Cleaned Up a Bit

March 30, 2009

   I decided to get back at the beast and finish up some of the loose ends I'd been tackling for a while. For starters, I finished patching up the exhaust, and got the ebrake work all sorted out. i was finished the frame, so I put the Gas tank back in and hooked everything up.

   I seem to recall the day i dropped the gas tank out, in late 2008. I had to cut it free more or less from it's moorings, because like most of this vehilce, they had rusted fast. I had to break off one of the strap brackets and weld it back together later, and after all the supports were out, and the lines disconnected, i jiggled it free from it's stead. it was about a 1/3 full (roughly 25L), and i was sitting/laying beneath it when it dropped out, in such an awkward way that it pinned me for a bit. long story short, it was an absolute bear to remove, and to re-install.

   After it burbled to life, i took it for a quick spin around the block and parked it back in the driveway (always nose down, otherwise the fuel drains back into the tank and it wont start).

 

   With it in the driveway, I figured it was a good time to drop the Class 3 hitch reciever off, in order to gain some much needed departure angle height. I already designed a bumper for the front, so i might as well do one for the rear, with an integrated hitch (should save a bit of weight by combining the purposes). Most of the bolts put up a huge fight, and i recall breaking a couple. no matter, it might not have passed safety if i left it on. not having the hitch definitely gives the truck a better look, with a slightly more aggressive departure.

 

  

I also popped in my repaired taillights. the chromed plastic housing had broken on one, so i repaired that, plus a broken mounting stud.