Anything new? I've just gotten my head back from the machine shop, going to order timing guides and chains soon. Get them installed and be on my way.
I know our projects are at about the same exact stage right now, so igs nice to do a comparison.
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Anything new? I've just gotten my head back from the machine shop, going to order timing guides and chains soon. Get them installed and be on my way.
I know our projects are at about the same exact stage right now, so igs nice to do a comparison.
Well I decided to pull the pistons back out yet again, because it still didn't want to rotate freely...
I'm still getting wear marks on the bearings, which leads me to believe that at least two out of the four connecting rod bearings were the wrong size. So, I'm going to order a full new set and hope that they actually are the right size. I did use plastiguage to check the oil clearance, but obviously it wasn't totally accurate.
Yours will most likely be done far before mine at this rate. :shrug: lol
Got the bearings, the box looks like it's been on a shelf since the 80's but the package is still sealed perfectly and looks correct.
Attachment 24702
I'm going to work on getting the engine back together this weekend, and I have a gut feeling I'll still have issues pop up here and there... I've got my fingers crossed that I've hit enough small/medium problems to appease Murphy's Law and the gods of internal combustion, I'm really hoping that this engine actually survives.
Fingers crossed for you. This engine has been through hell hasn't it. I still don't know how a company can manage to screw up packing critical parts. This causes a congo line of pissed off people especially it the parts are being bought by a workshop...
To be fair, I did buy the cheapest I could find... And it probably doesn't help that the new set of bearings only cost $2.19, but they're a decent brand that just happened to be on wholesaler closeout. :thumbup:
And one of my co-workers has to get rid of a bunch of stuff quick, so I got a basically brand new workbench with a peg-board backing for $60. He's going through a divorce and needs to move out of the house he's currently in, so he's selling off a bunch of his stuff as cheaply and as quickly as he possibly can.
Coincidentally he's the same co-worker that had the '86 Chevy S10... Unfortunately he didn't get it running in time, and had to send it off for scrap value, but he did manage to get about half of what he spent on it back.
So now I'm working on clearing out a space for the workbench in my warzone of a garage, I'm hoping it'll help me get some stuff organized a bit better and I'll be able to get more work done.
I'm also finding some of the tools I had lost during this whole engine rebuild debacle, which will come in handy here really soon.
Attachment 24715
I think this stator is done for.
Attachment 24716
Somehow this alternator still put out a full 14 volts, and I'm 99% sure it's the original alternator. I wonder how hard it'll be to find a new stator...
Rotor, not stator... And I found a listing on eBay for a new slip ring that should fit this alternator, so I shouldn't need a completely new rotor...
I'm going to keep this alternator and just rebuild it, I haven't had much luck with remanufactured stuff.
Never seen one that badly hammered before. Amazing that it even worked...
I'm going to go ahead and replace the bearings while I've got it apart, they're both a little stiff and the drive end bearing felt a little crunchy at first.
I should probably work on getting the engine back together and in the truck, but I'm easily distracted. lol
I made progress today.
Attachment 24755
I need to clean up and paint the oil pan, and then it'll be ready to go back in the truck.
Nearly there! Nothing like a freshened up engine ;)
Looking great!
Ordered more stuff, because why not.
I bought new brushes, new bearings, and a new slip ring for the alternator... I have yet to decide if I'm going to repaint the stator and rotor, the factory green is still there but very faded and worn.
New alternator/water pump belt, power steering belt, A/C belt, upper and lower radiator hoses. Better safe than sorry, but I'm keeping the old ones in case of emergency.
New copper-plated hardware for the intake/exhaust, because the old stuff is...old.
I found new heater hose barbs with the correct thread, and without the side nipple... But they only come in a pack of five. I'll probably sell the rest later, once I know for sure they fit properly.
Six quarts of Valvoline VR1 10w-30, because high zinc racing oil. Once the engine is broken in I'm doing an oil change and I wanted to have it on hand rather than wait for it.
A cheap 4" three jaw gear puller, because I don't have one and I kinda need one.
And finally, a seat cover. It's the $50 Amazon A25 bench seat cover meant for a 'yota, but it'll do for what I need.
This weekend I should (hopefully) be able to make more progress... There's still a lot to do, and I want this damn thing running again.
Coming together quite nicely! And you're still married! Really liking your color choice on the engine block.
Thanks! The wife is kinda used to this, she knows I'm a gearhead and has resigned herself to the fact that I'll always be working on something...
I'm officially at the point where the engine is ready to go back in.
I replaced the slip ring, bearings, and brushes in the alternator, soldered everything and re-assembled it.
Attachment 24905
Attachment 24906
I cannibalized the junkyard starter and used it to rebuild my old starter, the gear in the junkyard one was some kind of heavy composite instead of the white plastic that got eaten in the old one, so it should fare better.
