ArdWrknTrk Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Starting to actually look like a truck again... Installed the PMGR starter and exhaust downpipe this morning before installing the fenders and liners. I loosely organized the wiring harness since it has been pretty much laying in a big lump on the engine. Starting to look like something again. It's still a rusty pile, but at least I'm not bored! Tomorrow I have to cut the hole in the floor for the 4x4 shifter, and install the shifter and bezel, etc. Then finish tightening down the cab mount bolts. I might deal with some of the engine bay wiring, but I need to also get the core support ready to install, and it needs a little bit of work first. Time to make a list...lol. Looks great, Cory! Is there anything can be done to keep the radiator supports from rusting out? I don't feel great about the Taiwanese steel mine's made from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Looks great, Cory! Is there anything can be done to keep the radiator supports from rusting out? I don't feel great about the Taiwanese steel mine's made from. You mean the core support brackets on the frame? They ALWAYS rust out...sometimes to the point where the mount falls right through the bracket. I'm not sure what you could do with them tbh. There is something about them that sucks the salt in between the rubber and the steel, and then they just sit there and rust where you can't see it. I forgot to tell you guys. I have a little Albee gas cylinder for my welder. They're just little tanks...2ft tall, I think about 2.5 gal capacity. I bought the tank several years ago, so that I didn't have to deal with a tank contract. Anyway, I finally ran out a few weeks ago and I took it in to exchange it. The tank was blue, and the guy gave me a green tank. I didn't argue with the guy, but stated that I thought I should have a blue tank. He said that the green was the same stuff. A week or so later, I go to weld my frame horns on, and the welder is just working like shit. Zapping and splattering, I just could not get a nice steady arc at all. Turns out it was that stupid green tank. I called Air Liquide (main supplier around here) and they said the green tanks are straight Argon for welding aluminum, and the blue tanks are Argon mix (w/CO2) for Mig welding steel. The guy said "Oh you would have had a helluva time trying to weld with that green tank". LOL. Needless to say, I exchanged it. Haven't tried again since, but I'm sure its fine now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Looks great, Cory! Is there anything can be done to keep the radiator supports from rusting out? I don't feel great about the Taiwanese steel mine's made from. You mean the core support brackets on the frame? They ALWAYS rust out...sometimes to the point where the mount falls right through the bracket. I'm not sure what you could do with them tbh. There is something about them that sucks the salt in between the rubber and the steel, and then they just sit there and rust where you can't see it. I forgot to tell you guys. I have a little Albee gas cylinder for my welder. They're just little tanks...2ft tall, I think about 2.5 gal capacity. I bought the tank several years ago, so that I didn't have to deal with a tank contract. Anyway, I finally ran out a few weeks ago and I took it in to exchange it. The tank was blue, and the guy gave me a green tank. I didn't argue with the guy, but stated that I thought I should have a blue tank. He said that the green was the same stuff. A week or so later, I go to weld my frame horns on, and the welder is just working like shit. Zapping and splattering, I just could not get a nice steady arc at all. Turns out it was that stupid green tank. I called Air Liquide (main supplier around here) and they said the green tanks are straight Argon for welding aluminum, and the blue tanks are Argon mix (w/CO2) for Mig welding steel. The guy said "Oh you would have had a helluva time trying to weld with that green tank". LOL. Needless to say, I exchanged it. Haven't tried again since, but I'm sure its fine now. Looking good, Cory! A little bit at a time and one day you'll be able to drive it. At least it worked for me, although it took a long time. As for the core support mounts, that's a poor design for sure! I POR-15'd mine, so hopefully they'll hold up. EDIT: Forgot the welding tank. I've not tried straight Argon, but everything I've read and been told says it won't work at all for steel. Welder Scott explained how the different gases change the heat, but we didn't discuss straight Argon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Looking good, Cory! A little bit at a time and one day you'll be able to drive it. At least it worked for me, although it took a long time. As for the core support mounts, that's a poor design for sure! I POR-15'd mine, so hopefully they'll hold up. EDIT: Forgot the welding tank. I've not tried straight Argon, but everything I've read and been told says it won't work at all for steel. Welder Scott explained how the different gases change the heat, but we didn't discuss straight Argon. Is your reasoning for cutting the floor so that you can use the newer style shift lever? Is that because you don't have a bullnose shift lever? I don't have any experience with the M5OD-R2, but on my T19 and BW 1356, I'm still able to run the bullnose style shift lever so that my truck will stay original. Uhaul still has a NOS 80-81 shift lever for $20 US shipped, the only thing it is missing is the bar from the lever to the transfer case, and the knob. It would at least save you from having to cut into the floor when you already have the hole in the inspection cover (unless you swapped that for the newer version too, I can't remember). Just figured I would throw it out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Looks great, Cory! Is there anything can be done to keep the radiator supports from rusting out? I don't feel great about the Taiwanese