Now the rebuild starts

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NAM VET
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Just a lucky day

Post by NAM VET »

Was away for most of a week, down at Disney with the family, daughter likes to run in the Princess Half Marathon, plus the 10K. Was great fun. But of course, I spent much of my time pondering what step should be next in my truck's resurrection. Went by the machine shop, Tony there, an old friend, told me he will personally break down my engine tomorrow; I dropped off new valve seats, valves, springs, keepers, and will have new cam bearings here in a day or so. He is familiar with these engines. He will balance the pistons (when I order the correct ones) and will spin balance the crank and flywheel, as always suggested on this forum. Told me he would bead blast some of the minor parts, pulleys, etc.

I asked if he knew anyone who could sand blast parts I have previously removed from the truck, grills, assorted brackets, all the troop seat metal parts, this and that, a few small panels, intake and exhaust manifolds and he sent me over to CCC, which I did not know about in our town, they are a big industrial coating and stripping place, took a load over, their receptionist helped me unload it all into their shop, ready in a week or so. Costs $70 per hour of blasting. Tickled pink I have this available to me locally.

Then drove over to a big industrial "hose/tube" sort of business, he told me they can make any sort of brake line or other line I might need, flexible, hard, shielded, whatever, just to bring my part in to have them duplicate it. Again, luck to have them local to me. He made up a new small fuel line shut-off valve while I was there, mine is cracked.

Then rolled under the truck bed, and found the big bolts that hold the bed on are easy to spin off, not rusty, easy to reach. I will lift off the bed in a day or so, then get to work on replacing fuel and vent and brake lines. So I am working on the truck to make it ready for me to reinstall the engine, when I get it back from the machine shop. He will put in the cam and valves for me, and bring it back to my home when done; he said me will be glad to paint the engine after hot tanking it.

Got my TM on disassembly and reassembly of the engine today. Lots to study and highlight in getting ready for my motor to come home.

Now to dinner and the local college basket ball game. My neighbor is the coach.

As usual, let me find some sort of picture...... Took this photo in Saudi Arabia, some sort of British armored car. Royal Saudi vehicle. A Ferrett???

[URL=http://s663.photobucket.com/user/h ... .jpg[/img][/url]
NAM VET
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Another fruitful day. Went by the machine shop, took him my flywheel and pressure plate to rotate balance with the crank. He says the flywheel looks great, but will skim the surface anyway, pressure plate is good to go. Pulled off the front armored lines, and then decided to go ahead with making them all up new with the Fedhill lines, with armored covering. So called them, and have 1/4 inch for the brake and and 5/16 for the fuel lines, and will do also the vent lines. Have new flex lines to put on. Then cleaned up some of the radiator supports, primed them, and will set about primering a lot of sheet metal this weekend. Continuing to study the TM on the engine plans. Helps to have such nice weather. Ordered a full gasket set too. All is well
NAM VET
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Another productive day. Somedays, I can spend hours just cleaning some small part, or making several trips to get this and that, and at the end of the day, when dusk falls, and I clean and put away all my tools (I always do this, then the next day I start with a clean, tidy work bench, and all my tools in their places in my chest), it just doesn't seem like I got much done. I think that is why, if one is meticulous it can take a long time to actually "restore" an old vehicle. For instance, yesterday, in preparation for my Fedhill tubing coming in a few days, removed the stout tubing clamps up under the cab, the ones that hold the tubes snug under the frame rails, and then proceeded to de-rust them, wirebrushed them, dipped in acetone to clean off any residual oil, then a coat of red primer, and then later two coats of black satin Rustoleum. All this for small metal parts no one will ever see, but I will know they are now "restored." Interesting, as I work thru this and that I am finding many of the small bolts that fasten this and that in out of the way places must be OEM, with the recessed, stamped bolt heads. Some of their threads are a bit worn, so I will use modern fasteners, I like Grade 8 for rust resistance, even if they are only holding some small clamp.

Well anyway, warm and sunny here in Upstate SC, so spent the day out in the driveway, grinding and brushing away any residual corrosion on various sheet metal, restoring threads on bolts, then scrubbed much of my removed sheetmetal, and then blasted away any grime with my power washer. I got hungry after lunch, so even I had a great waffle and egg breakfast, cleaned up and went to a nearby hamburger joint, where the young waitress told me I had been her pediatrician when she was younger. I should have shaved before it went for a quick bite. Trying out some Ospho on some minor rust on a seam or two, will see how it looks in the AM.