Attachment 24907
I got the oil pan, water pump pulley, and crank pulley painted, everything else is going to be black.
Attachment 24908
And the finished product. I've got most of the bolts cleaned up and threaded into their respective homes. I still need to make a new water pump gasket and thermostat housing gasket, but the only thing keeping the engine from going in is time off and the need to go get an engine hoist.
Attachment 24909
I might be able to do it tomorrow, if the stars align...
I'm not going to lie, before I had the oil pan and crank pulley on I was starting to doubt my decision to keep the timing cover plain... I'm still not 100% that I shouldn't just go ahead and spray it orange as well, but I'm more comfortable with it after seeing it mostly together.
I just picked up the engine hoist, in a few hours I should have the engine back in it's home.
Engine is in. :rock:
Attachment 24974
Attachment 24975
Attachment 24976
Still a lot of work left to do, but I don't care. It's officially bolted in.
I'm not gonna lie, it took a little bit of finagling to get the input shaft to cooperate, and to get the motor mount bolts lined up, but it only took maybe two hours from lifting the engine off the stand until it was on the mounts.
The rest should (hopefully) go together pretty quickly.
It looks awesome dude :thumbup:Are those inlet ports stock? They look ENORMOUS. 2 hours solo is acceptable. No fun trying to steady a long block by yourself without it bashing into everything.
Oh, it wasn't solo... My first line supervisor came over and helped me get it in, and the wife was helping as well.
I realized after that I had forgot to take the trans out of gear, that definitely didn't help.
Those are stock inlet ports, as far as I can tell.
I figured out the placement for the gauges and where to run all of the lines and wires, and got a fresh coat of black on the radiator.
Quick update:
Attachment 24990
I noticed this while putting the distributor in, I freaked out for about a minute until I realized I had rotated the engine over a few times to set the valve lash... I was trying to figure out why the link had moved, but the cam and crank were both still at TDC on cylinder #1.
Attachment 24991
I went ahead and cut out the center bridge in the intake manifold, I didn't get it 100% perfect but all of the transitions are smooth and it should help a little with inlet turbulence.
Attachment 24992
There's the shiny chrome alternator bracket, hiding under the A/C compressor.
Attachment 24993
And the front accessories all mounted. I cleaned up the fan shroud and fan, painted everything, and installed everything. I had to make a gasket for the water pump and thermostat housing, really glad I picked up that gasket material a few weeks ago.
Attachment 24994
Attachment 24995
I primed the oil system with a $5 garden sprayer from ALDI's and some hose clamps, and poured the rest of the oil into the pan. I filled up the radiator with plain water and only had one connection start leaking, I had forgotten to tighten the clamp on the lower hose going to the heater core.
I've got to run the fuel lines, install the spark plugs and wires, wire up the distributor and ignition coil, and it'll be ready to fire. Oil pressure line went in without any issues, water temp sensor is threaded in right beneath the thermostat, and I just need to add a wire for the voltage gauge... And decide where to splice into to connect the gauge lights to the illumination circuit.
All that's left after that is to finish installing the seat cover, put the hood and grill back on, and clean up.
I should (tentatively) be driving this damn turd by next week.
Nice work man, that engine bay looks great. Eager to see this thing on the road.
You and me both. :grin:
Oh yeah :grin:
i just got mine on the stand. im not painting it or doing anything too special. i expect in a month mine will be on the road 'restored' and with a classic tag on it, hehehe
The plan was to start the truck today, but I forgot about one tiny detail... The battery was half dead.
I did get all the rest of the little stuff done, but I'm going to have to try again tomorrow.
I did take a couple pictures...
Attachment 25013
Attachment 25014
I've got a trickle charger hooked up to the battery, by tomorrow morning it should be ready to go.
Nice :grin:
i love it! the engine color is pretty cool, cant wait to get my little 4 cly in the truck.
then yank it out and throw a 3 3 in there
I'd say run the 4 cyl for as long as you can, the fuel economy will help you save up for the swap and give you plenty of time to find all the parts and little things you'll need.
I did not try starting the truck again yesterday, I was working by myself and I want to have an extra set of hands so I can adjust timing, idle mixture screws, and (if necessary) spray starting fluid into the carb while cranking. Wife is having a hell of a time with her allergies, so there was no way of getting her outside yesterday while the mowing company were out cutting the grass. :shrug:
I have a few ideas I want to bounce off of the more experienced on here, as to why the truck did not want to start:
- The battery had 12.67 volts, and it tested at 832 cranking amps, it's rated for 650 CCA. However, during cranking I watched the voltage drop down to 10 volts, and then 8 volts. I'm hoping that's the main reason it didn't start, but I have a few other suspicions.
- I have a new fuel filter directly before the carb, but I haven't checked the filter next to the tank yet. There is fuel in the new filter, but it does not visibly look like it's flowing through the filter while the fuel pump is running. It could be because the float bowl is full and the needle and seat is doing it's job, but the accelerator pump doesn't seem to be squirting as much as I remember... It has been 6 months though. I went ahead and added another 5 gal of gas to the tank just to be sure.
- I have the ignition coil and distributor wired correctly (as far as I can tell with the 15+ diagrams and reference pictures I still have), but I have not yet pulled out the spark plugs and tested for spark. I did have a few small sputters and burbles when I tried to start it the first time, but with the voltage dropping down to 8v I seriously doubt that the ignition pickup in the distributor was even activating.
- I've double checked cam timing, distributor position, firing order, and I even put a 1/2" ratchet on the crank to make sure it did not take too much force to rotate the engine with the spark plugs in. I looked for any potential vacuum leaks, oil leaks, and water leaks. I checked the tightness of every fitting, bolt, nut, and clamp. I found and fixed a couple of tiny things, but not anything that would prevent the engine from starting.
I did find a noticeable oil leak at the fuel pump block off plate on the side of the head, which had ran down to the back of the block and was dripping off of the bellhousing. I pulled the plate back off, put it in the tiny little bench vice I have, and straightened it out. If that doesn't fix it I'm probably going to have to cut some new gaskets, or possibly cut the block-off plate so it'll actually fit properly.
While I was installing the flywheel inspection cover I found one of the oil pan bolts had snapped off (it happened after I installed the engine...somehow) and leaking as well, but it's not even dripping yet, so I'm going to procrastinate on deal ing with that until after the engine is running reliably.
I have the gauges almost completely wired up, the only thing that isn't connected is the power for the lighting, because I haven't figured out where exactly I want to tap into for that. I have the positive wire for the voltage gauge connected to the switched +12v powering the ignition system... I doubt it will draw enough to cause issues with the coil or distributor, plus it will tell me immediately if the ignition system loses voltage.
I still need to actually mount the gauges to the dash, I'm thinking some heavy duty velcro-type tape, the kind with the mushroom shaped heads that interlock. That's what is currently holding the tach to the dash, but I can't seem to find the rest of what I used before.
I finished "attaching" the seat cover, I'm not 100% satisfied with how it attaches to the bottom seat but it seems to be holding relatively well. It does look pretty damn good, though.
I decided to cut/remove what was left of the upper bump stops on the front suspension... The upper bump stops were already sitting on the frame brackets, they were crumbling and falling apart, and I (eventually) will be replacing the control arms anyways. At some point I should pull the torsion bars out, clock them and adjust the anchor arms properly... Both anchor arms are within 1/2" of each other, but the front end is kinda tilting sideways. The driver's side front is about 3/4"-1" lower than the passenger side, and the rear end is another inch higher than the passenger side front. I at least want it level side-to-side, later I can worry about getting Montero upper control arms and making the front level with the rear.
Oh, and I put the center caps on the rear wheels, installed the underseat cubby on the passenger side, and then sat in the driver's seat for a couple hours... I'm remembering why I absolutely love this truck.
The shoulder-to-elbow arm angle with my elbow resting on the window sill is perfect, and the distance between the steering wheel and window allows the perfect elbow position on the window sill while still having a decent grip on the steering wheel. When the bench is positioned at the perfect distance for me to reach the pedals comfortably, the steering wheel and shift levers are at the perfect distance, and all of this culminates in the most comfortable cruising position possible... For me, at least. :thumbup:
IIRC the backlighting power wire for the instruments/gauges are off a green+white wire. Look on ebay for 2" gauge housings. There are a few made from ABS that look half decent and will cover the wiring/vac lines etc. I bought a dual gauge holder for the Hung Dog that I'm waiting on. The Hyundai has no real flat faces to anchor the gauge mount to as it's all curved but a few minutes with a heat gun should allow me to tweak it enough to sit down flush. I am not a fan of gauge pods on brackets with wiring sticking out the ass of them - it looks like they're ghetto fixed. Even a pillar mount is a better option and they're reasonably cheap to get now.
Here's the dual gauge mount I've ordered just to give you an idea - https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-52mm-Car-...72.m2749.l2649
I also ordered a single pillar mount a few days ago for like $5 from China. A heat gun and some trimming will help me get it to sit flush on the big plastic 'A' pillar cover. I have matching volt, vac and AFR gauges on their way. I'm going to wrap both gauge housings with the self adhesive black PU leather or maybe coat them with vinyl spray - not sure yet.
Make a remote starter wire for your truck - a female spade terminal on a long wire. Just disconnect the starter wire, connect your jumper and turn the ignition on. Strike the end of the jumper on the +ve on the battery and it'll kick over. To kill it, just pull the main coil wire. I've had to do this when going solo on engine tunes or diagnostics. Having to get in and out of a cab to start an engine and meddle with ignition timing is a PITA :rolleyes:
better clean that thing with some bleach geezer! china + shipping = coronavirus :grinno:
in all seriousness could you link me to it? i may use it on the D50, although im considering a completely custom console with elevated bucket seats and a touchscreen bluetooth radio.
