Author Topic: SquareD Part 2 Here's where we depart the rebuild and start the big change (Read 121359 times)

Flyin6 · « **Reply #250 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:11:19 PM »

Then I routed the fuel line from the engine compartment, inside the frame channel, using rubber stand-offs, and secured it to the output from the filter with 2 clamps. None of this is pressurized

Flyin6 · « **Reply #251 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:12:26 PM »

Then I plumbed in the new 5/16" return line

Flyin6 · « **Reply #252 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:13:05 PM »

The rubber line is actually split, folded over the steel line and zip-tied into place. It is an anti-chaffing measure.
I did the same thing to the line that wrapped around the frame at the top.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #253 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:14:09 PM »

Then I remounted the fuel tank, placing rubber pads between it and the top cradle mounts

Flyin6 · « **Reply #254 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:15:05 PM »

Next I cleaned up some cables and things that might rub on the rear axle, using pieces of rubber tubing as standoffs...They show in blue

Flyin6 · « **Reply #255 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:16:01 PM »

Then the rest of the wiring harness was secured inside the frame and looped out of the way, awaiting the bed installation

Flyin6 · « **Reply #256 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:16:36 PM »

And here is the SOB (State of the build) effective zero-dark-late this evening:

Gotta go, be a husband for awhile!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #257 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:18:36 PM »

Let's get some build thread done here.
Today I nearly completed the fuel system and got a long way toward getting the rear sway bar in.

First I dissembled the fuel level and return assembly

Flyin6 · « **Reply #258 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:19:50 PM »

I found rust, corrosion, staining, and a bunch of parts I will no longer use due to the installation of the lower sump

This stuff was all removed and thrown away

Flyin6 · « **Reply #259 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:20:40 PM »

The lower parts were subjected to hot soapy water and elbow grease

Flyin6 · « **Reply #260 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:21:40 PM »

The metal slider was given the rust removal treatment, coating and finally painting with the Blitz

Flyin6 · « **Reply #261 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:22:31 PM »

Then the whole thing was reassembled

Flyin6 · « **Reply #262 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:27:21 PM »

And reinstalled into the fuel tank with a new seal

Flyin6 · « **Reply #263 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:28:14 PM »

And reconnected

Flyin6 · « **Reply #264 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:29:20 PM »

The filler neck gets a new seal as well

Flyin6 · « **Reply #265 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:30:30 PM »

Showing the rubber cushion to isolate the tank from the steel cradle

Flyin6 · « **Reply #266 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:31:40 PM »

The main supply line was bent up and installed from the sump to the filter inlet, completing the line from the tank to the engine

Flyin6 · « **Reply #267 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:32:42 PM »

split some rubber hose to use as a an anti-chaffing measure

Flyin6 · « **Reply #268 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:34:03 PM »

After connecting the return line to the engine, the fuel system is now plumbed.
All that remains is to repair or fab up the filler neck assembly.
I had the pipes sitting all day (And now night) in a bucket of CLR which removes rust and other deposits. If it all looks OK in the morning, I'll clean them up and paint them and reinstall. If not, I'll find something else to use.

Next up, I started fabbing up simple frame mounted sway bar end link anchors. With the Ford setup, the end-links were a single shear. I decided to make these a double shear and keep it all simple. I started with two 4" pieces of 2" X 4" X .250 Rectangle tubing and massaged them into a mount. I added several holes for end link mounting so I could do some tuning later on.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #269 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:35:01 PM »

The steel is taking shape...

Flyin6 · « **Reply #270 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:35:37 PM »

The initial test fitting makes this setup look like a factory part

Flyin6 · « **Reply #271 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:36:46 PM »

Directly above each end link mount on the frame were 3 pre-existing holes. So I decided to bend up a simple "L", weld that to the mounts, and bolt that to the frame

Flyin6 · « **Reply #272 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:37:47 PM »

Mounted to the sway bar, I used a jack to raise the mess into place, then a vise grip and some black paint to mark the holes. After drilling, the bolts slid right in

Flyin6 · « **Reply #273 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:38:32 PM »

And it fits just fine!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #274 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:39:14 PM »

After cleaning, they got their first of several coats. This one with U-Pol, weld through copper primer. Tomorrow they will get the Lycoming gray treatment.

