tim292stro's M1009 (formerly math1960's)

[emeralcove]

Tim, I am glad you mentioned the sound deadening in the doors, something I neglected. A square body GM truck door does close with a "bong" more than a "thud" when everything is right due to the "drum effect" of the sheet metal skin, GMs with a better factory "sound package" often have a heavy tar like sheet slapped onto the back side of the sheet metal door skin that really takes away the "bong" sound and gets closer to the solid thud you mentioned. I do like your systematic approach to bringing a vehicle "back", your sequence is very logical and should keep the project from losing "steam" due to frustration and disappointment with the progress. Many years ago I had 1969 Ford pick up when I was in the army and it sounded like a steel can full of loose hardware being banged around on the road. I started with the loudest noise and corrected that, then the next until the double set of railroad tracks I used as my "test course" could produce no more that the sound of the tires slapping the pavement over the gaps in the road due to the steel railroad track. My son still has that truck, LOL. I learned a lot from that process.
My wife is also very understanding and is extremely tolerant of my multiple projects, although she does wonder where everything will go when it is all in one location when I retire, currently it is spread out between Southern California where I still work and our home in southern Washington state. I have a lot to do in the next year and a half and look forward to the little "convoy" of our M35A2, M105A2 trailer and the M1009 and M101 trailer and assorted other vehicles. Yeah I think I have the green vehicle thing pretty bad, oh well it does make life fun.

 

[tim292stro]

The sequence also gives me time to find the things that need to be fixed - I have worked on a few rushed restorations with other people (classic cars) and have been disappointed with the outcome. Some things deep in a vehicle you need to find before you spend the effort getting it pretty and "finalized" or it makes a ton more work going back and fixing it later. Cheers

 

[Another Ahab]

The sequence also gives me time to find the things that need to be fixed - I have worked on a few rushed restorations with other people (classic cars) and have been disappointed with the outcome. Some things deep in a vehicle you need to find before you spend the effort getting it pretty and "finalized" or it makes a ton more work going back and fixing it later. Cheers

Agreed and second-to-the-motion:

- Doing things Right, the first time is not particularly simple or easy

But in the long run you will always be rewarded for the effort, and glad you did it right to begin with.

The scholar of this science is Tinwoodsman; he is the Professor from whom all can learn a lesson.

 

[tim292stro]

Class-3 leak on the driver's side radiator core today, figured it wouldn't be long before this popped up.

 

[tim292stro]

I'm going to do all the cooling system work at once so I only have to drain the coolant once. Bunch of parts ordered last night, radiator, heater core, cold-advance switch, glow plug sensor (NOT the civilian switch), hoses, water pump, thermostat, gasket kit... I should get the parts for the cold weather heater modification too. It's reversible so I'm allowing this "modification".

Somewhat simple modification:

• A tee at each coolant sensor at the rear of the heads
• Motor actuated ball-valve to allow water to move directly from one head to another, and completely block flow when closed
• Small circulating pump to move the water from head to head
• 2x 600Watt block heaters, one per cylinder bank

This way the water circulates through the entire head on both sides, through the water pump, but not the radiator, and it leaves the heater lines alone - this makes the heating more even through the whole cylinder block/head assembly. Using a few diodes on the cold-advance coolant switch, I can dual-use the switch to control the cold-advance and high-idle when powered by the ignition, OR use a photocoupler limited to 20mA to detect is the switch is closed (when colder than 100F) or open (when warmer than 100F) as a thermostat for the block heater system (photocoupler grounded through the cold advance and high-idle solenoids, but not enough current to actuate them).

The ball valve has a microswitch for fully-open detection, so the sequence would work like this:

1. Plug in pre-heater power.
2. Isolated 24V power supply controls logic, powered by the 120V block heater power - provides power to photocoupler and control relay (diode protects back-feeding 24V into the 12V ignition circuit).
3. When engine coolant is cold, cold-advance switch is closed, photocoupler is active, power is provided to drive ball valve opened.
4. Ball valve opens all the way and trips the microswitch, which turns on the pump and heaters.
5. When coolant gets over 100F, ball valve starts to close - opens the microswitch which stops the pump and heaters.

The relay for block heaters is double throw, which allows me to power battery warmers and an pan warmers for the engine AND transmission pans when the block heaters are not running - this keeps from popping breakers - warming pads I buy have their own thermostat switches built-in).

Other reason for the 24V power supply is that it will drive the racor fuel filter heater, fuel supply line heater and 24V fuel circulating pump - everything but the pump from this will also be powered by the truck with a 12V relay off the ignition circuit switching 24V power for the heaters. These are self regulating so no separate thermostat is required, and it'll heat everything from the tank to the IP to prevent/reduce wax crystal build-up when it gets chilly outside where I want to drive this in the California Sierra Nevada winters (remember the Donner Party... ):
View attachment 601528

When done with the cooling system and weather sealing, I'll be about $2,500 into post-sale restoration costs for those keeping tabs.

 

[tim292stro]

M1009 goes "under the knife" tomorrow to get the cooling system refreshed - I'm excited Have to take off the dashpad tonight before dropping off the truck to expedite the heater core work.

Only parts for the winter coolant pre-heater setup that haven't come are the valve and pump. I'll plumb in the hoses for them and cap them - the hose can be uncapped later pulling the ends above the top of the thermostat cross-over and radiator tops, this will keep coolant/water from running out - then I just need to burp the system and top it off again.

Doing this in one-shot with a mechanic is a quick way to blow through a whole paycheck for sure, I'm going to try and lend a hand to move things along tomorrow.

 

[tim292stro]

A few new leaks have popped up this week, transmission rear seal, and the transfer case seal for the rear axle output...

