Ole Red

[jpizzle440]

I got this truck years ago in grandfield Oklahoma. This post will be just updates of when I add stuff to it. I wasn't on the forums when I started on this one. Figured I would start one for her. It is an 84 454/400. I have never tore into the motor or transmission. When I got it I bought all new front suspension. Complete upper lower control arms, bushings, ball joints, tie rods, qa1 adjusting sleeves, idler arm, pitman arm, brakes, calipers, rotors, shocks, coil springs, bump stops, steering stabilizer, sway bar bushings. Other stuff was rear shocks, carrier bearing, rear trans seal, vacuum kickdown, headers were warped and leaking everywhere so replaced those. Distributor, wires, plugs, valve cover gaskets. All new LED running lights down the running boards. Pulled the dash apart and replaced the printed circuit and bulbs. I added a tack in the bottom left empty where clock was. Took a little fandangling. Worked good but glue wasn't enough to keep it from vibrating loose. So I drilled a hole through the black plastic and face of the guage, glued a tooth pick in it and cut flush. Has worked great since then. New front balance. When I pulled the coils out one side had was broke, I thought that was wild. Headlight switch and high beam switch. I don't smoke so I pulled the ash tray out and added a dual cigarette lighter for extras. I put it on its own fuse panel. I have all the wires run to set up a 5 channel amp. Bought a radio that looks exactly like original but is blue tooth just like a newer style. I bought a kit for auto lock doors but I've got to figure out how I'm going to mount it to the locking rods, they have a bigger O.D. than the clips that come with it. It was cheaper to buy an external window pisser pump so I wired it to where I could pug it into the original harness that way I can delete it if I ever have to replace the whole wiper unit. Her first voyage was from north central Texas to Denver Colorado and back. Did very well for not knowing anything about the motor or trans. Did very well in the snow had several feet while I was working there.

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[jpizzle440]

I was pretty busy working last year and she sat for awhile. After the trip from Colorado the whole steering and brake system started failing and I didn't have time to fix it so I drove my dodge. Right now I've already pulled the hydroboost, gear box, power steering pump, and master cylinder. The hydroboost was easier than I expected, I was able to get to the firewall nuts on the inside without dropping the column with a swivel socket and swivel extension. I've already put the new one on. Got the new power steering pump and brackets have been blasted, painted, ready to install. All new hoses. Have a inline magnet filter to catch any shavings if the p/s pump ever fails. At the moment I'm fiximg to tear apart the steering gear box. I had pulled another extra apart to have ready to just replace the one that was on it but the housing was pretty rusted inside so I decided to set it aside and take it to a machine shop later to maybe salvage it. Did a little engine degreaser clean and going to the parts washer for final clean before I tear it apart.

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[jpizzle440]

Found a picture of the LED running lights.

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[jpizzle440]

Come apart better than the other. Sector shaft, rack piston(got lucky and all the bearings stayed in it), spool valve and worm gear. The original box looks a lot better than the spare. The fluid don't do justice in pic but you can see the rust spot on the spare box I took apart. Now I have to bust the bearings and seals out of the box. Probably get it vatted, don't feel like wire wheeling for paint. Then tear the guts apart and replace seals and bearings on them.

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[jpizzle440]

More I mess with this the more I kick myself in the rear for buying remans over the years. The kit was probably 10-15$ and can be done in a few hours if you don't mess around like I do. Being an hour trip from a parts store you can understand how mad I was one time I installed one and was worse than the leaker I replaced. So it definitely needed attention, as you can see what I've done so far all the seals was hard and broke. Going after the adjuster plug next.

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[jpizzle440]

So getting the gear box vatted was a waste, I thought it would cut the rust a lot better, hopefully it's just surface rust from the time I picked it up until now. Really didn't want to have to wire wheel all this. So in my research I learned where the Torrington bearing goes for the pitman shaft these boxes have a tendency to oval when they get wore out. More common on the Chevy and dodge diesels. Without having the tools to check it, it's not noticeable until reinstalled on the vehicle. So I had the machine shop check that. On the extra gear box I took apart I called a major company that sells all the parts for these, modifies, and rebuilds them. I asked about the rust and possible pitting and they said not to use it so I have an extra for a future core charge, or i may keep the internals and scrap the housing. Hardest part I've read about on these is loading the ball bearings. Fixing to tackle this and paint it. Hopefully everything works out. In my opinion the cost of the kit and machine shop is about $30 and a learning experience is better than gambling on a reman if your not in a hurry.

