Build/Refresh Thread: 73 mild custom

[Scott McKelvey]

Finished installing aluminum grab handles w/ stainless hardware. 2 per passenger, and inboard in the event of any rollover type mishaps. Plus 2 grab handles for passengers and drivers climbing in/out.

 

[Scott McKelvey]

I had 35's and 4.56 gears w/ c4, so

1. I wanted to lower the RPM a smidge (going from 35s to 37s), plus I didn't mind a smidge bigger tire.
2. On top of that, no wheel looks more correct to me on a vintage 4x4 than an aluminum slot.
3. i'm not a freak about wheel spacers like some people, but I wasn't stoked about having wheel spacers on the wheels that came with it. It's one of those things that's another point of failure that's kind of always in the in the back of my head.
4. There's really no modern 17"wheels w/ the correct offset for the old 5x5.5" bolt pattern. And for the 15" wheels, there's basically no tire choices above a 35" tire.

I have to say, I really like the 17x9 US Mag Indy U101. If I was running anything 35" or smaller, I'd stick w/ the 15" rim (and found decent used rims), but anything larger than 35" tire, you might as well pony up for 17x9s.

1. the U101 17x9s are always $295. they showed up as $265 through Walmart, so I finally bought them ($30 savings per wheel).
2. I read that buying the Walmart install package would make things easier (legal issues w/ tire size and what not), but it was a huge hassle, so I'm not sure I'd do it again. Wheels delivered to my home, tires to Walmart. Reschedule appt. B/c I didn't have a vehicle they couldn't used the install package that I already paid for, now waiting for refund.

 

[.94 OR]

Nice work.
Interesting header bolt configuration.

 

[eb-nutt1]

100% improvement in looks going to the Indy mags and 37's!

 

[Scott McKelvey]

Nice work.
Interesting header bolt configuration.

you mean the two front bolts w/ the spacers on them? I'm sure the fit was too tight and the previous owner came up w/ that solution. Frankly, given the condition of alot of the stuff that was done, I'm surprise he came up with anything that good. I certainly don't have any issues with it, although I would have put in socket head bolts.

100% improvement in looks going to the Indy mags and 37's!

I underestimated how much larger the 37 is than a 35 (it's alot). With the 35s it looked like I had gobs of room. The 37s will be fine, and they did accomplish exactly what I wanted them to. But I am definitely going to get some rubbing on front fenders and flares w/ any significant wheel travel. There will probably be a little trimming in my future. I'd say you want more than only a 3.5" suspension lift unless you're just mall crawling.

It's worth mentioning that this was an experiment, so I didn't want to go crazy on $500 tires. These are Celimo 37x12.50r17 for $221 a tire (how's that even possible?). They are a D-rated Mud Terrain. The tread actually seems like a cross between and All Terrain and Mud Terrain, so the noise is surprisingly low (my real world experience). They have siping in the blocks for wet weather. The tread depth is basically .6" (compare that to a BFG KO2 which is .46"). I've noticed no issues w/ balancing. so I'm quite pleased.

 

[eb-nutt1]

you mean the two front bolts w/ the spacers on them? I'm sure the fit was too tight and the previous owner came up w/ that solution. Frankly, given the condition of alot of the stuff that was done, I'm surprise he came up with anything that good. I certainly don't have any issues with it, although I would have put in socket head bolts.


I underestimated how much larger the 37 is than a 35 (it's alot). With the 35s it looked like I had gobs of room. The 37s will be fine, and they did accomplish exactly what I wanted them to. But I am definitely going to get some rubbing on front fenders and flares w/ any significant wheel travel. There will probably be a little trimming in my future. I'd say you want more than only a 3.5" suspension lift unless you're just mall crawling.

It's worth mentioning that this was an experiment, so I didn't want to go crazy on $500 tires. These are Celimo 37x12.50r17 for $221 a tire (how's that even possible?). They are a D-rated Mud Terrain. The tread actually seems like a cross between and All Terrain and Mud Terrain, so the noise is surprisingly low (my real world experience). They have siping in the blocks for wet weather. The tread depth is basically .6" (compare that to a BFG KO2 which is .46"). I've noticed no issues w/ balancing. so I'm quite pleased.

Decent looking tire if your not going to heavily rock crawl or mud ride, especially at that price!

 

[Hopstr]

You're busy with it! It's always good to have some project to obsess over. Looking good.

 

[Scott McKelvey]

A few more things:

1. There was zero Wx stripping at the tailgate, so I've been piecing that together. These are Northeast Classic stainless tailgate weatherstrip holders marketed for soft tops (which I plan to do for half the year). Fine part and includes stainless hardware, but I wish they'd at least debur it a little. The bed liner created some obstacles for even finding the stock holes
   1. 
2. I have the usual rust issues from the cowl forward, but nothing I'm going to take the the truck off the road for. So, for now, it's clean up the seams, and spray w/ Rust Reformer to keep things from getting worse, then seal w/ Flex Tape to keep the water out. it is what is t is, but at least i won't have more water pouring in the cab, down the wiring, and all over the fuse block and everything else.
   1. 
3. Lots of rattle and squeeking chasing, and some progress.
4. New Antenna install. Antenna from Toms Offroad. I don't need an antenna, I just couldn't stand the crappy autozone antenna or the open hole.
   1. 