I'll be doing the headlight harness on Monday, as well as a 12V H4 installation in the AutoPal fixtures I bought. I'm also planning on digging into the glow plug system so that I can let the wife drive if she feel the spirit compel her. She has now ridden in it four times (twice in one day... on purpose!!), so I think she's warming up to it a bit more. Apparently I drive around with a perpetual grin according to her

I'll also be taking a baseline sound measurement before I do any repairs to seals and such (or the new Michelin tires next month).

 

[Another Ahab]

I'll also be taking a baseline sound measurement before I do any repairs to seals and such (or the new Michelin tires next month).

I'm no mechanic:

- What's the connection between sound and any repairs to seals on the vehicle?

 

[tim292stro]

Sound is, at its most fundamental construction, a periodic variance in air pressure.

Anywhere air is allowed to pass, cracks, gaps, windows, vents, etc... sound gets through. Door seals and window gaskets don't just keep out weather, they also keep outside souds outside. This is why modern luxury cars have multiple seals.

 

[tim292stro]

Time with kids and laundry kept me from making the headlight harness today, and I'm not sure if I'm going to have time tonight to go for a solo ride for sound mapping. That said, today was not a total wash...

Pulled the old grille (what was left of it) and started some work in the front end. I noticed the blackout headlight that previously I had mentioned had an opaque lens, also had a wet spot under it - it's been a while since the last rain, so that's telling as to the problem. I pulled the fixture and once I had the bolt loose, a bunch of water started draining from the housing (argh...). Fortunately I have a box of Trucklite BO headlights, so I fetched one of those up and changed the plug to match the weatherpak type plug on my truck. Bolted it up and gave it a test:


Next, on to the NATO port, that has been bugging me since I bought the truck. Took out the plate and it looked like it wasn't that bad, my dad went to town on it for about three minutes with a plastic mallet on an anvil, and managed to get it squared and trued. Reinstalled it with a healthy dose of No-Ox on the wire lugs:


While he was doing that banging, I spent a few minutes in what daylight I had left figuring out the glow plug harness situation. All of the wires/circuits tested out good and so did the controller, so I just reconnected the GP relay to the controller, and for good measure I put in one of my AntennaClimber GP controler cards, everything went as expected, and the toggle switch is now inert pending replacement with a military rotary switch for fog lights:


As I alluded to, there wasn't much left of the original grille, the top bar was broken at every mounting tab, and where the NATO port had been bent out the grille had caved in - I also had a moment with a hydraulic spreader to pull out the bar of the brush guard just above the front license plate. I grabbed a NOS grille I had in storage for the XM1027 project and brought it to the M1009 since it's currently my daily driver (I'll have some time to find another one... hopefully).

So before today:


After today's work:


Four hours of work and it's barely noticeable...

 

[Another Ahab]

Four hours of work and it's barely noticeable...

Sure, but it all goes as effort made in the plus column; it adds up and it's all good.

 

[emeralcove]

The 80-20 rule is always correct; it takes 20% of the time to 80% of the job and 80% of the time to do that last 20%, but it is the last 20% that is really adds up in the end.

 

[tim292stro]

My focus is getting things "unbroken" for now, once everything stops leaking and isn't falling apart I'll start on cleaning up the body more and then will move to paint and trim.

Like all projects where the base is old, the more you touch, the more you find. I'm further slowed by the fact that I like to go over an area once, which can be expensive/time-consuming. The flip side is that I shouldn't have to pull the front-end apart until paint now. I have another $500-600 worth of door gaskets and seals to buy before I start getting serious about paint, but before I get there I'll have more drive train leaks to stop and some other things I need to "bless" (I noticed an exhaust system leak while under the hood yesterday evening). If I'm even remotely lucky (ha ha... right), the truck will be ready for the MVPA gathering in Pleasanton, CA, USA this summer...



I spent a bit of time stewing on the truck before bed, and I think I'm going to rebuild the entire wiring harness when I pull the truck apart for paint (it'll be an exploded paint job so I can be sure I get the nooks and crannies).

 

[Another Ahab]

Like all projects where the base is old, the more you touch, the more you find.

We got that situation here at the House:

- Mama is always wanting something fixed but starting anything in this rathole just leads back to more-and-more nightmares

The joint understanding between us about this is the secret to our Happy Marriage!

 

[tim292stro]

Indeed, keep momma happy, or 'aint nobody happy...

 

[CUCVLOVER]

Indeed, keep momma happy, or 'aint nobody happy...

But when momma is not the one making the money and working everyday she should keep pappa happy first.

 

[tim292stro]

Due to reduction in OT this last year (2015), we are nearly making the same, I'm ahead of her primarily because I sold some stock so that I could "play"...

No matter who takes home the most cake, an upset partner makes for a rough day for both.

 

[CUCVLOVER]

Due to reduction in OT this last year (2015), we are nearly making the same, I'm ahead of her primarily because I sold some stock so that I could "play"...

No matter who takes home the most cake, an upset partner makes for a rough day for both.

It's a lot different when both are putting out effort.
My comment just came from the experience and wisdom of my father and grandfather. It was not meant as disrespect. Its just that grandpa worked all his life to give grandma the easy life of no work. She took care of him and home because if he was not happy and didn't work there was no money. ( he owned his own business for many many years).
My dad has worked for many many years and my mom has not ever had to do any hard work because of it. She did take this fact for granted and she had a realization about it and wised up.
Again no disrespect intended that's just been my teaching from my elders.

 

[tim292stro]

No disrespect received - but my wife reads the forum so I need to make sure I stick up for her and giver her credit for her effort when questions come up... That's love baby!!



Let's pull this back in with a daylight picture of the front end at my work's parking lot (couldn't help but be happy about the work done)

 

[CUCVLOVER]

What kind of paint is that on the bumper? Is it black with the camo bleeding through?
It really is a clean truck.