1971 SWB, Step-side, 240 CID, three on the three

[hillcountryflt]

Did not receive my spindles and i-beams before the weekend. Bummer. Did install the proportioning valve and practiced double flaring lines. Will work on lines during the week.
Did remove my push rod cover, cleaned and sanded it and have one primer coat and two old-ford-blue coats on it. Will be putting it back on this week.
Attached are some pictures from early efforts. Have since scraped/brushed these areas and painted with Por 15. Messy work for me.

[hillcountryflt]

Some pictures of "progress" on the ole truck. Not happy that my engine paint does not match better. Not happy about how slow the progress is on upgrading my brakes. But happy to be inching forward.

[HIO Silver]

You're doing a good job and learning on the way. Kudos for picking up a wrench and being your own man. It will be an experience to build on for a lifetime.

[hillcountryflt]

Learning some ways, not learning the terminology very well yet. Some things I recall from youth. Others not. For instance the tie-rod adjusting sleeve. Sure that is not the correct name, but in any event it is still resistant to being turned easily. Have thought about getting one of those tie rod separators that look like a fork and breaking the assembly loose from the Pitnam Arm and working it from above. My puller did not work.
What I do have to resist is getting sidetracked by something else I see. For instance while pulling brake line from rear to front, I saw lots of clean-up I could have "easily" done and finished off with Por 15. I resisted the temptation. Need to keep the eye on the ball and get the project at hand completed - brakes.

[hillcountryflt]

Did get my axis arms, i-beams and spindles back from the shop that pressed the bushings in for me. Ouch, another $180 on the spreadsheet ($101 for the king-pin kit). Included was a box of parts for the king-ping installation such as spacers. Will have to see if my manual has a drawing depicting the order of installation on those.
The machinist making me a new shaft/bar for the brake pedal to booster connection says that will be done today. Optimistic about the quality as he has a computer-controlled plasma cutter and uses autocad drawings to power it. Wish I could have had someone at my employer do it - we have 3-axis mills and use autocad and solidworks, plus some device that scans an object and turns it into a drawing.
Will start on the "big" push tomorrow to:
1. make more brake lines and install them;
2. install radius arm bushings;
3. install radius arms and i-beams;
4. install new shocks on the front;
5. install freshly painted front springs;
6. install spindles;
7. install calipers and brake pads;
8. fabricate and install vacuum line to booster;
9. install new brake pedal bar;
10. brake fluid and flush.
Will be interesting to see how much of this I get done this weekend. Making the brake lines is the most time consuming and tedious for me.
I have a lead on a couple of people who can do front-end alignments on the old truck. Hope to be calling them next week.
EDIT: Oh, reposition brake line hose brackets on the front. I lined them up on the top hole on the frame, HIO pointed out I should have used the bottom hole on the frame. Hopefully getting a bolt into support the top hole on the bracket will not be too challenging.

[Maximus]

Good luck on your weekend project! I just went through much of that over the last few weekends, although to make things twice as complicated I also converted to power steering while i was at it. it will all payoff in the end though!

[hillcountryflt]

Not trying PS for a while. Power, disc brakes should be a big benefit. I have ordered some seals to work on the manual steering gear and try to seal it up. But that is for another weekend.

[hillcountryflt]

Well my all-day fun under the truck was somewhat productive. One of those two steps forward and one step back type of days.
Did get my brake hose brackets mounted.
Did get lines from proportioning valve to the front brakes.
I already have new line back to the rear.
More or less installed the modified shaft connecting the brake pedal to the booster.

Still to go lines from mc to the proportioning valve (see question in brake section concerning line routing).
Install i-beams and radius arms with new bushings.
Install spindles, rotors and calipers.
Install vacuum line for booster.
bleed brakes.
Rough alignment until I can get it to a shop.

I removed the steering control rods (I know not the correct term) from the pitman arm for cleanup and see if I can get the adjuster to turn (it has been getting regular doses of PB blaster). Will not budge.

[hillcountryflt]

Some real progress these last couple of days. I was able to re-install the proportioning valve and re-route my brake lines so the are set up a little better. I ran lines from the MC down to the proportioning valve.
Now holding my breath that my double flares work.
Also, installed my radius arms (with new bushings) and my I-beams (also with new bushings), springs, shocks, my spindles (with new king pins) and my rotors.
Next to install brake pads, calipers and bleed the brake lines.
Oh, forgot the big negative. Messed up messing with the manual steering gear. Ended up ordering a replacement from advance auto (free shipping, some points, etc.). Wished I had left well enough alone.

[67mann]

Looks like a bang up job, but that last picture has me I ran into a newbie mistake when I did mine http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... hp?t=32475 and maybe I'm seeing things, but that picture kinda shows your Ibeam twisting to the front I hope I'm wrong and my old eyes are in need of spectacles

[hillcountryflt]

Well it is on the same side it came off. Now it is "dangling" which might make it look askew.
My plans to finish up with the brakes this weekend ran into an obstacle, one I should have seen. No banjo bolts and none of the parts stores in town had any.
I found a 3/8 by 24 1.26" one in stock at Napa on-line. To sound like an idiot, they sold me two bleeder valves when I asked for banjo bolts (that's why I thought I was set to go). OF course I should have known what banjo bolts were. At least I was able to figure out the thread size and count from the bleeder valves.
Plus, I need to find a drawing/illustration to show how the anti-rattle clip mounts. I could not come up with a way to mount it after reviewing my manuals.
I don't know if the pictures shown provide any more information.

[hillcountryflt]

Well working through a couple of bad connections on my new brake lines but I hope to correct that.
My new steering gear comes in tomorrow, so I can hopefully get the truck back together this weekend.
I am working on making my brake bleeding skills a little more efficient with the little vac.

[hillcountryflt]

well the ole green Ford finally got back on the road today.
Brakes worked. Front wheels didn't fall off. Got to finish up a few things like secure the rear brake line to the frame. But all in all happy with my progress. Trucks needs a proper alignment but it steers better. Seems to stop smoother.
New rear shocks in order tomorrow.
Going to put a few miles on it and recheck front bearings.
Pondering my next set of repairs on the truck. Wallet kind of dictates it won't be as substantial as this effort was - i-beam bushings, new king pins, install disc brakes, booster, etc. Was not expecting it to be the task it was but glad I did it.

[hillcountryflt]

Air breather is not installed the way it is supposed to, but for the life of me, I can't figure it out. I am surmising a bracket (which I have) attaches to the black portion of the breather.
Of course this is a breather from a 1966 F100 (but it got me through my inspection).
Did get rear shocks installed and Por 15 coating on a few more frame elements. Also did a kind of half-job painting portions of the engine compartment. It's better, not good, but better. Picture reflects prior to that effort.

[hillcountryflt]

well finally got turn signals that cancel on their own. Drove my wife crazy when I would leave it on. Took a little more effort than I expected and the little repair part at $23 was more expensive than I had expected. Did realize how bad my steering wheel was. Went ahead and ordered an Grant 3-spoke one with a ford logo and mounting kit on Ebay as a temporary repair. Eventually will go back to the original style.
Also, had front end aligned today following my month of weekends redoing the front end/brakes/etc. Drives a lot nicer.