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[jpizzle440]

When cleaning the rack piston I noticed a black film on places where there was no internal contact with anything. Almost looked like black paint. Didnt think to snap a picture of it. Wiped right off with a brush. I'm wondering if this may have been from previous failed power steering pumps and hydroboosts. Can definitely tell the difference in bearings out of this gear box. The ones in the spare I pulled where all silver.

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[jpizzle440]

So I thought about it for a bit on wich way I would pack the bearings. Didn't like the idea of using wheel bearing grease, manual didn't specify. Did see a tech video that said gm suggested petroleum jelly when assembling transmission and power steering components. I didn't further research this but decided that route.

I packed them all in the lower left hole. Started with silver ball first. From what I read it is the bigger of the 2, if they are the same color you have to Mic them, this I have not checked myself, also the manual does not specify wich to start with but makes sense to me to start with the bigger first. As i put them in i Rotated the worm gear to get them to stay on the bottom side of the shaft with a pick. I packed the groove inside the work gear with jelly too before starting. I grabbed a 3/8 extension, wraped it with tape eye balling the O.D. with the worm gear and I plan on holding this against the worm gear as I back it out to hold the bearings in place. I've got to drive the Torrington bearing and seals in the housing for the pitman shaft before I attempt to install these. I'm taking my time with this but on the next one I'll know exactly what to do and get it done faster.

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[jpizzle440]

So this worked out great. Lubed everything up with power steering fluid slide the rack piston in. Set the worm gear assembly. Started the threads into the housing. Using a spare steering coupler I turned the shaft with slight pressure on the rack piston until it started to push my extension out then the worm gear sucked it the rest of the way in and didn't loose any ball bearings.

I had my buddy at the machine shop measure exact width digitally for a custom spanner socket. Now I need to find a Taiwan junk socket to weld to it. Install pitman shaft. Rack piston cap and torque.

I couldn't find anywhere local that sold a torque wrench under 20inch pounds, ended up ordering one pretty cheap online. In all my research before I did this a lot of people winged it by feel. I found an in depth article somewhere online about doing that and doing it correct. Basically if you don't set the correct preload torque and check the swing in inch pounds your wasting your time and maybe get another 30-50,000 miles out of it. If I remember correctly they should last a 100 or more if done right.

I have to go out of town for a few months on Sunday so I'm hoping to have everything installed and blead before I leave. Hoping to paint tonight along with a few things for my other truck.

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[jpizzle440]

Everything about this was easy except this snap ring. This guy right here about eat my lunch. So the light bulb come on. Grabbed some vise grips. At first I tried getting the ring Started, then clamped the ring and housing. No go. Second go around I got the ring started. This time I just clamped the housing behind the ring. That was the ticket. I forced the ring in all the way around to where it overlapped. Then counter clockwise from where I had the pliers I tapped it into the groove with a drift. I fought this thing for awhile before I thought about the pliers. The seal made it a PITA to get it without them. In my research I didn't see anyone have this problem.

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[jpizzle440]

As usual. Most of the stuff I work on i hit a bump in the road that shuts me down. Always my luck weather it be the part, something else that needs more attention and money, or work calls and I leave for half a year or more. When I pulled off this set nut on the pitman shaft it got snug at the end. Me not thinking, as it had Teflon in It, I zipped it the rest of the way off with an impact instead of looking at the threaded shaft. So the new nut wouldn't thread. It's 7/16x20 tried a die. Filing the threads and it's not letting me win. Tap tap the die can't get it started. I gues at some point someone dropped something heavy on this to jack the threads up. Wish I had my head out of my rear when I tore it apart. Going to try some more but I'm about ready to throw it in the lake. 

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[jpizzle440]

Often I've got to deal with inconel and stainless threads at work. You win some and loose some on the alloys. I'm usually pretty good at fixing carbon threads. This one is probably one of the hardest I've had to deal with. Must be some kind of harden steel. Files, german blades, and hacksaw blades just wouldn't cut it. So I got out the waffer disc on the dremal and ground off the top 2 bad threads. Even doing that and finally getting the die started I never could get the die to spin easy. I bent the Allen key doing this. But after 3 or 4 times I tried the nut and was able to get it on without messing the threads up.   

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[jpizzle440]

It's been awhile, been busy. I finished the gear box awhile back and installed everything. A little short on pictures, but the hydroboost, steering gear, and power steering pump are in and work great. All new hoses, paint. Magnet filter. Works like a champ. Been doing a little at a time when I can.

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[jpizzle440]

Got aftermarket A/C. Started working it. When I pulled all the old stuff out I was amazed at all the places there are for air to leak. Glad I pulled the trigger on this one. I didn't spend a bunch of time on cleaning the firewall real well because it has some bad cancer that needs to be replaced in the future. Right now just working to get it together.

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[jpizzle440]

Brand new dash

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