Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

[rookieshooter]

Making a mock-up race that's for the big bearing directly behind pinion teeth. Now don't tell me about using the side of the grinding wheel. This is done very delicately. In fact, it's hard to tell but the race is actually spinning in my hand. If it weren't, there would be flat spots on the race.

Here's the Timken race that will be installed permanently.

Here's the mock-up race. It has enough taken off that it will just slid into the housing with a slight push. And as long as you pull straight out, it will come out with two fingers.
The stampings on the outside are still visible after a few thousands were taken off. It only took about 3 min. to turn down. The trick is to let it spin just enough with out so much pressure that flat spots appear.

Mock-up in place.

I've never done a D44 before, so I'm taking all kinds of measurements.
I found out that the new pinion with new race is the same as the old pinion with old race.
Since this is a front axle, no telling how many miles is on it while engaged. Maybe next to nothing

Home grown depth gauge. And it's dead drop accurate. Checked against some known measurements. Just had to keep flush with bottom and perpendicular.
The straight edge was to long, so I cut it off so it layed on the flats of the carrier bearing supports. This gives me an exact measurement in real time, if you know what I mean, no subtracting this from that. And it did not cost me a dime.

Now just scroll down so the plunger hits the button of the pinion.
I called up Superior about my measurements and they said it sounds like it's within tolerances. Need to finish putting the small preload shims on the small end and check to see how it spins.
Then carrier will be next. Need to get Mock-up side bearings first.

 

[rookieshooter]

After this part is done, then the fun part of pulling the D35 out

 

[mynameisaric]

holy bench grinder skills batman! I would have used carbide and a lathe and dealt with the awesome squealing sounds.. but thats only because i have access.. That is some skill right there to evenly take off .005 from a surface like that.

 

[rookieshooter]

holy bench grinder skills batman! I would have used carbide and a lathe and dealt with the awesome squealing sounds.. but thats only because i have access.. That is some skill right there to evenly take off .005 from a surface like that.

I don't know about the skill part...but I've still got all my fingers after 30+ years in the sheet metal/steel trades. I've seen some horrendous accidents at the shop or in the fields.
One will always stick out in my mind. This was before they have all the safety gadgets on shears and such.
I was in the shop when a man stuck his hand in this 10' electric shear. He reached in between the blade and the table where the blade comes down.
He accidentally hit the foot peddle. Before he could let off the peddle, the blade went half way thru his wrist.
It gets worse. Their was no reverse. He was now bleeding to death.
We tried to turn the blade back...but would not budge.
The decision was made to get a bucket and finish the cut.
His hand never really worked again after countless hours of operations.
At one time the trade I was in was the second most hazardous trade in the US. But thanks to more stringent safety rules and automatic cut-offs, things have gotten better.
I myself can never remember all the stitches I have had including having my right thumb just dangling by the skin. Cut through the joint and severed the tendons.
On several occasions I have seen men die. Two at one time while working on an Atomic Power Plant in Va. On the same job site I saw a man loose his right arm when going up a make shift elevator when his arm was outside the platform.
After 5 major operations which two were spinal...all work related, I just now sit back and watch the snow fly

 

[rookieshooter]

Transferring the exact same angle to the passenger side for the lay-out of high steer arm.

There's two areas I want to address on the passenger side 1979 F150 knuckle.
Here is the first one. It's the strength around that dog leg bend. I've read on other sites that they don't like to use the passenger side because of the lack of strength around that area and use a flat top Chevy knuckle.
Well I'm not going to rummage around a salvage yard and find one.

Here is the second area. The radius part on the left hand side is just a little too close to where I have to drill and tap for the high steer arm.
Could mill down some more to increase the flat, but that would lessen the thickness and don't' want to do that.

Here is my idea on the dog leg area. First clean area and then cut a .250" steel brace.
Now the knuckle is cast steel confirmed by the spark test.
Which is more forgiving then welding cast iron. But I still wanted to pre-heat the metal to 500 degrees. That's what that crayon is for. It melts exactly at 500 deg.
My kerosene salamander heater works great for this.

