Nothing is ever simple, nothing, not ever ever simple
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:26 pm
If there was a "flat-rate" cost schedule for working on these trucks, I would double or even triple every estimate for my own restoration. Take today. A simple swap-out of the throttle cable. Easy-peasy, just undo the bolt on the back of the pull "T" then pull it back from the engine compartment, and then reverse the procedure. Well, first had to reach the nut on the back of the failed "T." Tried looking up from below, but with a steel plate in my neck, that was not possible. So realized that I could just loosen the instrument panel to get to the nut. Did that and found the speedo cable only let me pull it out about two inches, and then tried to use a stubby 9/16 wrench on the corroded nut and found that was near impossible. So sprayed some electrical cleaner on the "T" threads, and with aching and bloody finger tips, unscrewed the nut. Then found I couldn't just pull the old cable out, because it and the carb cable are held tightly by a clamp on the upper outer firewall. And to get to the two flat had screws to loosen that clamp, had to unscrew two machine bolts holding it onto the firewall, dropping both under the truck, one hiding then in a tire tread block.
Back to work. Inserted the new throttle cable, and since it is a down hill run to the hole in the firewall, the nut and washer zipped down and managed to wedge themselves in a crevice in a near impossible place to reach. Working from the engine side, found as per usual, that everything I need to see is in the upper part of my bifocals, making it hard to see what I was trying to do. Got the nut and washer back onto the threads, and then found I should have cut the new generic length of cable to the same length as the removed one, as it was now long enough to hit the radiator. Making it a chore to carefully use a Dremel cut-off wheel deep down under the carb itself to trim the outer armor to length. Accomplished that, only to find it was hard to reach the now dangling cable clamp on the firewall, and not then cross thread one hidden behind the top of the oil filter. More sore neck muscles. Got that.
Then, had to lock the cable armor into its mount under the carb, made more difficult as while I can now get my truck into my garage, I can't fully raise the hood, having thus a difficult angle to hold the cable, hold a small wrench on the small lock nut on the tiny bolt, and with my third hand hold the cable itself at an angle to allow the clamp to securely now hold the armor. To find I had forgotten to insert the wire into its lock, so took it off, and inserted the wire into the lock, re-did the cable lock clamp, and then snugged down the tiny bolt that holds the wire into its arm.
Finally done. Sore neck, sore fingers, several small lacerations, and decided to put off seeing how it now hopefully works to hold my manual throttle when necessary.
The "flat-rate" manual likely gives about 15 minutes to do what took me several hours. Typical for me.
Rain and wind now, Wife making her famous custom Sloppy Joes for dinner.
All the best,
NV
Back to work. Inserted the new throttle cable, and since it is a down hill run to the hole in the firewall, the nut and washer zipped down and managed to wedge themselves in a crevice in a near impossible place to reach. Working from the engine side, found as per usual, that everything I need to see is in the upper part of my bifocals, making it hard to see what I was trying to do. Got the nut and washer back onto the threads, and then found I should have cut the new generic length of cable to the same length as the removed one, as it was now long enough to hit the radiator. Making it a chore to carefully use a Dremel cut-off wheel deep down under the carb itself to trim the outer armor to length. Accomplished that, only to find it was hard to reach the now dangling cable clamp on the firewall, and not then cross thread one hidden behind the top of the oil filter. More sore neck muscles. Got that.
Then, had to lock the cable armor into its mount under the carb, made more difficult as while I can now get my truck into my garage, I can't fully raise the hood, having thus a difficult angle to hold the cable, hold a small wrench on the small lock nut on the tiny bolt, and with my third hand hold the cable itself at an angle to allow the clamp to securely now hold the armor. To find I had forgotten to insert the wire into its lock, so took it off, and inserted the wire into the lock, re-did the cable lock clamp, and then snugged down the tiny bolt that holds the wire into its arm.
Finally done. Sore neck, sore fingers, several small lacerations, and decided to put off seeing how it now hopefully works to hold my manual throttle when necessary.
The "flat-rate" manual likely gives about 15 minutes to do what took me several hours. Typical for me.
Rain and wind now, Wife making her famous custom Sloppy Joes for dinner.
All the best,
NV