"Blanc-Oh!", my distraction

[ntsqd]

New rear rotors are modified and mounted. Ø0.041" safety wire sucks. I'm using it in a single string thru the rotor mount bolts ala old school, non-aero, non-astro safety wring practice. Bolts are torqued with 271 in the threads, so the wire is just the "belt" to the Lock-tite's "suspenders." Installed new Timken races too. I figure to leave all of the brake stuff off the housing until the gears are set-up. Both to reduce damage to them in handling and to make it lighter to move. Made what I think (hope?) is the last parts order yesterday. Was tempted to go with the Ø3-3/2" GM calipers, but went with the std & far more common Ø2-15/16" calipers. If/when I upgrade to hydro-Boost I'll likely need to substitute those the calipers then.

I don't see that I've mentioned it (thot that I had), but I've had an problem with the engine being way down on power. Like way down from not much to start with. Been suggested that the fuel pump may not be keeping up and a stationary test showed that may be the problem. Waiting on the bits to install a pressure gauge. I will replace the Test Port fitting on the fuel rail with a 1/16NPT X -3AN adapter fitting and remote mount the transducer. The FP gauge and a trans temp gauge will live in one of those windshield pillar mount 'pods'. I do have a fuel pump that's supposed to be able to feed a stout engine, but I'd like to know if the current pump is bad before changing it out. I've been wanting a trans temp gauge for a while anyway, now is the time.
I did hose a bunch of dirt out of the MAF when we found that the filter housing had been leaking. I've driven it since, but I should have turned off the batteries for a while before doing that. Just as I got home from Big Bear it felt like maybe it is getting better.

[ntsqd]

"Scooter", the '65 Valiant that I sold to buy the Blanc-Oh has been living high lately. Got a text and emails from the current owner. After his intended car for an East Coast Hot Rod Power Tour developed a would-be fatal oil leak 30 miles from home the Valiant got pressed into service. Missouri to Memphis, Alabama, Pensacola, Atlanta (each entrant got 2 laps around AMS), then home to MS without any issues. Not bad for a 57 year old car competing against expectations set by modern cars with no pre-trip prep. I'm pretty proud of it and wouldn't mind having it back.

[ChaseTruck754]

Good lookin car that sounds like it definitely has the bugs worked out!

[ntsqd]

There's a few still in it, but nothing debilitating. PO to me put a T-5 and a Ranger 3.73 geared 7.5" under it. Valley Head Service built me a 170ci Slant for it. I asked for 135-150HP (not enough, shoulda asked for 170!), that it pull to 6500, and have a cam compatible with a TBI system which the buyer didn't want. I cut the OEM flywheel's "inertia ring" off of it before they balanced it. Even with the lighter flywheel it idled smooth and quiet, and would snarl at high revs. It's build thread should anyone be interested: https://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49591

[ntsqd]

Pursuing the extremely low power issue further it was impressed upon me that a fuel pressure gauge that I could monitor while driving would be a good thing. I've been wanting to be able to monitor trans temp so I bought a two gauge pillar thingy and the gauges. I should point out that I don't have a lot of faith in aftermarket automotive gauges and that is all Gene Berg's fault.

Still, I figured to add the gauge and compare it to my Test Gauge to see how they might differ. The problem is that the FP gauge shows 30 psi as soon as the pump runs, and stays there unless I bleed off the fuel pressure. The gauge is supposed to sweep to zero on start-up. It did that the first time it got power and hasn't done so again. Autometer's tech was willing to send me a new transducer to see if that fixes the problem. I'm doubtful that it will fix the problem, but it should get here next Thursday. Otherwise the gauge itself has to go back to them. A gauge that has literally Zero miles on it. Not a great start.

Since there was room in the bulkhead fitting and I have a 1/16NPT tap I moved the factory test port fitting to a new hole in the bulkhead fitting when I replaced it in the fuel rail with a -3AN adapter.



Also got the "Control" air manifold for the OBA mounted. The brass plug is there to keep dirt out, it will soon have the SMC regulator for the OX air shifter system. One of the rivnuts spun, which is why the one SHCS isn't bottomed. I'll likely have to pull the cowl panel to gain access to it. That pressure switch is from automationdirect.com and is adjustable from 100 psi to 1000 psi. I will set it somewhere in the 135-150 psi range. Small tube is for a system pressure gauge in the cab. I've learned to plug air hose QD's to keep them clean and functioning.



Note gauge in the switch panel:

[ChaseTruck754]

Good idea on the temp plug for the QD's. I may need to steal that.

On the manifold there - did you make that or just buy one? I've made the mistake of buying a couple cheaper ones from China for the air system at the house and they leaked like crazy. I'm now gunshy on them. Seems like such a simple thing that it would be hard to get wrong but I'm guessing they didn't taper the NPT threads or something.

Also, could be an illusion, but in the photo with the manifold is the green line pinched? It looks to go flat about an inch below the shut off solenoid.

[ntsqd]

All of the diff parts and the housing were dropped off this morning. Hoping that the diff will be set-up by the end of the week.