Now it's really structurly sound, given a little triangulation and even a little more area to the top also. It's about as wide as the driver side and even has more thickness then the driver side. If you look under the driver side, it is not solid across, where as the passanger side is.
Now if you look at the left hand side where the radius used to be. I've built up that area with some weld. This will give the top of the knuckle more surface area for the high steer to attach to.
Just have to file or have milled down
I moved the heater back some and you can see the flame. I don't want this to cool down too fast.

Here's another pic of the built up area and the flame keeping it warm.

Now no part of the steering arm is going to be welded to the knuckle, I know this is a NO NO.
All welds were done with a 230V Hobart using a 7018 x 1/8" rod.

 

[rookieshooter]

Could not stand it no longer, had to go out and see if I can make flush with high speed sanding flap wheel and a file.
Maybe about 2 mm needs to be taken off.

Now that's about as flat as a pancake. Checked against machinist rule.
Held file as flat as I could against flat part that has been machined. This left a mark on all surfaces that were higher then the milled part, and then took flap wheel and took off majority of the metal. Then flat file was used again untill it was drawn down to the machined surface.
The hole for the bolt will be near the sharp edge of the built up area.
The more rough area on the far right does not come into contact with the high steer arm.

 

[rookieshooter]

Time for some more in-house machine work...well kinda. But it saves me a bunch of money.
I needed to make some set-up carrier bearings. So I bought the same kind that Superior Axle sent me with the Master Rebuild set to use in the final installation.
This is what I have to say about using a brake hone to ream out the bearing...Cram that Idea where the sun don't shine.
That was about a time consuming, messy job with the cutting oil that had to be applied to the stones so they don't gum up with crap.
The honing went on and on. I've had enough.
Somewhere in my garage I knew I had the technology to do this. Bingo...my Small Dremel high speed grinder with a sanding drum. At first I thought it might leave high and low spots and do a shi$$ty job...I was wrong, once I found the technique it went fast and furious. And no messy cutting oil or what ever fluid one uses.
The trick was to keep the sander moving clockwise while moving in and out. The drum is not long enough for the width of the bearing. Also I tried to keep the axis of the Dremel tool parallel to the bearing surface.
Now I don't want to come off like a guru of diff set-ups, because I'm not. It's just that this is light years ahead of what I was doing at first. Not mentioning braking the stone in the hone and driving to get new ones.
I mean it only took a few minutes to hone out. One should remove or mike frequently to check for fit.
You don't want a sloppy fit, this would give false set-up specs. Like setting the Carrier to low in the Pinion.

I've included some short Vids and pics below.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v81/honda2nr4life/?action=view&current=MOV03689.flv

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v81/honda2nr4life/?action=view&current=MOV03688.flv

While going around the bearing in a clockwise direction...do it fast enough were centrifugal force keeps the wheel against the bearing surface. Also keeps it from coming egg shaped. A quick mike check and it was perfectly round.
I really hardly ever use the Dremel, but in the last week it came in very handy in the axle build.
I was quite pleased with the finish of the bearing surface.

 

[rookieshooter]

OK, got the mock-up bearings in and used the old shim pack...too tight.
Had to sacrifice one of my old welding gloves to pop carrier out.

Cut one side of glove off to make less thick to engage between pinion teeth and ring teeth. Then turn pinion nut and pops right out.
In fact in the first pic I'm using breaker bar to turn.
Hmm, tooth pattern on the glove don't look bad :

Now to install the actual carrier bearings after re-shimming. Found my bearing installer...It's Dana 44 specific. In fact it's very D44 specific. It's the 6" I cut of axle tube. Having that .500" wall thickness makes for a perfect fit on the new bearing. Again, I hardly ever throw stuff away.


F

First the bearings have to go get resized by a 1/000" or so.

Then some gentile taps and it's on. Now I have a thinner shim pack in. They go between the bearing and carrier. Too bad ford didn't make some way for them to go in front of bearing..none of that honing out and pulling bearing on and off. Hmm?

Then to check measurements including turning of pinion nut to rotate the entire assembly to make sure it's in specs. All fine and done.

I can almost smell the welding rod fumes from the links being installed in the truck.

 

[james t]

Cool idea. I did the same thing with a die grinder and then finished it off with the cylinder hone just for the heck of it.

 

[rookieshooter]

Cool idea. I did the same thing with a die grinder and then finished it off with the cylinder hone just for the heck of it.

