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Black beans/Packmula

158K views 886 replies 58 participants last post by  hessmess 
#1 ·
The tale can now be told. I have a new old Zoo in my drive to keep Red Beans company. Saturday Hack was gracious enough to help me retrieve my new jewel.
Squatch and Hacks excellent adventure. Mario was in my drive at 6:30 Saturday morning. We quickly loaded some tools and headed to the local rental place to rent a car dolly. From there we were off to central Va. 2 weeks earlier I had put a deposit on a Spacecab pick up. Now we were going to bring it home. The truck had cut off on the previous owner so we took the dolly just in case. Of course the truck drove home like a charm. No dolly needed. We got back just in time to turn in the dolly before the place closed. Thanks for all the help Mario!

So here she is:
'88 Black Spacecab
4x4
2.6 4 cyl
5 speed
4:30 gears
235x15 tires
Tilt wheel
Sunroof
Manual windows and locks
We also picked up a cap while we were there. It came of a different pick up but fits well enough for now. and it already has roof racks for the canoes.















Interior needs a good cleaning. Windshield leaks.


The frame is in great shape for an '88.








Mileage is pretty much an unknown. The speedo cluster was changed out before the previous owner bought the truck. They were told well under 100k by original owner. They have put 60k miles on the truck since '94 when they bought it. So we estimate 150k miles. The people I bought the truck from are just great. I really enjoyed spending time with them. Thank you Anne and Steve!

I have some more pics and there will be more to come. But probably not for a couple of weeks. There are a couple of projects ahead of this one. My plans are to make this my daily driver. just go through it and super tune, check brakes, change fluids, clean it up and drive it for now.
 
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#852 ·
Okay, now I feel a whole lot better about the project. Realistically, if I had a "tow rig", my preference would be towards the Trooper too. For me, the Spacecab has to pull double duty. Dennis
 
#855 ·
Actually, there is a Camaro awaiting restoration that Mama Squatch has been promised for at least a decade.
 
#857 ·
You guys are funny. I didn't realize you had posted. But alas. Without the pics Photobucket has been holding hostage this thread is useless. The pics have now been deleted from Photobucket and I'm declaring this thread dead.
 
#858 ·
squatch said:
You guys are funny. I didn't realize you had posted. But alas. Without the pics Photobucket has been holding hostage this thread is useless. The pics have now been deleted from Photobucket and I'm declaring this thread dead.
I got bit with that too... they only let me download one of my 10 albums... so I will have to keep trying and I will have to bring up my own server again to host them.. argh.
 
#859 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well I have been agonizing for a while on what to do with this truck. It seems that may have ended. Looks like I have an interested buyer. I need an engine for Red Beans and this truck has a brand new one. The buyer wants the truck without an engine so He can convert it to a late model 3.1 diesel. He's looking for a basically stock truck. So I'm in the process of returning it to stock. Got the 4:77 gears out of the Rear axle a couple of nights ago. I'll have to wait a couple of days for it to warm up a little so I can put the 4:30's back in. Then I'll replace the rear springs.

For now I'm keeping most of my rare aftermarket parts. Most can be used on Troopers. I hope to have this truck converted back and down the road by the end of January if possible.

A few pics I took a few days ago of the current status.
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#860 · (Edited by Moderator)
A few more.

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I'll try to post up a few pics as I do the work to return it to stock and pull the motor.
 

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#863 ·
Ruination said:
Sounds like it's going to a nice home. I like those map lights.. I will have to add that to my wish list.
Can be found in a Rodeo LS as well. I put LED conversion bulbs in mine (somewhere in my thread way back) and LOVE it. Dennis
 
#864 · (Edited by Moderator)
The 4.77 gears and LSD have been removed and replaced with the stock 4.30 gears in the rear axle.
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The OME 029 spring pack I rebuilt have also been removed and replaced with the stock rear spring from the truck. I had to cut out the front bushing and then replaced all the bushings with new black poly bushings.
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All bolts were Loc-tited and torqued to factory specs.

Obviously it's been too cold to paint parts. Not really my intention anyway. I'm no longer doing the resto work for myself. Just putting it back together right for the next owner. It is weird to install unpainted parts for me. it's been a long while since I've done that! :lol:
I do clean them up though before reinstalling them. The springs have a coating of dripped paint and chassis inside sealer on them from that job. :lol:

Last week it was just too cold to work in the garage. Much better this week but had some other irons scheduled in the fire. So busting to get work done any chance I can.
 

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#865 · (Edited by Moderator)
Got some more done yesterday. I bought new rotors for the rear to replace the Powerstop rotors I'm keeping. These came from the local Car Quest and I'm impressed. Price was decent and the surprise was "Made in USA". The machining is nice on them.
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Brakes reassembled. These are new calipers and hardware with Powerstop Evolution pads. Matches the front Powerstop pads and rotors. Parking brake cables are also hooked up at the calipers. The other ends of the cables will wait till the gas tank is back in.
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Skyjacker nitro shocks are back on. The whole rear end is now pretty much complete except for a few small brackets and pads for the bed.
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I even installed the new factory spare tire winch.
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Next step is to get the gas tank assembled and back in the truck. May take a few days. The bottom is dropping out of the temps again tonight.
 

