squirrel's 57 Chevy one ton

[squirrel]

I haven't tried double clutching it, but it usually helps on these old truck transmissions. It really needed a new brass ring on 3rd....oh well.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I"m pretty good about the books...and also keeping the parts well organized so I can keep track of what I've installed and not installed.

there's more to the story - so the Landcruiser was sitting in my dad's shop, transmission on an unused bench in the back of the shop. While waiting for parts, bits were either borrowed or permanently borrowed. An example of the borrow, so my brother and a guy in our shop both had chevrolet 4x4 pickups (same bolt pattern for wheels), one of them had a flat - and borrowed a wheel off my landcruiser. They drove to wherever they needed to get it fixed and returned the tire/wheel to the landcruiser. Unfortunately there was cold wind blowing up their skirts and they couldn't walk back to their truck to get their lug wrench. After I finished the LC I was driving it to a friends, and the tire literally came off, rolled up the onramp, across a 4 lane highway and up a hill (1/2 mileish). Didn't hit a thing (this was back in the day when most things worked right the first time)... so, I'm not taking the blame for the missing roll bearing....

of course, I'm over it now

plus, that was needless parts since I've seen the LC was driving around Portland as recently as 6 years ago (sold it 10 years ago).

[squirrel]

I drove the truck to San Diego (1000 miles round trip) and it worked ok. I'm getting better at shifting into 3rd without grinding, but it still needs work. I took apart the original trans, and decided to see if I can fix it up. I can get bearings for $140, but the synchro rings for the "early" 58 and older ones are really scarce. I may just put it all back together with new bearings and hope for the best, or see if I can find some of the synchros. If I get them it should be a nice trans, it wasn't too bad before, it was just noisy in 3rd under load.

I also scored some neat camper mirrors, from an old guy I've known since the mid 80s when he bought my 61 chevy convertible. He was in front of his house, across the street from the machine shop, working on getting a late 70s gmc suburban running. We shot the shit for a while, then we looked in the back of the truck, there were lots of neat old new parts, including this set of mirrors still in the box. I told him how much I'd love to put them on my truck, and he called later and said come get them, put them to use. So I did






And this was really neat...some of the parts were wrapped up in the May 25, 1975 LA Times auto want ads!

[Caveman Tony]

if anyone has an early syncro ring for you, its the guy at Then & Now Auto in Mass.

[Beagle]

I could just make out enough of the want ads to make me cry, and now I can't read them. 2 door Corononet 440 2dr, Demon, Charger, all less than 1600? Where's Mr. Peabody? I need a trip in the wayback machine!

[TheSilverBuick]

Nice mirrors! And way cool ad's!

[squirrel]

if anyone has an early syncro ring for you, its the guy at Then & Now Auto in Mass.

Bring one with you today!

I could just make out enough of the want ads to make me cry, and now I can't read them. 2 door Corononet 440 2dr, Demon, Charger, all less than 1600? Where's Mr. Peabody? I need a trip in the wayback machine!

I can see it full size by right clicking on the image and then clicking "view image", and then clicking on the image again to zoom in on it. But your browser might work differently.

[milner351]

Amazing Stuff Jim - NEW west coast mirrors - perfect for that truck!

[squirrel]

I need to put a zipper on this thing...I decided to just reseal the original transmission and reinstall it. I had to fix the parking brake lever pivot, as it was leaking around it, I guess it was not a tight enough press fit. I made a new pivot shaft, and installed it. I also got the case hot tanked, so it's nice and clean. All the bearings were original New Departure, and they were all in good condition, no roughness, although they have a little bit of endplay (normal wear). I decided to just reuse them. The synchros were working ok, and the brass rings looked pretty good, and they're not available from the normal parts sources...I decided to let them ride. So I spent about $40 on it total on parts, including new oil, seal, and gaskets. I swapped the trans Tuesday, and it seems to be working fine. No grinding into gear, and it seems to be quieter in 3rd, although I don't know why.

I drove the truck up to Phoenix yesterday to deliver the robot, and my son Gary followed along in his 59 with the robot for the Tucson team he's been helping. Both trucks did fine.

I'm also planning to fetch another project...1955 step van! Its about 300 miles from home, and it'll be an adventure hauling it. I'm going to try to go look at it tomorrow.

[milner351]

flippin sweet. Jim you've got to have one of the largest fleets of fully operational 50's machinery there is.

[squirrel]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Lone Ranger disguised himself as a billiards table. Not knowing this, Tonto racked his balls.

(sorry).

I needed to do something about the steering on my old truck, so I decided to put some new bushings in the steering gearbox. I took it out, and took it apart. But I forgot to bring the camera out to the shop....so pics will be delayed. I'm not going to bother rebuilding the whole thing, I'll just replace the two pitman shaft bushings, as they are usually the only worn parts in these boxes, if they still have grease in them. This one does.

[squirrel]

Pictures....

I had to remove the driver side exhaust manifold to get the steering gear out, but the mounts had settled so I ended up jacking up the engine a little to remove the manifold. Then I removed the steering wheel, turn signal switch, horn wire, and took of the front wheel and removed the pitman arm from the pitman shaft. I was then able to unbolt the steering box from the frame, and drop it out the bottom, with the column still attached (it's one piece).

I removed the side cover, which is attached to the pitman shaft and gear. I then removed the adjusting screw and the pitman shaft form the cover, and I'll need to remove the bushing from the cover with a cape chisel. I removed the bushing from the gear housing with a bushing drive, and the seal popped out as I was doing this. I have some replacement parts...two bushings (I bought them years ago), and a new seal. I will make a new gasket, and I'll use CV joint grease to lube it. The trick with the lube is to use a grade 0 grease, which flows. If you use normal grade 2 grease it will run the bearings and recirculating balls dry, and ruin the gearbox. I've seen it happen. If you use 90 wt gear oil, it will leak out.

[ogre]

dang squirrel, the floor in that truck is clean.
i don't see any rust or holes in it.

i have a speedo head siting around that i can send you if you need one.

[TheSilverBuick]

and I'll use CV joint grease to lube it. The trick with the lube is to use a grade 0 grease, which flows. If you use normal grade 2 grease it will run the bearings and recirculating balls dry, and ruin the gearbox. I've seen it happen. If you use 90 wt gear oil, it will leak out.

Great tip!

[squirrel]

Had to do a little repair work to the old truck. The return fuel line was leaking, it's 1/4" rubber, I used some new fuel line I had from years ago when I put the tank in...I guess it was a little too old, and it didn't last long with the modern gas we have. I replaced it with fuel injection line, which seems to be made of better rubber. It's fun dropping a half full 40 gallon tank, but I managed to git er done without too much swearing and only one skinned knuckle.