I would have used my die grinder, but my compressor gave up the ghost.
In fact once I start tearing out the D35, I'll be bringing down my son's compressor. Just too many bolts for these hands to turn.
Like the idea of the cylinder hone too finish it up. May just do that to the mock up set.

 

[rookieshooter]

Something about that $10 axle seal that can cause so much problems when it leaks. I've read on other sites about how they can leak and then all the problems associated work that has to go into changing them...this is not my idea of a good time.
So after some thought, I think I can come up with a better mouse trap sort to speak.
The top pic I'm coming up with what amount of work space I have to work with...Plenty. The far left hand side of rule is where the seal seats.

Not all company's axle seals are the same. But the ones I'm going to use have the funnel flange to help guide the axle in.
Here's my plan. Make a double axle seal that still rides on the machined surface of the axle. This should exponentially increase the seals life, mainly the one furthest from the diff. What might make it past the first one would be stopped by the second one.
Of course this would also greatly stop contaminants from entering the center section also.
So after some careful measurements, I'm going to grind down the top of the seal where the metal rolls back around.
In the pick you can see where I started grinding down.
As I was grinding down a faint visible hair line appeared. Just tapped the center section and out it came. Sure it was another $10, but that's $10 I would surly give not to have to tear the axle apart to install another seal.

Also the part that is on top is the part of the seal that's furthest in tube.

Here is Rookie's double Dana44 axle seal. Well the start of it.
Getting ready to place cut-off seal into other one.
Now here is the cool part of connecting both seals. Note that both are facing the same direction as there is a small bevel on the rubber part that is directional.

But first I need to lay down the stuff that will bind them together. RTV or Room Temperature Vulcanizing. The brand that has worked for me, including intake manifold gaskets that hold and seal with a vengeance is the brand called "The Right Stuff" it's just fantastic stuff.
Just edited this, I've already put the cut-off piece into the other one. You can see the double rubber seals. Then the post below I should have said, "I've added some more goo to bring the RTV sealer to the top of the flange. Hope I make sense.

Next was to slip the piece that I cut off into the gooy stuff. Then lay another bead on top.

Then I slipped onto axle to where the seal rides on the turned part. This will also center it. Now when the Right Stuff vulcanizes at room temperature, it will become like hard rubber.
Before it started to cure, I took a razor blade and smoothed it over.
Now don't forget there is hardly no force on the seal, I can spin it even while it has not dried without the seal turning inside.

At this time I have not installed it. May have to keep in freezer a little. But I'll find out.
Don't want to say this is perfect with out having it installed.

Wondering if I should take some waterproof grease and put between the two seals? My thinking is this would put some lubricatin on the axle for the one furthest away. Any thoughts?

Ya, I know, I've got too much time on my hands and I need to lay off the coffee.
Maybe I ought to apply for a Style Patent :

 

[rookieshooter]

Ok, it's cured long enough. This is also a better pic of the First generation double seal. All right a little too serious

Allmost all the way in.

The added seal now extends toward the carrier bearing, but just shy of it.
I put the grease between the two seals.

 

[Kirby N.]

I dig the makeshift pinion depth gauge. Might have to copy that one...

 

[rookieshooter]

I dig the makeshift pinion depth gauge. Might have to copy that one...

Thanks Kirby. Just make sure when and if you make one that the clamping part puts the guage directly over the button part. I sacrificed one of my squares that have the movable square part that keeps the sliding micrometer perfectly at a 90 deg. angle to the level plane.
I think the sitting depth of the pinion is around 2.61 and that's just what I got on my reading.
Plus you can un-bolt and use it for all kinds of things.

Hey, a sliding micrometer is just not for measuring case stretch anymore, if you know what I mean.
That was the primary reason I bought it in the first place.

Late next week I hope to have the pass. side knuckle drilled and tapped and order a couple of rims for the front. Then I'll actually... get this, start putting this all together under the B2.
I'll give it a good work out when I'll be chasing Gobblers for a month straight this Spring Hunting season, riding miles of mountain trails, many stream crossings and hoping to take some nice pics along the way.
That reminds me, need to start working on my B2 Camper.
One other thing while I'm rambling on. I never built this truck so I can say, hey look at me and this flex shot or come across as a guru of this or that. It was built to get me to some remote areas safely and get me back. %98 of the time I'm by myself. Anything else is a by product. It is no more then a means that justify the ends. And that end is to get me to some of the best hunting and fishing spots.

