Pinion Nut Episode

There was a major oil leak from where the differential connects to the U-joint. Use of modern diagnostic MRI technology indicated that the pinion oil seal failed. This is not a fatal condition, but does require replacement. It was fairly easy to find a replacement part for the oil seal. The next step was to remove the pinion nut. First problem, this is a 1-5/8 inch size nut, translation into everyday speak – a Huge Ass Nut.  No one I knew had a socket this large; I figured I had to call Halliburton to send out some oil rig equipment and a drilling platform to get it off. Next issue, the pinion nut is a castle nut with slots for a cotter pin; this just makes it, well special.  The third issue was that Ricky Bobby the last person that put the pinion nut on used a chisel to tighten the nut. See reason one and two to understand why, he did not have a Hugh Ass Socket or know anyone at Halliburton, but he did have a big hammer.

The chisel technique basically fused the slots into the pinion threads making it impossible to remove the pinion nut. So Brian and I resorted to an advanced Man Technique, crack the nut off! This involves using a small drill bit to drill through the side of the nut, weakening the nut so that you can crack the nut in half with large hammer and chisel. I got out my brand new Harbor Freight drill bit and one metal filing came off and then it was like drilling with a wooden dowel. I used all 5 of my Barbie drill bits that were made in China with no progress. It was like trying to drill a hole into super hard steel with a piece of limp spaghetti. When things get tough the Manly thing to do it to buy bigger and better tools, so I bought 3 carbide bits at Home Depot, made in the USA. With one bit to spare I drilled through the nut and was able to split the nut.  Ouch!

 There was this little voice in my head that kept saying, it will take a miracle to find the replacement pinion nut, however, I was reassured by my pit crew that they were a dime a dozen and we could always make one as a last resort. Right…My first call was to Fastenal, one of my favorite stores, they have all the bolts and nuts anyone could want. The web site had a category dedicated to slotted nuts and even had a 1-1/8 diameter nut, just my size. Whoohoo!

Since I was out of town, my loving wife took my cracked nut to the Fastenal store and said she needed one of these for her husband. You have love her spunk. They made her put down the hammer and chisel before they would help her.

Turns out the pinion nut is very special, having 19 threads per inch, so Fastenal did not have one, but did offer to “fabricate” one for only $150.  When I retire I am going to get into the fabrication business and make a lot of money.

Next stop was Bills Truckstop web store, I gave them a call and while they did not have the part they did say that Randy’s Ring and Pinion would be my best bet. How could I go wrong, with Pinon in their name, they had to have it. Well, Randy’s catalog only went back to 1962, I have heard this before – is this a conspiracy? Okay, being resourceful I Binged - Huge Ass Pinion Nut, this is like Googling but not as good.  Let me make a socio-anthropological comment, it is scary that this is how we talk now.

After a number of dead ends I landed on West Coast Differentials, Jay the salesperson was very helpful, in fact he is the first salesperson that said he would look into something and call me back, that actually called me back. Luck was on my side and they had a 1-1/8 inch ID, 19 threads per inch, 1-5/8 OD Pinion slotted nut for a 1954 ¾ ton Chevy Pickup Truck. I took a deep breath and said the dreaded words – How Much? Silence, I could tell he was figuring out how much more he needed for those Laker tickets.  Twenty dollars was the reply and well he threw in the washer for good measure. All I could say was – Great! I was glad he didn’t say $50 dollars.

I got it in a few days and it looks great, they even dressed the threads, who said customer service was dead.



One Good Turn Deserves Another

The work on the brake system is progressing. After cleaning the drums, cylinders, and wheel brake parts with my trusty wire brush and chemical bath, I am rebuilding the cylinders. Two of the wheel cylinders are in good shape, but two have some corrosion. The shop manual says NOT to use an emery cloth to smooth out the cylinder inside, okay I won’t. It says to use a Crocus Cloth, - WTF! Okay, I am sure I need one, so off I go to the local parts store and ask the salesperson which aisle has the Crocus Cloth – I get the same look my daughter gives me when I ask her a question. “Huh”. No Crocus Cloth, so I decide that 1000 and 2000 sand paper will surely work.  I am going to sand the cylinder walls smooth and see if the seals hold, if not I can replace the units.

The temptation is to replace everything as all the parts are old, dirty, and rusty, not to mention almost 60 years old.  I have decided to reuse the parts if they still work and are not a hazard. I will replace them if they don’t work. It will be easy to replace the parts since I will have done the deed and will be past the learning curve.