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#866 · (Edited by Moderator)
Getting ready to put the fuel tank back in. The buyer is going to be converting this truck to diesel so the in tank fuel pump will not be needed. Just a fuel pickup line at the bottom of the tank. So I converted the fuel pump assembly.

Old assembly with fuel pump.
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I removed the fuel pump from the assembly. Tucked up the wires in case they might get used in the future.
I then cut the bump off the end of the steel fuel line that held the short rubber hose section to the pump.
Next I used some Cunifer fuel line and a 5/16 compression union to extend this to the same length as the old pick up on the pump. I cut the fuel strainer off the old pump. Added another compression fitting to the end of the pickup line for some extra diameter. Than re-attached the strainer to that with a hose clomp. There is a plasic cage inside the strainer to keep it from collapsing. That was retained.
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#867 · (Edited by Moderator)
While I hadn't planned on getting into all this the truck needs to be reassembled before it is sold. No sense the buyer having to take the tank back out to do the mods.
So the fuel filler needed to be opened up as well. The nozzle on diesel pumps is much bigger than for unleaded. So I used a 1 3/8" hole saw to open the reducer up.

Stock for unleaded fuel.
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After wire wheeling to clean it up and cutting the larger hole with a hole saw. The outside will get a coat of POR15 to keep it from rusting anymore.
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Next is to install these parts back in the tank along with new gaskets, anew OEM sending unit. new rollover valves, and a new OEM fuel filler hose. Then the tank can be installed in the truck.
 

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#868 · (Edited by Moderator)
Somewhere along the line the previous owner high centered this truck on the fuel tank skid plate. it had a pretty good curvature to it and I didn't want to reinstall it that way. So I figured out a way to roll out the dent. I simply applied more weight than it took to bend it the 1st time. I ran over it with the front wheel of my Tundra. Back and forth in different places until the dent was rolled out. :D
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There were a few bits I just couldn't put back on the frame without doing some kind of rust prevention on. Brake cable clips, exhaust hanger, Parking brake mech, fuel filler, exterior of the fuel pump bracket. so on a warm day they all got a coat of POR 15.
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#869 · (Edited by Moderator)
I installed the modded fuel pickup back in the tank. Along with new late model style rollover valves, new fuel level sender and new fuel lines. The out side portion of the fuel pickup assembly got some POR15 and the tank was reinstalled using the special bolts I had made up. Basically bolt with a piece of welding rod tacked across the top to keep them from spinning when tightened. The tank was designed to be installed before the body and they are near impossible to get to. They new bolts worked like a charm. Everything was installed with new OEM gaskets and grommets.
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The skid plate has been reattached.

Front torsion bars reinstalled and tensioned.

Exhaust re hung from the frame.

Parking brakes hooked up and adjusted.

Driveshaft reinstalled.

New fuel filler hose installed.
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At this point the underside is pretty much finished and waiting for me to put the bed, tailgate, rear bumper back on. With luck that will happen tomorrow.

Then out comes the engine. I'm really hoping to have this truck ready for the new buyer by the end of the coming week.
 

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#870 ·
Nice work, looks like new, so you are selling truck to new owner? :(
 
#871 ·
Yep that's the plan. It probably would have been less work to just finish it for myself. I wouldn't have had to de-build the mods and remove the engine. But the engine is new and my trooper needs it. The new owner has a 3.1 Turbo Diesel he plans to install. I needed to thin the herd and concentrate on Red Beans. He needed a Spacecab without and engine. He is just a few hours from here and has a car trailer. Just seemed like it was meant to happen. I built Red Beans from a replacement frame up in less time than this truck has sat in the garage this last time. So it was time to do something different. I have a new(er) Pickup now for the camper and it works well. Kinda took this off the needed list!
 
#872 · (Edited by Moderator)
Closer everyday.

Fuel filler on.
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Fuel lines and wiring spruced up.
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Bed on and bolted down.
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This is how It was installed with engine hoist. Not really very heavy.
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#873 · (Edited by Moderator)
Tailgate reinstalled.
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Tailgate reinstalled.
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Poor truck needs a bath. It's been sitting for almost 2 years.

Tomorrow the rear bumper goes on and then I start the work of removing the engine.
 

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#874 · (Edited by Moderator)
It's been a busy week so far. A few more finishing touches done.
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Plus lots of little stuff that doesn't show and I didn't take pics of.
 

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#875 · (Edited by Moderator)
But most importantly. The engine has been pulled!
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Ready for yet another engine swap. This time a 3.1 intercooled tubo diesel.
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#876 · (Edited by Moderator)
The "Turquoise Torqkilla" now resides once again on my engine stand. Where it will stay for a while till I get a chance to install it in Red Beans.

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The long chapter of me with this truck is about to draw to a close. I never did finish the awesome trail build for the camper. But I did manage set up a very nice platform for the next owner to finish in the fashion he likes. I think it will turn out nice. He is supposed to pick up the truck this weekend. Then my garage will get a long overdue clean up. Then i'll bring in the Tundra for the 60k service and maybe get started on the new rear springs and shock upgrade for carrying for the camper.
 

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