WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[Gary Lewis]

Dave - Your fenders are looking good, although I'm no body man.

As for your brother, I assume you are suggesting he shouldn't have cut up a good fender? But would you have had him ship it to you?

Anyway, I hope he does find the other parts. CA seems to be a good place to find things.

When he was telling me how he got the fuel door I was crying a little and yes I did tell him they are hard to find and should not have cut it up.

No not ship it as I don't need either fender (at this time). I only needed a fuel door and area to graft onto the rear part of my fender for the rear tank I added and was going to use 1 of the 2 from the parts truck.

He said the only thing he saw wrong with the truck was it had no dash and the wood for the bed was rotten but the rest of the bed was in good shape.

He did say the gate & fuel door was already boxed up and sitting in the back of his truck just needed my address. I told him no rush but he wants it out of his truck so he can get more parts!

I will get pictures when it gets here.

Dave ----

Actually it was more "what I did to the shop" as I spent most of another day cleaning and organizing the plethora of parts y'all have been kind enough to send me. Today was dedicated to getting the serpentine brackets, tensioners, pulleys, and fasteners clean. And now they are cozy in a large Home Depot tote like Jim introduced to me.

Part of the brackets came from Huck so that took a bit of disassembly. Along the way I couldn't help "playing" a bit, including checking to see why Huck's AC/PS bracket broke. And, Bill called that right - no backing plate on the water pump.

And, since I was already pulling things off of Huck's engine I decided to pull more weight off as I'll be moving it for storage. The first thing to come off were the exhaust manifolds. I held my breath and hit the bolts with the impact, and off they came. But, when I got to the driver's side the EGR plumbing refused to come off of the EGR valve on the top or the exhaust manifold on the bottom. Anyone know what size the threads are going into the manifold? And, what are the odds I can get that fitting out with penetrating oil and heat?

[85lebaront2]

Actually it was more "what I did to the shop" as I spent most of another day cleaning and organizing the plethora of parts y'all have been kind enough to send me. Today was dedicated to getting the serpentine brackets, tensioners, pulleys, and fasteners clean. And now they are cozy in a large Home Depot tote like Jim introduced to me.

Part of the brackets came from Huck so that took a bit of disassembly. Along the way I couldn't help "playing" a bit, including checking to see why Huck's AC/PS bracket broke. And, Bill called that right - no backing plate on the water pump.

And, since I was already pulling things off of Huck's engine I decided to pull more weight off as I'll be moving it for storage. The first thing to come off were the exhaust manifolds. I held my breath and hit the bolts with the impact, and off they came. But, when I got to the driver's side the EGR plumbing refused to come off of the EGR valve on the top or the exhaust manifold on the bottom. Anyone know what size the threads are going into the manifold? And, what are the odds I can get that fitting out with penetrating oil and heat?

I can check tomorrow, but I think they are 1/2" NPT. Good luck on getting it off, I have broken two of those, at the time $65 fittings. The tube is available aftermarket from Dorman.

[Gary Lewis]

I can check tomorrow, but I think they are 1/2" NPT. Good luck on getting it off, I have broken two of those, at the time $65 fittings. The tube is available aftermarket from Dorman.

Did you break the fitting? Where did it break - sheared off leaving the threads in the manifold?

My plan was to cut the tube just far enough out of the fitting that I can get a deep socket on the fitting. Then do my best with penetrating oil and heat, alternating, and then the big impact. If it won't come out then crimp and braze the end of the tube.

But, if there's a probability of breaking it so that part of it is in the manifold maybe I should go directly to Plan B and crimp it?

[85lebaront2]

Did you break the fitting? Where did it break - sheared off leaving the threads in the manifold?

My plan was to cut the tube just far enough out of the fitting that I can get a deep socket on the fitting. Then do my best with penetrating oil and heat, alternating, and then the big impact. If it won't come out then crimp and braze the end of the tube.

But, if there's a probability of breaking it so that part of it is in the manifold maybe I should go directly to Plan B and crimp it?

The threaded neck broke off right where it goes into the elbow. Getting the flare nut lose can be mission impossible. Don't even try it in situ, you can't get a big enough wrench in to turn it due to the odd angle it sits at. If you are doing away with the EGR, I would cut it off flush, then use a hacksaw blade to split it. That's what I did on my "new" manifolds.

[FuzzFace2]

The threaded neck broke off right where it goes into the elbow. Getting the flare nut lose can be mission impossible. Don't even try it in situ, you can't get a big enough wrench in to turn it due to the odd angle it sits at. If you are doing away with the EGR, I would cut it off flush, then use a hacksaw blade to split it. That's what I did on my "new" manifolds.

