long as you don't start kicking in the mechanical (centrifugal) advance. Anywhere under 1000 rpm is OK.

Warm engine idle in Park for stock engines is 700, in Drive is 550.

Any drop-in bed liner or pad will give rust problems like you see. It traps condensation and water. Spray-in bed liner on top with undercoating on the bottom is best for rust prevention. A good undercoating is better than paint on the bottom becuase rocks won't nick it and open up a path to the metal.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Be careful on Craigslist ,I dont know if you have heard about the missing couple here in Ga that placed an add looking for a 66 Mustang and went missing after going to look at one .

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Hi Rich, glad to hear from you I value your insight, and yes I am not a big fan of the bed liners or the rubber mats this truck has, not sure when they went in, in time to cause the rust or after to cover it up, and since this was a farm truck I am thinking did the guy have bays of wet hay on there just sitting at some point, who knows, Rusty does have a better life now

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Looks like they caused the rust. Two lines of holes down the floor of the bed under the seams.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Cool score on the bed! I picked one up to do just like you are doing for $50 a while back!

http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/t...pslccihrim.jpg

I didnt want to disassemble it so i made up the fancy shmancy cart!

http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/t...psm7pyh5w8.jpg

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Nice cart, great woodworking skills!

Re: Restoring Rusty - Time For New Intake & Carb
 

well, the truck was running great, the engine was purring like a kitten, so...

... it was time to take it apart

so here we go time to remove the intake manifold so that we can bolt up the new Weiand one plus the new Holley carb

(I've shown you plenty of pics of the old carb when I rebuilt it so I will spare you this time)

Re: Restoring Rusty - Removing the Alternator
 

first we remove the alternator and the alternator bracket (need to clean them and it gives us better access)

Re: Restoring Rusty - Time to drain the coolant... again!
 

I swear this is like the third time I am draining the coolant in less than 6 months!

Once for the first busted freeze plug

Second for the second busted freeze plug

... oh kid sleds make for great anti freeze drain pans ~ hey I'm in California and had those things for 4 years and they have never used them, I doubt they know what they are for, LOL

Re: Restoring Rusty - Time to drain the coolant... again!
 

Ha! Good stuff!

Re: Restoring Rusty - Removing the Thermostat
 

I know you don't have to remove the thermostat housing [ahem] water outlet in order to take off the intake manifold, but it's so much fun taking things apart, plus we get to see the condition of the thermostat

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

the in case you need to hoist the engine out of the truck looptie loop thing was next

Question: What does it say about the reliability of an engine if it comes with removal hooks for easy removal? Are they forward thinking, or are they selling us junk? hee hee

Re: Restoring Rusty - Vacuum Advance Solenoid
 

finally got to remove the Vacuum Advance Solenoid, part of the SMOG system I deleted a few weeks / months prior (didn't want to remove it then because it uses same bolts that hold down the intake manifold, and I didn't want to disturb them and cause an intake manifold leak) kapish?!

Re: Restoring Rusty - EGR Removal
 

removed the dreadful Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve next, I swear the worst invention in automotive technology, hey lets take garbage and eat it again, yeah that sounds clean

and I'm looking at your self adjusting seat belt engineers of the early 90's (I still have the scar on my head from your invention)

this part you can also leave on, and remove the intake with it, or can you, I bet it gets in the way of the bolt that's underneath it, but I wasn't going to find out, off it went

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

the heater hose was next to be removed and I am embarrassed to admit I don't know which way the coolant flows but I'm guessing the return line goes to the intake manifold (thinking that the pump sends the hot coolant to the heater core) maybe I am totally wrong

Re: Restoring Rusty - Removing the Distributor
 

then it was time to remove the distributor

now before I yanked this bad boy out I returned it to the #1 positions (yes those of you with a keen eye will note that on my dizzy the #1 is where commonly the #8 ought to be, they all seem shifted one step to the left clockwise that is - no worries someday we will shift them back)

Note To Self: TAKE THE CAR OUT OF GEAR BEFORE REMOVING ALL THE SPARK PLUGS IN ORDER TO GET IT TO TURN OVER EASIER ~ DOPE !!!

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

next to come out was the brake booster vacuum hose and bracket, wonder if I can get away with just using a rubber hose with the Holley and ditch the hard line and the ugly bracket?

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

next was the rear looptie loop hoist the engine out bracket, this one was only held in with one bolt? wth

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

with everything out of the way we are ready to lift out the intake manifold

does everyone appreciate the 40 years of dirt and grime on top of that thing, I bet that's 5lbs more I'll have to lift

a gentle pry with a wide flat screw driver and the seal is broken, and we are good for lift off

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

here she is out of the car, man that thing was heavy - 40 lbs I'm guessing

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

ok lets see the valley of the lifters and push rods

here you go, time to clean this place up

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

More good progress! I always hate doing an intake while its in the truck. I can never get a good seal on the end rails reaching over the fenders. Hope yours turns out great!

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Nice progress! Love the updates with pics.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Making progress!

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Thanks for all your efforts to document this process so well, with descriptions, humor, and photos. This will be handy for my son and I one day.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

X2. I enjoy following this thread.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

thank you, figure I'm taking pics anyway so I document how the bits go back on, might as well share em, maybe help somebody out, I'm no expert, learning as I go

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

you're welcome, hope to see your and your son's build pics real soon!

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

thank your, your feedback motivates me to keep going

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

well my day started out with cleaning and spinning my wheels

first I removed the hard fuel line to get better access to things

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

then I took some more pics of the old OEM intake manifold realizing I done never flipped it on it's back to take a pic of it's there belly

now if you look close you might could just see how the EGR port is all carbon dipossited shut right there in the middle of it, completely shut to the point of ineffectiveness

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

so here are some before and after pics of the cleaned lifter valley (wish they turned out better - my garage faces West and the sun shines right on my back and cast shadows over the engine bay, poor me a river! right)