Tinkering with Deerslayer

DEERSLAYER LINKS including vendor sites for parts and tools as well as sites for old truck and hot rod organizations

TINKERING WITH DEERSLAYER chronicles the day-by-day maintenance and improvements episodes for Deerslayer, a '37 Chevy farm truck hot rod.

CRUISIN' WITH DEERSLAYER Roadtrips, cruise-in's and truck show stories and tall tales.

TONY'S DUNGEON Tony Pascarella's forum entries at OldGMCtrucks.com regarding Deerslayer, particularly the 302 GMC engine build in his farmhouse basement.

DEERSLAYER MAINTENANCE Ever changing detailing, oil change, lube, etc. maintenance routines specifically developed for Deerslayer, including required tools, materials and procedures.

PROJECT NAILHEAD Chronicles the rebuild of a 1954 Buick Roadmaster 322 nailhead engine as a future replacement for Deerslayer's Jimmy 302.

22. Roadtrip Ready

February 20^th 2012  On friday afternoon, the UPS guy arrived with Deerslayer's new tires from Diamondback. The UPS guy was a new guy, not the sullen brownshirt who usually delivers to the Krash Lab. He backed his truck up to the Deerslayer and took interest in the Deerslayer, for a minute, before rushing off to his next stop. I unloaded the tires at the BillyBob Shop before I headed off to get into trouble at the Baja Cantina in Deerfield Beach.

Saturday was slow-paced and I didn't get much done. Sunday, after the breakfast cruise-in, Deerslayer got a needed oil and filter change. While I was underneath, cleaning the pan with simple green, I noticed that the lower radiator hose is in bad shape and looks about to rupture. Damnation, I hope it makes it until I get to it. I need to line up some tools, parts and materials to pull the nose and replace the water pump and hoses.

After the oil change, I scavenged some 3/8" bolts, washers and nuts and bolted my manual tire changer to an old table top so I could mount the new tires for Deerslayer. Before, when I used to wrestle with BillyBob's tires and tubes in the Krash Lab parking lot, the tire changer was not bolted down. My dancin' with the tire changer was quite a scene and it wore me out. It might be a little easier this time with the new arrangement.

February 27^th 2012  When I pulled my spare waterpump for Deerslayer out of the roadtrip supplies chest, I found the plate on the back to be secured with two recessed philips head screws. I needed to examine the gasket but had no suitable screwdrivers. I gave it a half-hearted shot with a stubby that was too small for the job but gave up the effort before I boogered the screw. Went online and ordered a Lisle 3/8" impact driver. Went a little overboard at that point and ordered two bits sets to go with it. Yesterday, I put the waterpump in the vise and got the screws loose with just the driver and a bit that came with it. Didn't even have to hit it with the hammer. Now, I can get the pump ready to paint.

February 28^th 2012  When I reported on the Buick nailhead, more than one guy told me to start lookin' for a flywheel since they were getting scarce. I found a '56 flywheel at Russ Martin's eBay store, "Centerville Auto Repair". I purchased it and phoned in my credit card number the next day. Russ answered the phone and told me he hadn't updated the listing and that flywheel was gone but he would give me a better flywheel for the same amount. Turned out good for me as the flywheel in the ad was just bead blasted. The one Russ sent me was already re-surfaced. It arrived via UPS yesterday.

I pulled the flexplate from the nailhead to compare dimensions to the new flywheel from Russ Martin. I turned the engine over with a two foot prybar between the ringgear teeth and housing to get the bolts to where I could get a six point impact socket and two foot breaker bar on them, one at a time. There were no problems turning the engine or getting the bolts loose. The new flywheel lined up with the flexplate. The six bolts are evenly spaced and you can install the flywheel wrongly but the flywheel and the crankshaft both have "registration" holes that you line up to get it on right.

March 5^th 2012  On saturday, I was all set to tackle the tire changing job. Put Deerslayer's front end up on jackstands and went after the worse for wear tire first. Got the old tire off and the new tire on the rim without wearing myself out too much and then, I ran into a wall. All my past experience with the tire changer has been with BillyBob's bias ply tires with inner tubes. I've never done a tubless tire and have no idea how to seat the beads.