I also plan to make up an inside brace to keep the mount from flexing, since it's captured on one side only.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #275 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:40:04 PM »

I added the rear diff vent line and using rubber hose standoffs, fastened that to the brake hose and eventually, the frame

Flyin6 · « **Reply #276 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:40:48 PM »

And added the fuel tank vent line

Flyin6 · « **Reply #277 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:42:53 PM »

Quote:
Originally Posted by EL TATE View Post
Mounts are looking pretty fine there sir. Nice vent work as well. what type of hardware grade do you have holding those mounts in place though? typically shiny silver isn't grade 8, at least, not in my hardware shop. Just curious.

Tate, those bolts are all temp. The mount will be held in place by "Frame bolts." Those are actually the black oxide coated bolts showing on the left side. They are the bolts originally developed for frames. Have a molded in washer head to spread the clamping force over a wider area in thicker metal such as an automotive frame...err, let me qualify that...in an American truck frame. (Not that tin foil crap Kias are pressed out of!)

Flyin6 · « **Reply #278 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:43:36 PM »

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedram View Post
I could not agree more.......to the above described response.....

Great build- I admire your skills and the time you have to bring this truck back from the dead and better than new.......Carry on.

Ya know the biggest gift in all this was that gift of time God gave me. I never thought this would happen...I was on top of my game participating in the war effort as an old fart pilot and station manager and lead pilot and bottle washer. Huge paycheck but no time to myself.
Wake up every morning at 0450, try to get to bed by 2230, 6 days a week. Then 8-10 hours a day hanging under a set of rotor blades. Descending 19 times a day into possible enemy fire, day after day after month after year...Five years straight of combat flying. Then all at once all that ended, changed with a bang (Literally)
A medevac later I was without a job! I find myself back in a United States I no longer understand with a huge medical problem and no job, no income.

That's when I found out about the lottery, and I won I guess. There was an insurance policy...
Funny, but when I got on the plane to leave my home for the last time (Not knowing it was the last time) I prayed a heartfelt prayer, "Father please don't make me go back to that place anymore"
I prayed that and now I don't have to go back there any more.
So I play around with these trucks and raise some spirits here and there I suppose, but I want to be clear on this point.
These trucks mean nothing! They are simply a means, as is this web site and thread. A means to hold God and Jesus up as my Lord and Savoir. Nothing else matters. No frame bolts, no John Deere Paint, nothing.
God did not spare me to waste my time on truck parts.
So those of you here, read this all in that knowledge. This is good clean American fun bathed in his spirit (I hope). It is not me. I am a little less than nothing and I only want to use this "Extra-Credit" time he has given me for his purposes. The second those truck builds cease to serve him, I no longer need them.
OK, off Rant!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #279 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:45:35 PM »

OK, Build Day 61
Some stuff was removed, some modified, some renewed, some installed and all manner of things happening.

First you'll recall I was soaking some parts in the rust dissolver. Let's look at some "Before" shots

Flyin6 · « **Reply #280 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:46:36 PM »

Yes, that's the 825I Gator project sitting in the background

Flyin6 · « **Reply #281 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:47:46 PM »

That think is all wholly-buggered out...fast little ride there

Here's the stuff I soaked the parts with. I laid them out last night, woke up wee early, rotated them then removed them in the afternoon, so they were cooking maybe 8 hours per side

Flyin6 · « **Reply #282 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:49:00 PM »

You can see the rust did get removed for the most part. Next I scrubbed them, then took a wire brush to them. Most of the pipes were still covered with a thick coating of zinc

Flyin6 · « **Reply #283 on:** October 05, 2014, 08:49:54 PM »

The tail-gate handle cleaned up nice!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #284 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:22:10 PM »

Since the parts were mostly still zinc coated on the outside, I decided to use the copper rich primer on them, two coats pretty please!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #285 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:23:23 PM »

At this point some of those parts are looking as good as new so I think I will be OK, however, there was some pitting and corrosion on the inside.

While all that dried, it was time to install the driveshaft.