Now for the brake drums. They had some grooves so I figure I should get them “turned”. Don’t know why I knew that, it must be something in the Man Genes.  Same reason geese know how to fly south for the winter.  It turns out that the local parts store turn brake drums for $12 bucks each, not bad.  I bundle up my cleaned 8-lug drums. This is a bit like how women clean up their house before the maid comes.  No man would take his dirty drums to be turned. I am off to the store for the turning!

Next thing I know I am talking to the salesperson and asking some questions about how you can tell when it is time to do the deed, when he comes out and asks “Why are you turning your drums, pilgrim”.  Well can you say deer in the headlights, I just looked at him and thought if I said it was in my DNA and it was turn my drums or fly south he might call the police.  While I was trying to come up with a reason, the lady salesperson, looked at the drums and pointed out that she could see some very small scoring, so maybe it was needed. Her ‘compassion gene’ kicked in, thank goodness.

That was when they informed me that I would need new brakes shoes, since everyone knew that once you turn the drums the old shoes would squeak like crazy if they were reused.  Okay, another conspiracy, so my question was, how much are new brake shoes? Oh not much $10 each, great I say, I will take four.

I got the drums turned and bought two sets of shoes and I am back to the garage.  Well the next day I take a look at the brakes shoes and they are 4 inches wide and a few inches short.  My old brake shoes are 2 inches wide.  Well I take the shoes back and explain that they are the wrong size.  Turns out that the stores computer only went back to 1962 (I have a 1954 truck) and the salesperson figured that since this was the oldest he had they would fit.  Something is wrong here.

Now I am looking for the brake shoes for a 1954 ¾ ton Chevy truck, code name “unobtainium”. However, I did find a couple of web stores that had them, but they were $50 a set. Oh well, par for the course. I ordered them and if I am lucky they will be on the same boat that my chrome wheels are one.

What do you know, a miracle happened and the new brake shoes arrived today.

Looking forward to a great weekend. I am going to sell the old shoes on eBay, anyone need 1962 brake shoes?

Chrome Wheels

Hot dawg I got new wheels. Surprisingly they make good looking wheels for 8-lug hubs. They are even fairly economical.  I found Custom Wheels Direct and ordered a set. Just a simple eight spoke chrome model. As I am learning nothing I order is ever in stock and they have to “Manufacture” them. I think there is a conspiracy going on.  The salesperson says it should only take about ten days for them to be prepared and then they will ship them on a cargo freighter going through the Panama Canal.

Well as you know there is still plenty to keep me busy, still no springs.

Check out my ride!



Leaf Spring Order Update

As you know the leaf springs were ordered weeks ago from Posies, they gave me a lead time of eight weeks because they had to manufacture the rear springs. The “lowered” springs for a ¾ ton truck are not a stock item. “Manufacture” is car parts code for “it is going to cost you more”. While longer than I wanted, there really wasn’t any other option and I figured it would take that long to get the frame in order anyway. I was correct about the time needed on the frame, but I won’t be able to piddle around on one component this long again, not if I want to finish in my lifetime.

About seven weeks out I started calling Posies to get a status on the springs. The first few times the representative said he would get with Manufacturing and call me back with a schedule. I did not get any callbacks and figured the delay was due to the shackle bushings being made in Japan and due to the recent Tsunami, the plant was wiped out. Yeah for the global supply chain.

When I suggested this scenario to Posies they very quickly and proudly informed me that “all parts were made in the good old USA”. Okay, but when is Manufacturing getting off their break and going to make something?

Near as I can tell from the information they will tell me, Posies needed to manufacture both the front and rear leaf springs, and choose this time as an opportunity to improve their overall manufacturing process. This I gather is not going so well.  Still no date, but I am moving on to the brakes and have plenty of things to keep me busy. In fact, I have to focus on individual steps in the process because the whole project can feel like those videos in Japan where the Tsunami overruns everything.

Dale came by this weekend and we put the final top coat on the frame. Check it off the list! It sure looks good. I even attached the spring bumpers to the frame. There is nothing like a spring day in Alabama, Sunday afternoon listening to Salsa music, and putting new parts on your truck. Heaven.

Painting and Brake Preparation

No work on the truck last weekend, the whole family went to Atlanta for Furry Weekend Atlanta. This story will be covered later in the Twilight Zone edition.