I am going to be honest with you, that's exactly what I did...:lmao:Quote:
Originally Posted by geezer101
Later on I'll make it look decent, but right now I'm only concerned with function. Plus I don't really feel like pulling the dash right now.
I feel really dumb that I didn't think about using a jumper wire...
The simplest answer is the one you end up using. And if you make the jumper wire, then my comment has helped you which is still a win :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by WarStryker13
If your gauges are reading right and the electrics are bug free, you can swap it over to a nicer looking set up later knowing the nuts and bolts of it all are solid.
Speaking of electrics... Even after charging the battery overnight, it still drops in voltage every time I crank the engine. I even tried jumping it with a friend's truck, no change. I'm about to take it back to AutoZone and force them to warranty it.
The good news: Every time I crank it, the needle starts moving on the oil pressure gauge, so I know it's pumping oil through the engine.
you can un dumb yourself because you listened and learned. well, you read and learned.
anyways, i really love how the truck is coming along, cant wait to see the gauges in. what gauges you using? what brand and size?
It's normal for battery voltage to drop while cranking the engine. typically a 12v battery should be about 13v fully charged. Dropping to 9.5 or 10 volts during cranking is normal. This is why there is a ballast resistor bypass hooked up to the start position on the key switch. So when the battery voltage drops during cranking, you still get a hot spark.
If your spending some time cranking it, keep a fire extinguisher handy. Once some fuel pools up in the intake you have a fire hazard.
A little shot of starter fluid and it should stumble for a second or two. If it doesn't, recheck your ignition.
I just finished rebuilding a 318 for my friends dodge camper van. I made sure to keep the timing marks lined up right, and still put the distributor in 180 out. I think I spun it over tightening the fan. At 180 out, it sounded normal cranking. It would stumble here and there with the occasional burp/backfire in the intake.
The distributor was one tooth off.
I feel dumb.
But it's alive.
try going another tooth, seems to me these engines love some timing put into them.
personally dont see how 1 tooth off makes such a difference, say does yours have a clip tyoe distributor or a cap ith 2 screws? my 1987 and 1982 had different caps. the 87 had a clip distributor, but the 82 had the screw in and i nearly stripped the screws getting it out. going with 87 distributor.
just a heads up to gen 1 owners if the gen 2 had a clip type.
Going half a tooth out will kill these engines. Going full advance or retard on the ignition under this situation won't be enough to get it to run. Experimenting with dynamic tuning will yield results but you need to regap plugs and/or change the temperature rating. Dynamic tuning seems to work very well on OBD I/II engines.
This truck never fails to fail.
Thankfully I was almost to my house when the tach started to jump back and forth from 2500 to 4500, before finally dropping to zero right before I pulled into the driveway. As I was pulling in, the engine died, wouldn't start back up.
My first thought was the ignition module died. I tested the coil first, it will make a spark when jumping voltage to the negative terminal. I haven't measured the resistance on the ignition module, but it's still under warranty through RockAuto so I'm just waiting on the replacement to show up.
Since this one is a cheap knockoff, the next one will also be a cheap knockoff... I don't expect the new one to last long, but it'll give me time to buy a legit Mistu OEM module when money isn't so tight, and I'll keep the cheap knockoff as a spare in the toolbox.
Other than that, I haven't had any issues with the truck. Every time I let out the clutch in first gear with more than 15% throttle it will spin the tires for a solid 3-5 seconds, and if I'm giving it any amount of beans in third gear the clutch will slip going to fourth gear... So a new clutch will probably be the next most important item on the list.
I'm gonna have to wait for a little bit, because I would rather spend more on a decent clutch in a few weeks/months, than burn through another stock clutch in less than a year and be back in the same boat again.
I do have a number of extra parts from all of the junkyard trips, I'm most likely going to post them for sale on the book-face because things sell faster there, but I will post them on here first just in case someone here needs it.
Hopefully the ignition module shows up today, so I can take this turd on a real road test.
Well that sucks. It wasn't the truck that let you down - it was a junk aftermarket part. There's got to be an online source for a decent ICM. Option #2 - a good used distributor. Getting one shouldn't be that bigger hassle. Other than the distributor glitch, it sounds like it's ready to go hard!
The new ICM showed up today, got it installed and the truck started right up and ran for about 5 minutes before dying again. Started it again, ran for another 5 minutes and died.
I borrowed a multimeter (can't find mine) and started measuring resistances... There is no continuity between the positive and negative terminals of the MSD coil. It's dead.