steel mine's made from. You mean the core support brackets on the frame? They ALWAYS rust out...sometimes to the point where the mount falls right through the bracket. I'm not sure what you could do with them tbh. There is something about them that sucks the salt in between the rubber and the steel, and then they just sit there and rust where you can't see it. I forgot to tell you guys. I have a little Albee gas cylinder for my welder. They're just little tanks...2ft tall, I think about 2.5 gal capacity. I bought the tank several years ago, so that I didn't have to deal with a tank contract. Anyway, I finally ran out a few weeks ago and I took it in to exchange it. The tank was blue, and the guy gave me a green tank. I didn't argue with the guy, but stated that I thought I should have a blue tank. He said that the green was the same stuff. A week or so later, I go to weld my frame horns on, and the welder is just working like shit. Zapping and splattering, I just could not get a nice steady arc at all. Turns out it was that stupid green tank. I called Air Liquide (main supplier around here) and they said the green tanks are straight Argon for welding aluminum, and the blue tanks are Argon mix (w/CO2) for Mig welding steel. The guy said "Oh you would have had a helluva time trying to weld with that green tank". LOL. Needless to say, I exchanged it. Haven't tried again since, but I'm sure its fine now. The CO2 helps stabilize the arc and get heat into the metal. You can Mig steel with straight CO2 but not with straight Argon. (That Newfie Tony Fitzpatrick, Fitziees Fabrications YouTube channel uses straight CO2....) Tanks here (US) are rated in cubic feet. You might have a 40 or a 60? The horns on my frame have homemade framsavers. Just beefy washers filed out hexagonal. If I had to do it again I'd probably use stainless. I have a spool of Blue Demon .035 304 stainless wire for my Horrid Fate Titanium 125. It seems to need a lot of heat to *wet out the toe, but it joins stainless to regular carbon steel just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 Is your reasoning for cutting the floor so that you can use the newer style shift lever? Is that because you don't have a bullnose shift lever? Yes and yes. I don't mind cutting the floor in this truck (I already did it today). Not much sense in me trying to keep this truck original...with the 1995 chassis and all, I'll have to disclose that anyway, and I don't really have any plans for it to be a show winner. This thing is just a toy to keep me busy on the weekends. Since I had all of the original 1995 4x4 shifter and bezel, etc it was easy to do. If I had needed to buy a shifter, etc then I may have swapped it (or tried to). Now that I think of it, I don't know if a Bullnose shifter would work. I did install the higher tunnel cover for the M5OD. I don't know if I could incorporate a 4x4 shifter into that. Anyway, the floor is already cut and the bezel installed, and it shifts fine so that is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 The CO2 helps stabilize the arc and get heat into the metal. You can Mig steel with straight CO2 but not with straight Argon. (That Newfie Tony Fitzpatrick, Fitziees Fabrications YouTube channel uses straight CO2....) I have used CO2 with my MIG and it works better than flux wire but not a clean as mix Argon at least for sheet metal MIG welding. Cory looking good. For me when I started putting body panels back on the truck it was a big change that I got something done. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 The CO2 helps stabilize the arc and get heat into the metal. You can Mig steel with straight CO2 but not with straight Argon. (That Newfie Tony Fitzpatrick, Fitziees Fabrications YouTube channel uses straight CO2....) I have used CO2 with my MIG and it works better than flux wire but not a clean as mix Argon at least for sheet metal MIG welding. Cory looking good. For me when I started putting body panels back on the truck it was a big change that I got something done. Dave ---- Ya Dave, it's coming along, bit by bit. It's got some pretty nasty positive camber at the moment. I'm hoping that it settles down more with the rest of the front end parts installed (and fluids filled). I wonder what a carbed 300 weighs compared to a fully dressed 5.0L EFI with smog pump, etc. I mean the hood, core support and front bumper aren't going to add all that much weight compared to how it sits now...neither will the oil and coolant, but I guess it all adds up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Ya Dave, it's coming along, bit by bit. It's got some pretty nasty positive camber at the moment. I'm hoping that it settles down more with the rest of the front end parts installed (and fluids filled). I wonder what a carbed 300 weighs compared to a fully dressed 5.0L EFI with smog pump, etc. I mean the hood, core support and front bumper aren't going to add all that much weight compared to how it sits now...neither will the oil and coolant, but I guess it all adds up. I think the weights were pretty close, how much can 2 more holes weigh on a v8? You didn't do anything with the front suspension that I remember did you? You did roll it forward and back as that helps if you had it up in the air. I seen them straps for testing your welds on the frame horns and why I say that Dave ---- https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/338625-how-much-does-a-300-six-weigh.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 You did roll it forward and back as that helps if you had it up in the air. I seen them straps for testing your welds on the frame horns and why I say that Dave ---- Haha, the straps are how I move it every weekend. I pull it out away from the wall on Saturday morning and then push it back on Sunday afternoon. I had to put some longer straps on today now that the fenders are on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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