My dad was out visiting last fall, working with me on a remodel project in our house, and he bought me an air compressor. I hadn't known all these years tht I really need an air compressor. Well, that thing was awesome tonight! I ran compressed air through that thing for two hours. I took everyone's advice and blew it out, then added some oil into the chambers and turned the motor a few times by hand. Then blew everything out again. Then turned the motor and blew it out again. I got air to blow through the intake and out the chamber on all four cylinders and blew air in each chamber and out the exhaust side. I feel confident that almost all of the coolant is out- probably a little residue, but clean. I shot some WD-40 down the intake, also as you all suggested, and turned the motor a few more times.
I even had a little time to take my angle grinder with the wire wheel to the crossmember so I can get it painted before it gets reinstalled.
I'll get the upper intake bolted on (again) tomorrow and try again to get my cooling system pressurized and tested.
All in all this mistake cost me a day of work, some coolant and a $2 gasket.
I'm feeling optimistic once again!

 

Glad to hear it, bud. I'm sure you won't make that mistake again.

 

Ugh. No transmission until Monday...
Bad weather and mountain roads slowed down the parts.
I guess I don't feel so bad about having to work all weekend now.

 

I checked. I checked again and then once more because I just couldn't handle another disappointment. And for over thirty minutes without losing a single pound or inch that sucker sat. Whew.











I'll watch to make sure nothing drips over night.
Also got this shot of the work space I'm lucky enough to get to use.
The only thing missing for y'all is the Drive By Truckers blasting out...

 

Nice work man! Im really loving all the atention to detail. Its going to be like new

 

Thanks, man. Way more work than I really thought it would be.

Did some painting today.
A nice coat of POR on the crossmember and some plates:

 

Freshly rebuilt transmission? Check.



Then after new bearings, some cussing and wiggling and a some Sonic Youth, got it in!





I had to take a break and move the kids around and forgot to bring the camera back to the garage with me. Nothing exciting anyway- just broke the hydraulic line to the clutch slave cylinder and had all the fluid drain on me while I tried to crimp the line. The thing that frustrates me the most about this one, is that I thought VERY seriously about replacing that line while the motor was out- the access was so EASY- but no, I figured it would be okay... dang.
So I got the old slave out (I'm putting in a new one) along with the lines and tomorrow I'll have to pick up some line.
I still have to get the front drive shaft back in and all the plates and covers that I painted that go around the transfer case, but I feel good about today. I honestly think that if I can get a full day in on Saturday I'll be able to wrap the day up with a running motor. Once again, things are taking longer than I thought they would, but at least I'm getting used to it.

The list is getting shorter...

I've set a goal of having this thing painted and back on the road by July, close to a year since starting it. And our town has an old fashioned 4th of July parade through downtown every year that I'd like to drive in; representing my wife's business.
I can take the top off and let the kids throw candy out of it.
That only gives me about four months of labor though- hopefully I'm not being too ambitious.

 

Kids love the runners topless . They will have a blast

 

Most of the day was spent on my back as I got everything hooked up underneath the truck. Fixed the broken line to the slave cylinder and got the clutch hydraulics working. Then the driveshafts bolted up and gear oil in the transmission and transfer. The stick shifts reinstalled with new seals- though I want to replace the rubber boot on the transmission shifter- broken and I can see where water and dirt could get into it.
Then I got the exhaust started. Installed the header and the extension pipe with the o2 bung and plugged in the o2 sensor.



Other little things, spark plug wires, etc.
Got it all ready:

 

The girls all came down to show me some love. My wife happily recorded it for me, too. Took a little cranking, but it fired up!


I let it run for about thirty minutes- open pipes and and all- watched the temp, watched for leaks, drove it back and forth a bit and it was nothing less than a complete success! It was doing some funny fluctuations in idle speed, dropping and picking up, but I'm not going to worry too much until I time it and get the rest of the exhaust on it.

I am feeling very excited and quite relieved. I was having a lot of anxiety today as I worked closer and closer to starting it.

I celebrated with a beer.

The next job is going to be cleaning all my tools and reorganizing the work area for body work. I'm really hoping to keep this momentum going.

 

Set your timing with a timing light if you haven't already. And then i like to recheck my head bolt torque after a heat cycle and recheck my valve lash.

Did you bleed your coolant system before you sealed the radiator

 

I had a couple hours today before heading to work so I borrowed a timing light and got the motor timed, double checked my coolant and oil levels and took it for a spin!






In addition to having no doors, fenders or a quarter panel, it also has no registration or insurance- so I kept it in the neighborhood.

 

We're you giggling like a school girl while driving it around.

Did it run well

 

You gotta take the windshield out and wear a motorcycle helmet. Until then I got you beat. These trucks are a lot peppier with all the weight removed.

 

It ran great. I felt like I barely had to touch the gas. There are a couple of little idle issues that I have to figure out- it was surging from 900 to 1200 rpms at idle. It was also not idling down very well, getting stuck at 2000- I'd have to goose the gas to get it to come back down. I'm thinking the VSV maybe, or the dash pot on the throttle body could be sticking. The rubber boot is missing- I thought I might have to replace it. Hopefully I'll get some time today to check it out. 4crawler has a good write up on testing and setting that dash pot.
And yes, I was all smiles. Ear to ear. First time I have driven it in over a year.

Haha, yeah, I'd say you have me beat. I may still get my chance though.
I'm sure you're right about the weight- like I said, it felt like I didn't need to give it any gas and it would GO!

 

For idle issues, make sure you have all the air out of the coolant system. If water isn't covering the various temp sensors then they can't give the computer and various VSV's the right info.

The rubber boot on my dashpot was torn as well and it would occasionally cause the idle to hang up a bit. I sprayed it a few times with various lubes and it always stuck again a while later. I ended up disabling it with a zip tie a couple years ago and haven't looked back. Supposedly it can cause a rich spike right when you slam the throttle shut. I do notice it's a bit clunkier when I let off the gas as the drivetrain unloads then gets loaded in the opposite direction as you engine brake.

 

I took my dash pot off and never noticed any I'll effects.

 

Well, I solved the sticking idle issue with some WD40 on the throttle cable, easy fix. I investigated the dashpot and it seems to be working properly- we'll see, I guess.

Spent most of the afternoon cleaning the garage. It feels really good refreshing the work space, cleaning the tools, etc.

Ready to start on those ball joint spacers and rear leaf springs.

 

Made a "rent" payment today:



Brake job on my mother-in-law's car. Have to keep the landlord happy.
But I had some time for me, too.

 

And I had some help: