A few updates on HoonTruck…

Hoon Truck
So it’s been a bit since I’ve updated you on the progress on HoonTruck. I figured it was time for a brief overview of what’s been done so far.

Hoon Truck_2
I’ve finally got a new radiator in there, and it’s made an immediate difference in the trucks ability to keep cool. I can cruise around and the temp gauge will hang out right around 180 degrees the entire time. If I get stuck into some traffic, it will slowly come up a bit to around 200 but as soon as I start moving it drops right back down.
It should’ve been an easy install, but the radiator core was hacked to bits by the previous owner. So this new radiator? It’s currently held in place by about 12 zipties. Yes, I know this is a bit daft, but it’s working at the moment and I have a plan in place to get a more secure and permanent solution up and running.
Hoon Truck_4
Speaking of the temp gauge, I removed the busted one from the cabin and replaced it with a nice fresh one from Auto Meter.
Hoon Truck_1
I’m still having a bit of an electrical issue at the moment, and it pertains to the battery and the ignition. When I turn the truck off, the truck stays on. The engine is shut off, but all the gauges are still lit and things are still working. So I have to pop the negative terminal every time I shut the truck down now. It’s annoying, and I’ve taken a look at some of the electrical system but haven’t found the issue just yet. A fresh clean wiring diagram has arrived, however, and I plan on diving in more deeply very soon.
Hoon Truck_3
Hoon Truck_6
From the “I’m A Total Moran” files… I had to pull the distributor up when I installed the new temp sensor. I never marked it, and when I went to put it back I found that the truck now wouldn’t start. It was clear that I borked the timing. So I asked Editor-In-Chief Tim Odell how to fix this and he gave me great instructions. My problem was that I didn’t follow them correctly.
I was told that I had to get the rotor to line up to the #1. So I pointed it towards the #1 cylinder. The actual cylinder, not the #1 spark wire where it attaches to the cap. It’s quite exciting to see a flame shoot up out of your carburetor. I called in more help and Friend of Hooniverse Rick Radcliffe came out to show me that I was dumb.
With the rotor pointing in the right direction, the truck fired right up and then I adjusted the timing from there.
Hoon Truck_10
A new issue popped up the other day, but this one is a minor one. One of the bolts on the passenger side hood hinge decided to vacate the premises. So now the hood doesn’t want to close properly unless I have a helping hand pushing the back corner down at the same time that I close the hood from the front.
This one is an easy “fix” though, and I firmly believe I can handle this one without help.
Hoon Truck_11
HoonTruck-NEW
Here’s how the truck looks right now. I love the wheel and tire combo, and its coming together under the hood…despite my best efforts. Next up it’s time to get rid of that vibration in the driveshaft, take a look at the brakes, and then get a new audio system in there because I hate driving without some music.
After that, I believe I’m looking at some new headers and then I want to clean up the engine bay because it’s pretty unorganized in there. Beyond that, I’m still thinking of other things to do and some interior clean up is probably somewhere on that list.
I recently wrote about the truck for the MotorLife campaign on eBay Motors. Head over there for even more HoonTruck goodness. Also, I’ll have a video out soon showing the new headlights which you can see in some of the photos above. I finally got to use them at night, and they work wonderfully.

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  1. countersteer Avatar
    countersteer

    A bad starter solenoid can cause the behavior you’re describing. It has the “2 terminal” solenoid, amirite? If you replace it, try to get a quality brand. They’re on so many things that there is a lot of subpar junk out there. Good luck with it! I have a 65 F100 with a straight six and 3 on the tree.

    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      I’m pretty sure this one doesn’t have a starter solenoid, but instead a starter relay (typical setup used on Fords for a zillion years) , usually mounted on the fender apron.
      I would also suspect a flaky ignition switch, not shutting everything off.
      As for the hood hinge, was that a bolt, or a rivet? Assuming nothing interferes, a rivet can be replaced by a short bolt, a washer, and a self-locking nut (or a nut and some Loctite 242).

        1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
          Jeff Glucker

          Yeah that’s what I have, I’ll find a fresh one to pop in and see if that fixes it.
          Share a picture of your truck

          1. countersteer Avatar
            countersteer

            Good luck with it, Jeff. I had to learn the whole distributor spark plug wiring deal myself back when I was 16. Took me a week to get the ole Mustang running again. A good lesson you’ll never forget! Good luck with all of it!

        2. Scoutdude Avatar
          Scoutdude

          That won’t cause this problem, that will cause an engine to not turn off, which is really really rare for that to happen, but it won’t continue to provide power to the rest of the truck.
          The ignition switch has terminals marked “I” and “A” when properly wired only the ignition is connected to the I terminal and all of the accessories like radio, wipers, heater and gauges are connected to the A terminal. That prevents power from the I terminal on the stater relay from back feeding the accessories.

