New to the forum, beginner working on vehicles -- just bought a 1985 KC 4x4

[datzenmike]

1 hour ago, iceman510 said:

C'mon Mike, an ellipsis is only three dots.  Don't copy Tommy. 🤣

 

I was impersonating Michael J Fox.

[Zach]

Wait, is this not a grammar forum? It seems like a lot of people are talking about Datsuns, but I thought we were all here to discuss the nuances of the English language, MLA style and how Oxford commas are useless 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

zactly.....

[datzenmike]

3 hours ago, Zach said:

Wait, is this not a grammar forum? It seems like a lot of people are talking about Datsuns, but I thought we were all here to discuss the nuances of the English language, MLA style and how Oxford commas are useless 

 

Wait... doesn't the first amendment afford protections and the right to free speech and expression as well as burn barrels?

 

 

[Zach]

UPDATE

 

Installed new rear shocks

 

Replaced leaf spring bushings. Not a difficult job, but time consuming because I took the time to get the rust off all the parts, clean them and apply rust reformer before painting them with a couple coats of black. Did the same thing to the frame area around the leaves. It looks good and I can feel a difference in the ride quality with the combination of new bushings and new shocks.

 

Replaced front grille which cracked immediately upon installation, lol

 

Took off the sunroof and found a loootttt of rust in the gutters up there. Did my best to fix most of it with a wire brush and some rust reformer. There's one dime sized hole in the gutter, for now I've just got it taped up but I want to bondo it or weld a patch. For now I'm just not driving the truck in the rain and I put a tarp over it when it does rain.

 

Haven't done anything under the hood the past week or so.

 

PLANS

 

New thermostat got here, need to install that and flush the coolant, hopefully this weekend if weather allows

 

Install new control arm bushings & new tie rod dust boots

 

Bedliner in the next month hopefully. Gonna remove the bed, sandblast the rusted areas, weld in some patches on some rusted through areas and then spray the bedliner in. I also hope to fabricate some bed mount bushings out of some rubber and replace the old ones when reinstalling the bed.

 

___

 

QUESTIONS

 

The bushing replacement kit I bought included strut rod bushings. My truck is a 1985 4WD, and it doesn't seem like I have strut rods? Am I just not seeing the part, or does my truck not have those? I would like to learn more about what strut rods do and why my truck may or may not have them if anyone knows.

 

Does anyone know if there is a source for sunroof seals? Or will I need to create one myself?  If so, has anyone made one? I definitely think my seal is leaking because of the amount of rust I found in the sunroof gutters when I took a look and cleaned it up.

 

___

 

Really enjoying wrenching on this truck. It's nice that everything is so easily accessible -- a lot of the cars I've owned in the past have been German, and it seems like it always takes an hour of work just to get access to the part I want to work on. All the bolts are visible on my 720 and there's plenty of space to access most of the components I've needed to. The only difficult thing has been trying to access the crank bolt. I think I may have an aftermarket radiator? I just cannot get a socket and breaker bar to fit between the radiator / fan and the crank bolt when coming from the top of the truck. I may have to try getting at it from the bottom by removing the skid plate. Still want to get to TDC and adjust the valves but crank bolt access has been a major hurdle.

[NC85ST]

1 hour ago, Zach said:

There's one dime sized hole in the gutter, for now I've just got it taped up but I want to bondo it or weld a patch.

I would try epoxy putty for that hole. I imagine it would be difficult to weld and bondo and water don’t get along well.

 

1 hour ago, Zach said:

The only difficult thing has been trying to access the crank bolt.

My truck is two wheel drive, but I have to access it from the bottom, no way from the top without removing parts. Just put a 3/4” ratchet with the appropriate size socket to turn the engine to adjust the valves. Probably shouldn’t, but I have used the cam bolt before, when adjusting the valves.

[powderfinger]

3 hours ago, Zach said:

The only difficult thing has been trying to access the crank bolt. I think I may have an aftermarket radiator? I just cannot get a socket and breaker bar to fit between the radiator / fan and the crank bolt when coming from the top of the truck.

I always get to it from the bottom