Vladislav

Prepaired to install the rocker panels. There was an issue I couldn't attach the upper edge of rockers to the sills with screws because of no place to hide the heads/nuts. So had to weld them there. Cheered up myself by being able to apply primer to the inside of the seam. Also that area would be along the top of the rocker inside and water collects along the bottom so seemed Ok. Ground paint off over the holes drilled for welds to not be burned up.

A layer of sprayed sealer was applied onto the floor underside. After that we could install the sub-structure. Put sealer, installed the channels and attached them with bolts and nuts as was designed.

Installed the roof reinforcement strips. When I bend them I could achive some spring action of those since they were thick enough. So when in place they put tension to the roof sheet keeping it from flipping. Set them on body sealer for the same reason and for additional strength increase for a case if anyone would try dancing on the roof again until the time I see it and kill them. When the roof got supported the body guy could start applying filler on it to bring it back into the correct shape.

After the paint set hard enough we prepped areas to install a patch to close up the floor rear channel. The patch was also painted but on the side facing the channel inside only. It had happened when a lot of parts was painted it was not enough paint mixed so my buddy saved a bit of paint. The outer side would be painted later anyway so no issue. I just explains this point because the pictures show the patch covered with primer only. But in fact everything was under control I took my helper guy for two more hands in action. Being 3 in number we applied zig-zags of sealer from a tube, glued up the patch and attached it with half a hundred of 10-32" machine screws and nuts. Than smoothened up the excess of the sealer forced out of the seam by brush and added some onto the screw heads and other spots. Turned out as 30 minutes of hectic work with extensive solvent hand wash afterwards.

I might be calling the continue as a Part #3 since it was done in a paint shop and mostly by a buddy of mine who enjoys figuring of how some primer or clear coat is better or better to work with and also a big fan of sanding, spraying, polishing etc. After primering the cab all over with self-etch stuff he applied two layers of another primer-filler off the same line of materials as prescribed by the producent. Than sprayed black acrylic paint onto the bottom covering also the areas which were supposed to be closed such as rocker insides and the rear floor channel. The reason of painting was more efficient water protection since primer is not supposed to resist water. It sure can to some grade and it might be enough by practical reasons but I preferred to double secure the matter since the worth of that additional effort was tiny relating to the whole value of the entertainment.

Alastair, Building a truck from "the ground up" is actually what I try to do. It attracts by an idea to have every thing fixed and freshened up (and also played with) but bothers me with the amount of time spent. You know that very well with modelbuilding. Almost the same matter but different amount of resources involved. Yes, you're right, I spotted many interesting areas you can't usually see on a truck during my work. Was even thinking of taking all basic measurements off the cab floor, firewall etc to make scetches for building a scaled cab. But couldn't afford additional activity. Actually I sure made more pics than I post on here so if you have any interest feel free to ask via PM.

Paul, I've got plenty of pics during the work. Actually tried to photo every step before and after the action. Also I have another truck complete and a couple of complete cabs to look for reference and steal a part or two when in trouble.

Nice show of $60 million flying away Sure just kidding. Progress is worthless to our life. As for the bracket some L-models (not LT) had that part of the similar shape but made of steel (or cast iron?) So if no principal preference for an alu part that's a quite cheap way to go.

Sometimes me either

These technical forums are not as active on posting as the general discussions or odds and ends but contein interesting subjects from time to time. So worth checking out once in a week or two. Thank you for the comment.

Regarding the materials applied it seems better definitely. But taking that I blasted the most of zink off the steel it's worse. So I try to keep a balance

24.5 ride softer And they are more American Nice look anyway and chosen right in style . Did you redrill the stud holes for the old style nuts or swapped the hubs?

When the sealer set up well, the paint guy ready and weather sunny with a bit of freeze I gave the cab one more overall blast and towed the trailer to a paint shop. There a crew of 3 men consisting of me, my helper and my paint buddy spent about two hours removing sand out of all channels working with two vacuum cleaners and air gun. Finally 2 of us went home and when I came back on the next day the cab was covered with a solid layer of self-etching primer. Ufff....

One more part of the story. Had to hang up the cab in horizontal position to temporary remove the sleeper entrance inserts for blast and paint and kept it hanging for a few days that way since the rear wall was not reinforsed without. When the inserts got paint (they turned out green because they came to the paint shop together with some chassis parts) I cleaned and etch-primed the areas they would be installed. Than applied polyurethane body sealer, put the inserts in place and attached them with pulling rivets installed into the holes drilled earlier. Had to be quick with riveting and wiping the excess of the sealer off because it was becoming set up really fast. The rivets I bought were made of steel not aluminium to be friendly with cab sheet metal. So not easy to work with especially when in rush.

One nice looking B! Ran out of likes, sorry.

As said above !!!

More looks like a firetruck to me than a 4x4. Nice look anyway and a clean job.

Prepaired a lot of parts to blast and paint before the time to put them on the cab. The spline flanges were for my military Mack transmission, just happened to paint them in the same lot.

Discovered new to me rust areas. There's a kind of a stake or a channel along the front of the door openings where you fit door hinges to. R-model cab has them welded of multiple stamped elements put one overlapping another. Rust grew up in between of some of them in the lower areas, as usual. After critycal observation we resolwed to drill off welds and remove at least outer sheets. Very difficult to drill because of bad access. In the end my guy removed a pair of pieces of steel which were a kind of a skirt. We cut new parts of the same shape, drilled holes to corellate the drillings where the weld spots were and arranged nuts welded at the holes on the new parts. So the door opening stakes were going to be reinforsed back again.

A bit more to post. Welded old holes in the LH cowl panel where some poor aftermarket AM/FM antenna was attached and drilled new holes for a stock antenna I purchased from Watts.

G'day Harry, I sure remember your detailed explanations on LS products and your impressions of the results achieved and kept the info on my mind for a while. But finally, or at least for this task I had to decline that option. Main reason is I have no possibility to import liquid stuff. Or better to say I can't order it shipped since avia suppliers don't bring liquids to here. Sure many local body repair material dealers import chemistry by trucks or sea conteiners but they work with big quantities. And nobody seemed here to deal with LS so far. I could also import liquid stuff in a car if travel from Europe but I didn't do much travels of that kind recently. Also it's important to be able to order additional amount of material you apply on a project in a case of such need. So that would be an additional trouble. Another reason I prefere to use materials I have practice and experience with. So for that cab I made a different choice. We used thick layer of liquid poliurethane sealer which was sprayed on the cowl and the floor on the both sides. Perfect for water access preventing and also very good for sound deadening. I have not much of idea on the temp protection properties but it's not really hot in Russia and I don't plan to drive the truck in a winter too.

If you find no use for the wheel I'm the 1st in the line to look what it is. Of engine components you could find use of many parts. Basically the most inline Mack diesel engines utilazed the same design so there are possibilities to swap cylinder heads, crank shafts, oil pumps, pans, flywheels, starters etc including a chance to put complete engine with some mods. Sure plenty of minor differences were made to parts during the years but handy to have a spare Mack engine of a close design anyway.

Put inserts and than new rockers back in place for the test fit. Drove all bolts and screws in the holes and used nuts where I had access to tight them up. Than took my breath away...

Ok, ordered the inserts laser cut and bent together with other fabricated parts. Bent the corners myself to the final fit (originally ordered them with 90 degree bend for simple draw). Put new rockers in place, attached with vise grips and drilled holes everywhere i needed them to. After that removed the inserts and welded 5/16 hex nut at every hole on the inner side.

Got to the rockers. After some tinkering and a few nights of figuring I resolved to cut off a section off the rear end of the new part and connect it with that section of the old one via steel insert. Draw a kind of a U-channel with another U cutout to correlate with a big hole the original part had. Actually that hole is hidden inside when everything is assembled together but I wanted to minimize differences in the original look or style of the parts. Also there's a smaller hole in the outer sector-shaped "cover" which had a plastic plug and used to spray wax inside. And when you spray you get deeper through that big hole so there was also a reason to keep it.