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Project: Ol' Sparky 620


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Entry 14 1/2 - Better living through chemistry? 

 

In my previous post I was raving about Ospho, the rust converter. Continuing on with the work on the tailgate latches I decided to try another magic can to see if it could help make my life easier. This time it was Loctite SF 790 Paint Stripper, AKA Chisel. dBUUFV.jpg

 

I have watched this stuff literally melt paint off of a metal storage cabinet in seconds. I thought it might help me clean all the odd angles and crevices of the latches. This stuff is nasty. You spray it on and it foams and bubbles a bit and paint just cracks, separates and turns to goo. It will also melt nitrile gloves in about 15 seconds so you have to be really careful. Oddly enough it has no fumes, though. Instructions say to let it sit 5-10 minutes then go at the surface with a scraper. That works and it's safe(r) to handle but the paint is a pasty, mostly dry consistency at this point and it's a lot more work to wipe/scrape off. Automotive paint is apparently much more durable than what's on a tool cabinet and it took me a few passes to really get to clean-ish metal. It required a fair amount of scraping and wire brushing to get there, too. I found it's more effective if you can get at the paint with a scraper or brush after about 30-60 seconds when it's basically liquid, but then there's the glove issue. You have to fold a shop rag a few times to hold the piece, and make sure you don't splatter the stuff all over yourself when using the brush or scraper. This is where I was at after 3-4 passes and some elbow grease. 

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Not sure if I saved much time or effort on the large surfaces vs just taking it straight to the bench grinder wire wheel and/or in a vice with a die grinder. I will just go straight to wheeling on the other latch tomorrow to find out. The Loctite definitely got to places that no wheel would ever get to, though. So there's that. Anyhow, you can see how much rust was lurking under the paint and primer. It was a little surprising, honestly. I thought it was so clean after the converter treatment and was not expecting to find rust under the paint. I wheeled it for a minute or two on the bench grinder and then got some hard to reach places with the die grinder and got it as good as I'll be able to.

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I will probably give it one more Ospho treatment to get at the inside spots that are now paint free, then it's primer and paint time. 

 

I was previously thinking about using the Loctite around the inner door frames and some other spots that are hard or tedious to wheel, hoping it would just be a relatively quick spray and wipe. Not so sure now. Maybe I will just wheel first and then follow up with the spray and a wire brush to get anything left over in those little seams and hard to reach places. 

Edited by Negative Ghostrider
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6 minutes ago, EDM620 said:

What is that stuff? I did a quick Google on it and it is a rust converter/primer??

Environmentally friendly rust converter. It's a competitor to POR 15, which is another phosphoric acid compound. It changes iron oxide to iron phosphate and leaves you with a paintable surface. 

 

"When applied to rusted surfaces, it resists/retards rust in chemical change on drying to a tough, hard surface ready for priming. A paint job will last longer after an application of OSPHO because subsequent paint coating securely attaches itself so that moisture and oxygen normally do not attack the metal. OSPHO is water-thin, can cover a larger area than paint, and goes on easily. It is equally effective for exterior and interior work alike. SKYCO OSPHO: a balanced formula of Phosphoric, Dichromate, Wetting Agents and Extenders . . . compounded exclusively by the Skybryte Company since 1947 ... recommended by paint manufacturers."

 

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While i understand you have found a viable option for armrest/console, check out the console from a Juke.

 

https://www.ebay.com/i/372725808976

 

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I can't recall who used it recently, but anther ratsunite put one in their car (510 i think?) And said it fit great.  The whole lower portion comes off, leaving just the armrest and storage section.

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2 hours ago, Lockleaf said:

While i understand you have found a viable option for armrest/console, check out the console from a Juke.

 

https://www.ebay.com/i/372725808976

 

s-l400.jpg

I can't recall who used it recently, but anther ratsunite put one in their car (510 i think?) And said it fit great.  The whole lower portion comes off, leaving just the armrest and storage section.

10 hours ago, EDM620 said:

 

Thanks. It's a little too wide but I actually bookmarked something very similar to this on Amazon that looks like it will work. I only have 6 inches between my buckets so that's been challenging. If I had 8 or more I'd have a lot more options. 

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Do whatever you like and works best, but by the measurements provided in that ebay add, that console seems to fit your space.

 

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But then if you found one on amazon that works too.  I'm not really sure why there is this strange aftermarket center console for Jukes all over the place.  Seems rather odd to me, though I've considered one for my 510 and maybe my 720.

 

Whatever you end up using, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

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18 minutes ago, Lockleaf said:

Do whatever you like and works best, but by the measurements provided in that ebay add, that console seems to fit your space.

 

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But then if you found one on amazon that works too.  I'm not really sure why there is this strange aftermarket center console for Jukes all over the place.  Seems rather odd to me, though I've considered one for my 510 and maybe my 720.

