earthman
Fascinated by rolling objects!
This appeals to me
Kechi 1949 3100 4.3 4L60e
- Thread starter joedoh
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rods Rule:
......"A fine pink mist".......somehow this is stuck in my head now.
Me too. The right marketing campaign, and this could go... [S
earthman
Fascinated by rolling objects!
Yep!
earthman
Fascinated by rolling objects!
bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
I think that phrase was used in one of the shoot-em-up novels I read.
DozerII
Well-known member
Also sounds like what happens when we shoot gophers with a 22-250 in the early spring on the snow.
Also sounds like what happens when we shoot gophers with a 22-250 in the early spring on the snow.
haha!
I cut the hard trans lines and added flares to the ends to hold some oil appropriate rubber hose on, usually I would bend the hard lines to fit but its hard and imperfect and always dangerous to kink, and besides I am always looking for a way to improve the timing.
the air distribution was next, this big piece is bolted to the dash and when the dash is bolted in it is held tight to the HVAC box. it gives the defrost and face vents, this is looking down from the top into the defrost vents.
I already figured out on the last one how to attach the piece but I cut too much and airflow was pitiful. the GM engineers know something about airflow and pressure so this time I only trimmed what I had to, the defrost should fit well and the front vents should point right out of the AD speaker hole, I can flare that open or even install some vents there.
working hard on getting the front clip on for the last time, painted the steering parts and installed the column for the last time, wired the O2 sensors. next was restabbing the distributor. lucky I always take a picture of the rotor location when I take it apart. installed the oil pressure sender too. I got it all in ok but I really feel sorry for the guy who needs to change the rotor, its a really tight, hold-your-tongue-right, kind of operation. you can see how close the coil wire is to the firewall, mental note for more room next time.
the dizzy was clocked a little past square is what the problem was, with the extra coil connector that was the problem. I put the interior HVAC box in for the last time, those are stock S10 heater hoses.
needed to patch the kicks, ugly but non structural stripes in the usual spot. I made a kydex template so it doesnt disappear in the cleaning sessions (hard to tell patterns from trash)
popped out a pair and spot welded them strategically, then seam sealed them entirely so no water or grit gets trapped.
it would have been more attractive to patch on the inside but that would have been hard to seal outside. of the two, I prefer the more watertight, and I can always put kick panels in.
more tomorrow, I should have the front clip on for the last time in the morning and then its wiring and maybe a start!
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BillM
Well-known member
Great progress, it's almost like you've done this before!
thanks! i always get excited for the next one when I am almost done with the current one, but on this one I am getting excited to drive it. I have learned a LOT in 4 years, its staggering how fast and how much better every consectutive truck is.
enough soap box. had a mower go down and with 4 acres two different places that's.... bad. finally got the part in today, supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon so today is fix mower and mow like bananas day. 3.5 acres in I am getting frustrated with the constant interruptions on talk radio in the worktunes muffs, "heat index 107", "be careful outside today" "know the signs of heat stroke" UGGGH, just shut up and let me mow. wait what was that last one? "hot dry skin, no sweating, disorientation and irritation.....
ah crap. I ended up sitting in the truck cab ac for 20 minutes with a pounding headache, head between knees trying not to hurl or pass out. loaded mower and made it home, thought I was sweating finally, tasted salt on my upper lip, nope its a nosebleed. cool shower and a banana and dont feel like I am going to fall over any more.
yesterday I did get ALL the front end mounted and super straight, the fender support rods looked like different types of punctuation marks (question mark for one, that funny parenthesis mark the other) but I got them straightened in the vise and EVERY SINGLE bolt installed. nice to shake the fender and the whole cab moves. the numerous and ugly dents in the fenders are out too.
dug around in the shop, someone was talking about air ride and it reminded me I had some spare airride stuff, found an almost complete ART air bar setup (the missing parts are in the back yard) and a front bag setup with some spare lowers and OH YEAH I did have a few old school MIC manual valve plates. that 1/4" set in the middle, thats gotta be 1996 or 1997, OLD stuff.
so tomorrow I can do wiring in the rain (inside while it rains outside I mean) and maybe roll it out for the rear end swap/driveshaft install. did I mention I got another rear with the u joint pinion? maybe not.
enough soap box. had a mower go down and with 4 acres two different places that's.... bad. finally got the part in today, supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon so today is fix mower and mow like bananas day. 3.5 acres in I am getting frustrated with the constant interruptions on talk radio in the worktunes muffs, "heat index 107", "be careful outside today" "know the signs of heat stroke" UGGGH, just shut up and let me mow. wait what was that last one? "hot dry skin, no sweating, disorientation and irritation.....
ah crap. I ended up sitting in the truck cab ac for 20 minutes with a pounding headache, head between knees trying not to hurl or pass out. loaded mower and made it home, thought I was sweating finally, tasted salt on my upper lip, nope its a nosebleed. cool shower and a banana and dont feel like I am going to fall over any more.
