My Pete rebuild

[Nostalgic]

I wish it wasn't so easy to lose my focus... I have a million things to get done, but end up hopping from one to another and never seem to accomplish anything.

Vent on one tank was plugged up and pressurized the tank that was drawing down - easy fix there at least. I pulled the fuel level sender to find it has quite a few dead spots on it, so will pick up some new senders at some point today. Fought one strap loose, and was pleasantly surprised to see next to no corrosion. Some kind of sticky (adhesive?) on the webbing seems to have kept the crud out.



I think my time could be better wasted in other areas than dropping the other 3 straps at this point.

With exceptions of the breakouts under the fifth wheel, most of my wire and airlines is split loomed and secure.



Which means I'll probably have to cut all of the zip ties again when I run a line for trailer axle dump and lift ISO socket lol. Headache rack is ordered so that I can figure out how I need to route the air lines, but until then, they'll have to hang out on the back of the sleeper. Not cutting anything anymore until I'm 100% sure it won't end up being an inch too short...

[Nostalgic]

$380 for a set of $40 fuel level senders? WTH are they smoking? Cleaned the contacts and swiper and called them good enough. I like the enclosed tube style senders, but that would mean dropping the tanks to install or replace.

[snailexpress]

(10-19-2018 )Nostalgic Wrote:  $380 for a set of $40 fuel level senders? WTH are they smoking? Cleaned the contacts and swiper and called them good enough. I like the enclosed tube style senders, but that would mean dropping the tanks to install or replace.

You can rotate tank to install sender.
Choose the length you need https://www.jmesales.com/rochester-gauge...BgQAvD_BwE

[snailexpress]

With exceptions of the breakouts under the fifth wheel, most of my wire and airlines is split loomed and secure.
*****************************************************************8***
Yes you have to cut zip ties and rotate split loom so the split opening is facing down or to the frame.
Otherwise water from the wet road will get inside the loom and stay there looooooooong time. Wires don't like water.

[Nostalgic]

(10-19-2018 )snailexpress Wrote:  With exceptions of the breakouts under the fifth wheel, most of my wire and airlines is split loomed and secure.
*****************************************************************8***
Yes you have to cut zip ties and rotate split loom so the split opening is facing down or to the frame.
Otherwise water from the wet road will get inside the loom and stay there looooooooong time. Wires don't like water.

Won't have to cut them for that - it still spins. There's about a 4-5 foot section where it's turned out for all of the air lines coming out... Everything is split loomed inside of the big one, it's mainly for looks and an extra layer of chafe protection. Not sure if I should turn it down and slit up for every breakout or...? Would have been nice it was available perforated.

[schISM]

(10-16-2018 )Nostalgic Wrote:  Tell me it gets easier? Someone that's well experienced in it, please tell me you felt like an idiot at first lol.

It does start to come together but it literally took two years of studying with every free moment before that happened. There’s not too much help out there to be had but there’s lots of information around the forum here that can help for sure. And yes I felt like an idiot the first time the program opened and I couldn’t get it to do a thing.

[Nostalgic]

I'll use the shorter days as an excuse that I needed to be able to see backing this out to get the rear plate and some mudflaps on.


Taking a step back to finish up the last of my frame cleaning. Really missing the warm weather and sunlight to dry things quickly.



One positive thing - The truck came with an electric bunk A/C, and a Airtronic Espar heater. I originally planned on scrapping the a/c unit, since I read that they only run for 4-6 hours, but just for the heck of it, I hooked things up to a battery and everything seems to work. (only 62 in the shop, so not sure how well the a/c cools, and haven't opened it up to see how it works) For the cost of 4 new deep cycles and a new automatic switch, I think it's worth it to save some idling? Only bad thing is not getting to reclaim the storage space (damn thing takes up my dirty laundry basket spot under the bunk). Espar worked like a champ, with just a puff of smoke on startup, but I ordered a new atomizer and filter anyway.

[Hammerhead]

Diesel fired electric heaters always smoke on start-up.
The igniter is not a "spark plug", but more of a "glow plug" and fuel gets sprayed onto/over it to light, so start up is more of a smolder than an ignition. Just the way it works, save the parts for when it actually won't light...

edited to add:
Oh yeah, and old Canadian heater tune-up trick...at least before every winter season, and preferably every couple of months, remove the fuel line from the tank and install a spare line so the pump can draw from a separate source, and run it on high for a good 1/2hr to hour on straight kerosene. It's the wax in diesel that gums them up, kero cleans them out really good. You can solve a lot of problems just by doing this.

[Nostalgic]

Finally got around to picking up a new v-flange and installed my muffler and pipe. Just need to fab up a hanger for the tip section.






Making sure things line up before I weld the hood latch section of the fender back together, but it's slowly starting to come together and look like a truck again.