It was about ten, so I put the spare tire on the Deerslayer and took the tires to a tire store nearby that is run by fellow car guy, Lou Miranda. His shop closes at one-thirty on saturday afternoons and he was full up so I told him I'd be back on monday morning.

On sunday, after meeting up with the breakfast bunch, I went to a car show at Diamondstrike Lanes in Pompano Beach. Wasn't in the mood for a show but I had already commited weeks before so there I was. We had a storm front rolling thru and it got windy and rainy and cold before the show was an hour old. The promoters called the show off and gave us free beer. They said we could have our entrance fees back but the show was for charity and only two entrants took them up on that offer. Most of us stuck it out into the afternoon and the sun eventually came out for a bit.

There was a friendly Brit by the name of Mike next to the Deerslayer with a '31 MG. He gave other entrants driving lessons all afternoon. I held him off as long as I could but finally gave in and took a turn behind the wheel. The footwell was tiny and the clutch, brake and gas pedals just little "buttons" too close together for my big feet. I was one of the worse drivers of this 36 hp monster because I just couldn't get the hang of shifting with my left hand in a reverse pattern to what I'm used to. We survived the ride around the block somehow without wreaking his car.

March 7^th 2012  Monday nite I gave the tire mounting caper one last try. It ended up in a failed attempt to seat the beads with a ratchet strap around the tire. I'm not going to try the pyrotech method. I'll load the tires up again in a day or two and go back to my car buddy's tire store. I soothed my bruised ego by putting together a wire shelving unit to hold the nailhead parts as I tear down the engine.

My friend, Julio, brought a nice '47 Chevy sedan delivery to the tuesday nite cruise-in in north Boca Raton. He had it at the sunday nite cruise-in at Wahoo's in Lighthouse point but it was too dark to get a pic then. I had to get a shot of it right away because he tends to flip cars pretty quickly and in a few weeks it will probably be gone again. It's running the typical SBC crate motor.

March 9^th 2012  Drove Deerslayer to OK Tire in Pompano Beach this morning to get there a few minutes before opening time at 7:30. My car buddy who owns the business had the lifts already reserved for other customers but said he would get me out as soon as he could. I said, no problem, I brought reading material with me. He directed me to the waiting room which was well stocked with back issues of "Rodders Journal" so I didn't need my reading material. His tire guys changed the tires out in the parking lot, without the use of a lift, and I was back on the road, heading for the Krash Lab, by 8:30. The tires look good and traction is much improved.

March 12^th 2012  Got up early saturday and started replacing the waterpump on Deerslayer. Disconnected the remaining turn signal light and removed the front bumper and brackets as an assembly. Removed the hood. Disconnected and labeled the wires from the terminal block in the nose. I wanted to drain the radiator but the petcock is too damn hard to reach with the radiator in place so I placed a drain pan to catch at least some of the coolant, then disconnected the radiator hoses.

Removed the front fender braces and disconnected the fenders from the nose. Hitched up the engine hoist to the nose with bungie cords and disconnected the hood braces and radiator support bolts. This was more difficult than last time I did this and I had to lie between the hoist legs to get at the bolts. A lot of cursin' getting into position and back up again. Lifted the nose with the hoist and wheeled it out of the way. Rested it on an old tire . . . more coolant on the floor. The landlord came by and asked for my help to move a couple of pieces of furniture from one of his vacant bays to another. When we were done, he gave me a good supply of fine sawdust to soak up the coolant spill. The front of the engine had about an eighth inch of sludge on it. I took off the fan and spent the next couple of hours with simple green cleaning it up some.