Steal away. Those male QD parts are SS and I used a cut-off tool to put the groove in them for the retainer cable. On previous vehicles I've had the plated steel plugs rust and I wanted to avoid that this time around.

I bought the manifold from McMaster. I know that there are less expensive sources for them, but with McMaster I don't feel like I need to vet the product - they've already done that for me. So I count the added expense as the the cost of my time in not having to do that. I normally use them as delivered, but it ended up that I couldn't use exactly what I had ordered, so that one has been modified by shortening it and adding the lower two NPT ports.

The green tube isn't pinched, it was heated, flattened, and melted together on that end. I didn't have a plug that fit the DOT type 'poke-n-hope' tube fitting and currently the manifold is the only part of the system on the currently driven truck. Been looking at where to put the other two QD's. I want them on each side rather than each end, but they need to be both easy to access and out of the gravel etc. spray coming off the front tires. Sitting here typing this I'm wondering there's room between the front fender liner and the fire wall - floor board transition.

[ChaseTruck754]

Got it on the green tube and makes sense on the manifold. McMaster is hard to beat with quick delivery times.

As for QD locations - any room to wedge one in the fuel fill door? Might need to modify the area a bit but it's protected and quick access. Other thoughts I've had for these in the past is putting them behind a bit of a panel in the wheel wells. Gotta make sure your tire doesn't fill the wheel well on full stuff so that these would be safe, but most of us have room. I was going to do a hinged aluminum panel with the wingnut style dzus fasteners for quick/easy access and a retained fastener.

[ntsqd]

I've used these https://www.mcmaster.com/50785K274/ in the past to anchor the QD's and to transition from the poly tubing into fittings. They work well stuck thru a hole in something - be that an existing panel or a tab that was added, but they do tend force nearly the whole length of the QD to consume a fair amount of space. I'll look at it, but I'm not sure that there will be room for it in the fuel filler cavity.

[ntsqd]

Something that has been bugging me for a while, the Blanc-Oh was clear-coated and the hood is peeling, but only the hood. Slowly. MISF tells me that the only way to remove what remains is to sand it off. I'd like to make it flat white instead of gloss white. Driving into the sun can be a real bear at times. For that level of effort I'm tempted to get a new hood as this one has been beat on a bit. I've had to weld the latch area back together to get it to latch.

So, what about going fiberglass? Is there a decent hood made that I can use with the hinges and stock latch? (I want to delete the OE hood springs regardless. I'll build a prop rod instead.) I'm not opposed to some Autofab pins at the front, but they visually take the truck into "race truck" looking territory, which isn't where I really want to go.

[ntsqd]

While cruising amazonian desert racing supply I found some DOT type "poke-n-hope" fittings that are bulkhead 1/4" tube X Schrader valve. The perfect thing to put in the system somewhere so that I can pressurize it without a compressor or if the compressor croaks, or whatever.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B45W496
Now to just figure out where it should go......

[hobbyturnedobsession]

I saw a fiberwerx replacement hood that bolted to the hinges and pinned up front. I believe for an off road hood the hood latch doesnt work due to the latch wanting to rip out the insert jn the hood. Im going through the same debacle myself. Im trying to “hide” the big suspension stuff and keep it stockish. Ive bought amazon fittings for airlines. They worked well for me so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ntsqd]

Found this: https://lmr.com/item/CER-113/1993-95-Fo ... 81b2016f21 A total bolt-on except for the hood springs. Looks like it uses a prop rod, which I'm not opposed to at all. Page claims it's 43 lbs. No idea what a stock steel hood weighs, but I'll bet that it's more than that.





In other news, I'm back from a week in Nevada with the truck. It ran great, except for the freeway grades. There it sucked, got passed by fully loaded Class 8 OTR's. It would bog down and not be able to sustain even 3500 RPM. then the trans would down-shift and all hope was lost. To get it to upshift I had to feather the throttle long enough that I'd loose my speed to the point where it would immediately down-shift again. This was extremely frustrating!
It has a new fuel pump and regulator. Fuel lines were checked with compressed air and seem to be free-flowing. It never completes the diagnostic routine, will only show the P1000 code. Even after 1500 miles and week of driving it. A friend's reader says that it's the cats or O2's that haven't completed. This being a Federal truck in KA, getting the Federally required Cats is a violation of State law. F-Me how that is allowed to exist, but there it is.
Anyway, going to replace the O2's and see what happens. A endoscope inspection thru the plug in the front cat showed that while several of the holes were plugged with debris, the front core looked to be in good shape. After the flogging the system took on Saline Valley Rd I really expected to see the front core collapsed or broken or something. I have some disassembly to do in order to be able to inspect the rear core of the rear cat.

I plan to re-start the 8 lug conversion now that the NV trip is done.

[biggiek]

Cervanis are nice hoods!

[ntsqd]

Hoping that y'all might have some insight on this. Been battling a distinct lack of power at fwy speeds. This is above and beyond the notorious lack of power that Ford built into these later models. It never was a speed demon on grades, but now it barely holds 45 mph on any grade. After a couple thousand miles it still hasn't completed the self-check. A friend's Scanner showed that the rear O2 sensor might be the problem there, so I replaced all of them. No apparent change after ~1.5 hours of mixed city/hwy driving.