I'm gonna guess that the MSD coil is doing the exact same thing as the stock coil did when I first bought the truck, it works for a little bit after sitting, but it stops working after a few minutes.
wonder if something is causing the coil to go bad? i can ship you an almost new genuine mitsubishi coil and distributor if youre interested, DM me for more info.
anyways, im really surprised your truck is spinning tires. what all did you do?
https://www.amazon.com/CLUTCH-MIGHTY...A54EHCQ36B4CBV
clutch kit, there is a stage 2 3 and 4 for different applications.
there was one for $75 but it was 2 star, guess it was that low for a reason, this was 4 star and $90 AND a reputable brand.
better yet, there is upgraded options.
I hate to say this but... A failing fuel pump will cause this issue as well. The pump gets hot and the metal expands causing the pressure to drop. Let it sit the gas cools down the pump and will fire right up again. Then a few minutes later it dies again.
If that were the case, the bowl would be empty when it dies and I wouldn't be able to get the accelerator pump to squirt.
I started with the alphabetical order: Air, Compression, Fuel, Spark. I have the first three.
Murphy's law strikes again. The distributor wires from the ICM to the coil have broken off at the ICM connectors, and the rubber grommet is cracked and falling apart.
Now I get to look for a new set of wires, or at least a good used set...
I forgot to mention this earlier, but the oil pressure gauge failed... I don't think it liked 120+ psi. :lmao:
Attachment 25115
I've replaced the gauge since this picture, and before anyone else freaks out (like I did at first) the color is from the CeraTec additive. It looked like a melted orange creamsicle while pouring it in, but the color is already starting to go back to looking like regular oil instead of a blown head gasket.
Looking at this https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ule+(icm),7172Quote:
Originally Posted by WarStryker13
And this https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...stributor,7108
It looks like to me yiou can probably just get new wire of the right gauge and make your own since they do not seem to be physically attached to the ICM but rather bolted to it with end connectors.
I sent a PM with the same advice before I saw this post.
Take a look at some auto parts stores or harbor freight they have grommets. You may be able to make one work.
I found one in the UK, but in total it'll cost less than $40 shipped. In the meantime I'm building a new "harness" to try and figure out if the brand new ICM has already gone bad.
Is there any decent quality ICM that can be found relatively cheap? I would go with an OEM module, but they seem to like committing seppuku every time something else goes wrong and $150+ is a bit much to spend every time that happens...
The Ignition Control Module and Distributor Pickup Coil look similar, same part number so. Is this the thing you are dealing with? Note the prices.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...96286,ignition
Yes, I have bought both the Ultra-Power brand (and had to warranty it three times), and the Standard Motor Products/Intermotor brand (had to warranty it as well).
I'm just wondering if anyone has tried using one of the cheaper ICMs from Amazon or Ebay, if they had any luck with it, and which brand/seller they tried.
Found these two Mitsubishi brand https://www.ebay.com/c/1415035879
https://www.amazon.com/Mitsubishi-MD...productDetails
I expect that part number might help you.
You shouldn't be burning through ICM's like that. I'm gonna sit and ponder on this one, but something is up. Is it hooked up to the 12v side of the ballast resistor? If you're on the lower voltage side, you will draw more current, and that could be burning them up.
I think it was a combination of the dead MSD coil, multiple issues with the wires connecting the ICM to the coil, and the fact that I probably should have been using thermal paste from the beginning...
The ICM is getting +12v, or at least should have been. Both of the wires going to the ICM measured at over 1.5 ohms of resistance, which what ONE THOUSAND FEET of 12 AWG copper wire should measure at. On top of all the cracked insulation, the brass connectors being so fatigued that they just snapped in half, and the rubber grommet that is so old and hardened that it's crumbling and falling apart...
I finally got the flag terminal connectors and finished making the new wires. They will work for right now, but I'm not going to glob silicone all over the distributor housing in an attempt to make a new grommet to keep water out. I did manage to find this:
https://www.allcarpartsfast.co.uk/ge...wire-dist-4g5/
The price is pretty reasonable and the shipping is relatively cheap, even though it might be a few weeks before it shows up. I'm generally willing to trust a website that isn't blocked at work, unlike certain other websites that sell hard-to-find Mitsubishi parts.
I went ahead and warrantied the ICM through RockAuto, should be on it's way soon. I also went ahead and ordered one of these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Co...9/164169903866
It might end up being a dud, but I won't be that upset if it doesn't work.
As for using thermal paste under the ICM, I feel really dumb that it never crossed my mind... :doh:
Quick update:
I got the new ICM(s), used thermal compound to mount it, and it seems to work just fine with the new coil and wires.
The website I tried ordering the distributor wired from refunded me, they didn't actually have them. Just my luck.
I tried going on a test drive, didn't get very far before I stalled out and couldn't get the truck started again. I noticed it started weeping from the water pump, decided to try and get it back home. I managed to get it started by popping the clutch while going down a hill, made it about halfway before having to shut it off and pull over because the temp started to climb.
