The Moon Truck

Today this pickup saw the light of day for the 1st time in well over a year. I pulled it out of the garage with the vintage Cub Cadet.




My bud Mario was here as was my BIL. It was an interesting day. As usual there were bugs to be worked out. 1st was a no start which had several reasons. So I did a jumper test at the fuel pump relay and decided the fuel was way old so we used the fuel pump to pump it into a storage tank. There wasn't much left in it and the newest was 3+ years old. So we drained the tank(fuel was rusty colored). In the process I discovered the rubber fuel line at the tank to fuel filter was leaking. Didn't take long to realize this was the original line and fuel filter from '88! :shock: The line was falling apart. So then a run to the parts store for a fuel filter and a couple of cans of fresh gas. While there an old coworker on his way home from work saw Red Beans out front and stopped. We had a nice quick visit.

Let me tell you the fuel line at the tank was never intended to be changed with the tank in the truck. It was a bear and required one hand each from 2 people from opposite sides to get it clamped. So new line, new filter, we tried to start it again and didn't take much to realize I had the distributor off by one tooth as usual. I do this every time. Did I mention that's not real easy to get to either. At this point it would do you folks well to visualize The 3 Stooges. Once we got that straightened out she started fine almost! Massive vacuum leak. Huge hiss and engine didn't want to idle at all. We checked a couple of normal things. Then my BIL said, What's that hole for? Is something supposed to be there?" It seems that after sand blasting the upper plenum I had removed a big(19 mm wrench) plug from the plenum to clean it. Bear in mind I had never touched this plug on any 2.6 in all these years. So it never occurred to me to replace it. :roll: :LOL: :LOL: So I checked a spare plenum and there it was. I pulled it and put it in and problem solved.

Set the timing close enough and pulled the throttle cable tight and let her run for about 35 minutes between 1,500 + 2,200 rpm to break in the cam. She ran real good and very smooth. The machine shop and original builder must have spent some time on balancing. The engine ran very still in the mounts. It also had amazing oil pressure and ran very cool. Happy to report the fan clutch was noticeable when it kicked in. Which was not often. And no white smoke from the exhaust. Hot Damn! :D

So after the break in I slowed it back down and lubed the linkages at the throttle body. Then did a quick drive down our private road and back. Truck felt nice. So a bit more fine tuning to timing and readjust the valves again and change the oil. And the engine should be settled. Tomorrow I go to the MVA and get her legal.

Then soon the bed comes off and the rest of the frame gets painted and I'll probably bend new hard lines front to rear for fuel, return, vent, and brakes. Then comes the new springs.

It's been a long time getting to this point. I hope things continue to roll well!
 
Woohoo! Good work. I bet it's a great feeling. I remember in my youth an experience with getting the distributor back in 180 degrees off. Boy what a commotion when we tried to start it up again! Luckily didn't break anything. Learning experience for sure. Fun times. I'm impressed with your project. Have fun doing the finishing touches and enjoy it when it all comes back together.
 
Alrighty then. Today I spent some time getting the ignition timing on the money. The I went for a drive. Once back home I washed her for the 1st time in at least a couple of years. Of course this verified that the windshield leaks like a fishnet. But no leaks from the sun roof. I'll probably get the windshield addressed next week. After the wash I went for another drive and filled up the gas cans and put 5 gallons in the tank.

The day we started the engine I pumped the tank dry. Then added 5 gallons of fresh gas from a can. We then ran the engine for 30-45 minutes to break it in. Early today I added 2 gals more from a can. Then added 5 gal tonight. Still at only a little over 1/4 tank. That tells me this has the long bed tank. (19+ gallons) I had been told the Spacer's use the short bed 13 gallon tank but I don't think so.

Anyway over 20 miles on her now.
After a much need bath. My BIL said , "It looked like it had been stored in a barn for years.". Well sorta!











Not too bad for an almost 30 year old scratched to Hades truck! :D

She drove nice. But so different from Red Beans. I could feel the longer wheel base. The bounce of the wheels felt busy compared to the Trooper with 32's. She rode very nice but still had a truck feel. Pretty quiet with the windows open compared to Red Beans. And OMG this truck is geared so high!!!! 4.30:1. with tires that are 2" over stock size. Compared to Red Beans there is no engine braking at all. When I lift my foot in Red Beans with 4.77:1 gears it's like stepping on the brake. This truck just keeps gliding along. But I was real surprised that it climbed all the hills around here in 3rd gear at way below the powerband sweet spot of the Calmini cam. Impressive indeed. On a flat stretch the Calmini rolls out. Above 3k it really pulls and this is with stock exhaust. I did a quick run on a back road to about 65mph in 3rd gear and was only spinning around 4,200 rpm with lots of room to go! :shock: :D

This am I got an answer to my request from 4Wheelcampers. A written document on how to mount the camper and place the eye bolt's in the bed. And a few more things like hooking up the electric to the charging system. So next step will be to mount the camper and see how it does. Then make decisions on what springs ect.
 
And tonight's crappy pics.




Got it loaded but not properly positioned in the truck. So I was able to hook up the front tie downs from outside the camper. This got me to the top of the hill and to my BIL's paved drive. We then jacked it up again and got it sitting where it should. Unfortunately this makes it physically impossible for me to get my arm where I need to for the front turnbuckles. (I'll explain better with pics later) But see these little doors on the bottom. Those are the access hatches for the tie downs in the bed.




They front ones open into the big wheel wells the Spacer has. So I'll order 2 more access doors from 4WC and use a hole saw to get access where I need it.


The good news is the camper fits great on the truck. I'm going to trim about an inch off these rubber dock bumpers. And then I can get the camper a little tighter to the cab and still not have to worry about scuffing the front. I will still have 3/4" to the front rail from the camper. When that is done it should be just even with the bumper in the back with the tailgate off.


The stock springs are holding it surprisingly well. But I didn't really take it out of the drive yet to drive it. But I have the option of both a set of slightly heavier Trooper springs or the OME 029's. The engine still has a bit of a miss. I think I need to clean the tank and send the injectors out for a clean and flow match. I'll try to get some better pics this weekend.

Did I mention that not only can I get the camper in the garage I can open it. And even if I lift a couple of inches it still shouldn't be a problem.


Still have room to open the sunroof.


Little by little it's getting there.
 
Nice fit! I need to remove the accessory rail in the front of my bed and trim down the rubber bumper as well. I could move my fleet forward at least a full inch.
 
A full inch is what I'm thinking as well. That will give me at least 3/4" left before rubbing the bed. There is a lot of camper behind the axle so even an inch forward is a good thing in my book.

Other than that and the access hole thing I'm real pleased with the way it fits the truck and looks on it. Even with the jacks mounted my outside rear veiw mirrors work fine.

If some of my posts seem a little extra basic on the camper side for you folks that know them. Please bear in mind that often these are written for the Isuzu forum where it's more about the truck and sharing a little education about these campers. So then I copy and paste with minor editing.

We had visitors today so not a work day. Our friends 10 year old son thought the camper was the greatest. Sort of a luxury tree house. I just let him go and he was occupied for quite some time opening window and setting up the bed ect.

This evening I mounted the camper jacks back on the camper without the extension plates. They are pretty heavy. The 4 jacks probably add at least 100 lbs. I won't be running with them on normally. I climbed under the truck to see where the springs were.


Both front and rear are compressed fairly well by the camper. But at this point it's almost exactly level. maybe a little aft low.


Compare to a full load of oak firewood from a couple of years ago.




I think the stock springs are beat anyway. The ends look like they may have been overloaded a few times. Not perfectly flat where the eyelets begin. What the heck they are only 27 years old and who knows how many miles.

I've been hemming and hawing over whether to just use the Trooper springs and maybe some Timbrens for a while. But this shows me I need to go whole hog and just mount up the Old Man Emu 029's and the new HD Sway-A-Way torsion bars.

So Monday I'll be calling Independant4x for some longer rear shocks and new shackles and bushings. In the meantime I'll work on getting new access holes in the camper and getting it mounted up on the truck. I'd like to get the issue resolved. I'll probably also go to local welding supply house and pick up some #6 cable for a battery charge cable from the engine compartment to the camper. The battery separator is already in the camper. Just need to wire the truck.
 
Just spoke with 4WC. They are sending me the portal doors I need to make access forward of what's now in the camper. That will make mounting a much simpler affair. I ordered a set of the new style mounting brackets as well. Might as well do it right and keep it looking good.

I also just ordered new shackles and bushings and rear shocks and a few other small parts to upgrade the suspension. So hopefully in a few days i'll be moving forward with this again.
 
I did some shopping today. We have a local medium truck place.

30 years ago I got fed up with plastic trailer connectors that lasted less than a year and fell apart or corroded away. My BIL convinced me to go to heavy truck stuff. So I switched to 7 pin round pin Cole Hersey or Philips stuff. Metal connectors. The one on Red Beans is 30 years old and has been on 3 trucks. I had a boat trailer turn signal that wasn't coming on. So before I went fishing yesterday I hit both sides of the connector with contact cleaner and plugged and unplugged it a couple of times. Problem fixed. 'Nuff said. So I picked up a new bumper side connector for Black Beans.




The camper is set up to charge the battery off the truck alternator while driving. They normally use a trolling motor connector for a bass boat in the bed to connect camper to truck. I have the same connector in my boat and wanted something better. You folks know by now overkill is just about right for me. So while at the truck place I asked the guy if he had anything similar to my trailer connector in a 2 or 3 pin and told him what I wanted to do. He took me in the back. Hot Dog this'll work! Just like I use for the trailers but made for 6 gauge battery cable. (I'll get that from the marine place along with a switch + a breaker.) See how the connector locks?


