Now the rebuild starts

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Now the rebuild starts

Post by NAM VET »

Taking the suggestion of a forum member, I have moved this thread to this section.

am pretty fortunate with my own summer acquisition of a M42. For the past quarter century it was owned and maintained and garaged by a chap in NE, and before that, likewise apparently well taken care of by an earlier owner. Hence it is very original, lacking only the radio's and is rust free, other than some superficial rust at the rear fender seams. I can tell it had one repaint, being a Dec '52 build. The winch seems to work, but only to test, as it likely empty of lubrication. It does have a little "wander" on the highway. Well, anyway, I have decided to have the engine, which has a bit low compression on several cylinders, rebuilt by Charles at his place up in very rural NC, about two hours from me, since I live just south of Charlotte. I just drove up to talk with him, and tour his shop, and he reviewed how he does his engines, and a time-line to have it back to me. When done, my engine will be in better shape that was available to Dodge when they put it together over a half century ago. My plan is to keep it all OEM, other than inside the motor. Partly to save costs to me, and also to allow me to continue to work on the restoration (mostly paint) of my truck I am in the process of taking the motor out, and will likely rent a small trailer to take it up to him, after making up some sort of engine cradle. I bought an engine hoist on sale at Northern Tool, easy to assemble, and used it to lift off my winch yesterday. Fortunately, being rust-free, the fasteners of the fenders and so forth are easy to unbolt. I do put a quick squirt of Kano on them just to be sure. After I get the engine up to Charles, the next project is to lift off the bed, to allow easier access to replace the fuel and brake lines, and clean up the frame.

Wish me luck.....

NAM VET

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Last edited by T. Highway on Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Merged rebuild threads for Hal and updated first post name to reflect his project.
M60TC
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by M60TC »

Good Choice to use Charles for the engine rebuild. He does have a good list of improvements for the Truck. Looking forward to reading about your project.

Don
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

With substantial trepidation, started the removal of my engine, to take it up to Charles, who is about a two hour drive from my home just south of Charlotte. Over the past few days, sprayed some Kano or a concoction of 50:50 ATF and acetone on every bolt and nut I could find up front. My truck is about one inch too tall to get into my garage, with the fiberglass top, which I am going to remove at some point. So it sits in my driveway, and besides, once it is parked, and not running, if it were in my garage, I would not be able to get to every component I intend to paint, or restore. Unseasonably warm out not, so at least the weather is cooperating.

When I see pictures of the long-neglected trucks others start with, and often restore to such a high standard, I am just so glad I don't have to deal with rusty fasteners, or brackets and such. There is just no way to reach some of the bolts and nuts if they were too corroded to turn loose. And it would be hopeless for me to afford to restore a truck that came to me as a "basket case", lacking all the little pins and bolts and brackets and assorted NF and NC fasteners. So used my new hoist, one from Northern Tool, bought $50 bucks off, easy to assemble and seems to so be fine. Off came the winch, the bumper extensions, then removed the fender lights, unplugging the Packard and Douglas connectors, then the fenders themselves. To make it simpler to re-assemble it all later, as per my habit, put the bolts back in their places, so this stays with that. Later I will clean the crud and minor rust off the fasteners, and replace some of the ones with damaged threads. There is a Fastenal store nearby, who has every fastener God ever created.

Then the 18 bolts that hold the cab floor plan down. Had to use a long handle breaker bar on some, as there just wasn't enough room lying on my side to loosen some of them. Then looking down at the attachments of the three levers down by the transmission, unscrewed one castle nut, then went back to my tech manual, and read there to just take off the bracket from the transmission, so had to put that pin and castle nut and cotter back together from below. Need to read ahead more.

While the tech manual shows removing the engine with the radiator "en-block" with the four fan belt pulley, (my truck is an M42) there isn't much room to get to the pulley's bolts to pull of the shroud, so just unbolted the braces and fasteners holding the radiator to the frame and after draining it, off it came. I read a reminder in the Tech manual to not let the radiator sit empty to avoid rapid internal corrosion, so bought fresh antifreeze and by laying the radiator down on a furniture mover, refilled it with the coolant, and rolled it into my garage. I will remove the surround, and take it to a radiator place before I reinstall it, to have it cleaned out. The former owner told me he paid $800 for it not too long ago.

Then at the insistence of my wife, did several hours of yard work, which pretty much wore me out, my chemotherapy has taken much of my stamina away, and then pulled a chair out to the driveway, grabbed a craft beer from the garage 'fridge, and being quite pleased with myself, just sat in the sun with a bag of pretzels for awhile. Now, I have to disconnect the vent lines and just a few more pins and wires, and then push the hoist over to the front of the truck, and get the motor out. I will figure out some sort of engine stand to hold it for the trip up to Charle's place. Interesting that I found one of the four bolts that hold the motor to to the frame bracket had never been tightened down; had a loose nut on one, so I suspect at some point with the motor was reinstalled at some time, whom ever did it forgot to tighten a front bolt's nut.

