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What have you done to your CUCV today/lately - Part 2

gottaluvit

Active member
Today I better find an XM channel for the gospel music. I went out at 0500 dark and started the Voodoo M1009 and when I went up the road the headlamps went off. I am off road and have parking lamps but no headlamps. And I continue to go and next thing I know a warm feeling comes over my feet and I smell the sweet sweet smell of antifreeze. I look down and the antifreeze is leaking out the center floor vent and the floor is being covered with it. I think the old heater core did not like all that work back there when trying to get that swelled right rear glow plug out. No problem. It is a warranted heater core and easy to fix. The headlamp dimer switch seems to be the issue with the headlamps. Seems to click very rough and sometimes not at all. Anyone know the channel for XM that will calm the savage beast? Kidding no problem. Maybe next week. Maybe not. Happy Holidays.
Channel 37 works for me. Then I know I'm not the only one angry.
 

CuCv M1008

Member
40
0
6
Location
Carlisle PA
I've been getting ready to set the ole truck up for hibernation, The salt and other things they use on the roads here in PA is awful to these trucks. They rust bad enough just sitting, I don't want to help it any. I usually turn on some George Strait when things get to be a pita, sometimes it doesn't work, like when you hit your head on the shackle... aua
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,071
2,388
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
You kind of wish sometimes that the engineers who designed stuff had to actually service it all once (in the dark while it's raining) before letting their designs go to production. :roll::patracy:
At lunch time half the talk from mechanics is complaining about the design engineers who built the last piece of equipment we where just working on. I usually start by saying "just give me 2 minutes with them and a baseball bat ! " .
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,289
9,658
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
The headlamp dimer switch seems to be the issue with the headlamps. Seems to click very rough and sometimes not at all.

This is a good one. I went to Autozone and picked up a dimmer switch for Voodoo M1009. I looked and it was a STANDARD brand. Logo on box "When OE fails...trust Standard" I bought the switch and was at the shop and thought. I wonder where the switch was made. Well I had a real surprise. It was NOT made in USA NOT made in China. It was MADE IN POLAND. So what is the quality rating of a Polish light switch? Like I said before. It is a replacement part if it works I don't care where it was made. We all have to work so if it fits and works use it. Is it dark when turned on? Being a Polish light switch. Forget it. Just playing. Happy Holidays.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,289
9,658
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Back in my day with VW's I always bought VW parts that were made in Brazil. And now with CUCV's I get the parts from all over the world. Same as new Chevrolet/Ford/Ram vehicles. Vehicles are made all over the world. They are no longer considered US made vehicles. They may be assembled here but the parts come from all over. I work on new Isuzu's and the cabs are shipped from Japan complete and built and assemble in Michigan. WOW what a journey. Happy Holidays.
 

gottaluvit

Active member
I have had VWs made in Brazil, Mexico, and Germany. Never had a U.S. made one yet. They all seem to be of the same quality other than the Passat is a higher quality car than the Jetta, Fox, and Rabbits.

Back on topic, I finally tore into the right inner fender well to replace it. Oh my, I despise rust and have a hard time understanding neglectful people. A little oil/grease goes a long way. P O had put a fender skin on a wasted fender. Had they put grease on every bolt and every rust spot under there, I might have some metal left to bolt the inner fender to. At least the bolts on the cab and radiator support came out descently. Luckily I didn't sell the fender that I had for sale (for a dirt cheap price) at Findlay this past Spring. It has blue paint but zero rust. Glad I have rattle cans of Rapco CARC substitute in all three colors. Looks like I will be reinforcing the bottom of two "legs" of the battery trays as well. The inner fender has all of the dimples where the battery trays attach. Today it all gets assembled.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,289
9,658
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
I don't think grease and oil would have saved the outer fender inner reinforcement. They were lighted painted at best when new and that inner apron sandwiched against each other did a lot of rusting over the last 30 years. If the outer skin is still solid I would just put a 2" strip of steel up on the fender inner skin and get a good attachment for a new apron. It will keep the exterior in check and still match the rest of the truck. As long as you keep the rust off the cab the inner and outer fenders are a bolt on item and can be run for many years to come. When you decide to do a complete makeover you can then just unbolt everything and recycle the unusable parts. But yes if you have good rust free doors and fenders hang onto them and save them till the current fender can not be salvaged. Good Luck. Happy Holidays. The cold is coming soon. It is going to be in the 60's today. Great weather.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,289
9,658
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
I tend to go a bit heavy with my patch strips. Only because I have access to good clean sheared strips of 12-16 Gauge galvaneal and steel strips. And the nice thing is you can anchor the inner apron with some lags and flat washers and use the new inner fender/apron holes without any extra work. Self tapping lags are nice. Drill an 1/8" hole and a few lags with a fender washer and you are done. Unless you are looking for perfection. I use 5/16" self tappers on all my rebuilds that requires a 1/4" hole. Good Luck. Report back. Happy Holidays.
 

gottaluvit

Active member
After eight hours the inner fenderwell is in and solid enough to stand on the batteries. I found some sheet steel that is fairly heavy gauge. Attached the steel in three pieces with sheet metal screws as often as I could with so much of the fender gone. Then I got the fenderwell up in and secured with the three front radiator support bolts and the two cab attachment bolts. Then with the fender attachment bolts I drilled into the sheet steel I added and sent the self starting GM body attachment bolts through the sheet metal and on the front one and the three top ones I was able to reach in and use a nut on the body bolts and get a wrench in to hold the nut still. Couldn't get nuts on the rearmost three but they grabbed the sheet steel pretty good. Then after getting the battery brackets in I plugged all remaining holes with lubed bolts with nuts on the inside. I chased the threads with tap and dye on all threaded fasteners I used to ease installation. Had to drill a few holes for the battery brackets but the dimples were already there. I even got the plastic piece installed that guards the cab mount and attaches to the bottom of the inner fenderwell. Should be good 'til the rest of the truck falls apart.
 

Chevybrit

New member
177
2
0
Location
Northern Pasquotank NC


Turbo almost completed today.

Also, figured out why so many Chevy cabs rust out in the corners.... The strip caulk used to seal the body seams shrinks and cracks, allowing moisture to collect in the cab corners. Second pic is me fixing this issue.
Never seen a write-up on this before, is there any interest in one?

Sent from atop the porcelain throne.
hey Glaser
is the turbo on a 6.2?
 

3jumpjeep

Member
157
1
16
Location
Linsdale, TN
That is a good looking truck.
What all mods have you done?
Doghead relay was done by previous owner. I installed a Turnover Ball Hitch in the bed. Added a large transmission cooler behind the radiator and replaced a few parts. Put six Goodyear DuraTracs on it. Other than that I just use it.
At this moment it has 60100 miles.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
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