Project 720

[720Racer]

Sorry I didn't take and post any pics till now, but I keep forgetting to take the camera down to the shop with me. So far I've only had 1 screw strip out (driver's door striker), 1 fender bolt break off (lower fender bolt to door hinge post), and the rear 2 body mount bolts (not too worried about these, I'll get to them later). The tub only has 3 body mount bolts left, and the filler hose. The top is completely un-bolted, all the glass is out. Tomorrow I need to weld up some braces in the door jams, take out the remaining seat brackets, and fab up a piece of angle with a lifting eye to bolt down where the seat belts attach, and then I'll grab the engine hoist, and the tub will be off. Everything that came off is in a zip-lock, with a tag, and then it 2 rubbermaid containers. I'm not sure if you guys can tell, but I found a stock EB bumper INSIDE the po's "custom" rear swing bumper!?!? Hope to have pic's of the frame by the weekend, and be cutting off old brackets, and bolting up new parts.

Enjoy,

Galen

[Broncrick]

Good start Galen guess the old bumper was solid enough to weld to

Rick-

[crawlin68]

Sweet! Now your rockin and rollin. I love the rear bumper. (things that make you go hmmmm) Now get that body off of there and post up some more pics. You might as well just keep that camera down in the shop for the next year.

[FordCore]

I was wondering what the hell that pic was....the bumper! You gotta give it to the PO's they come up with some crazy SH^&. I remember those days, remove and tag remove and tag....
Chris

[720Racer]

OK,

THE TUB IS OFF!!! One of my neighbor's employee's came over and helped my with the top. I had to take out the po's floor repair (aluminum pop rivets) to get to the body bolts under the driv/pass feet. Then I welded some braces in the door jams, and drilled some holes in a piece of angle. I got out the engine hoist, and a 2" ratchet strap, and off she came. The only hitch was an exhaust hanger that was bolted to the body. I unbolted the stock steering box, and zip tied the drag link to the tie rod, and started unbolting the shocks.

Enjoy,

Galen

[crawlin68]

Whoooo Hooooo! Now you can really get to work!

[Broncrick]

Surprised you didnt use the tractor to lift it Keep the dig-cam down there and update us

[720Racer]

Surprised you didnt use the tractor to lift it Keep the dig-cam down there and update us

I thought about it, but this was actually eaiser. I've got a overhead clearance problem when I lift the loader arms all the way up (especially if the forks are on), plus the tub ends up right infront of the entrance to the bobcat.



Galen

[720Racer]

Pulled the rest of the exhaust, gas tank, and clutch linkage. Pulled the brake lines, and shocks. Got the old shock mounts (F&R) and motor mounts (bad V-8 conversion) cut off, and all ground clean.



Galen

[720Racer]

I know a lot of guys weld big washers on their body mounts. Do these need that, or are they in good enough shape as is?



Galen

[Broncrick]

Looks fine to me

[FordCore]

They look good, if there was alot of pitting from rust then the washers would be a needed.
Chris

[720Racer]

I got my Nissan power steering box mocked up today. I had to "clearance" 1 hole, and move another (including the blue wrench). Once the first 3 holes were all straighted up, I layed out and driledl the 4th hole. I still have to add a sleeve for the 4 hole. I had to burn part of the sleeve for the lower rear hole, but I think there's still enough there to keep the frame from collapsing. I also had to clearance the front left body mount. Then I cleaned up and gutted the D20. I think I spent nearly an hour scraping 37 years of road gum off the t-case. It's nearly a square point shovel full of grease and dirt. Tomorrow I'll grind the inside of the housing for the TeraLow's, and weld and grind the rails for the JB fab twin sticks.



Galen

[crawlin68]

Nice work Galen!

[720Racer]

Well, the warmer weather has kept me at work more than I'd like, but I've made some progress none the less. Here is the mock up of the clocked/teralowed/twinsticked/Dana20/ZF combo with a short block so I could tack the engine towers. Sorry there aren't more action shots, I'm not very good at stopping while I work to take pic's (I'm usually too dirty to touch the camera). The D20 rebuild damn near kicked my ass, every time I put something together, I was over at the press taking it apart cuz I forgot the speedo gear, or I forgot the input gear, or the thrust washers, or........you get the idea. The twin stick works great, front, rear, high, low, they're all there, except the one's you don't want. I used "Nobody's" (CB.com) diagram of where to grind the rails, and it's sweet. I had to modify Chuck's transfercase shifter bracket when I clocked the case. I'll have to add another brace to make it a little more solid, and there's pic's to follow. I didn't like the way the WH engine towers lined up with the monster motor mounts. What do you guys think? Will it be ok?



Galen