Project: Ol' Sparky 620

[datzenmike]

That's a wedge and has to be pounded into place to pinch and hold the chain. The long blue plastic ones reach all the way down and simply block the tensioner. These can't accidentally slip.

[Negative Ghostrider]

5 hours ago, EDM620 said:

 😏Take the PVC valve out & give it a solvent bath, it should be free to move internally which I'd suspect right now it doesn't.

Probably not. I'll do that, thanks. 

 

5 hours ago, EDM620 said:

I just took another look at the starter pic - is that yellow/black wire to the oil pressure sender just stuck through the terminal? LOL

 

Maybe. It might just look that way. There are a lot of protective sleeves on the terminal connections under the hood. It had certainly been a game of "Is my issue that it's actually not connected under that sleeve" as I've been hunting electrical gremlins. Haha. 

[Negative Ghostrider]

5 hours ago, datzenmike said:

A picture from farther back would help.

[EDM620]

That blanking plate looks like the one for the mechanical fuel pump...

Could consider removing that adapter piece if you can thread the port into the hole.

[EDM620]

That and any other vacuum leaks

[Negative Ghostrider]

44 minutes ago, EDM620 said:

That blanking plate looks like the one for the mechanical fuel pump...

Could consider removing that adapter piece if you can thread the port into the hole.

Are you talking about trying to relocate my index finger to my pinky? 

[EDM620]

Had to look again at the photo. The hunk of metal between your fingers is where the EGR was originally bolted to (the blanking plate). That chunk removed would reveal an unthreaded port. You could move that fitting your index finger is touching to where your pinkie touches and eliminate an otherwise useless hunk of metal but You could end up with that (pinkie) plug breaking off. Happened with my intake on my Z24 leading to additional work on the manifold to clean it up, though I was happy with the result. Consider that for future modification possibly.

 

[Negative Ghostrider]

Entry 10 - Small victories.

 

The OEM spiral hose for the PCV/breather is impossible to get anymore but I picked up some 5/8" and 1" heater hose and a few fittings and clamps. I'm pretty sure I can cobble together a connection. If it works I will post pics and a writeup after.

 

I tried pulling out the through bolt for the starter to see what was going on with it. It wouldn't come all the way out because the fuel pump was in the way. For whatever reason when I pushed it back in it threaded this time. No idea why but I will chalk it up in the W category. 

 

I tidied up some wiring under the hood, pulled out all the old hoses for the windshield washer and put clamps on all the rogue hoses. 

[datzenmike]

Hopefully heater hose is petroleum resistant. If it's rubber it will swell and fail eventually. Good enough for now either way.

[Negative Ghostrider]

Entry 10 - Channeling my inner MacGyver. 

 

So here is my PCV fix. One chunk 1" heater hose, 1 chunk 5/8" heater hose, 3 copper 90 degree plumbing fittings (2 regular 90, 1 Street 90), self fusing rescue tape, and an assortment of clamps. 

I only used about an inch and a half of 1 inch to mate the first copper fitting to the breather, as their diameters were identical and the 3/4" flare fit perfectly inside the 1" hose. From there the 5/8 hose fit perfectly inside the other flared end of the copper fitting. Then I made a 180 with the other fitting and the street fitting (only flared on one end) and then continued to the PCV. Once it was all test fitted I wrapped it in 2 layers of the rescue tape. 

It's ghetto fabulous, I know. But the total cost was less than 20 bucks. I could have used fancier hoses and fittings but this way actually maintains a minimum of a 5/8" ID from end to end, whereas if I had used barbed fittings there would have been several bottlenecks. This will do for now. 

After that I took a couple of bolts and part of one of those decorative plate holders and I made a cel phone mount in the ash tray. Photo of my case, since I obviously needed the phone to take the picture. The spring and clamp hold the phone securely against the front lip of the tray. When I'm not using it the assembly drops inside and goes away. 

Edited June 27, 2020 by Negative Ghostrider

[EDM620]

Your MacGyver fix looks like it should work pretty good, having the short chunks of heater hose allows for vibration. Necessity is the mother of invention!