When I stripped the paint/rust off the bedside panels I saw rust hiding under the paint so today I took the panels down to bare metal to get to the rust. I also stripped the front header panel.

A lot of sanding by hand as tools could not get to all the needed areas.

Once everything was stripped, sanded and dusted off I hit the panels with this acid

I will let that work to kill the rust and if it is set tomorrow and I feel up to working on it I have a little filler work that needs to be done before I can spray primer on them.

Once in primer I will set them on the bed floor that is on the truck and recheck everything before I start drilling holes in the floor to bolt the sides down.

I want to mock everything up like it will be when painted to see if there are any "GOT YOU'S!" and fix them now. After paint will be too late!

I was also thinking of how I am going to get paint on them?

I may try and hang them in a way I can get paint everywhere so the rust will not happen again (as fast!).

When I prim them will be the test I guess.

Sorry no pictures but they don't look much different than the last pictures of the side panels.

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

When I stripped the paint/rust off the bedside panels I saw rust hiding under the paint so today I took the panels down to bare metal to get to the rust. I also stripped the front header panel.

A lot of sanding by hand as tools could not get to all the needed areas.

Once everything was stripped, sanded and dusted off I hit the panels with this acid

I will let that work to kill the rust and if it is set tomorrow and I feel up to working on it I have a little filler work that needs to be done before I can spray primer on them.

Once in primer I will set them on the bed floor that is on the truck and recheck everything before I start drilling holes in the floor to bolt the sides down.

I want to mock everything up like it will be when painted to see if there are any "GOT YOU'S!" and fix them now. After paint will be too late!

I was also thinking of how I am going to get paint on them?

I may try and hang them in a way I can get paint everywhere so the rust will not happen again (as fast!).

When I prim them will be the test I guess.

Sorry no pictures but they don't look much different than the last pictures of the side panels.

Dave ----

Dave - Can you paint them hanging up horizontally? Would that allow good enough access or do they need to be vertical?

Bill - You said "If you are doing away with the EGR, I would cut it off flush, then use a hacksaw blade to split it." Cut what off flush? The line/tube? Split what? And are you saying yours broke where I have the yellow line?

If I'm not going to get it out, what's the best way to seal it?

[85lebaront2]

Dave - Can you paint them hanging up horizontally? Would that allow good enough access or do they need to be vertical?

Bill - You said "If you are doing away with the EGR, I would cut it off flush, then use a hacksaw blade to split it." Cut what off flush? The line/tube? Split what? And are you saying yours broke where I have the yellow line?

If I'm not going to get it out, what's the best way to seal it?

Cut it on the red line, split it into the edge of the threads and collapse it with a hammer and cold chisel. Once it collapses in, it will just about fall out.

[Gary Lewis]

Cut it on the red line, split it into the edge of the threads and collapse it with a hammer and cold chisel. Once it collapses in, it will just about fall out.

Got it. Thanks!

[fords4life]

Got it. Thanks!

Gary - Just remember if you put enough heat to it to get the manifold glowing at all that you might warp the manifold. If you have a spare set of heads you could install them on with full torque on the bolts, it would help. Just let it fully cool before removing them. Could also check them after and/or have them machined.

Finally got the fuel filter and oil changed on the new to me "Old Blue". Every time I do maintenance on a gasser I wonder why they put the oil filters where they do and why they do the inline fuel filters that dump gas all over when you replace them... Glad I did the fuel filter though. Doesn't appear to have been done in a long time as the clips holding the fuel lines on crumbled when I touched them. Anyone ever do an oil filter relocate on a 5.0? Where did you relocate it to?

[fords4life]

Gary - Just remember if you put enough heat to it to get the manifold glowing at all that you might warp the manifold. If you have a spare set of heads you could install them on with full torque on the bolts, it would help. Just let it fully cool before removing them. Could also check them after and/or have them machined.

Finally got the fuel filter and oil changed on the new to me "Old Blue". Every time I do maintenance on a gasser I wonder why they put the oil filters where they do and why they do the inline fuel filters that dump gas all over when you replace them... Glad I did the fuel filter though. Doesn't appear to have been done in a long time as the clips holding the fuel lines on crumbled when I touched them. Anyone ever do an oil filter relocate on a 5.0? Where did you relocate it to?

Gary - Since the manifold is off the truck, you could also try soaking that manifold in some rust remover like Metal Rescue or Evapo-Rust. I have used the Metal Rescue on a bunch of old tools and it does work it's way into threads/cracks. Just might need to soak, clean with a wire brush, soak, repeat.....