My J-4500

[Crankyolman]

Now that I have slept on it I have formulated a plan of attack that should prevent future failures of the fuel system and in the event it does happen can easily be fixed on the side of the road with readily available stuff. I was never really happy with the way I did the braided stainless line anyway.


In the mean time I thought I would show you guys what I've been up to for the past couple days.


I had a few moments of free time at work and started thinking about my antenna problem. So I did something about it.


We have a big metal lathe at work, that I had never used before but got a quick lesson before the guy who knew how to use it retired and I thought I would put it to work. So I started with this.



That's a big hunk of aluminum I bought to make a part for my wife's Mercedes but I only needed around a 3x3" piece of it so I have a lot left.


So I took it and put the antenna nut on it to see how much I needed to cut off



drew a circle around it



and cut a big enough piece off that I could turn it down in the lathe to replicate the original nut



I then chucked it into the lathe and tried to make a square peg fit a round hole









and now I'm out of time and have to go to work Stay tuned for part 2 tonight or tomorrow

[SOLSAKS]

looking good !
dave in NC

[Crankyolman]

Once I had half of it turned down to round I then turned it around and turned down the other side




I now had a piece of round stock which is where I could have started off if I had made a trip to metals supermarket but the big hunk-o-aluminum is what I had so it's what I used. It would have saved a lot of time though.



I then drilled a hole in it



Well, two really, first an undersized one that was all the way through then I enlarged it to 7/16" part way through for the purpose cutting the 1/2"x20 threads.


Then I started shaping the piece with the intention of duplicating the original but as I was cutting I kind of started thinking something else. Then I made a mistake and gouged it beyond repair and had to start all over again, this time I used a longer piece.


So after cutting a new square piece, turning it down to round and drilling a hole I began playing with turning the new nut. Eventually I got to this



Which I really liked but it still needed threaded and cut off.



I thought I would also show you guys the aluminum I removed



Then I clamped the nut in a vice, modified the tap that I had modified into a bottoming tap so it was capable of starting threads again and I tapped threads into it. Then chucked it back into the lathe and cut it until it parted, then sanded it down to round the top.



When I got home I threaded it onto the antenna and I really line the way it looks.



Although I think it does kind of resemble a Dahlek from Dr Who





EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!


OK now I'm thinking I may have to make a more accurate version of a Dalek to put over the top of it

[SOLSAKS]

nice job,...looks great !

dave in NC

[Crankyolman]

nice job,...looks great !

dave in NC

Thank you.


I know it's a little thing that really won't get noticed by anybody but I like it



I will probably polish and clear coat it before it is permanently mounted.

[Crankyolman]

I went to the speed shop today in the hopes of getting some 5/16 hose barb to 6AN fittings so I could use the fuel line that was given to me to go from the hard line on the frame to the original fuel pump hard line, then from the original fuel pump line to the throttle body, not only because it would look more original but would also be easily replaceable on the side of the road. But they didn't have the fittings I needed and said they couldn't get them for 5/16 line. So in the interest of getting the truck back on the road I wound up just buying 6 feet of their flex line which hopefully is much higher quality than the line I got form Amazon. When I got home I swapped out the new line for the leaking one and the truck lives again


I then did what I should have done in the first place and did a quick Amazon search and found the fittings I wanted to use, made in Wichita Kansas and in stock and will be here tomorrow.



It's supposed to rain for the next few days so I don't know when I will get around to making the fuel system like I want but in the mean time the expensive flex line will work and I will keep the other stuff in the truck just in case.

[Crankyolman]

I haven't redone the fuel lines but I did get the front bumper installed. Thank you once again 78 WIDETRAC.






and also found a nice place to take pictures


I also noticed the other day that my brake lights didn't seem to be coming on except when I was stepping on them very hard so I replaced the brake light switch with a new Delco one and they seem to be working correctly now.



Yesterday I finally got more bedliner in but haven't gotten it shot yet. Hopefully I will get that done on my next weekend.

[ddversatile]

Truck looks great with the bumper back on, loving the paint, glad to hear she's running good again!
Love the lathe work to solve the antenna issue

dd

[Heep-J4000]

Jour truck is looking very good!

Are the front bumpers bolted down correct?
They look like sticking up on the outer bent!?

[Crankyolman]

Truck looks great with the bumper back on, loving the paint, glad to hear she's running good again!
Love the lathe work to solve the antenna issue

dd

Thank you

Jour truck is looking very good!

Are the front bumpers bolted down correct?
They look like sticking up on the outer bent!?

Thank you


They do turn up but the original bumper did too. If you look at the pictures on page one of this thread you can see it. Maybe the mounts are bent or something but looking at pictures on the internet it seems to be a fairly common thing. Some day I will probably try to straighten it, maybe shim it because it just doesn't look quite right and I don't think it would be too hard to fix, just a couple of tapered shims.

[78 WIDETRAC]

Those bumpers look so much better on your truck than on the ground in my back yard. road trip worth it! Your truck is looking sharp.

[Crankyolman]

I'm beginning to get the impression that someone is trying to tell me something.


I didn't tell y'all about it at the time but when we were working out the fuel injection issue I was test driving it around the block and someone tried to turn left in front of me and I had to swerve to avoid them.


Then last week the high pressure fuel line ruptured and sprayed fuel directly on the exhaust header almost causing a fire.


Well this morning I was on my way to work. I have a couple of routes I take but the way I prefer has a section where there is heavy traffic and it would be difficult to pull off if I had trouble so I have been taking the sort of back way. The back way is a nice wide divided 4 lane road that is only a few years old and at 5:40 on Sunday morning is pretty much deserted. The reason I don't like it is mainly because it is a lot more up and down than the other route and actually costs me a noticeable amount of mileage.


So, I'm driving along the back way and going up the slight hill with a long blind curve, near the top I move into the left hand lane in preparation to go through the intersection to my work. Between the top of this hill and the intersection to my work is a steep downhill with a stop light halfway down followed by a slightly less steep uphill to the intersection just before work.


As I top the hill I always slow down a bit just in case the light changes because I really don't like to have to slam on my brakes on the steep downhill should the light change.


Today when I topped the hill I noticed a bright white light ahead of me. It took a few seconds to realize what I was looking at was a wrong way driver coming straight at me in my lane! My first reaction was to slam on the brakes, which made a hell of a lot of noise and apparently got the attention of the wrong way driver who then moved into the right hand lane before I could. When he passed me I slammed on the brakes again and just came to a stop to contemplate calling the cops but by the time they got there it would be too late. Apparently me doing that got him to figure out that he was going the wrong way and he turned around then pulled off the road.


When I got to work one of the guys I work with told me they saw him turn onto the road, making a left hand turn on a red light but he hadn't noticed him go the wrong way.


So this is the 3rd close call in a very short amount of time and I am now beginning to get very worried.

[Crankyolman]

Those bumpers look so much better on your truck than on the ground in my back yard. road trip worth it! Your truck is looking sharp.

Thank you, they look so much better than what I was going to do but I do feel guilty I didn't give you more gas money.

[78 WIDETRAC]

Thank you, they look so much better than what I was going to do but I do feel guilty I didn't give you more gas money.

It was plenty. It did cover gas and lunch. My GF's car gets great mileage! Plus it gave me an excuse to get out of Portland! Which is always good.

[Crankyolman]

It was plenty. It did cover gas and lunch. My GF's car gets great mileage! Plus it gave me an excuse to get out of Portland! Which is always good.

Well I really do appreciate it