I keep trying to determine what needs to be done when my engine is back together; those kinds of tasks that are much harder or impossible with the engine back in the truck. All in all, a good day, again.

All the best, guys.

NV
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Well, at least here in UpState SC, I don't have to fret about the heavy snow coming to the North East Coast, just a cold rain off and on. So decided to at least get something accomplished, since my truck is out in my driveway. So called Charles Talbert, and after confirming he was going to be at his shop, I loaded up my fuel pump, 100 amp generator, carb assembly, and my starter, and clutch disc and pressure plate, and headed north the two hours to his shop. Peaceful drive, winding rural roads, listening to the 60's music on my Sirrus. As usual, Charles took time to explain a finished motor he had on a test stand, with his coolant filter and alternator, and other upgrades. And looked over my clutch disc, told me it was pretty worn, and explained how to check that. He had several small hoses I need, too. And picked up an oil pump, and also explained how to check it for wear. And then walked me over to a M 37 frame, and showed me how to evaluate a Gemmer steering box. A whole lot of knowledge and experience there. Then headed home, stopping by a BBQ shack for a sandwich, and two hours later, home by mid-afternoon. Have to accomplish at least some task on my truck, so de-rusted a piece of steel, and then into the house for dinner. And a short nap. It has been a great "winter" and early spring here, so I have gotten many hours of comfortable temps out in my driveway, mostly now painting things like fenders and such. I just got back a whole pile of things like bed troop bed stakes and odds and ends from the sandblaster, and primed them in the driveway with my HVLP gun.

Autoweek magazine just had an issue focusing on home rebuilding vehicles, and the pitfalls of kit car hopes. One bit of advice is that when one gets "stuck" in the process, is to just pick some small, perhaps inconsequential task, and complete it. Me, I just keep relentlessly forging ahead. Being retired does have its advantages. The machine shop owner, when I dropped by late last week, showed me that my motor has virtually no "ridge" at the top of the cylinders. I think in a few days he will have the specifications I need to order my pistons and bearings. Moving onward.

And for a picture, lets see what I can find. This one is sad. Czech patriots parachuted into their home country and killed Heinrich Heidrich, the architect of horrible warcrimes in that country. They were betrayed, and took refuge in the crypt cellar of a Prague church, and there made their stand, deciding to take their own lives. The Nazi troops tried to flood them out, and set up a MG across the street, and sprayed the only opening to the outside, and then stormed the inner entrance. I had a Czech friend who told me the reprisals were so awful that for decades the Czech people felt the cost was too great, and it is only recently that the heroic sacrifice of their patriots has been recognized for the heroism the team displayed. If you visit the church now, there is a German documentary of the event, along with memorials to the two patriots who died in the crypt. Moving, to say the least. By the way, the traitor was tried and hung after the war. Apparently there are always flowers put on the wall by the citizens of Prague.

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just me
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by just me »

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You might enjoy this. The new radio I just got for my truck. The service card inside indicates it was there beginning in late 68.
"It may be ugly, but at least it is slow!"
NAM VET
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

I came and went several times from Tan San Nhut airbase. Big PX, officer's club, where one day I ate I think 6 or 7 BLT sandwiches, couldn't get enough of them. That day, I was just quietly eating them one by one, and at the next table were about 4 or 5 pilots, LOACH (OH 6 reconn pilots), who were bothering me with their loud, boisterous conduct, so I told the big talker to pipe down, and he ignored me, so after putting up with his loud bothersome conversation, I got up and walked over to him and put the blade of my Buck folding hunter on his neck and told him to be quiet. Then sat down and had another BLT. They didn't pay much attention to me. It just shows how men in war times can just do and be so different than at any other normal time in their lives. I saw that in other men too. Hard to explain to someone who hasn't been there.

Anyway, most of my Vietnam aircraft pictures were shot coming and going via the Airbase. lets see.....

This is an A37 Dragonfly, flown by VNAF pilots for close air support. It was originally a USAF trainer, adapted for low altitude support. Right next to this one was a whole row of crashed and wrecked ones. I never had them fly any support for me. This is a Kodachrome II shot with my trusty Pentax, which I bought via the PACEX catalogue.

