Double Dingo's 1965 3/4 Ton "Crusty Biscuit"

[DoubleDingo]

Friday I had a battery delivered, the benefit of having an account with the auto parts store, and got it installed during lunch. While installing it I had to rewire the power wire that runs to the horn relay because the thief that stole the battery effed it up when they ripped it out. The thrust washer I had delivered while on vacation to replace the broken one in the OD trans was for something much more heavy duty, so I had to order the right one with the correct measurements.

Saturday we commenced reassembling the OD tranny AGAIN! Checked the shifting with the tailhousing (OD components) off and all was well. Added the first part of the OD components and then the shifting didn't shift, and the main shaft would bind up when rotated. I told my Pop let's box the damn thing in pieces and call it a day. My plan was to send it off to a tranny shop out of frustration. But he was pissed off at the tranny because he has rebuilt many of them in his 40 years of mechanicing, so he was bound and determined to find and fix the problem. We disassembled the damn thing all over again, by removing exerything except the cluster gears. Tore down the mainshaft of all its parts and pieces, reassembled the main shaft and installed everything back in the tranny. I decided to goop up the shifting mechanisms with grease this time which helped a little bit with the shifting but not much. New synchro's I understand are usually stiff until worn-in, but this was rediculous. Added the OD components AGAIN! and now the main shaft rotated fine, shifted better, and wasn't bound up. Nothing special was done except taking it apart and putting it back together with the same stuff going in their respective spots and being held with the same clips. Now it sits on my back patio waiting for another install back into the truck.

It will be nice to have OD again.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Haven't done a whole lot to the old girl lately.

I have started the disc brake conversion. Unfortunately the ball joints are going to be a bear to pop loose. I spent 6 hours beating on the driver's side one on Sunday and it never popped. Used heat, penetrating oil, you name it, I used every trick I've learned through the years to no avail. Got some items to make a spreader tool that goes between them, that should help.

While under there I noticed the cab mounts are almost completely gone. They're to the point of no return and the cab is almost riding on the frame, so I am buying some c10 rear cab-to-frame mounts so I can switch out the c20 shear style mounts and add the donut style mounts instead. Just waiting for a place in Kansas to call me back so I can place the order. Those mounts are in the LMC catalog, but they're not selling them, and removing it from the catalog according to someone that works there. Funny thing is, the place I'm getting them from said LMC gets them from them. Oh well, I would rather go directly to the source.

Once I get further along on the disc brake conversion I'll post some photos, the ones i have thus far are not that great, just a rusty-dirty drum brake suspension setup.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Got the cab to frame perches ordered. They should be here in about 5 days, unless the USPS is quicker than UPS. UPS takes 5 days every time I've ordered anything from LMC. The place I got the perches from is about 20 minutes away from LMC, so my guess is 5 days. That gives me time to do the disc brake conversion.

Upon closer inspection of the sheet metal up front, the core support is not in good shape on the passenger side where it bolts to the frame, but the driver's side looks good. I wish I knew how to weld, I would just reinforce the old one and put it back in. I may pay some to do just that if it's not too bad. I have a new one from LMC I bought years ago, but I know those replacement pieces from LMC are not of the best quality, and I've heard the holes don't always line up too well. Replacing or repairing the core support actually works out great because I have a straight grille from Mean Green to put on it that I have dressed up, so I can do the core support and grille all at the same time.

 

[Stewzer55]

I find it a little odd that the half ton cab mounts are different than 3/4 ton but weirder things have happened. You've got a good amount of spare parts too and that's always a big help.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I find it a little odd that the half ton cab mounts are different than 3/4 ton but weirder things have happened. You've got a good amount of spare parts too and that's always a big help.

The only reason I can think of why they had different styled cab mounts for the c20 and heavier trucks is possibly because of the stiffer suspension and trying to make it a more comfortable ride. The 3/4 tons have steel bushings on the front suspension so it's the springs that absorb all of the bounces. I can buy some vulcanized shear style mounts off ebay for $300, or have mine rebuilt for about $200. But I have some urethane donuts already so I just need the rear perches. The ride may be rougher, but I won't know until I swap in the perches and add the urethane donuts.