I took Friday afternoon off to get a head start on the work, with daylight savings time I will have plenty of light to work.  The goal was to finish painting the frame this weekend. Earlier in the week I went to Finishmaster to get a fresh can of Hardener. Got that and thought some sort of preparation rinse would help. The technician told me the proper method of use, which was to rub on over a one or two foot area and while it is still wet, wipe it off with a dry cloth. This is because the solvent dissolves the oils, but if you let it dry they will still be there and settle back onto the surface.

The temperature was perfect, so the first step was to sweep up the dust and clean the frame. I rinsed it with water, toweled it dry, and used the air nozzle to blow the remaining water off. Now for the prep rinse which gave me visions of The Karate Kid getting instructions by Mr. Miyagi. I wiped down a small area and it evaporated instantly, so much for collecting the suspended oil particles before they reformed back onto the frame.  After some experimentation I found that if I used a very wet cloth in one hand and dried it up immediately with a cloth in the other hand, it worked – “rub on, rub off - Hai Sensei!

Now for my first solo painting  job. Everything when as planned, set up the equipment, measured and mixed the paint, put it in the paint cup, tested the spray gun and adjusted it, perfect. Started spraying and everything seemed to be going well, that is until a big drop of paint landed on the frame – where did that come from?  Turns out the paint cup did not make a good seal to the gun and paint was oozing out. No problem, I used a paper towel to plug the dike and was back in business.

This is where I find out I am putting on too much paint and am getting sag lines. Basically when you get too much of a good thing, like paint, well it sags. I think you ladies will know what I am talking about.  Another round of gun adjustments, spraying farther away from the frame, keeping the pressure up, and life is good.  I finished in about two and a half hours, start to finish. Good time, even painted the front axle and other suspension parts.

What about the sag lines?  My first thought was to start over, blast, prime, and then paint it again. Ha ha, not really.  I had a quick debate with myself over this and used the “nobody will ever see the frame” card, so let it go Alice.

With the frame drying I started working on the brake subsystem. The weather went south on Saturday and Sunday, leaving me to work on the brakes the rest of the weekend.  I pulled out all the neatly stored brake parts and started cleaning. It was a highly coordinated three pronged assault, scrape of the gunk, put the parts in the rust remover solvent, and close the deal with the Wire Brush.

I had been a little careless with the wire brush, the few times it caught on the part and went over my gloved hand, nothing happened. But, when it slipped, rolled up my arm, and got stuck in my polar fleece coat - that hurt.  I am much more careful now.

I was making big time progress cleaning the parts. Nothing could be better than working in the Man Garage on Sunday afternoon, polishing my nuts. Stop that - look at the picture! They are as good as new.

My challenge for the weekend was the master cylinder outlet nut and the brake drum set screws. These were frozen and I could not get them loose on Saturday.  Liquid Wrench to the rescue, after soaking them with the solvent overnight, they broke loose. Chemistry saves the day again.

I had a brief discussion with my OSHA and spiritual advisor, Dale, about my progress rebuilding the old master cylinder. The two agencies he represented strongly advised me to reconsider and use a dual reservoir master cylinder. Prudent advice I must admit, however, earlier in the day I had a discussion with the family CFO about “controlling expenses” and did I think this was a big government defense contract, or what.  When she said she might polish my nuts if I didn’t slow down, I opted for the more economical route of rebuilding the old master cylinder.

All in all a good weekend, I see more three day weekends as the weather starts to warm up. I just hope with all this polishing I don’t go blind. Rub on – rub off.

Enjoy.

Frame and Suspension Parts Preparation

It was a good weekend, even with a small setback. The weather was cooperating and I had my list of goals; prep the rear end, prep the suspension parts, make sure I had ordered all the suspension parts I needed, and put the top coat on the frame.

Dale called Saturday morning and said he could help with the painting.  We checked out the frame and much to our dismay a few rivets on the front had rust showing.  This was the part of the frame that got wet from the week’s rain.  We ended up using Eastwoods Rust Inhibitor Primer to cover it.  In looking at the frame it was just too dusty to paint, we needed to degrease and dry it before we put on the top coat.  Since we had a 55 gallon drum of primer we thought – what the heck, let’s put on another coat of primer and then top coat it. What else can we do to make this part of the project longer!

After the prep work we took a break for lunch, thank you so much Chef Stephanie.  During the lunch conversation, I mentioned that we were putting one more coat of primer on.  Stephanie calmly turned and looked directly at Dale and asked “Was this your idea”?  This was an unnecessary delay according to her schedule and when momma is not happy, no one is happy.  Well we explained the technical intricacies of why we just could not paint over a messy primer coat surly she would understand.  We did not get any desert after lunch.