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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NCM »

NAM VET, so is Charles handling your engine rebuild or is a local machine shop doing it?
Cal_Gary
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by Cal_Gary »

Nam Vet, great progress that I just had to acknowledge-great work!
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NAM VET
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Well there is a story to this. Summer before last, I had an engine out service of the powerplant of my Porsche GT3, mostly to weld in the 6 coolant pipes, as they have a tendency to blow out. Plus other service for all the usual "consumables." GT3's and Turbo cars have a two stage fuel pump, which requires two 25 amp fuses. The Porsche shop pulled both when they went to crank the motor to pre-lube it after the engine was back in. Was a little under $4K. Nothing done to Porsche's is cheap. I then headed out to Western Nebraska for a 52 mile open road event, and when I was a thousand miles from my SC home I finally had a safe place to "put the hammer down", and at the end of a long pull, had a miss, and check engine light come on. Three flatbed's later that day, at a Porsche Racing shop in KC, with the engine out again, the mechanic there found that when the first shop had reinstalled the two fuses, they moved them one over, hence my motor ran lean on only one stage at WOT high rpm, burning off the electrode of the #3 piston, and the ultimate repair of that cost over $7K, the replacement piston/liner alone was $2K, not to mention I could not run the Sandhills Open Road Challenge, and I had to fly out a month later to retrieve the car. I went back here to the first shop, and met the the team and explained that I understood simple mistakes can have big consequences, and it could have happened to any quality shop. And asked them to cover the $2K piston, and I would take the $5K labor, and call it even. People make mistakes. The shop told me they never made mistakes, and refused my generous offer. So I turned around and walked out, and never posted or talked about it with anyone.

This expense really soured my wife on the car, such that she refused to ride in it, and in fact, was quite insistent that I sell the GT3, which I did last summer, immediately after finally running the Challenge.

I decided I had to go in an entirely different direction with my next "car", coming from the GT3 and the prior Cobra, so went as far away from that as I could, acquiring my '52 M42. I am lucky, there is no rust I can't fix with just sandpaper, but found recently, despite the truck driving fine, that I had low compression on two cylinders. I drove up to Charles T's place, about two hours away, to talk about a complete engine "fix", and Charles, to his credit, does not do anything half way. He does it right, or not at all. But it was going to cost again, about $7K and there was no way I was going to go thru all this again. So I decided I would do it myself, getting help where and when I can and will need it. I have been back to Charles' place again and he has graciously given me advice and even gave me a new OEM clutch and disc to replace my own. How gentlemanly is that?

I bought a hoist and an engine stand, and have acquired more tools, and the tech TM's, and as soon as I get my motor back from the machine shop, will set to work rebuilding it. If I run into difficulties, I will then seek help. Besides, with the motor out, I am working feverishly to clean and paint, and do those things so much easier with the powerplant out. I have rebuilt a few motors in my English sports cars in long years past, so hopefully, I can do this with care and support. I bought things to do the brake/vent/fuel lines, so with the cold temps here (at least for SC), will be in the garage in a few hours. Oh, one of my other interests is competitive pistol and recreational rifle shooting, and I reload for 14 different calibers, mostly vintage military. Was shooting last night, and one of the other shooters came up to me and told me "I was told if I want to learn how to make accurate 308 I needed to talk to you." Nice complement. Shot two Browning High Powers last night after re-springing them, nice to see them both work perfectly.

I like to post some sort of picture from my past, let me look thru and see what I can find......

On a lighter note, I was on the advance party of about 15 troops from my EVAC hospital for Desert Storm, and we were first billeted in Saudi Arabia at the port in these unused apartments, called Kohbar towers, the scent a few years later of a terrorist bombing that killed quite a few US troops there. Every evening, the local food contractors set up dinner in one of the parking garages, and the troops, this being before they would mount up and head out to get ready for the WAR. You can see the line, wrapping all the way around and behind the one building and disappearing into the distance. Mostly gravy over rice, with bread. Nobody complained, you just talked with your friends as the line slowly moved to your own meal. I was Chief of the Medical Staff for the 410'th EVAC, we were the busiest hospital in that War. Again, my trusty Pentax with Kodachrome II.