I ended up having to call a tow truck, I'm going to start investigating what actually happened once I have the time to.
Never fails to fail.... :shrug:
After about a month of procrastinating, I'm finally starting to dig into the truck again.
I charged the battery outside of the truck, hooked it back up and tried to start it. The starter isn't doing jack, not even when jumping the solenoid with a pair of (insulated) pliers. I'm going to have to pull the starter back apart and see what went wrong.
YAY #1.
Like I said before, the water pump is weeping, I (finally) have the new one, which came with all new bolts (that I may or may not use). I ordered a new radiator cap and thermostat with the new water pump, haven't decided yet whether I'm going to install the new thermostat, because I didn't pay close enough attention when I was ordering and now I have a brand new 160 degree thermostat.
I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why the engine had started to overheat, then I remembered that I had reset the timing after replacing the distributor wiring. I decided to look at the timing light afterwards and sure enough, the dial was at 10 degrees instead of the zero I thought it was while I was setting the timing. So the truck was at 18-20 degrees at idle instead of the 8-10 I was going for... I guess I had bumped it without realizing, and the engine wasn't too happy with that extra 10 degrees timing.
My neighbor just bought a new truck, she thought it would be funny to park next to mine... Joke's on her though, my truck doesn't care if he's smaller than everyone else. He isn't compensating for anything. :lmao:
Attachment 25328
Attachment 25329
Starter melted.
Attachment 25337
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Attachment 25340
I have another armature and set of brushes, but I'm gonna have to re-solder the brush holder in order to make it work.
I looked online, but none of the local parts stores have starter brushes in stock.
It seems that, for whatever reason, I am particularly rough on starters. I don't know if it's something I'm doing wrong, or I just have terrible luck.
At least I know how to fix the things I break. :shrug:
...you have no manner of luck at all (Pirates of the Caribbean reference)
Well, I did manage to put together a working starter, got it back in... That to starter bolt is a total pain in the ass.
New water pump is installed, everything is back together, but I'm gonna have to wait until tomorrow to drive the truck. It's a bit too late to be annoying the neighbors.
I don't know if the A/C has been switched over to R134 yet, there is a sticker from 2012 stating that UV dye was added to the A/C system but it doesn't say anything about the type of refrigerant.
Is there a way to figure out what refrigerant is in the system without having someone do a full flush and refill?
My solution to the top bolt is removing the air cleaner and valve cover, cover with towel I have small rubber mats I put over that, lay on motor and with my left arm around the back and my right arm under the intake I can get at least 1/4 turn each time. Careful if you have a metal gasket on the head its like a razor.
I stand on the driver's side, lean over the fender and just shove my arm down next to the clutch cable and brake booster.
The stubby ratcheting wrenches help a lot.
There is too much stuff in the way on mine and my arms aren't long enough :)
eek! That starter let the smoke out for sure. Long periods of cranking drastically shorten the life of starters. They can't dissipate the heat fast enough. I'd spring for a new one if you can. The insulation on the windings of the armature might not be much longer for this world.
^^
Giovanni (2 n's :) ) has the starter issue 100% covered.
As to the refrigerant conversion warstriker post some pics of the systems access ports.
Humble thanks.
Well the upper radiator outlet is now leaking, pretty sure it's cracked right at the joint...
As for the starter armature, I swapped the burnt one out for a spare I had. Eventually I'll be able to afford a new starter...
The A/C ports still have the 30 year old discolored plastic caps, so I have a feeling it's still running R12. That's gonna be fun trying to find...
Take the radiator to a shop and they'll solder it back up - no problem. If you are going to do that, I would also consider having a temperature sender bung soldered into the bottom tank so you can add an electric thermofan (install the sender, but leave it disconnected until you are ready to tackle the fan install)
If I can find a local shop that has the capability to repair a brass radiator...
Since Maryland has such strict inspections, there's practically nothing on the road older than 2005, and probably 25%-50% of the vehicles that I see on a regular basis are electric.
Most of these so-called "shops" are basically just expensive parts changers. I think I might have found a few places, that might be old enough to know what they're doing, but I'm still gonna have to make a few phone calls.
I feel ya. It took me 5 goes before I found a radiator 'repair' shop that #1 - actually repaired radiators, and #2 - didn't have 2 guys waiting at the door so they could pin me to the floor and rifle through all of my pockets looking for every cent they could wring out of me... $400 for a replacement core (not even a whole radiator - just the core and then I'd have to pay for it to be soldered in and pressure tested :rolleyes:)Quote:
Originally Posted by WarStryker13
*#3 was finding a shop that was still actually in business. They appear to be on the endangered list. I got lucky with the guy I found - friendly, honest and cheap as !@#$ :thumbup:
I finally found a guy, didn't even charge me because it's a dead service and he was just happy to have the opportunity to practice again.