This link explains and shows the difference between the two styles of mounts. http://www.persh.org/pickup/c20_cab_mounts.htm

 

[DoubleDingo]

Last night after some prayer the both lower ball joints popped loose. The passenger side I didn't get done until around 8pm, so it's still on the frame. I will switch it over to the parts truck tonight. Then I can put the tires back on it and lower it back to the ground. Sprayed the frame of the '65 with some purple degreaser this morning and will do the same at lunch. Tonight I can commence to cleaning off the gunk. Luckily the PO cleaned it up pretty well when he had it, so there isn't mounds of dried old oil and grease on the cross member. There is under the upper control arms, but that area is difficult to clean when the suspension is on the frame.

For some reason the left side won't compress enough on the parts truck for me to get the castle nut on the ball joint. Need more weight. Thought the engine would be heavy enough but I was wrong.

 

[DoubleDingo]

On Sunday while getting going, I looked over and saw a bumper brace laying on the ground and saw it is the one I altered on Mean Green when I put power steering on that truck. Since I have the front bumper off, I will swap out that brace and be one step closer to power steering. Notice one of the ears is cut off. That is all that is needed for the power steering gear to clear the bumper brace. If my bracketry for the pump will work with my current setup, I will be golden. If not I will need to find a different configuration for the pump, or find a different pump altogether.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Got the front of the frame cleaned and painted over the weekend. Now the suspension can go on. The photos show the first pass with reust reformer, and then the silver. My phone was almost dead when I took pics of the silver, so it wouldn't allow the flash. It looks a lot better. Before coming to work I snapped a shot of the center link against the cross member to see what the new color scheme looks like. I like it! Don't mind the runs on the front of the cross member. That was a mistake and is the only spot that ran. I don't care though, it's covered with paint and the rust has been removed and converted. On my phone the new color scheme photo is much brighter, don't know what happened to make it go darker, but you can still see it.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I've had the front end done for two weeks now. The booster/master cylinder kit I bought years ago won't bolt up. Called Master Power Brake and they said they don't have anything that fits a 3/4 ton truck, only 1/2 tons. I asked about having them make a bracket, and they said they don't sell brackets, just full kits. I don't need another kit you a**holes, I need to be able to bolt the kit I have to the firewall. When I bought the kit from REZ engineering they said it was a direct bolt up. With that snag, and going on a cold camping trip, the project got put on hold. Before I went on vacation I got an idea that seemed to be a viable option. I had a 1/4" steel plate fabricated so I can finish the conversion. No pictures of that yet, but it will allow the bracket to clear two of the bolts that are in the way. This is where the truck is right now. Was going to post up the pics of the truck but my email won't come through, so all I have is Snipping Tool Images of the drawings of the plate I had fabricated.

 

[Georgeb]

Perfect!

 

[DoubleDingo]

Email with the photos finally came through, so here goes. At least the truck is sitting on fours now and not with the front end cantilevered over jack stands. I hate working on vehicles like that but it has to be done sometimes. Spent 10 hours getting the front end done on November 4th. That was a crazy week, worked 12.5 hours on the 3rd, and then came in on the 4th thru 6th at 4am to 8am and then went home to work on the truck. Was wanting to take it camping, but with the booster bracket snag, the truck got to stay home to think about what it's done. Can't wait to drive it again. I hope I don't go through the windshield the first time I hit the brakes

 

[HotRodPC]

Damn, that's nice and clean looking. Front disk brake conversion and booster issue resolved, it'll stop just like a new model truck does but without the complicated Anti Lock brake system. I like it !!!

 

[Stewzer55]

Half tons get all the love from the aftermarket it seems, but they need it more than the more stout 3/4+ tons. GM really was miles ahead engineering wise with the front suspensions of these trucks, they could actually be aligned and rode better than Ford's Twin I beam and Dodge was still on a solid axle til '72 IIRC

 

[HotRodPC]

Half tons get all the love from the aftermarket it seems, but they need it more than the more stout 3/4+ tons. GM really was miles ahead engineering wise with the front suspensions of these trucks, they could actually be aligned and rode better than Ford's Twin I beam and Dodge was still on a solid axle til '72 IIRC

Yep, GM was way ahead. In those years, forget up until what year, the half tons were even torsion bar independent front suspension. Wanting to say about 63. For sure the 62 1/2 ton was torsion bar, I had one. Thing had an X frame with a tunnel with a carrier bearing that the driveshaft went through.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Thanks, it is a huge improvement over what it was. I'm off to get a rear brake hose from Napa, and then it's time to finish this project so I can get it to the shop for a front end alignment.