 

[rookieshooter]

Something went wrong all of a sudden, vacuum guage is starting to fluctuate on every firing of a cylinder.

So I checked the valve lash which was not bad. These are hydraulic lifters and really don't need feeler guages like you see. Somewhere a little loose and this lets me know which ones. Those roller tips are hard to tell if their riding on the stem of the valve or not. Then just turn them down a 1/4 of a turn once the roller is flush with valve stem.
By pulling off each spark wire on at a time I found that cylinders one and two are not producing. I changed spark plugs with no results. Then a compression check my worst fear, no compression.
Both plugs were covered in oil, no water and no water in oil pan.
I'm hoping that it's the same problem I had once before. I
It's the manifold gasket being sucked into the intake.
These Edelbrock heads have about a large intake as you can get. It don't take much for the gasket to shift and then it can suck oil up from the valley.
Last time I had the intake manifold even milled down for a tighter fit.
I thought that would take care of it. So I used the same style gasket.
If in fact this is the problem...no more that style gasket.
Of course this happened on the week or the next that I was going to start the install of the axle...Oh well.

This is why I like to document everything. Here is the pic of what happened a while back. Check out the position of the intake gasket. Ouch.
Just got to love high compression engines.

Just scroll down.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134735&page=80

Going to pick up my son's air compressor this morning. But first I'm working this morning as a greeter at our church for a big convention, then I'll be turning wrenches for quite some time on this problem and then the axle build.
I'll post what I find.
If there is head work or worse...then the axle will be pushed back, wrong word...I mean at a later date

 

[rookieshooter]

This don't look good.

 

[Turdle]

umm
head ok?

 

[rookieshooter]

umm
head ok?

My first observation that it looks fine. But need to check the valves. May have some carbon build up on the backside of the valves from leak between the two cylinders. I'll tear into the head tomorrow and also check for straightness.
It ran fine driving into garage, then next morning just like you hit a switch, it started to miss and the vacuum guage started to fluctuate. Now I know why.
Never had any overheating problems at all. But then again did not drive it long enough to let it overheat.

 

[james t]

That sucks.

 

[rookieshooter]

That sucks.

James, you hit the nail on the head. That was the problem, it was not sucking air through the intake.
Sure I had a blown head gasket. But what may have caused it. Thank goodness I just did not buy a head gasket and bolted it all up. The gasket is not the culprit.

I thought that I might check the condition of the lifters...and number one intake was discolored on the bottom, not the shiny surface like it should be.
Took dial indicator and bingo...there's the problem, a wiped lobe on the intake lobe. It was really worn. This most likely created a lean mixture creating a hot spot, and that was the end of the gasket.

Now I really appreciate all the work I did years ago, knowing there would be some major overhauling. Just removed the radiator built cross member, remove radiator and it's a piece of cake to work on. It's almost like on an engine stand.

Pulling cam out with adapter so as not to nick cam bearings. Just welded right size bolt on steel rod. Be great for the install also.

Notice how rounded the first lobe is compared to the three behind it. The high part of the lobe was, on the left side. The peak is not much taller then the heel.

Next the dreaded part...checking the head.
install plugs, pour kerosene into combustion chamber. Then blow air into exhaust and intake. But first had to stuff rags in ports.
Not bad at all. Number 2 cylinder had the faintest bubbles coming up around the intake. This was one of the valves that were adjacent to each other in both cylinders when the head gasket blew.
Nothing a little valve lap won't cure.

Called Summit and they said there is a rash of cam lobes being wiped with heads that have high valve spring pressures like these Edelbrock.
The new oil has none or hardly any zinc in the oil. This puts more friction on the lobes with high valve spring pressures.
I even researched this and there does seem to be a problem.
He tole me when they send the new cam to add this additive and at each oil change or I'm looking at another wiped lobe.

Talked to a few people today whe run diesel oil becuase some still have the zinc. I know my son runs 5w-40 turbo deisel in his highly moddified turbo Honda.