Took care in disconnecting the water line to the clifford intake manifold as I did not have a replacement and couldn't afford to bugger it up. As Deerslayer is my only running vehicle, I can't go running off to the parts store. Removed the old waterpump and dropped more coolant. Cleaned off the waterpump mating surface on the block with simple green first, followed up with scotchbrite pad and solvent. I used Permatex Tack & Seal on the gaskets and mounted the new waterpump. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and didn't get the waterpump painted. There is a bit of a clearance issue with the longest waterpump bolt and the pressed on waterpump pulley but I got thru it. Permatex was also put on the bolt threads. I found that I couldn't get the fan belt on over the alternator pulley, even with the alternator up against the block. Had to unbolt the waterpump again and slide it over to get the fan belt around all three pulleys, then slide it back and bolt it down again. Next, the water line to the manifold was connected, again using Permatex. While I was in the area, I replaced the plastic fuel filter with a new metal one.

The old pump had studs to mount the pulley and fan, and were secured by hex nuts. That wouldn't work with the new pulley so I lifted the 1/4" machine screws from BillyBob's waterpump. I know I have more of these machine screws somewhere but I didn't want to spend an hour lookin' fer 'em. Then I spent some time trying to get a new lower radiator hose on the radiator. The damn outlet is bigger than the stock radiator and it is a real trial trying to get the hose on. I heated the hose end in boiling water to make it more pliable but, in the end, I still had to put a quarter inch slit in the hose end to get it started. I also didn't get it on as far as last time and that caused a small crease in the hose once the nose was back in place on the truck as the hose is jammed up against the timing gear cover.

The nose was jockeyed back into position and bolted up with some more cusin' Hoses were all connected and I went about bolting the fenders back to the nose. The sun had set by this point and layin' on my back with a droplight while tryin' to get the connection holes to line up was not the fun part of this job. I did do better this time of getting the fender welting placed correctly. Lastly, the wiring was reconnected to the terminal block and I got it right this time, the first time. Manhandled the hood into place and filled the radiator with new coolant. Crossed my fingers and started the engine. Moved the truck outside so I wouldn't have to deal with exhaust in the shop. After a minute, and before the engine warmed up. I shut it off and checked the coolant level to see if more needed to be added. It didn't. Started the engine again and let it warm up to operating temp. It went to 180 and stayed there. Shut it down and moved Deerslayer back inside. It was after nine. I had been at it for fourteen hours. I slept the sleep of the dead.

It was "spring ahead" weekend and even tho' I lost an hour overnite to the time change, I managed to meet the breakfast bunch in Fort Lauderdale for coffee at seven. I took funnel and coolant with me but it wasn't needed. There were no leaks and the temp never got higher than 180. The cooling system will be good for the roadtrip to Billetproof in Ocala next weekend. I will be revisiting the lower radiator hose issue at some point as I'm not comfortable with it as it is. On sunday afternoon, the BillyBob Shop was cleaned up, then I took a nap before hitting the sunday nite cruise-in in Lighthouse Point.

March 15^th 2012  On monday nite, I put Deerslayer's rear end up on jackstands and pulled one of the rear brake drums. The lining on the rear shoe was paper thin in places. I tried moving the adjuster but it appeared to be frozen. Then, I got a two hour family phone call and that was it for the nite.

Tuesday nite was the north Boca Raton weekly cruise-in and I got back to the brakes last nite. I rummaged around in BillyBob spare parts boxes and found some new adjusters that looked like they might fit before I tore into the rear brakes again.

It turned out that I didn't need them. Once, I got the old shoes off, the adjusters turned easily. I scratched my head and got grease on it. When I bought '57 Belaire shoes as replacements, sometime back, I mustuv' got it right 'cause everything went back together without any trouble. I got everything shipshape by eight-thirty and took a test ride around the BillyBob Shop parking lot. No screeching or any other malfunction and I don't have to double-pump the pedal anymore to get stopped. The drums were hot to the touch when I got to the Krash Lab this morning so, I'll back off the adjusters a couple of notches when I get to the BillyBob shop tonite.

Well, that's a wrap. Tonite, I do some last minute maintenance checks, bolt the roadtrip trunk into the bed and detail the Deerslayer a bit with some spit-n-polish. Tomorrow, we head for the Billetproof Show and Big Daddy's. The next log entry will be about that run.

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Issued Thursday March 15, 2012

Updated Monday May 29, 2018

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