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HEI upgrade appears to have been a success, took it for a quick test drive earlier and running nicely. Interestingly, using the turn signal a bunch (just driving straight, but flipping it on and off) the engine did not cut out a single time either. As part of the swap I installed a new coil and distributor cap, the ones I had were not old, but I had read to use a quality one with the HEI upgrade so I picked up a UC12X coil and Accel cap and rotor. Maybe one of those fixed it, maybe the relay fixed it, maybe it was luck and I will be back grumpy about the engine cutting out again in a few days.
Meanwhile... is there anything that can be done to make the doors close a little easier? My wife and youngest son like to ride in the truck, would be nice to get the door closing a little easier for them. Possibly just needs a little adjustment?
Those doors are a bit hard to close. Check to see if the door is hitting the striker head on not hitting it too low. The V shape on the door latch should line up in the center of the V striking the post. The doors tend to sag over time. I used a 2x4 on a floor jack and cranked the door upwards to align them. Kind of a crude method but it worked many times. If you do that be careful it took a bit of watching and learning before i did it.
The door sagging is I think exactly it, I can't really feel any play in the hinges, but if I hold the door up slightly as I close it, I can close with minimal force. I may try the floor jack method later, I don't believe it would need much to get it lined up a little better.
If you do the floor jack method. Grab the lower part of the door furthest away from where the hinges attach. I don't want to tell you to go too crazy, but I cranked them up pretty good with no problem. The round striker post attached to the body is adjustable even though it doesn't look it. If you don't have the tool to loosen it you could use a vice grip and turn it. It slides up and down and side to side.
Got the door closing a little better, I loosened the hinge bolts, jacked it up just slightly and then tightened the bolts back up, seems to close a little better. I may adjust the striker post this week, if I can get that to move down maybe 1/16" or so I bet it would have it closing nicely.
I increased the spark plug gap to 0.045" over the weekend, drove about 30 miles yesterday making a couple stops here and there. The HEI coupled with the plug gap increase has made a difference in driving, especially noticeable in the range of 20-50mph, which is where the majority of driving the truck is ever going to be. Power delivery feels really smooth and possibly a little increased, not by anything to shout about, but it feels as though a little more power was unlocked. The one odd piece is that my volt meter seems to read a little lower now (seems to be closer to 13v than 14+), however, checking with a multimeter at the battery with the engine running was reading 14.5v so I am not overly concerned.
Turn signal issue so far appears to be resolved, made sure to use the signal even when not entirely necessary while out and about yesterday and zero cutting out of the engine.
Off the top of my head, the list now is: Coolant flush - install the anode rod, hopefully that resolves my weird issue that I can read battery voltage by putting negative probe on the brake master cylinder, or exhaust manifolds and getting a reading. It's not causing any overall problems that I can tell, but will be nice to get the coolant flush complete and install the anode. Replace valve cover gaskets - passenger side is leaking a little at the rear, the valve cover flange is bent a little, so I will try to straighten that with a block of wood. Replace drivers floor pan - Almost put my foot through the rust in the floor yesterday, now that I have it running well, will be setting up time with a friend to determine the floor repair.
Those I believe are the current issues, then it will be back to slowly replacing worn out suspension components to improve the handling a little.
Valve cover is I think the oil leak, I had a shop look at it and they determined it was leaking from the rear corner of the passenger valve cover gasket. Fingers crossed, when I replace the gasket (annoying having to do it again so soon) it fixes the leak. If not, then I'll figure out a time to go back and have them look deeper.
Is there a way to test the wiper motor? Or test the switch? Wipers are not working again, no noise from the motor, so I want to at least confirm if it's getting power from the switch before having to remove everything to get the motor swapped (assuming it's the motor).
A good starting point is the fuse first. If good, you can check for power with a test light at the motor by disconnecting the wire and checking there. Of course, the key would have to be in the run position and wiper switch in the on position.
If I recall correctly the wipers are one of the circuits that aren't protected by a fuse... at least on mid 70s trucks. The wiper switch gets its power straight off the accessory bus bar of the fuse panel. It's a solid light blue wire.
However, the first thing I would check is a bad ground as these motors are rubber mounted. You could try connecting a ground wire to one of the two long motor bolts (picture below). This trick has worked for me twice.
If that doesn't work the second place I would look is the bulkhead connectors on the firewall as they are know for having corrosion issues due to lack of a weather seal.
Tip: In the winter I've made it a habit to make sure I turn off my wipers when parking. I also check to make sure my wiper blades are free before starting them after a snow storm.
The reason for these precautions is to protect the wiper motor from a stall condition that could burn it out. There have been a few times I've forgotten and had to turn the whole truck off, get out and break the wipers free. Simply turning off the wiper switch won't work in a stall condition because the wipers must complete one cycle before the parking switch (inside wiper motor unit) opens the circuit.
Try adding a ground wire to one of these bolts. They are long and go the full length of the motor casing. I would only remove one.