Attachment 25454
Attachment 25455
I'm not gonna complain about a free repair, especially since he went ahead and pressure tested it to 30 psi. Hopefully tomorrow I'll actually have time to install it.
Nice find. You need to keep this guy for later reference. The thermofan sender bung would be an easy job for him. A shot o' paint at it'll be ready to go! :thumbup:
Shot a fresh coat of black onto the radiator, put new clamps on the heater hose connection at the back of the water pump outlet, and now the battery is charging.
It might be back on the road later today.
So either the flywheel is falling off of the crank, the pressure plate is falling off of the flywheel, the clutch is falling apart, or it has instantly developed a really nasty rod knock while not running for two weeks.
I've already got a new clutch on its way, but it won't be here for at least three weeks (thank you Summit Racing for changing the shipping date from August 2nd to August 18th the day after I order the clutch).
Yet again........................YAY.
Out of curiosity I drained the oil and cut open the oil filter, there's a little bit of super-fine glitter visible in the oil filter element, but no flakes or big chunks that I can see. The glitter could potentially be left over from the Cera-Tec additive, but it's a small enough amount that I'm totally comfortable with the thought of it being due to the engine break-in process.
I did notice that the old oil seems to be very thin, despite how much assembly lube I used and the fact that the break-in oil was SAE 30... I'm seriously considering running a slightly heavier oil, like 15w-40, because the old oil being that thinned out concerns me slightly.
I'm having a hell of a time trying to decide whether I want to drop the trans now or wait until the new clutch shows up. On the one hand, I would know exactly what's going on inside that bellhousing, and if it's just a matter of a few bolts that came loose I would probably just put it all back together and drive it... But when the new clutch finally arrives I'll be pulling the trans YET AGAIN to install it. :shrug:
I would play it safe and drop the transmission. If something really came apart it would damage the flywheel, end of the crank and the input side of the gearbox. PITA - yes, but better than having to fix something that wasn't busted. I think going 15w40 will be fine. It'll hold up better when it's warmed up. I did a change to semi-synthetic on my Hung Dog after I went overdue on an oil change (used 20w50 mineral oil initially) and I lost power so I thought. Now the oil has had a chance to circulate around the engine I think the rings weren't sealing from the mineral oil being gummed up and they're finally expanding. I probably won't go back to mineral oil again and hopefully it'll keep the innards of the block cleaner.
Dropped the transmission today, found quite a few issues...
First, all four bell housing bolts were loose, enough so that I didn't even need a wrench to get them out.
Two of the rear driveshaft bolts were starting to come loose.
The rubber in the transfer case mount is hard as a rock, and the stud snapped almost immediately.
The good news is parts did not fall out when I dropped the trans, and there's no obvious damage to the pressure plate or flywheel.
Now I have to just sit and wait until Summit decides to ship the new clutch... I'm probably going to pressure wash the transmission and transfer case, replace the little rectangular side cover gasket that's leaking, and do a bunch of other little things that ultimately won't make the truck more reliable or improve performance, but I'll feel better for having done something.
Clutch finally shipped, it should be here by Tuesday of next week.
Hope your new clutch isn't another one of your headaches :thumbup:
Well the clutch finally showed up, and I realize now that the pilot and release bearings aren't included with this particular one.
But I did find a shop that'll resurface the flywheel for only $55, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.
:Sigh: it's always something. 55 is not a bad price. I have found that flywheel resurfacing runs from "that's it?" to "I have an extra kidney".
Mine was done for $15 at a local NAPA store. They even sprayed it to protect it from rust.
Been way too busy to even touch the truck, but I've had the trans laying on the ground for a week or so...
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=25727&stc=1
I haven't pulled the clutch or flywheel yet, but hopefully I'll get the time to after this weekend.
The transfer case shift lever mounting plate is missing half of one of the mounting ears. I'm not particularly concerned about it.
I (finally) got the new transfer case mount, but it didn't come with a new nut so now I'm trying to find an extra M10x1.25 nut in my pile of parts. I don't really feel like trying to drill the broken stud out of the old nut...
I do have a jack stand under the engine to protect the mounts.
Now I have to decide which method is a level of sketchy I'm comfortable with in order to get the trans out from under the truck. I can either lift one side of the truck to get the torsion bars and frame rail high enough to clear the top of the bell housing, or jack up the rear axle and drag the trans out the back.
Definitely jack up the back! Either with the front wheels on the ground, or the front jacked and the truck level.Quote:
Originally Posted by WarStryker13
Jack Stands are cheap at harbor freight. I had four of them under mine to pull the trans and I tested it out after I put it back together while it was still on the jack stands. if you can find them those ramps you drive up are nice too. Don't do sketchy, that cool feeling you get when you get away with it is not cool enough to make up for as bad as you will feel when it eventually fails. Even a pile of lumber, cinder blocks or spare wheels for safety is better than sketchy.
