1955 Chevy Pickup

Show off your work! Anything from final results to full start-to-finish project journals.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 3:07 pm
I got the new steering column mount and it looks as though I could have dropped it even farther but the owner is a big guy so I think he'll be happy with the extra clearance:
Steering Column Mount New.jpg


Installed and wired the horns:
Horns.jpg


Installed the Coolant Catch Can:
Coolant Catch Can.jpg


Working on the tail lights and wiring now.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 10:35 am
Looking good wont be long now sounds like you got it going your way now.

Gotta love the wiring take your time go slow and methodical.
I have to say that Harness I installed by EZ in that 57 pick up a few years back was nice I liked it.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 5:06 pm
I like that each wire is labeled so no matter where you are working in the harness you can see at a glance which wire is which.

I got the truck running last week and drove it around the driveway just to make sure it would move and function okay.

This produced a number of leaks that had to be fixed. The rear axle had to be completely dismantled so I could install a differential cover gasket. They last guy used only silicon thus causing me a ton of extra work.

The Transmission pan plug was leaking and the cost of a new chrome oil pan was cheap enough that the owner went for it.

The power steering pump leaked so bad out the front seal that there was a puddle the next morning.

The torque converter seal has a slow leak that drips tranny fluid. So now I need to pull the tranny and replace the seal.

Then the air suspension controller started acting funny. Turn the truck on and everything looked fine but after 30 seconds the controller lights would go out and it would quit working. Called the company and they asked me to pull the main harness plug and check some voltages. This is what I found:
20160830_142908.jpg


I went ahead and checked the voltages and everything on my end was fine. They had me ship the controller back to them for testing and promised to return it with a new plug for the harness.

The Holley carburetor is old and worn out. I put a new rebuild kit in it and adjusted everything but when I turned the key gasoline came shooting out the secondary vent.
Ended up taking it back off and found the float stuck. Fixed that put it back together. I had to change the oil and filter because of the amount of gas that was pumped down the carburetor by the electric fuel pump.

Got it started and then couldn't get the primary side of the carburetor to adjust right. Gas dripping out the primary jets, could not get the float to adjust, idle screws all the way in, yada, yada, yada.

Going to purchase a new carburetor and try again.

Glad I took the time to get it running before doing the body and paint. I am sure it would have been scratched up by now with all the fixing going on.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:30 pm
The Joys of Chasing the Gremlins away :splat:

Been there done that, I feel for you my friend
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 5:23 pm
The new carburetor came.
Holley 650 Ultra.jpg

Holley 650 Ultra 1.jpg

Fired it up and did just a very basic tune so it will start and idle.


Pulled the tranny and replaced the torque converter seal - so far so good.

Fabricated an actuator lever for the brake light switch so now all the lights are working. 4-ways, turn signals, reverse, backup, license plate, tail lights, parking lights and headlights.

Installed a couple of door jamb switches and LED courtesy lights to shine on the steps when the door opens.

The owner gave me the stereo player and said he wants a power amp and at least 4 speakers installed. This will be another project.

Just a few more wiring projects to do and then on to the more serious work. I'm going to cut, relocate and weld the brake pedal mount to add some more distance from the accelerator pedal.
Need to cut a door in the floor to allow brake fluid reservoir.
Refit the upper grill support panel and weld in some metal bracing on the passenger side fender.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31

User avatar

Fully Engaged
Posts: 374
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:09 pm
Location: Oak hills, CA.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 7:32 pm
Looking good! Sounds good too.
Do you have any pictures of the courtesy step light?
Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:12 pm
They look similar to these but had a smaller diameter thread on them.
I mounted them to shine straight down on the floor. Mounted in the lower dash support.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-ROUND-WHITE ... ke&vxp=mtr

Used these in the door jambs:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TWO-ADJUSTABLE- ... 1a0f7b4c84

Do you want a picture of how they light up the steps?
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31

User avatar

Fully Engaged
Posts: 374
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:09 pm
Location: Oak hills, CA.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:34 pm
Yea, it you could post a picture that would be great.

Those switches work well, I have used them to install under lights before.
Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 9:07 pm
No pictures of the interior lights yet.
The new air bag controller and plug came in and I got those installed so the air suspension is back in operation.
The transmission leak is another story altogether. Pulled the tranny, replaced the seal, reinstalled it and left it set for a couple of days. No leaks. The owner came by with family members to hear the truck run and see how things are shaping up. Ran the truck while on the jack stands for about 5 minutes. Everybody is happy.
Next day I walk by the truck and notice a small puddle of transmission fluid. Ugh, how can this be happening?
After some research I find that it could be a bad torque converter that leaks once it is full of fluid. I did notice that this converter had writing on it about being brazed and it had an extra seam around the back side so maybe that's it?
Pulled the tranny and called the owner. Turns out the same guy that stole his air suspension system, carburetor and MSD distributor had sold him a "special" 3500 stall converter. Now I know what was "special about it."
Pulled the pan and checked for metal filings. It was clean.
Pulled the converter and poured some fluid out - bingo, metal filings.
Ordered a new stock converter with 1650 stall, pump, seals and gaskets. Here it sits waiting for me:
Pump removed.JPG


In the mean time I tried to install the chrome front grill for proper fit and found major issues:
Grill support poor fit upper right.JPG

Grill support poor fit upper left.JPG


Had to fabricate a reinforcement plate to match the other side since this one was missing:
Fabricated bolt hole reinforcement.JPG


After some not so gentle persuasion things started looking better:
Grill support upper left adjusted.JPG

Grill support upper right adjusted.JPG


I will be glad when this is finally painted so I can put it together one more time and say goodbye.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 9:14 am
Looking good so far.
Isn't it Amazing the amount of stuff you find wrong when your trying to go back together?
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.
PreviousNext

Return to Completed & In Progress Member Projects

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 79 guests