Hoping to find time later to look at the wipers, but before that I need to replace the leaking valve cover gasket. I know earlier in this thread, a couple of you had mentioned using 3M weather strip adhesive when using cork gaskets. I have a set of Fel Pro cork gaskets now, on hand I have some 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive, but also a tube of Permatex Ultra Black and a tube of VersaChem Mega Grey gasket maker.
In the past, I would have just put the gasket on with nothing, but since I am wanting to not have to repeat removing the valve cover again anytime soon. Looking for the best option to get this sealed nicely. If I understand correctly, the weatherstrip adhesive goes on the valve cover and the top of the gasket, let it tack up and then put those together to basically hold the gasket in place? I assume I need a continuous bead of the weatherstrip adhesive.
Then on the bottom side, I have read not using anything but a thin coating of oil, or should I use one of the gasket makers that I have?
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to sealing up old engines.
Personally I hate rtv. It's smelly, messy and has a cure time. I'm also not a fan of applying RTVs/sealants to new gaskets because it kinda defeats the purpose of the gasket itself.. However, I do get why people do it.
but I'll tell you where I DO use rtv:
On multiple piece gaskets such the in intake manifold or oil pan (on a v8) in the corners where the gaskets meet.
Surfaces that are damaged in some way (such as being pitted or wrapped) that won't allow a dry gasket to successfully seal.
In such cases I may completely abandon the gasket and use straight rtv. For example on the thermostat housing or intake china rails on a V8.
When I do use RTV I make sure the surfaces are super clean and dry using a white shop towel and brake clean. (Actually I always do regardless)
When sealing against oil in locations such as the valve covers, engine and transmissions oil pans I like quality "carded" cork gaskets... not that cheap neoprene junk wadded up in a box.
On the valve cover and oil pan make sure the metal around the holes isn't distorted/"pulled in" from bolts being tightened up over the years. otherwise use a flat edge and hammer to flatten them back straight.
Try adding a ground wire to one of these bolts. They are long and go the full length of the motor casing. I would only remove one.
Winner.
Used an alligator clip to attach one end of a test wire to the bolt and the other end to the battery ground. Ignition on, wipers on and they worked. Get out of the truck and pulled the wire from the battery, they actually still worked briefly then stopped, wire back on the battery, wiping fine, removed again, motor stops. So it's looking like a bad ground, while I know I could temporarily run a wire to another ground spot, what is the correct fix for this?
Originally Posted by dodgem880
I'm also not a fan of applying RTVs/sealants to new gaskets because it kinda defeats the purpose of the gasket itself.
I feel much the same way, always seems odd to buy a gasket and then have to use a number of things to make the gasket do what it is designed to do. Anyway, for now I just installed it as is, carefully tapped with a hammer and a block of wood around each bolt hole initially. Of course I can't find my small torque wrench (I suspect a teenager may have used it and not put it back!!) so snugged them to the point that I had to start putting effort in to be able to turn the ratchet. I'll revisit and snug them up a little more in a few days after I have driven and assuming no leaks.
As for a proper fix. If you look at the picture I posted earlier you'll notice there is a copper tab that grounds to one of the mounting holes. That will all need to be cleaned up including the contact point on the truck itself.
Gotcha, I'll plan on taking that all apart at some point and cleaning it all up. Removing the cowl in order to remove the motor itself does not take that long, so will go that route and clean all of it up. The motor is pretty rusty looking and could do with a quick going over with a wire brush, may as well remove it from the truck and get it all good and clean.
Specifically I am talking about the insulation, my main concern is asbestos. I don't know if Dodge used that back in the day or if that is what I am looking at here. Starting the replacement drivers floor pan project tomorrow so pulled the old cracked rubber floor from the drivers side to be met with this stuff. If not asbestos, then I will pull out the chunks of it and vacuum up the rest (likely still using a respirator as best I can with a beard).
Before I disturb it anymore I want to be sure it is safe to do so.
Checked with some people I know and they said good to remove, so pulled that out all the way across the front. Drivers side, definitely needs replacing, I have a front pan already and a rear section arriving tomorrow. Looking under the seat that all looks good, so should be just the floor pans and possibly a piece along the rocker:
Passenger side appears to be primarily surface rust, I don't yet see any holes and pushing on it in various spots feels strong. I may try to sand it, clean it, rust killer and then primer on that side.
Finding that much rust, while not entirely unexpected, also somewhat stinks. The one thing I had tried to avoid was a lot of rust repair, since it is the one thing I have literally zero knowledge of and I know the cost of fixing it correctly can spiral out of control pretty quickly. I do get the feeling that in this case, the roof leaked, primarily on the drivers side and caused the problem. The roof has some rust along the leading edge, but it looks like it was (poorly) repaired at some point. In washing the truck I have never noticed any water ingress, so at least that is something.
