Kinda got carried away..... M1028 rebuild

[Sharecropper]

Spectacular build! Hope you're doing well!

Thank you. For an update - For the past couple years I have been on-again, off-again with work on my M1028 due to health issues. My health has now much improved and I was almost ready to install the new P400 / 700R4 / NP241 drivetrain, but then I kinda got the hots for a supercharger. It seems there are only 2 options for a 6.5 diesel, either the Rotrex which SWFB is currently installing or the Bullet from Australia. I have been back-and-forth with Bullet via email, and am quite comfortable with their design and performance projections, however I am purposefully delaying any decision until I see how SWFB's installation with the Rotrex turns out. There are pro's and con's to each system, so I will just need to wait and see. One big advantage for the Bullet supercharger is the built-in water-to-air intercooler which fits in the custom aluminum manifold directly under the blower. Because of this design feature, I am currently leaning towards the Bullet. Stay tuned.............

 

[1love]

Thank you. For an update - For the past couple years I have been on-again, off-again with work on my M1028 due to health issues. My health has now much improved and I was almost ready to install the new P400 / 700R4 / NP241 drivetrain, but then I kinda got the hots for a supercharger. It seems there are only 2 options for a 6.5 diesel, either the Rotrex which SWFB is currently installing or the Bullet from Australia. I have been back-and-forth with Bullet via email, and am quite comfortable with their design and performance projections, however I am purposefully delaying any decision until I see how SWFB's installation with the Rotrex turns out. There are pro's and con's to each system, so I will just need to wait and see. One big advantage for the Bullet supercharger is the built-in water-to-air intercooler which fits in the custom aluminum manifold directly under the blower. Because of this design feature, I am currently leaning towards the Bullet. Stay tuned.............

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Glad to hear you're doing better! BUT WOW WHAT A COMEBACK! Total 180! Haha from a nice stock motor to a supercharger! Very nice!! Can't to it running! Stay safe!

 

[Steve1008]

I bought my marker lenses from Napa they were good quality.

 

[Sharecropper]

I bought my marker lenses from Napa they were good quality.

Hey man - I believe you may have posted in the wrong thread. This is my rebuild thread. It has nothing to do with marker lenses.

 

[Steve1008]

You have very good taste beautiful job!!

 

[Sharecropper]

I haven't posted since January because I have been dealing with a few new health issues. I am now scheduled for major surgery on Wednesday June 9. I have a couple of vertebras in my neck which are pressing against my spinal cord. If not fixed, either of the vertebrae could sever the spinal cord in a fall or car wreck resulting in paralysis or death. So I am proceeding with surgery. My neurosurgeon is going to make a 4" incision on the back of my neck and cut out those vertebrae and insert some screws. I will be in the hospital for 3 days and will need to wear a neck brace for a few weeks. If anybody believes I am worthy, I will appreciate your prayers.

As you may imagine, I have postponed the purchase and installation of the Bullet Supercharger until after the surgery. However in the meantime, I decided to go ahead and pull the bed off and install the auxiliary tank. After I got the bed off and saw the rusty driver side tank, I decided to swap it out also. So I am going to install 2 new steel tanks from Spectre in Canada.

Adding the auxiliary tank on the passenger side meant that I would also need to add a fuel door on that side. CUCVRUS was good enough to send me a fuel door and frame from a M1009, cut from a blazer rear panel. The first order of business was to locate the exact position for the fuel door on the M1028 rear panel. After contemplating this for a while, I decided to take a piece of drafting paper and tape it on the drivers side rear panel, aligned along the top with the crease in the fender. I then used a razor knife and cut out the fender outline, and traced the location of the original fuel door onto the paper. I then removed the paper and cut out the hole for the fuel door, and then I moved the paper over to the passenger side and taped it onto the fender in the exact same position with the opposite side facing the fender. This would provide the location of the passenger side fuel door to be exactly like the original driver side door. I used a magic marker to identify the location of the hole on the passenger side and removed the paper. The next step was to remove the bed and transport it to Barry McFadden in Nicholasville KY for the body work of installing the M1009 fuel door. While he has the bed, he is also going to enlarge the fender openings by 3" to provide additional clearance for the 11.00/20 NDT tires and wheels that will be reinstalled after the P400 engine is installed. Here are a few photos -

 

[1love]

Hope all goes well with the surgery.

 

[chevymike]

Wishing you the very best on the surgery and a speedy recovery.

 

[antennaclimber]

It's a lot of work but it sure is handy having 40 gallons of fuel on long trips. We used a M1009 fuel door and associated metal as well.

The issue is when filling up both tanks, you need to turn the truck around at the pumps. Not always easy to do when they are busy.

 

[Sharecropper]

It's a lot of work but it sure is handy having 40 gallons of fuel on long trips. We used a M1009 fuel door and associated metal as well.

The issue is when filling up both tanks, you need to turn the truck around at the pumps. Not always easy to do when they are busy.

I see your tanks are black. Are they painted steel or plastic?

 

[antennaclimber]

I painted then flat black. They are steel.

 

[Glockfan]

Mike, I sure hope your surgery goes well. You have my number. If you need anything please let me know. You will be back up to full speed in no time. The invite to Utah still stands…

 

[Sharecropper]

I got the bed off and loaded onto my trailer. I was unsure how to transport the bed the 40 miles to Barry's metal fabrication shop, and also how he was going to be able to easily access the inner and outer sides of the work. The bed would not fit in-between the rails of my trailer, so I came up with the cockamamie idea of bolting two of my work-benches to the trailer floor, and then bolting the truck bed to the benches, secured by two ratchet-straps. Going down the road, I got some really crazy looks from people! However the truck bed made the trip without any problem, and when I arrived at Barry's, he laughed out loud at my cockamamie-ism. He then determined to do the work without removing the bed from the trailer. See photos below. In addition to installing the M1009 fuel door in the passenger side of my M1028 bed, he is also enlarging the wheel well openings by approximately 3 or 4 inches in order to provide additional off-road skew clearance for the 11.00/20 NDTs, which will be going back on as soon as the new drivetrain has been installed. Fun fun fun.