One great advantage of having the truck home while the motor is away, is the opportunity to redo lines and hoses, and repaint the frame, with my intent to pull off the bed, but not the cab.

So, having my morning coffee, and soon out to the driveway to continue my task. All in all, it is going a whole lot quicker and easier than I thought it might.

all the best...

Nv
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by billy »

Wow!
Good work.
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by M60TC »

Good Report

Remember to look at the TM Books, they will save you time and answer many of your questions.

Don
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Well by mid afternoon finished up with all the disconnects accomplished. The big bolts are not much issue, it is the little things that are time consuming, like pulling some greasy half hidden cotter pin, and being unable to remove the gear shift lever from the transmission tower. Tapped on it, put a torch on it, even went to a nearby autoparts store and bought a small gear puller, and still could not pull it off the shaft. Then noted the bolt didn't just tighten the clamping, but also went thru a half cut on the shaft, so after removing the bolt completely, it popped right off. I should have looked more closely when I first started to pull the gear shift lever off. Then spent a half hour trying to remove the two connections for vent lines under the generator, making 1/8 turns with my wrenches, then realized that I had to remove the generator anyway, so in a few minutes, hadcomplete access to those two pesky connections, and they were off in a jiffy. Little things cause delays, like being under the truck, when a socket falls off and starts rolling down towards the end of the driveway, about to be lost forever in the mulch my wife put down yesterday, with me surfing after it on my creeper. Or making four trips back to my too chest to get the correct socket, or extension. I did find that spraying brake cleaner on the exposed threads of fasteners, then trying to clean them with a wire brush, sure makes it quicker to remove them. I take pictures of everything before i start disconnecting or removing anything, so I can hopefully get it all back together eventually. Noting which side has the bolt head, or the nut, and which side may have two washers, not just one, and which side a wire runs over this or that. Per my habit, I try to put all fasteners back into their holes as soon as the part is free. I did keep reading my tech manual, to see if I was missing anything. But tomorrow is the big day, going to pick up an engine stand, and start the tear down. Found one of the cab spring hold down bolts is loose, so will check into why soon. And found another bolt quite loose on one of the flange connections. Perhaps someone couldn't get to it until the shaft was rotated, and just never got around to snugging it down.

By the way, for truck owners who are thinking about pulling their engines, and wonder what tools are essential, or at least helpful, or how much time it might take, please feel free to contact me.

So, here it is, ready for the big day tomorrow.....
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

After finally getting the clutch clevis out yesterday, then getting the engine out and on my new engine stand, (not an easy thing to do all by one's lonesome self), today after a nice late breakfast at a nearby Waffle house with my family, set about continuing my stripping the engine of everything. As usual, took lots of pictures, so I don't have to try to remember which way a NPT fitting aimed, or how the vent lines run, and any other question that will come up. Used lots of zip lock baggies for things to keep together. I have not had a problem with any rusty fastener at all, even the head bolts are easy to loosen. 60+ years of grease does tend to keep the dreaded rust at bay. To be sure, I do spray some Kano Kroil on every bolt or nut before setting to it.

I was worried about the condition of my water distribution tube, so read up on all the horrors that folded metal piece can cause. So sprayed some Kroil into the jacket, and dripped a few teaspoons of motor oil into the water jacket at the clutch end, and with great trepidation, put a pliers on the front, and it slid right out! Just a little corrosion here and there, thought about re-installing it, but decided that someday, someone will curse my sprit if I don't put in a new one. So now my greasy grimy block sits next to my workbench, with only the front pulley and front motor mount attached. Plus the oil sump is still on. It is obvious someone in the past worked on the bottom end, as there is a lot of extruded gasket sealer around the lip.

I was getting tired late in the day, but decided to push on with what will eventually be necessary for the cosmetics of my motor. So set about wire brushing and sanding assorted brackets and such, and things like the fan, then put on a light spray of red primer. I was pretty much covered with paint dust and grease flecks, so just took a very necessary shower, had to resort to washing my face with Lava soap. Good for one's complexion.

I don't deceive myself that putting an engine back together is as easy as it is take one apart. One thing at a time. Now, for the home made pasta dinner my wife is setting out.

All the best...