Another War story. We were told we could use any Saudi road working machinery that they had abandoned in fleeing the front lines. I had seen a big twin road roller out in the desert, so took one of my men, a mechanic, and drove him out to it, and told him if he could start it, he could have it. He climbed up, hot wired it and drove it across the desert, bounding over this and that, and we used it to flatten our field hospital building site. Later, despite my cautions about where not to drive the compactor, he managed to drop it into a mud pit right in the middle of our hospital, and I was afraid we would have to built our hospital around it. But in the distance I saw an Engineer Unit moving forward, and went over and had one of their huge forklifts come over and lift it out, so I had our roller driven out and again abandoned in the desert.
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NAM VET
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

NCM, I am not very successful with private messages, so if you need to use my hoist or engine stand or any of my special tools, like perhaps the tuning tools I have bought or other things, or even my HVLP system, or whatever, just let me know.

NV
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NCM »

Now it makes sense! I am not to the rebuild stage just yet, just planning. My M is very driveable, but eventually I would like to rebuild the engine for more power, or possibly even swap in a 251. I too have driven over buy a few things from Charles. He has a great reputation, but like you I would rather save a few bucks and do the rebuild myself. Plus I just like tinkering. I will be following your build to see how things turn out with the local machine shop.

I remember you saying before that you have had private message issues. I have not received one from you yet. Did you receive the one I sent you a couple of months ago?
NAM VET
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

NCM, I did try to respond to your PM recently, I guess it just failed to get to you. You are welcome to drive down to Rock Hill to see what I am doing now.

So, pretty chilly outside, at least no snow like for so many afflicted further north. Decided to begin to get going on my brake (and fuel and vent lines), so opened up the FedHill box, with their nifty flaring device, and just got my tubing straightner from Eastwood, the black one you hold in your hands, and push and pull your tubing thru; it works great to take out the curl from the tubing. The kit comes with everything you need, plus a new sharp file to be sure your cut end is square, and a tubing cutter; it must have a new cutting wheel, as it cut perfectly. When I called FedHill, he suggested I don't flare the end with all my might, as it helps to leave a "little" for the tubing nut to finish melding the flare to the brass female inlet. I had ordered 1/4 inch "armor", found on Ebay for like twelve bucks, it was an Inline Product. I just ordered some 5/16 similar armor for my fuel lines, direct from Inline tubing, for 3 bucks a foot. So check Ebay first.

I have never made any hard lines before (I have previously made lots of AN stainless hose), so made up my first tube, complete with armor. But then found that it is best to bend and shape the tubing before putting the armor on, as it was all squirmy when I was trying to shape it. But got that short one done. Per the instructions, it really is important to cut a square end, and carefully chamfer the inside and outside. I just bought a special tool for that, but found that a quick and gentle touch up of the internal bevel with a tiny sanding tip on my Dremel made it perfectly even. By the way, the included tubing cutter was fine, my Dremel with a cut-off wheel did not cut the cupro-nickel tubing at all.

I bought a tubing bender, but found the FedHill tubing is not hard to bend with my hands. I measured each take-off line with string, then added a few inches to the new tubing, and cut it off, flaring one end. Then I would screw that end into its female end, and bend the tubing to match well where it needed to go, adding a few inches, then I cut it to that length, and added the armor, the nut, and then did the flare. It all went slowly, but I hope without any leaks, as the ends seem perfect. I got cold hands as evening fell, so will find out tomorrow if my front lines leak or not; I did replace the flexible armored lines up front. Fortunately, I have lots of spare line clamps in assorted sizes, so each tube is securely fastened to some frame or axle point.

I have a Motive power bleeder, and bought from Summit a NPT plug for the master cylinder, then an NPT bushing, and have a smaller NPT with a 3/8 nipple on it, attached to a Home Depot hose to the Motive, so I can hopefully bleed the front system, before proceeding to the rear system. I have 3/16 tubing coming, and 5/16 tubing for the fuel lines. I only takes a few minutes using the FedHill tool to make very symmetrical double flare; it can take more time to bend the tubing to line it up at both ends.