Check out these cool U-Joint caps that Shawn at Great Lakes Off-Road sells:

Flyin6 · « **Reply #286 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:29:09 PM »

The nippan/Tiwan part is only for comparison, showing you factory to GLO's part.
I wonder which will stand the test of time?

So, with those in hand, in went the super strong custom driveshaft

Flyin6 · « **Reply #287 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:30:29 PM »

Since I had it all jacked up, this was a good time to install the proper length spring bolts. The ones I had earlier were too short.
I did not tighten them down very much, wanting instead to allow the spring to move radially in it's mount to give it freedom to travel more freely, and farther.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #288 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:31:40 PM »

Today I did some cyphering with regard to the suspension. Given that now I have 36.75" OD tires in lieu of the 32.8" that are bolted on at the moment, I knew I was going to have to do something about the suspension height/wheel well opening/wheel spacing and some other factors.

What I decided to do was to build in an adjustable air spring. I selected a triple convoluted spring that collapses to 4" and stretches to nearly 14"!

That will be going on top of the U-Bolts and off set a little and I am pulling the factory block, a 3" unit and replacing it with a 4" Iron block.

The additional 1" of lift will be static, and I can use the bag to adjust the height up as much as I might need.

Today I removed the factory bump-stops and cleaned and painted the frame.

The springs have internal bump stops (How cool is that?) but I'll set the height of full squash so that I won't tear the shocks up and use some Hummer urethane bump stops and work them into the design.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #289 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:32:38 PM »

Here's an old trick I learned to keep salt and other crap out of the spring bushings. Simply drill a hole all the way through everything except the bolt, then add in a zerk fitting!
Pump in your grease and say goodbye to corrosion!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #290 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:33:13 PM »

I need to replace the rubber hose parts of the fuel tank filler, so I selected this quality Gates 1.75" ID hose. I might just cut away part of the area of the existing lower filler pipe which was most heavily corroded and replace it with a length of this stuff

Flyin6 · « **Reply #291 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:34:01 PM »

With the end of the work day approaching, it was finally paint time, so out came the sprayer, in went the Lycoming gray and the whole mess changed color again

Flyin6 · « **Reply #292 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:34:33 PM »

And here is where it all sits tonight:

Flyin6 · « **Reply #293 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:35:59 PM »

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hossified View Post
That kind of attention to detail is rare these days

Thank You

And I agree

Not to say I'm something, not at all

But, to say that there is a certain lacking in the "Attention to detail" arena these days.
Perhaps I'm wrong, just my observation.

You'll notice not a great deal of what I am doing here is high tech or requires a host of special tools, just a lot of work and close attention to every detail.

Maybe good car crafting is becoming somewhat of a lost art form, and perhaps this meager effort I have going on here will inspire some to step up the game.
Perhaps the lack of detail in todays builds is indicative of a bigger issue???
Hmmm???

Flyin6 · « **Reply #294 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:38:25 PM »

OK, build time boys and girls
Say,
We have any girls reading this thread?
Just thought about it for the very first time...

Anyway, with the paint all cured, the fuel filler pipe assembly, got assembled!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #295 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:39:40 PM »

Next up was the sway bar frame mounts

They bolted up in a fairly straight forward manner.

I used nylon locking nuts the grade 8 frame bolts and a couple of stainless washers

Flyin6 · « **Reply #296 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:40:38 PM »

At this point the brackets are single shear only...I wanted to add in a rear bracket to brace the mount from both sides. I think that if I didn't, eventually the up and down movement would fatigue the steel mount and cause a failure. This simple "Z" bracket will stop all those shenanigans!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #297 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:41:46 PM »

went off to painting so will be installed in a day or so.

Next, with the truck jacked up to relax the spring enough, I slid the end link inside the mount and bolted it up.

The second bolt you see is the stud where the tab will bolt up

Flyin6 · « **Reply #298 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:42:50 PM »

In practical terms, that project is now in the bag, time to move on.

Now, finally, I'll tackle the rear anti-hop/traction bar.

Here is what I will be using, a product from ruff stuff

Flyin6 · « **Reply #299 on:** October 06, 2014, 01:43:47 PM »

Then I temporarily assembled either end so I could start fitting things

Pay no attention to the hardware...All that will change in the final assembly