dimlight65 Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Daaaayyyyyyyuuuuuummmmm! That's cool. I'm so ready for mine to be on the road. So much so that I spent some time today fingering out the throttle situation. The other day at lunch I stopped by the dirt track shop to see if they had any throttle bell-crank thingies. They did. I brought it back to the shop and grokked it for a while before coming up with part of a solution. Today I took what I'd made the other day and made it actually bolt up to the van. Then I had a look at making the push/pull rod attach to the bell-crank. One more bracket later and voila! I have a functioning loud pedal! Of course the wiring harness is still hanging loose and is nowhere near terminated, and I don't have a fuel tank or pump, and the brakes aren't done... but I gots a go switch! I sent Datsunfreak a dark, grainy, and out of focus picture. Lettuce see if he posts it or waits until Saturday to take a good one. 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 a dark, grainy, and out of focus picture. Lettuce see if he posts it or waits until Saturday to take a good one. What do you think is going to happen here? B) :rofl: 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 90 amp "1 wire" Delco alternator... Test fit it to the engine and it had almost no range of adjustment, maybe 1/2" at most... :sneaky: Started looking at the bracket and notice the mounting ears are angled down. Now since it is ambidextrous, we took it off and bolted it on upside down so the mounting ears pointed up. Now it has almost 3" of adjustment range! :thumbup: It raised the alternator about 1/2", but we still have pretty good clearance around the header and engine... Took about 3 tries, but we also found the right size belt for it... :thumbup: Forgot to get pics of Tim's new throttle linkage set-up, but it is super cool. B) You can sort of see it in the left side of the last photo there... 3 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 I have an old long v belt that I cut and then marked every inch like a measuring tape. I always use that to size custom belts. Makes it super easy. 2 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 I have an old long v belt that I cut and then marked every inch like a measuring tape. I always use that to size custom belts. Makes it super easy. Yeah, we're somehow not smart enough to make that work. Every time we try it, we STILL have to make several trips to the store. That's the "Royal WE" by the way. 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 I bought one of those Universal Turn Signal thingies today (kinda like this, but not exactly) and installed it. Haven't wired it, but it is installed. New: headlight switch, horn button, wiper switch, ignition switch, and not-new dimmer switch are all... well, almost all wired up. I still have to wire the park/instrument lights to the HL switch. If I don't do something to jinx it, like saying the following, I could possibly make my 50th birthday deadline after all. Of course that means no paying work for the next two weeks... feh, eating is overrated! 2 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Ok, I think I have a handle on the wiring. Lights, wipers, horn, and ignition are totally wired... in the dash. All other wires going to and from the dash area are in the dash area and generally routed to their respective... directions? Areas? Thingies! Yeah, we'll go with "thingies." Last night I ordered two ten-gallon hats... wait, no. I ordered two ten-gallon fuel cells which I will mount "Saddle-Tank" stylee on either side of the van. This morning I went to two different speed shops locally to try and buy gauges but neither had them on hand. So, tonight I'm going to order the gauges. Now my new goal is to fire the thing up and make it move under its own power on my birthday in a week and a half. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Now my new goal is to fire the thing up and make it move under its own power on my birthday in a week and a half. So does it count if we drive it with no brakes? ^_^ 2 Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 So does it count if we drive it with no brakes? ^_^ Yes, Yes it does! It only has to go under it's own power!. Stopping is an entirely different matter! 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 So does it count if we drive it with no brakes? ^_^ This is what makes it even remotely attainable. Oh, and gauges have been ordered! Fuel tanks otter be here Friday, gauges mid-week. 3 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Fuel tanks arrived today! As for the wiring: head lights are done, front park and turns are done, tail light wires are routed (still need to decide Ed Zachary what I'm doing for lights), all wires to engine are routed, wires for fuel pump and gauge are routed, wires for brake switch are routed, wires for radiator fan and horn are routed... y'know, more or less, sort of thing. I bought a fuel pump and ignition module but am waiting for John to grok a few things with me before diving into installing them. The thing that's grinding my gears right now is the damned spray paint on the windows. I'm not sure how John is going to get all of that off. 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 The thing that's grinding my gears right now is the damned spray paint on the windows. I'm not sure how John is going to get all of that off. Start with Simple Green (it dissolves cheap spray paint) and a razor blade, then finish with 0000 steel wool. Rear windows were painted inside and out... :sneaky: Got all the door windows done... Outside of the windshield done. Still need to finish the inside of the windshield and the little opera windows on the sides, but it's cleared enough to drive... Fuel tanks... Right side tank mockup... When viewed from a standing position they are invisible. And with two of them that means we can hold 20 gallons of fuel. :thumbup: 3 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Sweet! I love watching your guys builds. Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 Yesterday I got the gauges installed and wired... in the dash. The gauge panel looks good on the bottom and sides... buts the tops is totalies dildoes. I still need to install and hook up the water temp sender, while the oil pressure and fuel level senders are installed... but not wired. I sealed off the tach signal, high beam indicator, and turn signal wires for future use and will hide them behind the dash. Once all that was done, I had a little "analysis paralysis" with the starter solenoid, ignition box, fuel pump, and gas tanks staring at me, daring me to do something with them. All I managed to do was make a temporary mount for the coil and ignition box, and will probably mount the solenoid to it as well, for testing porpoises. They will be mounted to the inside of the doghouse once that goes back in. Today I installed and wired the radiator fan, then started making the interconnection hose between the tanks. Unfortunately, one 1/2" line doesn't equalize as fast as I'd hoped. I bought another bulkhead fitting and nipple (tee-hee, nipple!) to make a second interconnect but fingered I'd go with one tank for the time being. Finally, I began to make a fuel pump mount but ran out of daylight. Friday I'm going shooting with my brother-in-law so I just have tomorrow by myself and Saturday with (hopefully) John's help to make the deadline. I'm cautiously optimistic. 2 Quote Link to comment
Kirden Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 So does it count if we drive it with no brakes? ^_^ This was how I got around my landlord's "rules" with the white B. Put a small gas can under the hood to feed the pump, cranked it up and let it roll itself off of the trailer. Waited for him to leave and disassembled the death trap fuel can. It doesn't have any shoes in the rear or brake fluid in the master... :ninja: This project is coming along very nicely. You guys did an awesome job on the engine and that window treatment really worked out (saved for future use). Let me know how you like those poly tanks. I'm looking at a new tank due to rust, but I've heard the poly ones like to bulge after a while. Then my car would have a matching muffin top! Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 Let me know how you like those poly tanks. I'm looking at a new tank due to rust, but I've heard the poly ones like to bulge after a while. Then my car would have a matching muffin top! I have used poly tanks before and have not noticed any bulging. Doesn't mean they didn't, I just didn't notice any. And now the news y'all have been waiting for... the van caught fire and burned to the ground. Just kidding. I have finished the wiring (except for the tail lights) and just need to plumb a fuel line from the tank to the pump and the pump to the carb. I want John to grok everything and check my math before making any attempt at starting it. So, now I will totally jinx everything by saying, "It looks like I'm going to make the (revised) deadline!" 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I've read lots of stuff about motorcycle dirt bike poly tanks that warp over time when exposed to ethanol fuels. I've never looked in to it for cars, but it is a thing and from what I've seen is always ethanol related. I'm sure out has to do with what type of poly is used. Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 Gauge cluster in... Wiring all ran (will tidy up later) and set the timing to around 7 degrees... Got the electrical system all checked over, turned the key, fan comes on, gauges come on, fuel pump kicks on, then... Lots of fuel leaking from the carb... :sneaky: Pulled the fuse for the fuel pump and waited for the float bowl to drain itself while we charged up the battery... AND IT LIVES! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: We actually ran it for about 30 seconds and it seems to run pretty good! After that, I realized we didn't shoot any video so we fired it up again just for a few seconds... Got the carb off and dropped off at a local rebuilder. By the time it comes back, we will have swapped in a new battery, then it should be good to go. :thumbup: 3 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 Yep, and my heartfelt thanks go out to John for all his help thus far. I'm pleased we heard it run and am not all that disappointed that it didn't move on its own. When I was a kid, my grandmother used to bundle my Christmas and birthday gift (meaning I only got one whereas my July b-day cousin got two gifts per year). With that in mind, I can push my "self-gift of driving it" deadline back one more month without being too inconsistent in my expectations. Hey! Work with me here! I'm trying to make lemonade! 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Last week I had Orally's special order a Grant steering wheel installation kit for a 1962 Falcon in hopes that it would fit the van. It does! Now I need to decide what wheel to put on there. So, here's your cue to send me links to the wildest, wackiest, coolest, whateverest steering wheels. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand GO! Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 wildest, wackiest, coolest, whateverest steering wheels. 4 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Oh, also the wheel in my 1200 is available in many "bass boat" colors (and sizes)... 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 MOMO Benetton? 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Cheapest option... 3 Quote Link to comment
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