 

The phone holder is a good idea, and being able to fold it up into the ashtray is an added bonus. Once you have the truck on the road you can see if it's solid or if there is vibration due to the ashtray levering out. If your phone case is silicone/rubberized that might be all you need.

 

Looking good, Keep at it!

[Negative Ghostrider]

19 hours ago, EDM620 said:

Your MacGyver fix looks like it should work pretty good, having the short chunks of heater hose allows for vibration. Necessity is the mother of invention!

 

The phone holder is a good idea, and being able to fold it up into the ashtray is an added bonus. Once you have the truck on the road you can see if it's solid or if there is vibration due to the ashtray levering out. If your phone case is silicone/rubberized that might be all you need.

 

Looking good, Keep at it!

Thanks man. I'm kind of proud of both of those. I have just been resting the phone on the ashtray and it seems to sit there ok but it's been mostly very short drives and I didn't hit any serious bumps. The spring holder should definitely keep it secure on rough road. 

[Negative Ghostrider]

Entry 11 - Game Over. 

 

Well, I fucked myself. I was reindexing the cam sprocket and the shitty chain guide tension retainer I got from Z Car Depot shifted and I lost tension. Thing was hand cut from pastic and I think it's too thin. It slid forward against the front of the block and the chain popped out behind it. I just can't win. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to fix it. This is the last thing I really needed. 

 

Also, when I went to start it up before the chain thing happened. I couldn't get it to catch. I looked in the carb and it was dry so I checked and there was no fuel visible in the fuel filter. After several long cranking sessions there as a little in it but it was draining back down. After putting a couple serious shots of starter fluid in the carb I got it to catch a little and it finally started pulling fuel enough to stay running. That's never been an issue before. There is no fuel leaking on the ground or anything. What could be going on with that?

Edited July 10, 2020 by Negative Ghostrider

[Negative Ghostrider]

Entry 11 - All I can do is laugh anymore, or else I'll cry. 

 

Noticed a drip under the gas tank. Wiped it off and ended up opening 3 pinholes. Oh well, the trucks not running so there is no chance of fire. Although I'm not sure if that is a blessing or a curse. 

 

Did manage to get some work done on the body at least. Sanded and primed one side of the bed and half the tailgate, and I didn't find any more bondo or rust surprises. Guess I can't complain about that. 

Also finished painting the grill and the b pillar vents. 

[CHL2T]

Wow Man, you really are going to town on the 720 and I'm glad it's in your hands. I just wasn't prepared to go quite that far, I just wanted to rescue it and get it running and driving and send it off to someone who would take it to the next level.

 

The knock off carb was really just a stop gap measure to get the truck starting and running slightly better as the weber was super dirty and rebuilding it wasn't going to make it any better due to the base plate adapters being missing. I figured the knock off and new base plate adapters were a viable option that was just a little more expensive than the kit and plates alone. I got it from Pierce mainfolds so mayhap give them a holler and see what they say about it.

 

The block vent is something I was going to get to but just never had a chance to get to it and your fix is exactly what I was gonna do, I guess great minds drink alike! Sorry I forgot to mention it when we were going over it.

 

I still feel like shit about the tire falling off and I'm sure I torqued the nuts  but  maybe I forgot to who knows,  water under the bridge. And surely the truck being 47 years old a lot of shit can happen in that time so who knows how may times the lugs were over/ under tightened in that time.

 

The head and timing chain,  jeez man that sucks and I suspected something wasn't quite right with the power level and that certainly would explain it. Hopefully you can get it figured out without too much trouble.

 

Then the gas tank, the truck was sitting for 10 years buried up to the axles so yeah, plus 47 years it's a rare thing to find a vehicle with a perfect tank. I would do as suggested and re seal it. I did it with great success on my Challenger ages ago and it had dozens of pin holes and held up for over 15 years before I replaced it with a reproduction one.

 

Another thing to think about regarding the brakes, I'm not sure if you noticed it yet, but I repaired a pinhole in the front line under the master cylinder correctly using the right repair (I forgot what the fitting is called) but it was flared and installed properly.

I was looking into new lines but couldn't find a recource for them hence the repair and perhaps you'll have better luck, or just buy a roll of tubing and flaring tool and make your own. Definitely something to consider and I certainly was!

