ckessel
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Some more shots.
Updating the Super Street Mopar
- Thread starter ckessel
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ckessel
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I had the k-frame blasted to get rid of the accumulated 4yrs worth of surface rust. I made up a couple of filler pieces to go to the steering box mount bracket. I'm using the sector/pittman shaft support bearing/bracket unit from Firm Feel, fits on the threaded end of the Pittman shaft with a special nut that fits into the bearing, with the unit bolting to the k-frame in two spots. I figured since I'm using that unit the additional pieces probably are not needed, but what the heck can't hurt. I went around with the flap wheel to remove some sharp corners and edges all around. I'm not going to bother with knocking all of the welds down to get everything perfectly smooth, my car isn't going to be a show pony.
Gunner1
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Looks awesome.
ckessel
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Today I did some sand[ actually garnet media]blasting. I ended up having to buy the 20lb pressurized tank unit from HF. The unit I tried to use, stick the feed tube in a bucket, would not work at all. 6+ hours later its fairly well cleaned off. There are some areas I'll hit with a disc or flap wheel but its pretty much there. I used my shop vac to pick up the media once the tank was empty. Did that numerous times during the day. Tomorrow I'll pull off the main bagging material and get the vacuum out with some pressurized air to push the hidden grit out of various areas. I'm pooped but happy. I added some bag material at the windshield so I could have something to contain most of the flying media plus had a tarp below to assist in the recycling.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Some more shots. The captured media will go into my blast cabinet so it can be operational.
ckessel
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Got all of the bagging off today, vacuumed up more media. Tomorrow I'll get some air flow on one end of the frame rails with the vacuum attached on the receiving end.
ckessel
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The last couple of days were spent using the vacuum on one end and air pressure on the other to get the trapped media out. Today I hit the bottom of the rails with the wire wheel, blew it off, then hit it with Ospho. I once again put the tarp down since that stuff is phosphoric acid and I don't want my nice pavers tatered. Now just killing time waiting for it to dry, then I'll push it back into the garage. Tomorrow I'll get it off the rolling stands, put my front dolly on and make it ready to roll to the other side and then onto the lift.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Today I got it off the stands and ready to be moved to the other side and back on the lift. I was amazed how much dust from the blasting, even with my tent, landed in the garage. I put a new main filter on the vac plus a fresh bag and got the area around the lift cleaned. Put the reclaimed media in my blast cabinet so now its ready for work. After I get the car to the other side I'll clean the occupied area, move some stuff around and park the truck inside for a change.
Like the commercial says, "that **** gets on everythin", or something like that. Looking good!
ckessel
Well-Known Member
For sure!
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Yesterday afternoon, one of my neighbors came by with a friend plus his dad[ dad and I worked at the Dodge dealer in Slo in the past] and we got the car to the other side. Today I'll get it situated on the lift with cribbing so I can continue the work on it. Also I'm going to shuffle some other stuff around that was behind it so my truck will be able to camp out in the garage.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
As of 11am, the engine/trans are back in. You can see the long 5/8" bolts with the heads cut off that I use to line the unit up with the car. I do need to either spend some time on a grinder to give the cut ends some taper or have them chucked up in a lathe to do the same. Would help out some on the alignment. This afternoon I'll be moving stuff around so I can park the truck inside.
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I’ve read and seen people use those “dowels” to line it all up.
I just eyeballed mine and it worked out fine.
I just eyeballed mine and it worked out fine.
Maybe I missed it, but why isn't the Kmember painted?
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Thats my spare k-frame. My other one is out getting powdered along with the lower control arms and center link. Down the road I'll work the spare unit over so its ready in case I need another. After moving various pieces around, vacuuming the floor etc, the truck is now in the garage. I'm pooped but happy. Need to scare up some 4x material to assist in the cribbing support.
ckessel
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This afternoon was spent getting the car supported on blocks. I'm so glad I kept the useable lumber pieces from the garage build.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Today I redid the template for the new trans support, finally got that figured out. My cobbled up from before unit looks pretty caveman so I decided to make a change after seeing the unit 493Mike made for his car. I went to cut it out with my plasma cutter, figured good time to try it out since I've owned it for 10yrs[ bought new], hooked everything up but the pressure regulator won't adjust. Poo! So my neighbor is going to cut it out at his work. I'll order up a new reg for mine. The new support will give me extra exhaust clearance too. I went ahead and hung the front bumper on so I could mark out the general areas to be enlarged when its time for that. The center section opening will get widened so that the coolers behind will get their own air flow. I'll also open up the old t/s holes as they will now become cooling duct or intake air inlets as I'll be using LED headlamps with halo's that can be used as t/s. You can see where its marked out in blue crayon. I picked up my k-frame, lower control arms and center links from getting coated today. What a difference. I decided to get both links done as the more straight one, says DF21 on it, came with the k I'm using for the car. My extra k had a different center link, says DF27 on it and it has an extra jog the other does not. Makes me wonder what that other k is from, maybe e body, will have to investigate. Maybe one of you brothers is hip on those forging numbers. I also figured that if the DF21 unit has issues with clearance later that the DF27 may work in its place. Cross that bridge later.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Today I bounced around on the car doing various jobs. Monday I was was running a flap wheel over my t-bar x-member upper hoop when my 30+ year old Makita 4.5" grinder started smoking from the work load. Ordered up a new Dewalt unit with a higher amp motor but it won't be in till Friday soonest. So... used my Eastwood SCT to buff off a bunch of accumulated surface rust on the front bumper. Will need to finish that off when the new grinder gets here and my cup brush is mounted on it. I'm waiting for my neighbor to plasma cut my new trans lower mount. So today I cut some tube to put into the t-bar/trans x-member area for the new mount bolts. Will cut the holes in the x-member when I get the new trans piece made then weld them in. After that I put some cribbing under the back end of the car to support it when I cut the frame for the new spring boxes. I took the diff out, good thing I have a trans jack, then dropped the springs out. In the last photo you can just see the SFC edge in the big lower hole. It is past where the new spring boxes will get cut and welded in all together. I'm glad one of you reminded me to extend the SFC's so the spring boxes could get welded to them.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Some more progress from yesterday. I was working on a 1" wood dowel to use as my drill guide for the rear shackles. Called a friend of mine, actually who owned the car before I bought it from another gent, to see if his wood lathe was able to put a 1/8" hole in the center of the dowel. He said no but asked what I was trying to do. He ended up having a 1" dia metal spacer from some other project in his spares box, he holds on to stuff like that too as do I. So got that from him and I can slide that in a fair amount into the old shackle tube from the fuel tank side. 1/4 panel side didn't want to cooperate. From there I glued some flat washers on both sides of the spacer to use as my drill guide. With the spacer in place I'll be able to go through the walls of the rail with a pilot hole enabling me to come in from the tank side with my Rota Broach cutter to cut through both walls. I cut a couple of tubing sleeves to weld in for the new mount. The USCT pack came with new shackle mounts but they will make the car sit higher which I don't want. Another one of the FBBO bros did the USCT pack on his 66/7 and ran into the same situation. His remedy was to do what's in the fourth picture.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
I also continued removing the under coating in the areas that will be cut for the front spring boxes. Once the areas were clean, I marked where the cuts will be made. My new Dewalt grinder showed up so I was able to finish knocking welds down on the new upper hoop for the t-bar x-member. Additionally did some smoothing on the new lower trans mount in preparation for the next session on that. Not much will be done today as I'm going to Vegas tomorrow for the SEMA show. Will be gone for the week. Next Saturday is the annual Cayucos car show. If any of you valley types come over for that, give me a shout.
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