NV
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Went cross town to talk with the owner of the machine shop; I have known him for two decades, but as a friend, not having much need for his skills in the past. He is familiar with my sort of motor, likens them in some ways to the old straight Continental engines. I asked him if he would put in my replacement valves, and he said I could borrow his tools to do so, or would do it for me. Then went home, and found I could not put my motor in the back of my SUV, so went and rented a closed trailer for $16, and using my hoist, laid it in the back on its side. Back to the shop, where his assistant used an engine hoist on a rail outside to drag my motor out and then set it down. All this left a big pool of oil in the bed of the trailer, so went to a nearby car wash, put in about 8 quarters, with nothing happening, put in a few more, and then realized the car wash was closed, and the owner must plan on dumb guys like me putting money into his machines, more lucrative than actually making the place work. New motto for me, never try to use a car wash that has all dry bays. Drove to another car wash, and hosed out the trailer, and put a few of my external pieces on the ground, and proceeded to blast some of the grease off. As luck would have it, the curve of the upper bell housing is a perfect arc to re-direct a big blast of soapy greasy water straight back into my face.

Took the trailer with my parts back home, to empty it out, then planned to run it back to the U Haul place before they closed, but wife said "go get 25 bag of pine bark mini nuggets at the Home Depot." So ran there, loaded it, back to home, then back to the U Haul place, but ran into a multi car accident closing my intersection, so had to make a big several mile detour, and got the trailer back to the U Haul just as they were closing. Told wife I was tired, and we should go out for dinner, but since we are going to Charleston tomorrow, she wanted to heat up some leftovers. Long day, not much really accomplished in my garage.

But today, got up about 0500, and quietly went out the garage with a big cup of coffee, and began to clean and prep some of the engine peripherals for painting. I have decided to pant the engine and things attached to it black, not OD. Silver just looks like too much Bling for me, even if it was OEM. Being meticulous, used paint stripper on things like the oil filter, oil fill tube, and assorted brackets and such, then with steel wool, and sand paper, got them all down to shiny metal. and laid on some Rustoleum Pro red primer on them. Went back to the shop to confer again about my motor's plan, which is a tear down, hot tank, and then measurements of bores and journals and such, to see what is necessary.

I have in the past read about guys who take a car all apart, and never get around to putting in back together, so I am focused on just doing what is necessary to get the motor back in and running, and not dilly dallying with piddly tasks not pertinent to that. Interesting that the original color of the oil filter canister is black. And the first color on the lower bellhousing is yellow. Some parts must have been swapped out at some time in the past. Put the transmission which weighs about 1100 pounds or so on a furniture mover, and took it out and used my own higher pressure washer to get most of the baked on grease off. Had to take a shower after that.

Going to the Beach for a few days, then down to Orlando for my daughter to run two Disney Princess half marathons. I keep reading my TM's and everything I can on this and other forums for hints and cautions for me in the days ahead. I am never going to get the black grease out from under my fingernails.

All the best, guys...

And now for the obligatory war picture. Out in the Plane of Reeds for a week or so to "advise" the local troops on how to fight. This is my SGT, a quiet guy, had this huge eagle tatoo on his chest, and every evening the local troops would gather 'round to see him take off his shirt, and show it to them. He is putting up our 292 radio antennae. We stayed in the thatched hut for a week. Got wet when I rained. The NCO was a body builder, and always took about 60#'s of dumbells in his rucksack when we went out, along with about a half dozen assorted pistols. When we would hover in to land in a chopper, and the local troops would run up to catch his tossed out rucksack, he would just smile and toss them his ruck, and watch the local troop go tumbling back head over heels. There are a lot of interesting people you meet up with in wars.

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NV
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by just me »

I must be tougher than I thought for a 60 year old guy. I picked a transmission out of my truck bed and carried it into my shed last weekend! I now have enough of them to make a good one while still driving the truck with the original one.
"It may be ugly, but at least it is slow!"
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Two years ago I am sure I too could lift and handle my transmission, but being on Chemotherapy now for the past year for a high grade aggressive CA has sapped most of my strength and stamina. Every day is a gift.

previously....

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NV
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by just me »

I have an idea how you feel. Between hernias and other unpleasant surgeries in the nether regions, there are a lot of things I can no longer do. I miss motorcycle racing the most.
"It may be ugly, but at least it is slow!"
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

It is hard for us older guys, I just turned 70, to have the reality of our increasing frailty and diminution of our skills be so thrust upon us. I gave up running my 427 Cobra on tracks a few years ago, when my sense of preservation just overcame my driving ability. I hold onto handrails when I go up and down stairs now, and avoid going very high on ladders anymore. Just got back from a nice long walk on the beach, continuing my rehabilitation from a knee replacement four months ago, after working hard at a gym this am. Coming back into a strong wind for a mile was very tiring for me, had to sit and rest for a bit before I could drive home. All of us can fight it all we can, but age and sometimes the inevitable infirmity or illness, in my case, just won't be denied.