 

Whatever you end up using, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

Ha. I totally misread the dimensions earlier. I thought it said it was like 8" wide. You're right, that should fit. Good looking out. I'll compare with the one on Amazon and then pick the better option. I will be fitting the cup holder bins in the next couple of days and then can measure the remaining space and visualize how I can mount/trim out the armrest options. 

 

Maybe Jukes didn't come with an armrests? It is a weirdly specific model. 

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Entry 15 - The race against time.

 

So, as I promised yesterday, I am following up on how the second tailgate latch turned out. I started this one on the grinder and then followed up with the Loctite Chisel after. Here's pics after the wire bench wheel and die grinder. There is still paint inside and in hard to reach places. 

 

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So I went at it with the Chisel. I did 2 coats and I scraped and wire brushed after each, doing the risky method of working while the paint was still soft. It got some but not all of what was left. 

 

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So on the outside they look identical but the one I did yesterday with multiple passes of the Loctite and scrubbing, then following up with the wire wheels, did a more complete job in and out. It got more paint off the insides and the wires were just for removing the rust discovered under the paint. The Ospho will be able to get the rust inside that's no longer covered by paint. 

 

The one I did today still has a good amount of paint inside and in some of the seams. I would have to hit it a few more times with Loctite Chisel to get it as clean. However, this isn't a show truck, the rust is very minor and it's all hidden. I'm sure it will be fine and I'm not putting in that extra effort. 

 

So which was faster? Well, if you don't count the 10 minute wait times yesterday between the first few treatments with Loctite the processes were probably each about the same amount of time. There was a lot more grinding today and more waiting and scrubbing yesterday. I would call it a wash. The nod goes to starting with Loctite because it stripped more completely and if I hadn't wasted 30-40 minutes waiting for the Chisel to work long term it would have been faster. 

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Entry 16 - Two steps forward

 

I got the rest of the bed wheeled and primered, and I got the latches primered and reinstalled. Now I just have to do the doors... And the cab, and the fenders, and the hood, and the interior.. Sigh. 

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Got some cheap seat covers from amazon and they're not that bad. Definitely better than the trashed leather on the seats. They'll do for now. 

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Padding and suede went on the back panel cover and I painted the J-moulding that's going to hold it in place. Pics of that coming soon. The back wall is going to get covered with sound deadening so that won't have to wait for paint. Then the cover can go in. 

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Entry 17 - Swanky! 

 

Finished the suede insert for behind the seats. The weldwood spray glue I started using was terrible. Followed the instructions perfectly and it did not hold. It must not have liked one of the materials. Good thing I always have a can or two of 3M Super77 on hand. Anyhow, it turned out well the second time around. Test fit in the truck looks good. Now I just have to get the sound deadening in and the J-molding attached to hold it. 

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Entry 18 - lots of work, only a little progress. 

 

My godbrother came over and we tore into the engine. The problem is that since the tensioner had already gone loose and I couldn't get the chain back on the sprocket and back in place, so we had no way to lock the crankshaft in place. The cordless impact wrench we had on hand wasn't stout enough to knock the bolt off of the crankshaft pulley. We tried various methods of trying to secure the chain but to no avail. We have a much more powerful impact wrench coming and hopefully that will do the trick. If it doesn't we're in a world of hurt. It's an automatic so we can't just put it in gear and hit the brakes. Advice welcome. 

 

All the gaskets were very rotten and there were signs of moisture on the head studs, and some blow by. Head gasket obviously needed done regardless so I'm glad we tore it down. I have a full rebuild gasket kit on the way, along with new studs for the manifolds, since all the studs but one backed out instead of giving up the nuts. There was a lot of sludge in the oil pump assembly - it was stuck up in there really well - so that will need a good cleaning. There's definitely some buildup on the piston heads and around a couple of the valves. Gotta figure out how best to clean all that. 

 

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Fine water droplets on all the studs when we removed them. 

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Buildup on the valvesdTb8Kv.jpg

And the cylinders. dTbwDF.jpg

Rotten manifold gaskets and signs of leaking. dTbOog.jpg

 

The coolant and transmission fluid looked good and clear when I drained them. The oil looked ok as well. They didn't have very many miles on them, though. At least there were no alarming signs of gasket failure or anything. I have Delo400 waiting to go in when it's back together. The O'Reilly didn't have Rotella T4 in quarts and I needed more than a gallon but didn't want to buy two. 

 

We got the gas tank dropped. Those spring clamps with the Phillips head tensioners on all the vent hoses seize up reeeaall good after almost 50 years. Gonna be replacing all of those along with most or all of the rubber lines. Gas tank sounds like it's got gravel in it. Gonna put the endoscope in it and try to see how bad it is and clean the grime off the outside and try to see if there are more pinholes. Hopefully it is salvageable and I can find a place to patch it up and clean it out. I can't get a phone or email response from any of the yards in Oregon with gas tanks listed so refurbishment is my best option. 

 

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Had to cut things short to take one of the cats to the ER. There goes at least $1500 of my budget. Damn lovable furry priorities. Truck is probably going to sit in this state for a couple weeks. I should be able to get the new heater cock put in and rejet the carb but that's probably it for a while. My center console got lost by ups and Amazon says they're out of stock now or something so I got my money back and will have to tackle that again later, I guess. 