 

[Scott McKelvey]

Tinkering away:

1. The rust in the door posts, inner fenders and cowl are for another day (one when the whole front end comes off) but for now at least flex seal will keep the water out of the cab, which was dripping right on the fuse panel, relays, etc.
2. 
3. More loose header bolts, this time the passenger side (I only checked the drivers side before, but all the jostling of the exhaust to make room for the driveshaft rattled some stuff loose.
4. There was evidence that the rear driveshaft contacted the mufflers at one time, and all I know is that when I bought the truck the driveshaft was .044" out of true. So I replaced the clamps w/ stainless and rotated and dimpled the mufflers to avoid any possibility of that.
5. 
6. I happened to notice the starter cable was absurdly bad (I can't believe it even worked, let alone arcing off everything around it. So I made a new one and replaced it.
7. 
8. The Bed lined interior was a selling point for me, BUT I didn't like that I found our after the fact that sheet metal as simply welded in over top of the original rusty floorboards, then left alone. I tackled the passenger side today. Good news is that I was able to cut all the garbage out and the supports are fine (which I knew), and sheetmetal overlay is like 1/8", it's heavy duty and also not rusting away. So other than the fact that I still have to do the driver's side, I consider this a win.
9. 
10. 

 

[Scott McKelvey]

Installed that new Poly 20gallon tank and Stainless skid plate this weekend. Details in this thread.

 

[Scott McKelvey]

The brakes just were not right, but not in an obvious way. I'd replaced the booster day 1, which I knew was needed. I'd bled and bled. I checked all the calipers, Light braking was fine, but hard braking just wasn't really there. The pedal was hard, but the truck just didn't stop like it should. I wondered if perhaps it had huge diameter Master cylinder (turns out it was a 1"). One thing I had noticed during all the bleeding is that it almost seemed like fluid was transferring between the reservoirs (or perhaps it theoretically could have been the little proportioning valve thing). I'd expect to have to fill one reservoir, and find myself filling the other, or both.............

So I bought a 1" MC advertised as disc/disc. Worth nothing that I was glad i had that little measure device, b/c the change in MCs required a considerable amount of adjustment in the little pushrod. Things seem much better. I still have to replace a rotor and then front pads, then I should be in a good place.

 

[Scott McKelvey]

The windshield had some bubbles in the paint, I just wasn't sure what I'd find. It really doesn't matter b/c a replacement was in order probably no matter what. But at least I know now. For the time being I soaked everything in Ospho, and used an adhesive backed stainless strip to cover it and help keep the elements out. Much like the rust in the A-pillars, inner fenders+cowl, tackling the those rust issues will be for another day.

 

[Scott McKelvey]

Holley Sniper installed and running. Man, that's alot of plugs and wires to deal with:

1. I relied on https://classicbroncos.com/forums/threads/painless-and-holley-sniper.279229/ (but I don't have rights to update it) this thread and hooked the Holley pink wire to the #594 Painless choke wire, but that is incorrect. It's only in the "on" position, not the "start" position. I ended up tieing into the pink coil wire, which is hot in both on and start.
2. Obviously anything you have to do for a usual sniper install.
3. I opted for a weld-in stainless O2 bung (welded into the stainless header collector) rather than the clamp-on that came with the kit. Under normal circumstances I'd TIG weld it, but since the headers were stainless, and I didn't want to remove them, I welded the bung in place w/ a flux core, which was a chore.
4. if i had a good performing carb (I had a 750 holley 4160 and I could not get things to run right), this might not be worth it. But as of now, I'm stoked.
5. I did have a problem getting the idle down to what i set it to, and that appeared to be a PCV valve drawing too much air (perhaps related to the carb running like crap)
6. There's alot of plugs and wiring to deal with no matter what.
7. For the plug w/ the outputs, I only opted to use the Tach (seemed like a waste of a giant 10-in plug), but I removed all of the extra wires, rather than just cutting them.

351w w/ a C4, idle set to 650 RPM. Target AFR of 13.8 at idle (14.2 was too stumbly). I have to say i like it. But I have to get use to not waiting the 5 sec to turn the key to the start position.

 

[Scott McKelvey]

I still have to install the C4 cable adapter b/c the Sniper has no provisions for that (My Holley 4160 had a standard Kick down rod). And then install the Fuel gauge module to correct for the ohms at the gauge.

1. The auxillary tank is removed. I still need to remove all the evap stuff: no point in keeping that around.
2. the mechanical fuel pump removed and has a block off plate

 

[Scott McKelvey]

I installed the JB Fabrication J-shift twin stick today. I have to say that I installed one on a CJ-5 Dana 20 awhile ago, and it took ALOT of massaging. I have to say that this thing was spot on as far as JB's product is concerned: consider me impressed. Yeah people probably like them b/c they look cool, but I really like them for running in Rear drive only, then shifting to 4wd when needed, especially w/ a locker up front (probably yet to come)

I did NOT want to cut a hole in the tunnel, so I was determined to try. I managed to install it w/ NO modifications (I've seen reference to it, but haven't seen any details). However, if I hadn't had some machining tools, I'm not sure how I would have done it.

1. Remove front driveshaft, for access
2. Remove old shifter, pretty straight forward.
3. 3" extended angle grinder JUST working w/ clearance against the tunnel for cutting off the front flags on the shifters, but would barely reach the rear flags. Sawzall really wouldn't work either, and people already said that it'll barely cut the hardened steel anyways.
   1. No idea if the 4.5" extended grinder would be bigger against the tunnel (I suspect it would, but perhaps not), so I turned my own collet to fit a 4.5" cutting wheel to the 3.5" grinder, and I was just able to sneak in there to cut the rear flags. It just nipped the crossmember, but that's a non-issue.
4. After that it was just cursing, wiggling, jiggling and eventually everything cam out and went back in.
5. But once that was done, it fit Perfectly.
6. For holes in carpet and rubber, I generally heat a piece of scrap 3/16 brake line to melt through, to avoid wrapping a bunch of garbage around a screw.
7. Drill new holes in the tunnel, and install.

So, it can be done w/o cutting a hole, but it's probably a whole lot easier cutting a giant hole in the tunnel.