yesterday I did get ALL the front end mounted and super straight, the fender support rods looked like different types of punctuation marks (question mark for one, that funny parenthesis mark the other) but I got them straightened in the vise and EVERY SINGLE bolt installed. nice to shake the fender and the whole cab moves. the numerous and ugly dents in the fenders are out too.
dug around in the shop, someone was talking about air ride and it reminded me I had some spare airride stuff, found an almost complete ART air bar setup (the missing parts are in the back yard) and a front bag setup with some spare lowers and OH YEAH I did have a few old school MIC manual valve plates. that 1/4" set in the middle, thats gotta be 1996 or 1997, OLD stuff.
so tomorrow I can do wiring in the rain (inside while it rains outside I mean) and maybe roll it out for the rear end swap/driveshaft install. did I mention I got another rear with the u joint pinion? maybe not.
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Old Iron
Well-known member
It's all lookin really good [cl
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[P[P[P
05snopro440
Well-known member
Wow, those M.I.C. manual control valves have to be pretty rare these days! Those are almost museum pieces now
Looks like the truck is coming right along!
Looks like the truck is coming right along!
Wow, those M.I.C. manual control valves have to be pretty rare these days! Those are almost museum pieces now
little larrys used to make MIC repops but the new company airjax does not.
stuff from the early days of minitruckin is always interesting on the nostalgia sites. soon there will be a hamb-like minitruckin forum where they throw rocks at modern stuff and the old MIC manuals will be like ardun heads on a flatty. well, maybe not. but the old school mini guys love the old manuals.
05snopro440
Well-known member
There's a page on Facebook "MiniTruckin' - Where are they now?" That the guys would probably love that stuff. It's sad the state that a lot of those minitrucks end up in if they haven't already been scrapped.
some guy in phoenix bought my mazda mini from 2000 that was featured and on the calendar and even the subscription card once, he was all excited about it but honestly I sold it in 2003 and never thought about it much till my daughter found it in a local town and bought it in 2013. she talked about working on it, I tried to help her, it just sat. her memories were like mine, of what it was, not what it is, so we moved it on to someone who cared.
I keep the valves around because they are easy to use, move a little for slow, a lot for fast, super reliable. not for any nostalgia. I probably have enough to do all the bagged projects I have left in me haha.
Dang Joe! No more messing with this heat stroke thing! Nice build progress. Learning is good and I'm doing it too. [P
Nice build progress. Learning is good and I'm doing it too. [Pthey said I would be sensitive to the heat for a while, your body "overreacts" to keep you from doing it again. I flop sweat cooking eggs in the morning.
the 98+ s10 wiring uses a goofy setup for headlights, the high and low beam wiring is discreet and uses a ground trigger, so you cant just put a 3 prong 7" headlight in. I use a headlight that has an H4 and H3 together, use the H4 for low beam only and the H3 for high. I used to use a complicated relay system but it killed the DRLs, this keeps the DRLs and they have the coolest old timey glow when on.
I trim the backs off the old headlight buckets, which are usually in terrible shape anyway from 70 years of rusting. these lights have their own mounting and adjusters so nooooo problem at all. the three holes are for the new adjuster screws and studs.
on one truck I mounted them from behind the fender, because they stick out a LOT, as seen
but I pull the adjusters and cut the springs in half, viola, perfect fit
made up an air deflector to route the air through the rad instead of under it or through the holes I cut in the steel deflector. using kydex and the latch pan for a pattern, then a couple trims and screwing it in, kydex takes paint better than abs, so a squirt of black and job done
the 98+ s10 wiring uses a goofy setup for headlights, the high and low beam wiring is discreet and uses a ground trigger, so you cant just put a 3 prong 7" headlight in. I use a headlight that has an H4 and H3 together, use the H4 for low beam only and the H3 for high. I used to use a complicated relay system but it killed the DRLs, this keeps the DRLs and they have the coolest old timey glow when on.
I trim the backs off the old headlight buckets, which are usually in terrible shape anyway from 70 years of rusting. these lights have their own mounting and adjusters so nooooo problem at all. the three holes are for the new adjuster screws and studs.
on one truck I mounted them from behind the fender, because they stick out a LOT, as seen
but I pull the adjusters and cut the springs in half, viola, perfect fit
made up an air deflector to route the air through the rad instead of under it or through the holes I cut in the steel deflector. using kydex and the latch pan for a pattern, then a couple trims and screwing it in, kydex takes paint better than abs, so a squirt of black and job done
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Bamamav
Well-known member
What is this kydex you speak of, and where does one find it? I need to make a deflector for my radiator so all the air goes through it from the grille, and not around the lower sides and bottom.
Torchie
Well-known member
[P [P
Torchie
kydex is a pvc material that looks like abs plastic, its super flexible and super strong. I live in a big aircraft manufacturing area and the aircraft guys use kydex for interior panels and baggage compartments because it doesnt get white lines when you bend it like abs. there is a surplus store here that sells it, they are out right now but the next time they have some I am buying it all, it is super useful stuff.