Met up with a good friend at the gym this am, he is further along on his similar CA than I, and I had to remind him that we tend to think if we did not have this illness, life would be grand, and promised. Bad things happen to other guys, and surely we are good for another 20 happy years at least. But the reality is that we are all one stop light away from disaster, or a fire in our home, (had that once), or flood, or a blocked coronary artery. We just can't imagine it happening to us. It is all for other guys. He was off to his oncologist, the same MD who takes care of me. Told my friend to tell DR.. hi for me.

Having been in two wars, I am a lucky man, having lost friends on both of them. One of my very best friends went missing soon after he and I arrived together in RVN. He is still there.

I want to get my truck repaired and restored so I can drive it. Now let me see if I can find some picture.... here is my son coming off the track.

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All the best, NV
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

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Away from home for several days, but spend much of my time thinking and planning, and trying to anticipate what I should do next, what sequence, how, and so much more. My mind must be working on my truck's restoration even when I sleep, and every night, I have some sort of dream about my truck. I keep focusing on what is necessary in the sequence of my overall plan, and what what tasks need to come before another. The engine machine shop told me when they are done with my engine, they spray it with WD40 as a rust preventive, and put some sort of bag on it, with just the eye hook out. I took over some high heat engine primer and asked them to paint it instead of the oil, making it easier for me, not having to get it the WD off to paint it, black being my choice. Partly because silver is too gaudy for me, and besides, grease and rust won't show so much on a black motor. But I also have to come up with some sort of engine stand to get it home. So thinking of how to make one out of stout oak, being sure it make it so the motor won't tip over, since it weighs something like 700+ pounds. Then too, I either have to buy a suitable trailer, for which I am not likely to ever need again, or rent such a thing, as I don't have a pick-up (other of course than the M42!). The shop has an overhead rail to lift motors in and out of open trailers and trucks. Have to be sure any truck i use is not one of the late model ones with the bed up so high that I can't get my hoist up high enough to lift it out!

So need some way to get the motor back home.

Also, been thinking about my brake and fuel lines, and incidentally what to do for all the U hook wiring do-hicky's that are on the truck to keep wire bundles securely fastened.

Finally made the "plunge" and am going with the Fedhill cupro-nickel 1/4 brake lines, and ordered the steel over-wrap yesterday. Plus the front axle clips and nuts and axle "T" (from VPW), and when I get home, carefully examine the other parts and see if they are usable or not. Next up is to review the vent line from the MC, and come up with a plan for that. My fuel line cut off, the one down low just behind the radiator seems stuck, so picked up a new one from a local NAPA. I want perfect fuel line flares, and after much thought, which is how I tend to approach any project, so am going to rent the Fedhill crimp tool, $25 a week.

For the fuel lines, I have bought a big spool of quality fuel injection hose, and plan on using that instead of steel. If the cupro-nickel lines turn out to be easy to use, I may use it for the fuel lines, though. And for clamps to hold lines and wire bundles and single lines of this and that securely, I have bags and bags of the aluminum/rubber clamps of assorted sizes, more secure than just open hooks. Pegasus Racing has them, I used them a lot for parts when I had my Cobra, even had a picture of it in their catalogue in years past. Same for Canton-Mecca, had a pic of my 427 in that catalogue too. Plus, had it the Grassroots Motorsports mag several times, as well as assorted Hot Rod type magazines, even the Griot's catalogue.

Spoke with VPW yesterday, about the front brake lines, he told me he prefers and uses the un-armored hoses, and not the "heavy duty) hoses on his own truck. I think ancient NOS US made armored hoses may be just old and brittle, and he was not aware of anyone nowadays making US armored hoses specific for my front axle. So will find some way to protect the unarmored hoses on the front axle.

First things first, now off to a meeting here at the beach. Now for some sort of picture..... Sold my GT3 to get my M42. Half the weight, six times the horsepower
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all the best, NV
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by NAM VET »

Had a private question re: prompt fill of radiator with protectant to avoid internal corrosion. TM 9-80-30. Page 229. "the cooling system should never be allowed to stay without protection for an extended time, particularly after cleaning. Considerable corrosion may take place in a few hours."

So being cautious, I have mine sitting on my garage floor filled with 50:50 new coolant. I will soon drop it off at a radiator shop for a cleaning.

All the best.....

And a picture.... Typical dinner with the local officers, lots of beer, rice, toasts. This is in a metal shed next to my own "hut." When the South fell later, I am sure all of these officers were in for a bad time.
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Re: Engine Rebuild Decision

Post by m-37Bruce »

What a great picture.
Bruce,

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Retired Again

Keep Em Rollin'

VMVA
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