 

Lastly, the body work is looking fantastic and I'm excited to see the final outcome, please dont hesitate to send me progress pics as I may not alwayssee them on this thread. 

 

Anyway,  keep up the good work, don't get discouraged and remember, It isn't about the destination, it's about the journey to get there!

Later

Frank

 

[Negative Ghostrider]

On 7/11/2020 at 11:32 AM, CHL2T said:

Wow Man, you really are going to town on the 720 and I'm glad it's in your hands. I just wasn't prepared to go quite that far, I just wanted to rescue it and get it running and driving and send it off to someone who would take it to the next level.

 

The knock off carb was really just a stop gap measure to get the truck starting and running slightly better as the weber was super dirty and rebuilding it wasn't going to make it any better due to the base plate adapters being missing. I figured the knock off and new base plate adapters were a viable option that was just a little more expensive than the kit and plates alone. I got it from Pierce mainfolds so mayhap give them a holler and see what they say about it.

 

The block vent is something I was going to get to but just never had a chance to get to it and your fix is exactly what I was gonna do, I guess great minds drink alike! Sorry I forgot to mention it when we were going over it.

 

I still feel like shit about the tire falling off and I'm sure I torqued the nuts  but  maybe I forgot to who knows,  water under the bridge. And surely the truck being 47 years old a lot of shit can happen in that time so who knows how may times the lugs were over/ under tightened in that time.

 

The head and timing chain,  jeez man that sucks and I suspected something wasn't quite right with the power level and that certainly would explain it. Hopefully you can get it figured out without too much trouble.

 

Then the gas tank, the truck was sitting for 10 years buried up to the axles so yeah, plus 47 years it's a rare thing to find a vehicle with a perfect tank. I would do as suggested and re seal it. I did it with great success on my Challenger ages ago and it had dozens of pin holes and held up for over 15 years before I replaced it with a reproduction one.

 

Another thing to think about regarding the brakes, I'm not sure if you noticed it yet, but I repaired a pinhole in the front line under the master cylinder correctly using the right repair (I forgot what the fitting is called) but it was flared and installed properly.

I was looking into new lines but couldn't find a recource for them hence the repair and perhaps you'll have better luck, or just buy a roll of tubing and flaring tool and make your own. Definitely something to consider and I certainly was!

 

Lastly, the body work is looking fantastic and I'm excited to see the final outcome, please dont hesitate to send me progress pics as I may not alwayssee them on this thread. 

 

Anyway,  keep up the good work, don't get discouraged and remember, It isn't about the destination, it's about the journey to get there!

Later

Frank

 

Hey man. No hard feelings on this end. I'm just bitching.

 

The old carb is gonna be awesome once I get it rebuilt and re-jetted. I have contacted Weber/Redline and 2 authorized distributors about gasket kits and jets and none of them are responding. It's kind of pissing me off. I would have had it done by now. 

 

I forgot about it being buried. That would explain the tank for sure. There are a couple tanks in Oregon that I'm waiting to hear back on regarding condition and shipping. 

 

There's no prefab brake lines available. I'd have to make my own. I see no signs of leaks so your repair must be holding. I think some of it is me just not being used to drums on 4 corners. I am still considering the front disc conversion. Other stuff just keeps coming first. 

 

Tha chain was just bad luck. Well, I also blame the shim. I contacted Z-Car and told them what happened and they ghosted me. Pretty shitty. They shouldn't be selling that knockoff retainer. I should have been more careful as well, though. It's fine in the long run. I need to replace the head gasket, alternator, hot water cock, carb, etc anyway, and I'll get a new tensioner and guides in there and make sure everything is indexed right. May go electronic ignition on it too. Should run like a fuckin champ when I get it back together. 

 

Body work is coming along. The roof is proving to be the real challenge, only because I can't work on most of it without pulling ceiling liner, which means pulling the gaskets, which means pulling the glass. I'm going to leave that for last. The new window gaskets were not cheap and I only want to have to do that once. 

 

I still have your number. I can keep you up to date. 

[Negative Ghostrider]

Entry 12 - Communication blackout. 

