Basketcase#16-once in a lifetime build-now gone. :-(

[basketcase0302]

Actually, I am thinking of making an offer on it anyway and storing it at the farm till I can do something with it. . . . . . . it's a wrecker.

I'd snatch every one I could find if i won the lottery tomorrow!
Just something bout' a one ton truck to me that says work with a capital "K".

Does it have these shock mounts?
I have been looking for a set of those for years.

Steve, I'll keep my eyes out for you here in Central Florida for those mounts.
I've got other plans for the rear suspension on my truck...

Well, I got some pretty depressing news from the machine shop this morning...
It's gonna cost me $292.00 to get the block "squared away" and up to my standards. Which includes hot tanking / magna-fluxing the block / getting a better "cross hatch" into the cylinder walls / cleaning up the head gasket surface / and installing the new cam bearings.
And I can't even afford to think this week...

But I did get some goodies from the Graveyard today!
I've order from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard for years now, (having the 76' Bronco for over 20 years). So I ordered my 4 X 4 oil pan dipstick tube, and new dipstick from them. The dipstick actually looks to be stainless, (or at least the handle). And I also got my main bearing stud from them, (that the oil pickup mounts onto):
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16201.jpg

Gonna be a very busy weekend, my last free weekend before i start a new job on Wednesday!

[FLATBEDFORD]

Congrats on the new job. Of course, working is gonna cut into your truck time.

[FreakysFords]

"But I need another wrecker Kay"

"What on earth for?"

"Cause it's a bump"

it worked

[basketcase0302]

FLATBEDFORD on Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:28 pm Congrats on the new job. Of course, working is gonna cut into your truck time.

Steve, thanks man. Yeah the job will take me away from BC #16 but I've been un-employed way too long. The tax man cometh...

FreakysFords on Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:34 pm
"But I need another wrecker Kay"

"What on earth for?"

"Cause it's a bump"

it worked

So are you going to get the DRW?!

I feel that I got a lot done this weekend. After raking 20 barrels of leaves then I could get back on the truck. And then I had to re-organize the shed to know exactly where I stand on finishing BC # 16'. In the process I got a "punch-list" of sorts, but I know it's gonna get added to as I start re-assembling the "little 302".

I was finally able to tackle the door gaskets!
Been waiting for old man winter to give me a break from the cold and rain to do this. Now I just hope the critters around here don't run off with anything in my bump tonight(doors wide open)!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16202.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16203.jpg

Wound up with another small pile of parts to clean and paint in the next few days.

All in all it was another good bump day!

[Caseys71]

, Nice job looks like the truck is coming along. How hard was it to do the door gaskets? Looks like you had it figured out, with the tape holding it up, that's a great idea. , I might have to borrow that idea when I get around to doing mine.

[basketcase0302]

Caseys71 on Sun Feb 28, 2010 7:45 pm
, Nice job looks like the truck is coming along. How hard was it to do the door gaskets? Looks like you had it figured out, with the tape holding it up, that's a great idea. , I might have to borrow that idea when I get around to doing mine.

Casey, thanks. I had help doing the door gaskets since they were my first ones I'd ever replaced:
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... =6&t=28857

[FreakysFords]

Lookin good! turning it into an awesome bump man You've got me itching to tear Darlin down. Gotta fight the urge! Gotta get the engine, trans and suspension sorted first (code issues).

Yup, got the OK to get the wrecker, now just gotta get my ducks in a row and make an offer. I'm planning on hitting him for it Friday or Saturday. There's actually 3 in there, the bump I'm after, another bump that's in just plain sad condition (looks like was in a bad wreck, but according to owner, it's all from being shoved around the yard). The last one's a slickside. I'm actually going to make an offer for all 3 and hope to get the better bump and the slick. I've already got a perfect slick cab and hood. Should it actually happen, they'd both end up being flagships and would really only ever be used for LD non rotation hooks. Worst part though is that I already need 6 one piece rims. If I get these, I'll need 18!! Thing is, they'd both sit till I had Darlin back together.

Steve, I honestly don't know about the mounts, I'll have a look when I go back. There's actually a couple more DRWs there.

[bb429power]

How do those aftermarket instrument panels for the round gauges work? Do you have to cut up the old one to use that outer ring and replace the center section?

[basketcase0302]

FreakysFords on Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:47 pm
Lookin good! turning it into an awesome bump man You've got me itching to tear Darlin down. Gotta fight the urge!

That's cool you might be getting the tow! I fought off the urge to build my truck for five years. Just looking at the truck, and occasionally driving it. But that five years did work out good for me, (I was able to buy one part this month / next part next month / etc).
I too need six of the one piece rims.

bb429power on Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:29 pm
How do those aftermarket instrument panels for the round gauges work? Do you have to cut up the old one to use that outer ring and replace the center section?

There's a few good threads on the F-600 panels that I "learned from".
Here's a few:
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... ment+panel
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... el#p339999
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... el#p339199
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... el#p151741
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... panel#p828

All the gauges in my panel are the stock 67' F-600 gauges, (that I've pulled apart and re-touched the needles with orange paint). With the exception of my tachometer, (It's my ten year old Autometer tachometer). I was able to mount the tach into the panel by simply removing the existing "swivel" type base from it / and then pull the housing off the back of the tach. The hole for it was pretty easy with a hole saw, (after I drilled a 1/8" center pilot hole). The housing of the tach "sandwiches" or clamps the tach into the panel.