Truck side in the bed.




Camper side.


Wire goes in here. Soldered in.
 
When I picked up the used Old Man Emu springs I also got the longer U-bolts. A couple had been banged against a rock so I have a thread or 2 to clean up with a file. No biggie. But I also needed some high strength fine thread 9/16 locking nuts for them. The old ones were rusty. Got those from the truck place as well.

Decided to take the OME springs apart to clean and paint tonight. They have been sitting over a gravel drive for 8 years so had some light rust.
This is how you safely take leaf springs apart. I actually like to clamp the springs and then put an extra long center pin in place. Then back everything off slowly to release tension.


These will get hit with a grinder with a wire wheel and then primed and coated with EZ-Slide graphite paint.




These are the OME bushings and sleeves. Dirty but basically new. They'll clean up and I'll probably reuse them. They are nice and soft riding and grease well because they are fluted. The eye bolt is a camper tie down point in the bed.


I have on order a set of HD stock height spring shackles with new bushings and grease-able bolts. I also have the grease-able bolts coming for the front of the springs. Along with longer Skyjacker shocks and SS brake flex hoses for the rear.

Still lots to do.
 
I've been working on rehabbing the spring packs I'll be using. I'm still waiting on a few parts like center pins for the packs.

All the leaves have been cleaned, Primed, painted black, and top coated with a graphite paint.


I'm going to try a little old school tech on these. Several years ago spring makers started to put poly sliders between the leaves to reduce friction for a softer ride. These OME's have these sliders on one leaf each pack. That's probably what's needed. But this is a HD set of springs for this light truck. So I had these rolls of "Hot Wheels track" Actually old school poly spring liners. So I thought I'd use them. Brand new in the bag and they haven't been made in years.


The concept is graphite paint and poly sheets between the leaves to eliminate friction. I've used these before with good results. I think it also helps to keep down rust as the leaves no longer rub on each other.




On top of leaf with flanges down to shed water and debris.


Mark and punch center hole.






Just a little longer than the leaves.


 
I had to reread to see where I last left off. Work on the PU has been hit or miss. Last week I was driving it and it was running well. Went to my old work place to visit a couple of folks and on the way home it started running on 3 cylinders again. This time it seemed fuel related. no popping in the exhaust of unburned fuel. I have had 4 injectors cleaned and flow matched. But before I install them I want to start with the source. The dirty tank and rusty lines. I don't trust the lines hard or soft as they are.

So a coming vacation has been pushing me on this truck. But it just ain't going to be ready. So we will rent a pop up for the beach trip. I'm getting ready to remove the bed. Then I'll see what needs to be dealt with underneath. Like removing and cleaning the tank. Cleaning and painting the frame. I hate hanging new parts on a rusty frame! :roll: Last night I got the triler hitch and bumper off.






Maybe I'll get the bed off today.
 
Last spring pics. Pack complete except new center pins.


New stock height shackles.


Progress today. The bed has been removed. I lifted it off with the engine hoist.




The entire underside of this truck is coated with a very fine silt like mud cement. This was sort of a farm truck before I got it. Overall rust is light.


Tank looks very good on the outside for it's age. This is the 19 gal long bed tank. It will be removed and cleaned and painted. I'll probably install a new fuel pump while it's out.


Exhaust is very good so it will be reused for a while. Stock springs look a little wimpy after the OME's.




I've already worked a bit at cleaning the silt and debris from inside the frame. Not too bad so far.
 
I got underneath the truck today with my pressure washer. 2600psi does wonders for cleaning.

The body metal is nice on this truck. Rockers look great. The specks are dirt splashed back on it from gravel drive.


Looking at the inside of passenger frame rail. That's factory paint. This is the Mid-Atlantic and this truck is almost 30 years old. The blob at the top is the bottom of the Cat.


Outside of drivers side frame rail.










I have some work to do but it's in good shape. Inside is as good or better than the outside of the frame. It needs to dry for a few days. In the meantime I'll drain, remove and go over the gas tank. bend new Stainless or Cunifer copper/nickel fuel and brake hard lines. Which just depends on what sizes of each I have in hand.

Remove rear suspension and axle. The axle will get the 4.56 third member vs the 4:30 that's in it for the time being.

Rebuild driveshaft.

The frame will get coated on the inside a couple of coats of this. I have a case of the stuff.
http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame-coating-w-spray-nozzle-qt.html

The outside will get taken down with a grinder with flapper discs and wire wheels to prep. Then coated with 2 coats of POR-15 then top coated with black Rustolieum.

Then it all goes back together again!.
 
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