 

What is wrong with people? Is it Covid? I have reached out via email and phone to numerous vendors about various parts and services and I wait and wait and follow up and nothing. Do they not want my money? 

 

Anyhow, I didn't make a lot of progress. Got the rest of the tailgate and half of the driver's side bed wheeled and primered. Also, Evaporust and Ospho are the best things ever. I have been soaking all my fasteners in Evaporust and they come out good as new. I have been shooting larger pieces like the tailgate latches with Ospho and letting it work and they have all been coming out great. I'll have to post some pics. I'm going to use Ospho on the bed before I put the bedliner on it. That stuff is magic. 

 

I bought all the last materials to start building the new door panels and kick panels. Parts are piling up in the garage like crazy. 

 

I did manage to finish wheeling and primering the tailgate and half of the driver side bed. I hope to finish the bed tomorrow. 

[BrothersGarage]

On 7/10/2020 at 6:39 PM, Negative Ghostrider said:

Noticed a drip under the gas tank. Wiped it off and ended up opening 3 pinholes. Oh well, the trucks not running so there is no chance of fire. Although I'm not sure if that is a blessing or a curse. 

It's a Datsun lol

The bodywork is coming together really well. 

As far as people getting back to you, I've also noticed that it's taking much longer to even get responses to emails so I wouldn't be surprised. 

[ducky]

On 6/2/2020 at 8:20 PM, Negative Ghostrider said:

It looks like someone JB welded the valve cover or something. I found coked oil on some crusty orange crap. There were chunks in under the cam as well. I think I got them all. I scraped some loose bits off of the cover as well. It looks like it was along the side of the plate that screws in on the underside of the cover. You can see it on the left of the pic below. I hope this doesn't turn into it's own issue. 

 

That's it for now. 

 

I think this is factory. I just took a valve cover in to be powder coated and noticed mine also had what appeared to be epoxy or something along the seams. You can't even see screws on mine, with how much orangey crap is on it.

[datzenmike]

Orange???? Must be a chevy owner.

 

They all had a cream colored sealer. Epoxy? probably.

[EDM620]

On 7/13/2020 at 6:35 PM, Negative Ghostrider said:

What is wrong with people? Is it Covid? I have reached out via email and phone to numerous vendors about various parts and services and I wait and wait and follow up and nothing. Do they not want my money? 

Partly due to Covid I'm sure with staff layoffs etc. but I have the feeling alot of lousy customer service is going to be blamed on Covid. They can't get the part from China? That's odd because my eBay order came across the pond just fine...

Oh and your money is just fine, perhaps if you just let them hold onto it for awhile they'll feel better about draggin' their asses.

[Negative Ghostrider]

Entry 13 - Another dead end. 

 

Thought I was getting somewhere with the carb. Finally got a conversation going regarding a rebuild kit and new jets with an authorized dealer who said the 32 DGAV 5e was the same as a 32/36 DGAV. Tore the carb apart and noticed the msin venturis are 23/24, not 26/27, so I did some googling. Of course it turns out I have a vintage Euro-spec Ford Escort carb. LOL. I'm waiting to hear back but I am guessing this will not work for my L16, even though the Escort was also 1600. Who knows how one of the previous owners even came across this thing. They seem relatively obscure. 

 

So now I'm back at the crossroads of "Re-jet the knockoff and cross my fingers" or "pony up for a genuine Weber". FML

[EDM620]

I hear your frustration.

On 7/10/2020 at 7:39 PM, Negative Ghostrider said:

Noticed a drip under the gas tank.

Have you dealt with the gas leaking? 

 

IMO you might be near enough to making that carb work assuming you can get the jets and the price is small. Functionally no reason it shouldn't work once you have it jetted.

Failing that, you can pony up for the real Weber.

[Negative Ghostrider]

4 minutes ago, EDM620 said:

I hear your frustration.

Have you dealt with the gas leaking? 

I tackled it at the time. I had no choice, it was dumping all over the place. Good thing I only had a couple gallons in there. I just took the drain bolt out and drained it right into a can I had on hand. The fill cap and drain bolt have been out for a few days now so it's bone dry. 

 

4 minutes ago, EDM620 said:

IMO you might be near enough to making that carb work assuming you can get the jets and the price is small. Functionally no reason it shouldn't work once you have it jetted.