When we put on the original primer coat we had the diesel compressor which had unlimited air supply, so the spray gun had about a four inch pattern, sweet.  Now with our Handy Man compressor at 5 CFM we had to use Dale’s specialty gun. It has a pattern about the size of a silver dollar.  Makes me appreciate the “Manly” equipment.

After we finished the “last” primer coat, we immediately began the memory test and chemistry part of the process.  How long do we wait before we can paint over the primer?  Well I being the engineer, read the primer tech sheet. At a temperature of 60, the drying time was 30 minutes, awesome.  That’s when Dale pointed out this was 60 degrees Celsius, which just for the record, is the temperature of the center of the Sun! Well at 68 degrees Fahrenheit, it takes 8 hours to dry.  Not good. That was the chemistry part now for the memory part - what did Tony the paint technician tell us?  After a few hours we remembered he said we could put the top coat on in 30 minutes, back in business.

Henry helps a lot, man’s best friend.

Now for the first big setback of the project.  We are ready, we have all the correct paint gun paraphernalia, the paint (another gallon of paint for about an ounce of area to spray), the hardener, and even reducer (translation for construction painters, “thinner”).  It is important to use different terms for the same thing.  This way you keep the riffraff out and justify the higher price.

As the master paint mixer, I have the paint cup with the “certified” scale, so that I am sure to get the ratios correct.  This is chemistry after all.  In goes the 8 units of top coat paint, next is the 1 unit of hardener.  Dale had a can of the proper harder, I asked if I needed to shake it and Dale said maybe a little, so I gave it a shake and it felt like some liquid was in the can.  Next I took the cap of and began to pour. The can was upside down and nothing was coming out. The hardener had hardened in the can to the tune of about a one inch layer over the remaining liquid.  We pounded with a screw driver, nothing.  We need more Man-Power, let’s use the drill.  So I get out a ½ inch wood bit, chuck it up in the drill motor and begin the operation.  I am pushing with about 60 pounds of force, nothing.  Now I am at 100 pounds of force.  Finally it succumbs to the Man Force and not only does it go through the top layer, but the bottom of the can as well.  Yes Virginia, there was liquid hardener in the can and it is now pouring out onto the workbench.  Quickly we grab it and get 1 unit into the paint.  Then…..

Time stops and Dale and I look at each other and say, “we can’t use it”.  Neither of us knows the effect of the hardener hardening up on the chemical process, so there is a good possibility that it won’t react properly with the paint.  Therefore if we used it and it did not work, it would be hell to get it off the frame.  No desert for a month! Better to wait a week and put on the top coat once we get fresh hardener.  Bummer.

I had a wonderful Sunday, went for a bike ride, changed, got my coffee and out to the Man Garage.  I started with the cerebral activities first, making sure I had all the suspension parts and checking that I had ordered all the replacement parts that were needed.  I did find out that all the previous restoration enthusiasts before me we correct. “Take lots of pictures”.  In looking at the catalogs there was a spring bumper that I could not remember how it went on.  A quick look at the pictures taken during the break down and everything was clear. Thank you for the good advice.  I collected all the suspension parts and am ready to go.

I was not sure how I was going to clean the small suspension parts, i.e. front spindle, shock mount, tie bar, shackles, etc.  Meet my friend the wire brush.  This worked wonders taking off all the rust and gunk.  Next was a coat of the rust inhibiting primer and life was good.

Lastly I took on the rear end. Scraped and brushed off the rust and gunk and then drained the fluid.  Now for the hard part, the shop guide has the instructions for the inspection and rebuild of the rear end but I know I don’t have the tools or skill to take this on. I am going to ask for advice on the Stovebolt forum.

All in all a good two days and am looking forward to next weekend. Just a reminder, I have added a gadget to the blog that sends you an email notification when I make a new post. Sign up if you want the notification.

Happy Day.

Email Subscription

Since most of the work on this project occurs on the weekend and often, due to weather and work, not every weekend, I wanted to be able to send out an email notice that an update was posted.  Feedburner provides this service. If you enter your email in the box on the right you will receive the notices.  It's not mandatory, if you don't want the email, just view the blog when you choose to.

I do expect to work on it this weekend, so you will get an update Sunday night.

Enjoy

Brimmer