Edited by Negative Ghostrider
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All is not lost. You can still get the crank bolt out using compression. Get a long (very long) length of a soft fibre rope like clothesline - NOT poly rope - and bolt the head back on. Choose a cylinder that has the piston at the bottom of it's travel and valves closed, then start feeding in the rope through the spark plug hole. You'll be surprised at just how many feet of rope you'll get in there. When you can't stuff any more rope in through the spark plug hole, put a snipe on your 3/4" drive breaker bar and turn the bolt out (reverse engine rotation). Chances are you'll still need to feed more rope in so back off & keep on stuffing rope. The rope will fill the cylinder and stop the piston moving & therefore the crank, allowing you to finally crack that bugger loose.

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6 minutes ago, EDM620 said:

All is not lost. You can still get the crank bolt out using compression. Get a long (very long) length of a soft fibre rope like clothesline - NOT poly rope - and bolt the head back on. Choose a cylinder that has the piston at the bottom of it's travel and valves closed, then start feeding in the rope through the spark plug hole. You'll be surprised at just how many feet of rope you'll get in there. When you can't stuff any more rope in through the spark plug hole, put a snipe on your 3/4" drive breaker bar and turn the bolt out (reverse engine rotation). Chances are you'll still need to feed more rope in so back off & keep on stuffing rope. The rope will fill the cylinder and stop the piston moving & therefore the crank, allowing you to finally crack that bugger loose.

You recommended this before and I totally forgot about it until now. I was trying to think of ways to block off a piston today, too. If the big impact can't pop it loose we will totally do this. I knew there had to be a way to get it off because chains break and there has to be a way to fix it. Thanks again!

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If you have a long box end wrench that fits the crank pulley bolt head, putting the box end on the bolt head, and resting the other end of the wrench on a frame rail on the driver's left side of the truck.  Then briefly crank the engine with the starter.

You need to do this with a wrench.  A socket and breaker bar puts the handle of the breaker bar too far in front of the bolt head.

 

If the clutch in the truck is good, putting the transmission in fourth gear, and setting the emergency brake hard, may give you enough resistance to loosen the crank pulley nut.

Never mind last step, you have an automatic transmission.

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2 hours ago, DanielC said:

If you have a long box end wrench that fits the crank pulley bolt head, putting the box end on the bolt head, and resting the other end of the wrench on a frame rail on the driver's left side of the truck.  Then briefly crank the engine with the starter.

You need to do this with a wrench.  A socket and breaker bar puts the handle of the breaker bar too far in front of the bolt head.

 

If the clutch in the truck is good, putting the transmission in fourth gear, and setting the emergency brake hard, may give you enough resistance to loosen the crank pulley nut.

Never mind last step, you have an automatic transmission.

Thanks. We thought about this but I don't have a 27mm box wrench. We almost tried it with the breaker bar but it sounds like maybe it's a good thing we didn't. 

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1 hour ago, Negative Ghostrider said:

Entry 19 - some decent news. 

 

Opened up the gas tank and scoped it. Good news is that the rust damage is confined to a small area around the drain plug. Rest of the tank is nice and clean. Found an area performance shop that will fix it up for a reasonable price. Should have it back next week. 

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If you haven't you should inspect the pickup tube.... make sure it's in good shape.... or go one step further, i had a shop weld on an npt fitting and used a replaceable marine pickup tube... 

 

Something like this...

Screenshot-20200727-183226-e-Bay.jpg

 

They have all different sizes so if you do go that route make sure it's the size you need... 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Entry 20 - The progress that kept progressing! 

 

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Was a marginally productive couple of days. I finally got the fuel tank dropped off for repairs. Spent a lot more time than expected getting the head cleaned up. Some of those gaskets were very unwilling to come off. Found a chunk of metal embedded in cylinder 1, probably a piece of a spark plug. It pitted the head and the top of the piston, but not too badly. With advice from the gurus I was able to extract the piece and smooth out the damage. Hopefully won't be an issue. Everything on the bottom end looks good as far as we can tell. No play, obvious bearing wear, etc. 

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Rob came over with the the 60v, 1200 lb/ft impact wrench and we were able to get the crankshaft pulley off in a blink, and the rest of the front of the block after.

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Getting the oil pan removed was a bigger challenge than expected. That crossmember underneath it was a bitch to get off (and a bigger bitch to get back on). Dredged a magnet through the pan and picked up no shavings or anything so that's another good sign. Ran out of time to get any reassembly done but that's all that's left, moving forward.

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Edited by Negative Ghostrider
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Entry 21 - Jet power! 

 

Got the jets all squared away in the Fauxber 32/36. Thanks again to Bughaus for working with me to figure out the mystery of the other carb and get me the parts I needed for this one. Hopefully it works ok. It ran alright before and the jets weren't too far off from the proper specs, so hopefully it will really hum now. 

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