Failing that, you can pony up for the real Weber.

The price would be small but I'm not sure how to calculate the jets/venturis with the lower flow. It wouldn't take the same jets as Redline recommends for  the 32/36. I'm guessing someone versed in carbs could help figure out what would be a close equivalent but that's beyond my knowledge level. I am waiting to hear back from the dealer to see if they think it's feasible. 

[Negative Ghostrider]

Entry 14 - Back in the saddle. 

 

Thanks to the Mariachi band playing their hearts out across the street from our house at noon I was awake a few hours earlier than expected. Happy quinceanera, neighbor kid. 

 

Aaaaanyhooo. I have amassed quite the pile of parts in the garage, with more coming all week. I decided to open some of them up and consolidate, organize, test fit, and just remind myself of anything I may have forgotten I'd ordered. 

 

I test fitted all the speakers in their target locations. Awesome news, the Kicker 5.25s will sit nicely in the kick panels (the irony of the name is not lost on me) and the Skar midbasses will work in the doors with a simple build-out to clear the glass and no cutting to the sheet metal. Stoked for that. Due to an ordering mishap I also have a Skar 8" sub on hand. Not sure if I'll be able to do anything with it though since I have all of 4 inches behind my seats, but whatever. I hadn't planned for a sub anyway. The amp should be arriving from Toro any day now. 

 

Took measurements and ordered all of my various sound deadening materials and priced out carpeting as well. I think I am going to DIY the carpet vs ordering a premolded thing off ebay. It's gonna cost a fraction of the amount as well. Ordered some cheap seat covers for the buckets for now. Not sure if I will have them reupholstered later or find some different seats but covers will hide their shabby condition for the time being. 

 

Test fitted the Wesco Performance 3 point belts and they're awesome. A big step up from the janky, mystery lap belts that are in there. Fitment is excellent with the 12" lower buckle configuration. 10/10 would recommend. 

 

Ordered parts for the carb, to be referred to moving forward as "The Fauxber 32/36". I'm going to take my chances re-jetting it. I only needed 3 jets and 1 emulsion tube to get it to Redline baseline specs, so it's a cheap experiment and if the experiment fails they're all parts I'd need for a genuine 32/36 anyway. Huge shout-out to Bughaus, the only authorized Weber dealer out of 5 that I contacted to not ghost me early in the process. They were extremely helpful and patient with me as we dealt with the surprise puzzle that was the Escort carb. 

 

Started work on the interior panels. Got the beauty panel for the back wall mocked up and fabricated. I should have the foam and suede on it tomorrow. 

 

I will probably work on the kick panels next and save the doors for last. Began a mock-up for a center console as well. I only have 6" between my buckets so basically no prefab consoles would work because they're all too wide. I am using some cheap organizers that fit in the gap between seats and center consoles in your average car. Two of them side by side fit perfectly and will give me 2 cup holders and slots for sunglasses and stuff. I can finish them in the same suede as the other panels and they will blend right in. Best of all there will still be room for me to make a center armrest for my indulgent elbow-resting needs. 

 

Still waiting to hear back on 3 used gas tanks in the area. If all else fails I'll probably take my tank to a radiator shop or something for repairs. I'm going to need a working tank soon, since all my timing parts and gaskets come in this week and hopefully I will have the engine put back together soon. I don't want to dick around with a gas can under the hood. 

 

Soaked the tailgate latches in Ospho for a couple days and it worked wonders. They were both covered in light rust everywhere that wasn't painted, and especially on the inside/backsides. I never would have been able to get into all the nooks and crannies with tools, even if I drilled out all the rivets and took them apart. 

 

Evaporust had been working well on all the nuts and bolts but most end up re-rusting within a few days of me putting them back on the truck. Guess I will try Ospho on the ones that aren't plated and just buy replacements for the shiny fasteners. 

 

My spirit is somewhat renewed, for now. All my timing bits and engine gaskets show up this week and I'll have to tear into the engine and I'm sure that'll frustrate me for a day. Hopefully not more. 

Edited July 20, 2020 by Negative Ghostrider
Added photos