          1. countersteer Avatar
            countersteer

            That was the problem I once had on the 71 Mustang I had. Shut off the key, motor kept running, whack the solenoid with your hand and it would shut off. I googled around a bit and came up with this. This guy had the same issue with a 66 ‘stang and it ended up being the solenoid. I’ll post the link because there’s a lot of discussion about potential other causes. http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/classic-tech/342188-1966-mustang-289-keeps-running-after-turning-key-off.html

          2. Scoutdude Avatar
            Scoutdude

            But his problem is not that the engine won’t shut off it is that the accessories won’t shut off. Two different issues, a shorted/stuck starter relay will cause a no engine shut down but not the accessories to stay on after the engine shuts down.

  2. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    I think in your original post about pulling the distributor, that I mentioned pointed the rotor at the number one cylinder, and also remembering to compensate for the rotation caused the helical distributor gear. Fords are weird too (number one is the front cylinder on the passenger side, not the driver’s side like GM stuff).

    1. Harry Callahan Avatar
      Harry Callahan

      It’s GM that is wierd. Ford has it correct.

    2. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      And sometimes GM has the number one cylinder as the rear-most passenger side one: https://www.corvaircorsa.com/images/fire_ani.gif
      https://www.corvaircorsa.com/4carbs.html

  3. Stephen Avatar
    Stephen

    Have you given any consideration to switching to electronic ignition?

  4. Harry Callahan Avatar
    Harry Callahan

    Is it just me, or are others disgusted with the writer’s complete automotive illiteracy with regard to distributor installation? Why should I read a piece written by someone who doesn’t understand something I learned when I was 14? For you kids who haven’t reached puberty yet, it would be akin to reading a piece on a tech blog about a tweaker who couldn’t synch a bluetooth earpiece to a Motorola razor.

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      I’m more upset by the radiator being held in place “by about 12 zipties.” Anything over four is pure extravagance and an utter waste of precious zipties.

      1. Harry Callahan Avatar
        Harry Callahan

        Indeed. I much prefer bailing wire, chewing gum, and duct tape.

      2. Alff Avatar
        Alff

        He should have just run a few bolts through it.

        1. mdharrell Avatar

          We’re overlooking the fact that he appears to have used new hoses. Those alone should hold the radiator in place-ish for a while until they soften.
          They’ll work even longer if he goes with a smaller-diameter fan.

      3. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        Four zipties? FOUR zipties? Sir, anyone knows that three zipties is all that is required to restrain a radiator in all six degrees of freedom.

        1. mdharrell Avatar

          Some of us believe in a proper safety factor, thank you very much. It’s just good engineering, particularly for those of us who purchase off-brand zipties.

    2. I_Borgward Avatar
      I_Borgward

      That’s the beauty of the ‘verse: a spectrum of wildly varying interests, skill sets and perverse, unexplicible automotive desires. We have everyone from people who could build you a motor in their sleep to people who just got their first socket set.
      I wouldn’t have it any other way.
      So, the correct Hoon answer to the question “can you (insert skill here)” is not “no”, but “I don’t know, I’ve never tried!”
      And when someone asks Jeff how he knows about marking a distributor before pulling it, he can now say with justifiable pride, “you don’t want to know”.
      Also: Wheaton’s Law.

      1. dead_elvis Avatar
        dead_elvis

        Is Harry our now-resident Hooniverse troll? I honestly can’t tell if he’s being genuinely hostile/a complete dickhead, or constantly (poorly) channeling movie Clint.

        1. Harry Callahan Avatar
          Harry Callahan

          “…Sometimes you just gotta ask yourself, Is this guy an effin dirt bag, or does he have a point…?”

    3. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      Are you suggesting a man’s got to know his limitations?

      1. Harry Callahan Avatar
        Harry Callahan

        Roger that…and that maggot-infested punk should keep his mitts off real ‘Murican iron until he grows out of his Superman pull-ups….

        1. theskitter Avatar

          No way to learn except by doing it.
          The books inevitably skip steps.
          Removal is the reverse of installation.

    4. nanoop Avatar
      nanoop

      “Razr” – but that is obsolete knowledge anyway.

      1. Harry Callahan Avatar
        Harry Callahan

        Feelin’ Lucky, punk? …made my day…!

    5. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      Hey… here’s something for you to read “Go fuck yourself” – signed Me.
      You learned it when you were 14, good for you. I’m learning it now at 35, which is better than never learning about it at all.
      So again… go fuck yourself. Sincerly, Me again.

      1. Harry Callahan Avatar
        Harry Callahan

        I deserved that. Regrets.

        1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
          Jeff Glucker

          Well, you can always come back and learn more about the truck… just as I’m doing.
          We all need to be called out now and then.

  5. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    Who did you buy the new radiator from? When I replaced the original in our ’54 I found aluminum replacements in the $200 range and at $800+ with nothing in between. I went with the low end, which has worked out okay albeit with a few challenges including a pinhole leak after about a year.

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      Mystery Radiator!
      My guess is Be Cool.

      1. Alff Avatar
        Alff

        Champion

        1. mdharrell Avatar

          Clearly not my day. I won’t even try guessing the brand of zipties.

    2. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      Found it on Andy’s Autosport – it wasn’t cheap…

      1. Alff Avatar
        Alff

        It appears we ended up with the same brand. I hope your experience is a bit better than mine. You may find, as I did, that the supplied radiator cap isn’t up to the job.