Progress is slow...until tomorrow! I've been flat out of money for the last 6 months and just doing whatever I can do buy parts. Selling my '93 w250 tomorrow and buying a '90 D250 cummins 5 speed for $1500 just to haul my skinny butt around until the crew is done. I may just hold onto the 2wd as a back up. After all, I paid next to nothing for it.
Tore down the knocking 4bt for the rat. Was not a heat related issue from the last start-up. Pistons and cylinders are perfect, all valves and pushrods are ok (even though #1 kissed the valves). The #1 rod bearing roasted from the previous owner's oil pump failure and when we ran it, the rod bolts started coming loose and the rod bearings slid over top of each other for a wicked knock. Luckily, I shut it down before there were pieces flying. Crank will be turned, #1 rod replaced and new bearings for the bottom end. Also, doing ARP rod bolts for peace-of-mind. No camshaft damage, lifter damage or head damage. The only damaged journal was #1 rod. Mains all looked good.
Moved on to my Crew cab again. Pulled off the pitman arm, plugged the ports, sandblasted the box, disassembled completely, cleaned and installed new seals. Also painted all parts the proper color tones of bare metal for OEM look. Then, I made a stainless bracket for the wilwood proportioning valve which I then mounted to the hydroboost I rebuilt last week in my kitchen (LOL). Started running brake lines up around the firewall, installed steering column body and installed some more dash pieces.
Cleaned up my power steering setup
Then, I had to start aligning doors (pain in the butt doing it by yourself) and rolled it outside to be exposed to sunlight for its first time. This picture is now my phone's screen saver. Love this color every time I look at it.
Valve covers lit up
Got a little off the priority list and filled in the awful rut right where I like to work by the chain hoist.
Epic build team:
So, this week, I am buying:
Cylinder head $200
Trans $500
input shaft $100
Cluster shaft $180
bearings for trans $?
29 spline coupler $?
Weather strip for doors $300
2 S300 hybrid turbos $150
Then, I will trek to the junkyard and pick up 2 more dana 60 front axles for parts and to sell stuff off of and do some trading with some buddies. Hoping everything I sell off the dana axles will pay for the purchases this week.
Getting close. The goal is in 2 weeks, I want to make phone calls for drive shafts and as soon as those are bolted in, I can take it for a ground breaking (literally) drive.
Charlie