Advice needed on head install

Discuss fixes, upgrades and modifications to your M37

Moderators: Cal_Gary, T. Highway, Monkey Man, robi

User avatar
sturmtyger380
SFC
SFC
Posts: 573
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:13 pm
Location: Up State SC

Re: Advice needed on head install

Post by sturmtyger380 »

Yeah I used hardener on my M38A1. I thought I was making the paint tougher. Well it still scratches and like you said the touch up rattle cans don't match.

It took me some time to realize that when I do the first pass, the fog pass, to make it really light. Then move onto another area that had a fog coat tack drying to put the final coat(s) on. The tendency is to put too heavy an fog coat on or not wait for the fog coat to get tacky.

Alan
47 CJ2A
53 M38A1
52 M37
51 M38
67 M416
?? M101A1
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Advice needed on head install

Post by NAM VET »

I have accepted that I will never be a talented auto or M37 painter. I just won't get the experience to see what works for me. But I did have some good news a few minutes ago, I picked up a case of 12 Gillespie that supposedly matches what I have now on my truck, and just shot a small area on a headlight bucket and was pleased as pink to find that once it dried, the color and "sheen" perfectly match what I shot on my truck yesterday. I may just spot sand a few runs, and use a rattle can to match it. But put a radiant heater on the door since last PM, so it is hard enough to sand, and the weather is perfect repaint the passenger door, the only part that had any runs. Remounted the wood in the bed, put on the antennae, next up the four new reflectors, (I just coated them with the rattle can too); all good here in UpState SC. Just had a nice ham sandwich out on the sun with my wife. Off to run a few errands now.

NV
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Advice needed on head install

Post by NAM VET »

after aiming a radiant heater all night at the door, it was cured enough this afternoon to sand it, and made up some fresh Gillespie, thinned it more, turned down the gun flow and repainted the door. It came out perfectly, so proceeded to put on new reflectors, the hood windshield hold down parts, and then put new parts on my gas grill. Getting close to being "done,", next up is prepping and painting the windshield. Then later, paint the stars and numbers. Then a canvas top.

It has been a long long journey to get to this point. I'll put up some pictures pretty soon.

Beautiful weather here. Love fall.

NV
longshot2171
PVT
PVT
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2007 6:34 pm
Location: Ballston Lake, NY
Contact:

Re: Advice needed on head install

Post by longshot2171 »

When I did my head gasket over the summer, I used both bolts and studs(for accessories) from vpw. The only issue I had was that the nuts came wrapped in cosmoline and it oozed out of the threads when I started the motor.
...word of advice from a lesson I learned...Inspect your bypass oil filter lines before you reinstall. I thought mine were ok but after being bent and shifted around while I did the work, the feed line cracked at the fitting. I lost over 2 quarts and left a nice straight trail down the road and around the corner. It also looks like I was practicing my cursive when I backed up the driveway.
jjw
Post Reply