 

[Keith_J]

Since you have large diameter filler necks, you will have a 10 second pit stop at truck stops..they have two nozzles on each pump, one on each side. 10 seconds if you have an assistant riding shotgun. 20 gallons goes in real quick from real pumps.

 

[Keith_J]

Love the fender modification.. might do that on the front to run 35s without much lift needed. My 1031 doesn't need any work on the rear. I still have years of wear on the 255s and they have been great on everything.

 

[Sharecropper]

Love the fender modification.. might do that on the front to run 35s without much lift needed. My 1031 doesn't need any work on the rear. I still have years of wear on the 255s and they have been great on everything.

A couple years ago I had asked John at Hillbilly Wizard to let me know if he came across a pair of perfect original CUCV front fenders. Last fall he called me to say that he had just gotten in a parts truck with front fenders which looked new and if I wanted them they were $100 apiece. I almost dropped my phone and gave him my credit card number right then and there. The crating and freight cost more than the fenders but it didn’t matter to me. The crate arrived a few days later.
I wanted the perfect fenders because when I cut my fenders several years ago, I didn’t do a very good job. I’ve always wanted to re-do the front fender enlargement correctly. So when I took my truck bed to Barry McFadden, I also took those perfect fenders for him to enlarge correctly. He is working on them as I write this. I will pick them up when I pick up the bed next week.
My plan is to remove my front clip, radiator, and core support when I swap in my new P400/700R4/NP241 power train. After it has been installed and the clip is ready to go back on, the new McFabricated fenders will be the ones that will be installed.
When I lifted my truck, I used ORD shackle flip and Zero Rates in the rear, and 4” springs and Zero Rates in the front. I moved the rear axle rearward 1-1/2” in order to center the rear axle in the fender openings, and moved the front axle forward 1” to help with the rubbing issue. With my 11.00/20’s on, they cleared the rear of the front fender OK on the highway but rubbed slightly when off road. So I will be glad to get the new fenders opened up by Barry. He is relocating the contour rearward 2”. I will need to modify my inner fender accordingly on both sides.
Fun fun fun.

 

[unaffiliated]

It's a lot of work but it sure is handy having 40 gallons of fuel on long trips. We used a M1009 fuel door and associated metal as well.

The issue is when filling up both tanks, you need to turn the truck around at the pumps. Not always easy to do when they are busy.

When I was driving my 78 C10 with dual tanks, I would run one down to near empty, switch over to the other side and immediately stop and fill the empty one. That way they were never empty at the same time.

 

[richingalveston]

great work on the fenders. I did the fronts on my 1009 the same way but the back fenders are still stock, I would like to do the rear part of the opening on the back fender also but it cant move much without messing up the fender well so I am on the fence about it. Not sure I want to change the fender well, at this time I only rub slightly on the lip that is turned in. I have it bent back a little and have not cut any thing yet. Once I can get it out and flex it we will see what has to be done.

You will be in my prayers and I wish you the best on your surgery.

 

[dougco1]

I haven't posted since January because I have been dealing with a few new health issues. I am now scheduled for major surgery on Wednesday June 9. I have a couple of vertebras in my neck which are pressing against my spinal cord. If not fixed, either of the vertebrae could sever the spinal cord in a fall or car wreck resulting in paralysis or death. So I am proceeding with surgery. My neurosurgeon is going to make a 4" incision on the back of my neck and cut out those vertebrae and insert some screws. I will be in the hospital for 3 days and will need to wear a neck brace for a few weeks. If anybody believes I am worthy, I will appreciate your prayers.

As you may imagine, I have postponed the purchase and installation of the Bullet Supercharger until after the surgery. However in the meantime, I decided to go ahead and pull the bed off and install the auxiliary tank. After I got the bed off and saw the rusty driver side tank, I decided to swap it out also. So I am going to install 2 new steel tanks from Spectre in Canada.

Adding the auxiliary tank on the passenger side meant that I would also need to add a fuel door on that side. CUCVRUS was good enough to send me a fuel door and frame from a M1009, cut from a blazer rear panel. The first order of business was to locate the exact position for the fuel door on the M1028 rear panel. After contemplating this for a while, I decided to take a piece of drafting paper and tape it on the drivers side rear panel, aligned along the top with the crease in the fender. I then used a razor knife and cut out the fender outline, and traced the location of the original fuel door onto the paper. I then removed the paper and cut out the hole for the fuel door, and then I moved the paper over to the passenger side and taped it onto the fender in the exact same position with the opposite side facing the fender. This would provide the location of the passenger side fuel door to be exactly like the original driver side door. I used a magic marker to identify the location of the hole on the passenger side and removed the paper. The next step was to remove the bed and transport it to Barry McFadden in Nicholasville KY for the body work of installing the M1009 fuel door. While he has the bed, he is also going to enlarge the fender openings by 3" to provide additional clearance for the 11.00/20 NDT tires and wheels that will be reinstalled after the P400 engine is installed. Here are a few photos -

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There has been a void on this site without your presence Sharecropper.
I trust all went well with your surgery and your recovery is is going well.
Please chime in with some updates if you can.

 

[mikev]

There has been a void on this site without your presence Sharecropper.
I trust all went well with your surgery and your recovery is is going well.
Please chime in with some updates if you can.

Wish you the best on your surgery and a full recovery!