The back story: late last Spring I found myself on Saline Valley Road headed out South Pass. I tried to find a speed that would smooth out the washboard etc. and 60 mph was not fast enough and simultaneously too fast. In the process the exhaust hangers were broken and the whole system was supported by the manifolds and banging around under there pretty badly. That banging around is why I backed off to a crawl. Boy, did that suck! This problem showed up after that.

I pulled the plug on the front cat where the two tubes enter the cat body and other than a couple holes in the front core being plugged with RTV or something it looked OK on my inspection camera. I need to pop the tail-pipe loose to see the rear of the rear cat, but inspection of rear of front cat or front of rear cat else means cutting and welding. I don't have a pic of it, but this whole system is the stock head-pipe, the two OE cats, and a tail-pipe that goes under the frame rail and thru the rear 1/4 panel just in front of the RR tire. I didn't build it that way, I'm just stuck with it for the time being. I am surprised that it isn't much louder than it is.

[ntsqd]

RE: OBA install locations. No joy fitting a QD in the fuel filler area, but I was able to fit one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B45W496 in next to the filler cap. That allows me to easily charge the system with another compressor should the need arise. Prior to the NV trip I ran it up to 125 psi with the shop compressor and 4 days later I still had ~30 psi. None of my other OBA systems will hold pressure for that long. I think that the DOT fittings are the way to go in the future.
Also added the Solo filler cap minder which works great. No more setting the cap on the LR tire or the bumper where sooner or later I'll drive off after forgetting to put it back on.

I ended up locating the side mount QD's in a web on the underside of the body just about the middle of the doors. Which puts them right in the gravel spray off the front tires, so I made some small deflectors that are in front of them. Years ago I made a similar deflector for a marine water separating spin-on fuel filter that I couldn't put anywhere else but where I feared a rock might take it out. Given it's largish size I used two layers of gallon oil or coolant bottle side (a great, cheap source of low density polyethylene sheet) to make the deflector itself. Did the same again, but these are small enough that I felt OK just making them one layer thick.

Those hood springs annoy me. Evey time I want to do something with their space claim I can't. The OBA manifold really wanted to be in the claim of the driver's side spring. Picked a hole in the under-hood and made a prop rod. A couple of riv-nuts in the core support for the pivot bracket and an oval hole in the core support to hold the tip in place when closed. I need to tweak the tip of the prop rod a little so that it better engages the slot. I'll try to get some pics up soon.

[ntsqd]

Had to jump thru some hoops to get the correct Cat/head-pipe system for this 49 State truck (bought new in FL), but got that installed and built some 3" exhaust off the rear of it. What ever the issue was (see 2nd post above), it's now gone. Feels like I've picked up some power from before the problem showed up. As a side note, no one is going to hire me to build their headers but I got it done. I believe the odd coloration is partly due it starting out as shiny stainless steel and partly due to exhaust leaks during my test drive. Need to add a few more features to the exit area to tidy up and finish off that, and I think that a heat shield for the front spring eye bushing will be a good idea. Yes, I knew that the p-brake cable was broken. Happened during the last NV trip and have absolutely no idea how.






In other news, the 8.8 has left the building. Long time RDC poster bought it, maybe we can talk him into a build thread?



With all of the rain and my current puniness this is as far as I've gotten with the D60 install. I had that slab clean before this last round of rain.

[ntsqd]

Rotors came with painted wear surfaces, so I didn't bother to keep my paint off of them since I'll have to clean off all of the paint anyway. Technically the rear wheel bearing run in diff lube, but I've been cautioned that it sometimes can take too long for the lube to get there and the wheel bearings get wiped out before the happens. So I packed the wheel bearings per normal front wheel bearings, only with a more generic disc wheel bearing grease. The front bearings will be packed in Redline CV-2 synthetic CV joint grease. I've found this grease when used in wheel bearings to be nearly a lifetime of the vehicle greasing.


I skrewed up though, one of the Dutchman axle shafts is about 3/16" too long. They made them to my measurements, so it's on me. This is as far in as it will go. I'll get it trimmed down this week. The Dana axle flange bolts are also a wee bit too long to fit the threads in the hubs. I chased all of those threads with a bottoming tap, and took them to the bottom of the holes, so that is why there is an AN washer on each bolt.


I couldn't resist, I had to put one of the new wheels & tires on to see how it looked.

[AussieRod]

I like those wheels.

[ntsqd]

So do I. Unfortunately they don't fit. sigh......

Not enough back-spacing. I think what got me was the 9" width. If they had been made in an 8" width like God intended, they would be fine. Really irritating that people feel that they have to disrupt everything. WTF wants a 9" wide wheel? All the problems of a 10" and none of the benefits of an 8"

REALLY wish that I could buy the AR23 in a 17X8. Oh well. We've already beat on that horse.

BTW, that filth under the truck is from those CA mudslides you've been hearing about.