I think I’m going to go for a 9" diameter grate. 3/8" spacing between the angle iron sound about right?
I got some 3/4" angle iron, 1/8" thick.
Going to aim to gap the grate 1" away from the reduction tube.
I feel like 9" is enough, that’ll give me 1.5" overlap from the 6" reduction.
Edit: nevermind I found more bar stock and made a 12" hoop.
Oops, ran out of angle iron. The core area will still be protected by the ash filling angle iron but I’ll have to finish with rebar.
Every day I look at this truck and I’m mad I haven’t fixed it back up.
I want to redo the front end since the radiator support is ruined. Headlights are hanging on by a thread, too.
I’ve been trying to find guides on making a 1920s style hood, I think I could make one conform to the original cowl.
I’d basically be removing stuff in front of the firewall, keeping the cab itself. I also can’t get the driver’s door window to go up correctly no matter how much I adjust, I’m thinking of taking the glass out and putting arm rest caps over the top of the doors.
The windshield I bought for the truck also won’t fit because the frame for it is too mangled up. I’ll need to find someone that will buy it off of me. I’m thinking of going to my original plan for that as well, chop off the windshield frame and make an angle iron frame with plexiglass. My wipers will still work for that.
I’d just drop a new Mazda cab on the frame but nobody is selling a parts truck in my year range for cheap. I’m not as lucky as John Stout either with his Mighty Max.
I want a 4 piece hood, piano hinge in the top. Might as well make it easy to work on.
SOUNDS interesting Cody-you might find a flat glass winshield out of older jeep or truck- though i caint think what model- it seem like i seen a vehicle with windshield. you could all ways weld in a windshield frame off a salvage truck at the yard.is it bent down by the hood or up by the roof.
The whole topside is ruined since it landed tires up.
My hood doesn’t stay latched down all the way, and I’m afraid it’ll open up going down the road.
My radiator support has been warped since the first accident, before I had it running on charcoal. Fender bender in the front passengers side, resulted in totalling this truck.
I had replaced everything except the radiator support because it’s welded into place.
I don’t know if you’ve scrolled up to look but I chopped the roof off because it was also crushed. I added a roll bar last year.
Cody keep an eye on market place as much as I don’t care for Facebook I just did a quick search with your zip code and found a few trucks less then 1000$ and several being parted out for pretty cheap. Could get all the parts to put your truck back together
I wonder if a WK burn tube setup with all the heat recovery would hold up running on just charco with charco above the top nozels. I am going to look for your truck roll bars now. Like marcus said i agree some times you can find a deal on parts truck- while getting many extra parts; I should have used my dakota for a parts truck and got a better body with junk motor. I am getting way too many hours in my build with having to build hole new rear frame- going too mount some air shocks on it soon- hopefully the rear axel will be strong enough.I thought i got a good deal on my dakota for 450.00 $ untill i seen how thin the rear frame section was rusting out- and that was before coved jacked up inflation.
I got a set from Amazon it actually was a whole cage kit but only the roll bar fit correctly.
I found out it’s made for a Jeep Grand Cherokee when I was getting it but the dimensions were good. I might eventually complete the roll cage just to give me something to skin a roof on it.
Whatever you do check the dimensions.
OK i see the roll cage now page 1045–i got a toyota motor home i am going too chop behind the cab because i dont want too juck the camper part-- gess i am right back building another rear frame section - probbly just a short frame just enough for wood gasifier and few bags of wood.At leiste the motor home frame and cab hardly any rust-22re.motor- must be a HD auto transmission being in motor home hopefully.secritary of state said just take pictures what i changed back to flat bed pick up- so title still good. OR will be changed to flat bed truck after i finish the job. MICHIGAN.
You should be able to go to any glass buisness and get flat safty glass cut to any shape u want.
Thats how all our machines at work are done. Cabs are typicly square tube frame skined in about 10 gauge sheet steel. Glass is held in place with rubber H seal.
I would think plexiglass would scratch if a windshield wipper was swiping back and fourth on it… i suppose there is different grades of plastic though, some being hard enough to not scratch… i dont know though.
Safety glass would definitely be the better choice, and making a whole cab would be pretty neat I’m just nervous about fabricating the firewall since that’s where my pedals are mounted, and brake booster, clutch master cylinder etc. I really should just buckle down and try to repair the radiator support until I can find a better cab to drop in place.
Lexan polycarbonate is what I used in my Suzuki samurais for a windshield and side windows, used to be expensive but has come down in price in recent years
Well guys I finally found a Mazda body for the truck.
Engine is toast but the guy says it has an almost new 5 speed manual in it. Even if it’s bad, my 5 speed is in decent shape.
It’s a 1988 Mazda B2200 so the engine will just drop right in no problem.
Maybe if I ever find a Ford 302 or something bigger to drop in it I’ll bother with a swap.