Once all the rust is taken care of, instead of the rubber floor I plan to install carpet, then a headliner. Just a couple things to make the cab a little nicer of a place to be.
Yes... Its safe to remove....
Good That you got all the old wires you dont need out of the way....
Sand and Rust converter is good.... Replace what you need too.... The roof Line Leak.... Fix that before installing anything carpet or headliner...
Check that roof line and see how bad it is.... If you cant patch panel it for a good price.... Then I would recommend FiberGlassing it for a repair.... Messy but a few you tube vids and you will get it... Primer and paint...
JB Weld works also....
When you check for the roof line leaks... Water likes to run down the pillar post in the front and back...
Once you get into the process of removing rusted panels you must replace all of them to have a solid repair. It’s like peeling an onion to find all the rot.
Once you get into the process of removing rusted panels you must replace all of them to have a solid repair. It’s like peeling an onion to find all the rot.
Yep, unfortunately. Can't weld good metal to rusty metal.Stripped the interior out earlier....
About what I expected really, the odd piece is these cab corners, it looks like a plate is just dropped down in there, drivers side first, looks like poorly repaired with bondo at some point, then passenger with the plate removed:
Looking down in there it looks clean, this next picture is the plate that basically just lifted out. Not sure if that should be welded in or what, plan to replace both though.
The worst piece is this:
That vertical line coming down would be where the door rubber goes, unfortunately it looks like the replacement is discontinued (if anyone knows where I can possibly buy that piece, feel free to post a link). The other piece is that down in the hole to the right is rusty, but I cannot tell how far back that rust goes. The rockers themselves feel good and solid both on top and beneath, so trying to figure out how much to cut out is going to prove a little tricky.
Drivers side is by far the worst, passenger is not too bad with just a couple small holes right now. Going to start grinding the passenger side later and see how bad it really is, but hoping to not need to replace that floor pan at least.
It doesn't look too bad overall for all the time its been sitting and taken care of......
Good to know, the frustration for me mainly comes from having no knowledge of repairing this (looking forward to learning though) coupled with the potential for spiraling costs to get it repaired correctly. I started sanding and grinding down the rust on the passenger floor pan and that looks like it can be mostly saved other than as I mentioned, some smaller holes.
It will be worth the headaches in the end, I know that much.
No real updates to the rust situation, been absolutely too hot to do a whole lot.
I do have a question though... laying under the truck this morning to make see how close some holes to be welded are in relation to the fuel lines, I noticed a ground strap hanging loose down the back of the engine. Now, if some of you reading remember, I was having an odd issue where I can touch a test light to various places in the engine bay and the light come on. I am wondering if this broken ground strap has anything to do with that issue. I cannot figure out where the other end of it should go though.
So, it is right behind the passenger valve cover there is a large bolt there, with 2 ground straps, one goes up to the voltage regulator and this other one is just hanging loose. Where should the other end actually be? It needs replacing, it's all torn up, dirty, etc. but before I replace it I need to know where both ends should be attached.
I'll order a replacement strap in the next couple weeks, I might replace the one going from the voltage regulator to the same spot as well as it is in poor condition.
Rust repair has begun...I ground down the passenger side to where the metal was much cleaner, kind of tricky to get it smooth as the metal is dimpled but got it cleaned up to the point that the majority of surface rust was gone. At that point I was able to see about a half dozen pin size holes, as well as get an idea of the larger hole and how far it spread. Yesterday took the truck to a friends house who is knowledgeable with welding, rust repair and so on as well as having all the tools available. We removed the seat, then I cut out the rotten section of the passenger footwell, we then worked on creating a new patch panel out of 14ga steel and welded that in place. At that point we ran out of time, next week will be finish up the passengers side and start on the more severe drivers side repair.
Unfortunately, I made a mistake in cutting the floor out of the above image. See the red line? yep that is the frame and I was careful not to cut into this, see the green line? I did unfortunately cut into that in removing the floor pan. I had looked underneath and the only thing I can think of is that I saw both and my mind said this is the frame, avoid that. Cue my surprise when I went to remove the cut out section of floor pan to find it welded to this piece and after finally removing it the realization that I had cut into it (thankfully, no cutting into the frame itself).The green shape is a cross section of this piece, I am not sure how structural it is given the shape and thickness of the metal.
Any advice on repairing it? I figure that with the replacement floor pan welded into place and on to that piece that it should be rigid. But, as we know, I am not an expert here.
Cut this below section out of the door opening as well and have been working to clean that area up.
.
Discovered an exhaust leak as well while under the truck, I always noticed the passenger side exhaust seemed to be exhausting less than the drivers side, looking underneath the center section of pipe has a couple pretty noticeable holes. The good thing is, it appears to be a section that has a clamp on both ends, just need to find the replacement and bolt it in (after cursing the likely rusted bolts holding the current section in place).
Last edited by Abcdefghii; 08-20-2024 at 01:42 PM.
07-12-2024, 10:03 AM