Here is the FedHill tube flaring device. The clamping system leaves no marks on the tube.
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Here is picture of T 62, I shot this one in the Desert Storm war. Not a bad tank, just nowhere near the capability of our M1 Abrams. We blew up thousands of these T 62's. They are very cramped inside.
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NAM VET
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

As I have mentioned, I decided that my propensity to spatial disorientation when I am under my truck, just made it a logical decision to remove my truck's bed to continue my replacement of my fuel and vent and brake lines. A day ago, removed all six bolts that hold the bed down, they were easy, so this morning, before church with my son visiting with his wife and son, went out to drain a few gallons of gas. When I loosened the fuel filler clamps, it seeped some gas, so needed to drain some. My truck has a fuel tank petcock, although it must have been added later than its Dec '52 build date. Interesting that the bolt on the drain was metric, not SAE. Put a big funnel under it, and drained about 4 gallons into my army fuel can. Then moved my new hoist over to a bed side, but it could not reach to be over the center of the bed, so pushed it around so it was straight over the tailgate. Used two ratcheting straps, hooked to the tie downs on each side, and raised the bed. Since the rear of the bed is heavier than the front, my son had to lift a bit on the rear, then we pulled the whole kit and kaboodle over to my two 4X4 timbers and set it down. I washed the gas off my forearm, and zipped to Charlotte to Church.

Then this afternoon, sprayed some de-greaser on the rear frame and connection points, and then turned my power washer loose on it. Looks pretty good, and will more correctly hook up my electric fuel pump. Oh, I took my two short rubber vent line connections over to my local industrial hose place, and the tech there told me he could re-do them (they were old and stiff), but would end up having to be a few inches longer, due to his available end connections. So, my plan is to make the 3/16 hard lines for the two vents so I can splice a short piece of fuel injection hose into each vent line, so I can hook them up later precisely to the correct length. I did manage to tear off most of thumb fingernail cleaning the rear frame. Here is what it looks like. Minimal rust. The prior owner disconnected the tank vent line, and just put some tubing on it. I will make it original again. Will spruce up the frame before I re-mount the bed.
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Now, for a picture. Taking a patrol break with a Vietnamese Lt, note we have our radios, my .45, his M16, and our grenades. Mud half way up our legs. Just a few yards from where we are sitting, a US Captain had been killed shortly before, by a mine.
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NAM VET
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Now the rebuild starts.....

Post by NAM VET »

the machine shop brought my engine back yesterday, so used my hoist to put it on my engine stand, and went to work. Carefully wiped some Ospho on the bare and flash-rusted block and head, and then this morning after masking openings, sprayed some Ceramic satin black block paint on the beast. Temporarily Put the new camshaft sprocket on so I could turn the cam, and used his tappet wrenches to set the cold clearances. He installed the new valves (and seats, springs, etc) for me, and it was just so much easier to sit by the engine and set the clearances per CT. I went back and checked and rechecked the clearances, (he had kept the tappets marked so they went into their original bores, and he ground the ends of the tappet screws flat again for me). I have Temporarily put the valve covers on to keep that area all spiffy. I am glad the machine shop carefully bagged all the removed screws, as some like the camshaft sprocket are special for their intended locations. Went to check the gaps on my new piston rings, and then had to order a ring filer, and just got my Summit bore-specific ring compressor. I wonder if the last shop to rebuild my motor long ago, did not correct the ring gap, hence the broken rings on my pistons. So at a stand-still for a few days.

The shop removed and replaced one liner, bored the cylinders, static and rotational balanced the crank and piston assemblies, ground and then polished the crank, installed the new piston bushings, surfaced the flywheel, and he went ahead and installed the valves for me, since I don't have that tool. New cam bearings, valve seats, freeze plugs, surfaced the block and the heads, pressed a few seals for me, and shot a lot of pictures of my motor as he went, to assist me in putting it back together. And assembled the new piston/rods for me also, of course. Cost for this was $1700 for those considering this for their own motor.

The big and small ends of the rods were balanced as this picture shows. And then a picture of my motor, ready for the next step.

Out for dinner, will post the pictures when i get back.

NV
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Re: Now the rebuild starts.....

Post by NAM VET »

some of the rods were "balanced" one one or the other end, and sometimes both. Like this one:
[URL=http://s663.photobucket.com/user/h ... .jpg[/img][/url]

and here is my powerplant, partially dressed, and ready for the next step. [URL=http://s663.photobucket.com/user/h ... .jpg[/img][/url]
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