Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Thats good news..

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I know you tested them but maybe that sender or gauge is bad?

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Assuming you know the resistance the gauge is expecting... A decade box between the gauge sender wire and a ground will tell you whether the gauge is working properly.
They range in price from this DIY electronics solder kit...https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13006
to one of my antique General Radio 1432M and 1432B decade boxes that I keep on my electronics bench with my analog scope and other antique test gear.
You can build one of Ray's two potentiometer gauge testers but the parts, at Radio Shack, will run more than that Sparkfun decade box kit.

My WAG, a few posts back, on the resistance range might or might not be correct.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

decided to give my brain a rest from all the troubleshooting and build a rack for our kayak to take camping for July 4th

the vertical bars are upside down legs from my green metal patio table

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

then it was time for primer

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

since I do not own a spark machine I had to use bolts to hold things together, no big deal

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

these clear socks should keep her from wiggling around too much, it's actually a very nice tight fit

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

pool noodles and zip ties to finish it off nicely

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

and the rear rail

hey I think it turned out alright, cheap, simple, IT'S A TRUCK !!!

Re: Restoring Rusty - Door Weatherstripping
 

and here's what's coming up next

technically '74 did not have the weather strip on the doors but on the cab only, so I think this was an [ahem] upgrade of sorts

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

well nothing to it but to do it, well get it off technically

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I seriously used a metal puddy knife and a rubber mallet to chip this stuff off

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

the inside strip on the cab came off super easy but left a hefty rubber cement like bead on the sheet metal for me to scrape off

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

either Brenda was having a bad Friday afternoon when she mounted the passenger door on Rusty back in '74 on the assembly line or we have some hinge issues

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

these gaps are horrible, there is no way we can take this truck fishin' like this

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

and the front of the door

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

so the passenger door had to come off

used a floor jack to hold it up and removed it as a one man job, no problem, a bit heavy but you can do it by yourself

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

then it was time to massage the hinges, at first it appears as if they are the same just one is mounted upside down, but after closer examination the top one has two star gears to help prop the door open using that metal S spring

top one - two bolts up / one bolt down

bottom one - one bolt up / two bolts down

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

to get the hinges apart you need to remove the pins, to get the pins out (they is pinched on the bottom) you need to grind the pinched metal with a hand file or cut / sacrefice the pin

I was able to take the pin out on the top hinge like so

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

the top pin I could spin with my fingers the bottom pin would not budge not even with vice grips, this made grinding the pinches with a hand file impossible so I had to use the death wheel to cut this pin in half

I figure I would use new pins anyways so why put in the effort to get them out in one piece

I am not sure if the pins ought to spin freely or not, maybe someone with more experience can comment on that

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I'm sure many of you have heard me rant about the Dorman aftermarket replacement parts, and how I prefer to avoid them, I specifically heard to stay away from their door hinge pin and bushing sets so although I would prefer the OEM type, I wanted instant gratification and got these from NAPA, hopefully they aint Dorman in disquise

right off the bat the new replacement bushings seem shorter than the stock ones

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I like the rack. Smart cookie.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I've used GM, Chrysler, Dorman, NAPA, ... hinge pin kits. They all work just fine.
I prefer the units that have E clips or threads and Nylok nuts to prevent the pins from backing out rather than just depending on friction at knurled areas on the shaft alone.
The bushings are sintered bronze or iron. They'll break up pretty easy if you beat em in with a hammer. I use washers, nut, and bolt to pull them in.

If you oil them a couple times a year the bushings will be just fine.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Thanks, we have yet to hoist the kayak up there to see how it fits, and if it clears the cab, its a bit too heavy and bulky for a one man lift, so waiting on my teenage son to wake up, its 10:00 AM on Saturday and counting, ha ha