400 bucks for a rolling chassis with almost no dents and just a little faded paint. Good glass too. Also got two spare doors, bench seat with good upholstery, a hood, and a spare backglass.
Already got those spare parts, a flatbed will come get the truck to my house tomorrow.
That sound like one heck of a deal- when i bought my dodge dakota for 450.00 $ i should have parted it out do to all the rust it had on the rear frame- now i a fixing holes in the two front flore pans-rusted 1-1/2" by 12 " ware fire wall hits the flore pans- other than that -after i weld in 2 peice of fuel oil drum steel- cab looks good for years yet. Tore out all the old rugs so i get a good clean fresh cab when done-- TIME TIME TIME-- I got a old 1985 toyota pickup after i turn it from motor home to pickup truck- i would like too get done and then converted to wood gas truck- they been running 4cyl wood gas cars for years the other side of the pond.Just to see how tar free i can get a unit working with leiste emount of wood driveing at moderate speeds.
I’m planning to do a basic rebuild of the engine since I’m swapping it into the new body. Guy says the 5 speed in the other truck is practically new.
I’m most likely going to have to put my whole dashboard in, the truck had been parted out a little bit. No big deal.
He says the Air Conditioning works, if I can just have the blower motor working I’ll be happy. Any air is better than no air.
I’m wondering what other engines will bolt right up to this 5 speed? I know the FE3 from a Kia Sportage will, I think the B2600 engine also bolts right in. Technically the 80s model Mazdas aren’t just like a Ford Ranger, though they do share some parts. After the early 90s they’re basically a 1:1 of each other. That does make me wonder if a Ford V6 will directly bolt in.
I’m just so excited to finally have my little truck again.
Pictures would be great! It’s fun to see the transformation. Before/during/after:+1:
Lots of work ahead of me.
But it seems the clutch is in good shape and the brakes as well. First order of business is pull the old engine out. I might try to get a chain hoist that I can attach to my tractor’s 3 point crane. The crane is just a glorified metal pole that I can hook a chain to, but I need better and smoother lifting. Most of this work will be done outdoors.
To anyone with rebuilding experience, most kits don’t come with new connecting rods, should I try to buy new ones or just be fine with new bearings and pistons?
Also, assuming this engine has had even wear, do you think a quick pass with a hone and cross hatcher will require buying oversized piston rings?
when you tear down the motor if it has been machined before you should see a stamp in the top of the piston either .10, .20, .30 representing the over bore. no marks is a good indication of a stock size bore. the bearings will be stamped the same or std for standard size. i have hogged out some bores before and never removed enough to need to oversize. take a used piston ring and shove it down inside the bore, use a piston with no rings upside down and push the ring in the piston will square the ring to the bore then you can measure the ring gap with a feeler gauge. move the ring from the top of the bore just below the ring ridge in short increments down the bottom and keep measuring the ring gap this will give you a good indicator of bore wear and or taper. keep in mind those mazda motors were set up fairly loose from the factory and are known to burn a little oil its pretty normal for them. it doesnt take much with a hone to give a good cross hatch for the rings to seat into, just breaking away the glaze is adequate. highly recommend watching uncle tonys home engine building and first engine rebuild series they are a gold mine of information a first time guy like yourself. from break down and inspections of parts assessing bore size and finish selecting bearings and rings to ordering parts online he breaks it all down very very well. i have rebuilt maybe 30 engines over the years from the ground up and i learned several tricks watching those videos
still have 3 engines in the shop that currently need rebuilds… a v10, a v8 and a 3 cylinder geo
Well here’s the donor.
I’m beginning to think I should use my B2000 wiring as well. I also am planning to use my original dash because it’s in better shape.
Steering column is lacking an ignition cylinder and someone tried using a forklift switch but then tore it back off. Odd.
There’s odd wires with yoke type adapters and that sketches me out. All kind of mess. Looks like a drug addict owned this truck.
Well the only addiction this new owner will have is Woodgas.
I also hate the Minitruckin thing with taking off the rear bumper to give a “clean look”. Screw a clean look I like being able to tow crap around!
I have rebuilt several chevy 350 motors with no problems- if you think the oli preasure was low - i would have the crank shaft checked for out of round or heavy wear= or you can use plasti gauge to check clearances if it had oil psi low - other wise i just put rings and bearing in and added a new timing chain and oil pump with the ring and bearing kit. Yes at leiste a good deglazing.run hone up and down the cyclinder too make a cross hatch . I dont think honeing takes much off - just enough to get the new rings to seat in. you can tell some what by how much ridge at top of cyclinder- how bad it may be worn- I have never had to replace any con rods- though i would like too through some 10.5 too 1 pistons in my toyota 4 cylinder- to give it more power to run on wood gas.ANY higher compreason pistons and then you must run premium fuel or maybe airplane fuel-highest octane fuels if running over 10.5 too 1 compression.