Well my "next to last" full day to work on the truck sure flew by today! I started with cleaning up another pile of parts, (hopefully I'll get them primered tomorrow). And then I pulled the masking tape off of the new door gaskets. I was able to finally break-out the pressure washer to clean up the existing rubber floor mat of BC # 16, (it really needed it). Once it had dried in the sun, it seemed to be as soft and pliable as I've seen it in months! So now that the dreaded can of worms had been opened up...might as well go for it!
I got some 1/2" insulation that I've had for years stuffed into the floorboard:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16204.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16205.jpg
This should help keep my feet a little warmer?
I couldn't cut the stuff with scissors, had to use a utility/razor knife. Then I added the existing insulation over the new:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16206.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16207.jpg
Then I got the existing rubber floor mat put back in! I've been putting off doing this until the engine and tranny went in, (just in case the tunnel cover has to be pulled back off for clearance). But I'm out of time...
The floor mat and door scuff plates, (I need new scuff plates really bad) went in pretty well. I went up in size to #10 stainless screws to hold the plates down:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16208.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16209.jpg
I've got the piece of floor mat that was originally cut-out for the floor shifter, to "patch" back into the hole where i removed the 4 spd shifter. The piece had been hidden for years behind the seat of the truck.
I got in such a hurry that I forgot to run some wiring under the floor mat that I wanted to.
Now I'll have to "snake" it under the floor mat before the seat goes back in.
I can't put the seat back in until the engine and tranny are bolted in. The seat is far too hard for me to move around by myself to do twice!
At the end of the day I had to really lean into the doors to close them now, (with the new gaskets). I'll probably have to look into adjusting the door strikers just a little bit, real soon.

Another good bump day (tomorrow will be my last full day on it for awhile)!

[FreakysFords]

You've gotten so far at this point, that partial days shouldn't be any big deal I can't see it being all that long before you're driving yur bump

Hope tomorrow goes well for you and the bump. Best Wishes and prayer for Wednesday.

[basketcase0302]

FreakysFords on Mon Mar 01, 2010 8:56 pm
You've gotten so far at this point, that partial days shouldn't be any big deal I can't see it being all that long before you're driving yur bump

Hope tomorrow goes well for you and the bump. Best Wishes and prayer for Wednesday.

If I don't keep running into brick walls! Thank you for the kind words again.

Yesterday I also call the machine shop to confirm if my "bare block" was ready to be picked up today, (after today I'll have little chance to make it by their shop during their "bankers hours"). The ol' guy that owns the shop had already gone for the day, (10 A.M.) and I could not understand a word of the broken English that the other guy spoke to me in.

I also ran into yet another issue...I had bought a fluid balancer several years ago for the 302, (me being the "thrifty shopper" got it for maybe half of what one should cost).
Wrong...
The fluid balancer is made (or sold) by these folks:
http://www.catpep.com/
It is a Model# HBF-302 and i can't seem to find any bolt that firmly screws into the balancer to hold my bottom pulley! I've tried everything and no bolt (metric or SAE seems to fit it)!
Here's the email I sent to them this morning:

Hi,

I purchased one of your CAT harmonic balancers (fluid balancer type) several years ago. I've finally been able to start my engine assembly and can't seem to find the correct size bolts to bolt my bottom pulley to the balancer. The model is HBF-302.

I've tried 3/8" NF (which seems way too loose) / 1/2" (is too big) / M10 (too small) and M12 (wrong pitch).

Can you please advise me on the correct bolt size?

Sincerely,

Jeff xxxxxxxx
Bartow, Florida

The old saying: "When it rains-it pours" seems to have taken over my build now!
It's presently pouring down rain here now (and suppose to all day), so much for progress today?

[basketcase0302]

Well I was able to pick up my "bare block" on Tuesday from the machine shop. I had it "hot tanked" to which removed most of the visible rust inside the water jacket / magnafluxed the block / the cylinders were finished to a much better looking "cross-hatch" / and the head gasket area was cleaned up to accept a new gasket / and new cam bearing pressed in. Here's another reason why I love my SBF engines, (I'm barely able to move the weight of them around-much less an FE):
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16210.jpg
The cylinders look a lot better:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16212.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16211.jpg
Now the block is ready for me to start checking out tolerances on the main and rod bearings. I've got a "bad feeling" on these, (due to the appearance of a few of the bearings I pulled out). Betting the crank has to go to the machine shop also:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16213.jpg
Blanketed and "bagged" until maybe this weekend?
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16214.jpg

It was another good bump day just being able to retrieve the bare block!

[bb429power]

Its gettin there. Nice job, cant wait to see it done.

[basketcase0302]

bb429power on Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:21 pm
Its gettin there. Nice job, cant wait to see it done.

Thanks!
I can't wait either as I'm so close.
But I'm pretty much in a holding pattern (trying to save up rent money to move / which could be any day now).
And I don't think I'll be taking my crankshaft to my "absent minded professor" of a machinist. So I'll have to now find another machine shop, (and there's not a lot to choose from in my small town).

BC # 16 in now "growing" dusty everyday, she already needs a bath!

[Grandpas69f350]

Have you picked out a bed for it?