Ramps are the best. I made some from Lumber. Properly made, very safe. Never use concrete block. It doesn't like the concentrated load. Also, check your jackstands for fatigue occasionally. Watched my buddy's HF jackstand fail about 3 seconds before he was about to get under the jeep it was holding up. You never want to mess around with supporting a vehicle. It kills
Quote:
Originally Posted by 85Ram50
I got a couple of the steel ramps, I think it was an estate sale. I'll check my jackstands for cracks. I usually get it set then try pretty hard to push it over before I crawl under just to make sure its safe. I'm sure if I wanted to I could get one of them to tip over. Never use cinder blocks, good to know.
Dude...
This thread seems to have cooled off, but you deserve an award of some type for your patience and perseverance with that thing.
It's great seeing old vehicles loved on like this and I can totally relate to all the shenaningans it's put you through. It becomes personal after a point and only we can understand how these little pickups become so endearing and seemingly worth all the attention and frustration.
I just ordered new tires for my '87, so after I mount them I'll post a pic or two on this thread in hopes of enticing you out of your hiatus with some updates on the red zombie.
P.S. Thank you for your service.
I have returned with a pile of news.
#1. I'm officially out of the military, my body couldn't keep up and I felt like it was time. Not a bad thing, honestly.
#2. I'm getting a divorce. We hit a point where it simply wasn't working, our relationship wasn't healthy for either of us, and she left to be with her family. Problem is, she took the savings and the car, and left me here to deal with packing up and moving an entire house by myself.
#3. I managed to get the truck back together, more out of necessity than anything else, and on the first drive it started rod knocking. Which was just today, btw. The new clutch felt great for the hour it took before the knock got bad, and I somehow managed to make it back home with it still running. There's already glitter in the oil, and the knock sounds really nasty.
To add to it, I've got two weeks before I need to be out of this house and less than $50 to my name, and this truck is my only vehicle right now.
I might, might be able to swap another 2.6 into it, but there's a lot of things that have to fall into place exactly and in record time for that to work out.
Lovely time I'm having over here. Just lovely.
The chips are down, WarStryker, but you will find kind words here, and some encouragement. We'll pray for a couple of miracles, so be on the lookout for those :). I send my best hopes for you, and hope you can hang tough through this sh*t storm.
Bless you roysterQuote:
Originally Posted by royster
Oh man, people complain about how bad life is until they take hits like that. Sorry to hear you've been backed into a corner. Hope things improve for you soon dude :(
It's not as bad as it could be, but still thank you everyone for the support.
I might be bent all out of shape right now but I don't break so easily.
GOOD FOR YOU WarStryker 13Quote:
Originally Posted by WarStryker13
Made it back home, total of 9,454 pounds of stuff moved 1,236 miles over 6 days. Not including weights of vehicles.
Now I'm just working on getting a job lined up and figuring out a place to live.
Things are going better.
That's good to hear dude. No cash and no fixed roof over your head is a death loop. Hope you can land some work and start clawing your way back asap. You got a skill set that can make you some cash money in hand? Might be time to think about being your own boss...
My skill set is "fixing things" so I could easily make some quick cash here and there.
But the real money is the technical knowledge I've got, and the clearance. Both of those should land me a decently well paying job, it's just finding the right people and asking the right questions.
For right now I can slum at my parent's house, they've got a camper trailer that's in decent shape except for the floor in the back where the bathroom is, and a small ant infestation that I'm steadily eradicating... But it's got power, heat, and the wifi just barely reaches out here, enough so that I don't have to tether my phone the entire time.
Things aren't perfect right now, but they aren't bad.
And to get back onto the topic of the truck:
Once I have the time and/or inclination to do so, I'll be pulling the engine out of the truck and dropping the oil pan to find out what went wrong where. I have a feeling I might have missed something tiny like a nick on one of the crank journals, or a bearing was just barely too tight and ended up spinning, something to that effect.
Once I get a look at what is salvageable and what is beyond saving, I can either rebuild it yet again or start looking for a new engine. I am open to swapping in something else. But that's future plans.
I've successfully gotten settled, still waiting on the job thing but I'm doing better than expected.
I've filed for the divorce, gotten a few payments from the Army I didn't expect, and I might have found someone that is willing to be a partner instead of a leech. Obviously not moving forward until after the divorce is finalized, but I'm quietly confident that she a good one.
I got a little 2003 Chevy S10 to get me around while I look for a new beating heart for the '87, which my new friend has given a name that fits way too well with the personality of the truck IMO:
Pickles.
it doesn't make sense, and that fits.
Life is messy. Doesn't mean it has to be bad (sorta like a 2 year old eating spaghetti by themselves lol) Good to hear that things are levelling out now for you :)
*Pickles... now you can find yourself to be in one, and not in a negative way :grin: