Ok....its a bit of a stretch but I am pretty sure the original guys had logging in mind when these trucks were built.I have been Grizzly hunting for a few years and have found almost half of the trucks built are all on Vancouver Is.There are three of them just in Qualicum...I have found around 3/4 of them I lived and worked in North Van when these trucks were built..I had just finished my 10 years at Pacific .. This is truck #1 of 13 or 14 trucks..It has been on the Island for years and was owned by the widow of Geoff Buck the man behind Grizzly..She is a good friend of HDX and he hooked me up with her.. Truck has 53,000 miles on it..Engine is a Cummins 12V.. On Saturday I went to Nanaimo and purchased the truck...I will do one of my typical rebuild/refit jobs on it... Many thanks to HDX and to Jean (the owner) The truck is in good hands..[ ATTACH]143463[/ATTACH]
diamondtguy,well done Corey. Can you post year of this unit? Can you post a bit of info as to years of builds and types of running gear. Did they all come with same boxes?
Corey, MAJOR SCORE. Well, if I can't have it, I am glad that it is in your hands. I love those trucks. I tried to find one a few years ago, but not to many left and those that are still around, well let us just say the owners were not willing to part with them.
Is this just a bolt on shell?
Awesome score Corey! Ed
Is is it built around a 90s Dodge chassis? More specs would be cool to know. Greyson
I found a few pics online http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/pat_russell/2009/09-18/20090918_dsc08271.jpg http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/pat_russell/2009/09-18/20090918_dsc08277.jpg http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/pat_russell/2009/09-18/20090918_dsc08279.jpg
This is cool! I've never heard of these trucks but very interested to see your progress and what you change.
Trucks were all custom ordered and were for the most part all different.This is the smallest truck they made and I believe they made 2 or 3 of these..This is the only auto 2wd that I know of..For some reason this truck has a transfer case in it but no driven front axle.. It is not on a dodge chassis and there is no dodge in the truck any where.Frame is a hand built 2x5 I believe(maybe 2x4) rectangular tubing .Suspension is Kenworth style I am told.3" wide leaf springs with the rear of the spring supported with huge air bags... I will take detailed pics on the week end Truck is a 1990 and built in North Van. The frame,cab and front end were built by Grizzly,doors are aluminum and are from someone elses brand.. This is the only running Grizzly that I found that was actually for sale.I will refrase that..It was not for sale but she would sell it to me knowing I would look after it and give it a good home. All my Grizzly pictures are on my photobucket account (427fastback).. Contrary to what the internet says Pacific had nothing to do with these trucks..They did have some Pacific guys working there after Pacific started winding down and thinning the guys out. I will be going through the truck from end to end..It will become a 4x4 and get a 5spd..The front fenders will get remade in aluminum as will the tailgate... More later..
Thanks Corey
Not sure if this will work....link to my photos http://s297.photobucket.com/user/427Fastback/library/Grizzly Trucks OK..I tied it and it works... There are tons of other photos in my account......The black mustang and the blue one are mine as is the Diamond T.The other photos are cars I have restored,built or modified...
diamondtguy YOU ROCK!!!!!
Thank-you....
diamondtguy,are the mirrors adequate? Were they changed later? Look too small
Good eye BP.....the mirrors are destined for the 45gal green plastic bucket..They are not big enough and they actually say Jeep on them...I will be putting westcoast mirrors on it...Early pictures of the truck show chrome(still small) mirrors but Jean doesn't ever remember them being changed.. Most of the pics of Grizzlys I have show them with Westcoast mirrors...cant think of a better mirror design
Great find Corey! I remember an article on the Grizzly's in a logging magazine when they came out. The idea was they would be simple to repair, no plastic! if you bent a fender just weld it back up! I heard they used Kenworth doors until Paccar got wind and stopped them.
I have heard they are Kenworth doors as well...I have a picture of them fitting a door on a grizzly and it looks like the door came off a waist management truck (door was used) The door panels have Grizzly embossed in them and the panels very much resemble the door panels on the Pacific.HDX can correct me if I am wrong but I believe Hayes and Pacific used the same guy to make there interiors.He was a local guy and it looks like his work on the Grizzly door panels as well.. I like a lot of things about the Grizzly as I have already said but yes..Its simple to repair,no computer and I can build it the way I want it.I haven't figured out yet how to fit a 16V71TT into it but it will come to me..
I went to the Truck Loggers one year and Grizzly were set up as one of the displays. Had a heck of a good talk with the fellow, must have been one of the owners. But that was long ago. I climbed all over that thing. Might have left a slug trail of drool. I really wanted one, but 3 kids and a mortgage came first.
Think Volkswagen Beetle. It has an 8' bed doesn't it?lol
diamondtguy,Challenger John would be a great guy to help fit a V-16 under the hood. May need a camera in front to see below the rad. RCP57,do you have a Grizzly in your collection?
No, no Grizzly's in my toy box. We'll have to see what Cory does with it. I might have to build a model of what he ends up with.
There is one in town, not too far from my house, well it was here about a year ago getting a rebuild, this weekend I will go for a drive and see if it is still there. Looking through the photobucket link I don't see a photo of it, if it is around I will go knock on their door and see if they will let me take a picture or two...
Hey Reg Art Bobrik (sorry if I misspelled) has one just up in Sayward that he is rebuilding. It is right across from the dryland sort in Kelsey Bay. He has been rebuilding it for years. You could always sneak up there for a look.
I believe that this is Art's truck...I met him at the Alberni truck show just over a year ago.He has owned it since new...Major rebuild on it with a new aluminum hood and stainless floor and box.. I actually met quite a few forum members at the show...Was a good weekend. [
This is the big 9 passenger truck that was built..I believe it to be the only one done..Ran around painted green for a long time in the Lower mainland and was purchased by a company in Whistler BC where it still lives..Current pictures were taken a year ago...Notice the grille work has been changed since the early ones.. ATTACH]143514[/ATTACH
Don't know anything about this one.Found the pics doing research..Certainly looks like she was a working girl.. ATTACH]143518[/ATTACH] ATTACH]143519[/ATTACH]
So....Who says there are no Grizzlys on Vancouver Island....here is another one.This one sitting in a compound in plain view in Qualicum..I have spoken to the owner and he says he has most of the spare Grizzly parts that were lying around when the doors shut for the last time. This truck was originally ordered by a women..It has a 5spd,4 wheel disc brakes and a exhaust brake..Truck needs a restoration. Owner also knows of 2 other Grizzlys in Qualicum both owned by one guy..I believe one of them is the very last truck built.I have heard they are in good shape. Pictures were taken last year and the truck still lives there,, [ ATTACH]143533[/ATTACH]
Hey Reg....Cory is waiting to see how it turns out as well.
diamondtguy The interior kit you speak of was made by John over at Quality Industrial Trimmers at 215 2nd Ave E in downtown Vancouver. He is the go to guy for all that He made the padded interior kits for Hayes and Pacific as well as the cardboard ones. He still cranks out the odd one for any of the guys doing a resto. I will only use him because I have never seen one made by him that did not fit perfectly every time. The guy is RCP57 of the upholstery world. (Little shot there Reg LOL)
Cool....I think it was my reading all the info on this site that lead me to that assumption.If he is still around it would only take a phone call to find out if he did the Grizzly trim.... So here is another Vancouver Island Grizzly.I think the proud owner is a friend of HDX's.I don't know a bloody thing about the truck but It is my favorite of all the trucks I have found..To me it just looks good....Picture were found while doing my research.. ATTACH]143543[/ATTACH]
I cant edit my post so I will add.....Just got off the phone with the owner of the purple qualicum Grizzly...He knows most of the Grizzly owners on the Island and is quite knowledgeable on the Grizzly stuff and clued me in on a few things.This truck is #13 so it maybe the last one..His name is Bruce Warren..
Yair . . . Dunno fellers, there is something I am missing. (To my eyes) they are way out west of "pretty" and some of them look like overgrown pickups . . . what exactly was their purpose/market? Cheers.
Scrub They were more for the west coast of Canada logging market. They were built "Logger" tough. Loggers are hard on equipment, I know this first hand, I'm a mechanic. At the time they were built, many of us in the industry were more then a little pissed at the choices for pickups You really need to understand the logger mentality. Have a tank of fuel, a Bunch of left over cable, blocks and rigging, saws, gas and what ever else they think they might need in the back of a truck. Than you drive like you stole it, up the side of the mountain. During the course of the day, you might have to tie one of the cables from the yarder on to the back of the truck and pull several thousand feet of cable off and respool it on to the drum. You might need to take a grapple with you, so just throw that in the back. Now take all of that and put it into a remote inlet where you might get your freight once every two weeks. So build a truck that is both tough and easy to repair with parts that might already be in your camp. Such a good idea. Just too bad it did not happen.
Yair . . . wornout wrench. Gotcha mate and thanks. So to some extent I was right, a pickup built out of bits of full sized trucks . . . now I understand the (probably tongue in cheek) ruminations about the sweet sixteen Jimmy. It was a straight forward common sense concept and from your explanation I can understand the thought process that spawned it. I will watch this thread with interest. Cheers.
wornout wrench you hit the nail right on the head ROFL , the same guy that destroyed a pickup would then complain because he had to drive junk . The Grizzly pickup is like the Challenger Logging Truck , 30 years to late .
I would love to have a grizzly. Have wanted one for years but with only so many ever being built, it is just not going to happen. To get one of these babies, get all fixed up, nice little diesel purring under the hood. Hitch up a nice size 5th wheel and do the snowbird thing when I retire. Can you just imagine the looks one would get when you pulled into the RV park in one of the southern states.:jawdrop
priceless
Great comments guys....adds a little color to the thread.... OK...here is another one that I only have the one pic of and I know absolutely nothing about the truck..This one is a dually Bruce Warren who owns the burgundy truck told me the other night that there are two in Whistler.He is the second guy to tell me that..I will do some research....
Poor guy.... He must be a bit strange...
Will be watching with interest, waiting for Cory to leave his shop and drive it like you stole it will happen.
Hank,keep it a secret,but I know a place on Vhan.Isl. Sleepy little town where that little jewel could be hidden away until DTG forgot about it,then poof out she comes. Lol
Blk prince, should we wait until he has it 95% complete or is sooner than latter better?????Lol
Well,if we wait until 95% complete then we can say the hardest part of the project was the final finish and not tell a lie. The plot thickens!
Wow....I am flattered..I would wait till I am 95% done as you guys are both retired and have very busy days.Might as well just sit back watch and wait... The weather is very wet but I did get some pictures today..Didnt open the hood tho. The box looks like a shortened generic "service box"I doubt it was new when the truck was built..Tailgate is rusted out.I will make a new one out of aluminum.. Running boards are steel with old school rubber coating..They are starting to rust and will be replaced with some hand made aluminum ones.Air valve is for the front air bags..Onboard air system has been disconnected.. Suspension is new to me...Never seen such a arrangement..
diamondtguy,do you have a color picked? Box or cab coming off? Were air bags standard equipment?
The grille is stainless.The vertical bars are well done and I suspect they were borrowed from some other truck line.. Grizzly name plates are cast aluminum.. Frame is hand built rectangular tube... More to come...
I believe the air bags are standard.The other trucks I am familiar with have them as well...I would imagine I will be pulling the box and more than likely the cab as well..Good thing I am building a much bigger shop. Not sure on the color yet..
Door panels are nice and have the Grizzly name embossed in them...Some of you maybe able to ID the door for me by the hardware and door pull handle..Common thought is they are KW..
Some cab shots...Gauges are basic and minimal.They are Stewart Warner.I will change the water temp and OP to mechanical gauges.I will also add a tach,pyrometer and boost gauge..Odometer reads 53,000 miles and the truck does have a hour meter in it..Steering column (GM) will get the boot when the 5spd goes in...The steering wheel is just plain wrong...Pedals are also to close to the floor...It worked good for the previous owner as she is not very big.I am not very big either but will be changing it to suit me..(as apposed to Hank and BP) ATTACH]143730[/ATTACH] ATTACH]143731[/ATTACH]
Kinda looks like they stole the dash out of a boat!
Now that's just mean ....I guess I have to build a new dash now as well...
any idea on the top speed and GVW on these
Haha, seriously though that is almost the identical "wood grain" that a lot of fish boats had in the late 70's early 80's. I know you can make something nicer that that if your going to change the column, pedals and gauges anyway.lol Seeing more pictures of it, it sure is a unique truck. Definitely far from the norm in every aspect.
Well Corey,if we lived closer to each other,I would un busy myself and lend a hand. As for size,you and I would probably stand eye to eye.lol
I kinda like the dash; simple, functional, easy to work on! Sort of 60s truck style.
You guys get to play with the coolest toys!! I would love one of these restored trucks to pull my fifth wheeler with also!! I will be following this build with great interest.
Those sure look like B model KW doors, found on everything after 1982 or 83 I believe. If you wanted to put the newer day lighter doors you could I believe. Love the truck!
We used woodgrain dash inserts at Pacific but it was steel.They bought 4x8 sheets with the woodgrain already on it.The inserts in the grizzly are quite thick so I suspect they are aluminum..Not sure what I will do. For some unknown reason the truck has a Ford C-6 3spd auto in it with a 205 transfer case hanging off it.With only 3spds and a non lock up converter it is not fun over 40mph...I ran it flat out on the freeway with the pedal stuffed to the floor...It would barely hit 60 mph according to the speedo...The 5spd should cure a lot of things The GVW on the registration has been changed so that the truck was air care exempt..So it doesn't appear that the truck is as heavy as one might think..
Ah yes The dash The dash sure looks like something that came out of a P16 It even has... The little thumb screws that hold the dash on The little thumb screws that hold the dash on that have the tiny little nutserts behind them. Then some 300 pound knuckle dragging truck driver puts a pair of pliers on to get the little thumb screws tight and the nutsert breaks off. Now yours truly has to get in there with a zip cut and oh so carefully try to cut the thumbscrew off with out harming the dash *Note here* 300 pound Knuckle dragging truck drivers can be very defensive about their dash boards. Any scratch or mark can be cause for the knuckle dragging truck driver to come looking for the mechanic that harmed said dash That is such a cool truck Cory, Just can not wait to see what it looks like when you get finished.
WW...I noticed the thumb screws the first time I sat in the truck and yes they reminded of the P-16 stuff.Little plastic knob pressed on to a socket head bolt..Not knuckle dragger friendly.Dont know if they faded from black to grey but I will retain them and find new ones..
Here is another one..I found pics of this truck in a few places.I know nothing about it..Its a 4x4 and it is a automatic as well.. I have heard it is in Nelson but I have heard Tsawwassen as well.... ATTACH]143891[/ATTACH ATTACH]143890[/ATTACH][
Few more.....might as well post them all ] ATTACH]143894[/ATTACH
Some misc shop photo's.....Notice the chassis they are fitting stuff to...Its a early 70's F-150..No idea whats going on there..I expected to find a modified Ford chassis under #1 but not so... ATTACH]143897[/ATTACH] ATTACH]143898[/ATTACH] ATTACH]143899[/ATTACH] ATTACH]143900[/ATTACH]
I think that picture with the blue door answers where the doors come from. Used from other trucks.
Yes the door appears to be "used"...Same goes for the box they have sandblasted.. So I went out today and got a rebuilt and upgraded NV4500 5spd,dual disc clutch,flywheel and the clutch hyd's...All new in the box from a project that didn't happen....It was a good score..Just need to locate a front axle..All new gauges have been ordered as well.. Just collecting parts right now...I will tear it down in the summer when the new shop is built...
DTG,I want to add a comment about the door. It is from Bulk Systems,a division of CP Transport. There were Bulk operations in BC,Alberta and Ontario. I was there for 18 yrs in Nanaimo hauling wood chips and hog fuel. The last 3 numbers on that door are part of a 5 digit series. There was one truck in Nanaimo with 404. It was an older Western Star. But the first 2 numbers could have been 10 or 14. I think that is a door from a Star.
sorry not a western star door star older doors did not have key hole above handle K W been like that for a day or two
Good eye on the lock , just a thought I'm not an expert , but most of the KW's I've driven had their mirror's mounted on cab , this one is mounted on door like a Western Star .
morning all the ones i no of have the mirrors on the cab if you look at posting 33 n 44 on western star this froum star has a big rib small rib body lines i guess you would call them and k w has rib all around the door i,m no expert on the grizzly seen a few
Go to Rivers Inlet and other Malloch & Moseley operations , go to page 19 post#284 , a good picture of an early 1970's KW door .
Definitely Kenworth doors in the last couple pictures. Cabovers used the door mounted mirrors. My '64 also uses the door mount mirrors, but not the newer low door latches. Hope that helps and not confuses the issue, but all the doors fit in the same door frame. Messed up a few doors over the years and used what was cheap and available, you could at one time get a whole cabover truck for what people wanted for the conventional doors.
What about the door pull and bolt on arm rest...Would that be some what brand specific..
I got some info on this truck today..At one time owned by the RCMP.It was originaly a 2wd and at some point Grizzly built a new 4wd chassis for it..Truck was re powered by a Ford 7.3 powerstroke..My info leads me to believe Grizzly (now Blue Grizzly) was playing with Powerstrokes and F-450's in the later years after they were gone from North Van.Dont know if Grizzly "built" a chassis or just supplied one. Truck was for sale in 2008 from the dates on the pictures I got..price was $54,000.. Would be a interesting and very useable truck....
That blue one ^^ definitely appears to be on a mid 90's Ford f-350 cab and chassis 4x4 running gear and suspension. The wheels, long flat springs and front mounted shackles are a dead giveaway. It cant be an f-450 tho cause ford never made a 4x4 f-450 until 99, and by then the shackles were at the back, they used hub pilot wheels and the 450/550's were on 19.5" wheels. With a 7.3 and a 5 speed that would be a killer little pickup...keep the pictures coming!!
I am out of pictures and info on the trucks right now..As time goes by I hope to gather more and hopefully people stumble across this thread and add there storys..Some of my info has already been corrected on a few of the trucks.Would be nice if some of the Grizzly owners joined in. At some point I will sit down with Jean and go through her archives of Grizzly stuff...I will share what I can of it... As far as my truck....Like I said I have already gathered the bulk of the 5spd conversion stuff,currently working on getting a front axle.All the new gauges showed up yesterday.Water jet the parts to make new rear spring perches yesterday.Rear axle is on the top of the rear springs and will need to be flipped.. Tomorrow ....weather permitting I will measure up the airbags and find some new ones..Old ones are badly age cracked and I suspect they are the source of the leaks. I am very stoked to get going on the project but need to get the new shop built first.No room in the other shop with all the damn Mustangs in there..
If you need to find a good home for a mustang or 2..:naughty Just saying LOL
I will put your name on the list... I have had the Fastback since I graduated in 1977.The Blue one I finished 6 months ago and built it just for fun..Its a fairly accurate clone of the 67 Trans am race cars.. Currently building a 66 Fastback as well... Cheers
I have room in my garage for the Blue 67, I will take great care of it.
I also have a spot for one Corey,but will have to be in a cold shed. Heated she'd is for my Chevy,sorry.
Thanks for the offer guys but I will just leave them here in their warm dry stable....besides don't you guys need the space for my Grizzly after you relieve me of it... Aired up the airbags today...They are "Triangle".Memory tells me that's trailer stuff.I will have to pull one off and get the part number...
Bahahaha! Horses are meant to be kept outside aren't they?
RCP....I bet your dads isn't outside........
Not a chance!lol
I am not having much luck locating a front axle for the truck.The hunt is not over yet tho.. I am looking for a Dana 60 front axle,drivers side pinion and leaf sprung.Roughly 31" spring centers..A 78-79 Ford F-350 front end would be ideal but others may fit..The newer stuff has a much wider spring spacing.Moving the pads is not so simple due to the Dana casting... I know a lot of people here are off the beaten path on there travels....Never know whats sitting in the bush..
Try Maxwell's in Cobble Hill , wreck lots of pickup's and light truck's 250-743-9326
I know it doesn't help much but if you have a cross country trucking connection I have one in the stockpile with 3.55s. You could get a Chevy 60 and swap the tubes (or more likely retube) to drivers drop. Chevy and dodge 60 fronts use heavier spindles and knuckles.
I will try the Cobble Hill #...Thanks ben46a...Is the axle assembly in Fort Mac ??I have friends there.
No unfortunatley it's in Nova Scotia, if it was in fort mac I'd get one of the boys to take it home with them on days off.lol
Well....at least I found one..
Blacky's used to have a lot of truck stuff too if Maxwell's doesn't have one. I haven't been to either for a while so I can't say how much old stuff they have anymore.
Blacky's 250-748-0341
This guy is selling one that might work for you. http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/canadian-classifieds/2164898-dodge-kp-60-80-a.html
I'm waiting for a reply from a buddy of mine in Campbell River, im not sure how far that is from you but it's a lot closer. He has a bunch of old ford's,he may have something.
I just signed up and this is my first post. The new thread about Grizzly trucks got me thinking about one that still working in Fort St John. The owner is Brian Surerus of Surerus Contracting. Attached is a blurb from their website. They made a major investment and ordered a quite a few for the Pipeline division.
I have heard about one in Alberta but that's all I know.I have also heard and seen Surerus name associated with Grizzly stuff but don't know the timeline of his involvement..I will find out tho.. Looks like my truck in the picture.. I was busy doing car stuff today and will follow up with the front axle leads on Monday... Ben46A...I am on the mainland about a hour from either ferry terminal Thanks
A quick internet search of Brian Surerus of Surerus Contracting shows he/they own a company called Grizzly Equipment....interesting
Grizzly bits I was working in Fort St John at the time Grizzly trucks failing and saw the new Grizzly he had purchased. When I finished work for the winter season I came back to Vancouver and tracked down the Grizzly facility. There were Dodge truck bodies stacked high by then. I suppose they figured the most cost effective way to make a Grizzly was to take out the drive components from a Dodge. I guess sourcing was a problem. Not to efficient buying a whole new pickup for drive parts. I know Surerus put some good dough into Grizzly Trucks, so maybe he named the rental division after the most expensive pickup he ever bought. Here's some pictures of my 1979 LW 924 I put together for the oilpatch.
I know a few mud racers over on the mainland that might have a ford front end kicking around. I will check Monday.
View attachment Grizzly Trucks.pdf View attachment Grizzly Trucks 2.pdf Here is my stuff about Grizzly. I've got more to share, so watch for more bits to follow this post. A few years ago, a friend gave these things to me.
View attachment Grizzly Trucks 3.pdf View attachment Grizzly Trucks 4.pdf View attachment Grizzly Trucks 5.pdf Here are more brochures from my Grizzly stuff.
The end of what I have from my Grizzly brochures.
Cam, you were holding out on me did not know you had this cash. great of you to share it.
Good stuff...Thank you....One of the spec sheets is for my truck..Its very clear now why my 2wd has a transfer case in it...The American Overdrive unit is gone..Either it failed or was removed.The transfer case would make up the difference in drive shaft length....Well thats one theory anyways..
Surerus built a huge new shop in Gibbons a couple years ago that I drive past on the way to my land. There must be well over $10,000,000 worth of equipment sitting in their yard right now. A few miles down the road they did a pipeline job and sure left the area nice. They stripped the top soil, packed all the fill and then replaced the topsoil and even ran a big disc over it. It looks better than a farmer could have done it.
I phoned Blacky's and Maxwells today..No luck.The front axle hunt continues..
Hi DTG, I have a couple of leads and will let you know if either comes through.
Thanks....I will keep looking as well..I had a friend bend up some mirror parts.I am going with 16" westcoast mirrors.They need to be only two point mount as they are not ten feet off the ground and need to fold back instead of buckling my door if they get hit.They are bent from 1" 304 stainless. I have a box of new gauges for it as well...I will be adding a tach,pyro and boost gauge.Water temp and oil pressure are being switched to mechanical gauges. I will make all the missing parts for the mirrors myself from stainless..The tubing will be trimmed to size when I fit them The hunt continues
That is an excellent hobby. While looking around for the front end, I mentioned your user name to a guy. He said he has 2 Diamond T's he would like to sell. If you are interested I will get a photo or 2. !960's vintage I think.
Hey there DTG. My searcher found a'77 Dana 60 housing less axles, crown gear and hubs. Has pinion gear and measures 31" pin to pin. He says "It's a start." $250. He has others to check. Woodsey
I had had brain fart fart posted incorrect info.. that's not a bad deal for a good starting point.
Well the Dana 60 is unobtanium-free. Open knuckle.
I would be interested in it.it would be a good starting point if I fail to find a complete one.Better to have too many parts than not enough. Pictures of the Diamond T's would be good as well... Thanks.
I'm guessing these aren't what your after Cory but just in case... http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/obo---Set-of-mid-80s-34ton-Dodge-Dana-60s_26451394
I am pretty sure they are not but I am going to look it up anyways.Thanks for the link.
No worries. I don't know much about the diffs you're looking for so I thought I'd post it up just on the off chance. We'll all keep our eyes peeled.
I just emailed a friend of mine that used to be heavily into the rock crawler scene. He might know of one kicking around but we'll see.
I am following up every possible lead so I have e-mailed the seller.The core that Woodsey has found would be a good core to start from..Have to wait and see how it pans out..
I'm impressed..I actually got a reply back the same night...Sadly the front axle pinion is on the wrong side... Back to hunting....
Bummer. I'll let you know if my friend gets back to me.
Nothing but the best for Grizzly #1....Took delivery of the new A/C unit today.Should be fairly straight forward to install..Even has two speeds..
Well I had some luck with a couple guys. One thing led to another and I got hold of Bob. He is just southeast of Edmonton. He has what you need for a front end for your project and more. 1-780-467-4466.
Cool...so I can phone him??..Does Woodsey have a first name or do I need it..... Thanks.
Dtg. Yeah its good to call. His name is Bob and he is expecting your call.
Well its funny how things play out..Two minutes after I posted my last message I got a e-mail from a craigs list want add I had up.Guy has the exact front axle I am looking in a F-250 4x4.I have to buy the whole truck but it comes with a Dana 60 rear,another Dana 70 rear,transfer case and a large pile of spare parts.Truck even has a forestry service box on it..I will end up with all the little things I would be hunting for.. Truck is under $2,000 and is only 20 minutes from home. I will sell off what I don't need and it will be all good.. I will not be able to get the truck till sat and will post the results.Thank you to all that have been looking for a axle for me. Woodsey...if this doesn't pan out for some reason I will call Bob and work something out..Thanks
Well if that don't beat all. In an earlier post I had mentioned there were a couple guys I was waiting on for an axle. Seems there was a fellow supposed to be making payments on the pickup but if he failed to make any more the pickup would be available. This afternoon I got a call from a searcher saying the truck was available. He knew a few days ago but lost my number. The owner got hold of you anyways. Nice how that worked out. The guy that called me today is married to George Boulet's granddaughter. He works with a guy whose dad worked at Pacific. Last name Coleman. I believe you were meant to have that pickup.
Interesting how thing work out and what a small world it can be at times... I remember George Boulet very well.. I will be very good to the Grizzly and I will treat her well...I don't have a habit of giving my stuff nicknames but I accidently one night (rye induced) called the Grizzly "Bart" after Bart the Bear...I have a huge fascination and fondness for Grizzly/Kodiak and Brown bears...
Well, the project can continue now. I am looking forward to seeing the "bear" when finished.
Very miserable day here but I went for a drive and paid for the truck..I know have my front axle along a lot of spare goodies.Will try and get the truck home in the next week or so... I now have all the major parts so I can relax and go back to my other projects..The Grizzly will be hibernating till spring..
Purrrrfect!
I just might be looking for a nice seat for my 55 chevy P/U. What is the one in the Ford like???
HDX....The truck is out in First Nation's land so prestine it is not.The radiator is sitting on the front seat and I believe the interior is a lovely butterscotch color..I have seen your trucks and this seat does not qualify ...
DTG- I am working on getting those Diamond-T pictures from my cell phone to my computer. It will happen eventually. If you have the frame, box and rear axle left over I am looking for those bits for a utility trailer. If you are interested, spring time sounds ok to me.
OK Thanks Cory Was just a shot.
HDX...Just so I know....What color are you looking for and cloth or vynal.. Woodsey...I will let you know what is left..
Thanks
If anyone knows other Grizzly owners please direct them to this thread..Would be nice to here some storys and get some more pictures of the trucks over the years...I know Art has done a lot of work on his truck,lots of new aluminum and stainless body panels.. I am working on some more info from another source..I will post it when I receive it..
Still learning about these trucks,gathering info and CSI'ing the pictures.As far as I know this is probably truck number two...It is also a automatic...I have looked at the pictures more closely and can see it is not a 4wd but a 2wd..It sits much higher than mine..I suspect they realized there mistake as they put my axles on top of the springs instead of under them as most trucks have..I will correct that....As far as I know this truck is alive and well..
grizzly was given this pic from a friend a few years ago.no background on it,other than in BC
That looks like Art's truck... I was searching for pics this morning and was going through the pages of the 90th Hayes reunion stuff on Hanks truck site.It seems there was three Grizzlys there.One of them I had just heard about from Cam a week or so ago.It is a Black 1993 and lives in Qualicum..I wont post a pic from Hanks site with out permission so I will see if I can find some more... I have heard about one that is seen in Gibsons from time to time...Need to make some phone calls
So I e-mailed Hank S and asked permission to use the pic and he sent me a high resolution copy of it..Thank you Hank.. So...another one found..I will make some phone calls on Monday about this truck.
I went out the other night and acquired a bellhousing,block adaptor and starter..I now have all the major components to do the conversion.Work will start in the spring..The other parts I will gather as I need them.... On a side not for all that read this.....I am also looking for a Cummins 4bt (or similar)engine for my Diamond T..A 6BT is a bit to long and I will not cut the truck.. Cheers
Some under hood shots of the Grizzly... Things to note...two shut offs on one heater hose,no clamp on the intake hose on the turbo,nothing holding the air filter in.Open terminal block on the firewall...It goes on.. I will sort it all out and deal with it..Hasnt had a good cleaning under there in years.
Finally brought the Ford donor truck home.Has the Dana 60 front axel I need along with all the mounts and goodies.Has a 460 4spd with it and a NP205 transfer case and a Dana 60 rear axel..I will sell most of that stuff.I already have a 460 under my bench.. Truck also came with a Dana 70 rear as a spare.On Saturday a friend dropped off a Dana 70 Dually rear end out of a cab and chassis (narrow one)...No shortage of Dana rear stuff to choose from... Also scooped some brand new 20gal saddle tanks so I can rid of the diesel tank in the front of the box That's a Chevy 10 bolt laying in the puddle (don't ask)
As the truck is hand built I decided to hand build my mirror parts.Mirrors are 16x6 heated and lit.Tubing is 1"od stainless I had bent up.Brackets are all stainless or aluminum..Mirrors are designed to swing away as apposed to crushing my aluminum door.Pivots have spring loaded detents in them.It is all very adjustable.. The hex head bolts are just for fitting... Hopefully the Cummins doesn't rattle it all loose.
Sorry for being so bold but just where pray tell did you come up with TWO I might add TWO NOS Dominion Auto Mirrors???? And here I thought I had the last two LOL
Looks like another fine fellow knows about stashing things. Well done.
I actually found the mirrors on e-bay .Cost was $11.00 ea plus shipping..He had a whole case of them...One has a black wire harness and the other a gray one but I am not going to worry about it... Convex mirror may get moved...I will have to mount the mirrors and have a look..Will do that when the weather breaks..
Pictures from the 90 year Hayes show...Pics are courtesy of Jean Baldock (owner of the truck I bought)
I am not positive but I think the white truck was the next venture for Grizzly.White one and black one are owned by the same guy.I really wish I had gone to the show..
Last batch of Grizzly pics...
diamondtguy,looking at the white one,there is something written on top of grill. Do you know what it would be? Also sending you a PM
looks like it says...Ursidae.A quick web search turned up nothing...I think I have read something before about them and the name translates into something... Hopefully when I sit down with Jean and go through the archives some of these questions will get answered
BP, Ursidae is the bear family name in latin and includes grizzly. Sigurd
Had a email conversation with the owner of this truck tonight...I am wrong...Truck is a 4wd..I will go sit in the corner for a 1/2 hour......After I fill my drink
Sigurd,well thank you
Doing some more internet research but as always Its thin reading....I have read where Pacific Truck was involved in these trucks and we know they were not... When I was coming back from Nanaimo when I bought the truck a guy came up to me on the ferry and asked if Hayes built the trucks.. Tonight I read this on the internet.... [March 17th, 2006, 08:44 am Wasn't the same company behind the West Coast Challenger logging truck and the idea was that most of the Grizzly Parts were off the shelf industrial pieces interchangeable with other equipment? I haven't seen too many interior loggers without a diesel. Forest companies yes, loggers no.] So that's Pacific,Hayes and Challenger that were involved in the Grizzly Trucks....I'm just waiting for the "Is that a baby Kenworth" I'll have to start telling people it was a joint effort between Indiana and Federal ....
Okay Cory Just to clean this up a bit and help you along on your quest. I built the Grizzly's. Yup, me. The Wornout Wrench. I built them in my back yard out of a bunch of wrecked 1978 Honda Civic's and Mazda pickups. The first models were powered by anti matter engines, but since it was so hard to get dilithium crystals into logging camps I decided that I should go back to an internal combustion engine. Although these trucks were immensely popular and sales far exceeded manufacture capacities, we were forced to close down the company after one of the antimatter containment units failed on one of the early models and the resulting explosion vaporized most of Vancouver island. So, as my Grandmother used to say "If you read it in print, it must be true" Back to reality now. I know what you mean when you talk about "thin reading" I have looked for years trying to find a good source of info on these trucks, really not much there. I too was always under the impression that there was a Pacific element with them. They are such a cool truck and I for one am really happy that you got that one and are taking the time to record what you can find out about them here on HEF. Let me know when you are going to have it in a show so I can see it in real life
Thank you for clearing things up for me.I now understand why the mirrors say Jeep on them... I am busy doing small things for the truck right now and leaving the truck running and complete till the new shop is built.The weather really sucks and it is slowing me down stripping my donor truck.. It will be a few months before I put it up on stands but I will be ready... I will post pictures... I am sure Geoff Buck got his influence and Ideas for the truck from some where.
He worked for Hayes He ran the Hayes dealership here in Alberni right up till they closed his doors in 1975. the Hayes dealership at that time was on the waterfront right where the ClamBucket Restaurant is now. I will dig up a picture with him standing in front of something BIG when I can dig it out
Perfect...I suspected he was a Hayes guy to some degree...Just a feeling I had based on his choice of name for the truck.Did H-17 and its sister come through the Alberni dealership.??
Only H17 at the end The other truck H34 was a conventional with a trailer and she went by barge up to the Queen C Islands.
Interesting to know there is some Hayes,logging and Vancouver Is influence in it...I am sure Mr.Buck would be happy to know that almost half of them ended up on the Island....I have yet to find them all but have yet to find any reason to believe any were destroyed.
I used to ride bikes with Geoff around 1968 - 1970 and his favourite expression was "Jack the Bear". When I came off my bike or did something stupid it was a "Jack the Bear"! Fun times for sure. He talked about the crappy pickup trucks the loggers used back then and I guess it just burned into his brain to do something about it and he did. A good guy for sure.
Good to hear some stories and info about Geoff Buck...I don't know much about him or what lead up to the Grizzly project...I do remember truck #2 coming to the custom machine shop I worked at.We were only a mile away from Grizzlys shop.Not sure who was driving or if we made any parts for them.. I had Pac brake make me up a exhaust brake for the truck.Engine is missing its vacuum pump so I got a air operated brake..The onboard air compressor for the airbag suspension has long since been disconnected and the pac brake comes with a nice compressor...Problem solved..I also have a nice stainless airtank that I built for last truck (the one that was destroyed in the accident) .Tank will have a new home in the Grizzly..
New here ...hello everyone Have been interested in these trucks for years.Just saw a blue xtra cab with aluminium hood fenders and deck in Sechelt a couple days ago.The truck was just pulling away so didnt get a chance to speak with the driver.It was definitely a daily work truck. Have also seen a grey or silver one here on the coast over the years...but it could be the one that used to be around Kamloops (same color)and was apparently owned by the owner of the car wash top of the hill near the truck stop l.h.side heading west . I did get a pic of the Sechelt one and will upload the pic if i can figure out how. Also ..in early 2000s there was a moroon one south of clearwater west side of the hwy in a horse pasture with a sale sign on it.Looked like the headliner had never been installed or been torn out....very grubby oily engine and obviously not well cared for.Phoned the guy when home..he says 75...i go 7500...he goes no these are really rare 75000.......uhhhhhhi likem but not that much Happy Griz hunting..Ed
Pic of the truck recently in Sechelt
Sechelt recently
Cool....thanks for the pics and info...I have heard about this truck but this is the first picture I have seen...Would really like to know who formed up the hood and fenders for him....
I will be keeping an eye out for it and ask around as i as well would like to know a lot more about it and take a bunch of overall pics. He looked somewhat familiar.
Cory I will get you the name and # of the car wash in Kamloops as the owners used to live here in Princeton Gene the owner has passed on and I believe his sons are running it now.
diamondtguy there seems to be very few units with the same grill. I wonder why? BP.
Gory PM coming with contact information, I am thinking the family still has their Grizzly. Gene never sold any thing unless he had to.
Thanks Hank....I will dig into it... Yes BP I have noticed the Grilles..They all seem to be different..I will have to look at one and see how they cut them.CNC cutting wasn't common stuff in the early 90's.. I also noticed some of the 4x4 trucks have the front axle pinion on the right and some on the left..I am putting mine on the left as the Cummins exhaust is on the right..I suspect it was due to availability of parts..
Out of curiosity as to if possible ...did an online search using the 5 visible plate numbers at search vehicles by plate number...which seems to be an rcmp country wide database.....no luck..possibly if someone has an rcmp buddy they could dig deeper .how are these registered if one was to go to icbc and ask???under grizzly??dodge??
My truck is registered as a U-built..On the regi's there is a box for model.Mine says Grizzly.Truck has a BC serial number on it.Small tag attached to the firewall.I would imagine the frame is stamped as well...Same procedure I used to do when I was building 427 Cobra replicars. There was a huge investigation into the accident I was in a few years ago as it shut Lougheed hwy down for over 6 hours.I got to know one of the RCMP officers reasonably well and asked if he could look up a plate number (it was a grizzly) and just tell me what town it was in..I was told they are not allowed to randomly look up plates any more..I left it at that.. There is no "Dodge" in my truck that I have found..A little bit of Ford and one pc of GM.Other trucks may and do vary..
Thanx Cory...wonder why that site exists.
I never knew such a site existed..Try putting your own plate number in and see if it works...
Turns out i found that search site on my phone...went to the local ins people today and showed him the site...he brought up the site on his computer and it was more expansive...basically some sort of stolen vehicle site.He conferms that even for them to do a search through icbc hq they have to provide the owners dl#....changing privicy laws??..i have in the past searched cars mc.s and trailers for past owners through serial #interesting as anyone can search aircraft owners and bluebook registered boats.
Weather has dried up a bit and I finally got the Dana 60 front axel out of the other truck...It will get stripped and all rebuilt.Pulling the 4.10's and going down to 3.7's.Rear Dana 70 that is in the truck will get the same treatment.. Dry pavement allowed me to crawl under the Grizzly and plan out my assault..The Grizzly frame rails are actually 3x5 box tubing(HSS).For the most part it should a be fairly straight forward conversion (I didn't say easy) Frame section behind it is a Camaro clip.I am putting it in a 47 Chev.I have done them before(53,55 and 58 Chev PU)
Cool..are you going to change to 5 or 6 spd??? Getting closer to finding the owner of the one in sechelt....it is built on ford frame with 7.3.There is a guy near sechelt that has the old hood and box off of it for sale right now .
Its getting a 5spd.I have a new NV4500 trans and all the other goodies... Would really like to know who formed up his aluminum fenders and hood...They may have kept the drawings..
Diamond......A new one...awsome.I did ask who did the forming ..parts seller sai it was done by express custom ..deck as well in nanaimo. Have been busy with other things to follow up but wiuld eventually like to get to know the owner well enough to measure up the cab really well if i cant find one..and do a set of paper patterns for the hood.and build all aluminium Have built 3 complete aluminium boats largest 41 ft so none of it is rocket science...just finding people with a sigmented break with a good operator.
I found the add for the parts..I guess that truck is the old RCMP truck judging by the colors on the box..He shows this picture which I already had.. Here are the pics from his add ATTACH]150816[/ATTACH] ATTACH]150814[/ATTACH] ATTACH]150815[/ATTACH]
Eagle...I can have the fenders and hood easily made.Drawings would save a lot of time...There is quite abit of math involved with the forming of the hood.My hood is fine but it is fricken heavy.I will get someone local to form up my fenders and I will weld (TIG) them up myself at home here.I have to make new running boards and a tailgate as well..
Ahh ok...the box actually looks really good on it...sounds like the owner is a building contractor so prob wanted a deck for ease of hauling material. Think its the cab style i would preferr or would be bugging u to measure yours up
In one of the pics you can see the Grizzly name plate is still on the box and its been removed in the other picture... You can measure my cab up if needed...I believe there is a left over(new) cab from Grizzly's shop sitting with other Grizzly parts in Qualicum.
If you are open to it..i would like to some day come check out your project and have a good chat. Like most things if one is copying from scratch there are usually areas that can be improved upon or changed for personal prefference. Can u not lay wide light masking paper over your hood taped together marking centerlines of bends and trim all exterior edges for a complete one piece pattern Diamond??
Eagle...I will figure something out for the hood later.Right now I need to focus on the mechanical changes and deal with some rusty sheetmetal..I still have my 68 Mustang to completely assemble before I start wrenching on the Grizzly..
Morning diamond...i would like to speak with you about who may have parts among other things...cant seem to find a way to pm you...suggestions??
Had a chance today to finish stripping the F-250 of all I may need..I took everything from the transfer case forward.Ground the rivets off and took the spring hangers,shackle mounts and all the trans mounts... Most of all the small stuff has already been cleaned,beadblasted and primed.. I found it much easier to just flip the cab over and pull the trans out the top.. The dana 60 front axel is in the rear end shop getting rebuilt from end to end..Putting 3.7's in it.. The 4spd will get sold..Grizzly has a 205 tranfercase in it already.I will keep this one as a spare for now
Had the front wheels off the Grizzly yesterday...Here are some pics of the tubular front axle,airbags and steering...I will take some good pics when I remove it... You may notice the steering appears to have been tweaked to clear things.Also creative lower shock mount on the axle..Front brakes and hubs are Ford units and appear to be the same calipers as the new Dana 60..(handy for me)
A few more.You can see the transverse torque rod/Panhard rod in one of the pics.Rear suspension is pretty much the same..
Is the behind the axle steering going to be tricky to use with the front drive axle?
Yes the 2wd set up is rear steer and the 4wd is front steer...I think I can make it work by moving the pitman arm and making a new link.I did however take all the measurements off the 4wd truck in the event I have to relocate the box to the front.It appears that both trucks have the same box...Another problem is shock location but I grabbed the frame mounts off the 4wd truck as well... I removed every single rivet and bolt from the back of the transfercase forward on the 4wd and took all the brackets and measured everything. I am pretty good at pre-engineering things and pre-planning but I have met Mr.Murphy before and I suspect we will meet again...
Spent a few hours outside yesterday while the sun was out and took the drivers door apart on the Grizzly.I want to get the new mirrors on and the old mirrors were installed with nuts and bolts.. Interesting mechanics inside the door.Maybe some one can ID them by there internals.Saddly when the truck was repainted back to its original color they never removed the mirrors so I have a nice blue patch to deal with.. The Robertson screw you can see on the outside of the door is there to hold up a backing plate for the mirror bolts as the doors are thin ga aluminum.Cant imagine the thinking behind that.....(screwing it to the door)
The window mechanism looks the same as on a Hayes. You probably know this already but the part number comes up as Kenworth inside door grab handle.
Door still looks KW to me, if you ever have to replace the regulator you can get a gear drive one that you can mount. You get a template in the kit that you lay on the door to drill holes. They last longer and work better then the chains. How does it ride compared to a normal pickup with those airbags? I have kind of toyed with that idea on my crew cab long box one ton.
Kenworth door.
Is there a application for window regulator conversion or is it a standard thing... I found it rode ok with the air bags.I don't think its as rough as my last F-250 which was leaf sprung and diesel powered.It was a regular cab 4x4..
Maybe this will help. The long regulator pictured here is a Hayes, the shorter one is a Kenworth. The handle is the same one for both or will fit both. The Kenworth one is a little bit different but still fits both. Will dig one out and post to show the difference.
The tray that the window fits into is a newer style "Universal" It will fit either side . All you do is cut one side off to match the one you are using. As for the Regulators Well you better be sitting down because the last one I priced out was OVER 300 dollars A used one was about 250. The long one will fit the older pacific's and all the Hayes. When Pacific went to the international doors they were completely different. A trip to the scrap yard is in order and just buy the complete door from them They are cutting the truck up anyway so it does not matter to them if the door is present or not
Interesting stuff and new to me..The chain system seems simple enough.The ratio might not be great but so be it..Are they problematic..Dont see the need to change them if its not really needed.The money could be used elsewhere.. Here are 3 pics of the pc.Measurement is flat to flat...I would imagine they are KW pcs. Sorry for the blurry pics...I was one handing the camera
I wouldn't change them if they are working fine, when I have ordered the gear style from KW I guess I have just used the truck serial number. We had one truck that would go through a regulator every 6 months until we put one of the gear drives in. No idea why, the door looked fine but something was different in it to make the regulator work harder I guess.
JPV Could you post a picture of what the "Gear Style" regulator That has my attention and sounds like a winner. Later today I will post some pictures of regulator failure and what cause's it. Maybe we could get in to details of these over on the other thread (Logging Equipment in Detail) Will see what I can come up with today between jobs Thanks a lot
I will see what I can find, I might have to call my KW parts guy, definitely a good option if you have to replace one. If I remember right they were about the same cost as a chain one.
Back to playing with one of the mirrors today..Going to leave the blue paint spot alone for right now..There is zero room between the door frame and door so running the wire through the door was out of the question..You can see I ran it through the cowl.It comes out right next to the dash... I am happy with the look but still undecided on the two point mounts.Not sure if the mirrors will stay still with only two points. Weather permitting I will finish the door off tomorrow..
That sure does look good, Funny how something like that will change the look. Will it create a blind spot or anything ?? Truck is looking VERY GOOD
I have the truck in my shop for the next few weeks.I will drop the rear diff off for rebuild when I pick up the front diff..I took some good pics of the rear suspension when I was under it...I will start pulling the diff in a few days... Nice to see a part number on the air bags...There age is certainly showing..
Few more...
Tore the butt end apart today..Not a easy task...Everything was seized solid.No never seize was used on any of the hardware and no lube was used on any of the pivot bolts.Stover nuts were used on all the 5/8 stuff and they were assembled dry...death sentence for the bolt.. Shocks had to be zip cut off but as I am moving the diff from on top of the springs to under it they would probably be to short any ways Nylocks were used on the 3/8 and down stuff... Front spring eye bushing bolts were seized solid and I had to zip cut it all apart.Same goes for the transverse torque rod. Front spring eye bushings are wrong and way to short. Center pin on the leaf springs on the left side was sheared off (strange) Anyways enough bitching...I will fix everything and replace all the hardware..Everything will get cleaned and painted. I have been a machine fitter for the last 10 years or so...neverseize is my friend... I am no expert but the rear end sure looks like a dually rear end
Been staggering my time between the Grizzly and the 66 Mustang I am building for some one else.... I made new spring perches for the rear as I am putting the axel under the springs not on top as they did..2x2 tubing under the perches is what they did..Wasnt to happy about welding them on in the bright light and wind out doors but my shop is jammed.. Most of all the parts are sand blasted and painted.Spent the day in front of my little Southbend lathe making all new bushings for the springs and torque arm.. Picked up two new airbags yesterday for the rear. I am going to leave the torque arm bracket on the diff alone...I don't have time to re-engineer it..There is tell tale signs on the diff and frame they tried a forward mounted one but switched it to transverse..
some painted parts...Last pic is the damage done from incorrect math and parts.This was done in 50,000 miles.Truck must have had a horrible squeak.All four spring hanger plates suffered the same damage
diamondtguy,things seem to be moving right along. Doing one unit is time consuming let alone two plus working full time. Looking very nice
Thanks....I am actually doing three projects..My 68 Mustang is in getting painted so I am dealing with that as well...It is a absolutely empty shell so I have a lot to get in order... Spent some time stripping the headliner and stuff off the roof of the Grizzly today..It has a nasty water leak.Roof has a welded flange joint in the middle,five marker lights and a visor..Water could be coming in any of those spots... Neither the visor nor the marker lights use the rubber insulated/coated riv nuts to seal the hardware....Just good old silicone... Tomorrow I will order the correct hardware...
These are the defroster ducts in the top of the dash..Various pcs glued together..I don't recognize any of it.They are both broken and need to be replaced..I can live with out the Robertson screw in them as well. They fit into a slot 5 5/8 x1 5/8...I can make adaptors to suit..Defroster hose is 2".. Anyone have any interesting idea's on what to replace them with....
diamondtguy. The defroster ducts look same as Freightliner ducts. Not close to one right now but I can call MTLshop boss tomorrow and ask dimensions
That would be good.... Most of what I have seen on the web shows a separate pc for the top of the dash and a separate pc underneath with the hose connection on it..... The lower pc will be pretty straight forward if needed...There are countless vacuum cleaner attachments out there that use 2" hose.. Something nice up top would be nice....
I sent a PM to Marpole boss. See what he says
diamondtguy,Corey I have pictures and measurements. If you send me a PM with email address I will forward them to you. Bp
Hi..PM sent.....Thanks.. Some friends were out on there Harleys last week and one of the spotted a Grizzly Truck poking its nose out of a garage in Chilliwack.He couldn't stop but he remembers where he saw it and is going to go back with his camera...I know nothing of this truck...
Those are the best kind. Never know what it could lead to. Anyway I hope pictures come thru. Bp
I made some new rear spring plates.Didnt like the old ones and the center hole to locate them was way to big..Kinda copied what they had but put side plates and a center plate to stop the u-bolts from pulling the plates out of shape..I fit the center bolt to with in 10 tho of the hole so the plate doesn't try and move.It had a broken center bolt so I know the rear was moving around.. Plates are 3/8 304 stainless and I tig welded them ..I have a big water cooled miller machine at home here.. Had some new defroster(stainless) vent plates cut out on the water jet yesterday(I was actually at work for once).I just put some side plates on and used the original fittings..Straight forward repair and looks much better..They are assembled in the bottom pic but my camera angle is wrong.. No work for me tomorrow so I am going to go pick up the rebuilt Dana 60 front axel and drop the rear off to be rebuilt.. [ ATTACH]153013[/ATTACH]
Some of you know that 3 years ago I was in a very bad head on collision in my F-250 4x4 diesel .There was very little salvageable from the truck..I got my gauge pod that I made,my receiver hitch and the stainless airtank I made for the truck...That was all that could be salvaged. I am going to put the airtank in the grizzly after I shorten it a few inches and I have put the gauge pod in.. I made the pod to suit the dash of the Ford.Its all aluminum and powdercoated.It uses 2 5/8 gauges..The gauges did not survive the accident as they were all mechanical and removing them just wasn't going to be possible as the engine was broken loose and turned on its side..I had some friends remove the stuff as I was busy elsewhere (hospital) Anyways.I bought new autometer gauges and bolted it all together in the Grizzly.. Here is a pic of the Ford..You can see the gauge pod sitting on the dash like nothing happened..No Idea how it survived..The dash and steering column were all pushed out of place..Somethings just shouldn't be questioned.
Very well done Cory. She look's really good and well thought out, when you are done all that will sure stand out. The gauge bracket is top drawer.
Thanks..I got the Dana 60 front axel back yesterday and dropped off the rear one..I spent some time last night under the front of the truck planning out the conversion..I was going to ditch the front air bags but have changed my mind.They will stay.I haven't quite figured out the steering linkage yet but I will get there. The aftermarket suppliers make hundreds of different steering parts as the Dana 60 is hugely popular.. I am actually enjoying the brain melt of figuring all this out and making it all work..
I found these tags kinda stuck to the insulation on the drivers side where the kick panel would be.I will have to look the serial number up and see what year they are..No idea what they are doing there.... It is one pc...Tags have not been snapped apart...
Finished making all the new parts for the rear suspension today and reassembled everything.Lots of never-seize and lots of stainless hardware..I have a good size inventory of stainless hardware and the Grizzly will get its share... The rear axel will be going under the springs this time round...
I managed to get the stainless air tank that I had built for the F-250 into the Grizzly.I had to cut the tank and narrow it 4".I put it in the very back (limited space) and have it mounted as high as possible with out reinventing the tank..I mounted the compressor and all the controls for the pac brake in the right side tool box.I used the pac brake (very small) air tank as well.I have a single check valve on the big one.Truck will have air line quick couplers on both sides.. Also had a good look at the left side running board as it was badly blistered...Turns out the blistering is the rubber coating trying to come off.It actually all peeled of and the running board is just fine..I will have them blasted and epoxy coated.. I am going to attempt to remove the running boards tomorrow..They were installed with 1/4" mild steel Phillips head machine screws with nylocks..I suspect I will have to cut them all off.... I will get some better pics later..I only have a foot of clearance on the right side
More tinkering....Restored the 3 cast Grizzly name plates and made a new one for the glove box lid as it was just basic and missing the G.The new one is all stainless and actually 4 pcs.Took the water jet operator and I a bit to come up with a plan.He drew it all out.It turned out pretty good.. Mine is easy to spot as I left the letters tabbed together for ease of making it work
Looks great diamondtguy!
QUOTE=HD Mech;634362]Looks great diamondtguy![/QUOTE] Thanks... I sent a photo of the Freightliner serial #tags to my friend who is the parts manager at the local Freightliner dealer..Seems the truck was some sort of Glider...No idea how the tags which appear to be brand new(and 1997) ended up in the Grizzly.. [
Here is one of those "I wonder what they were thinking items..Bar on the right is a solid pc of 1x2 steel 8 1/2 long.It was used as the backing bar for the grab handle on the side of the truck.It also served as a anchor point for the shoulder belt bolt.Which I might add had to be zip cut off as it was seized solid...I made a new bar from aluminum and just put it back together as it was built I got the rear Dana 70 back today.It has been all rebuilt and now has 3.7 gears in it with a Yukon power-loc.The front dana 60 is all rebuilt as well with new 3.7 gears in it...I will install the rear tomorrow....The axel will now be under the springs.It was built with the axel on top of the springs... I am adding sway bars to the truck as well.
Looking very clean and sharp. However it is,does nice work
Spent the last few days putting the rear end back in the Grizzly..For the most part everything went well.I forgot about the brake hoses and as I flipped the diff from the top of the springs to the bottom the hoses are now to short.The truck has flex hoses off the cyl then goes to a hard line...After a few hours of searching the web I found the parts to make longer hoses.. I purchased new shocks base on the part numbers of the old ones but they are 2" to long.The old ones must have been bottoming out...New parts are on their way.. I have to address the rebound bumpers as well...I don't want the air bags or shocks to bottom out...More engineering.. I suspected the truck would not clear my door way once I flipped the diff..It doesn't.The truck will have to be skated or pulled out on the jack .My neighbor is bring his tractor down tomorrow morning to help me pull the truck out... Back out side the Grizzly goes...I will be able to get one of the Mustangs out now... It will have to wait for the new shop.......
Truck is back outside again and sitting on rubber..I will finish the brake lines and sway bar on the black top..Rear air bags have 12psi in them and the fronts around 40...Truck will level out when I put the Dana 60 in the front as it goes under the springs.Current straight axel is on top of the springs.. I have lots to do.....
Still waiting for my shocks and brake parts...Supposed to be here this week..Decided to get the other mirror on..Wasnt that easy as the wiring was in the way of my support.Its on the outside of my support on the opposite side..I just had to work around it and this mirror has a grey harness and the other side is black....Oh well cant see both sides at the same time..I even managed to get my harness clamp on backwards.. I also found out the door (passenger side) is growing so much in the heat that when it gets really hot the latch hits the post.Witness marks say its not something new..Door is aluminum and cab is steel.When it cools down it has some clearance..I will have to think on this one for a while... The fun continues......
looks good, is there shims behind the hinge where it bolts to the cab if so take one out all the way down to move the door forward just a touch , maybe . mack mr and le doors are like that .
No shims on the hinge or the latch.The only shims are on the striker post and that's of little help.A new piano hinge made out of thinner material would be the answer..Wouldnt take much....
Ah yes....I forgot about the universal cab spreader tools.....
Where's the like button when you need it??
lol
So...the Grizzly doors are probably Kenworth and I would Imagine some of the hardware is generic parts such as the handles and maybe latches.... I would like to know if anyone knows of a outside handle like mine that is made of stainless.This is my right side handle.I punched the carriage bolts out as they were in horrid condition and replaced them with SS 10/24 stuff thus the Phillips head... There must be some stainless ones out there some where...
Todays "Grizzly" report....my parts finally showed up and the weather broke so I finished the rear suspension stuff..New braided flex hoses for the brakes,some Rancho shocks and I hooked up the sway bar..I got the sway bar off the front axel doner truck and modified the mounts to suit the Grizzly..I will put a front bar on as well. Rebound bumpers were a bit of a challenge and a compromise.I should have welded mounts on the spring plates when I made them but I didn't think of it..I was not going to pull them back off so I came up with a simple aluminum mount..I will adjust them when I see how much the suspension actually moves.The air bags only rise 3/4 of a inch from zero pressure to 13psi.Dont know if I will ever get those rear springs to actually move.. Tomorrow I will bleed the brakes.. I don't have a milling machine at home.I did the counter bore in the aluminum with a boring bar for my lathe and mounted it in my drill press.I was surprised how well it worked...
I think "Stahl" tool boxes have stainless latches. At least they used to. not sure if they have that exact size and shape though. Check out www.stahltruckbodies.com
Door latches Try Hansen International. You can find them with a quick google search "Hansen latches". Any truck body builder should carry them. You can also try Faucher industries. Brutus out of Penticton should carry Hansen or an equal quality brand. This is what is used in the fire services, so you know its top quality stuff.
Thanks guys...I looked on both sights but didn't find any thing..Some latches look the same but are missing the parts on the back for the rods.. I am familiar with Faucher..I bought a 1000 rivets from them for my Diamond T..I did find the tailgate latches on Fauchers site that the loggers box on the Grizzly uses.. A question about my doors...Can you guys estimate what year the doors are and what is the interchange on the doors...Could I put newer KW doors on my truck ??? Thanks.....Cory
I believe they are the standard doors that were used from I think 82 or so until the day lighter doors started being used around 99 or so. The day lighter doors will fit but the striker plates need to be matched with the latch. There are a couple configurations but I am not sure which one you would want. A trip to a wrecking yard would probably be the easiest way to figure it out, usually plenty of examples at a good one. The kenworth dealer might be able to help also if you can find a good parts guy that knows anything about them! Actually now that I look at your mirrors they wouldn't work with the day lighter doors, the lower mount is where the window would be I guess.
Thanks...I made all the mirror stuff to fit those doors and can always make more....Exploring options here... This is a day lighter door ???The one with the drop down cut out for the window.
Yes, I am pretty sure those doors were made with the same latches you have. I can see if any of our trucks with those doors have them and give you a serial number if you want. I can think of 3 different configurations.
Thanks....there is a pic of my door latch in post #236..
Well....City Hall wont give me a permit to put up my new shop so I will have to regroup on that and re think things..As I need to keep moving forward I will just finish the mechanical on the Grizzly out on the black top...I will put a tent over it soon.. Pulled the left fender off today and will pull the right side tomorrow...Once the fenders are off I will drop all the suspension out of it and start cleaning and fixing.. Converting the steering from rear steer to front steer looks fairly straight forward.. The fun continues...
I looked at the doors on our trucks and all of the new style doors had different latches then yours. I think you would have to change the whole jamb to get the right striker plate but I am not sure of that. It doesn't look like it would be too hard to do but I have never done it so I don't really know what all would be involved. I love what you are doing to that thing.
Thanks...My friend owns three 70's KW's and I had a good look at them last week..The door halo/frame is actually riveted in and made of aluminum..If I really needed to I could fit them to my truck and that would also solve my tight fit up on the pass door.. Kinda side tracked right now getting the front suspension done.. So out came the axel today...Its 2wd days are over.As with the back I had to zip cut it all apart.The front air bags have already been changed recently so that is good.All the spring bushings appear to be ok as well.Lots to do on the engine as well..I will send the fenders out next week and get some aluminum ones formed up... Its hammer down time right now as my 68 is due back from paint in a month.Putting that car back together will take priority over the truck.....
Spent the last few days cleaning,painting and inspecting everything.Didnt have to make any bushings but the air bags have some age cracks and one has a bit of a wound so I ordered new ones... This afternoon I muscled up and put the front axle in.Bit of a chore as I was by myself..The head engineer (part owner,my boss) from work is coming by this weekend to pick up the drawings of the fenders and he will make solid works drawings.Parts will be all waterjet then sent out for forming and I will weld them up at home.He will also design a bracket for me to anchor the transverse torque rod to on the front.As its for the front end I don't mind getting some professional input. Truck is currently sitting just a little high on the nose but its close enough for me/us to design the torque rod anchor and I can get started on the steering... I am liking its new look....
Spent the week trying to sort out the front end.I got the new air bags for it on Wednesday.I wasn't happy with the final geometry and look once they were installed and air'd up.With the single pivot design it trys to roll the axel as its trying to raise the truck.50% of the motion is lost rolling the axel.To gain 1/2 inch in height air bag would grow 1".. I ended up cutting up another truck spring and added a short 3rd leaf.This gave me a 1/2 inch of height which equates to 1" of air bag extension.. I need to put some sort of link/torque arm/radius rod on the front axel to stop the air bags from rolling it...Pinion angle changes as it rolls...I need to get the head engineer from work over here and see what we can come up with.. Now I need to hook up the sway bar,make all new shock mounts and get the steering linkage parts.. Sounds pretty simple..(har har)
I guess this is the work of someone who thought they new what they were doing.I would imagine Jean was at the mercy of all those who worked on the truck.Kinda sad as they probably wrote a good bill for it.... This is a fuel filter in the left side tool box..Looks kinda normal...Its actually on the fuel return line.I am not apposed to filters but on the return line???.Some one else told Jean it was wrong and they shut the ball valve on it .Don't know who put the ball valve in it.Now shutting it off (as it was when I drove it home) will dead head the pump and cause problems.Took me all of 15 min to figure it all out and trace the lines.. Now....to make matters worse or stupider they had the fricken filter hooked up backwards..They had the engine return line going to the "out" port and the line back to the tank on the "in" port... The white stuff around the hoses as they pass through the box is bathroom silicone... I have removed all of this and hosed it back up the way it was built..They didn't cut anything so I just hooked it up direct again..I may use the filter elsewhere... I will be putting a second battery in the truck.Other one is in the opposite tool box.. The point of all of this..Someone did a ****** job of putting a fuel filter in a return line,did a really **** poor install and couldn't even hook the filter up properly.I bet they wrote a nice bill for it tho...May I never meet this "mechanic"... I better go make a drink...
Quiet week for the truck as I have been called back to work for a while.The head engineer at work is doing the solid works drawings for my fenders and I have a company down in the states building all my steering components... Built some new upper shock mounts for it but it wasn't as simple as I thought.They had angle iron welded to the frame to support the fenders.Water had gotten behind it and the rust started to push the angle iron off as it was just stitched on..After some thought I just cut them off and made new ones.I will plug weld these ones and seal the top..You can see the frame damage from the rust.Frame is at least 1/4 thick so I am not worried about it..I will weld the angles on tomorrow..Shocks and front brakes should be finished by the middle of next week...Then its time to yank the engine and trans.. I have started to peel all of the carpet out as well.Truck has a bit of a tunnel in it and I needed to expose it as I need to cut a hole for the 5spd shifter and transfer case.Turns out the tunnel has two removeable panels...No cutting required.
Had a lovely time outside today in the bright light and heat welding on the truck.I installed the new shock mounts and welded on some new fender supports.I used some preprimed (done at the mill)angle that I had here.Frame was primed first and I stitch welded them on.I then sealed them on the top... I don't like running plastic pressure lines around the engine so I made up a little bracket to hold the boost pressure line and the mechanical oil pressure line fittings.Lines are 1/4 SS.I will run the flex lines off the back to the gauges. To every one that is following this build I would like to say thanks...I am amazed by the amount of views this thread generates......Cory
My weekly Grizzly report...Had to work all week so not much to show...New front brake hoses showed up as did the lower shock mounts.All the new steering linkage parts are being made down in the states.I originally was dealing with a place in Parksville on Van Is but after 4 weeks of waiting they never came up with a price so I just moved on.. Ordered a Fleetguard fuel water separator with a fuel heater..I will find homes for the two filters I have...I have some black chassis paint coming next week... I also drilled and tapped the frame to clamp all the lines too...It was just tie wrapped.Had to cut apart and rework my sway bar links...They were a tad short on full extension of the suspension...I will bolt everything on permanent after the frame gets some paint..No comments about the "yellow" bushings....Its all I had with the correct register size.. Off to a car show tomorrow with the 67..... Cheers
The Grizzly report.....Worked all week again so not much time with the truck...Painted (POR 15) the outside of the frame rails and reassembled everything.All the wire harnesses are covered in that black plastic tubing and I actually don't like the stuff and am removing it all.I started on the left front harness.. I also hung the clutch pedal and figured out all the holes.Took some thought as available space was limited.The cummins uses a hyd clutch pedal.The brake and throttle pedal are too close to the floor and I will raise them slightly. Lots on the go right now.... My little 67 won first place in last Mondays car show....
How is that airbag on the end of your front spring going to work? On a normal suspension when you hit a bump your axle moves up and down vertically. On your set up it seems like it would move fore and aft messing with your steering. Especially if one wheel hits a hole and the other doesn't . I would think you would have terrible bump steer problems. I am interested to see if this will work well. I know it works on the back axle because that is basically how a coil over suspension is set up. But the front?
A relevant question....As the air bag mount is bolted to the leaf spring there is no place for the spring to get longer or shorter.Also the rise and fall of the air bag pressure will change driveline angle and change the castor angle...I gave great thought into ditching the front bags and putting conventional suspension in the front but in the end I chose to leave the original setup in it... I drove the truck home from the Island and it actually rode nice.I am just going to have to try it and see..I will probably never 4x4 it in the bush and it will never be a rock crawler...I cant see those springs bending much.I suspect the day to day ride will fall into the lap of the air bags... None of the mounting studs on the bags were broken nor were any bracket bolts so it hasn't suffered from for and aft movement.The truck how ever did have a easy life.I don't plan on being hard on it... If I have problems I will convert it over to conventional spring and shackle...At least it will be easy to take apart..
Normal leaf sprung axles move fore and aft when the suspension cycles, that's why they need a shackle. The spring gets longer as it compresses and shortens when it droops. Sorta reminds me of low leaf. Edit: i guess i should specify i'm talking about length eye to eye.
I think that's 075's question...If the front spring compresses where is that energy going to go...Truck will have cross over steering on it when I get it together so I don't expect it to do anything funny but suspension travel could be hard on the airbag studs and the airbag brackets to leaf spring bolts.
The air bags are flexible normal spring shackles dont move all that much this set up by grizzly from what I gather the air spring is acting like the shackle
Check out Hendrickson's AIRTEK or Kenworth's AG130 front suspensions if you are interested in how it can be done as another option. Don't abandon air ride in the front of the Grizzly without a fight.
I wont be giving up..I have always suspected the air bag takes up the for and aft movement.Jean used to put a water tank in the back so I know the rear did some moving around and nothing was broken.Just don't know how much.. I am going to look at the Airtek and Kenworth stuff..
I had a look at both of those systems...Nice stuff.....May a retrofit on the next Grizzly refit(I didn't just say that did I)
A week of little things....Steering parts will be here in a few days..I pulled the seat out which turned into a adventure.Seat was bolted to the risers with overly long bone dry Gr.8 bolts with stover nuts and the risers to the floor were the same.Two of them had to be zip cut off..The seat risers are well made out of .125 thick steel and are very heavy.I wanted to raise the seat a inch so I just made new risers out of aluminum.I have a band saw and big tig machine at home so its pretty straight forward.I also made new brackets for the seatbelt reels and new radiator uprights... The floor is well covered with some sort of ashfalt/tar paper that is impossible to get off..For the most part it has preserved the floor..I only removed the outside two inches where water leaks were starting to take there toll..I cleaned it up and put POR 15 paint on it.I will leave the bulk of the coating in place..The floors are in good shape as seen from the underside.. Truck has a bolt in tunnel on the floors and I will dig it out and remove it and replace the hardware with stainless.. I have started disconnecting the auto trans as well...
Slow going of course but every inch works into a mile. Many of us like the detailed info you post. Thanks Corey
Thanks..I am glad people are following the build..It has its moments but I am still enjoying the work on it and look forward to driving it. UPS says my steering parts will be here tomorrow...
Well ....I guess these guys didn't notice the Grizzly in the yard.They came buy for some apples at dinner time tonight...
They know they are protected with a Grizzly near by.
Waited till the heat died down today and finished the steering off.It all went fairly straight forward.Had to ream the pitman arm for a bigger tie rod and reset the steering stops but that's about it.Steering rods are 1.25 dia,.25 wall DOM tubing threaded L&R for the tie rod ends..Steering arm was CNC'd for the truck.Tie rod ends are large 1ton stuff..I also up graded the upper king pin bushings... Truck is now back on the ground and I have to figure out tires and wheels.Truck has a dually dana 70 in the back and I may go the dually route... One oversight on my part....The steering arm runs right into the brake line as it enters the caliper.I have parts and pcs on order to reroute it and change them to braided..
Hey man, I've followed this thread since the beginning you're doing a hell of a job! Imho I would go dually. Greetings from w wash.
Thanks...my brother (owns a tire business) is dropping off some dually rims next week for me to fit The rear axle is a narrow dually rear end and the front axel is 2.75" wider per side than the rear.The front is also pushing the limits on the width of the fenders...Using dually stuff will solve both problems...I do not like tires that stick out beyond the shelter of the fenders....
I got the running boards and rear bumper back from epoxy coating...The running boards are badly pitted from the water sitting under the rubber coating that was applied..They are coated in epoxy now and I may do something with them later..Checkerplate steps are orig Grizzly stuff..I just glass beaded them clean.. Truck is probably 5 to 6 inches higher than when I started on it and I think it looks much nicer at this height and as a 4WD.. I will put the rear bumper back on this week end... Time to get going on the front fenders..
I decided I wanted a winch on the truck but I had to retain the original bumper and didn't want to space it off the truck any more than it was...I found a Warn 12,000lb winch that would kinda fit..Spent a few nights on it and it all worked out.Solenoid box will probably get mounted under/on the right fender..Bumper will go for blasting and coating next week.. Bumper was originally attached with four 1/2 in bolts..I have changed it to 5/8 Gr 8
All things are looking nice and neat Corey. You will be rewarded soon
HHHMMM A couple Tommy Moore blocks now and you will have the ultimate recovery vehicle. She is looking VERY UPTOWN Cory
Thanks guys....I actually had to look up what a Tommy Moore block was....Still staying focused on building the Grizzly into what I think it should have been with out losing the truck #1 status and image.. I plan on putting a lot of miles on the truck .Best part is I am having fun doing all this work and am happy with the direction I am going.. Aluminum tail gate and fenders next.......Stay tuned Cory
Back to the drawing board I go...The dually thing isn't going to work...I would have to widen the rear fenders 3-4 inches a side and It just isn't going to happen...Not the look I am after... Me brain is starting to hurt.....
Just throwing this out there, but would the military hummer wheels work? 16.5" but very deep backset with the same bolt pattern.
I have been looking at those...Thanks
Cory, if you need any dimensions on the humvee wheels let me know......our village cop car is down for repairs, Jim is using the dpw humvee pickup for a police cruizer. Yea, I live in a small town........... Ed
Hi....yes I would be interested in knowing the width...What version of a Humvee is it.... Small towns are good...(I live in one) Thanks.....
Not sure on the version, it's got a 6.5 in it.....Jim only works 20 hrs per week. I check next time he's on "duty" Ed
The Grizzly need a winter den so I spent the last few days building this one..It is 14W x 24L..I have had a few of these before and lost them both in windstorms...I will take some precautions on this one.. New tires and wheels will be here early next week...I have the solid works drawings for the fenders on my desk and will hopefully order the material next week when (if)I get back to work..Most of the aluminum is at home here for the new tailgate... Front bumper is out getting sandblasted and coated Tomorrow the nose comes off the truck.. Hopefully next year I can deal with the city of Mapleridge over the construction of another building on the property..
Nose is off now.I will be stripping the front off the Cummins as they have a dowel pin issue (killer dowel pin)that I need to check and install the dowel pin retainer.. All the hose's will be replaced and rerouted...as will some of the electrical.. Sometimes I have to just sit down for a minute and just take it all in..... ATTACH]158836[/ATTACH]
Stripped the front off the engine today..It is all nice and clean...You can see the dowel pin above and too the left of the bolt.It can creep out and fall into the gears...I don't have to tell you what happens next..I don't have the drawings to tell me the depth but I tapped it lightly with a punch and the pin went in..It may have been on its way out.. I believe H17 lots its original V12 to a dowel pin.... Jean told me the engine was purchased from Cummins when new..Paint on the front cover clearly shows this engine was assembled and painted Cummins beige and repainted at some point black ...
Nice save Cory! That would have been terrible if it fell out, especially after all the work you are doing. The truck looks awesome!
Thanks.....made a little stainless clip today to cover the dowel pin...I just cut it by hand..Quick,nasty and effective....
Nice fix on the kdp. Never seen one come out in 20 yrs but the stories are enough. Mines at 300k. Anyhow, do you still want dimensions on humvee rims? I have a set of the early type. Hope im not late!
Hi...I have never seen the pin come out either and I only heard about it a few years ago when a friend bought a early Cummins.The storys and pictures on the forums were enough for me to address it tho..Pretty simple to deal with it now and it gives me a chance to get to know this engine better.. I have the wheel issue looked after and they are sitting here..I will post pics later I thank you for your offer to help...
Little things this week...Front of the engine is all back together.Dont think the engine has ever been apart so I pulled all the small parts off and cleaned them.Chased all the threads,never seized the bolts and put fresh gaskets in.I pulled the top off the intake for some service and I need to upgrade the valve springs to work with the Pac-brake.. Tilt hood is mounted on a piano hinge.Its held down with about 9 5/16 GR8 bolts..Naturally all but one broke so I had to drill them all out and re tap them.I re tapped them to 3/8 NC.. My new FleetGuard fuel water separator.I installed threaded inserts in the firewall for it..I will plumb it up this week.Truck will get all new fuel lines I also need to make a bracket for the sensor (crank trigger) for the tach.
So....this does not happen to me very often.As in maybe every couple of years I get focused on something and haven't thought it through or absorbed everything that is going to go on around it....But it happened today. Here is the bracket I made this morning for the crank trigger switch that signals the tach...I thought all was well till I looked at the pictures tonight and instantly noticed the serp belt would hit it.I will re address this tomorrow and re think it. I have no shortage of aluminum here so into the scrap bin it goes.. Tomorrow I will put the belt back on (should have to begin with) and come up with another idea... Cheers
Great job and workmanship, a real pleasure to see that in this day and age, you know what I mean. I think you have some easy accessibility to the exhaust now, might be beneficial to redo all the manifold hardware/gaskets before it craps out and makes the job a real bit**. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoy it and am a bit envious. Now back to my Toy as a warning CHEC has appeared on the instrument cluster and so far is a hair puller.
Callingtheshop...I have pretty much been yanking everything off that has bolts in and servicing it..This includes all the electrical stuff as well. The truck sat a lot and and the electrical and aluminum got rather fuzzy.. I will more than likely unbolt the exhaust manifold and separate the turbo.Much easier to deal with the bolts now and I do have a full set of gaskets here.. Today I redid the bracket for the tach sensor.I found a pad on the other side of the engine with tapped holes in it..Fan clears the bracket by about a 1/4 of a inch.I also ran the wires for the sensor through a pc of 3/8 stainless tubing so they are not floating around or sitting on the engine.Wires have shrink tube on them where they enter and exit the tube.. This guy has been hanging around here most of the day eating nuts and apples in the front yard.After lunch he went down to my pond and had a swim..
Corey,hope there are no food scraps or fruit under the big tent. Little black bear may tear in and be shocked to be face to face with a grizzly
Very true BP....we are very bear aware here...No edible garbage anywhere on the property..We don't even have garbage service here. He was here twice on Monday as was the female with two cubs..They come every year for the apples and the nuts..We always get our fair share of apples and the rest go to waist so they can have them..They have to pass by Mary's garden and they have never touched her garden or our blue berry trees.... We live in Bear country here.Most people around just ignore them...Its the Coyotes and the odd Cougar that are the problem I guess Mr.Bear just thinks the Grizzly is hibernating.
It was a very ugly day today weather wise.After going to the company lunch barbeque today I came home (to a oak tree full of bears) and decided it was a good day to try and pull the exhaust manifold and turbo off.Now lots of you have pulled exhaust manifolds off and know that it usually results in broken/seized bolts or broken knuckles...No such luck today.It all came apart with lots of effort but no swearing or headaches... Not sure what I will do with the manifold yet.As it feeds the turbo I have to be very carefull to keep it clean inside.. Probably start with getting it hot tanked..
Fuel system day...It took over 24hrs to drain the fuel tank through its 3/8 fuel line.There was about 15gal in the tank and it was just dribbling out the line (gravity)I knew something was wrong but didn't know what.. It has a high pressure/quality line leaving the tank but its only a foot long and then it connects to rubber hose with this arrangement.... A standard aeroquip type hose end with out the nut.Just shoved into the rubber hose and clamped.There are two like this on the PS return line system as well..In theory it works but not my style.I then removed the high pressure hose and the fitting out of the tank.I had already seen something poking out but wasn't prepared for this.. A rather large pc of cellophane .Its been in there a long time and was already on its way down the hose but it was stuck.The days of floating around the tank were long gone..Its been in there for a while.. Poor truck its a miracle it ran..Clogged fuel line and the return system shut off.. Truck has a heat exchanger on it for the trans cooler.As I am going 5spd I don't need it but considered keeping it for extra coolant volume.A few test showed it only held about 12-14 oz of water plus what ever the 5/8 lines hold..Not enough to convince me to keep it on..I might add its stupid heavy for its size. I currently have the drain pulled on the tank to have a good look inside..The pick up fitting for the fuel is not on the bottom its a few inches up which is good.I can put a stand pipe in the fitting if its to close to the floor.. It was a productive day.... Cheers
I put all new fittings and lines in the fuel system.I had about 20' of braided hose here and some ends left over from a project and just needed to buy some fittings for the truck..I will clamp all the lines up when I have the trans out.I poured all the diesel back in except the 1/2 a gallon that I got when I pulled the actual drain.It was in a bucket outside my shop and a curious bear cub pulled it over and soaked his front paws (along with my drive way).He left nice little paw prints down the rest of my driveway and then into the pond he went for a swim.. I baked the exhaust manifold on my wood stove for a few days to dry it right out.Then into the blast cabinet it went.Wasnt sure what I was going to do with it but I have some industial 1500 deg paint here so I coated the manifold..It may or may not stay..I use it on exhaust pipes but they don't get anywhere near manifold temps.. Built a new intake elbow as I am adding a intercooler.Base is 1/2 SS that was water jet and then I slid some 2 1/2 tube in it..Straight forward and basic..I also disassembled the grid heater and gave it a good cleaning.All the electrical connections are being cleaned and inspected.. Work called today and said Catalyst Croften just sent two more feeders for rebuild.I just did (sent) two rebuilt units a couple of weeks ago.So off to work I go tomorrow....I guess CC is busy.. And yes I have a cap on the end of the intake elbow....
Coming along nicely! That little Cummins, especially intercooled shouldn't see anywhere near 1500 at the exhaust manifold so hopefully the paint will stand up fine.
Not much to show this week.I got the bumper back from getting epoxy coated.I have the 12,000lb Warn winch tucked in behind it with out having to space the bumper out.I also added some 5,000lb swivel tow hooks I had.They are certified hooks that come with a bag of paperwork.Out of curiousity I read it and they have a 5-1 safety factor..The bumper will be on the ground before I ever test that rating.. The dash has a air pressure gauge in it so I made up a bulkhead fitting and ran a 1/4 SS line to it.The front air bags are being plumbed with SS tube and swedge lock fittings.The gauge will moniter the front bags.. I was told the truck had a problem of getting water in the fuel tank and the fuel gauge didn't work..Needless to say there was copious amounts of silicone/sealer around the fuel filler and the sender unit.I peeled it all off and pulled the sender out.I tested the sender and it works fine.I made new gaskets and put it all back together with SS machine screws.Sorry...I couldn't save the Robertson head stuff (yak) I suspect the trucks on going fuel problems were the return line being shut off and its complete lack of fuel to the pump.. Happy Thanksgiving...
It is very wet and miserable here on the mainland and I believe the Island is even worse.Blacktop is getting a little wet in the shed but the truck is dry.. Managed to make all new powersteering and hydra vac hoses for it today.Nothing really wrong with the old ones but I chose a different way of doing the fittings and I have routed them a little different . Engine and trans are sitting there unbolted and ready to pull..Way to much for my cherry picker so I have arranged for a tractor to come here when there is a window in the weather...Pulled the e-brake handle out and gave it a quick resto/service...I really like the old school handle and will be putting it back in...Other than the chrome it is very similar to the one on my 36 Diamond T.. Cheers
Good update Corey. Too bad you have to go outside for lift. Always a pain trying to line up times for all people to get together and the weather. Doing good though. Bp
Thanks BP...A friend actually offered to trailer his tractor over here and help me out.I am helping him out with his mid 70's F-250 4x4 cummins conversion.... As I said in post 289 I have lost 2 of these tents to windstorms..Yesterday (Friday) the front of the tent was over 2 feet in the air and the tent was getting blown every where.I scrambled around and tied it down to the truck... Today the tent was mounted on 6x6 timbers both sides and full length..Mary and I were out there in the semi storm for about 2 hours.I also have it tied down to the truck..Storm was supposed to hit again tonight but all is quiet.. About 8 years ago I had a tent over the Diamond T lift straight up and over the truck and land in the back yard...It didn't touch the truck.I have since built a proper home for the Diamond T...Permit or no permit....I will be putting up another building.... I hope you boys on the Island and the west coast didn't get hit to hard....
Drivers side wiper motor sounds like a glass case full of ball bearings...I took it all apart and the magnets are just floating around in the can.Sounds like they are just banging each other every rotation... Does anybody recognize the motor or the logo on it...Any suggestions on a replacement/refit one... Thanks.....
Took some research but its a Marine pc...and it is priced like a marine pc.....Oh well at least I can get one..
diamondtguy, these are the ones I have. The big difference is the shaft length. Don't know if you could make them work, but if you can they'll be in the mail.
Thanks HDX...those are very nice but as you said the shaft length is much shorter...The truck has towers welded on the cab to work with the long shafts.I would have to pull the whole dash assembly out to make changes..I thank you for looking.... ....I decided to try and epoxy the magnets back in the can...Truck only has 50,000 miles on it and as it leaked so bad I don't think Jean drove it much in the rain so in theory the wiper motors are virtually new.......Makes sense (kinda sorta) I uses two part epoxy,did all the math(location) and glued them back in one at a time.Let them cure for 24 hours and reassembled...Much to my happiness the motor runs very nice and quiet.. I have been very busy on it looking after line/hose routing and I have the dual batteries all hooked up now..Plan now is to have the truck back on the road in the spring...
Things you notice when you CSI pictures...It would appear that my truck is the only one built with the flat style headlight mounts..Truck #2 (red one) and every other one I have pics of have the headlights recessed and the lights have a eye brow over them..I suspect this keeps the water out but as most of them have front fender issues from rust some thing wasn't working..I kinda like the recessed look and may put my own spin on the idea...The drawings are already made and the material was ordered today.I will build them as copys of what the truck had but may tweak it abit. No pictures to show this week of the progress.I have been busy wiring up all the new gauges,mirrors,converting it to dual batteries and generally going over the electrical...and (Jean) I got the fuel gauge to work
Still busy wiring....Today I finished wiring up the gauges and wired up the heated mirrors.Also busy removing redundant wiring and a few switches that don't appear to do anything.Tomorrow I will focus on the wiring for the exhaust brake and on board air compressor... You can clearly see the difference in lighting in the small gauges..Two are standard clip in bulb and the far right one is the new internal LED.....quite the difference.. Also sat down and changed all the bolts in the door hinges on the door post side..9 bolts per side,5/16 NC x1..They were MS bolts with nylocks and for the most part were ok but I replaced them with SS bolts,nylocks and some never seize.. Aluminum should be here tomorrow for the new fenders.. Tomorrow is another day...
Great pictures for Halloween. Thanks.
Looks like the Tack came from:beatsme a pony car
High RPM Cummins!
I'm fascinated with it. I've always wanted a Unimog, have a '56 Power Wagon. The pure utility of the thing is so appealing to me. I'm also curious why such a truck is 4x2? Willie
Hey Reg...Its even a tell-tale tach....The early Cummins 6bt's have no tach sensor on them..There are only two options for diesel tachs and the other one uses a clamp on sensor on the alternator.It has to be calibrated after you install it.(not sure how you do that)..Not sure why a diesel tach goes to 6,000 rpm..I will play it safe and keep it below 5,000 rpm Yes Hank...Its a Autometer Monster tach..Same basic style I have in the Mustangs..Go with what you know
Willie....that's a bloody good question...It was the only 2wd one built that I am aware of.I can only guess that 4wd was pushing their engineering skills,budget or time frame on the first truck.I very nearly walked away from it as it is a lot of work to convert to 4wd.....but I didn't and it is now 4wd....A Power wagon is a cool truck..I was considering building a Cummins powered one before I bought the Grizzly.
Quite a few of my friends are Harley riders and I have heard from two different groups of a possible Grizzly sighting in Chilliwack..Chris managed to get some pics a week ago of the truck...Its actually a baby Kenworth...I find the cab and doors very interesting....I don't have any details other than the owner does know about Grizzlys and he didn't have a problem talking to Chris or letting him take photo's... I am still trying to find truck # 3.Its the grey one and last seen out in the valley...
are those willys pickup doors?
They do look like Willys doors.... I have a friend in Langley who says there is a green Grizzly sitting just down the street from him in a guys yard..He will get me some pics...No idea what truck this one could be but am looking forward to the pics.. Took the cab lights off today chasing the last of the leaks..I knew one or two of the lights were leaking as is the seam in the roof...I will spend some time fixing the damage under the lights and will gut the center seam and start over with it.Not hard to see there was some problems.I have new lights on order.Same style as it had but LED Put some LED lights in the tool boxes..Yes the boxes are blue inside.Truck was painted blue for a movie and when it was painted yellow again they skipped a few places.. The fuel cap was screwed and I actually recognized it.It is a oil tank/reservoir cap assembly.I ordered a new stainless one and installed the 6' long screen/strainer it comes with...This should stop people from accidently dropping there cellophane weiner wrappers in the tank... Hard to get pics right now as the weather sucks and the truck is in the tent with very little lighting.Its a little dark in there.
Here's the roof seam.Roof was built in two pcs and seamed in the middle.It has about a 3/4" return lip on both pcs pointed down.The return lip was stitch welded on the inside.Seam actually isn't in too bad of condition.The seam sealer let go along time ago and water was getting under it and the soon to be formed rust just helped push the sealer off even quicker...Seam was leaking water... I have cleaned it all out and washed it with metal prep...Will be a few days before I can paint it so I have a heater in the cab drying things out and keeping it warm.. Hood is made the same way...
brochure Found these today amongst thousands of pics and such. I believe Cam on the Island sent them to me with a bunch of truck info and videos few years back.Cory maybe has seen the cover brochure,if not,another missing piece then to fill in gaps.
Thanks for posting it....I actually have the paper work...Cam sent me copys as well.
What was the base price for a Grizzly back in the day? Ed
That's a good question...I have never seen any prices on the trucks but I believe Art bought his new and I bet he remembers what it cost.. Hopefully in the spring I can sit down with Jean and go through the archives. This truck is #13..I was told it was $75,000 new.I am guessing that it was built in 94/95 ...
DT, thanks for all the info on your project, I always look forward to the progress of the Task. I'm putting these photos on here as you or one of the readers may know what this poor old working girl is. Looks like a hard life and has been sitting in this spot for about 2 years now. It did have company which has been moved several hundred yards away. One of those Spyder or Spider excavators that has legs instead of wheels or tracks.
dodge wc51 or wc52. world war 2 era, previous to the m37 model of the 50's.
I was thinking M43 at first glance but I am no Military era Dodge expert.Not familiar with the models Ben46a posted but I will look them up.Always liked the looks of them.Hopefully someone is still using it for something.. Nice pc of yard art at the least..
M43 I'd guess, but the missing components it could me M37. They were Korean War vintage M43 and other variations were ambulances, M37 (pickup) were multi purpose. They shared some components with the civilian Power wagon, but the Power Wagon was physically bigger with more weight rating. Willie
The m43 and m37s lack the louvers in the side of the hoods and the front fenders have a higher arch as well.
WC52 minus the rear deck/box Note the running board and cab floor/seat riser. All pure weapons carrier The most important thing about her is she still has "Combat Wheels" on her. Up here she would be torn apart just for those wheels. Collectors would do some very bad things just to have them. Wonder if the back rear end has been changed The hub seems to stick out farther than the original style ones did. Will scan a couple pics on the weekend callingtheshop That is fantastic You are truly blessed to be surrounded by artifacts like that Remember mine?
As we are talking other trucks right now I will bring up some Diamond T news..Some of you know I own a 1936 212BD Diamond T.My dad bought it in 68 and I inherited the truck in 88.I did the resto and then parked the project as I couldn't find a grille for it..Twenty years went by before I found a grille that was rechromeable...Anyways...I always wanted a diesel in it but couldn't find one that didn't require cutting the truck...I ended up with plan "B" and that was a 300 I6 Ford (not so stock,built by me)...good conversion but not what I really wanted.. Today I purchased the front section of a 2000 freightliner...130HP Cummins 4BT with a eaton 5spd..I am having it shipped up from Florida.More than enough parts for me to do the conversion..Intercooler and rad wont be used..I just have to finish the Grizzly and put my 68 Mustang back together first.Mustang should be back from paint in two weeks.It is a empty shell.. It seems I will be busy for a while...
I've always been confused about the Cummins 4BT. I know little about them, but have heard they are all essentially the same. I have two, One in a Dresser bulldozer, one in a Case backhoe. Mine appear to be identical, and both are rated at 70 HP. A company called Legacy Power Wagons uses them, and claims lots more horsepower. As the Cummins redlines at speed far lower than even the stock 230 flat head, they must change transmission, and gear ratio. It's an interesting conversion. How do they get all the extra horsepower? Unlike gas engines, you can't double the revs to double the horsepower. Diesel fuel expands too slowly. Willie
I must have experienced a senior moment. The hood opens from either side. It's WW II vintage. The 3/4 ton WC had a very wide rear body usually with seats for men to sit sideways in the back. If I'm correct they were equipped with the Chrysler 216 flat head 6. I had a pair of 1936 Dodge Brothers trucks with them. They were not powerhouses! Willie
Re: Old Dodge Truck, Thanks for the input, maybe one day I'll find out who's property it's on and knock on the door and ask about it. Sometimes the people are really good and sometimes they have a big toothed hungry dog...
I am still a newbie on these Cummins engines..Most of the 4BT's that I have come across were 105HP and they use the VE pump like the 6BT in the Grizzly.The 130HP uses the newer "P" pump and its intercooled..I have read pro's and con's on both pumps... I geared the Diamond T to do 55mph at around 2400 RPM.Truck has a 4spd and I installed a mid 50's 3spd Brownie "A" box in it to help out..New powertrain has a 5spd.Once I get the tag number off the 5spd I will have a better idea of its gearing... Truck originaly had a Hercules JXA engine in it (201 CI) I am actually quite familiar with the flat head Dodge engine.My Dads daily driver well into the 80's was a 1939 Canadian Dodge (purchased in 1964).I also drove the car for years.We put a .040 over IND 265 flat head in it with a 1937 Chrysler 3spd with overdrive..Woke the car right up..I sold the car in 1991...It is in Chilliwack now
Timing and minor pump tweaks will go a long way on a 4 or 6 bt, the rotary pumps can be tricky but the inline ones are very easy to tweak. Governor springs raise the upper rpm limit and helps wake them up as well for use in a vehicle. the rotary pump is more driveable I found though.
Not sure If I will do much to the 4BT but the 6BT will get a new fuel pin and governor springs... Today on short notice a friend came buy with a boom style tow truck and we yanked the engine and trans out of the Grizzly.Other than putting the 5spd on the Cummins I have some wire and hose clamping to do while the engine is out..A good cleaning of the truck frame is in order..It all sounds just so easy......
Stripped the Ford C-6 auto and transfer case today off the engine today. I figure its a C-6 off a 6.9 Ford diesel..Question is where did they get a adapter for the Cummins.It had only been around a couple of years that I know of.. The NP 205 transfer case needs a adapter to fit the NV 4500 5spd but it is easy to get The engine mounts are rather interesting...Frame brackets have 1 1/2 in holes in them and the mount has a 1/2 stud..Large flat washers were used. I recognize the mounts but cant ID them.Right side mount is broken.Engine is to big for the small mounts that are for the most part glued together..The brackets on the engine are good...I will have to rethink this one..
Motor mount picture..... Pictures of the C-6.Tag says it is a 1987 Transmission...
Those motor mounts look similar to 70's V8 Dodge truck..... Ed
Clutch assembly I have for it..Dual disc set up from South Bend clutch.Comes with a new flywheel.Its rated for 550-750HP and 1400 ft lbs of torque...More than enough for me.. New in the box NV4500 5spd...
It would appear you are correct..Looks like they are 70's Big block Dodge Truck......Good call
Another bit of mechanical challenge for me.I have never worked on a t/case before..Its a NP 205 and for some reason was in my 2wd truck..It is a drivers side drop which is what I wanted.Problem is its a 31spline input and the NV4500 5spd is 29 spline..New input shaft required ($$$).I also changed the shift rails so both axels can be controlled independently, this also gives me 2wd low range. I also switched both yokes on the t/case and the yoke on the front axel to 1350 series..All 4 main u-joints are the same size.I have to build new drive shafts so it doesn't matter about them.. I put some new bearings,seals and gaskets in the t/case as well... Now I have to do something about a shifter.. Hopefully this week I can get the trans and transfer case bolted up to the engine...
Dismall week for working in the tent....Transfer case is all done and I have ordered the new twin stick shifter..I cant engineer and build one for what they sell them for..Trans has been modified for shift rail clearance on the t/case and I played in the tent today and installed the flywheel and clutch... Currently building a mount on the trans for the e-brake lever....The ball stud in the bellhousing was NFG so I have a new one on order then I can assemble all of this...Would really like all this stuff back in its home before the 68 arrives... My fenders are due back from forming next week and I would like to get them fit and welded as well before the other car comes home... Doesn't matter how much space you have....It just never seems to be enough
Diamondtguy,there was a small display on FB. Showed a wife standing over hubby ready to strike. She says you already have 3trucks. Why can't you be like normal guys and just watch porn? Watch your back lol. Bp
Lucky for me Mary likes what I do and she also likes all my toys but....she has made it very clear that I have enough and I don't need any more (read...I'll beat you with a stick if you buy anymore) She very much wants to drive the Grizzly and the Diamond T.. Had to go to work today but I finished off a bracket I had forgotten about..E-brake handle bracket...I remember driving the truck home and the handle vibrated worse than Peg Bundy on the back of a Harley and just as irritating.Had some funky little sleeved neoprene bushings and mounted the handle with those..Bracket has 3 sets of holes as I am not quite sure of where everything is going to poke through the floor...
Time for some clean work...I got all the formed aluminum back today for the fenders.Lots of fitting and welding to do..Its .125 5,000 series aluminum.. I changed the side profile of them.Originals had just a 90 deg return on the out side.I changed it to 45 then down and under..
Excuse me while I slide off my topic....New engine and trans showed up for the Diamond T..It is sitting at work next to my bench.I had it shipped up from Miami... Its not a 16V71TT or a 3408 Cat but it is a Cummins and they were around when the truck was new..Sounds nice in the video.It will be a year before I get back on the Diamond T.. I will not be able to use the intercooler and some of the parts but as most of you know its better too have to many parts than not enough.. Very happy I have a heated shop...... Here is a video of my new engine and trans.. https://youtu.be/iunxCRlAbBs?list=FLLKTLt_aM_avI1BC8xexNQw
Sound like you did well with that engine.
Snowed all day today so I spent the day in the shop working on the fenders and headlight boxes.Hopefully in the next day or two I can start fitting them to the truck..
Spent the day today welding up the fenders and figuring things out.Original light boxes were .125 metal and the fenders were either .110 or .125.The new stuff is .125 so my new stuff is 1/3 the weight. I need to get a hole saw for the wireing harness and weld up the other light box...Maybe next week weather permitting I can fit them up...Then off for epoxy coating...
One more obstacle navigated....
diamondtguy,well things are looking good. Curious though,have you decided on a colour? Same or change. Doing great as always. Bp
Honestly...I haven't thought about paint at all..For the most part the paint is ok on the rest of the truck other than the rotten tailgate,roof damage from the marker lights and some blistering around the windshield.. The fenders,headlight boxes and new tailgate will just get blasted and epoxy coated satin black for now... Mary wants me to paint it but It would be a color change and for me that means stripping the truck to bare bones and starting over..I just don't have time for that right now.. As far as the color...Mary wants me to paint in Military green (drab I think they call it) I on the other hand haven't thought about it.It would be something no other Grizzly wears...
Not much going on in this weather...I have the twin stick shifters all sorted out for the transfer case.I had to cut the sticks off and rotate them so they are out of the way of the 5spd shifter..Typical,buy it then rework it... Currently snowing here.. Starting to look like a hibernation den..
diamondtguy,all the vital parts are inside and dry. That is hard to do. Enjoy the holidays. Happy New Year. Bp
Almost time for the Grizz to come out of its den.
Thanks BP....Top of the Season to you.. Hank...It will be a few more months before the Grizzly comes out of hibernation...
diamondtguy,2 weeks and no post. Doing ok? Bp
Doing OK thanks....Still no shortage of snow here.Finally went out and did some work in the den today..I have just been doing little projects and planning out the exhaust..After much thought I have decided to put stacks on the truck.I really don't want a 3 1/2 in pipe and a muffler hanging down under the truck.Stacks will be 3 1/2 diam and painted/coated satin black,ends will be square and use raincaps.As the stacks will have to be on the back side of the tool boxes I doubt cab noise will be a issue.The stacks will also stop the exhaust from blowing up dust on the dry off road stuff...That's my plan anyways.... I will post some pics tomorrow..
Things will work out. You seem to know how. Looking at weather,it is hard to get into any project if hands get cold. I do know that. Bp
Some little projects...This is a manifold I made for the breathers on the axels,trans and transfercase..They will all be routed to it.Used a valve cover breather for the filter. These are two brackets I made from aluminum.They are standoffs that will bolt to the toolboxes and then the stacks will be bolted/clamped to them...I wasn't shy with the filler rod on these.
I brought the Cummins 4bt/5spd assembly(for the Diamond T) home today from work..Pushing the capacity of the little F-150 but it did OK... The frame rails and leaf springs are still attached to the engine.Thus adding a lot of weight...I wont be unwrapping it till the weather warms up a bit... Oh ya....I have to figure out how to get it out now..
Didn't you have a really good friend with a tow truck??? I had to do that one time to get a cab out of my pick-up. Got him to back in beside my box and lift it just far enough up that I could drive ahead and then set it straight down Worked good Just an option
Yes I do have a friend with a tow truck but I was hoping not to break the seal on the shrink wrap to find the lift hooks..I live in farm country and a neighbour a mile away has a farm tractor with forks on it..The engine is strapped to a pallet so this is plan A..Plan B will be to break the seal and get the wrecker to lift it off.. This isn't the first time I did this.I brought a free tote of sand home once in the old F-250.I unloaded it with a big bobcat (now gone) and I no sooner got it off the truck and the bobcat did a nose dive... Love this hobby....
necessity was the mother of invention LOL Whatever it takes. Whenever I get into a "Situation" that requires great thought I always remember what President Kennedy once said Success has a hundred fathers Failure is and orphan!!!!
At least you will not be spinning out in the ice and snow on you street with the weight in the old Ford.
Hmmm. Back up and hit brakes,not an option here. Another old truck around not being used. Run line over top and skid truck to truck. Could be heavy for forks?
Took a few days but the tractor showed up and made quick work of getting it out and on the ground.It is semi under cover now and sitting in front of the Diamond T....All is good Back to the Grizzly I go
All good
Nice break in the weather today so I fit the left side fender.It fit pretty good actually.I marked all the mounting holes took it back off and drilled it all out.I will do the other side tomorrow... The rub a fender will be added after they are painted..Truck is sitting rather nose high right now as I recently hard lined the front air bags with stainless lines and charged it up for a air test..Took a couple of little repairs to get it all good.Its been sitting aired up for over a month now...
I got my new nutserts for the front headlight boxes.I had aluminum ones and they were shearing off when crimped so I ordered steel ones.A little harder to install but good to go once installed.. I also upgraded the front park lights to new style LED ones.The old bulb style are just a single post mount style and the new ones are dual posts.Old ones broke apart when I removed them... My 68 is currently getting wet sanded and polished and I am told I can bring it home next week (not holding my breath)Garage space for Grizzly stuff will be almost nill...Need to get all this stuff done quickly...
Couple pics of the truck I just found on Mary's phone..Wrong tires and wheels but sitting in its new 4x4 stance..Elevation change of the truck is obvious from its prior 2wd stance...... And yes...I see the crooked Cummins name plate on the left side..
Nice to see how much you have done, and sitting outside in the sun. Looks like you are getting closer to having it ready to start up.
I found these pics on Mary's phone.I suspect they are from last September.Engine is still sitting on the ground and the trans and transfer case are in the shop..I am ready to reinstall everything and now that the snow is gone I can proceed..
Got the right side fender fit and marked out.Will drill it out tonight.Also mounted the winch solenoid pack.It was the only place I could mount it with out remaking all the cables...
Well hibernation time isn't over..Started dumping here Fri morning..Its let up a little but still coming down..
We got about the same here today and just coming down now should get 10 cm by morning.
Stuck in the garage today so I decided to do a simple job of bolting the t/case on the back of the 5spd.Pretty straight forward..NOT.. I put a new input shaft in the t/case so I knew that part was good.The t/case had a 1/2" dowel pin in it so I drilled the trans for it carefully.My layout was my only concern..First attempt had it go into with in 3/16 and stop.Pulled it apart,found nothing and put a chamfer on the dowel hole incase it was a little off.2nd attempt went the same way.Stopped 3/16 from the end.Pulled it apart and started looking for problem.Eventually found 4 little witness marks on the trans from the seal retainer bolts.. It wasn't going to work...Short story...remachine front seal retainer down as much as possible.Change the 4 bolts to socket head and counter bore the retainer for them.This netted me .100 more .I will have to make a .125 thick spacer for it tomorrow..I am not at work so no water jet.Band saw,drill and file... Not a problem I expected but happy to have all the stuff sitting on the shop floor when I did... Total depth needed for the T/case retainer was 1.00 not counting the bolt heads.Total depth on the trans was about .800 and it tapers back after the counter bore and the taper gets in the way of the bolts.. Oh well...should have it all bolted up tomorrow..
One more pic..
Finished the t/case stuff today.Cut a 1/8 spacer from aluminum and it all bolted together fine.Also set up the t/case shifters.T/case shifter sticks will have to be dropped when I install it but the linkage can stay put..Everything seems fine now..
Weather was decent today so I finished off some little things..Ran the cables for the winch.I ended up drilling a hole in the bumper to access the main ground on the winch,just to tight in behind to get to it properly.Yes I scratched the bumper doing it.. [ATTACH=furStill have a little issue to deal with is the starter was originally on the right side along with the battery..All the cables are on the right side of the truck..New location will have the starter on the left side.The cables are all good so I don't see the need to pull them and replace them.Some creative routing and junction block placement is in the works.. Also pulled the hydro boost out as it was leaking out of both ends.I have a new seal kit for it.Check out the massive silicone seal to the firewall..I will make a foam/rubber seal for it..
Addressing a few problems/issues I new about ...The brake pedal was only 5 1/2 " above the floor.Way to low for my liking.It has already been massaged once to fit the truck so cutting a 1 1/4 out of it didn't bother me.I tig welded it,blasted it and gave it a new coat of paint.I am well versed in pedal ratio's and did all the measurements.After cutting it was still around 5-1 which is quite high for power brakes.The truck does stop well.. Steering column.....I thought it was a GM unit but its a Ford truck tilt column.It has no ign switch in it..Problems...Its a auto column with shifter on it,turn signal switch is broken.Tilt mech is broken.I stripped the column to its core and went after the broken tilt first..It wont stay engaged in any position other than the lowest..I suspected a broken pawl but it was even simpler.The pin on the pawl had crept out half way and the pawl had lost its home and wasn't aligned anymore..I found a new turn signal switch.On Fords part of the tilt assembly is in this switch...So its a tilt only switch..I have the manual trans column out of the 78 Ford still so I will rob the tin off the column and hopefully build a nice manual trans/tilt column out of all the parts.. Hydro boost...I gutted the unit and replaced all the seals and O-rings..Both end seals were long finished which is why it was drooling everywhere.. On the bright side.....I am running out of things to fix....Still havin fun tho..Second pic is the pedal as removed.
Getting empty......
Quiet week again as I have been back at work..I got the steering column all fixed up (less column shifter) and reinstalled.I also made all new mounts for the column and managed to move it up about 3/4 of a inch.Brake pedal is back in along with the clutch pedal.I also reinstalled the hydro boost.I made a new ring for the steering column boot as well... The black paint on the firewall is spray bomb and just scrapes of with a putty knife.It didn't stick...I am slowly removing it as I work on the firewall.... Time to get the engine back in....
More not so eventfull things....Decided to wire up the new LED cab lights...Should be fairly easy as it had lights before.Wired up one light and tried it.Flickering and not happy..Fiddle with the ground connection and light works fine.Wire up second one and they both go dead...The harness is now dead.Spend an hour tracing things and find a loose connection under the dash.All is well and the lights look good. Got my aluminum today and quickly fit it up for my tailgate..I hope to weld it up tomorrow as my 68 is supposed to come home tomorrow and work space in the shop will be bench top only...
Pretty much finished the tailgate today..Just have to do the rear brackets for the cables (it had chains before) and figure out how to attach the metal latches to the aluminum (previously welded on)..
Looking real good your doing a great job.
When this Grizzly hits the open road again , it will be be the envy of the surviving Grizzly's pickup's .
Thanks guys....struggled a bit with the latches as they were originally welded on the steel gate.I had to bolt them on and put a bracket on the back for the cables.Truck originally used chains on the gate for stops when you lower the gate.I am using stainless cables and wanted strong mounts and I wanted the bolt for the cable eye in double shear..People do like to drop tail gates..My bolts for the latch were in the way to put the cable brackets where they belong.So I moved them out a bit and splayed them so the cables are not kinked..... It all sounded good in the shop..When the weather brakes I will put the gate on the truck and see how I did.. Gate will be getting sand blasted and epoxy coated.I will put drain holes in it after its blasted..
I wish Art would jump on board here..I met him at the Alberni truck show a few year ago.I believe he bought his truck new and has done a extensive amount of work to it..Most of it all the body panels have been replaced in $tainle$$/aluminum...He has pretty much remade the loggers box on it as well...Lots of work.. Actually I would like it if any of the Grizzly owners posted here..
A 37 inch tire really would not look out of place on them at all....... the grizzlys are starting to grow on me I must say.
Yes they have grown on me as well..I appreciate them far more now than I did in the 90's when the were being built down the street from me.My friends all have a interest in my progress as well.I look forward to touring around in it.... I am still amazed at the view count of this thread.....
Sneak peek....Due home in a day or two..This is my 68.I have had it since I graduated in 1977..Rotisserrie restoration by me.Paint/body work by Travis Brown (he did my 67).This car has always been really nice since I first restored it in 1981...This time I took it to a whole different level.I have put just under 100,000 miles on this car and its been off the road for 10 years...So ya....I drive them
Pretty quiet around here so I will post something.....There are 26 bolts holding the center pc/tunnel down on the floors.Originally put together with nuts and bolts a total pain to remove with the drivetrain in..Plan was to put nutserts in the floor and fire wall.I bought some 5/16nc steel inserts only to find out my gun was not strong enough to compress them.So I put some 3/8nc aluminum inserts in then.Even then this simple little job took hours to do... Then weather is still fricken horrible..
Weather was finally dry enough for me to sit on my butt under the truck and clamp up the lines before the drivetrain in.Frame is 1/4 thick so its drill and tap and stainless bolts..Hard to get good pics crouched over holding the camera in one hand.. I also put the bellhousing,starter and engine mounts.I got new ones like the truck was built with but I also got some used Dodge/Cummins one which are bigger and better made.They are 1/4 thicker but I don't think its a issue as I have to make my own trans crossmember once I get the stuff mounted...Bolts on the mounts are grade 8 and the nylocks are stainless Short of sliding the 5spd on I have everything ready to reinstall the drivetrain...Weather will determine when it happens
Still haven't learned this new format......Large pics
Things looking very nice Corey. Clean and sharp. Nice to work with. I notice there is a decrease in posts since the new format has commenced. Bp
Thanks BP....Yes its been very quiet on the Forestry thread.Not sure if it affected other threads but the new format doesn't allow visiters to view the pictures.This doesn't effect posting but certainly effects the amount of traffic and views the forum gets.....
Nice to see big pics again. Very nice work Cory. Thanks for sharing with us.
I've been off this site for a couple of years now but catching up a bit with different threads and thought I'd throw in a tidbit or two. Back in 1986 I went to work for Dave Husby at Eden Lake in the Charlottes and a couple of months later Geoff Buck was hired also. We spent more than a few hours discussing the idea of a "truck" that would be better than the Fords or Chevs commonly used in logging those days. As Warehousemen/Parts guys we were familiar with all the parts and brand-names commonly found in most logging outfits so the idea was to build a truck that used mostly those commonly found parts. Think Stewart-Warner or Cole-Hersee gauges, Spicer driveline parts, Cummins diesel and GMC diesel parts and things like that, almost all found in logging camps back then. We also talked about the body panels that could be used, the glass for the windows and what they could be, the powertrain, the engine possibilities and most everything else that two guys with nothing else to do could come up with. (It was a 30 days in and 12 days out camp then) Models designed for oil exploration and mining exploration were mentioned but our focus then was mostly confined to logging as we were most familiar with that. I moved on in 1987 to open a small store in Sandspit for Island Mack Truck Sales and Geoff moved on to actually get the idea going, as we all know. Lots of "interesting" stories about Geoff and his adventures in the Charlottes back then as well as a few interesting stories of how he met his demise in the end. I'm not going to follow up on any of them here though. I don't recall who bought Pete Cahill's Grizzly along with a pile of parts a few years back but someone here might know. Used to see him and his truck as well as another guy whose name I can't recall from up Sayward way that had a Grizzly too around here a few years ago. Time's a flying by nowadays eh what?? Take care.
Dave...do you know which truck Pete owned.I know a lot of the spare parts ended up in Qualicum on the Island.Bruce Warren got them.He owns the Grizzly that is sitting in the compound on old Island Hwy.. I was only a mile away when these trucks were built in North Van.I know lots of the storys/rumours and hear say but I leave it off the forum.It just isn't important any more.Goal is to dispel all the misinformation about them and document the rebuild on one for everyone to see..Dont know if you read the whole thread but I have Geoffs old truck..Its truck # 1. I am still searching for a few trucks I haven't accounted for..
Trying to make some space in the shop today so I put the new tailgate on the truck for a trial fit..It actually fits pretty good and just needs some minor tweaking
Sorry I don't know which truck Pete owned but I'll see if I can find out. I agree about the rumours and stuff but gee there are a couple of funny stories that aren't disrespectful I might share someday. Anyway, good on ya for your rebuild. Looks good and I appreciate people who try to keep history alive and available to others by such acts as rebuilding old beasties and the like. I've read through most of the thread now and wish I hadn't been away for so long as it would have been easier to just read along as it evolved. LOL All the best. Take care.
Hey Dave....I'll assume you saw all of my pics and that pretty much accounts for all the trucks I have found.Pete's truck may be one of the missing ones.. I still need to sit down with Geoffs widow (Jean) and go through her archives and see if I can sort a few things out.Maybe this spring/summer.I need to do a road trip to the Island anyways... Glad you posted and feel free to tell some humerous storys and share any insight you might have...
Had a friend come over and he power polished the paint on the truck to get rid various marks, stains and general crap that the air deposits on our stuff..Paint on the truck isn't to bad actually..I still have to pull the windshield and clean up the damage behind them.. The paint came up good and the truck is looking good...I couldn't pull it out of the tent as the engine is sitting in front of it..
I also got my SS cables for the tail gate so I will get that project finished...and yes,,the roof of the truck was done and ate up a few hours..
That my friend is one fantastic looking truck Always was but you have brought her into the 21st century WELL DONE She could not have gone to a better home !!!
Thank you.....
Hi again and sorry for delay in getting back. Had a most enlightening and informational talk for over an hour earlier today with Art Bowbrick from Sayward who has #7, a crewcab that he's been rebuilding for some time now. He is a veritable wealth of information and would welcome any phone calls from anyone who would like to know more about Grizzly trucks and their history. Pete Cahill's truck was #3 and ended up in Port Alberni he says, if that's any help. He knows who got most of the trucks originally and where they were used and/or ended up so if you'd like, give him a call. He's in the phone-book so I won't post his number here and I specifically asked him if he minded if I gave his name and number and he was most welcome to the idea so call him. Ask him about what he's done on his truck too, as it's quite extensive with a lot of panels that rusted badly replaced with SS. Rust was not friendly to the Grizzly it seems. He also knows a lot about some of the problems encountered along the way during the construction, the type of frames used on various units and a lot of that stuff. Can't recommend him enough. Anyway, all the best with your projects going forward and if you get this way in Mid-August or thereabouts give me a call and I'll take you rowing for Tyee in the Tyee Pool. Take care.
Thanks...I will call him..He lives in Duncan on a funny long named street ???? I think truck #3 was the Gray one and I have yet to find it or anything about it..
He lives in Sayward, not Duncan. Use 411.ca and look him up. Pretty sure he can help you. Take care.
Hi..could not find a listing for Cahill in Sayward....could you email me his phone number or pass my email address off to him...Thanks [email protected]
Art Bowbrick lives in Sayward , Pete Cahill was thought to be in Alberni
We've somehow crossed wires here methinks. LOL Look up Arthur Bowbrick in Sayward and talk to him. He's the guy I talked with yesterday. Last I heard about Pete Cahill was he'd had a major stroke a few years ago and is in a home around Nanaimo nowadays. Hearsay so I'm not positive but I haven't seen Pete around for a couple of years and I know he'd sold his truck and all the parts and stuff he had before he had the stroke 'cause I talked to him about it. But give Art a call and pick his brain. I was impressed by what he knew about them. Ain't confusion fun?? Take care.
There ya go...Probably my mistake...When you described the truck it sounded familiar.I met Art in Alberni at one of the truck shows a few years ago.It was the first Grizzly I had seen in a long time and I spotted it right away.I talked to him for quite a while before I actually got to the reason why I was there..I will give him a call....Thanks
I did find a Pete Cahill in Duncan...Interesting about truck # 3 as I was told a while ago from a friend that a guy he worked with purchased (new)the grey one that's on the brouchures.Logic says it was truck # 3.His name was Stanley N.I have found him but had no success contacting him.The where abouts of the truck are still unknown..
I think Art told me that a guy from Kamloops named Gene Legault ? was the original owner of #3. He owned a trucking company I think. He'll tell you all about it as well as one that was never licensed to the best of his knowledge. Think it was a Supercab with a Ford six cylinder engine and a lot of problems. I recall the last one was bought by a lady nurse who drove it until she traded it in at a Ford dealership in the BC Interior somewhere. I think the next owner traded a backhoe or suchlike for it. Just realized there's no sense in me posting much more here 'cause you'll hear all this and more when you talk to Art. Kinda just typing practise for me right now I guess. LOL All the best. Dave
Stay posting ..all info is good... This is truck #13 that was built for the nurse..Owned by Bruce Warren and currently sitting in a compound in Qualicum..
The black grizzly (I don't remember what # it is) was originally built with a 300 I6 Ford engine.It is the only one I have heard of with a Ford 6 engine.It now has a Perkins diesel in it..He also owns one of the next trucks Geoff built..Both of these truck I believe are also in Qualicum or very close by.. I have heard about a Grizzly up in Kamloops
Art told me the guy used to tow a trailer with his Grizzly on it with the Ursidae. Never seen one of those before. Take care.
Geeze I'm getting slow in my old age. Just realized that "Ursidae" is the Latin name for the Bear family. Copycat of the Grizzly with a creative name it looks like. Take care.
You are correct.....I got these photo's from Jean (Geoff's widow) I forgot to push...make pictures big button
Spent some time today sitting on my butt under the truck drilling,tapping and clamping up lines and wiring..Starting to look tidy under there. I forgot that I was going to dissect the light panels off the back of the truck.They were free hand cut with a plasma and they are oversize.The rubber seals kinda just flop around in the holes.I water jet two new panels for the truck months ago...Panels were tack welded/stitched in place then sealed up with a mixture of unknown products.I am taking the easy way out and will just rivet the new panels on.I will remove the other panel tomorrow..They are getting new seals and new LED lights.. I have phoned Art twice now and just got the machine.I maybe calling a cell phone that's turned off at night (??)
Cory, you never struck me as an 'easy way out' kind of guy.
Very good (LOL)....point taken.You are right....not my thing My options...panels could be welded back on but I will ruin the surrounding paint.I could panel bond them on but I will probably have to purchase way more than I need and it has a shelf life.. I could rivet them on with aluminum rivets which will/would be easy to remove..When the day comes that I strip the box and have it blasted I could weld the panels on then.. I have still not figured out how to get the old,bubbling,peeling rubber coating out of the box...Where it is loose.....it's loose.Where it is still glued/stuck on it is on..I have a few more things to try...Untill I remove it all (and yes they did the box sides) the box cannot be blasted. I have other things to focus so I am not worried about it...I am pushing to have it back on the road this summer...
Cory, What number are you using? 282-3741 is his and not a cel phone. Use the 250 prefix. Keep trying.......it's worth it. Take care.
That's the number I have.I will keep trying. Thanks
Well ...after much thought on how to do it I drilled two four and a half inch holes in the box for the stacks.Holes are just inboard of the frame rails.Frame is only 28" inside.I don't want the pipes outboard of the rails and I want the least amount of box space taken up by the pipes..Box floor is 1/8 thick.The holes are not a indication of where the stacks will be.They will be outboard as far as possible..
Slowly trying to peel the rubber coating out of the box.Jean had been working a way at it as well...Its going to take a while...Water has got behind it and started wreaking havoc on the metal..Drivers side wheel tub in the box has suffered the worse.Easy repair but something else I will have to fix..
Also got some Por 15 paint on the box where the tail light panels go and got the original (stainless) mudflap brackets back on the truck.Tailgate,headlight boxes and taillight panels go for paint this week....
Tailgate,headlight boxes and taillight panels got dropped off at the paint shop.Probably have the stuff back in a week.But....as he never charges me to do my stuff I am happy to wait till it is done.. A friend was over the other day looking at the truck and he is not what you would call verbally shy...He told me that was a ****ing stupid place to put the valve for the front air bags as some A**h**e will step on it and leave me stranded...He has a point.I would never stand on it but that doesn't mean some one else wouldn't.I made a simple little guard for it..Nothing is ever secure from everyone...The empty hole is for another receptacle.I have a 250W oil pan heater as well. You can see the pitting in the running board.Thats the water damage from having the rubber coating on and water was migrating in and under.That is epoxy paint on them now so they are safe for now..I may make new ones later.For now the originals can stay on.
Looks like in a month you will be ready for a road trip or two this summer. Looking great so far.
Kinda sorta...maybe more than a month but I want it on the road for summer.I have a friend coming over on sunday to help me put the trans &t/case on the engine.Then early in the week I will get the truck here and drop the unit back in...First priority will be building a transmission x-member and get the drive shaft measurements over to Coast Powertrain and get the new drive shafts built..Lots to do......
As per plans my help came over today and we bolted the two halves together.Slid together with no issues...I will get the tow truck over here in a few days and put it all back in its home...
Engine is back in...It was a bit of a struggle.Front is too high so I have to pull out the cummins pick up mounts and put my others in (.300 shorter) in.Five spd is jammed in to the floors as well.. I will start the engine fitting in a few days..At least it is back in...
Looks good, have to belive it was a chore getting it in there in one piece. Ed
Changed the engine mounts today.Front is back where it was originally.Trans is stuffed tight into the floors but lowering it will give me more angle on the engine than I would like..I will trim the floors.I built the t-case mount and have it anchored.I can now remove all the jacks and try and build a trans crossmember..I am going to try and modify the Ford one I kept out of the doner truck.. I noticed the other day the front air bags were flat after sitting there for months aired up.Not knowing what happened I aired them up and the were flat again the next day.I soap tested them again last night and found a brass T had split.As always it was the hardest on to get to..At least it happened now....
OK...question for the long time diesel drivers and mechanics.My new fleetgaurd fuel filter has a fuel heater in it.The factory Cummins one was never hooked up and takes a special plug.. I am going to hook the fleetgaurd heater up to a switch with a idiot light.The question ....how long do I leave it on in the morning and at what temp (ambient) do I start using it.. My 7.3 Ford had one but I never thought much about it as it was factory installed.
I've never needed a fuel heater on my '92 Dodge ctd.......the local bulk plant is very good about adding conditioner when the temps start to drop. If the truck is in an unheated garage, I just plug in the block heater. Ed
I was thinking I may not need it but I will hook it up anyways.The Cummins starts way better than the 7.3 Ford.I used to plug the ford in on a timer in the winter.Much happier (and quieter) in the morning with a little heat in them.. I have zero knowledge on the fuel heater thus the question....
I'm no help. Thinking about it, don't know anyone thats ever used one.. Ed
Oh c'mon.....all input is good... Its not like I am shaking my head and mumbling at you as I read one of your drawings wondering how the hell am I going to do that....
I used a glow plug controller out of a 90s ford 7.3 when I put a 5.9 cummins in my 1955 M35 6x6. But the 5.9 starts so good and running 2 battery's iv never needed the intake heater.
I actually chucked the controller(I replaced it numerous times) on my 7.3 and built my own(manual) system for it.The grid heater on the Cummins is a much simpler devise and the Grizzly just uses a momentary on switch and a solenoid for it.Truck has always started fine and I have since added a second battery to it.I think its going to be fine but I will hook up the heater anyways.
LOL.... Ed
Well....sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you..Lately I have been getting my ass bit by the bear a lot.. After replacing the cracked tee on the front airbags that cracked after 3 months of being aired up I tried to install the starter.It hit the fittings and wouldn't go in.I pulled it all apart and ran a single line up to a manifold I made.Also had to remake 2 of the SS lines.Sounded good in theory.Starter still hit.Ripped it all out again.Running out of ideas.Rummaged through my stuff and found a 90 deg fitting for the push on line and switched the one line to that..Not what I wanted.I will try the starter again tomorrow. Chasing another air leak from the stainless tank I have in the back.Also aired up for 3 months and then drained itself.Finally found the leak and the 1/2 npt fricken bulhead fitting had split in numerous places.I have been working with NPT for 40 years never had this much problems before. Got the master mounted for the clutch and working on sorting out the firewall mess.Doesn't help any that the starter used to be on the right side and it is now on the left..Back at it tomorrow.. Yes I know...It sounds like I am over tightening the NPT but as I am no where near as strong as I was before my accident and the fact that I have done this thousands of times I am having a hard time thinking I wrenched them to tight.
Tried the starter again today after work.After re routing the lines 3 or 4 times I finally have enough clearance.Now I can go back to fixing the air issues..Cracked bulk head fitting and a leaking single check on the rear tank....
Actually been busy at work which is a bit of a change for me and a nice change..I have been struggling with the trans x-member.Round tube,square tube 2 point or 4 point mount.I finally decided to modify the oem stamped Ford x-member I have from the 78.. Redrilled and tapped the trans for 1/2 NC bolts.Made a adaptor to use the oem Ford mount on the NV4500 trans.Redrilled the crossmember for center mount as the Ford trucks have the engine offset to the right.I still have to do the mounts to the frame and have a few options to decide on.I am going to talk to one of the engineers at work and see what direction I will go. I also punched a few holes in the floors and have all the sticks in...Looks like I will be resting my leg on the transfer case sticks..I will have to put the seat back in.I may be rebending these along with the shifter stick..
Mam oh man. Nothing but patience
Thank-you BP....Yes I have a lot of patience. I found the material today to do my cross member mounts...Will get started on them tomorrow night..
Another Grizzly found..This picture was sent to Hank today..I will have more pictures and hopefully some info in the next few weeks...This is a one owner truck..Earlier in my thread one or more people mentioned this company and some involvement with Grizzly Trucks The truck would appear to be well cared for.Check out the doors.New style doors...I'm kinda liking it.....Looking forward to more photos and some info...Curious as to what truck number it is...
I was told the owner changed to newer KW day light doors and also a larger windshield.
So this is 11 trucks that photo's have been found of.Of those 11 trucks I(we) have only found 9.The yellow oil field truck and the Grey one have not surfaced yet.The hunt continues.. A few more rumors to follow..I have no doubt all will be accounted for..
Finished the brackets off yesterday for the cross member.Found a crop of formed 3/8 at work that will work perfect and fit better than angle iron. Brackets will be welded to the frame.The crossmember sits on top of them so the weight is all supported by the brackets not by the bolts. The drivers side bracket is long and I will scrap my current t/case mount and it will get built into this one.. I have reversed the procedure in my head and the crossmember will come back out once the brackets are welded on if you remove the trans mount first....
Finished the crossmember off today.Welded the mounts on yesterday and painted and reassembled it all today.Crossmember is easy to remove.Bolted it down with 1/2 Gr8 bolts and stainless nuts. I was at Pacific on Friday for a visit and crossed the hallway and ordered my new driveshafts from Coast Powertrain.Will be done next week...
Exhaust brake is on and I managed to sneak the 3 1/2 in pipe down the side.A 60 deg pipe straightened the angle right out.I will step it up to 4" from there.It will pass through the crossmember with out issue.
Cool little tool I heard about.CNC machined pc that bolts to the balancer bolts and gives you a 1/2 sg for a bar or ratchet.. There is no center bolt on the cummins so rotating the engine can be a pain.Tool is designed to stay on once installed.. As I am changing valve springs and putting Viton valve seals on this will be quite handy..
Always a pleasure to see what you are doing Cory. Nice work.
Thanks for sharing this build, it is fun for me to watch and learn! Who makes the turning tool piece? I would like to put one on my 5.9 if I can get my hands on one.
Thanks guys...the tool is made by Fleece Engineering Performance.Its called a Cummins Crankshaft barring tool.$70-$80 US depending on where you buy it.I bought mine from Summit Racing... http://fleeceperformance.com/dodge/1994-1998/cummins-crankshaft-barring-tool.html
A little before and after..Engine has tubes on it for the heater hoses.They are designed for a right side heater box but the Grizzly has a center mount box...I found some synthetic 90deg molded hoses and fit them.Alluminum clamp is left over (I always water jet more than I need) from my 67 Mustang build... I was actually going to make new tubes but couldn't find any 5/8 SS tube and buying 20 feet didn't make sense.
Looks like a 70's Dodge valve on the original heater control...... Ed
That's quite possible..I removed the cable shut off.It also had a valve/tap on the engine on the same tube at the front.Not sure on the thinking behind that...To many connections..
That is so you can shut off the hot water to the core in the summer when the push pull valve fails. It is also nice when you blow a heater hose, pretty common on bigger trucks. Never seen one on a pickup!
Not sure how the rad is going to react to having a intercooler in front of it now so I am going to leave the heater core flowing.. Bolted the clutch slave to the bellhousing today and clamped the line solid...It is a Southbend system that comes all pre bled.Braided hyd line has a heatshield on it witch I just left on... All most finished the fire wall hose/wire routing.Adding a 2nd battery,hand full of gauges,winch cables and routing the starter wires to the opposite side certainly made things interesting.Left the factory (Ron Frances) harness alone as I cant move it..I keep telling myself this is a refit....not a restoration.. I should put a sign on the truck because sometimes I don't think I am listening. The 1/4" 50psi hose is the new return line for the pump
Put the rad back in today..I moved it to the inboard side of the brackets to try and sneak a intercooler in..Lots of fiddling but I got it mounted.Fan is about 3/4 of a inch away.Rad is mounted on polyurethane bushings the same as it was new.. Next I mounted the intercooler.I had this intercooler engineered for the truck by a company down south..It was expensive but its engineered and built in America.. Tape measure tells me all is good and the hood should go back on with out a issue..(har har) Yes the fan is bigger than the core...
Next I have to do something about the bottom rad connection.Main problem is it was just hanging off its connections...It at least needs support brackets welded on.I will be starting from scratch on this....
More pictures of the Surerus Grizzly...The grill design makes me think its one of the later ones.Engine is a intercooled version with out the intercooler.I also notice it seems to have someones oem rad and it has vacuum assisted brakes...Truck looks very well cared for.The wiring does need some love tho.. Year of truck and what number it is are still unknown.Pictures care of Hank..He did the work getting them...
more...
The last four..
Talking with my cousin in Salmon Arm he said there is 1 Grizzly, there he has seen it but never thought much about it. He is going to ask around with the guys from the car club there to see what he can find out.
Finished the lower rad connection.Its 2 1/4 diam so options are limited as far as material goes.I had some thick wall 2 1/4 tube here with some u- bends so mild steel it is.I left the rubber elbows on each end on purpose.To remove it you just lower it down.I also added two 3/8 NPT couplings to drain it and fabbed up a support bracket so it isn't flopping in the breeze.. I primed it with Glyptol primer and ended up just leaving it. The list is getting smaller..
I heard back from my cousin in Salmon Arm. He talked to a buddy and he agreed that he was sure that there is a Grizzly truck around there but was not sure who owned it so will do more checking as to the owner. So with some luck one more survived.
Went to Pacific today and picked up my driveshafts.Coast Powertrain built them but Larry did the pricing for me.They are 1350 u-joints and everything is new.All the u-joints are the same size.. Been working on the floors trying to refit the dog house to cover up cutting the floor out for the 5spd..Getting close.Need to find a shifter boot and e-brake boot.Wires clamped to the floor are for the Pac-brake Going to put new valve springs(stronger pressure)and new valve stem seals in this week end.Engine will be ready to re-fire next week... I just noticed that my can of never seize manages to make it into a lot of my pictures..
Put all new valve springs in today.These are higher seat pressure for the exhaust brake.I didnt have to change the intake springs but other than the cost of the 6 springs its no more labour.The spring compressor compresses both springs at once.I put new valve stem seals in at the same time.. Next week I will put a new fuel pin in the pump and change the governor spring.Looking forward to hearing her run again..
I think I only ever put the windshields in one Pacific cab.Freedie the charge hand told me to be very carefull cutting the rubber with the exacto knife.Of course I listened well and with in minutes was on my way to the hospital for a finger full of stitches.. Anyways..I am thinking this pc of glass is to small(read big leak)...It is barely inside the rubber.Glass was done by Speedy and has their name on it with a DOT #..Not sure if its require but there is no sealer in it either. I will make a template of the opening and start over.The rubber actually is in good shape but it needs new glass...
Typically those flat glass windshields in a KW don't have sealer, with proper fitting glass if it doesn't seal I would replace the rubber. We are making a trip to central Alberta in a couple weeks to visit my sister's family and are coming through that way on our way home, hopefully will see you cruising around in it by then!
The rubber actually feels ok and I didn't think they used sealer.I am thinking the glass is way to small..I will pull one out in a few days and make a template of the opening.. Not sure if I will have the truck on the road by then but you are welcome to come by for a garage tour... After work tonight I changed the fuel pin and the governor spring in the injection pump.. Need to finish the intercooler piping and fire it up...
I might take you up on that if time permits, based on your rigs it would be well worth it!
Pulled the windshields out to day.Last of the trucks issues as far as I know..They were leaking and appear to have always leaked.Top of the passengers side is the worse.Looks like the seal never was fit properly.I suspect the glass is to small and the seal isn't loaded properly.Both pcs of glass are slightly different,especially the corners.They have good witness marks on them from the seal so problem areas are easy to see..Time for me to sit down and do some math.. Not sure how they cut glass now a days but I am sure its some form of digital CNC..Shouldn't be a problem correcting the glass dimensions.. I will sand out all the damage and put some epoxy on it.Truck has 3 very heavy coats of paint on it and for me that means total disassembly and walnut shell blasting everything to bare metal again..I stripped both my Mustangs by hand inside out upside down and backwards..Not a road I want to go down right now.It also adds a year to getting it on the road and another large dent in my pocket.. You can see in the 3rd picture the witness mark from the seal...Not good
So..no idea where the windshield rubber came from...Any thoughts please let me know.Internet says KW glass is 20"H mine is 17.75.Length of mine is 29 15/16 and KW is 30.25 at the top and 29 13/16 at the bottom for width. All this may explain why the glass was cut by speedy but where the hell did the seal come from.. Seal is good.If I knew what it came out of I could get correct glass dimensions.
two more...
There are 2 different sizes of KW flat glass windshields but I don't know the dimensions. It may be possible you have the smaller ones and found dimensions for the bigger ones. I don't know what other trucks have that style glass.
Makes sense...My listing is 83 and up I believe....I will look at older ones. Thanks
Hello mate, excellent work you're getting done there, could you tack some "corner gussets" in that follow the glass shape a little better? Stuck on the inside surface, even filled level on the outside. The original seal would cover any line. Just a thought, best regards from here. John
Spent some time sanding all the crap down.Other than the rust it had some huge blisters in the paint that went all the way to bare metal.I hate sanding and don't like the dust either so I have very little equipment to deal with these kinds of repairs... I sanded all the rust off and gave it a coat of POR 15 and sanded the paint aggressively and put a coat of Glyptal primer on it.Once it drys I will gets some finer paper and sand the scratches and top coat it with something.. Tomorrow I go get all my exhaust parts and start building the exhaust.Mac Muffler in Surrey is supplying me with all the parts I need....
Came home with a truck load of exhaust parts today all 4".Nine elbows,the two 4' stacks and 6 feet of straight pipe,one stainless resonator/muffler,rain caps,15" of flex pipe and a pile of clamps.. I have already started cutting it all up and fitting..I have huge space restrictions under the box but I am determined to put the "T" pipe under the box.. Tomorrow I start welding the parts up if the weather is good..No welding or grinding can be done in my shop for the next while.. Exhaust is going to be a bit of a challenge.I am indeed my own worse enemy...I am OK with that... A few other parts showed up today as well.I replaced the serp belt and bought a special fitting to delete the oem fuel heater that was never hooked up.The heaters are prone to leaking so I ditched before it came to that.If I want a fuel heater the new Fleet Guard filter has one. Also installed and wired up my Wolverine oil pan heater...
diamondtguy,well done Corey. As far as the exhaust goes,there is no doubt that you will get it done. Bp
I managed to get the stacks and the T pipe done today..It was not fun nor easy.Had I a brick wall I would have head butted it a few times.Mary spent an hour with me tonight getting things clamped up and kinda straight... Had to zip cut the e-brake cable mount off to get the T up under the box.I will just make a new bracket.. Front part is all done and the muffler mounted I just have to figure out the pipes and connect them..How hard could that be.. I am happy with the way it turned out.Stacks are only 2" above the cab... I will get it finished in the next day or two... Once again my can of never seize has photo bombed my pictures
Was hoping to finish the exhaust today but they gave me the wrong clamps and by the time I noticed it was too late...Its a hour round trip so tomorrow AM it will be.. Mary came home with my freshly painted parts so that will keep me busy for a while. I have new LED lights for the back and am putting all new wiring in the back..You can see the new SS cables I had made for the tailgate..My friend has all the tooling for making the cables.Much nicer than the chains that were on.. Parts were sandblasted and epoxy coated satin black..
Really nice job on the cables. Have you picked a final colour?
Ah yes...the final color....Lets just say that for now the truck will be yellow and satin black.. In the end it will be a color that no other Grizzly wears...I am thinking of having a epoxy party here.We will supply all the food,drinks,sand paper,masking tape and paint...Two days of sanding,masking and painting.. Still sounds like a lot of work.. Honestly its not something I am really thinking about right now..I am concentrating on making it a good working truck for me to drive ... Mary would like to see the truck a satin drab green .Nothing flashy and nothing to worry about. The jury is still out..
Diamondtguy,is your yellow close to Hayes Yellow? Hmmm,just wondering. A sanding party. Well your yard looks like it could hold one or two tents. Maybe a spot for island reps? Never know
I have just over 2 acres so lots of room for tents.My friend says my truck is RAL 1007 which meant nothing to me.I looked it up and internet says its Daffodil yellow...I wont be repeating that in public... Is Hayes yellow a industry color or something they created ?? Finished the exhaust today.I will remake my support bracket when I have access to more material and the water jet.Current one is aluminum and I primed it.Ran out of satin black.It will get painted later. Need to figure out a support bracket for the T but other wise done.I doubt it will be very loud as I added a performance diesel muffler..System is all 4"...More than enough..
Hayes Manufacturing Yellow WAS Apache Yellow As time went by it was replaced with School Bus Yellow because it was easier to remember and a common color
Thanks HDX...I pulled a sample of each color off the net and they look close but I am no expert on this.. There is light yellow paint on the truck under the blue but all the pics I have seen show the truck in this shade.. I wonder how it would look in Mac Blo colors.....
If you choose that route we will make sure you get the right M&B Red not that Chinese red used by some people OK
No Chinese for me...I know the perfect source for all things Mac Blo.....
Got my intercooler pipes finished,installed my new tailgate and mounted my tail lamp plates.Also mounted the new led rear lights and wired them up.Other than some oil and antifreeze the truck is ready to start...
Lights powered up......
Rear lights were originaly wired to a small terminal strip screwed to the frame and wide open to the elements.I have installed a Pico sealed box.I have the trailer plug still to do.Red wire hanging out is for a license plate lamp....Not sure where I am putting the license plate.The stacks are in the way of its previous location..
] Spent the last week working on the wiring..Lots and lots of weird things.I have most of it sorted out.Took a break from it tonight and changed the front yoke and put the front drive shaft in.Then took my little 67 for a howl... As I said before drive shafts are brand new,The diff, t/case yokes and u-bolts are as well. Sorry about the blurry pics I was leaning on my elbow...
missing picture...
Little story about a fuel gauge....At some point years ago the fuel gauge quit working.Truck was then fitted for a trusty wooden dip stick...no batteries required.. I found that someone had run a new ground wire to the sender unit but that didn't fix things.When I had the sender out I cleaned everything and tested it and had it working.I recently turned the power back on and the gauge didn't work.Ground test showed it was not the sender.I target the gauge and its got power but not working.I pull the gauge and bench test it and it works fine.Recheck my power wire and its now dead.I find the terminal on the fuse panel (Ron Francis wire works) and its dead.Pull fuse (push in blade style) and check power.Its good....fuse is fuzzy.Replace fuse and all is good to go.Gauge "DOES NOT" work...Ground out sender wire and gauge pins it self.So back to sender unit problem..Pull sender again and test it on top of tank..Starts to work and then quits,then starts to work and quits..Dirty or bad connection in sender where the contacts sweep..Well at least I have found the problem (hopefully) so I have the sender soaking in some cleaner and will try it again tomorrow.If it acts up again I will just buy a new one.Other than the gauge bulb everything involved was not happy.... I have had two other working systems just up and quit from various problems...I have them all working now (for now) All the fuses have been tossed and new ones installed..Moisture damage from all the water leaks... Tomorrow is another day...
I had a similar problem, wiring up lights and nothing worked, all new wire, all new everything. I finally traced it down after several disgusting efforts and it was in the wire. it was a break in the wire off the reel inside the insulation. when you found it, you could feel it, but I had just assumed it was something else. The embarrassing part is that I have experienced this before, I am a retired electrician who has run into this twice before in my 40 years in the trade. But, as an automotive electrician, I just assumed it was something I had done. I have told others this; "As an auto mechanic , I make a darn fine plumber...."
Filled the rad up with anti freeze and pressure tested it.System passed test but cap is bad....Took almost 19 liters of coolant on initial fill. Nose is back on and my intercooler fit as planned.A little tight at the top but all is good.Just need to lube up the trans and t/case and its ready to start..Starting to take shape again..
Looking great. See you've got the glass in screen and primed it. Did you use old screens in the end, or get new ones? Must feel good to have it this close to running!
Hey....yes it feels good to be this close....Just refitting the windshield seal...I will be getting new glass fit and cut...Right side glass is a little small and left side has air in it..Hopefully next week I can resolve the windshield dilemma and fire the truck up... Still need to send the front fenders for paint but that shouldn't be a issue...
Shipped the truck off today to a glass shop that is happily going to work with me to resolve the windshield dilemma.I talked to Bruce Warren tonight who owns truck #13 and he was sure they used 92 Kenworth stuff but the tape measure tells a different story. I will have to wait and see how this unfolds.They don't like my seal because someone cut the divider bar..With out knowing what it is I cannot hunt down another.. Anyways truck got some sun today for the first time in 10 months..Tow truck driver couldn't believe all the attention he was getting...
Cory, your project is looking good. Thanks for keeping us updated.
Picked the truck up this morning from the glass shop.Glass looks great and the guy who did it made templates and did all his math.The result was well fitting glass and a nice tight fit.I had tinted glass put in the front and dark glass put in the rear.I figured I might as well do the rear as the truck was already there. One of the windshield he cut ended up have some cosmetic issues that he didn't like so he gave it to me for a spare/template.I also have his other templates.. Glass was done buy Novus Glass in Abbottsford.. A customer came in and said he had a red Grizzly..I only know of one red Grizzly...I wasn't there so I don't know. The glass was my last major thing to do so I am happy...(so's my bank account) Time to finish things up..
Looking real good you have done a excellent job Cory.
Very nice Corey? Have you decided where to mount either licence plate?
Still thinking about that one BP...I have a few Ideas but haven't started on anything yet..
Small rack I made today.It will sit up on the fuel tank and fit in between the tool boxes.Screen will protect the rear window and I have holes in the frame work for tie downs..Holes in the short angles are to clear bolts that are already there and I cant move..Gussetts/Trusses have yet to be figured out. I have no room in my shop to fit it together and weld it up so I will have a friend weld it for me..He is a far better aluminum welder than I so all is good...
Just another story....I went to start the truck a week ago and it complained horribly and would barely turn over..Batterys are good and I have no shortage of grounds on the truck..Solenoid clicks 90% of the time and the starter might try and work the other 10%.. Truck was built with a Ford trans and the starter was on the right side.It also was a two bolt mount.New trans has the starter on the left (std dodge stuff) and its a 3 bolt mount.The guy who sold me the bellhousing gave me the starter but its obviously a dud.. Now...I am no fan of jobber rebuilds.The people I knew who rebuilt my starters recently closed shop in North Van due to ridiculous property taxes on industrial land in North Van. I refuse to put a used starter or jobber rebuild in.Once the fender is back on it wont be a fun job to change.. There is a high torque starter available new but of course its not available in Canada. I am too far along to worry about trying to save a couple hundred dollars so the new high torque starter is ordered along with a new sender unit for the fuel tank.. I have used these (same brand) starters in all the muscle car stuff I do and am very happy with them..Gear reduction and high torque... Till it shows up I will tinker with other things..
Woah.....slow down. Is it a Denso starter? If so, needs the contacts replaced, available on ebay for cheap. I've got them on damn near everything around here, big & small block mopars, Yanmars and Kawasikis. They get pitted and don't make good contact, other than that they are bulletproof. It's a one beer job once the starter is off. My 92 CTD has a Denso...... Ed
Yes its a Denso starter...Is contacts another term for brushes ??? I switched my 7.3 ford to the denso starter but they didn't seem to last long.I did buy a new one not a rebuild.. I know its just the internet but quite a few people were not happy with the longevity of them.. Not much of a starter guy but I'll take your advise and pull the starter apart tomorrow.If nothing else I will fix it and keep it as a spare..Spare parts are good and I have no intention of selling the truck..
No, not brushes. Pull the end cap off the solenoid, theres a round plunger that gets pulled into 2 copper contacts to complete the circuit and fire off the starter. They get pitted over time, won't make clean contact to turn the motor.
Bad contact.....
Well that would certainly make it slow down.... I can get new contacts fairly easy ????? I will have a look tomorrow.....Thanks
Ebay is your friend, or your local starter / alternator rebuild shop, if you still have one. Got my last kit on ebay, place out of Chicago, they put together what I needed since it wasn't a stock kit. Comes with plunger, contacts, studs, gaskets, above and beyond what was needed. I'll try to get you the seller tomorrow. Ed
Pretty simple to expose the contacts..Mine are no where near as bad as those pictured but you can see by the arc spot it certainly wasn't making proper contact..
Two of the 3 are badly pitted but I have cleaned them up and will probably try the starter again later today....
Been there, done that, it'll work for a while. Ed
Just put the starter back in and its not at all interested in working...Clicking solenoid is all I got.I hot wired it to verify I was hearing the right solenoid and I put my ratchet on my barring tool and had no problems turning the engine over... Sure glad the fender is not on yet....
I'm sorry, thought that would be the problem. Other than one that came loose and broke the nose cone, thats been my only issue with them. Ed
No worries....I thank you for your help and I now have a little bit of insight into these starters...
Just had a battery showed 12.66v, barely lit up the dash lights. Cleaned several terminals, nothing happening, cleaned immobiliser contacts and started worrying about that. Then noted battery now 12.4v, so tried jump leads. Turned over 1/2 before solenoid skipped. Put battery from other machine in, yippee fired up great. This was at 5 pm fuel up after running normally all day. One cell was kaput, even though somehow still showed 12.66v. Just in case your batteries been around a while...
I would second the battery check.... I have saved a lot of work several times in the past. I would have a volt meter checking at the starter. The voltage should not drop below about 10v while cranking. A bad cell can hide. You could also test with a known battery or jumper cables to prove that it is the starter and not the battery. Cam
For the most part I hid from the heat today.The Grizzly tent is stupid hot inside and outside isn't much better.I did some voltage checks tho Left side battery that is new is 12.89V.Ground is a cable to the frame. Right side battery that came with truck is fairly new and was 12.91V.Ground is a cable up to the front.Both battery's are stud mount not lugs and both are diesel battery's.. Dual battery cables are from the 78 F-250 I got the front axel from.It was a dual battery truck set up from the factory to plow snow.All cable ends were glass beaded and the cables were good..Engine is grounded to cab with a braided cable and grounded to chassis with a cable.All grounds are freshly cleaned with new bolts (no never seize) and I use shake washers on everything .Also most of the ground locations are new and I drilled the frame (1/4 thick) and tapped the holes..Bolts for grounds are new stainless to avoid corrosion issues down the road.. Not sure if I have a direct cab to chassis ground but all the cab and box lights work so the way I have it is working... Don't think I missed anything.....
Sounds like you have the wiring down. Can you clip on a volt meter in a place you can see and then crank it over? That should show a dead or going dead cell if you have one. Duel battery systems seem to be finicky. Quite often one battery will charge / use more water than the other. I am hiding inside this evening due to the smoke. It was quite thick here in south Langley around 5:00. I look forward to seeing your project on the road. Cam
Just got off the phone with a friend in Langley and he said its smokey out there..I am across the river in Mapleridge and it seemed alittle smokey here today..Tomorrow will probably be worse.... Starter only clicks now...Doesn't even attempt to turn it over.New starter will be here in a week..
My weekly update....The new starter and sender unit showed up today.I put the new (SW) sender in tonight and hope to get the starter mounted tomorrow night or the next.Busy at work for a few days so the Grizzly gets the after dinner shift...Hopefully I will have it running again by the weekend.....
Put the starter in today after work.Same size as the other one so no big changes.Gave the key a try and it spun over like it had no spark plugs in it (Yes I know)So that is good.. I spent quite a bit of time hand pumping it (hand lever on fuel pump) and bleeding the lines.I have not cracked the injector lines yet and I will do that tomorrow.Finally on my last attempt for the night it tried to fire... Should be running tomorrow...Its been just over a year since it last ran..
That's great diamondtguy! Don't forget to pull the choke when you start it! Lol!
I have the choke on my list of start up procedures as well as remembering to pump the gas pedal a few times.... No worries...I know what I am doing (har har)
So another day of frustration..Spent a good portion of the day trying to get it started.I bled the injectors 3 times.I even rolled the engine over by hand numerous times as I pumped the fuel through it to make sure I got every one.I spun the engine over with the starter and the lines cracked twice (nice mess) I pulled the intercooler lines off the cooler to make sure the plastic plugs didn't get left in.I also hot wired the fuel solenoid to make sure its voltage wasn't lost when the starter was engaged.....Still no start.. I finally tried holding the throttle open and starting it..Fired right up but would not idle.. I now put my remote starter switch on it and got it to fire up by holding the throttle half open..but its not happy.. You have to have the throttle half open to get it close to idle speed..I rechecked my clocking on the pump for the linkage arm..Most are on the second line.I put mine back where it was originally was when I had the pump apart.That was between 1 and 2 lines so I moved it to 2 .This should speed it up but no change... There is a noise in the pump (VE Pump) that sounds like the AFC diaphragm is fluttering.Something is wrong.. The AFC as far as I can tell reads boost pressure..I am thinking I have a air issue.. I have either done something wrong or something has gone wrong.. For the record all I did to the pump was change the fuel pin and governor spring.. I am going to revisit my changes to the pump tomorrow and see if I can find something wrong otherwise I have access to a Cummins guy and I will let him loose on it.He comes highly recommended and not far away.. I am happy to hear it run (no leaks) and will spend tomorrow trying to find out whats making then engine a unhappy fellow.. For now....I am going to enjoy my very cold rye and coke...
Aw that's too bad. Sorry to hear of your problems diamondtguy. Good luck tomorrow.
So today I pulled the top half of the injection pump back apart to revisit my changes.. I carefully checked everything and couldn't really find a reason for the way it was acting.. The fluttering/chattering noise I heard may have been the PS pump which is just below and had run it self dry from filling the system..Not positive.Noise is gone now tho. I started it back up and it still requires the throttle to be half open to idle.No smoke to speak of and the engine sounds fine.It will idle but only if you hold the throttle open.Release the throttle and it dies.. I did find that my new throttle pin is .090 longer than the original.So tomorrow I will reinstall the original and try it..The .090 difference could be putting the ramp in the wrong position...and change the AFC position and spring pressure.. More research and fiddling tomorrow...Not given up yet...
The best thing that happened to that Grizzly is that you bought it and one day it will roar back to life.
Thank-you... So I changed the fuel pin back to stock and the truck wouldn't even start.That pushed me to the other thought I had about the fuel screw..I had to remove it everytime I took the lid off..Close inspection showed 3 shiny threads..Fuel screw is out to far..Its not easy to get to but I managed to wind it in far enough to loose the shiny threads..Truck started but still wouldn't idle (other fuel pin is back in)I noticed that the gap to the idle stop was 1/2 what it was..I just kept turning the fuel screw in 1/2 turn at a time and with in a couple turns the engine was sitting there happily idleing on its on... I took a short video of it with my Pentax digital camera..I will take some proper videos when I pull the truck out.... A very learning experience.....
Excellent troubleshooting! That was very thorough. A great video too!
Thanks you.....I have more to do.... Yesterday when I had it running I noticed the p/steering hoses were getting quite hot and I realized I didn't have a cooler.I also noticed that the brake pedal had been sucked down..I have a hydraboost (hyd booster) .Not sure if its hydra or hydro..internet calls it both...I found the brake pedal thing strange.. Today I installed a cooler in it that I had hanging around..Put some better hoses on and fired it up.It started instantly...Tried the power steering and I had nothing...Check hose routing and all is good... Check brake pedal and it is still up...Remembering yesterdays problem I push the pedal down a bit and the power steering is trying to work..I think there is a valveing issue inside my booster..After a minute the pressure backed up and the pump reservoir was trying to empty itself(under pressure)...This is probably the heat is was feeling yesterday as I appear to be dead heading the pump.. I have not touched the pump or the box but I did have the booster apart.I just split the cases and replaced the end seals as it was leaking out of both ends..I have a spare booster that I was going to try and adapt to the Diamond T but its metric and the Grizzly one is Imperial. Tomorrow I dig a little deeper.....
Good to see it running..... Cam
Took the booster back off today and gutted it..While checking everything out I tried to push the spool valve through its stroke and it just wasn't right. Had a tight crunchy spot that you could push it past but it just felt wrong.I pulled the spool valve out and the problem was obvious.It was packed full of chuncks of black hose,as were both the high pressure ports..So...I was indeed dead heading the pump...I also found some read plastic or rubber in the booster. Some how or another I guess I stirred all this stuff up...I built thousands of hoses at Pacific and still build my own and this just isn't my work.. Non the less I cleaned it all out,brake cleaned everything and then oiled up all the parts and put the booster back together and on.. I think tomorrow I will remove all the hoses and blow them out in case the stuff has migrated around... Hopefully this works...Another learning day...
More Grizzly news... Not a good day...Still not happy with me.. No brakes or steering when I started the truck today...I disconnected the booster and still had no steering.Finally got the steering to start working but all it did was moan and chatter..Jacked the truck up to take the weight off and cycle it .Finally got all the air out and reconnected the booster...Kept running the steering side to side and bleeding the booster..Still not happy. Bled all the brakes to make the pedal happy but not helping..Pedal sticks down about a 1/4 of a inch and wont release the brakes.Shut the truck off and the pedal rises and you hear a small hiss...I cycled it about a dozen times but still the same...I even released the master off the booster but the pedal still stays down a bit till you shut the truck off.. These are all the same parts that I drove the truck home with... Starting to look like I need a new booster.. Tomorrow I will put the tuck on the ground and see how the steering feels/sounds with the weight of the truck on it... Some days you get the bear....other days the bear gets you !!!!!!
I have taken the booster all apart and found nothing...As I don't have the dimensions or tolerances I don't have much to go on..I decided to find a new booster.After some computer time looking at pages of pictures I determined it was a mid 70's Ford unit.. I also looked for someone to go through my booster but the closest place is Kelowna and shipping it (its very heavy) doesn't make sense.. Not that I cant redo fittings but the booster is all Imperial and by 81 a lot of them were going metric.. Anyways...I found a rebuilt one through Lordco .Its in Ontario and I should have it in a week..Price is under $200.. Still don't know why it worked before and not now.....
I had them expedite my hydraboost in and got it late yesterday..I did good on my research as it has the same casting number as the old one.Other than swapping some stuff over the only problem was they installed the brake pedal rod in and its one of those one way clips and after an hour I gave up trying to get it out..As its got a warranty I didn't feel that damage would be a good thing... The problem is/was the push rod is one inch longer than mine.Cutting and welding was out of the question.My only option was to space it off the firewall by an inch..All I had here was some UHMW so I made some spacers..I will water jet a aluminum one when I get back to work... I fired it up and everything seems to be OK...A little bit of air in it but it will come out.. I will do some more testing tomorrow...So far so good..
Finally got my little headache rack together....and it was a fricken headache... Couldn't do it here as I have no room in the shop..My friend who was going to weld it up no-showed twice over the last 4 weeks.Went to another friends shop to use his tig machine and steel bench. His nice new Miller has issues so home I went..So I pushed my 67 forward and set up my well worn and too small B/D work mate in a little 6x6 space... I also seemed to have mixed two pcs up when I coped everything and I have no spare material..So they had to be cut,fixed and welded up.All this in a shop getting close to 90 deg.. Certainly not my best work but I now have a place to hang my license plate...High up and out of the way. My interior guy will be her tomorrow morn to get started on things..Nothing fancy as its a truck and I will be using it...
Two pictures of Art's truck..Pictures were posted on Facebook along with some other stuff.I got them through HDX but we don't know who took them..
That one I've seen around Campbell River many times. It's parked in front of T-Mar's shop in those photo's
He has done a huge amount of work to that truck.He had all those new panels made from mostly stainless.Pretty sure he told me he replaced the floors with stainless as well.. Judging by the grille I am going to say its one of the last ones...I'll have to try contacting him again..
My interior guy/friend has begun work...I have given him free run on how he wants to do things..Truck is all framed inside with 1x2 tubing .He is going to make large panels and anchor them to the tubes as apposed to a dozen small panels.. Roof panel is roughed out..Its 1/4 walnut and actually tucks up inside above the doors and there is the frame work to attach it to...Headliner will be gray.I am using marine grade material for everything.The one pc will replace 4 separate pcs.I am leaving the original stuff in as sound deadner..Plus its all glued on with silicone... Today I put the doghouse/tunnel together for the last time and bolted it all in..Putting rivnuts in the cab sure made it easy..
Truck is kinda just sitting right now..Fenders are out getting painted and I will install them as soon as I get them back..Interior guy is "slowly" working on things.. I bought another loggers box tonight.Similar to the one the truck has on it..It has a little bit of rust but easy to deal with..Looks to have a 1/4 in steel box floor and the sides are in good shape..It even has its tailgate in good shape.A friend found it 20 minutes from home..I am going to make a trailer out of it to match the truck.Box is a full 8' long.. Trailer will have 8 bolt wheels like the truck and will sit at the same height.It will be used for a multitude of things..
How long will the reach be on the trailer? A 20' reach would look pretty nice and steer like a dream.
You forgot to show us the rest of the truck. What is front end like? Big following for the 75-79 fords
Its actually on a 95 F-250 4x4 very similar to the one I lost in the accident.I did find two late 70's F-250 4x4's late last week..One of them on a pc of property(10 acres) that has just been sold and needs to be cleaned up.Owner of the property is a friend and If the tenants don't remove the truck I will get my hands on it.. Before I bought the truck that got wrecked I had a 73 F-250....I really like the trucks of that era..
Not sure how I am going to approach it yet...I may put it on a F-250 4x4 chassis and rework the rails.Or...I also have a Isuzu cabover chassis that is being robbed of the engine and trans.I am doing some work for a local guy who has a large collection of toys (and property) who wants the Isuzu engine and trans put in his 1945 Dodge cabover that currently has a very thirsty 440 in it..I can have the chassis.Frame is a good size and its straight rails.I will take some measurements tomorrow when I am there.Currently working on his 1949 Mercury pick up (M68) .....
Busy Little Beaver!!
Sure hope you slow down one day to enjoy your own toys.
I am slowing down...(har har) This is the Isuzu chassis I have access to.Todays measurements say the track is a little wider than the box but I will double check tomorrow.I can always widen the trailer fenders.31" frame rail centers and nice straight rails...
Got my fenders back today..I have to add the rub-a-fender then I can bolt them on..
Friend showed up to work on the interior this morning .I had a full day of work to do on the 49 Mercury so I left him on his own to do his thing... I originally was just going to use black 80/20 loop carpet(already purchased) on the floor but I got my hands on some really heavy duty(and free) rubber backed carpet that gets used out doors and for marine stuff..I chose to go that route. Dan made a template and then cut it all out...He did a really good job.Nice tight accurate fit..It does not bend well so tunnel pc will get something else..
Spent an hour after dinner tonight adding the rub-a-fender to one fender.I have riveted it on with 3/16 allum rivets.No backing bars.I will get the other one done tomorrow and install them this weekend..Rub-a-fender comes from Larry at Pacific Truck.All I care is the tires are covered.Not a fan of tires that stick out past the fender (I am being polite). The donor chassis for my trailer turns out (I didn't actually look at first ) to be a GMC M4500 with Isuzu power.Truck maybe a Isuzu with GM badging... Interior guy was back today.. Its all good.......
Could have made a small fortune selling those logger boxes here in the late 70's to the late 80's. When the box went to hell, it got a flatbed, local grain elevator couldn't keep them in stock. Ed
There is certainly a large variety of Loggers boxes.Must have been a good market at some time.. I put one fender on tonight.I bolted it down the same way it was built.I used urethane bushings with SS bolts.I made the washers(they are slightly cupped) on the water jet out of 1/8 stainless.I did put 1/8 neoprene between the fender and its mounting flanges this time.Did a few other little mods to support the fender better... I will trim the rub-a-fender when I am done
Little things.. Fit the carpet for the last time and punched all the holes in it Installed one headlight assy.Headlights are new Hella's(H2-H4) Finished the other fender and its ready to go. Installed the washer bottle.This is the one the truck came with.I just redid all the mounting brackets. Also installed one of the original door sill trim plates (stainless) By the end of the week all the parts should be back on the truck. With exception of the seat..
Had a bit of a battle with the lights.Park light didn't like its ground so I redid that then it complained about the connection in the plug.I am using the original harness plugs as they are good quality...They would appear to be a bit dirty inside from sitting around but all is good now (on the right side anyways).I need to get the correct flasher unit for the LED signals. When I turned the headlights on both came on and neither was right.Same thing on high beam.I suspected it was seeking ground but after hours of testing I ruled it out.Finally pulled them back out and to the bench we went..It would appear H4's and sealed lights are wired differently.I managed to pull the clips on the light socket and arrange them to the H4 pattern (ground is moved) and all is well..Another lesson learned.. Headliner might be showing up tomorrow..
Came home today from my real job (machine fitter) to find Dan had finished the headliner.Material is slate gray marine grade and all the panels will be done this way.Seat is getting done as well in a black/grey (speckle) material.Nice to see the headliner in one pc as apposed to four pcs..Visors are the original ones.. I am letting Dan do his own thing inside.I just want good quality material that will be durable... Original door panels will not be touched.I believe they were done by the same guy that did all of the Hayes and Pacific interiors.The rest of my interior appears to be hand done with a olfa knife and a silicone gun...The door panels must stay.....
Other fender on.Just need to wire up the park light...
Looking real good Cory, a road trip next week I see happening.
Change is good.......
Extremely Industrial Cory!!! Wow She is looking really nice. You have done one hell of a job
Thank-you....I am liking its new look... My days of sitting on a milk crate and going for a drive are over so I will wait till the seat is back in.. I have some electronic gadgets to install next then I am pretty much done..
Eat your socks Chevy, GMC, Ford and Ram. Nice work.
Grizzly rules big time
Easy there DBDLS Vicki is following this thread also LOL
So...I thought I was finished building/fabricating parts.Pulled part of the dash out today as I have to open up the stereo hole.Pc is not really in good shape but it is the original.Much to my surprise it is steel with some sort of woodgrained plastic stuck to it.It is quite heavy for its size... I can't deal with steel and have no way of opening up the hole with out wrecking the finish.So wall art it becomes and I am making a new one from aluminum...I am just going to copy what they did but change the stereo hole.This is the only truck that got random switches.Pretty sure after this he went to a toggle switch panel...
Truck # 2's dash...I have seen this layout (or similar) a few times...
Hello Corey. Is there a Grizzly hood ornament hiding in your treasures? Bp
Hey BP...currently no hood ornaments in inventory but it has been done before...
You need a half sized Hayes bear for the hood. A few years ago me and my dad had a fellow carve us a bear about half size and had it casted to put on are Hayes Anderson.
I had a picture posted.....it seems to have vanished
I see my picture is back up(???) I chose not use a Hayes hood ornament for a few reasons.Cost and availability would be two reasons.If I could get a set of the door emblems that would be different.I may water jet a grizzly profile when I have a chance..
49P....what year is the Hayes Anderson..
It's a 1929 painted red with logging rigging on it
Very cool.....something like this ???
That's are truck. I would have add a picture but I'm not to sure on how to add pictures
I know there is more than one way to post pics but I just click upload a file then go into "my pictures" and click on the pics I want and up load them.This is one of the easier sites to load pictures on.. Nice looking truck...I found lots of pictures of her.
Made my new dash pc.Its just satin(aluminum) black for now,I am going to see if I can get some of the original woodgrained metal dash material from Pacific..I know they still have some. Anyways the purpose of this was to hold my stereo..Not so concerned about the music but I wanted on board(in dash) Garmin GPS and I wanted a back up camera..MaryLee wants to drive this and the camera will help her backing up.I am still teaching her to back up by only using her mirrors.She has a Ranger PU..It will be handy with a trailer as well.. I have a dash mount Garmin in my other truck and they make rear view mirrors camera friendly but I don't want all the cords hanging around and in view.. The music will be nice too..
See you used Pacific dash screws to secure the dash plate Cory They blend in nicely.Looks trick.
Good eye...The truck actually had them in it but they were all faded so I bought new ones.Very much reminds me of Pacific.. Certainly isn't a anti-theft device.. Did Hayes use the that style of dash screw ???? Mirror switch had to be turned side ways to clear the idiot light.Things were getting tight.Switch and light are for the heated mirrors.
I thought something like that when I saw the switch position, Sometimes we got to do what ever we can to make things work, Fine tune after, only as a matter of convenience. Our problem is, WE are our own worst critic's. LOL. And no, Hayes did not use the screws. The Hayes dash on HD through WHDX were all screwed on in one piece. Whenever you do anything on the engine side of the dash ,It is all by memory and the brail method. First thing you do is remove your wrist watch. Then reach in and fix whatever needs attention. After you are finished then look around to see what wires you inadvertently brushed off.
Giggling to myself as I read your post.I know it all to well..Just put a new(read modern) gauge cluster in a 49 Merc pick-up.Lots of I can feel but I sure cant see it work... Yes I am my own worst critic..I am also trying to keep the one off idiosyncronisities of this truck intact....some days are Tylenol days You are very correct....fine tuning will come later
Just out there with this one Cory ,but, one of our guys is searching for an old 1 1/2 ton truck to redo. He kind of gravitated towards a mid 40's to early 50's truck he can toy with and then haul all his artifacts to shows with. Maybe keep your peeper open OK This guy is top drawer and whatever he get's will be probably taken to his usual high level of attention. LOL Remember we are squeezing every nickel till the beaver craps before he spend it.
I will put some feelers out and see if I can find something...
Sounds Good
I heard the guy would love to find a 41-46 Chev or GMC but may entertain other opinions.lol
I just remembered a friend has a 46/47 Maple Leaf truck sitting in his yard.He bought it with great intent and there she sits.Currently sitting on a 1 ton chevy chassis with a small block engine.Cab is/was/has been converted to a extended cab..Its at the point where you just do what you want..The work was done by some one back east. I have called him for some details..
Still waiting on the interior guy.Not much has progressed on it in the last week or two. I have finished with the stereo install other than hooking up the speakers and that will wait till the interior is in.I have the onboard GPS all hooked up and working as well as the rear mount camera.I need to get a antenna for the radio.It had a post one on top of the cowl that leaked really bad..I am thinking a side mount one on the flat side of the cowl.Maybe a old school 2 mount one like the vintage car and VW bugs used... Turn signals once again drove me crazy..I could not get them (all LED) to even attempt to work.I bought some Grote LED flashers and still nothing.I traced everything and found nothing.I finally unplugged one light and put my test light on it..Nothing...I then unplugged the LED flasher and installed a std one and the signals worked with the test light..I need more load on the system to get them to flash..I have to add some std bulbs to the system to draw some power.. There were some holes in the back for some screw on reflectors so I mounted some new (old stock metal ones)grote lights and wired them into the system.Then installed my preferred Tridon HD mechanical flashers and everything works fine.Not sure if I like the lights but I honestly was out of ideas..I can always change them...I know they make load resistors for the LED lights but I was trying to avoid it.Each light has 2 little bulbs and easy to service and moniter.. Better or other Idea's are welcome...Flashing blue or red sex lights under the dash would work but probably not a good option... And once again I see my can of never seize has photo bombed one of my pictures
What about 3 in middle as well? Bp
Hey BP...If you mean across the back it would certainly balance things out ...but these lights will be flashing left or right so a center mount would be tricky..Interesting thought.I have more of these lamps and will play with ideas tomorrow..
This may be redundant, but when I was having flasher issues with my CAT 212 grader and it's LED turn signals, I learned about electronic flashers that are rated for LED lights. I put one in and it worked. I also had issues with the combination turn/brake /tail lights LED lamps. I had wired the tail lamp to the turn signal pigtail and the turn signal to the tail light. I had lots of tail light but no turn signal. taking things apart (again and again) I noticed that the Grote LED lamps are "task specific." Once I traded leads on the LED pigtail everything worked fine. That was the first combination LED lamps I had hooked up that way and it was frustrating trying to trouble shoot it With my eyesight, I almost didn't see the embossed details, it was just the tipping of the lamp in the right light that I saw them. Again, this may be redundant.
Hey Jumbo....all my lights are Grote and I bought 2 Grote LED flashers so in theory it should work.I have heard of other people having issues with LED flashers.I checked my lights and I have them wired correctly.Like you said tho they are wire sensitive.The 2 wire lights cant be wired backwards and white is ground...This LED stuff is all new to me. In the end I am happy to have the good old HD Tridon flashers in the truck.Nice steady beat and loud enough to hear... I actually thought I had had enough fun trying to get the headlights to work properly..
Interior guy came by today with the back panel.His stuff is precision fit and he doesn't like to put screws through the panels so they have Velcro on the backs to the steel frame work.Panel has tabs on the side for a tight fit and alignment of the next panel. He even put a surround pc in so you don't see the rear window frame work I am just letting him do his thing. Color is the same as the roof but flash and camera angle make it look different..Thats both the large panels done now...
Your right he does excellent work just like you do.
Thanks.....Fired the truck up today.I haven't had it running for 4-6 weeks as I was doing other things on it..Truck fired up instantly..Here it is running with the nose on and smoke migrating out of its den... It was nice to hear/smell it running again..
I always thought that Grizzly's went to sleep this time of year.. But yours is waking up big time sounds like it is ready for the world to see.
As soon as the seat goes in I will be stepping on the clutch..I am hoping(and want ) to drive it soon.Its supposed to be another bad winter.If I have the Grizzly on the road Mary can drive my Ford 4x4 if needed. I will not be hiding the Grizzly..
I was in Campbell River yesterday And there was Black and unpainted one at Lordco .I was across the street and they were doing work in Lordco's parking lot, so didn't go over and have closer look
Interesting...there is a dark blue one in Campbell River with a unpainted box and nose on it.Any chance it was blue not black ????
I think you are right Dark Blue was in a hurry really didn't look that hard . Good to see it out and about
It was probably this truck...
Yup that is it
No news...I have been down and out the last week with a bad cold.My interior guy has been MIA.He texted me last week and said he had the week off and would be here on sunday...No show....The truck is just sitting waiting for him to finish..Frustrating...
Remember what it was like for Christmas when you were young? Same thing, only older, anticipation......
Its a good thing that I am sick as I don't seem to care right now..I cant put the seat in till he finishes the back and if there is time I want the seat done as well..I will probably just sit back and wait for it all to be done..I really wanted to road test it before the crappy weather.... As a girl once told me..."its good to want things"
Nice to know i'm not the only one with a flaky interior guy.
All good things are worth waiting for, My dad once told me...
This is actually Bart II..The original Bart (same owner/trainer) died many years ago from cancer.. I thought it was well done and funny....
Interior guy came to day with the rear 4 panels..Very nice.Even built a border for the back of the door post..I have top to pull them out for the shoulder belts but no big deal..No screws involved... My seat will have to wait till he gets his little shop (he just moved) set up so it will be going back in for now...Just some front panels to address now. Should be warm and some what quiet..
Interior guy does good work.
Very nice work!
Diamondtguy,was well worth the wait. So nice
Will this and driver be coming to the Island next year?
Yes BP...I will be coming to the Island next year with the truck to do some visiting.
Put some insulated coveralls on today (it was snowing here) and put all the seat belt stuff in and mounted the speaker behind the seat stuff.Seat is mounted on some new risers I made that are aluminum and 1" taller..I will deal with the blue seat and seatbelts in the spring.I am not real tall but I have the seat jammed back as far as it will go..Its getting tight in there.I am going to try and figure out the shifter bend tomorrow.. I would rather sit a little high than too low.I may play with the seat riser height.
Made a call last night to find out where my loggers box was that I was going to make into a trailer..Got the been out town,been busy story.Then it was Oh...changed my mind I think I will keep it story..So I guess I am looking for another box...I am in no rush so I will just sit back and see if he changes his mind in a few months....I'll just quietly keep looking..
Will check out one that was around here Cory Don't know if it's still around or not Will check.
OK...Thanks
Might be harder to get ahold of one up there, but a M1101 trailer would look pretty slick behind your truck.
Cory: Try Joe at Saratoga Ventures in Campbell River. If he hasn't got one he'll know where you can get one. He has an encyclopedic knew of who has what, where.
Thanks I will look them up... I just looked at a M1101 trailer.pretty cool and just happens to be the color (drab green)Mary wants me to paint the truck... A friend was here today and suggested I just build my own..He has a point.
The M1101 is a cool trailer.Nice that the box is aluminum.There is one for sale just up the road.Not a cheap trailer at $4500 but certainly looks the part....I will keep hunting around and see what stirs me.. .
Ouch, I got mine from an auction at Fort Riley for $800. Came with a tarp and bows too.
Well done then...There are 2 in Nanaimo BC for $5000 ea..Average US price is aprox $2000....You did well.
Iron planet is the current wholesaler of military surplus, I bought a pair of 5 ton trucks through them, as well as some other stuff. I don't know how the crossing the boarder stuff would work. Most recent auctions show under $1,000 for one. http://www.ironplanet.com/jsp/s/search.ips?c=4055&ct=35&sm=1&**=1
Not much going on in the Grizzly den.I wont road test till it stops raining so it may be a while..Wired up the air compressor and exhaust brake switch.I have a couple of interior lights to power up and that's it for the wiring.Still waiting on the interior guy.Having to spend my time in my heated shop isn't bothering me to much... Havent found a shifter knob that I like so I just spun one up on my lathe for now. Little terminal strip is for the exhaust brake and compressor.Its fused and saves running a bunch of wires under the dash.I will clamp the wires down with p-clamps.Front speakers are next..
Hooked up the rest of the lights this weekend.I put two little LED lights in the seat risers.There are no door switches and not sure if there is any room in the jam for them so just put a switch in the seat riser..They are bright enough to see to get in the truck. I also put my LED roof light back in.I have the rear view mirror mounted in the same location.It is farther forward to what it was but I may push it another 6" towards the front.There is no steel to anchor it to past where it is...So I will need to get creative.. The roof light is ridiculously bright..Next week I will install and wire up the new trailer plug.. I will clean and detail the seat tracks when the seat gets a color change..
Lookin good bud.
Thanks... Finally got a antenna today..I had to order it in from the stereo shop where I bought my sound equip..They don't stock antenna's to speak of.. Its a dual mount side mount.100% quality made chywonesse pc...It will do for now.. Hummed and hawed about where to put it.This was my choice..It is out of harms way and the cable is up out of the way..The original hole in the cowl has been plugged...
Found this pic of Bart the bear the other day..A great pic of him.1500lbs of Kodiak brown bear... Seeing one in person is on my bucket list...
Good location. Had to look twice to find it. Well done
Weather still sucks but I am slowly finishing all the little things.Interior guy is back and finishing the front panels...Not sure what he is doing but I guess I will find out when they are done.. Truck hasn't run for about six weeks so I plugged it in around noon and fired it up late afternoon.I have two big diesel (pick up size) batteries and a high toque starter.Truck pretty much starts instantly...I let it run till for about 15-20 minutes.. All is good.....
Hey there DTG. Not sure if you have found a Rebco box or not but I found this one on the Island if you are interested. My email is [email protected] 75" wide and 84" long.
Thanks...must have a good floor in it I see it retains water....I will pass on that one thanks.Removing those tool boxes and welding up the sides is alittle more than I had in mind... Thanks
Four more interior panels today.Speakers are in and hooked up.Pass front panel will be easy,drivers front not so much .. Will be nice to see it outside and in the sun.Light bulbs and flash just don't do it.Should be warm comfortable and quiet inside.Doesnt look like a off road interior but unless I lose my left leg this truck is going to be my daily driver.
Floor in the Grizzly den was dry today so I crawled under the back and installed the new trailer plug and wired it all up.Not sure where the plug came from,I got both ends plus a adapter.I think they came with the truck in a box and I was told that its the one to use.I also buttoned up the pico terminal box for good..Sure looks better and tidier than the original assembly. I finally stepped on the clutch today and everything felt fine.Tomorrow weather permitting I will pull the truck out under its own power...
Pulled the Grizzly out of its den today.Everthing was fine.P/S still has some air in it and I don't like the pad angle on the clutch pedal.I may cut the pedal apart and change it..I have to adjust the height as well...Puttered up and down the drive way a bit in it.Rain caps are off because they are very close to a horizontal pole on the tent.. All in all it went well and I walked away a happy boy.
a few more..
Job well done will have a Rye and Coke for you tonight been a long time in the works you should be proud of the excellent job . Hank
Thank you and thanks to all that have followed my build.I sent the previous owner (Jean) the video and she is happy.I am happy with the way it turned out and I am not done yet.Truck #1 has a new life and a new purpose. ...Cory And Hank....Yes I have a rye and coke in hand...Cheers
Looks really good. Great job. Will we see at truck shows? Like Duncan? Thanks Doug.
It looks too good to use, please move to California with it and only drive on dry days!
Dang I mean DANG That looks good! I'll stick with what I said in post #3 of this thread. I'm still pissed that you scored this truck and not me, but honestly, I am not sure if i would have the patience or the skill to do the job that you have done. Nice job Cory. Trouble is now I want one even more!. I am hoping to some day meet up with you and get a first hand look. With retirement just around the corner, I will have more time to be able to get to the occasional truck show and such.
Looks mazing! That's how it should have been built the first time.
Thanks guys.... Ben46A....one of my goals was to build it the way it should have been done when new..That being said I am sure they had engineering and financial constraints just getting the 1st one done.Getting the truck out in the public would have been paramount as well...I remember seeing this truck and the 2nd (red one) truck running around North Van. I sent the video to Jean last night and she likes what I have done and is happy she sold it to me.... Yes....I will be bringing the truck to the Island and I will be hitting the truck shows...Larry at Pacific Truck wants me to do the Cache creek show as well. Cheers....
Had the truck out in the fresh air again today.Tent is sweating really bad in this weather so I decided to try the wipers as the truck was soaked.Chucked one blade off and broke the other.Seems I bought the wrong kind of blades for the articulating arm...My fault...more research. I put Mary in the truck and she ran it up and down the driveway a dozen times.No problems with the clutch but the hyd assist brakes were something new for her.. She is looking forward to driving it...(so am I) All is good..
Soon you will be on the road getting thumbs up from everyone.
Hank...You may be correct on that one... So I was reading about the Site C dam which is in Ft ST John..That is where Surerus Pipline is and they have a Grizzly.I checked there site for projects and didn't find site C but I read through there history and they mention Grizzly Trucks... Many rumors about there involvement and one thread on the internet suggests they designed them...Non of it is relevant now but this does confirm they had a Interest in Grizzly trucks...How deep the interest was is of no concern to me..They obviously felt the truck would suit their needs.. 1963 Western Adventure A teenaged Brian Surerus follows his older brother from Roseneath, Ontario to Northern British Columbia. 1969 Incorporation of Groundhog Enterprises Brian Surerus trades in a Ford Ranger pick-up truck for a dump truck and incorporates as Groundhog Enterprises in Fort St. John, BC. Groundhog works for the Department of Highways doing road maintenance. 1971 First Pipeline Project Groundhog Enterprises completes its first pipeline project for Union Oil near Fort St. John, BC. Brian finds that pipeline installation is more interesting than maintenance and he changes the company name to Surerus Construction & Development Ltd. 1972 — 1979 Growth Through the 1970s Surerus Construction & Development continued to pursue pipeline opportunities throughout British Columbia, eventually expanding into northwest Alberta. 1980 — 1989 Surviving the 1980s In 1982, Surerus Pipeline Inc. is incorporated and continues to pursue pipeline opportunities throughout BC and Alberta. While the National Energy Program guts the oilpatch, Surerus is fortunate to own its own land and equipment and avoid the sting of rising interest rates. Being small and nimble allows Surerus to succeed in a challenging economy. 1988 Pipe Gets Larger Westcoast Energy awards Surerus the Aitken Creek Extension Pipeline, marking the first time that a mid-inch project is completed by the company. 1992 Grizzly Trucks After falling in love with the rugged looking Grizzly Truck prototype at a logging equipment show in Vancouver, Brian invests in the business. Unfortunately only 13 trucks were ever built, one of which remains in the Surerus fleet
Here are a few more pictures,
So a couple of weeks ago I got a e-mail from a gentleman in Ontario named Stephen Ogden.He had a bunch of Grizzly info and pics he wished to donate to me.I got some very nice photo's,newspaper clippings factort lit etc.He saw a Grizzly at a Toronto Truck show and came out to BC to check them out and possibly buy one .He didn't but he kept all of the info..I will scan as much as I can and post it... As we were talking about the Surerus oil truck here is a pic of it brand new.. My thanks to Mr. Ogden
Another pic from Stephen...This one is interesting as I have never seen this truck before.I now have a photo of one of the missing few..
Looks like its been stretched out! Surerus that is!
Couple more of Stephens pics.Pretty sure this is Arts Truck when new.
Another of Stephen's pics..This is the big truck that was originally green and now lives in Whistler as a company truck for Canadian Wilderness Adventures.
Another truck I have yet to find.Pretty sure I have found the name of the original owner but have not tracked him down.I believe this to be truck #3.Photo very similar to the one in the brochures..
A lot of different boxes on the trucks
And last of Stephens pics.My own truck (#1) when she was new...Quietly thinking to my self I like its new look much more when she was new...Quietly thinking to my self I like its new look much more...
Another pc for my collection...
What a great surprise, that he thought to send it all over. Good to see some original shots, thanks.
Looks like at some point they started to use Dodge dana axles & rims, probably a np205 transfer case also. I see both Warn & Selectro locking hubs..... Ed
I have some Grizzly sales brochures with all the parts/options and yes it was a NP205 T/case.I have one in mine but its a Ford one with drivers side drop.The blue truck seen in Gibsons from time to time is also a left side drop.Most of them appear to be right side drop (Dodge/Chevy) There are lots of rumors and internet storys that Grizzlys were rebodied Dodge trucks.Engines and axels maybe but I don't know about frames.The dually truck the RCMP had that has now been changed again (Gibsons truck) has a Ford 4x4 chassis and a 7.3 in it according to the info I have from when it was for sale at one point.Add claimed Grizzly did the conversion.Dont know from what tho... Had some people here a year ago to purchase a rare Ford V8 that I have and he saw the truck and the first thing he said was it was a rebodied Dodge.I told him if he could find one pc of Dodge on my truck that I would give him the engine for free..I still have the engine... By my count there are pictures of 12 of the Grizzly trucks built on this thread now.Three of those trucks are MIA and there maybe one or two more to find pictures of..Still some leads to follow up on...
I doubt they are a rebody also. Just sourced the same axles. Dodge was using a d60 front, d70 rear, np205 at that time in the diesels. t-case was the right drop, Grizz go with a divorced, t-case? Would make different engine / trans options easier to build. Wheels, oem replacment, hubcaps could've been bought at the Dodge dealer. Girzzly's were longer than a regular truck, make no sense to cobble a frame. Front shock geometry doesn't match a Dodge either, my 92 w350 single wheel is in front of me now..... The silver truck has the Selectro locking hubs, they went away in 89 or 90. They take a different front hub than a Warn lockout. Actually they are full time hubs, with a lockout instead of a splined end cap. I have all 3. What was the most common engine / trans Grizzly's came with? Ed
I put a married t/case in mine but cant speak for the other trucks.I think the most common engine was the Cummins 6.9.The big Black one in Qualicum was built new with a 300 I6 Ford (has a Perkins now) and I thing a couple have 7.3 Fords. Grizzly spec sheets say 205 t/case dana 60 front and dana 70 rear. I believe the rumors of them being rebodied Dodges stems from other rumors of them stripping new trucks for parts....Just rumors to me.. I don't buy the Dodge frame thing either.To many variables with options.Also my frame is a very simple easy to build 3x5 box tube ladder style.Easy to do and its just a couple of measurement changes for different wheel base or drivetrain layouts.. Bumpsteer...thanks for the feedback
A few more things from Stephen Ogden..I have invited him to jump on board here and share his memories .. Not sure how he got his hands on a artists concept picture..but its cool.Nice because I somehow ended up with the concept picture of the new Pacific hwy trucks after International left and we ditched the IH cab and we used our own cabs on all the trucks
Looking at the pics of Art's truck, you can see the frame is straight over the front axle. Their own frame for sure. Back in the day, one of the truck magazines had a little write up about Grizzly being a new truck mfgr., had a little pic of your truck....... Never had a Grizzly dealer open, so I bought my Dodge. Couldn't afford it anyway, now seeing what the prices were. My Dodge has 4 options...lol. Ed
This is going to turn into a question.... Truck has a crossflow radiator.4 core aluminum,with steel tanks.Bolted together with stainless 10/32 button heads with nylocks.Gasket is some sort of rubber.This is the way it was built.I did not touch it...When I installed it in the summer I pressure tested the system and it was good.I have noticed that in the freezing temps the rad leaks a bit at its seams..Only when it is freezing out.. Obviously the mix of metals are not contracting at the same rate.The steel tanks are bolted to the truck... When I picture all of this in my head I see the steel tanks shrinking away from the core and the core shrinking towards the center thus actually stretching the little 10/32 bolts.Unless they were all a tad loose...It wouldn't take much.. Thinking I may have to pull the rad,warm it up in my shop and retighten all the bolts.I doubt the bolts have never seize on them.At this point changing them might be a good idea.(and a fricken headache) Thoughts ,Opinions,Ideas, ??????
Maybe aluminum tanks or go all out and trade it for a Mesabi rad.
10-32 screws (that many) should not be an issue. A 10-32 grade 1 is 1200# tensile strength, and that many should not stretch enough to leak I would think. I may be incorrect (usually I am,) but if you were to re-torque everything wouldn't you want to do it when it was cold? With everything shrunk up so to speak, when the different parts got warm, they would expand into each other and seal up better I would think. Is there any chance the radiator could mount on isolators allowing the radiator to "flex?"
Yes..I have thought of making my own aluminum tanks to get rid of the dissimilar metals. Jumbo....I am thinking warm because the bolts would be there longest and would apply more torque when they shrink
Aluminum shrinks at a much faster rate than steel. With all those bolts i wouldn't think it would be a problem. Maybe the aluminum shrinking too much radially is doing something?
As the others have said torque it down when it is cold but check the bolts for stretch and flanges for square.
A 10-32 is the largest screw you can stretch with a screw driver. that is why ground screws in electrical work are 10-32, big yet still stretch to get a positive bond on electrical equipment. Just an odd fact from 40 years in the electrical trade.
Just looking at your pictures of the radiator. I haven't ever seen a gasket that thick on a bolted radiator. All the ones that I have and have worked on used thin cork gaskets. Could it be that the rubber just shrinks way more than what the torque on the bolts can provide. Be curious how you resolve the problem. Awesome work, looking forward to more.
It is a big job to remove all the bolts but I would be inclined to change the gasket and clean both surfaces. Hayes clippers and the early pacfics and many other trucks used aluminum tanks with steel mounts on there cores. That rad is more than likely original so cleaning up the rad tank flange wouldn't hurt and all new bolts and new gaskets would be all it would take
The gasket is indeed very thick and I never considered that it may be shrinking.I built lots of Pacific rads and the gasket was maybe 1/8 thick... Finding new gaskets would be a challenge but I could always have them made out of something different. I am inclined to order some new bolts and just rip it all apart.I am going to talk to the engineer at work and see what his thoughts are.. I am going to go flip the nose and have a better look . Thanks for the feedback and ideas.
Last radiator I had apart the gasket came in a roll. Sticky on one side. I just overlapped the corners and pushed the bolts through. Old guy in the radiator shop just gave me part of a roll because he didn't have time to look at it. Probably because I'd brought in enough junk in the past.
Three quarters of the front of the rad is covered by the intercooler but I got in there and tightened all the bolts on the lower 8". The leak appears to have stopped or slowed to almost nothing.I also tightened all the bolts on the engine side.I got about 1/4 of a turn out of them with using a std 3/8 wrench..I have emptied the drip tray and will keep a eye on it. Intercooler will get pulled and I'll check all the other bolts when it warms up a bit. Still going to do some research..
The Dr. here thinks that a liquid research lesson is in order for the next several days......
Very true... Cheers
Grizzly is just sleeping right now..Interior guy's Mom is ill and he is busy.Weather sucks and not suitable for a road test.So it just sits.I go back to work this month building a 2 1/2 Million dollar machine that will keep the pay cheques coming for at least a year.Long over due.More on this later.. I did test the oil pan heater buy leaving it plugged in for 3 hours..Works well For now I will sit,wait and do what I always do....Think to much..
Diamondtguy,Happy new year to you. Going back to work. Great way to start 2018. Glad to hear. Perhaps a few more boys will find work in their chosen field. Bp
Hey BP...Happy New Year....Yes its going to be good to go back to work.Shop needs to clear out a few jobs before we can start but I understand lots of parts are on order.Should be interesting.. I talked with the engineer today about my rad issue he just laughed and understood the problem I was having.I have to change the way I mount it and let it float around a bit and expand and contract as it wishes.. After some research I found these mounts which will move around a bit,support the weight and have good vertical shear strength.I will get some ordered..Should solve the problem. Pic is generic pic of the style of mount.
I am quite surprised that the radiator wasn't already mounted on isolators. I thought all vehicle radiators were isolator mounted.
It kind of is but they just control vibration.Rad has six 3/8 bolts mounted horizontal.There is a urethane bushing between the rad and the frame..For and aft the rad can move a little but it is trapped to move/grow laterally.The dissimilar metals don't help with the tanks on the side. I have to find a happy place where the rad isn't flopping around but can still move around a little
So the sun is shining and its a nice day so I fired the truck up and let it run for a while.The truck fires up instantly..I certainly don't miss the glow plugs on my Ford 7.3..Took a bunch of pictures..I have my new rad mounts on order and the correct wiper blades on order...
more..
So.diamondtguy,getting plates,not a problem. How did you come up with a replacement value?
Getting plates isn't a problem.Truck has clean registration.Not sure what I'll do about replacement value.I have the same issue on both the Mustangs and the Diamond T.I may investigate private insurance..I have no idea of the trucks value now...I do know the US guys would pay good money for it because its diesel powered,rare and unique.
Darn right about that!
I would to love to have that truck..
What is the attachment on the shifter, looks to me like a 2 speed rear end hi/lo shifter but i don't remember anyhing about a 2 speed. Also the radiator rubber isolators look like the ones that I have purchased at my local freightliner dealer but they are 1/4-20 threads not 3/8. Jim
Jim...yes its a 2spd rear diff switch but I have my exhaust brake hooked up to it.System came with a dash switch and throttle switch I just changed things a bit and left those parts in the box.. Those isolators are quite common.Mcmaster Car has hundreds of styles and sizes.As my rad is hanging from them I had to carefully watch shear strength on them.
My new mounts showed up for the rad today.I am not working tomorrow so weather permitting I may change them.. Thread on them is 3/8 NC.I hope this solves the problem but I have other options.
Well....This job has turned out to be much harder than anticipated and is a tad frustrating.There is not enough room on the front side of the rad for the mounts.The flange is only 3/4 wide and the mounts are 1 1/2 dia.Have to move the mounts to the back side of the rad where the surface is large and flat.This means totally reworking the uprights and moving the mounting points on the upright.I have one side done.I will try it again in the morning.. What was once a basic pc of 2" angle now looks like this. This is how it is with the other mounts..
So after some more cutting I got the right side in and all is fine. The simple solution would be to just make a mirror image of it.I looked around and found a pc big enough to make one upright for the left side.Not enough material for two. A hour later I had it done.I will install it in the morning..
Looks good. I have sent you a pm. See if you can find it. Bp
I got the other side done this morning before the rainstorms hit.I have 6 mounts in there.Each mount has a shear strength of 85lbs.That should be more than enough to support the rad and vibration.Lateral movement is quite good.Hopefully this solves the problem.I will find out the next time the temps drop.. Forgot to cut the corners off but I can do that later.
Looking better with every picture, Job well done.
Not much to report.Havent seen the interior guy since the beginning of Dec.Its not really a issue as its been raining since then anyways.I pulled the shifter back out today for another rebend.I like where it is but it would be a knee banger if I had three people in the truck.Might as well fix it now... It has to go back to the glass shop as well.When it was really cold I had lots of condensation in the tent and the glass had a few leaks.They are going to pull the front glass again and will have to put some sealer in. For now it will just sit.I will plate it when the weather breaks.
It was a nice day so I fired up the truck and put it in the sun.I let it run for a while till it hit around 190deg.Tried the heater and as with the last time it was blowing cold air still.It slowly climbed to 205 and I ran it up and down the driveway just playin around and the temp just stayed around 205.I put the truck away and opened up the hood to have a look.Radiator was stone cold so I guess the thermostat isn't opening.I was kind of happy as that would explain the lack of heat.I will yank it out tomorrow and check it.. I have a mechanical temp gauge that is screwed in to the back of the engine.
Looks like your 1 step from being on the road now if the weather Gods are nice to you this weekend you could get out for more test drives. Then on the 14th take Mary out for dinner.
Whats on the 14th ??(har har) Took it apart today but before I started I checked the coolant level.I was surprised to find it down quite a bit.I guess it had some air in it and I hadn't checked it.Anyways I pulled the thermostat.It is a Gates 180deg.I boiled up some water and cycled the t-stat numerous times.It just starts to open at 180.I reinstalled everything and dumped in another 5 liters of anti freeze.I ran the truck for a little bit till it started to heat up.The heater now works fine.I didn't run it long enough to open the t-stat but I am sure all is fine..I will probably run the truck up to temp tomorrow. The heater is actually higher up than the rad so I may have to raise the front of the truck to get the system completely full.
Been pretty cold here the last few weeks and going to be even colder next week.So far the rad has not lost a drop.If it survives the -10 cold next week I will know that the changes were good.. I was at the insurance agent today turning in the paper work to get the modified collector plates for my 67 and I grabbed some plates for the Grizzly.When we get some good (dry) weather I will road test it.I will put the plates on tomorrow and just wait.It was snowing here this morning.. At some point in time the weight of the truck was changed to make it air care exemt so I need/want to get it weighed.I don't think it's any where near the 3500KG's(7700lbs) its listed at.The correct weight will bring my rates down a bit as well..For out of province readers our air care testing is shut down and gone. There is no shortage of scales out here....
A guess the weight challenge? Ok, I reckon 3130 kg ( without driver). Looking forward to warm spring days.
I am thinking/hoping for about 2600KG...I am open to guesses on the weight..As I am lucky to weigh 145lbs on a good day my weight doesn't really come into the equation. I spent 2 hours dicking around with another set of wiper blades.They wont work.I found the right marine blades to go with the articulated wiper arms and ordered them. Snowed again last night and has been freezing out..Still no rad leaks. I finally got the last gadget (other than a VH radio)for the truck today.I have a 3000W inverter to install.You never know when you want to brew some coffee in the backwoods.
What a cool build!
That is an awesome truck. The ultimate pickup in my opinion. You did a phenomenal job building that. Very nice work. Wish I had one.
Thanks Guys......
I had never even heard of a Grizzly before, thanks for sharing!
I should get my wiper blades next week and that will clear up that issue.We have had lots of minus 10c weather and I have a few drips out of the rad.Nothing like it was.I will spend some time going over all the bolts (aprox 100) when the weather is better for laying/sitting on the ground. I put my plates on today so the to do list is getting getting very small.We had about 10" of snow on yesterday and there is more to come.The truck can stay in its den for now... I need to wire up the license plate light as well.
Is the drum line on the winch wire or synthetic?
Jumbo.....the drum line is wire.I thought about the synthetic but I have no experience with 4x4 winches at all and just didn't know anything about the synthetic...For corrosion,weight,spooling and kinks I would prefer synthetic.I was more concerned with finding a winch I could hide in the back of the bumper. You have some input/info on wire preference..??? Winch is a 12,000 lb Warn
I have quit using steel, on my two winches, one is on a trailer and the other is a small hoisting drum in my shop. both are 1/4" Samson Amsteel Blue. The lines are advertised as matching capacity size for size. (and no jaggers.) I first learned about it about 10 years ago when an outfit was using if for strawline, it is a lot lighter than steel. I figure if it survives working in the woods, it will survive anything. I know the military uses it now for it's winches, There are other brands that are probably just as good as Samson, I only know of Samson. I do know that you can specify synthetic on a Warn winch, (a friend just bought an ATV winch with synthetic from the factory) so I would assume from their standpoint it must be just as good. I do know you only need a simple flat fairlead, you don't need rollers. And again, what sold me was ; no jaggers.
Interesting...I will look into it.It just so happens my neighbor across the street is high up in the local wire rope company and I will talk to him when he gets back from his homeland (Australia) And yes..Warn does use it and it was optional on my winch... I will do some research.....Thanks
Yes, use synthetic if you want the best you can get. If you want the "correct" look then go 5/16" wire up to a 12k then go 3/8" wire.
Good point, if you are doing restoration, wire matches the era better. (Snide comment; right down to the jaggers...) Sorry, I just could not resist. But you better have a spliced eye rather than a pressed eye. Years ago, I had a 67 Ford with a chunk of 7/16 strawline for a drumline matched with an old guyline shackle hanging from it. Of course that was 45+ years ago and the the bed had a number of empty Rainer cans bouncing around. I would never let anything bounce around in the back of that Grizzly.
Only issue I've heard of with the Amsteel is abrasion, doesn't like to be rubbed against anything. Use the winch on my truck for pulling leaners & snags, can't always get a clean shot. Stayed away from the Amsteel just for that reason. Ed
I use synthetic rope on all my ATV's. I've had no issues with abrasion and I still kept the roller fairleads on with no issue. I find it just as good as cable, safer to handle and less recoil if it ever did snap. But what I do find is if you keep it spooled tight on the drum it....not sure how to describe it.....but it won't stay nice round......it will take a triangular shape. Not a big deal, but just doesn't spool up as neat as cable. And in winter if you get it wet, a few times I had really pull on it to get it out. It froze up a bit.
Thanks for all the input..I will probably leave it steel for now and see how much I actually use it..I will do some research on the synthetic rope in the mean time....
Not too bad weather today so I pulled the truck out and adjusted the wiper arms and fit the new/proper blades.I ended up buying Marinco wiper blades.They are the people that made the arms and the wiper motors.I have to redo the washer nozzles.The not so thought out system they had will no longer work.It is a minor problem but windshield washers are important here. Sun came out and the roads dried out so I took it for a drive up and down my street a few times.Mary wanted to go for a ride so off I went on a long drive around the country roads.Ended up putting about 30 miles on it.I had it out on the highway for a bit.... As normal I have to recenter the steering wheel and need to check my toe in. Tach not reading correct but all other gauges working fine.Temp was a constant 180deg.Tach is a crank trigger.Air gap may be wide. Steering is slowly bleeding the last of the air out. Brakes work vey well as does the exhaust brake.. Gear shifting is tight and notchy but it is a new trans and will need some time. Engine makes lots of power.Pulls very hard in third gear.EGT's are good and at one point on a hill I had 30 pounds of boost. Very happy I pulled the 4.10's out of it.Even the 3.7's feel like a little much.Starting out in 2nd is not a problem. No leaks just the smell of some paint burning... Everthing went well and yes lots of people looking and a few thumbs up from other truck drivers. If I have time I will make some adjustments tomorrow and take it back out.I have rounded up my Go Pro camera stuff and will take a video. It was a good day for both of us...
Success!! Nice one!
Success, and all the long hrs of work has paid off enjoy you Sunday drive.
That is awesome!! Reading this I couldn't help but feel excitement, congratulations!
Right on Diamondtguy! Looking forward to seeing some pics of it out on the road.
If someone here doesn't step up to the plate I may buy this one as well....... https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/nvn/cto/d/grizzly-1-ton-cummings-diesel/6521274440.html
I am sure it has your name on Cory. Your the man with the know how, and build it right.
Better save it.....has your name on it. Is this a "known" truck? Any history? Ed
I have a pic of the truck on Gibsons so yes I know about it..The box was on C/L a few years ago and I am sure it used to be a dually and was a RCMP truck in Alberta.If it is that truck it was converted to 4wd by Grizzly in the 90's.I thought the truck was on a Ford 4x4 chassis and had a 7.3 in it but I am still missing 3 trucks so I am not positive.I have asked for more pictures.. Truck is registered as a 1990 so it has to be a early one. If it is the truck I think it is I have a write up on after it was all rebuilt and refit...
I just looked at my pics and two of the trucks managed to get the same style of box... It is starting to look like that is truck #3 which was originally gray..One of my missing trucks.It has the early style grill and is a 1990.The other truck that had the same box has the later grill with all the mapleleafs in it... So the Alberta truck is still missing...
The add for the truck is wrong...It apparently has a Ford 7.3 (he said it was a power stroke) auto in it....Back to my original gut feeling..I have sent him some pics to try and determine some info on this truck...
I am not dealing with the owner.It is one of his friends.Current engine is a 7.3 turbo Ford.Dont know if its a IDI or a powerstroke.None the less they are good engines. He thinks the truck was converted about 4 years ago to the Ford with a auto and thinks it was a original Cummins truck.. That's enough of this for me tonight...
So I guess soon it will be in Mapleridge..
Is there somewhere to learn the history of the Grizzly?
The most info I have found on Grizzly Trucks is in my thread here.There is some internet stuff but for the most part it is incorrect and just plain wrong.I bought my truck from Jean who is Geoff Bucks widow.She was there the whole time as far as I know and she has the Grizzly archives.I will at one point meet up with her and go through it all... As with all story's there is "bad" stuff..I know some of it but I will never post it.As Hank said to me "It is not relevant anymore" and It has nothing to do with my reason for starting this thread.. I still have some people/friends to track down and talk to but I will only post relevant info... The North Vancouver Historical Society has a little blurp stating Jeff Hardbottle posted info but I have yet to find it.I knew Jeff as we both have/had Diamond T's.Jeff is no longer with us... So to answer your question.I would say no...Unless Jean and/or Geoffs partner come forward I think we will just have to wait and gather what info we can.
Find a third and you can have Papa bear, Mama bear and Baby bear. With an early 60's Mustang, the right color you can have Goldilocks also. Never can have too much iron. At least that is what I tell others.
I asked for more pics of the Gibson's truck but have yet to get any....Jumbo...you are right I can never have too much but I am out of good/dry storage areas and hate stuff sitting out in the elements year round.. Didn't have time to roadtest the truck today but I did yank the steering wheel and recenter it.I also aired up all the tires to the correct pressure and fixed the loose left side mirror.I checked the air gap on the crank trigger tach and it was well with in specs.I cleaned the paint of the 4 poles in case that was the problem.I will fore sure have the truck out tomorrow....
Took the truck for a couple of drives today.Slowly getting the bugs out.Filled up the tank and it only took 50 liters.So the tank had as much fuel in it as I thought but the fuel gauge has quit again.Tach still not working properly. My new speedo will be here soon and I will look at things when I have the dash hanging out... Truck bounces more than I would like.A result of the air bags I imagine.I have Rancho RS5000 shocks in it...I am going to look into the RS9000 which are adjustable or possibly something else..
Try the Bilstiens, excellent dampners.
I will have a look...Its a very slow process as I don't have a application so its by the measurements and the mounts.I just looked through 225 listings to find suitable RS9000's...
I would imagine you can cross reference those to the Bilstein 5100.
Cant find a decent cross reference chart.It would appear I would want Bilstein 5125 which are sold by length but no details on the mounts.. My Rancho 5000's would also appear to be pretty much hyd replacement shocks of oem design...The RS9000's are adjustable and are gas.I will ponder it for a few days..The RS9000's are $113 US each.....
The Gibson's truck was sold to the first guy who looked at it for the asking price..I am working on getting the new owners name and location.I think the seller got a bigger response to his add than anticipated.....
In the first pic you can see out board rear leafs conventionaly mounted..No air bag's...I really need to go see this truck...
Didn't do anything with the truck on the weekend.I had to work Saturday and was too busy on Sun...Late today I installed my inverter.I got the 3000W inverter new in the box for free and one of the electrical companys that look after our shop built me the cables for free...Don't know if I will ever use it but I have it. And yes....The large pos battery cable is black and the ground is red..All the cables (dual battery) are black except that ground.. I have also ordered new valves (Hollander) for the automatic leveling system for the air bags.The truck had it when I got it but it was all disconnected and cut apart.The hoses were also wrong.Who ever rehosed the bags just left all the old parts in the truck..As I have a onboard compressor for the engine brake I decided I might as well put the system back in.The valves are cheap and the changes to my plumbing are minor...I will pick the valves up in a day or two.
Finally got my hood cables last weekend..I installed them on Fri.Had to move the anchor hole in the hood frame.They had one side one inch out..Cables are marine grade (stainless) I got my new speedo and have the dash all apart to change it and find out whats wrong with the fuel gauge.I also decided to address the non working hour meter.I found it was not wired up so I will start there.. Went out today and picked up my valves and linkage for the automatic leveling for the air bags.I will install this after I finish the dash.Valves and linkage are Hollander..I will change the linkage rods to stainless.I have the material here. I have a 4 day weekend so hopefully I spend some installing the new parts.
All good Corey. Better have some Easter eggs for the wife
Mary and I were at the Husky dealer today..She has always wanted a gas powered blower so I bought her one today.I also bought her some head gear for weed wacking.Went in there to by some parts for the Husky riding mower and spent $500.00.....OH well...Happy Easter. I just powered up the hour meter and it's ticker has stopped....I will have to find a new one..I was sure it was working when I bought the truck....Who knows.
Made me chuckle. Reads like every equipment for sale ad I've ever seen... "Like new. Meter only reads 600 hrs on this 1970 cat"... with shot rails and two Earl Scheib overhauls. The build is looking great.
Yes...very true.Honestly it only has 600 hours on it.It was a hobby machine.. I had a look through some pics and I have a pic of the hour meter when I bought the truck.Hours were 2/10ths lower so it did work.Dont know what happened. Back in the 90's I had a F-250 that I had a hour meter in.Every month I did the math for mileage vs hours.Truck would average 15-17 mph for the month.I kept track for the 6 years I owned it.Grizzly has 53,000 miles on it (the speedo works) and 36?? hrs on it.Math says about 16 mph average.Make sense to me that it recently quit... Next week it will have a new speedo in it and a new hour meter.We will start over from zer ld stuff goes in the misc parts box for the next owner.
Went after the not so happy fuel gauge today.Checked the gauge and it had power and checked the ground wire and it was both good.I pulled the sender out and readjusted its height.I also re indexed it as the tank has a baffle in it about 2/3 of the way and the float can hit it..I got the gauge to read again but only 3/4.I pulled the sender again to check it and the wire broke off 2" from the end ,was probably already broken.Checked everything again and still only 3/4 full.I pulled the sender again and stuck my flash light in and the tank is only 3/4 full..***.....I just filled it.Pulled the filler cap off and I can see fuel at the bottom of the filler tube....Then I looked closer.Some one welded a pc of 2" sq tubeing on the bottom of the filler tube bung.The pc is 6-6 1/2 inches long with no vent holes.Once the fuel hits the bottom of it the tank will burp..No where for the air to get out.Math says I have lost roughly 30% capacity.More *** I see my options as ... pull the sender again and put a vent somewhere close to it where you can catch/vacuum the shavings (tank is aluminum) Pull the tank and cut that pipe out... I am going to work on the vent Idea first..I have to do some thinking. I have the top of the filler off in the pic.You can see how far down the tubing goes..
Hi, I've been looking at your progress as I can and I think you're doing a fantastic job! When I read this latest development I laughed and then wondered if there was a valid reason for not letting the tank fill to the top? I'm sure you're mulling that over as well, I'm looking forward to your solution. Thanks for the step by step, I'm really enjoying it.
Thanks......I am thinking it was a decision made sometime after beer:30...The tank has a checker plate cover on it so I am not sure but judging by the welding it was not done by the tank builder.He would have used round tube/pipe and it would more than likely have been tig welded.Thinking its someones idea of a anti slosh/burp tube that wasn't thought out well.. I am old enough and have done this enough to not dwell on "What were they thinking"...I just shake my head and try and move on. I pulled the sender out again yesterday and found enough room(no tank drilling) in the top of it to drill and tap a 1/4 NPT hole.I will finish the vent on Sat and post some pics.
So here is my solution to the tank vent issue....No drilling into the tank required.Hose is 3/8 so it should vent ok.I just happen to have a brand new hyd filter here and the npt adaptor.Brkt was in my drawer of didn't get used parts..Very simple and painless solution. I had my friend make me up some new tie downs.I really wanted the radius on the top but cant do it cleanly at home.I am also way to busy at work to sneak onto the mill...He has a shop that does pretty much aluminum and SS only.No problem for him.. I installed the new speedo as well.New hour meter will be here tomorrow and then I can button up the dash (again).
You've got to love the look of a nice TIG weld in heavy aluminum.
Yes...Rob is very talented.He is about 6 foot 3or4 and can free hand(one hand un supported) tig weld and make it look machine welded.I have never been able to free hand weld..I even prefer to be sitting..
Weather was nice after work for a change so I put the dash back together.New speedo and hour meter.Speedo is easy to read and has a trip meter..Color and style remind me of the gauges in the Diamond T.Hour meter is just a basic Stewart Warner one..Both gauges are at zero. Tach recall switch is a plug in option with my tach.I don't need it but it fills the empty hole in the dash until I find the need for some gauge I don't have already. Now to get started on the Load leveling valves...
Had the truck out today doing more testing...I mounted the go pro on the dash and took a bunch of video's.I kept them all kinda short.I will mount the camera somewhere else for some different views next time...Here is one little video.If you have good sound you will here the exhaust brake being used.
Another short one.
Looks like all your hard work worked out I hope there were no problems must feel nice going for a drive.
No problems....Just sorting things out.As it going to be my daily driver I am being picky.
More adjustments today.Steering box was badly in need of adjustment and I found the source of all the steering play.Seems I had not torqued up the pitman arm and even tho I only got half a turn on the nut it was not yet seated on the taper.It was enough to remove all the free play. Steering is way better but still suffering from errant air in the system.Doesnt help that the hydro boost is the highest point and the vented pump filler cap is the lowest.I may have to put a remote reservoir on the truck with a vented lid as high up as possible. Turns out rear shocks are running almost bottomed out at ride height.These are actually 2" shorter than the shocks that were in it.I am going to redo the mounts next week and lower the mount 3".This should run the shock around midstroke at ride height.If this doesn't calm the problem down I will buy the better shocks for the rear.I can only assume I had the truck too high when I measured the shocks.A moot point tho as shorter shocks are not available. I did another 10 mile road test and all things are moving in the right direction.
Can you raise the upper mount or angle the mount so you don't lose clearance?
The upper mount is a tower type and it is welded to a crossmember.Lower mount is on my spring plate.Problem is the sway bar is in the way to just drop the mount down.I have a solution and I will get the water jet to cut the pcs next week..I will do the load leveling valve while I am under there.
Nice. If you look up the part number for a 67 to 69 Camaro and 68-72 Nova Rancho rs9000 shock you will get a short 9 way adjustable shock that will work well.
Had another look on Rancho's site but they only list trucks no cars.A little more searching and I found the lengths of the Camaro rear shocks.They are 1" longer than what I have but they mount the same way.This gives me some options if my shocks don't perform after I lower the mounts...Thanks..
Here are the plates to relocate my shocks on the spring plates.They will make sense when I weld them on.They are 3/8 304 stainless. Ten years I have been making parts on our water jet and I am still impressed at its ability and we don't even have a state of the art 5 axis machine.We do have a rather large OMAX machine tho...
Oh the things I could do & fun I could have with a water jet.
Had the day off today and had plans to fix my shocks but the interior guy showed up and decided to finish my interior..OK with me.The firewall wasn't fun as its littered with parts and the heater box is in the way but he worked around it...I am happy with the end results..
Tore the rear apart today and welded on the relocation plates on my spring plates.Everything went fine and the shock is now sitting roughly in its midstroke.I will roadtest it tomorrow.If it doesn't solve the problem I will just order the RS 9000 shocks for it.At least I have resolved the stroke issue on them.. Sorry about the blurry pics but you will get the idea.
I pushed on (I had a headache today) and worked on the rear auto leveling valve.I got the valve and the linkage sorted out.I will hose it tomorrow and remove the bracket and trim it.I will do the front later as it doesn't seem to leak and I have a few other things to fiddle with.... The other holes in the bracket are my fault.I had the orientation wrong on the fill/exhaust direction and had to flip the valve.
I have it hooked up now and I trimmed the bracket.I also had to shorten my link rod by 3/4 of a inch.Took more than a few attempts to get the ride height right but it seems to work good and is fairly responsive...Not a fan of the rubber rod ends but I wont have to worry about them seizing up.I may put stainless ones on later.....Time for lunch The errant rubber hose in the bottom pic is my rear axel vent line.
Took the truck out again.Getting better all the time.Ride is tolerable but I may try the 9000's in the back anyways. Gave the truck its first bath since I bought it....Looks good.. Need to work on the air in the power steering now..
Have you tried to pressurize the power steering reservoir with low air pressure to help purge the system?
No..I haven't tried that but it is a interesting thought...
Had the truck out again today to give a friend a ride..He was pretty impressed with it.I have about 100 miles on the truck and am still tinkering with some stuff.I pulled the balancer off of it and will get 4 grooves machined in it in hopes that this will solve the crank trigger tach not reading correct.Balancer comes off very easy. I have also ordered a remote power steering tank to try and solve my air lock issues in the power steering and hydro boost.You can here the pump complain when you step on the brakes.There is still air in the system...I have some Rancho RS 9000's coming for the rear as well. This will be the final attempt on the rear suspension.I have to consider it is a 3x5x.250 tube frame with probably zero flex.My 95 Ford 4x4 is a reg cab 8' box and the Grizzly wheelbase is 12" shorter.That short wheelbase and rigid frame certainly doesn't help..Lessons I learned from the years when I built 427 Cobra replicars.I did rectangular tube frames and round tube frames...The ride difference was huge...
Something a little different.This is a picture Marylee had hand painted for me.It is about 4'x5'.Currently not mounted in the bathroom.I have always had a deep interest in Brown Bears and bears in general. Also in the pic is my counter top which is a 2 1/2 slab of maple,sink that is carved out of a rock and all tounge and groove cedar walls and ceiling.Wood was cut and milled on the Island... As far as my truck goes...One of the machinist at work is doing my balancer for me at home.Should have it back tomorrow.
Looks good to me
Got my balancer back today.Paint will be dry tomorrow and I will put it on.Hopefully this will solve the problems.I will have to re adjust the sensor as well.Slots are.500 wide and .250 deep.It was done on a rotary head so I know they are bang on 90deg apart.
Half the flex in most fords built in the last 50 years has been in the frame.
That's true...I have only ever owned regular cab 8' box Ford pick-ups but I know the longer trucks ride nicer.My 7.3 4x4 road the worse as it was leaf sprung on all 4 corners. I put the balancer back on and readjusted the sensor.Minor rework required to get the sensor in deeper but no big deal.I will road test the truck later and see if this solves the problem...
Took the truck out for a drive today and the tach still doesn't work properly.It actually reads less than the set up I had before.I have contacted Autometer about it.I suspect my crank sensor is bad... I have found the Blue Grizzly that sold last month.It is now in Burnaby.Turns out new owner is friends with a very good friend of mine.I hope to talk to him next week..
More off topic....as some of you know I am building a 2.5 million dollar press at work.Its a prototype and I am not allowed to talk about it much..I will just say its going to roll/press 4x8 sheets of steel into something else.I am doing all the fabrication (pretty much done)as well as all the assembly/fitting and I am doing all the hydrolics on it as well.Some of the parts exceed 30,000 lbs..I will pre assemble it at work,take it apart and then ship it to the site where I will reassemble it.I will also look after the machine once it is running.We are doing the feed tables as well. This is a pic of some wheels I just assembled.I did 35 of them.Thats 70 bearings at roughly $1200 a bearing.Wheels are 12" diam.Outer diam was ground not lathe turned.. Pic of motor and gear box base.Top plate is 2" material,base is 13' feet long.There are 2 of them .Each gets a 300HP electric motor..
Cool project. Always fun to work on something like that. Know where your at with not talking about it.......just went thru it with my work on the new GM L6 diesel. Ed
Who ever does the welding is excellent at welding looks great.
Yes....I am going to be a good boy and not talk about its intended use.I have worked for the owner of this machine before fixing his previous machines.I haven't built anything this big for over a decade.We used to built sandspreaders and tow trucks for Hercules Equipment.. Hank....the welders were some what hand picked.They did a nice job.I will get a pic on Tuesday of one of the 31,000 lb pc.They took around two weeks to weld up running two shifts a day. It's a interesting project and I am having fun (and a sore back).
That is a uniform looking run of weld, I'm looking at it on a tiny screen so can't zoom in much but is it several runs of weld stacked up? I'm getting my eyes tested again soon, maybe that'a help.
Yes its a stack...Its about 3/4-1" across the face.Hand welded with .052 wire...
Is the Grizzly getting daily use taking you to work?
I have not taken the Grizzly to work yet but I have put about 125 miles on it.Still trying to sort out the tach.I am about to put the balancer back on for the forth time.Still trying to get the sensor to read the balancer properly.Also waiting for my remote power steering tank.It should be here next week.System still has air in it...
Just put the truck back together and tach still does not work properly.Autometer wanted me to put four posts on the balancer which is what I originally had.I put keystock in my machined slots and created four .250 high posts...Back to Autometers engineers I go....Hopefully its just a case of putting a new sensor on...
Have not heard back from Autometer about my tach so I guess I will have to buy a new sensor and just hope for the best. I finally got my adjustable rear shocks and my power steering tank...I have the day off tomorrow and will start on these pcs.
Made a bracket and put the tank in nice and high...I need to get some more fluid before I fire it...I double checked the lid and it is vented.. Now to do the rear shocks... A friend told me today he has heard of people having to pull vacuum on the hydra boost to bleed all the air out.Someone has all ready suggested putting some air pressure to it...Hopefully this works...I do have air here and I do have a vacuum pump if it gets to that.
I put the new Ranch RS9000's in today.These are gas filled and have 9 adjustments.I also had to deal with the vented cap on the power steering pump.Pretty sure it would have puked fluid out when I filled the new reservoir.I have sealed it up and will fill the system tomorrow.
Fired the truck up today and it puked half the tank out right away.I ran it for a while but the steering struggled and stepping on the brakes made the pump moan...After dinner I jacked up the front and had Mary turn the wheels lock to lock and step on the brakes(for about 10 minutes).Steering seemed ok but the pump was moaning when the brakes were applied..I took it for a drive and the p/s is hit and miss.It works when it wants to.I have almost no brakes...It is just getting worse.. Tomorrow I will drain it and pull the valve out of the bottom of the pump.I had it out before and found a big hunk of ***** in it so maybe there is more..I suspect my pump is dying.I think it is a Saginaw..
pump....
Different adapter to the engine, but the pump looks like my 92 ctd dodge. Ed
Yes....pretty sure that is your vacuum pump. My truck doesn't have that pump...I was told by the original owner that they bought the engine for truck #1 direct from Cummins..I'll assume that pump was part of Dodges spec for the engine.There are some other minor differences as well... I am going to tear it apart tomorrow...
Took the fender back off this morning and got to work.Pulled the p/s pump off and removed all my lines to flush them and look for debris.Pump wasn't to bad to get off once I moved everything around.I see that the housing its mounted to is actually the vacuum pump mount.There is a cam operated pushrod under the 4 bolt cover.Just no pump. I also decided to pull the box off.It is a 70's Ford truck pc and I doubt its been apart.Its also the only mechanical pc I have not removed from the truck.I might as well have it inspected/gone through while I am at it.Took less than a hour to get it out.. Tomorrow morning I will take them to Can Craft (1/2 hour away) and have them checked out..
Don't know what happened but the guy who last year bailed on our deal to by his loggers box has resurfaced.This time I have bought the whole truck less engine.I will convert the Ford frame to a trailer...Truck is a F-250... Prices have doubled and tripled on Loggers boxes in the past few years.If I actually get it this time I will have got a really good deal... I will put some tires and wheels on the truck and deal with with it later...
Picked up the rebuilt box and pump today.They said the pump was in bad shape.I reinstalled it all today and will fill it up and try it tomorrow.I have some sealer on a few things so that's why the one day wait...Hopefully this solves the problem. Both parts were painted by Can Craft and painted the correct colors...Nice touch..
Took the truck for a drive today...Pretty much no change.Power steering struggles and is intermittent and very little power brakes.As the pressure for the power steering goes through the top of the Hydro boost I am thinking it is some how plugged up there...Stepping on the brakes still makes the pump moan. Lines cannot be hooked up wrong on the booster.Its a common port with two fittings... I blew out all the hoses before I put it back together.... Hydro booster is a Cardone rebuild....I am not a fan of jobber rebuilt parts... This is actually starting to **** me off.....
I am thinking that it s time for a stiff Crown R____ to unwind...
I have to agree with you......
On any hydro-boost I've worked on it absolutely matters which port the pressure line is connected to, there is an accumulator charge check valve internally in the outlet to the steering gear. When standing in front of the truck looking at the booster LH port is pressure from the pump, RH port outlet to steering gear. Is it a Bendix hydro-boost?
Well you have me scrambling around now....I checked the photo's from when I tore it apart and then went and checked the truck.When standing in front of the truck I have the right port going to the box and the left port is pressure in from the pump... I was hoping I screwed up....Its never that simple... I think its a bendix.Its off a mid 70's Lincoln/T-bird.. Thanks for the info....
Shoot! I was hoping it was just the lines crossed! If I wasn't 7 hours north I'd come give you a hand to figure it out. Great job on the truck by the way, I remember in the 90's I believe Mt Washington on the island had a Grizzly or two, I wonder where they ended up?
I was hoping I had the lines crossed as well....I am going to start ripping the booster out tomorrow after work...There are still 3 trucks I have not found yet.Hopefully they are hiding somewhere... Thanks...
Pulled the hydro booster out today.I tore it all apart and found nothing wrong other than some wear marks on the spool valve.My digital calipers say it has aprox .0015 clearance to the bore.I dont have a bore gauge tho to check its length and out of round.More head scratching...Going to check the pressure on the pump next.We have calibrated/certified gauges at work.Time to start at ground zero......
Borrowed a very nice calibrated gauge from work tonight and did a dead head test on the p/s pump.Can Craft said I should have around 1250 lbs of pressure.My new pump has 1350 lbs..I can rule the pump out..I am going to try and dead head the box side of the hydro boost and see what the pressure loss is.....Either way looks like the hydro booster is the problem... OK...just dead headed the booster and it had fluid coming out of the return line.Booster was sitting on my fender so no pedal was attached..I have always had problems with air in the system and creamy fluid...It has enjoyed puking the fluid out on numerous occasions... My first thought is the pressure is bypassing the spool valve and getting into the return port... Thoughts ??????
Maybe an internal crack? Or something wrong with the accumulator charge valve (usually called a two way valve) ? Where did you buy the booster? Not sure where I would even get Cardone brand, Lordco??
Lordco...I had them fedex it in from the east coast.I am currently trying to find a brand new one I can adapt to the truck...
I've had nothing but problems with Lordco up here, they're the only parts store open on Sunday which just bit me again last Sunday! Decided to wait two days and got better quality and the correct parts for half the price they wanted. That was the last straw, never again! That booster might be the same as an early to mid 80's GM truck with a 6.2 diesel? The booster in my 97 Cummins looks like the same unit also, may have different fittings or push rods? I know you'll have no problem adapting one.. Excited to hear the results, it's sure to bring a big smile to your face when all is correct!
The original application for my booster was mid 70's Lincoln's and T-birds...I found a company in the states that make brand new ones.I can get a universal one that just has a flat plate mount which is exactly what I want.They have a very good web site and they give you all the dimensions and facts.I will have to change my master to a Chevy 1 ton style but that's ok as my master is weeping out of the rear seal.. There is 2 different push rod lengths(from booster to m/c) which I didn't know and they have pictures on how to ID which one you have..I have the early style.Booster also comes with #6AN fittings which is also what I have...Should be a straight forward conversion.I just have to deal with the rod to the pedal length but I can handle that....It will be interesting the next time I road test it....
Sounds like your getting close to be able to tour around this summer.....if we get any...
Well..truck is going to sit for the next 6-8 weeks while I wait for my new booster..They build them as ordered so I have to wait...On the bright side I get a brand new booster as apposed to a wrecker one or a jobber rebuild...I will wait. Today I decided to get back to work on the last nasty,ugly job..Trying to peel off the remainder of the rubber coating in the box.Some of it has been pushed off by rest and some is still glued down..Nothing including heat seems to release it...I have to scrape and chisel it off.It will take a while. Running boards were coated as well but rust had released most of it and I pulled it all off by hand.No such luck with the box.
I have heard many times of a blue truck in Sayward.I also know about the blue truck in Campbell river..I have been thinking it was two different trucks but it is not..It is Art's truck often seen in Campbell River but he lives in Sayward.It is a one owner truck and it is truck #7......I have corrected my notes..
In the back of my mind I was thinking this blue one must be the Sayward truck.The owner (Larry) is a friend of HDX's and he tells me the truck actually lives in Port Alberni... I am currently chasing the rumor of a truck owned/used to own.I don't know anything about the truck.Just a story I keep hearing. by Kozy Kleen truck/car wash up north.
Just a update.....the brake booster has been ordered .I hope it gets here sooner than 6-7 weeks.New tach sensor arrived today and hopefully solves my tach issue.While I wait I will continue to chip away at the rubber in the box and try and get the new upholstery installed on the front seat.
Still waiting for my booster... This morning I went out to Mission with a friends ramp/tow truck and finally got my loggers box.It has been 14 months since he first told me I could buy it and then changed his mind..This time I just took the whole truck.Its on a 92 F-250 XLT(loaded) 4x4...I own a 95 4x4 and some of the parts will be handy. Glad I didn't sell my spare 8 bolt wheels up as the truck was in a field on blocks....I have it stored for now down the street on a friends property for now..
The box has some rust on the outside lower formed edges but has no dents that I saw.The sides are very straight and other than some tidy tank holes the floor is perfect.Bulk head and tail gate are very nice as well...Good score and only 20 minutes from home..
Still waiting for my booster.... I have mentioned before that I am building a prototype machine at work.I am 6 months into it and have started the assembly at the job site.We designed the machine(Mountain MFG) 10 years ago for a customer but oil prices and investers affected everything....I am free to talk about the machine now as they have gone public with it's purpose but I will wait till it's more assembled.. Big job for me as I did all the fabrication work and all the fitting.Assembly is up to me as well altho I have a few guys helping me with the big stuff . We will be standing up the columns tomorrow morning.They are 10,000 lbs each.Electric motors are 300HP ea..Check out the size of the gear boxes...
Good news Corey. So how you lifting the columns?
Hey Ian...I have a tandem front axel flat deck coming in with a hyab (sp) on it for tomorrows lift.I have a very low ceiling to contend with.The two big pcs of the press are just over 30,000 lbs each..Plan is to use a new style (very large) tow truck that has the rotating boom on it...We have already done the math and the owner of the rotater says it shouldn't be a problem... I have a plate that bolts to the top of the columns with a lug welded on.Should be a clean vertical lift.The pit is around 3' deep so that helps.Columns are 13' long.....
Looks like it is all coming together for you, great build there.
Good to hear. Throw out a few pics after raising if time. Enjoy the day
He's not a "Highway Thru Hell" TV guy is he?
Looking forward to more pictures....... Cam
Yes....one of the TV show trucks and drivers....... Spent the day there today.I have a hired along time friend to help out.He is very familiar with rigging and equipment.There is no one at the shop who does what I do so I had to bring some one in...Don knows my work and that good enough doesn't work for me.I also have one of the bosses son's.A hyper 25 year old with some wrenching skills (he is also the painter on this job)...Just need to slow him down abit... So while I fit and shrunk the hubs on the motors and gear boxes they installed all the columns and then we placed the gear boxes.It all went just fine.. Other than.....our ceiling height restrictions are very apparent and I have to re think the next two big lifts...The gear box is 1/2' lower than the motor.I will probably have to pull tw o columns out and front load the machine.....Stay tuned...
Well done Corey.
diamondtguy,are you happy with all parts lining up? Very impressed with work area. Very clean. Nice job
Ian...so far everything looks with in reason.I have most of it 2" of the ground(jacking bolts) so I can adjust it.The machined pockets in the column get solid blocks bolted in them and that will make it very rigid...Once its all lined up and straight everything gets grouted down... All the mounting studs are actually part of a large framework that is now in the concrete. That is me standing there with the owner of the machine....
Spent my weekend at work trying to get one of the 30,000 lb pcs together...This is a support shaft for one of the rolls...I will install the other one tomorrow and get some better pics..Wheels are ground to size and have two bearings in each one.Shafts are either 4140 or 4340 ground HTSR (heated treaded and stress relieved)
That is an impressive project there, lots of work coming together now. Restoring the grizzly truck must be almost relaxing in comparison.
True...I spend a lot of time at my kitchen table trying to figure this out and how I am going to approach it,but then I kinda approached the Grizzly the same way.Major difference is I am getting paid to do this....Huge job and its gone well so far..No screw ups on my part or any of the welders and machinists.The odd engineering burp but that's to be expected...It's all good. Finished the lower pc today..Upper is more or less the same...Out of respect for the customer I wont show it complete...I'll talk about what this machine does later.....Don't know why it turns the picture sideways..
Dropped the two front beams today and got the lower beam to the sight....I should have the upper beam on site late next week.
Hydrotech tells me my booster is being shipped early next week..Should'nt take me long to do the refit and get the truck back on the road again..I am also working on putting A/C in the truck as well.Should'nt be too difficult...I need to change a housing on the side of the Cummins for the newer compressor.A long time friend works at Thermo King and he will help me out.I am going to a roof top unit as I have no other place to put the unit.Also the condenser is in the unit so no jamming more stuff in the nose of the truck...Have'nt told my upholstery guy yet about cutting a hole in the new headliner....Roof top unit is 7.5" tall...
I will stay over on Island until after you have told upholstery guy
Yes...I suspect he will have something to say.... My booster has arrived.I will pick it up at the post office tomorrow.....Hope to get the Grizzly back together for the weekend. Working 6-7 days a week right now...Today we loaded just under 90,000 lbs of steel into place.Top beam weighed in at 36,000 lbs.That is Merve from Aggressive running the rotator truck..We put the other two columns up as well.... I wont show any clear pics of the top roll but I will get some suitable pics tomorrow......You will get the idea of the size of this....
Looks like it is coming together real well. Great job you did there.
Thanks... New booster showed up today.After dinner I modified the mounting plate to fit the truck. I will work on it a little every night after dinner as I suspect I may be working this week end....Booster looks good.It appears to actually be built and tested by Bosch...
Managed to spend a couple hours today on the booster.I redid the mounting plate to make it look a little more professional ...As in I welded all the holes up so it only has one bolt pattern.The brake pedal rod was a bit of a issue.It was to long so my 1' spacers had to go back in and I had to make a adaptor from another pushrod to suit my brake pedal. But.....my master is incorrect for it.The bolt pattern is off and so is the spigot size.The pushrod in the booster is also 3/16 to long but I can deal with that...Looks like I am not finished...... More research......
I had some time today to play with the brakes.. Hydrotech suggested I get a 75-80 Chevy 1ton master cyl for the truck.I found a new one and have it here.It is 1 5/16 bore and my unknown original is 1 1/8.The Chevy ones original application was also on the end of a Hydro booster... The new booster is threaded for the master but I couldn't figure out what thread..It was not 7/16 nc nor 12x1.75 or 12x1.50...I just retapped it to 7/16NC so I could move on... Now the truck has Brake Guard anti lock foo foo valves plumbed in.I am removing these and pulling out the 24" flex lines someone used to plumb the master in.I will hard line it all...I will get some lines tomorrow.Master is in the shop and all bled....Should be good when done...
These are the foo foo valves..I have seen them before but I don't know anything about them..I found on the net they lost a court case in 97 and were told to stop all claims about the valves. They were claiming they worked as good as OEM anti lock brakes...Hmmm
You can see the flex hoses off of the master cyl...They are about 24" long.Date code on them says they are 2010...I am not apposed to them but they can affect the brake pedal feel when they get old and expand under pressure...I will just change them back to steel and be done with it....
Managed to finish the truck tonight...I don't have to work this weekend so I will fire up the truck tomorrow and road test it....Going to Alberni for the truck show this week end isn't going to happen...I am behind schedule and the ferries are a fricken mess....I will come to the Island in the next few weeks...
Working on bleeding the power steering...Ended up with zero time this weekend to work on the truck... I got this very old pic yesterday of truck #4..Only pic that has surfaced of that truck.They claim this truck was purchased at some point by Kozy Kleen in Kamloops...I guess the rumor was true...Now I need to find out if they still have it or have any pictures..
Cory the last time I seen the truck there was about 10 years ago. Gene the Owner has passed away but his sons still run the business, I think I sent you contact information a year ago or so.
Yes you did.....I just tried something different and contacted them using Facebook.Mary has a account on there.They got back to me right away...The truck was sold after Gene died and they do not know where it is...I sent them the pic to verify and asked if they have any pics or info...So I will have to turn the page and keep looking.At least I know what it looks like...There are still a couple out there un accounted for.
I am surprised that the boys (twins) sold the truck there Mom lives just north at Ralighe and looks like she still has most of Genes stuff there used to be a logger here in Princeton the boys were on my school bus in 77 and 78
The granddaughter confirmed that that was his truck.She said the truck went to the Island...Grandma sold the truck...Still conversing with her on facebook...
So.....long shot here...If Kozy Kleens truck went to the Island then just maybe this is it now....Looks the same to me but I am very tired from work...I need to get ahold of the owner and talk to him about its history.. Open to thoughts......
The only thing I question is the tank on the drivers side infront of the door that isn't there on the kozy kleen truck......but its very possible someone did some upgrades other than just the cosmetics (stacks, chromed bumper, wheels, etc). Im inclined to agree it is the same truck.
So....My truck is testing me (again)...I have it running and have bled the brakes...That part is fine.Steering is not fricken happy.It moans very bad and seems to be struggling.. As per Hydra Boosts instructions.I jacked the truck up and cycled the steering lock to lock with out the truck running.I have a cooler so I did it 40 times.Then I did it probably 30 more times.On the ground and running I cycled it 20-30 times over a few days.Weather was not good so I didn't road test it... Steering has never been 100% since I put it back together.My GM friend thinks its the relief valve in the bottom of the Saginaw pump... I am open to ideas.......
I was in Sayward some 10 years ago now and found the guy with the Grizzly truck sort of my accident... He had some old logging equipment that piqued my curiosity and so I just had to look at it. He showed me his entire collection of stuff including the Grizzly truck. When I get to my computer later on I'll try to find the pictures (don't have them on my ipad...) and post them for you. He was a very nice gentleman, unfortunately I don't remember his name or the serial number of the truck...
I believe the owners name is Larry...It apparently is truck # 4 if it is indeed the old Kozy Kleen truck...Pictures would be great.... My steering dilemma....Hydratech says to ditch my atf fluid in the pump and switch to synthetic.They also said to put some miles on it and work the air out..I have not heard back from Can Craft... Today my friend brought over a Chevy 1 ton steering pump and parts from a truck that used a hydraboost..The pump has a better can on it with 2 return lines and a external reservoir fitting and tank...I got the relief valve as well.....I may rip my system apart and install the 1 ton stuff along with the different relief valve...Its a crap shoot but worth the risk....Left over parts will just get used on my Diamond T. I started cutting out the rear wheel tubs today...They are in bad shape (rust) and the other week I realized I don't even need them.They will be deleted.This will make putting a rubber mat in the box very easy (sort of)...
A lovely day of fricken monsoon style rain today here in Whonnock...I did manage to finish cutting out the wheel tubs..The right side one was also rusted out on the bottom but the rubber was covering it all up.Not sure if I am going to blank them off or put some storage boxes there...I will figure something out..
I thought I had more pictures of it but I guess I don't... Anyway, here it is...
I made a mistake about the Sayward truck ( I have made it before)...That is Art's truck.He is the original owner and has done a lot of work to it.I met him 4 years ago at the Alberni Truck show...I believe it is truck #7..... You may have posted that pic before as I have that one....Here is a recent one....
Yes now that you say that you are absolutely right, it was truck 7 I remember him saying now... glad to see it’s back up and running. I thought I posted that pic before too but pretty sure it was in another thread... sorry I don’t have more of it...
Back together again...Steering and brakes are dead quiet now.I changed to a different style of can on the pump,changed the relief valve and changed all the return line routing.They all dump into the can now...This pump can fills direct from a external reservoir.I just changed all the fittings in the reservoir I was using... Lots of work as usual but now everything is happy.Now I need to finish off the box but I can at least drive the truck again. Time to finally get the truck back to the glass shop and have the windshields fixed (sealed) All is good.
Yay. Good to hear.
As always job well done.
Awesome!!!!
Congratulations diamond t guy! Your perseverance has paid off!
Thanks Guys.....took the truck out for a 25 mile trip today..Little bit of hwy and lots of country road...Everything was good.Ran at 180 deg with no issues..Very happy with the torque of the Cummins.. The front still seems a little twitchy.Truck almost feels light on the nose which obviously isn't the case...I may need a better steering damper or go to a dual unit...
Put another 100 miles on the truck and all is good.While it was at the glass shop someone saw it and came in.He left a note with the manager saying his Uncle had truck #5 and left a phone number..I called tonight and had a great conversation with him.He does indeed have it and its been in his family since new.He loves the truck and like me is working hard on refining it...Truck is up north here in BC.. He told me the trucks have a tag in the door jam with the truck # on it...Interesting as mine doesn't. Anyways...another truck found alive and well...He is going to get me some current pictures.
How many trucks are you now missing Cory????
Cool! How many are missing? Ed
Owner of truck # 5 says there were only 12 trucks built...He also said that the burgundy one that is in Qualicum is the last one built..I have heard that before.Now.. he says that is truck #12.Owner said it is truck #13....Thus my question about door tags.. I recently heard from a good friend that his contractor knew my truck well and used to drive it all the time when new.He also said the truck was built for Jean (Geoffs wife)So if my truck was never intended to be sold did the 2nd truck built (red one) and first one to be sold get tagged as #1 or #2....?????? In answer to the questions....I have pictures of 12 trucks and found 10 of them...It appears to me that the Kozy Kleen truck from Kamloops that I was missing is actually Larry's blue truck in Alberni.. I have not found the yellow service truck that was auctioned off in Alberta in the early 2000's I have not found the Grey truck # 3.Owner of tonights find (Art) tells me that truck used to be up north in his town but disappeared.I do know who purchased it new but have failed at making contact with him. We don't know how many were built exactly.Everyone agrees that the burgundy Qualicum truck that was built for a women was the last one built.I guess I need to go see for my self if it has a door tag...
Weather sucks and I am off this week so back to fixing things that aren't quite right...The clutch(Its Hyd.)...The truck has always been very hard to get in reverse.I have the pedal set to engage when I have it about a inch or two off the floor.The truck shifts fine but every once in a while when you put it in gear it moves forward.This tells me I need more throw on the pedal which is easy but raises engagement and pedal higher than I like..The other day I put it in reverse and it dropped right in.I went to put it in 2nd and all I got were grinding gears..Not enough travel on the hyd cyl but pedal is to the floor.... I need more cyl travel with the same amount of pedal travel.My pedal ratio is wrong.Current pedal ratio is 6-1.I am moving the pivot point 1/2 a inch.This requires cutting the mounting bracket in half and moving the pivot point up 1/2" and then moving the clevis hole down 1/2"in the pedal.All the cutting and welding has been done (Its aluminum).Tomorrow I will repaint it all and install it.. And yes.....I am guessing as to how much to move it....
Has there been any more progress on the huge machine you're building? Maybe you can tell us what it is now.
Yes but its not all good.....This is the very short story.. The machine is running and it does what it is supposed to do..(I still cant tell you what it does) It was 3 months late and the new GM was being very unproffesional and your basic dick head...The customer was fine.It was the GM's fault it was late for not taking the job seriously. I and the head engineer who designed(and helped me assemble it) it were thrown under the bus more times than I can count.. I was banned from working on all quoted jobs and just about everything else.He pretty much pulled the pin on me.... I am the senior guy at the shop(20 years) and there is no one there that does what I do.I have little tolerance for this kind of stuff so I quit... I have known the owner of the machine for 20 years and he has hired me and my friend to finish things off...He has no tolerance for the GM either and will not be working with him again... The owner of the machine is talking about 5-8 more machines at 3 million each... Not sure what the future holds for me right now but I will see this project through...... I know the $$$ on this job and we did very well on it...The GM turned a really good thing into a giant pissing contest and a **** show....Its all very sad and I just don't need the stress and BS. Once again....I will turn the page.
Wow! I don’t blame you for quitting. Sorry to hear that’s what it came too. Hopefully you will get to build more of these machines. I wish you all the best.
Sorry to hear that and I can fully understand. I've quit on the spot due to a bunch of BS. It sounds like you could have a multi million dollar contract in your future. Did the engineer quit too or would he if you got a contract to build more of these machines? Seems to me without the engineer and yourself the shop couldn't build the machines and your friend would rather have you build it anyway.
WD....you are correct.Without myself and the engineer the machine could/would not be done...Now....the engineer happens to be my boss and he is part owner so for the time he is still there...doesn't mean to say he is not planning a escape....He is also my friend and we have built a lot of cool things together. There is a meeting between the two companys next week....I expect another war
Sometimes I surprise myself. LoL Is the GM a part owner as well or would it be relatively easy to let him go? That might be the best solution if possible. Sometimes you have to let people go for the good of the company and this GM sounds like he's more of a problem than a solution. If the GM stays, the engineer could start something else up with you and maybe some of the good guys in the shop.
WD....you pretty much nailed it on the head....and no the GM is not a part owner..The last line in your post has been discussed a few times...
That would be the case the way I see it but do not know what you need for a shop.
My well off friend has already asked me what I need in the way of a building and equipment..He will supply anything needed...I am just keeping this in the back of my head for now.....Options are good... And....I had the truck out today.Clutch pedal mods worked well.Still trying to find the sweet spot.I have been told that because it's hyd I will probably never get it where I like..I just need to make sure I get the throw on the pedal right...A longer pedal may be in the works....
If the GM is costing the business a multi-million dollar contract seems like a no brainer to me... give him the boot(s)! How did the GM get the job and somehow keep it?
DTG, You are correct in the fact that a hydraulic clutch will never feel and or act like a mechanical linkage clutch will. I have fought that in many of my race cars and although a hydraulic is a lot more simple to set up they just never work the same. I am struggling with that currently.
Mary and I took the truck for a 1 hour drive tonight.I wanted some more seat time and check out how well the heater works and a few other things.All went well.Mary was quite comfortable and warm.Getting settled into driving it which is nice...Headlights need some tweaking but all is good.I got the box ready today for my wheel well delete plates and will install them tomorrow... And.....clutch needs a little more stroke...easy adjustment....
Sure like the way the truck looks all the rubber tucked in road rash hardly any.
Yes...very happy with the way it looks and its stance...It sure was a lot of work......
Looking good Cory. You might want to switch the headlights over to LED’s. Did it on my vehicle and now it lights up the highway signs in the middle of the day.
I have looked into them after seeing them on the rotator tow truck we used doing some lifts for the press...They are expensive but I have no doubt the truck will end up with a set on it....
Put the covers on today over where the rusty wheel tubs were..One side was straight forward and the other side was a pia due to much more rubber still on the deck .None the less I got them on.I think in the spring I will get some aluminum sides formed up to cover it all up.The box really is a mess inside... The bottom is going to get a rubber mat..I need to work on that now... Happy Thanksgiving guys.....
Still looking great. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Corey and wife
So....been driving the Grizzly to the work site for a few days now.Its about a 30 or 40 mile round trip...All is good.Still making minor adjustments on things..No issues or problems to speak of..Clutch pedal still needs some attention and I suspect I will be adapting a dodge/cummins pedal to the truck when I get one... Every one loves the truck and it certainly draws a lot of attention... I have put about 350 miles on it and still haven't gone through the first tank of fuel....Needs more mileage pounded on.Getting to be time for a road trip....
dtg,finally enjoying your beauty. Great news. Well done. If one come available would you buy it? Now as for work,where are you? Did you move on or still same place and same GM? If so have there been any changes?Bp
BP...I would think about it but Mary would probably read me the riot act (again) She still wants me to build her a truck..I am thinking a 50's Willys 4x4 with a 4cyl diesel. Work...after I left the company(AAA) the machine had some bearing failures that were covered under a warranty clause.The guy I hired to help me and myself were now under the umbrella of the owner(BBB) of the machine.Now AAA is screwed..They offered to hire me back to do the repairs at more money but I have to give them a invoice.I am just sub contacting to them and void of all their problems.I still work with the head engineer/my ex boss and we don't have any issues..My helper will not work again for AAA and BBB is paying him.They will just give AAA the bill for his hours at a standard(read lots) charge out rate.. So....the warranty work is costing AAA way more than it should. and BBB is making money off the warranty work on their own machine... We are all still working hard at seeing this project through and having a good laugh at the stupidity of AAA Currently about 3 days away from having the machine running again...Still cant talk about what the machine does......but I will in time.
Good to hear she's on the road daily and running with no issues. Been a long road for you. Ed
I have a long time friend who works for Thermo King and he came by yesterday with my A/C parts..He got me the Red Dot roof mount unit and a made in America compressor..I purchased the correct compressor bracket a while ago...I got a really good deal on the parts...I havent opened up the box yet and don't know when I will start the install.I have to pull the right front fender,change the bracket on the engine and may have to modify the lower rad connection so I will probably wait till spring...Till then I will collect parts.... I will look into painting the roof top unit satin black..... Weird looking pc on the bench behind the compressor is a factory supercharger off a 1937 Graham shark nose...
Removal of the fender. Is that an easy task? Bp
Hey BP....yes fenders come off in about 15 minutes.Truck was built (original)with good quality plugs on the front and they are still in good shape..Its pretty straight forward.As the fenders and headlight boxes are aluminum now its not a big deal....
Just wondering if you’re done airing your dirty laundry to a bunch of people who have never seen you work? Cory, I could elaborate?
If I was airing dirty laundry I would have named names and gone into detail...If you had read it all you would have seen that I was asked what was going on. No...they have not seen me work but apparently you have..
diamondtguy,great way for a new member to start on this forum. Bp
Just calling out his ****. If I were to read the whole thing, I bet I’d have lots more to write about...
Disgruntled former underclassmen coworker?
Coworker.... could be, underclassmen? Not now, not ever. Let’s just say, nobody on the shop floor is saddened by his depart... turn the page.. If you only knew...
That's just it, We don't know what the issue is.
This site is designed for the exchange of information. It is not however, intended to provide members with a forum to trash one manufacturer over another. Accounts of third party experiences are discouraged, unless you were on hand to witness any problem the third party may have had with a particular machine. An Internet troll, or simply troll in internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion (source Wikipedia). Trolling is prohibited and will result in dismissal from the Board.
Only mean to stop the bashing... no disrespect to your forum.
Sam, I sure don't have time to read this whole thread, but a quick review of the last few pages leads me to believe that the only reason you've come here is because you have some sort of personal beef with diamondtguy. That's unacceptable. Work it out in real life, or don't, but there will be no more of it here.
Thank you
Thank You Administer.
Just pointing something out is all I did. He’s the one who when off topic of his build.. not I. But you are right, this shouldn’t be here, nor should his comments.
With all the wet weather down your way are you getting some miles on the Grizzly? Before the winter season.
Yea, I guess there could be former co-workers upset over the loss of a potential multi-million dollar contract. It sure doesn't sound like diamondtguy is airing dirty laundry though. He wasn't happy with the way things were going and gave a brief explanation of why. He didn't go off topic. The fact the company wanted to hire him back suggests to me that perhaps they didn't fully appreciate his expertise in getting the machine up and running. "Nobody on the shop floor is saddened by his depart"... just the company owner who's losing millions. We know diamondtguy was heavily involved with assembly and fabrication and worked well with the engineer who designed the machine. We know the owner of the machine is happy and more than willing to hire diamondtguy and his helper to work on it. What we don't know is Sam I am's role. Right now he's just an anonymous poster on a forum.
And let's just leave it at that....
Quite frankly.... you know sweet Fuc all... just some lip dribble from Cory. The machine could have been built by anybody in the fab shop... the troops will march on... and so will the company. Nuf said. Just a thought for ya.... engineer part owner is his friend... hmm wonder why he’s lasted soo long...
I hope your workman ship is superior to your manners . There is a time and place for everything , this may not be that place . At least keep it clean . We already have Face book & Twitter to show our bad manners on !
Hey man, all I did was bring something to attention... then all you came out the wood work shaming me. Fuc that, if you don’t see the problem... maybe this is just as bad as Facebook or twitter. For the record... I’m trying real hard to hold back... real hard.. nothing I’m saying hear wouldn’t be said straight to his face... wish he could have the same over the yeard. Guy couldn’t even quite in person, had to do it by email... get his buddy the engineer in **** as well. Fuc... douch
Isn't it about time this guy got banned!
I guess we need to click on the report button and see what happens.
Don't bother. It's handled.
Thank you
Thank You
Thank you
Wow! I certainly I wasn't trying to poke the fire. Being a welder I think the machine is quite interesting from a fabrication and design stand point. I'd sure be proud if I was involved in building something unique like that. Would be interested in knowing what it does.
Lots going on we don't know or don't want to know about . I'm impressed with the Grizzly Truck build . Lots of challenges and good workman ship . The proof is in the pictures . Turn the page and lets move forward !
Was looking at the very first couple of pages of this thread recently, the initial involvement in buying this truck and the history of the 13/14 builds. Scrub puller's comments and the answers supplied about the desire for a robust vehicle that could be repaired by parts on hand down the far end of a logging show really summed it up. Really good to see the resto of this classic, thanks.
Diamongtguy, I thought of something a few days ago about a hydraulic clutch that might be helpful. A few years ago my 2008 Mazda pickup had a pilot bearing failure so I had it replaced and the hydraulic clutch felt "different". The service man suggested I keep the clutch peddle depressed overnight to help bleed the system. I was skeptical but got the correct length of a 2x4 and left it depressed for nearly 24 hours and it actually worked and the clutch felt good again. I didn't want to jinx the results so I was about 3 months before I went and thanked him for the tip. Just an idea...
I had trouble bleeding a Ranger. Ended up taking out clutch pedal master cylinder off the firewall and reservoir put in vise . primed it in the vise plugged exit line on master cylinder installed back onto fire wall hooked everything back up and worked better then ever.
I understand what you are saying...I have seen people having problems before with bleeding the system.I have a South Bend hyd system in the truck.Very nice stuff and comes all pre bled.Pretty sure its a stroke issue...Just need to get a OEM pedal and do the math....
Ouch! A lot of screwing around. I had a 2004 Ranger and a 2008 Mazda and both had the pilot bearing fail. So the one now, a 2010 Ranger is an automatic and I hate the damm thing with a passion! Forever shifting when it doesn't need to and when it does need to shift, it sometimes won't. Basically good trucks for me and I don't know what to get when this one miles out. Everything is so darn big and high, and thirsty to boot. Maybe my PowerBall ticket will be blessed soon?
Took the truck out for a ride today.Decided to take it down to Stave Lake and see how it was on the gravel road.Other than being a little slick the road was in pretty good shape and the truck road better than I expected.The ride was certainly better than my leaf sprung 7.3 F-250.. The road/dirt stray made it apparent that I need to address my mud flaps....... Truck is running very well.......
Looks pretty clean to me you should try out some logging roads around here.
Went in today to visit Larry at Pacific Truck and I took the Grizzly.Good 50 mile run for it..The guys from Coast Powertrain were all over it and under it...Mostly young guys that had never even heard of one... I wanted a pic of it with the P-16 that was sitting there but I could not get close enough.To many trucks parked in the way...
Just got these pics today and I believe they were taken today.Courtesy of one of their low bed drivers Piet DeVries...One owner truck and very well cared for.Truck is in Ft.St John... I've included a pic of the truck when new...
Stretched wheelbase. Dual rear axle and probably heavier front axle at the same time, Flatbed, Stacks and new doors. Looks like they've really kept up with it so they could keep using it.
Looks better for the stretch/duals. IMO. More useful length bed.
Just watching Rust Valley Restorers on the History network tonight and noticed that they were driving around in a Grizzly, red with a yellow hood...
The bed would haul a little more for getting things out to a jobsite, and for loading stuff with a forklift, but that new long wheelbase wouldn't be much fun getting turned around on a narrow logging road. The original wheelbase would be my preference.
That's interesting...Its on again at 10 and I will watch....Hank R doesn't live far from there...
So I watched Rust Valley Restorer's last night...That is indeed a Grizzly that they have...Other than the fact it is another one found I know nothing of it..I didn't even know that another regular cab one had been built other than the first two.It is (as far as I know) the only one that was missing that I don't have photo's of... That is 11 trucks that have been found now... I hope to have some info next week as some friends are going to visit RVR and get some info...
There was one located in Prince George a few years ago, it was also a regular cab if I recall correctly, it was (is?) blue. I wish I had taken a photo...
Yes...Blue one in Prince George is #6 and is still in the original family...I have spoken to him.He is very much into his truck and uses it all the time ...Truck is a extended cab (lack of a better description).. The grey truck is #3 I believe and was also in Prince George but left a while ago and has not been seen since..This is one of the trucks that has not surfaced.(yet)
dtg,nice that people keep an eye out and pass on info like this. Just a chance sighting has really helped to fill in a blank.Good job 64pacific
I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned here and reading all 48 pages would be a little time consuming but there was one in Whistler a number of years ago set up to do tours... It was purple if I remember correctly, and it used to sit by the Husky at Creekside... next time I go through there I’ll keep an eye out but who knows when that will be...
Just had a look on Google Street view and it’s there...
You are correct....It is owned by Canadian Wilderness Adventures..Truck was originally green and CWA painted when they purchased it.They still own it but I have heard the truck has a broken front axle and is parked out front..
I talked to the owner of the Grizzly recently seen on Rust Valley Restorations .His name is Avery and he works with Mike on the show.Avery has owned the truck for a few years and he bought it from the estate of the previous owner... When Avery got it the truck was in pcs and mounted on a Ford 2wd chassis with a 7.3 diesel.It is now mounted on a F450/550 chassis and has a Cummins 12 Valve in it.. As far as Avery knows the story is that this truck was built out of left over parts.It is registered as a 2000.He also has no idea where the yellow hood came from and the truck is void of all name plates... I have heard story's of left over parts including a cab and there is a old internet post from the early 2000's of a hood for sale. Avery also knows Brian Surerus well...Avery also said to tune in for the next few weeks as the Grizzly is getting more camera time for the next few episodes. Avery also tells me that another missing truck is close to him and he has seen it.This would be the Yellow oil field truck that was auctioned off on the early 2000's. He had to go as the film crew was there... He said he would send me some pictures in a few days...I will call him again next week... I think I will be doing a road trip in the spring...I need to go see these trucks..
We might even see you on TV then..
I don't know about that.I have already had my 15 minutes of fame...I was on a CBC (circa 1990)show that was around for years called "Drivers Seat"...They spent a day at our shop filming and road testing the 427 Cobra replicars we built......
Sure you were. We all know that Canada has only produced two shows, "The Beachcombers" and "Trailer Park Boys". Nice try.
Hockey Night in Canada doesn't count
Just kidding
dtg,A’s Hank has said,bet we will see you on the show along with yellow fellow. Be sure to have it nice and shiny. Bp
Tony Whitney and Ted Laturnus hosted Driver's seat. I remember watching it but don't remember a Cobra episode.
Those names ring a bell.They spent the day there filming...We had two cars both with 427's there at the time.A green car with gold stripes and a all black car..I taped it with VHS ...almost 30 years ago now...
So ....out of the blue today I got a e-mail from the front office at Surerus Oil...Brian(Surerus) thought I would like to see pics of their truck all decorated for the town...I e-mailed them a year ago and I thought it went no where.Apparantly not...I appreciate him/them sending me the photo's.. I am thinking they also own Grizzly Equipment..
It is like winning a lottery with receiving information and pictures of several Grizzly trucks in one week.
I have asked twice now to get pics of the Rust Valley Resto truck.Owner keeps saying yes but that's as far as it goes...Sooner or later someone will get some pics and details... Spent an hour today fixing the Grizzly tent..It took a beating in the recent storm.I have it mounted on large timbers and it was still pushed around badly and popped apart at the back..It more or less stayed in place tho..Yard is a mess and I now have 6 fir trees laying on the ground down by my pond...To far away to hit any of my buildings... Anyways...weather was nice so I took the truck for a one hour drive.I haven't driven it in the crappy weather yet as my w/washers are pathetic.Not sure if its the pump or the nozzles..Just another thing on the to do list...Truck ran great... Merry Christmas everyone..Enjoy the holidays and be safe....... Cory
Working away on the little things.I was told by someone that my brake lights come on every time I hit a bump..Switch has no more adjustment so I extended the stop and put a light return spring on the brake pedal..Easy fix. Still fighting with the windshield washers.The black plastic nozzels were screwed to the blades before but I just wasn't impressed with them.The cowl is too close to the glass for nozzles and the hood tilts so those options are out.. A bracket could be built to raise some nozzles up high and tilted but I didn't really want to bolt that to my cowl.I grabbed a set of old Mustang nozzles and bent them into a useable shape and bolted them to the arms..Not a fantastic pattern but lots of pressure and volume.They follow the blade through its travel so coverage is ok.I have them aimed at the mid point on the blade..I am going to have to say "good enough"...I will keep thinking on this.. Next is my seat belts...Neither retractor works properly..After what happened to me 5 1/2 years ago safe and secure seatbelts are a must... I have found some new belts and will probably order them tonight...Belts in the truck are early 80's Ranger.. Cheers...
Had some erands to today so loaded up the truck with all the recycling and headed off.The dump is right next door and I took the truck in and had it weighed.It got weighed with Mary and I in it but my fuel tank was only a 1/4 full.Next stop was fuel and I came home and did the math.. With no one in the truck and the fuel tank full (30 gal) the truck weighs 7571lbs or 3441KG..I would have lost the bet on guessing the trucks weight.This is much more than I thought... Now the truck would have been weighed when new to get the paper work done.Regi says the truck weighs 3500KG..So considering all the changes I made and all the work I did it worked out OK...Truck actually lost 59KG..(trying to be funny) Heavier than I would have guessed but still lighter than the new diesel 1 ton 4x4's...
Well I finally got a hold of (he called me actually) the owner of the truck sold on Gibsons a few months back.Nice guy and has a pretty good knowledge of Grizzly's and has always wanted one..Truck is a conversion by Grizzly and is mounted on a 95/96 Ford F-350 4x4 Powerstroke chassis.I have been told that the truck originally was Cummins powered and owned by Geoff Bucks brother..It was later owned by the RCMP and used to tow there race car..Turns out the truck is 15 min east of me.I will go have a look and get some more info very soon... I should have said...This truck was a 2wd auto on a Grizzly frame and was converted by Grizzly...I am going to find out more info on this.. As the truck looks now.. View attachment 192091 This after the conversion and for sale in 96 for $56,000...I do not know the time frame of when the RCMP owned it but it was before this.. Next pic is how it looked in the 90's View attachment 192092 I also had a long talk with Art who owns truck(#7) in Sayward..Great guy and certainly know's a lot of Grizzly history as he is the original owner.He fed me so much stuff I don't remember it all....When I am on the Island in the spring I will go see him. Art's truck..... View attachment 192098
Having issues with the pics....I will do this the hard way... Gibsons truck as sold a few months ago...
Gibsons truck as it looked in the 90's..
So are there any trucks missing now?
Hey Hank...As far as I know I am only missing 2 trucks now.The yellow oil field truck is one but Avery from Rust Valley Resto tells me that truck is in one of the neighbouring towns.I am also missing the truck I believe to be #3..No rumor's of it at all.I was told by the owner of truck #6 which is in Prince George that the truck used to live there but disappeared years ago.The hunt continues. I think the Grizzly on Rust Valley Resto will spark a few people into doing internet searches and maybe being a little curious.Storys will be told and maybe someone will hear a story that leads to finding them.I took Mary on another errand run last weekend to the mall.I just sat in the truck.A couple guys came up and talked to me and 3 people asked if they could take pictures..People are curious... The Grill tells me these are both early trucks.Straight bars and no maple leafs...The trucks are actually very similar(????)
I got a call today from a friend who lives in Qualicum.The last truck built has been sitting outside in a compound there for way to long (years)..It has recently disappeared.My friend keeps a eye on it for me so it has happened recently...Hopefully it just been moved inside somewhere...Or better yet its inside the shop getting worked on.. I am trying to find out the story.
Last Oct my Gran son and I sent a 1 hr looking there and Bowser looking and no sight Will send picture to Son in law for him to ask around.
I remember you telling me that....I wonder if its getting some shop time.He told me he had a new young guy working for him and he was eager to get working on it...I don't believe the business in the compound is the owners but I believe he owns the building... I had my friend check the compound after (weeks) you said you couldn't see it and he said it was there...More questions than I have answers for..
Not much going on with the truck right now.Its pretty much just sitting in its tent.Still have my F-150 4x4 so It gets the salt bath and road crud we have right now.It also heats up to temp in a 1/4 of the time the Grizzly does. Finished putting in the new belts today.Truck was built with early 80's Ranger belts with floor mounted retractors.I found a belt company in the states that make a similar system.With minor modification the retractors fit my floor brackets..Nice to have working retractors.I could only get black but that's ok.. The "to do" list is getting very small....
I sent a e-mail off a few weeks ago to the guy who owns the black grizzly as he is friends with Bruce who owns the burgundy truck in Qualicum.I got a answer today.Apparantly the Qualicum truck which happens to be the last one built has been moved and put in to dry storage.Hopefully they are going to start work on it.At least the truck is out of the weather now.........
Update on the Qualicum truck...The truck has actually changed ownership.That is why it was moved.New owner got a hold of me and we have been doing the Q&A thing for a few days now.Poor girl has been sitting outside for way to long.Truck is running again but obviously not happy...He has sent me lots of pics.I haven't CSI'd all the pics but I noticed a few things... Frame is a Grizzly frame and truck has the airbags.Rear set-up is similar to mine but not the same.Same goes for the front.Dash appears to be the standard Grizzly dash that was used starting with the 2nd truck.Truck would appear to have been built with A/C.Looks like a adjustable steering column.I will post more info when I get it..Truck is still in Qualicum..... Future of the truck is uncertain.Owner may decide to sell.For now he is gathering info and is going to get the truck under a tent...
more......
Nice if you could #1 and Mary could have this one.
Hank....buying it has crossed my mind but I need to finish the stuff I have..Having the first and last ones built would be interesting...
Hmmmm... Frame up candidate. Looks fairly solid though. Couple years and a few (will vary between builders) handfuls of 100's and it will be standing tall.
Boy, she's a rough old girl. A guy would lose money vs. resale on it but if a guy loves the pickups then it is worth it as it is still saveable with a ground up as stated.
Agreed...it needs to be stripped to the core and start over.At least it is all there....
Seen that movie before, building street rods. Unless you can do 80 to 90 percent of the needed work yourself, it is a build for love. I built one that I had 8000 in just paint and body work. I have asthma and really don't want to foul up a already fouled up air intake system. So I hire all that done. Easy to burn 4000 to 8000 in in interior and the list goes on. Unless your last name is Foose or Coddington the chances of recovering your investment is difficult and becomes increasingly difficult as you pay for things that you don't do. Your truck, just based on the few numbers and a "coolness" factor for those of us who populate this business will probably return your investment. Classic cars ...Stutz, Packard, Rolls etc. will in most cases return all the investment, due to fewer numbers and initial high value.
The real key to rebuilding and cut the costs is knowing what parts work, where to get them cheap and a place to get machine work done. For my B75 hand build I have a friend that owns a machine shop and he lets me use the equipment. Material is at cost. Having custom machine work done will kill most ideas.
I agree with the above comments...It is a big project and requires lots of resources and connections.It can be done tho.Nothing on the truck is that rare.The mechanical is easy to deal with,the steel is .110 thick and can be welded.I have drawings for the fenders.The sand blasting and paint will add up as well as the electrical and airbag system...In the end it all adds up..Project best suited for a well rounded skilled guy or for a company to buy as a company truck..
Zach the new owner contacted me today.The truck is for sale.I have his contact info if anyone is interested..He is starting the price at $22K Canadian.
HA!!! More like $2200.00!!
I don't know. Where are you going to find another one? I realize its not in great shape, and would take a lot of $ to fix, but, there's just not that many of them. If you want something that not anyone else has, I don't think he's out of line. Look at what a rusted out 1968 camaro will bring. And they are all over compared to the number of these out there. There's 2001 dodge 1 tons/ cummins by me with 250,000 miles on them in worse shape, that guys want $12,000 for, some want over $16,000. And they aren't rare at all.
Oh I understand but it has to be something desirable. Many people want 68 Camaros but they're not getting that for a base model rusted out Camaro. They're only getting big numbers for an RS SS 396 car or something. I just don't see kit cars pulling in big numbers is all.
I check my latest NADA book for trucks and while it doesn't show a Grizzly manufacturer and it only goes back to 2009 it does show Ford F750 Crew Cab and Dodge Ram 5500 Quad cabs and chassis with retail asking prices of $22,825 and $23,375. Ten years older with name brand and you can figure half that for retail asking. I'd figure a sale at between $8,000 and $9,000 for name brand and somewhat less for the Grizzly.
What does the value of kit cars have to do with Grizzly's??????
To steep for me... neat piece though. I'd be in it about 45 by the time I got it done. It would be cool though.
Because a Grizzly is basically a kit vehicle. It was a specialty assembled vehicle on other manufacturers chassis and running gear that there were very limited numbers of. Didn't you say they only produced 20 of them?
That begs an interesting question. Is there a allowed build amount of units on the Manufacturer Certificate? Could it be a situation similar to the Shelby Mustang back in the 80's when Beverly Hills Mustang complete d like 12 more 66's because the cert numbers weren't built out and if I remember correctly they bought the rights from Caroll Shelby. Could you buy the rights and produce more 1990 Grizzlys
There were some Shelby Cobra's (continuation cars) built on supposedly left over 1965 chassis but it was a farce. They used CSX serial numbers from 1966 but weren't 1966 cars. I think only about a dozen were built and then they called them replica's. I believe the idea was to get around the emissions at the time. I remember reading about it and the guy from AC cars (Brian Angliss) and Carol Shelby had heated debates over it and the Cobra name. Angliss took over AC and made Autokraft cars with original AC tooling but they were a little different than the actual Cobra's. http://mycarquest.com/2018/10/the-ac-cobra-mk-iv.html http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-15/news/vw-23029_1_carroll-shelby
Exactly. Before Jay Brunk ever turned a nut, the controversy was on! At the time we owned a Boss 429 and we had to wonder if someone was going to materialize out of no where and start building more Bosses. It is almost 40 years later and they are still arguing about them and their lineage
Hello Cory, I’m interested in the burgundy truck in Qualicum if it’s still for sale. Could you pass along the sellers info or point me in the direction of anything else that might be for sale. Even if it’s just cab/hood/fenders. Thanks. Will [email protected]
There were only 13 trucks built.Contrary to the internet story's I have yet to find one on another manufacture chassis other that the Gibson truck and it is on a Ford chassis.The last truck even has a hand built Grizzly frame.I have found 11 of the 13 trucks...So far I have yet to find a Dodge chassis under a truck....
I built 427 Cobra replicars in the early 90's for 2 different companys and I remember all of this...I disliked the man after this( your story) and neither of my Mustangs have anything on them that said Cobra or Shelby..I remember it all to well....
Yeah, he tried to pull a fast one and got called out by someone in the know. However, Brian Angliss sounds like a bit of a douchebag. A Cobra is still an awesome car though.
Yes and Yes...I built them for 2 different companys and I helped a lot of people do theirs. Both square tube cars and oem round tube style chassis..99.9% of all the cars running around with a signed dash were never sat in by the man...In the end he would sign and authorize a toilet seat if you paid him the $200.00.
Even in reading about him he first claims it's not about money but then it seems to be about money. Maybe he just wanted his 15 minutes of fame to last longer and tried to take advantage of it or just had an ego and got greedy. He did some great things but then did some shady things.
2009 f series sales 413,625 units. Grizzly 13 units. I think that about sums up using NADA price reference . Demand refers to how much (quantity) of a product or service is desired by buyers. The quantity demanded is the amount of a product people are willing to buy at a certain price; the relationship between price and quantity demanded is known as the demand relationship. Supply represents how much the market can offer. 22k for one of 13 unique vehicles from a local company and a interesting bit of history seems reasonable to me. As it stands now there are only 10 people (correct me if im wrong diamondtguy)| one the planet that can say they own one there will not be any more
What you are talking about is sentimental value which is what a collector might consider. No demand has been demonstrated outside of the posters on this site. As such the asset has limited demand and the ages of any found would mean limited utility as well. All that would be found would be considered core units needing a lot of rebuild with limited resources for parts and maybe skilled labor. I put together a scenario based on the utility of the vehicle and the market data of an internationally accepted publication. Just because an item is rare doesn't mean that it is valuable. It also doesn't mean it is collectible.
Agreed Rarity doesn't assure value, there are exceptions to every rule. This forum however, demonstrates the grizzly is not one of those exceptions, in my opinion. I expect the interest shown at the starting price will back me up.
Just a little update......I have about 1200 miles on the truck now and all is well.It is running very good and the mileage seems to be very good.I haven't actually done the math on it yet... Still sorting through a few little things but nothing major.I am ordering the parts tomorrow to put a disc brake parking brake on the back of the transfer case. I am going to have to park it for a while as I need to pull the dash again .I think we are in for a lot of rain this April so maybe soon... The truck draws a huge amount of attention.Everything from thumbs up,waving and hanging out the window taking pictures.Lots of questions and lots of people asking to take pics along with finger pointing and people saying holy **** and *** is that......Its all good... As far as the comments above.....Currently Flat fender Dodge Power wagons are fetching north of 100K US and have been for a few years.First gen Bronco's are also north of 100K US...Last 3 Diamond T pick-ups to go through Barrett Jackson were north 0f 70KUS...Some of you may know I also own a 1936 Diamond T and two vintage Mustangs..The blue book/Nada guide is for people who don't have a clue what they are looking at or know anything about...Its a guide for the ill informed......Its just a guide. And yes...Rare does not mean valuable..I had a 1939 Canadian Dodge.Very rare and few built.Car really wasn't worth anything tho... Grizzly value vs new trucks...there are many of us who do not embrace computer technology in new cars/trucks...We do not want rubber tired computors.I do not have to pull the cab to service the engine .I am a mechanic not a electronics tech.There is a reason why Gen 1 Cummins trucks are sought after. The US market would pay a very nice sum for my truck.....JMO..............Cory
I had a 68 Bronco that needed some work (mostly new bushings for the steering to make it road worthy) and I had to sell it for next to nothing. Just didn't have the resources to finish it after spending a bunch on it. Put a Hurst floor shifter in it. Much better than the 3 on the tree. I think the 100K Bronco's are complete frame off restorations. The most famous Bronco (body anyway) is Big Oly that set the Baja 1000 record. Last I read Parnelli Jones still owns it. There were 2 or 3 of the same style. I would bet it's worth North of 500K. https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vi...onary-big-oly-ford-bronco-off-road-race-truck
Just because something sells at Barrett-Jackson for a retarded price with a bunch of million and billionaires that are heavily oiled up does not mean much. You can buy very nice first gen Broncos that have had frame up Restorations for 30 grand and the flat Fender Power Wagons, I have never seen one over 40k. That is like saying my 55 Chevy is worth a quarter million dollars. It might have that in it, but it is not worth it. In the end it is the buyer's money and if they feel like spending it by all means go ahead, just do not do it thinking you are making an investment. Recreation costs money and if you want to recreate you are going to pay.
I do agree with you....I am no fan of B/J....it is the WWE of auction's
Prices get exaggerated all the time but I think a Grizzly would command a higher price. Barrett Jackson has some decent deals on the lower end stuff but with the huge buyer and seller premiums I don't know why people would sell their lower end cars there. There are other auctions like RM Sotheby's that sellers of high end prefer instead of the spectacle of BJ. In the case of this beautiful yellow Grizzly made better than new he's got a way better truck than he could ever get from a dealer and wouldn't lose money if he ever decided to sell it.
I agree Cory has a very nice grizzly truck and he enjoys the hell out of it so I don't even know why we're discussing and debating valuations. I doubt he will be selling it anytime soon.
You brought up you didn't think the other Grizzly that needed work was worth 22K. I would guess Cory's is worth at least what he put into it unlike some other vehicles where owners have spent a fortune and get pennies on the dollar when sold.
You are right and I still don't believe it is worth 22k. Honestly if somebody really wanted it and was big into that pickup I would say 10 at most.
I guess it depends on who's looking for one.
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I hear that Grizzly in Qualicum Beach has found a new home and hope that it gets the same TLC that Cory gave to his. I am fairly sure it will and be around many more years.
I've been off this site for some time now but truly enjoyed seeing the pic of the finished product you produced just now. As one of the guys who sat around with Geoff at Eden Lake and developed the concept back in 1986-87 I enjoy seeing the Grizzly still alive and well. Sort of wish Geoff was too. Great job! Take care.
Thanks......
So....the Qualicum Grizzly has indeed changed hands as of last wed.It is currently on its way to its new home in Alberta.The new owner has agreed to post a few pics with some details next week.We have been in contact for a few weeks now and honestly it sounds like this is the guy with the desire and the resources to make this happen and to make Geoff proud. Till next week...
Sounds like road trip to Alberta in your future
One of the jobs still on the list is dealing with the box floor...Sprayed on rubber 30 years ago that has lifted in numerous places and refuses to come off in others.I have chosen to just cover it with a mat.Due to its odd measurements and the fact that I removed the rusty wheel tubs I have to kind of fab one up.I am taking two full size matts rotating them 90 and cutting them up.Spent about 3 hrs today doing the first pc.It covers 3/4 of the floor.Second pc is a simple rectangle....... All the rusty metal was heavily coated with POR 15 paint quite a while ago..
The Qualicum Grizzly arrived at its new home in Alberta this morning. A very big thank you to Brad Hagen of Steel Wheels Transport and Hotshot from Merritt for hauling it out for me from the Island. I have a lot of work ahead of me to get this truck back to what it deserves to be but I’m looking forward to the challenge. First order of business is to get it running, then it’ll be on to the restoration.
Welcome Will, and happy for you and your new Grizzly, I am sure that you will be doing a first class restoration.
Agreed. I hope that you will do the same thing as Cory and start a new thread on your Griz. I for one would love to watch the progress.
Welcome Will...I look forward to your rebuild..... Happy to have another Grizzly owner on board here....
So was the price closer to 10K or 22K? Just curious as there were various opinions on the value of it.
All I can/will say about the price is I was okay with it. In my opinion market value for something like this is very subjective as there really isn’t a baseline to judge from. I have been interested in these trucks for awhile and I’ve been lurking waiting for one to come up for sale so when this one presented itself, it was time to make hay while the sun was shining as they say. I got the truck running and driving today under it’s own power with a jerry can fuel tank. Next step will be removing and cleaning the fuel tanks and re-plumbing the lines. It was great to drive it for the first time even if it was short distances!
I am sure since your from Alberta you will do a great job there just like Cory did.
I hope you got the Grizzly at a reasonable price . Its good news that another piece of rare Canadian History has found a good home . Looking forward to watching it being restored and hoping you get many years of enjoyment driving it .
Hopefully you have started documenting up with photos from every step of the way as that is going to be a cool project and will be neat to look at it from beginning to end. Good luck on the build and thanks for sharing!
More of the little things to do.... Dash is apart and I pulled the crank trigger tach out..It has never worked properly.It will be on its way back to Autometer on Monday for inspection/repair. I purchased 2 spare tires for the truck.Currently figuring out mounts for them in the box.These may end up on the trailer I have yet to build for the truck. Had a crop of the rubber mat big enough to do the tail gate.Made sense to me to do the gate as well..
Installed my spare tire mounts today.Its a very simple system.Tires and mounts come out in 10 minutes just leaving the aluminum mounting plates on the truck.As they take up so much room I probably wont leave them like this for daily use but I wanted the ability to mount two spares for road trips... Tires are sucked tight against the sides of the box. Hoping to get the rest of my box mat this weekend.There are crops already under the spares to set the height.....
Here's some outside shots.It's not like I have a lot of options as to where I can put them.
Looks perfect to me.
I Love the look of the dual stacks. Is there a muffler hidden underneath?
Thanks and yes...I have a 4"x24" Stainless muffler under the truck......
It really has come together as a great rebuild project Cory , congratulations on a job well done . Thank you for sharing all the ups , downs and challenges . Drive it with pride !
Thank-you...Had it out today at Rona getting some wood...Yes I actually hauled something in it..My 10 min trip in the wood isle was probably an hour...Non stop questions and photo's.I answered all the questions and did the PR and Mary loaded all the wood..She is very good about it..... Its all good...
Is that rough cut cedar? Really hard to find where I live and I'm planning on getting some in Montana soon. Does Mary have a single mother or sister?
Yes Mary has some sisters.All married tho.Her family is in Sherwood Park Alberta.Four generations of them,big enough to start their own town. Lumber is just pressure treated.I don't know when it was switched from green to brown.Last time I needed some Cedar I had to get it brought over from Vancouver Island.... Fueled the truck up yesterday (100+liters) Did a quick mileage check (1st one).Truck is getting 20+ miles to the gallon.Pretty happy with the Cummins..
Finished the box rubber today...Happy with the way it looks....Drove the truck to work all last week.40min drive each way....
Alberta Grizzly update. I’ve made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks but unfortunately not much that is picture worthy. I have the truck running and driving, headlights/clearance lights, wipers/washer fluid pump are now working. I took the old headliner out and have generally cleaned up the inside of the cab. I removed both fuel tanks and have cleaned and painted them, I should have the new fuel level senders installed tomorrow. I’ve started cleaning up the frame under the cab and the underside of the floors, I’m hoping to have it prepped and painted under there by the end of the week so I can reinstall the fuel tanks and start running the new fuel lines and I’ve already installed a new fuel/water separator on the firewall.There have been some good challenges so far but it is enjoyable work.
Slow and steady work on it and your Grizzly will be like new again, Will
Well done Will...We have to start somewhere..I started on my mirrors actually.It takes time to get your head wrapped around everything and to figure it all out....I see your note book on the seat...I have a similar book for mine....
Still hunting for Grizzly's...I found a 10 year old add for truck #3.I have not found this truck yet just some old stories.Add says it is truck # 3 and owned by Pete Cahill in Campbell River..Add was posted by someone else on a sport fishing forum.It would appear he was pretty serious about the trucks at one point.Does any one know him or know of him.. Quote.... I had coffee with Pete a few days back and looked at some of what he has onhand. He's got pretty good records of who has what truck and where they are plus a bunch of spare parts. And I mean a bunch, body, frame, drivelines, etc. etc. He was thinking of getting into the manufacture of them after the demise of Geoff Buck, the originator of the idea for the truck and one of the principals of the company, so he tracked down most of what was available after the company folded and bought it. He's asking less than 30K for his truck only, just to clear that up a bit. Probably 30K plus for everything. Any entrepeneurs out there?
It might be from the same fishing forum you were reading but I have an email address and phone number for Pete Cahill if you don’t have them.
Hey Will...I grabbed the e-mail address when I was on there.I just sent him a e-mail and will see what happens...Thanks. E-mail was booted back.Address is not good anymore.
I got my tach back from Autometer the other day...I shipped it off 3 weeks ago and then never heard from them.Tach is about 3 years old and has never worked.Lots of e-mails to there techs but failed to get it to work...Anyways they sent me a new tach.So hats off to Autometer for standing behind their products.I assume what ever was wrong with it was bad as they never questioned anything and the warranty was long over...I reinstalled it today and all is good..I also installed some LED indicator lights to tell me the I have the heated mirrors on(or forgot to turn them off) and that the exhaust brake is on. Busy day in the heat.....
Had to clear the driveway today to bring in a aluminum trailer for some welding/mods..Thought the Grizzly looked good sitting on the grass so I snapped a few shots..... ...
The last pic. almost looks like it has a really tall exhaust stack. LoL
That was me trying to help Pete sell his stuff back in 2008. He must have sold it all but I have no idea to whom or when and I don't live near him like I used to. Not even sure he's with us still as I recall him being in the hospital and apparently in bad shape back then, although I believe he recovered. I also want to recall he moved down Island back then also, for health reasons. Talked with Tom Turner just now and he can't confirm one way or the other either regarding Pete's state. Not much info I'm afraid. Take care.
Dave....do you happen to remember what color the truck was...My research makes me think the 3rd truck built was Gray....but it would appear my truck was not included in the numbering system as it was never meant to be sold, So the second truck built was actually the first one sold to the public and tagged truck #1... So......If he had truck number 3 it would have been the fourth one built...I am still trying to piece this all together and compile info..... I think I just confused myself......
Small engineering mistake on my part.I completely underestimated the forces on the front sway bar links.I had to extend them to fit the truck.The bends were already in them but I clearly used the wrong material to extend them.They have both buckled... I will start drawing new ones up tomorrow and show this to my engineer friend and see what he comes up with...
Can't recall colour for sure and tried to contact Tom earlier but no answer. He might recall. Weird that I can't recall it considering the number of times I saw it. I want to say blue or a darker colour but not sure enough to claim it as so. I'll try to find out. Take care.
So I just talked with Tom and he recalls Pete's truck as being blue also, so that's our answer. Have you ever talked with Art Bowbrick from Sayward? He has or had a Grizzly and was very conversant about them. Might be a wealth of info. Give him a call and chat him up a bit. His number is in the book so I won't expose it here. Good luck. Take care.
Yes I have talked to Art.I will have to call him again.I do have his number.....Thanks.
I forgot the bars are offset in 2 directions so as a short term repair I welded a 3/16 gusset on them.I will re address this later and find some 4140 material..My shop is packed (3 big block mustangs) again with zero room to build anything...Don't know what kind of steel Ford used 50 years ago but it wasn't all together happy about being tig welded..
A&W in Haney had its first car show tonight.I took the truck there(10 min drive) so people could just have a casual look at it.Way bigger turn out than I expected..Lots of nice cars and I met some nice people...My friend brought his 1940 Cab over.... Fueled the truck up again today...Currently getting 21mpg....
Good to see you out enjoying your truck and good weather.
Alberta Grizzly update. I’ve made a lot of progress since my last post but not much picture worthy. Most of the work has gone in to getting systems working again and getting the frame behind where the fuel tanks go cleaned and painted. Today I was finally able to start reassembling. New tank selector and return line valves are installed as well as a new fuel lines to the water separator and a new return line. The engine driven lift pump started leaking a couple of days ago so I’ll be replacing that this weekend along with reinstalling the fuel tanks.
Nice Will.... I like your attention to detail.......
A little off topic but I don't think any one will complain....Went out for dinner on Saturday night to Langley...My friend showed up in his 1967 Checker Cab.Car is all restored (he has a few of them)..Its amazing how much attention the car gets.
I remember those Checker Cab Cars well Many a ride home in the early 70's used to stuff a couple guys and 3 or 4 girls in to the back seat as well as a box of beer.... Oh those were the days.
I had a boss who seemed to collect those cars. Heavier than a 3/4 ton pickup, Chevy V8 for power and a slush box transmission but they never seemed to die. More room in the trunk than what you find in one of those sixties 3/4 ton trucks and probably heavier sprung. Heck, just the paint in one of those things probably weighed more than all the steel they put in cars now days.
A family on our street had one when I was a kid. Amazing how much room they had. Ed
Had the day off today so I decided to address the front airbags....Goal is to stop air transfer from bag to bag on the corners... All research led to single checks in the lines...Quick thinking says this is the answer to stop air transfering on corners...I spent a few hours installing the check valves.My front bags are hardlined with 1/4 stainless tubing and swedge lock fittings.It was done with the engine "out" I have a single schraeder valvegoing to a manifold for the bags.As soon as I started to fill it I realized this isn't going to fricken work... There is no way to let air out if you over fill it...Check valves stop the air from going backwards. If one bag leaks down you cant air it up and balance the bags... I should have thought this through and drawn it up... I have torn everything out...Each bag will be filled separately. Options are auto leveling valves on each bag..A lot of plumbing and fitting.I don't have the need to auto level the front. As the bags are new and good quality I am OK with this...(like I have a choice) Lesson learned...
Fuel tanks and new fuel lines are all in and working. I’ve attached before and after pics. I took the service box off today so it’s time to start on the back end. The truck looks a little different without it!
Coming along nicely Will....Could you take a few pics of the rear with out the box on....Would like to see how it compares to mine and how things evolved over 13 trucks.....
For sure. I’ll get some tonight when I get home from work and post them up.
Here you go...
Thanks Will.....same basic idea as mine but done totally different.My springs are under the rails as are the air bags.My shocks are inboard..That will look quite nice all cleaned up.
Did you put new leaf springs in or clean up the old ones?
I just cleaned them up to bare metal and gave them a good coat of primer and paint.If I remember correct I had to address the bushings as well.
A Grizzly chased me through Campbellton this morning but I left him behind at Home Depot. Not sure but thought it might be Art Bowbrick. Neat to see one out and about. Take care.
While doing some internet digging I found this pic on facebook..Posted in the Four wheel drive association of BC's page.Pic was taken by a woman in Lordco's (Mission) parking lot....Good picture. I had the truck at the Fathers day in the Park car show in Mission yesterday..Much bigger show than I expected..Met lots of people and spent a lot of time telling the history of these trucks and answering questions.I met a gentleman who says he did a lot of Grizzly's drawings and that he still has the files.I will be getting in touch with him and talking to him about them.
Round 3 with my front air bag plumbing...I made a small manifold from aluminum.It has (4) 1/8 npt holes in it.I added a .080 through hole between the two ports.I also tapped the outer portion of the hole to 1/8 npt to plug it and use it as a port for my in dash gauge should this all work..My thinking is the .080 is big enough to balance the pressure between the bags but small enough to slow the air down when the truck is leaning in the corners. Lines are all steel braided with the proper ends..I will road test it this weekend. Black stuff around the fittings is actually Permatex "The right stuff".....tired of leaks.
These were just found on the ATHS group on facebook... This appears to be a Grizzly with a different name and grille...Also if you look closely the fenders are attached to the nose so the whole nose flips.. I am trying to join the ATHS group as we speak and make some inquiries. Pictures were take in April of this year in Sacramento.
Two more....
Very interesting find, good to find out where they came from, and who was involved with the building etc.
I certainly prefer the look of the Grizzly hood and grill.
Guessing it's a Grizzly with a name change to be sold in the US. Someone else had the Grizzly name trademarked. Grizzly tools perhaps. Ed
I sent Jean (Geoff Bucks widow) pictures last night..She agrees it certainly looks like a Grizzly but she knows nothing about it.Her first thought was that it may have been built out of the parts sold at the auction.. I do know that it is "not" one of the trucks I am missing. I have commented on the ATHS thread on facebook and am hoping to get some more info on the truck..
At the end of the month the Grizzly goes on its first road trip...I am going to the Cache Creek Truck show..Should be interesting and I look forward to it..Going up Friday night and coming home on Sunday.... Its about a 3 1/2 hour trip for me each way..
Still working away on the front air bags...Original gauge was 150psi.Very hard to read 15psi on it.No air gauges go below about 120 so I used a mechanical fuel pressure gauge.Much easier to read and moniter its 15 psi working pressure..Everything has been changed to #4 AN fittings and steel braided hose.Even found a #4 bulkhead fitting that saves me two more leakage points...One more line to make and I am done this little adventure...
Finished off the front air bag hosing tonight...I hate putting #4 braided hoses together....Aired it all up and will check tomorrow and see if it drops..Nice to have a in dash gauge on it..Rear has automatic leveling on it so I don't have to worry about it. I just have to come up with a story as to why I have 15psi of fuel pressure when the truck isn't running..... Ordered up a disc brake parking brake for the transfer case.This will work off the original floor mounted lever and as its mechanical it is DOT legal...I prefer this method over the cable operated shoes... Should have the kit next week.....
Glad to hear you are making the trip, look forward to meeting you there!
A few pictures forwarded on to me that were taken by the transporter when the truck came out to Alberta.
Cleaned up and ready to go..Heading to the Cache Creek Truck show tomorrow...May wander through some towns on the way home as I don't need to be back till Monday....
Did the 400 mile round trip to Cache creek.Truck ran great.Pulled 5th gear on all the hills with the pyro just under 900 deg and the water temp at 200.Generally ran with the water at 180 and the pyro between 5 and 600...Had a great time and met some good people..Talked so much I started to loose my voice a few times..Lots of questions about the truck Still not happy with the front suspension..I will discuss this later.. T
Mark took these pics...He didn't have his truck there but he did stop by.Mark owns a beautiful 86 Pacific...
Not much tinkering with the Grizzly right now...Drove home a few weeks ago and noticed a few gauges and the stereo had quit..Had to think about it for a while and realized the ign switch was acting up.That only happened once but the start side of the switch has acted up numerous times.Put a new switch in to night.Its just a generic switch.. I have switched the front shocks to Rancho 9000's.They are 9 position and currently set on #8.This has helped but I still have a few more things to address..
Did not make it to the Island this week end.Tried a week in advance to reserve a spot and everything was booked.Even wed and thurs were booked.Plus getting home could have been a night mare...It will do a trip sometime this month.... Friend came by today with his very nice 69 Z28.Black on Black car with the hounds tooth interior...Sounds as good as it looks..
I like as much as the Grizzly.
Been using the truck a lot and its just turned over 3,000 miles .No mechanical problems to speak of... My interior guy is coming up tomorrow to get my front seat and recover it.I have decided to get started on the A/C conversion as he has time to drop my headliner and modify it.I already have the new material for the seat and he has time to do it as well.I will seize the opportunity and get all this suff done while he is available. He just happens to have time to put the new headliners in the two early Mustang fastbacks I am building as well... Its all good..
Seat left today to get new upholstery.....Full size template for the A/C all laid out... Let the cutting begin.. And yes....there is a brace down the middle of the roof that I will have to deal with.
Well...the cutting started tonight.Had to be mind full of the roof brace and the folded edges of the panels...I ended up taking it out in 3 pcs.Havent figured out how to deal with the brace but I will come up with something.. Check out how thick the steel is....Used a zip cut on my air dremel and my neaumatic (sp) saw.... New headliner is just over a inch below and has 1/4 walnut plywood for a backing.No problem to trace the cut out from above. Remains of old headliner panels still glued to the roof panels and easily removed
It’s been a productive summer with my truck for the most part. The frame from the firewall back is pretty much all cleaned and painted and I’ve put 2 new airbags and a new levelling valve on the back. Fittings should be in next week then I’ll run new stainless airlines to the valve and bags. I took the driveshaft and rear end off today, next on the list will be to tear it all down, clean, paint, rebuild and reinstall.
Very nice Will....I'm liking it...Cant wait to see the hardlines on there.Its going to look very clean and tidy....
My interior guy came by and yanked everything out.Headliner goes in first so all the rear and side panels have to come out.Not really a issue as they are all mounted with Velcro to the frame work.Remains of the original interior can be seen between the frame work.Much to my surprise(I forgot) the center brace is just a bolt in.I took it into the shop tonight and did all the cutting I need for clearance.It still retains a lot of surface for the headliner to stick to..I will try and get the A/C unit mounted this weekend..
Got the roof top unit bolted down today...It all fit fine but it was a bit of a struggle for Mary and I to find foot room to stand and drop it down on its sealer.. The left rear stud is screwed up and I will fix it tomorrow when all the sealer is dry...More drilling and fitting tomorrow...
Another Grizzly rumor followed up....I heard about some Grizzly sheetmetal awhile(6-8 months) ago but the owner did not get back to me.There is a cab,nose and I believe some fenders.Assumed to be left over parts from when the shop was closed down.. These are the same parts I was told about as the location is the same. The door hinge pocket puzzles me.The lower rear cut out is correct and I see what appears to be a lap joint on the hood that also puzzles me.Those appear to be doors inside the cab... Spitzair contacted me yesterday on this forum and sent me the pics.He tells me the owner was just in a very bad accident and is in ICU in bad shape.For that reason I am not going to disclose the location.Parts are still with 100 miles of the lower mainland here. I wish the owner the best in his recovery... Hopefully at some point I can go see these parts and verify that they are Grizzly..
The rear of truck 13's(Wills) cab vs the other one...They are different construction...More questions than answers....
So why a roof top unit and a hole in the roof, instead of a smaller under dash unit like the collector car guys use? Or even one of the sleeper type units hid behind the cab? No room in the footwell?
I looked at lots of different styles but nothing jumped out at me..The sleeper unit is interesting but my fuel tank is behind the cab.. I have very little under dash space.Doesnt help that the glove box is welded in.Pass foot box is not that big either.I also have no room left in the nose of the truck.I already moved the rad as close to the fan as possible and stuck a 3" thick intercooler in front of it..No room left for a condenser and I don't know if my rad would be happy with it there.. I looked for 12V self contained units that maybe I could hide under the seat but found nothing... In the end I picked the roof top.As the roof is 1/8 thick I wasn't worried about cutting it. What I don't know and there is not much I can do about it is.....How will it look on the truck ??
I figured you had looked at all the options, and I was just curious- not being critical. From the pictures the cab footwell room does look pretty small. The "how it will look on the truck" is what I was kind of thinking about too. Honestly, most people won't even notice it up there. I will say that the red dot overheads that I've installed in a couple truck crane lower cabs were great units, very robust and simple to get running. The one I was around the most would freeze you out. At 1/8" cab panels, makes it nice to cut and support something like that, vs a really thin cab. It shouldn't bounce the roof around anyways.
Thanks...I didn't take it as a negative comment...Just curiousity... My long time friend is a A/C guy and he said the same about the Red Dot stuff..Easy to work on and it will make me cold... I am probably going to paint the white body work on the unit satin black...
Well as usual more work than anticipated (roof strut) but I have the installation of the unit finished.Just painting the bodywork for it and the top part will be done.Then I have the work to do on the engine for the compressor..
There was nothing wrong with the front seat other than it was blue.Material was purchased a few years ago and I had my guy redo it.Dont remember who picked the material but I know its marine stuff...Looks pretty good.I should have it back in shortly...
Got the seat installed today...Both my Mustangs are black interior so I wanted something different...I finished off the roof top today as well..
some really impressive work
So..the roof top part of the install is all done...Don't know if I like the look of it but at the same time I had very few options and am not going to worry about it...I'll put my brain to it later... You can see I had to slit the panel on the tent to get the truck out...
I have the rear end from my truck in the shop right now getting overhauled (new bearings/seals) and getting a locker installed in it so I’m at a stand still with the power train until I get it back so I took the seats out and removed the old carpet. The floor was sprayed with some sort of rubberized coating so it’s hard to tell the true condition of the steel floor underneath. I’m not sure yet if it’s going to be worth the effort to peel the rubber off or not.
Will....my floors were covered with a sheet of kind of tar like paper a 1/4 of a inch thick..Scrapeing it off just left a mess of tar..I only cut out what I needed..Now.....if your floor is sprayed with the same stuff my box is then I can help (not really) The box was blistered and rust had pushed some of it off.Nothing I tried would release it.I tried thinners,adhesive removers and heat...It would not come off... Your floors look better than I expected considering how long that truck sat outside...
Looks good to me. Proper spot to mount it.
It sounds like the stuff on my floors is just like what you have in your box. Anywhere the water got underneath it, it’s bubbled up and comes off quite easy but the rest of it is pretty solid. The floors actually look really good on the bottom side where I’ve wire wheeled and painted already so I think I’m going to only address the areas that I need to and leave the rest alone.
Yep...sounds like the same stuff.The floor is very flat and thick.Reparing it shouldn't be a problem.
While searching on facebook today for random Grizzly stuff I found this..Posted by HDX on a group I wasn't on (I am now).Nice little clipping that I have not seen before...Always interesting to see pics of my truck when it was new...
I got the rearend back from overhaul and got it installed today along with the new shocks and spring straps. As long as the weather holds I’m hoping to get a new brake line run back along the frame and get the new park brake cables installed before winter shuts me down.
Looking good Will.
Very nice Will......
Merry Christmas to everyone here.May we all have a good 2020.... For no particular reason the Grizzly has just been sitting in the tent.I have been battling pneumonia for the last month and just drive my 95 F-150 as it heats up in half the time...I did pull the truck out last week and warm it up and took it for a long drive on Christmas day.It was a nice day and I got the usual thumbs up,flashing lights and *** stares....Its all good.. When the weather warms up I'll finish my A/C and put the new driveline brake on it..
A few pics I found on F/book of the Ursadae.Truck is on Van Island
Merry Christmas to you as well and all the best to you in 2020. Alberta weather hasn’t been very cooperative for working on my truck but I just got a tent of my own put up. Plan is to move the truck under cover next week then at least I can work on it out of the weather and not have to worry about snow getting in to what I’m working on. I can’t wait for warmer weather so I can get back to cleaning and painting underneath, I’m hoping to start taking fenders off shortly so I can start fixing rust in the shop until I can then.
The new cab on the roof is one of these maybe diamondtguy, Maybe not the holy Grail of Grizzly cabs. Looking at it from over here I am thinking maybe a Ursadea cab Hope not for your sake because I know what a new cab just sitting there will do to a normal human being
Wow...I totally missed that one.I went back and looked at the pics and I believe you are correct..I stay in contact with them and will be going to see the stuff as soon as the owner is healthy again...
Good Luck, and wish him well hope all works out.. Yes it does look like it though
Got this today on F/book today ...Eric Reiss did a stop frame pic while watching one of the episodes of Rust Valley Resto.So here's a pic of Avery's truck that apparently was built out of left over pcs.Can't explain why they are all different colors.... Interesting that it has a grab handle on the front of the hood.My truck had one when new and at some point they pulled it off and welded up the holes.As the hood is .125 steel(read fricken heavy) it is a not fun to open by your self.A few owners of Grizzly's have hade aluminum hoods made...Maybe Avery's truck has one...I will probably get one built next year..
Don't know if you caught the last episode of Rust Valley Resto but there was a few shots of Avery's truck.Clearly shows a Hayes bear hood ornament.
I got the passenger side fender off and stripped down. It had the same rubber coating as the cab floors but anywhere it lost its stick, it became a rust trap. It turns out the trick to removing the rubber coating is to use a woodworking chisel and rubber mallet, peeled it right off. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to salvage it yet or if it’ll be better to just use it as a template to make a new one. I’ll take it in the the welder this week and see what he thinks.
There not as bad as I thought they would be....I have drawings here for the fenders and headlight boxes but mine are a little bit different...All the trucks built after mine have the eyebrow over the headlights,my headlight boxes were bolted on and the mounts on the front are a little different.. Your fenders are probably 10 or 11ga so if some one can form the pcs for you it shouldn't be a problem.. You can see on mine I had the little flare formed into mine..Yours I see were bolted on.Are they stainless or aluminum???..My truck just had a 90deg return on the outside of the fender when built. Nothing like a inside job to keep you warm and busy...
The original flares were stainless. I’d like to get an edge put on them like what you have, they look good and the fewer holes in the metal the better! The steel on my fender is quite thick, hopefully the welder will be able to work with it. If he sounds confident I’ll sandblast it before we start on the repair so we know for sure what we’re working with.
Yes....formed edge would look better.I just added a 45deg bend and then a return for the finished look...I ended up using the return to bolt the rubber "rub a fender" to as my tire/wheel choice required a little more coverage.. I also never reinstalled the light/reflector that they put under the headlight..Just didn't look right to me.. I actually prefer your style of headlight box with the eyebrow but chose not to change some of the unique (doesn't mean good) features of the first one built.
I talked to the welder this morning, he figures the best option is to cut the headlight boxes off the old fenders then just make new fenders to match. He didn’t think it would be a problem to put a formed edge on them like the one you have. I’ll be dropping the fenders off with him to get going on it at the end of the month. It’s funny you mention the light under the headlight, I was thinking it didn’t look right either so I was planning on doing away with them. I stopped at Kenworth this morning, picked up new headlight assemblies and signal lights so I should have all the parts needed to put the fenders back together once they are built/powder coated.
Cool....look forward to seeing how they turn out...
A little story...Took the truck to the job site yesterday.Its about 20 miles each way.I came home on the Lougheed hwy then got on to Golden ears hwy then to Abernathy Way.I was in 4th gear closing in on the first intersection and slowing down,stood on the brake pedal and it went to the floor.I thought ***k and tried it again.No pedal and cars coming up quick.Checked my mirrors and got in the soon to end right lane.As soon as I cleared the intersection I geared down and shut the truck off.. I sat and thought about it for a minute.I didn't smell any fluid leaks and my steering was fine (I have a hydra booster).There were no early warning signs..Light bulb came on in my head so I checked under the dash..The pushrod had some how come off the brake pedal..Its a tight fit but I got it back on.. Got the truck back home and put a new clip on the rod.. It could have ended badly but I had a clean escape route and was back on the road in 5 min. Cheers.....
"It could have ended badly but I had a clean escape route and was back on the road in 5 min." Hence the old adage; "I'd rather be lucky than smart any day." And I have lived by that for 68 years...
Glad had a positive result. It would have been bad to bend either yourself and or your ride.
Yes I would have been upset...This happened to me 6 1/2 years ago...We were both bent up pretty bad...Once was enough.I am glad yesterday was pretty un event full and painless.....
Holy cow! What happened there? Glad you lived to tell about it!
I’m very glad you were able to get shutdown without any problems. Your previous accident looks horrible.
Geez! That wasn’t good at all! Nice to still be able talk with you!
It took a little longer than I thought but I finally got the new fenders today. Welding shop did a great job on them. I have some holes to drill yet but it shouldn’t take long to get them on the truck to check the fit and adjust as necessary. Once I’m finished with that I’ll take the hood off and get the rusted square tube replaced along the bottom where the piano hinge attaches.
Well done Will...they look good.
There is actually a read one of these down my street! If anyone is interested I could get some pictures.
Y yes pics would be good...Is it this one in Tswassen..(sp)......
Yeah it is!
I have 3 jobs still to do on the truck..1st one is finish the A/C..I need to change the bracket on the engine (drain coolant),mount the compressor and get all the lines made and get it charged up 2nd job...Install the driveline (disc) brake and get it hooked up to the original e-brake handle in the truck. 3rd..pull the front springs out and get two leafs (mine are only 2) added to them... Pulled the fender off today and got started on the A/C...As I figured I will have to make a new cross over pipe for the coolant.. Bracket for the A/C is mounted and the compressor is on..Brkt on the left is the new one. The braided hose will get fixed as well...
This is the current set up on the front.Bags have 17 1/2 psi in them.In my opinion (not a expert on air bags) that's probably to much.I also think the bags are extended to much and the back side of the spring appears to be bending down.Axel has rotated to about 6-7 deg of caster..All the trucks I have seen have 4 leafs in them.Art in Sayward says he truck drives just fine.I find mine is twitchy in the corners and leans to much on the front..Will sent some pics of his front springs and Mcallister is going to build the other two leafs.for me..Its a experiment but I feel I have nothing to lose...
Yanked the springs out today...Lots of set up to hold the truck up,hold the diff up and stop it from rotating.Other than the set up it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.Hopefully I can get the springs over to Mcallister next week..All the parts will get detailed again before I reassemble it.Then back onto the A/C...
After a couple of weeks of e-mails about my springs Mcallister will build them next week.They have been very good about this project and very helpful.They are adding two 9/16 x3 leafs to each pack.. I will no longer be bolting the bag mount to the spring.I came up with a saddle to sit on the springs and float.I will have anti squeak pads between the saddle and the spring. Grizzly offset the bags on the frame a little bit (????) and that math was lost on the spring mounts.The right side was close but the left side was way off as it appears they built two rights...I have corrected all of this and the bags should be 90 deg in both directions now..
Mcallister tells me I should have my springs back this week.I got my spring anti-squeak pads today in the mail.They are supposed to be 3" wide but only if you use a framers tape measure..Some trimming required.You drill a 9/16 hole and tap them in place....I have everything ready now.Just need my springs and some dry weather (don't we all)....... On a side note....I remembered a few days ago I buckled both my sway bar link rods a while back.I wrote it off to length vs diameter but now I think it was just leaning way to hard on the springs....Just a thought,
Got my springs yesterday (Friday)...They certainly look up to the task. Comedy of errors after that....They forgot to send my small/sample parts back..I wont get the stuff till next week.. I had them dip the springs in their paint tank and it bubbled up/lifted all the enamel paint I had on my springs..I had to scrape it all off and start over again.. Some how who ever bent up the new u- bolts put the wrong mandrel in so my u-bolts are wrong...Mine are shallow semi round and I got high semi round.I find the u-bolt mistake funny as they had me sign off on the drawing for the u-bolts......**** happens. Maybe I can install them next weekend....
After much thought (and whiskey) I finally came up with a plan...I always knew I wanted some sort of retaining device to stop the air bag mount from lifting off (not that it would) I also realized my limiting straps for the bags are useless with out one... This is what I came up with...There is just less than 1/8 clearance on the bottom so no risk of binding...
First load of parts was dropped off for powder coat this morning, I’ll drop the hood off with the welder this afternoon to get a couple of small parts of the frame repaired. The inside of the hood was covered with rubber coating as well but it came off pretty easy. Metal underneath is still in pretty good shape. Work has started to take the front axle out for cleaning, paint, new kingpins/u-joints, reseal and rebearing.
Good to see the progress Will...Your front bumper is identical in construction to mine but looks a little deeper..I believe your truck came with a winch tho..I see other things very similar to mine in construction...It looks like they covered your firewall in that rubber crap...(that sucks). Are you doing your fenders black ????
And me ???? Put the front suspension back in today..Everything went well other than the fact I had to machine (I have a lathe at home).030 off the dia of the center pins in the springs..I really should have measured them but I stupidly assumed.... It looks better and has less air in the front bags to obtain my height...I think I have it a little to high on the front right now so it will just get better..I have to fix the lower rad connection as my A/C compressor changes things..Then I can pull the truck out and set the height.. My air bag sliders will find "home" after I drive it and it scuffs the paint off... Still feel I am going in the right direction..
so here is a before and after.. Two leaf spring and four leaf spring..and I think I have the front a little high....
Your new springs look great! My bumper did have a winch. It was pretty old and seized but I have a new Warn winch for it that I installed and removed before taking the bumper in for powder coat. I’m going to do this set of parts in a semi gloss black with a little bit of texture to it. A friend of mine used the same product on a bush bumper for his truck, it looks great and stands up really well. The firewall is covered in the rubber crap but that is the last of it, I won’t be sorry to see it all go!
Thanks......I have a 1936 Diamond T and there is a truck load of parts on that truck that I had powder coated...All in semi gloss black...It still looks good and is easy to clean... I did my fenders,tailgate and bumpers on the Grizzly in semi gloss black epoxy....semi gloss black goes good with everything.. I look forward to seeing your stuff all coated.. I think your doing a great job... The turbo intake piping on your engine makes me think it was a intercooled engine when new..... Keep up the good work..One day we will get the first truck and the last truck together for some pics...
That would be great, I look forward to it.
Finished the cooling system off yesterday just as the rain started falling..I made a new support brkt for the cross over pipe..I should have trimmed the lower edge but was rushing to beat the rain and forgot.. Plate is 3/16 aluminum.I just painted it to stop it from going fuzzy.You can see in the pic the new A/C compressor,the crank trigger system for my tach and the barring tool on the balancer.. System is full again and the truck can be started..Tomorrow I think I will start on the new e-brake system..
You have been a busy young man there your doing great work.
Did the e-brake install today.Fairly straight forward with shimming and clearances.Had to pull the yoke off the t/case but it slid off just fine..Tomorrow I will figure out the cable....Its all powder coated and some of it doesn't disassemble so I just left it red.
I ran the A/C lines yesterday.They run under the cab then up between the back of the cab and the tool box.Then across the roof to the A/C unit.Connections are on the drivers side.Ready to get my friend to put the last two fittings on and charge the system..We had to put in line charge line fittings in it as there is no room behind the compressor.My friend knows what I am like and got me a rather large made in USA Compressor that apparently is much longer than the norm...Fittings are located where it can be serviced with the fender on but I will forgo that till we have leak tested it and finished... My cables don't work for the e-brake system so I will order one from the manufacturer of the kit..I am also considering relocating the handle to left side of the driver on the floor..The stock handle is very hard to reach and I doubt you could get to it with the shoulder belt on..Manufacture of the kit make a nice little tunnel style one and it would be easy to use,out of the way and pretty obvious it was on when you got in the truck....
Weather is good today so I plugged the truck in for a few hours as it hasn't run for a few months..I wanted to put it out on the driveway and let it run for a while..I pressure tested the cooling system but wanted to run it up anyways.A/C guy cant make it tell next week end and I didn't want any surprises....and I got one.. I was watching it run (fender is still off) and noticed the belt is running off the compressor pulley.I thought maybe I didn't get it on right..Fixed it and fired it up only to watch it jump again..Apon closer inspection the compressor is to far forward by about 3/16...My A/C guy hasn't a fricken clue whats wrong.He has only seen this once in 20 years... I managed to sneak the compressor out with out moving or draining any thing..I have a call into a friend who has two compressors off of Cummins 12V's and he will measure them for me.. Glad I left the fender off...Never would have seen this with it on...
Finally got the right compressor today...I ended up having to look up the part number for a compressor for a 93 Dodge/Cummins...The bolt pattern is std but the length is unique for the Cummins brkt or a deal Dodge has/had with Nippon Denso the original supplier.. Hope to get it charged up on Sat.....
First batch of parts is back from powder coating, what a difference. The shop nailed it as far as texture and gloss are concerned. I have the front axle off of the truck and mostly disassembled. Cleaning and painting that will be the next step then I’ll take it in for overhaul.
Looks great Will....I have never seen textured powder coating before....I am still waiting for my A/C guy to come back and charge the system...
Not much going on here....Andy came by today and hooked up my compressor...He was in between calls...Should be back tomorrow to finish the lines.This compressor is much shorter so the lines have no issues with the engine mount.
So most of you know I have some other toys...I have a couple of early Mustangs that are pretty cool builds..I keep my 67 a mile away in a friends 40x50 shop.It is free and it was there Idea so I have more working room.. A week and a half ago I get a call at 9pm (fri night)To get my ass up there as the shop is on fire..It takes 5min to get there and the shop is just a inferno.The building is concrete but the roof is wood..Shop is surrounded by forrest...We get there and the fire is so hot it has blown holes in the concrete.The roof has collapsed.It had a gas shop furnace in the building when the roof came down it breached the gas line..Building has lots of toys in it..We watched for a hour and I was told everything in the shop is destroyed...Home I go and grab the whiskey bottle... You can see how bad the fire was and the fire dept isn't there yet..I am in the outskirts of town.Fire Hall is between my house and the fire but it is not a manned station....
I get a phone call at 11..They finally figured out there is a 3rd concrete wall and the two cars might be OK....I hear nothing till a truck shows(4pm) up the next day with my 67...When the main shop roof fell they started pouring water and retardant onto the remaining roof.Some of it leaked in and kept the room damp and the temp down (that side has a fire door on it) the fire door was closed and my (red) carcover(wet) kept my car safe..My cover is damaged and I have a few spots on my trunk lid where the pigment in the paint darkened...Corvette has some very minor damage... Cody who is 6'8" pushed that boat out on his own across that road base.You can see the starboard side was on fire..He was visibly upset when I got there and being attended to by the EM's.. This is what the found the next day when they pried the doors open...I will let you guys CSI the pictures.... So I just realized it is not a concrete wall after all..I see light through it...I am luckier than I thought...
The building is destroyed..Lost...fully restored early 70's econoline in 70's early 80's style with a 5.0 5spd in it,Harley touring bike,3 quads,side by side.Spare pro gas body and rear wing plus all the tools and equipment...Cody was in the shop when it started.Main thing is he is ok.. Fire started from a battery tender or charger
My car back at home after Mary cleaned it all up. She cleaned it up right after it got here...When she was finished she wanted to go for a drive...Off for some burgers.We took the long way.. The fricken decals didn't even lift.....
NICE car! Glad it was saved. Horrible about the fire though.
Yes....I would have been upset...The build was a lot of work..Finding all the decals and vintage Holman Moody stuff took a while.Along with all the other rare and period correct parts Car is pretty correct...Even found some NOS Westwood racetrack decals..I used to ride my pedal bike up the hill to Westwood and watch the cars in the late 60's and 70's..You could here the cars from our house..... Cody wasn't hurt and that's what matters...I told him I look forward to storing my car in his new shop next year...He just laughed.... Before anybody asks.....Yes my car was fully insured...
Even insured I don't think there'd be enough money to replace it. What engine is in it?
wow that is amazing how that simple plywood wall could keep the other side so safe
Wow, lucky is an understatement! That is my biggest fear is fire in the shop. As with you I have insane amounts of Blood Sweat tears and money in my shop. That is any man's worst nightmare. Good luck on you guys getting everything cleaned up and a new shop set up for him he sounds like one hell of a guy.
As per T/A rules the car has a small block (67 289) but its far from stock.Comp cams hyd roller cam and valve train,1.9 and 1.6 valves.Lots of good parts in it.I have the correct valve covers and Aviaid oil pan..Its fun to drive and gets lots of attention.It's loud with the side exit exhaust...
Got the A/C finished and all charged up today...I will put the truck back on the road in the next few days... I originally painted the a/c cover satin black but I couldn't get it to stick.I tried 3 times and with in a few days it was bubbling off.Yesterday I took my d/a sander to it and stripped it..Now its aged faded white and I kinda like it... Truck needs a very good cleaning.Its covered in pollen and cob webs...
Front axle is disassembled, cleaned and metal prepped. I’ll start painting it tomorrow, when that’s done I’ll take it in to the shop for overhaul.
Front end is torn down as much as it’s going to be until I pull the engine for rebuild. Radiator and front axle are in for overhaul right now, they should both be ready for pick up early next week.
Looking good Will...Looks like mine but doesn't...I find it interesting that the engine is Cummins beige.The direct drive fan is interesting as well.I wonder if that engine was purchased from Cummins... I see studs welded to the frame for the looms...We did that at Pacific a few years after I started.Looks like a few bolts snapped off getting the piano hinge off..Mine snapped 5 or so.. Is that POR 15 black you are useing
That is POR 15 black, semi gloss top coat. I think there are around 5 bolts snapped along the piano hinge on mine too. Rather than fight to get them out I think I’ll use them as dowel pins to line the hood up then just drill/tap replacements . The radiator and front axle overhauls are done, I’ll pick them both up on Tuesday along with some new air bags for the front then I’ll be ready to start reassembling.
I managed to repair all but one of them...Has to be close to a dozen bolts.Mine were 5/16 nc and I re tapped all the holes and used stainless bolts with never seize.. Does the engine need a rebuild.?? Or are you just going to tear it down and have a look as its been sitting out side in the weather for along time... Nice to see another one being rebuilt...In a tent no less Cheers
I don’t think the engine necessarily needs to be rebuilt, it starts and runs great. It pushes the typical older Cummins blue smoke when its cold but it clears out pretty quick. My desire though is to have the truck as close to new as possible by the time I’m done with it (budget permitting!). The short term goal is to get the mandatory items fixed so I can try and get it on the road next spring, then I’ll address engine/transmission/transfer case overhauls after that.
I installed the overhauled radiator today. It’s nice to be putting things back together.
Looking good....I know who I am parking next to at the next Grizzly Truck show.. Like my truck it appears all the original hardware was tossed...I see some nice Gr.8 up front
We'll certainly have to figure out a way to get the trucks together for some pictures when I'm done. Every bolt I touch is getting replaced with either stainless steel or grade 8. There's no better time to do it!
Fired the truck up today and pulled it out into the sun..Figured I would measure the cable I need for the e-brake.I have never been happy with the approach angle of the cable..Routing was a issue.Mounting bracket cant be rotated.Its a lanyard cable and I would like to keep it simple..I have dicked with it a few times and never come up with a solution.Today I took it off again and rotated the caliper,drilled new holes and welded a new mount on it...approach angle is ok now.... Original angle in first pic.....Trimmed off excess f/bar after I fit the caliper to it.. N
You must almost be done with the small stuff. Time to get out and enjoy the truck been a long journey, a lot of hrs in the tent...
Truck is back on its own feet. I got the front axle and new front air bags installed today. I'll get the last brake line made tomorrow and put the front drive shaft back on then it's time to start changing heater hoses, power steering hoses, and making up new braided stainless lines for the front air bags.
Very nice....I like the airbag mounting system on the later trucks much more than mine.Your bag is much closer to the center line of the axel and the bag pressure doesn't change the caster as quickly as mine does.
Finished off what i think is one of the last mechanical jobs on the truck..E-brake is all done now except for a clamp on the cable and some fine adjustment..Will drive the truck first to see if the caliper position is ok.Fire extinguisher barely snuck back in there..
I got the steering stabilizer back on yesterday. I was going to put a Rancho double stabilizer on it but with the air bag leveling rod attaching to the front axle, there wasn't room for the brackets. Instead I cleaned up and painted the old brackets and stuck with one damper. I'm trying to get as much done on it outside as I can while the warm weather is holding!
Looks great Will....
Thank you, it’s certainly coming along. I’m just waiting for a new winch control module from Warn then I’ll be able to get the front bumper put back on. As long as the good weather keeps holding I’m hoping to start replacing the wiring harnesses for the headlights and start cleaning up the rest of the wiring under the hood next.
Boy, you guy's sure have taken these truck's to a new level, Sure is nice to see them dialed in and fine tuned like this.
Screen shot i found on the internet.This is Avery's truck from Rust Valley Resto..Looks like he is stuck in the mud..Not sure if his truck is 4wd..As i have said before this truck was built out of spare/left over parts.It is registered as a 2000.
I heard that he put it on a F550 frame
Yes ..I heard the same but couldnt remember if it was a 350/450/550...He also put a Cummins in it..One of the pcs of property that Mike has he bought at a estate sale..The Grizzly was on the property when he bought it..
I installed the bumper with the new winch on the truck yesterday. Unfortunately where I mounted the winch controller on top of the bumper, it sticks up too high to allow the hood to open properly. I took the bumper off again and will end up moving th e winch controller inside the engine compartment like it used to be.
Your tow hooks clear...??? I made a few mistakes as well....I put my controller inside the right side of the bumper...
There’s plenty of room for the tow hooks but the controller stuck up just a little further. I like where you put yours, I’ll have a look tomorrow and see if I can place mine in a similar spot. I like the idea of having it up by the bumper a lot better than having it inside the engine compartment.
Yes...under the hood means you have to flip it open.There is also the loss of length in lead getting around the hood and having the hood open in the event you need the winch...Not saying my location is the best but its what I came up with at the time.... I see why your hooks clear.Your cables are shorter that mine.My hood opens a full 90 deg.Its a bit of a push to get it back down..
Ran into the guy (facebook) who saw my truck at the glass shop a few years ago in Aldergrove.He left a note saying his Uncle owns truck #6..Truck is up north and is a one family truck.I phoned him and we talked for a while..As far as I can figure this is the first truck to get the Mapleleaf Grill....Anyways got a pic of the truck at home..The only I have dug up is a factory shot.. Good looking truck.
Relatively easy fix for the winch controller. I put a couple of 3/8" plates between the bumper and the frame of the truck. The plates gave me enough room to mount the controller right to the back of the winch like it was when it came out of the box.
Looking good Will.....
I saturated a few facebook groups with Grizzly stuff a few weeks ago..I was a little overwhelmed by the responce..Got some good info tho..I was told by the owner of the blue truck above (Art)that the grey truck used to live in PG as well but it went MIA a long time ago..I guy posted that his friend owns the gray truck which is the 3rd one built and it is just parked.He says its still in PG..He was going to verify it for me but nothing has happened.. There is another truck missing that i know SFA about...I have no photos or stories..A guy says his friend owns a white one and has for a long time..It is up in the Nelson area I believe..He also said he would verify it for me.. Found another Grizzly cab as well..saddly sitting in the back of a pick up box outside... Still chasing stories...
CSI Operation Grizzly !!! Sometimes Cory i think you are worse than me for chasing down stories and leads.. In the old days ,there was always the old cigarette package maps . Figure you had it all figured out and somebody turf's the empty deck out the window... Along with the map sketched directions on it...
Here is the "said" Grizzly cab sitting in a trailer box outside.....I believe this came from the parts that the guy who owned Wills truck had...When i first went Grizzly shopping i inquired about what is now Wills truck..It came with a spare engine and 6spd.It was priced pretty high and i declined..We did talk a few times and I knew about the spare cab..I havent tried to blow the pic up and CSI it......Back window looks pretty big to be a Grizzly... All the parts were long gone by the time Will got to the truck..
A fellow named John Welch reached out to me on Facebook.He was a parts vendor for Grizzly and has some pics and paperwork stashed away..He shared some of it with me... Couple pics of my truck....Didnt know it had company name on it or i just dont remember.. I may have to put it back on....
more...I have heard his brother had a truck at one point...This truck is not far from me..
More........The missing oil field truck when new.
Last of what he sent.......
What a gold mine Cory.. That is a dream come true.. More pieces of the great puzzle come together.
He has agreed to sell me all the paper work,photo's and the binder for a reasonable price that includes the shipping from the USA..Working on it right now...
Were any of them actually built or configured later for any of the uses in the brochure. I've only ever seen them as a pickup. Just curious. d.d.
Mainly pick-ups,utility/service trucks and two enclosed trucks...They pushed the trucks pretty hard but in the end only 13 were built...The trucks were a great Idea but like alot I think they were a decade to late (JMO)..That being said the Cummins 12V wasnt available then...
i remember them having a display at the Truck Loggers Convention in Pan Pacific with the grizzly there in early 90's.They gave my dad the sales pitch for ten minutes.They started at $42,000 then
I believe the last truck had a price tag of $75,000........Here are a few more pics from John.
I have purchased all the paperwork and photo's from John Welch...Will be interesting to go through it all..He is in the USA and said he is mailing it today...
I got the binder today..A wealth of info..Full of pics,truck info,promo stuff,news paper articles and testimonials from owners...will have to figure out how to scan the binder..Sorry about the blurry pics..Things are not good here and i have the shakes. .
So...I know one of the trucks was refit onto a Ford chassis.It was Geoffs brothers truck..I have alot of info on the truck..It is now just east of me in Mission..I guess Grizzly tried to market what they did....
I will get a pic of the testimonial from Astronic Seismic contracting on there truck.They were in alberta.No internet info on them which would explain the auction of this truck in early 2000's.He a said it was the 5th truck built...I now have the first 7 trucks in order..
What an incredible find Cory. I look forward to hearing what all you uncover in there!
Are you able to tell us what the big machine you assembled several pages back is used for?
The big proto type machine i was working on ???
Yes. It looked very interesting and HD.
Its a machine for making checker plate.Myself and 2 others were terminated with out warning last year..Not a good move on their part.I have a video of it running...I will have a look for it.
Thanks for the update, I thought it was something to do with wood or tree's being in BC. I'm guessing the terminations were un-justified? I've been through that before. You've got more power if there's 3 of you together. Not sure how many are required for a class action suit though.
Thanks for the update, I thought it was something to do with wood or tree's being in BC. I'm guessing the terminations were un-justified? I've been through that before. You've got more power if there's 3 of you together. Not sure how many are required for a class action suit though.
Thanks for the update, I thought it was something to do with wood or tree's being in BC. I'm guessing the terminations were un-justified? I've been through that before. You've got more power if there's 3 of you together. Not sure how many are required for a class action suit though.
I have made up and installed new wiring harnesses for the head and taillights. Also, I was able to remove the driver's door and confirm that Kenworth daylight doors will fit so I'll be changing to the daylight doors. The doors I bought have power windows in them so it'll be a nice upgrade.
Good score with the power windows...I thought about converting mine but never got back to the idea..First saw them on Brian's truck...
Pulled my truck out today...Hasnt run for a while..Started right up.Front air bags have only lost 2psi since last summer.Rears have ALS on it so they take care of them selves.I have new fittings (better) for the rear and should change them the next sunny day...Need to buy some insurance for it.Still havent driven it since I changed the front suspension. Some better pics of the binder i got...
I was running some errands the other night in the Grizzly and pulled into a corner store.When I came out there was a guy looking at the truck..We were keeping our distance and wearing masks so i couldnt hear him clearly..Turned out it was Chris,the guy who bought the Gibsons truck...We have spoken but never met..We talked for about a hour...Now his truck is the one I mentioned above that is built on a Ford chassis and has the Ford dash in it...Chris ran into Avery a while ago and got some pics of his truck...Averys truck is registered as a 2000 and also built on a Ford chassis....but it has a Ford dash in it...Its supposedly built out of left over parts....The Ford dash just raises more questions..
I have reached the end of my abilities on the rebuild. I hauled the truck over to a local shop this morning, they will be taking care of the body repair, paint, interior, and other items left on my list. Im not sure about time line, I'm going to have the truck on the road later this summer though. Hopefully I'm not being too optimistic!
Need some help.....A while ago i noticed the grizzly's volt meter bouncing in the 14-16 range..Four days later both batterys were dead..I recharged them and they died again.I recharged them and unplugged the voltage reg and they were fine...I changed the reg and it didnt help..Got a new alt and my friend ran some tests..Truck was hitting 17.5 volts and the original battery is down to 580 CCA's..I changed the alt tonight and the truck is still over charging...No welding sparks when you disconect the batterys...I am at a loss......TIA Its dark out now so i went and disconnected the batterys.....no sparks..
I checked in with the shop today, disassembly is well underway. We should be able to reuse the running boards and the compartment doors under the back seat but the door frames will need to be replaced. Sandblasting will hopefully start by the end of the week to see how much of the steel body panels needs to be replaced. My wife also had a Grizzly key chain made for me/ the truck.
I got the Grizzly fixed today..I wired in a relay to clean up the signal to the voltage regulator and give it a accurate battery reading..It was a double win as my bouncing voltmeter has stopped as well as the over charging..There was something wrong with either the voltage regulator or the alternator as the battery drainage has stopped...The were both replaced prior to the relay fix..
When i was on Van Isl. looking at the not yet mine Grizzly I noticed it had been painted blue at one time,(it is still blue inside the side cabinets).Jean said it was painted blue for a movie..They moved production to Toronto and wanted the owners to ship the stuff there at there expense...That was the end of that..Jean then wanted her truck painted yellow again.I have never found a picture of it blue..Another new Grizzly owner who works for the movies found this pic for me.....Interesting
You the law now!
I imagine a Grizzly would do a lot better than a police car with a push bar on the front.
Took the Grizzly to Langley on friday night..Huge get together every friday at A&W...Spent the night talking about the truck.Never did get a chance to go look at the cars...Was a good night tho.I was parked in the lot next door and it filled to the max as well.
When we were doing all the diagnostic stuff on the charging system we found the original battery was down on CCA's..Started life at 950 and was down to low 500's..Truck starts fine as i have dual battery's but last night i put a fresh 950 CCA battery in it....You can see the blue paint inside the cabinet..Air lines and wires are for the compressor in there for my exhaust brake.
This was sent to me a few times yesterday..The guy working on Will's truck posted it on Facebook on a Rust Valley Resto page...He is quite excited about working on the truck....That is always a good thing....
sent to me a while ago and i forgot about it...Arts truck and guessing some one was visiting him...
My ex boss and friend sent me this pic.Avery's truck sitting up at Scotch Creek this weekend...
Looks like it could use a lot of love.
I stopped in at the shop today to see how things are progressing on the truck. Rust repair/ rebuild is coming along nicely. Tentative timeline is to have all the sheet metal fixed, the cab sandblasted and in for paint by the end of November.
Looking good Will...Are you changing the color ???
I thought about changing the color but with this truck being the only burgundy one, I decided to stick with it. We've picked out a real nice shade of burgundy that's probably going to be pretty close to the original color when it was new but with metallic fleck in it. The front fenders, running boards, and deck will be semi gloss black.
a friend was over today and wanted to go for a ride in the Grizzly.I phoned another friend to see if he was home and we went for a ride and a visit.My friend told me to lock the hubs at the bottom of his driveway..He has long up hill gravel drive way with some corners..Currently packed with snow and ice..Anyways put the truck in 4 low and all was good.First time I have used the 4wd.
Hey Will.....any progress reports on the sheet metal work..??
Sheet metal is all done. New clearance lights and air horns have been mocked up and holes drilled on the roof. Last update I got a couple of days ago said the body was almost all sanded and ready for primer. Air ride seats for the front were hopefully getting placed last weekend and we’re trying to figure out a way to mount the back seat out of an extended cab truck in the back so it can still fold up out of the way. I’m hoping to stop by the shop on Friday to see how it’s going and get some more pictures, I’ll post them when I do.
very good....it was suggested to me a while ago to go to a air ride seat in the truck...need to look into it..
Pictures don't do it justice for how much has been done already but it is coming along. Inside picture is the mount for the back seat so it should still be able to fold up out of the way.
Looking good will...I have my engineer friend coming here to do auto cad/solid works drawings of my hood....Going to make one out of aluminum..Or some sort of assist..Fricken heavy to open on your own...
The guy doing the work for me at this point has been having some grief with another project he's working on, it's slowed him down a bit but its coming. An assist for the hood would be a great thing, let me know if you come up with something.
Any progress is good progress and its heated storage.....I will post what he comes up with..Worked with him for years and he is very smart..
Was watching Rust Valley Restorers and I think they were driving a Grizzly with an assortment of parts from different trucks as they were all different colors. I didn't go back through this thread but maybe there was a pic. of it posted.
I have posted a few pics of the truck and have spoken to Avery.Truck was built out of left over parts by the previous owner.It is mounted on a F-450 chassis and registered as a 2000.
Found this picture of Wills truck ??? in a 2019 file I had
Yes...that is Wills truck.Last one built.That looks like the compound it sat in for years on Old Island Hwy in Qualicum.Good pic of the truck.. Just checked my pics....That is a pic (one of many) that my friend in Qualicum took for me..
Yes that is where I seen it
Hi, My Dad owned the Grizzly now sitting on the side of the Highway in Whistler. He had it built by Jeff Buck to travel across Canada in his retirement. He was proud of it being locally built and unique. He drove it all over the country in all conditions. He slept inside while travelling, and being 8 passenger the whole family would pile in and ride around Comox with him. He asked me to sell it for him in 1999. I’ll include a picture of it the day we brought it home in 1991.
He had 35x12.50 BFG Mud Terrains put on later, which gave it it’s current stance, looking very tall and impressive. Being the only passenger model ever built, it truly is unique and deserves to be restored. We think it may be #13.
Rico68...Welcome aboard....that truck being delivered in 91 wouldnt be #13..I have the first truck and its a 1990.They didnt build them that fast.The burgandy truck shown above getting rebuilt is documented as the final truck..There were 13 made..I have a newspaper article with your dad in it..That truck is owned by Canadian Wilderness Adventures in Whistler.I have spoken with them.Truck apparantly has a broken front axle...Yes it needs to get fixed
As some of you know i have had to sell my house and move.Have no idea why but Mary left me a while ago..Did the lawyer thing on tuesday over the house..I have kept all my toys and have moved (renting) to Mission (2.5 acers) for a while..I have a basement suite and a small shop.Shop will hold the Diamond T and my 2 Mustangs..For now the Grizzly is out back and un covered.I will be driving it again soon.Owner is going to build a 40' wide carport out back as he has cars too..Going to be house shopping in a while but it wont be in the lower mainland unless i get some help....
Sad the way it is ending up for you sure hope your on the winning side, unlike so many of us have been.
Pretty sure i am going to be OK....
Pulled the grizzly out the other day to get it ready for the show...This morning i had to cancel...Woke up on wed morn and it felt like someone whacked both my quad muscles with a 2x4..I am struggling to walk..Getting in and out of the truck,shifting and walking all day just isnt going to happen...I need to let them heal up....I have no idea how this happened...More crap in my life i dont need now...I have sold my 95 Ford 4x4 so the grizzly is now out on the black top...
Hope you're OK. I starting getting back aches that got progressively worse. ER Dr's. thought it was muscle related as nothing abnormal showed up on x-rays or other tests. The back pain got to be unbearable. Family Dr. noticed blood tests were really wonky and sent me to the ER where they did a more extensive blood tests. The calcium in my blood was off the chart. This is when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Ended up having compression fractures in 10 of my vertebrae. I'm sure the cause of your aches will be less severe and more easily treated. It sucks having pain you don't know what caused it. Hopefully you're feeling better soon.
Thanks....I have had 22 broken bones and enough stitches to make a pair of jeans...I can explain those injurys tho...I have a theory on how it happened but still working on it...For now i have to just rest and take it easy...
In a strange way it was a relief knowing what was causing my severe pain. Last couple of month's my joints have been aching a lot. Makes it hard to get a decent sleep. Last blood tests show the Myeloma is in full remission so hopefully with time the aches and pains will subside. I need a day's rest for every hour I'm doing anything remotely physical.
I get that...I have suffered shortness of breath for a couple years now.I know my lungs are ok from the CT scans i have had.Two years of my common law wife stressing me out,paying for my house on my own for 14 months and realizing i have to sell it doesnt help the stress.I did sell at the peak and got a stupid amount of money for the property.Mary and I are legally done now...I kept all my toys.....Dont think its over tho...
Hey diamondtguy, I'd be interested in a copy of that article - can you email me at [email protected] ?
I will dig it out and scan it for you..
Got a message on facebook the other day.Guy wanted to know if i knew about a failed Suburban Grizzly project sitting in a field in Quesnel (sp)..I said no..These stories are interestesting..I didnt have to do any research as he had pics of it..He does not own it and the guy who does says its a Grizzly..Make your own decision..It barely qualifies for yard art..Happy he had pics.....
Grizzly huh? I have to say it that's pretty sad looking. Crude is a better term.
Somebody trying to pass off a copy of a Grizzly (as an original Grizzly) and thinking it might be worth something?
It's been awhile since I have posted an update about my truck but there has been some good progress lately. Jockey box doors in to the back seat have been rebuilt, they should be installed this afternoon. New fuse box is installed and a good chunk of the new wiring harness has been installed with wires fished through to the roof. Upholsterer is well under way recovering the seats and making the new interior panels. Almost all of the major body work is done, hopefully going to start painting the interior within the next week or so. The pictures don't do justice to the amount of work done so far.
I'd be totally lost with all that wiring.
You and me both, wiring and I don't get along! I was happy I was able to get all the lights and electrical working before I took the truck to the shop but when it comes to replacing it with the new harness and panel, I'm okay with letting someone else do it.
Looking good Will....Nice to see another one getting all rebuilt.As some of you know I have had to move to a rental home..The Grizzly that was for sale on Gibson's a few years ago is just 2 miles away from me..I know Chris and he will be rebuilding his truck as well.Will get some pics of the 2 trucks together soon...
Work continues on the wiring harness install, new tool box doors are installed, layout planning for the new dash continues, seam sealing is done on the inside of the cab. Interior is almost ready for primer and paint. Some hard to find parts have started to arrive, it's really nice to see it starting to come together.
Your doing a great job there Will
I can't take credit for the work being done to it now, it's all well above my pay grade. The guys that are doing the work are certainly doing a great job.
Well done Will.....Looking good..
Correct Will but you did find the right people and that is not easy now a days...
New steps have been formed. They're is a small notch needs to be cut out at the front of the step to allow the fender to fit in to place. We held a fender up this morning to mark it the proper angle and position for the notch.
Guessing yours were rubber coated and baddly damaged..I got the rubber off mine and had them sandblasted but they are baddly pitted.I will make new ones when I have my equipment up and running..Your new ones look good.Mine have a flange on the front that bolts to the fender for support.. My truck has been dead for a while now..It wasnt happy with me having to move(nor was I) and my brand new charging system has stopped working....I am working on the problem. You can see the flange in the pic..
You're 100% correct. The steps and the original fenders were all coated with the rubber. Fenders were rusted right out, steps were pitted beyond repair. Mine had small tabs on top of the step that bolted the fender to the step for support, we're going to make up new brackets that will go underneath so they aren't visible. I hope your charging system doesn't give you too much grief, good luck with it!
Thanks Will...My fenders were not coated with that rubber but they were rusted out along with the headlight boxes..
Pictures don't do it justice but painting and reassembly has begun. Top of the roof, sun visor and glove box door are done. Satin black on the inside of the firewall, steering column, shifter knobs is done, burgundy paint on the interior will hopefully be done today or tomorrow. New chrome has started to arrive, things are moving quickly now!
This was at the Hayes show
looking good Will...
That is Arts truck.He has owned it since new..
Quite a bit of progress the past couple of weeks. Roof and interior have been painted. Horns and cab lights installed. Electrical is basically done. Stacks, grab handles and mirrors have been mocked up. Air conditioning system has been replaced.
Is there a way lower the stacks some? Unless something really high is going behind the cab I think it would look more proportionate with the stacks about 6 to 8 inches above the cab. The truck will look great when it's all put back together.
There's going to be a headache rack on the back fairly similar to this one that will take up some of the space.
looking very good Will....
There is a big Surerus yard in Gibbons I drive by when I go out to my property. They have a lot of equipment. Are you putting the spare tire up on the headache rack too?
No, I think we're going to mount the spare vertically on the headache rack below the window. Im not 100% certain about that yet.
Will...are you changing the wheels to something a little more truck like over that what was on it ???
I am, I have these ready to go on it.
Nice....had those on a couple of my trucks....
Paint is done, reassembly has started. It's s really starting to come together and it looks awesome! Plan is to take it down the road to the engine shop hopefully early next week to get the engine, transmission and transfer case pulled out to address any leaks and repairs needed. They're going to detail and paint the components as well while they're out.
looking very nice Will....Well done
Is the truck going to have a short jump seat against the back window, or are you just putting front seats in and leaving the back for storage?
It's going to have a back seat out of a Chev extended cab. It's going to be mounted so the bottom will still fold up in case the space is needed.
[QUOTE="Will_M, post: 1076530, member: 77385" Paint is done, reassembly has started. It's s really starting to come together and it looks awesome! Plan is to take it down the road to the engine shop hopefully early next week to get the engine, transmission and transfer case pulled out to address any leaks and repairs needed. They're going to detail and paint the components as well while they're out.[/QUOTE] Very cool i have often thought about building something like a Grizzly or cutting down a cabover. You must know a very special shop to take on a job that is freshly painted or they need work bad.
Engine is getting pulled before the fenders and hood get put back on. Once the rad is removed it's wide open for them, they shouldn't have to get very close to the new paint.
Engine is getting pulled before the fenders and hood get put back on. Once the rad is removed it's wide open for them, they shouldn't have to get very close to the new paint.
The parking lot would be to close for most mechanic.I was painted my pickup it had sat in the shop a long time . My cat would jump from the cab to the flat front of the open hood and sleep. A couple days after i painted it i thought about the cat sure enough there were claw marks were it tried but was now alot slicker. It buffed out and the cat didnt try it agin.
curious to know the estimated number of the grizzlys still existing in whatever condition
There were 13 trucks built.Of the 13 I have found 11 of them.I have the locations for the other two trucks and need verification.I have the first truck and Will has the very last.These trucks are in the best shape but they have both been rebuilt.About 5 or 6 trucks are road worthy..There is a original owner truck on Vancouver Island and i believe he has over 400,000 miles on it...
.
Just got this sent to me.Truck is on Facebook market place..Truck lives in Prince George.Family owned since new...It is the 6th truck built.
Evidently those command a high price!
Cory yours is worth 3 times that easy then
That would be nice...
Grizzly's are super cool but I think that's some wishful thinking on the owners part.
I agree...I have been told numerous times that I could get North of 100K for my truck in the USA...I figure my truck is probably worth about 60K in Canada on a good day...USA is a different market...JMO...Cory
I guess if a guy really wants one, the price doesn't really matter. There's only 12-13 of them, and I don't imagine they come for sale very often. I'm assuming the 105,000 is in canadian, which would be 77,000 in USD. That's around the price for a 4x4 crew cab if it isn't totally dressed out, denali/ king ranch etc. I suppose if someone wants a grizzly truck, instead of a new truck- its their $$$, at least they wouldn't have a truck just like the guy around the block. But it does seem a little overpriced.
Engine guys aren't messing around. Drive train should be ready to go back in the truck by the end of next week. I'm glad we did what we did, the "killer dowel pin" was half way out. It's properly secured now. New headliner should be getting installed this afternoon.
Wow Will....that looks great..First thing i did on the Cummins was the KDP...Did the engine get rebuilt ???
Your doing a great job there Will
Not rebuilt but almost every seal has been replaced, new water pump, new pulleys, and it'll get a new clutch. Shop recommended not opening it up completely for a full overhaul with it running as well as it does. Transmission and transfer case are both in really good shape too, just needing new seals in those as well to deal with age.
I did the same..did change my valve springs for the exhaust brake..All new seals and gaskets..I see your engine has a compressor on it..
It does have a compressor. It turns out this truck wasn't built with a Dodge/pickup engine, it's a commercial grade engine out of something like a 5 ton commercial truck. It has a bigger turbo on it and the shop had to go right to Cummins for some of the parts, Dodge doesn't support the commercial engines.
I’ve had better luck with parts at the Cummins counter than the Dodge counter and better prices too. Must have hit good counter guys. Cam
Is it a 5.9??...Arts truck up in Sayward has a compressor on it as well.He installed it.I know very little history on your truck.I know it was built for a woman,I know the end cost to her and I know she waited very long for it..
It is a 5.9, just a commercial grade version of it. What was the original price of it?
Your truck left Grizzly at $75,000...The owner you got it from (Bruce??) paid $50,000..dont know long he owned it but it was a while.He had a bunch of the left over parts as well but sold them off...Your truck is the first one i looked at to buy...One year later I got mine..Its all good...Very first truck and the last truck..
Interesting. Nice to know. I'm not sure how long the previous owner owned it for in total but the last registration on it expired 10 years before I bought it. 10 years is a long time to sit!
Engine is back in, it should be running and driving again by the end of the day. Rear headliner is in, soundproofing and insulation are almost done, the rest of the interior pieces are starting to come together.
Looking very good Will....I see your turbo is is a very different spot than mine...Mounted a little higher up..Does that truck have a exhaust brake ????
I wonder if the different turbo placement is due to it being a commercial engine with the bigger turbo maybe? It used to have an exhaust brake but it was missing when I bought the truck. I am planning on putting a new one on it.
Guessing your right about the turbo location..My turbo is a holeset.I think i have a pic of the tag.I have a pac brake on mine.Its works very well.I added a pyro and a boost gauge as well..I wired up the pac brake to a switch on the shifter.You already have air on board..I used the pac brake compressor for my air bags as the oem one was not working
Just look at your pics Will...I see your truck has a tach.Lucky you.My engine was pre tach sensor's from Cummins.I had to put a crank trigger on it...The tack was $500.00 then i had to fab the mounts for the sensor...
Going to build a new intake top for the Cummins.This will be a 2 into one for better air distribution.My friend will do the fab work as i am currently not set up for it.None of my equipment is running.These plates are stainless and readily available in the states..The store bought two into ones dont work as my inter cooler pipes go over the top of the rad.. In typical UPS fashion the driver tossed the package over the fence into the snow.Package was found by someone else..
Nice job!
Who built the cabs for those trucks?
I thought the doors came off a common brand truck but not sure which one. There was some discussion about it, I think earlier in this thread but nothing was conclusive.
Grizzly built the cabs..Doors are KW W900 i believe was the model.At some point they started to build doors of their own.I heard there was some legal issues with the KW doors.Windshields look KW but are slightly smaller..One truck i know of has the new style KW doors and they re cut the cab to use STD KW glass..
We recently learned about the windows being smaller then the standard KW windows. Glass installer cut new ones to fit and has to get creative with the new rubber seal. New style KW does fit perfectly, all we had to due was move the latch post.
Will sure like your color and your body man did a great job.
He did an awesome job, so did the engine guys. We ended up putting a new heavy duty head on the engine with oversized valves and heavy duty valve springs. Exhaust brake is on and they did a great job with the exhaust pipes. Pictures don't do the color justice, it really pops in person!
Wow...does it ever look nice...I spent hours researching the windshield seal.Mine was fine but the center bar was cut(very nice cut)Never did figure it out.Some where along my research i learned the glass was smaller.Witness marks on my glass helped the glass fitter make adjustments to the dimensions..My original class was not even close to fitting properly.He did a good job and there are no leaks..
Good thing there aren't any leaks where you live! We took one of the old windows in to Kenworth and held it up against a new one is how we found out. I haven't seen it in person yet but there's no center post on mine now. It sounds like it looks really good.
Interior has started going in, wheels polished up really nice.
Will you and Cory have raised the bar to the top for any one else that has a project in the works. Looks great
Very nice Will...you and your guys are doing a really nice job...The Truck is looking great..
It's certainly coming along. It's starting to get exciting now with how close it is to being done.
So did you just get a KW interior door kit and have it embroidered? or is it all custom? The interior stuff looks great.
It's all custom.
It's starting to look like a truck again!
That thing is sexy!
I've watched on some of the car customizing shows where they steamed the seat covers to smooth them out and get them tighter. It just looks like your's is slightly loose. You'll have a better truck than you could buy new!
The way the flash picked up the textures in the picture it does look a little loose but in person it looks great! The truck is going to be awesome. The front seats and carpet are the last of the big items then it's just the deck left to do and it will be done.
Camera must be playing tricks then.
Looking very nice Will...Saddly mine is sitting out in the elements this year (unwanted divorce and house sale)My Mustangs and the Diamond T are safe,dry and warm tho....Working on a solution....Look forward to seeing your deck..
Had a Automotive Journalist here on Tue..He is from North Van and wants to do a article on Grizzly Trucks.He writes for a very big magazine.He says it will just be a article about the trucks.No history digging or story telling..I showed him all my paperwork and he took alot of pics..This is just in its infancy and we will see where it goes.He sent me 4 of the pics and will send the rest next week...
Great for you and the effort you put into this project, You and will both did a super job.
Wow-very nice, those are cool looking rigs. I like the Red Dot on top, classic.
The A/C was the last major thing i did to the truck.I remember them well from my days at Pacific.It was also the perfect answer for the hoses and under hood stuff..My friend works at Thermo-King it all worked out well
Very cool!
I liked roof mount A/C those Red Dots could put out some steady cool air. Plus it wasn't built into the dash.
Considering how few Grizzly's were made it seems odd not to include at least a little history of them.
I dont know much about the history of the company and dont know who does..
Hmmm....wife....or Mustangs, Diamond-T and Grizzly truck? I'd say you won! LOL
Yes Hank....those are a millions times better than any new truck you could buy. Love those!
That's very cool, look forward to seeing the full article.
Truck isn't 100% done yet but it's far enough along that it made it to World of Wheels in Calgary.
Fu*K that truck looks good Will....Well done my friend...
Thank you! It's exciting to be this close to the finish line with it!
That's nice job you did, cool looking truck. Nice thing is not everyone has one which is even better.
Will_M I sure hope that you got the peoples choice award .
Some nice side boards not too high might look pretty good.
I have actually doing some work on mine..I am installing a battery cut off switch.Should have done it when i put the truck together..I have two batteries so it has to go in the right side cabinet.I have severe space limitations as my compressor is in there as well.I made my own junction block from UHMW and have mounted the switch where I can.Its a a tight fit and a bit of a compromise but i will make it work..Switch is lockable...Junction block has 1/8 neoprene between it and the cabinet in the event something goes wrong
Found this in one of my photo files today.Kinda confirms that Geoff's initial target was indeed the forestry stuff..Not that we doubted it...That would be my truck when new....
I finally got the rest of the pics of my truck from the photographer.Just random shots.Interesting (to me)is that most of the pics other than the wheel are of stuff I built..No word on the actual magazine article...
more
You did a awesome job on the build, Can not wait to see it again.
Had a good chat with the owner (Mike) of this Grizzly last night.Truck is in Qualicum on the Island.He also owns the Ursidae..Grizzly has a 200HP Perkins with a 4spd allison in it.Sounds like the Grizzly will be coming up for sale soon....
I spent a few nights talking this over with Geoff when we both worked for Husby at Eden Lake, circa 1986-87, and we discussed his idea to make a truck for the forestry industry that could be repaired and maintained using things commonly found in most logging camps. That aspect was an important one for the both of us, and we both had some years of experience in the industry. Adapting to serve the oil and gas industry as well as mining came along afterwards. I still like the idea but pretty hard to compete with the big name companies methinks. Take care.
It's been a busy spring but today was the day. Out of province inspection is done, the truck is now registered and on the road! There is still some small stuff to do but there probably always will be. Truck handles and rides nice but it does seem a little short on power, hopefully a tune up on the injector pump will help. After 4 years of working on it, it's nice to finally take it down the road.
Very nice!
Incredible job Will..Sorry to hear about the power.My truck actually surprised me when I got on it hard in 3rd gear..I am happy with the power..I did install the BD fuel pin (dont remember what pump you have)I have the BD 3400RPM governor spring but best it pulls is 2800 and when I did the exhaust brake I changed all the valve springs to 60lb...Need to get my **** together Will...would really like to get our trucks together and to meet you in person..Your truck looks very nice
Very nice job, I really like the color combo.
Thank you Cory. I'm sure the power is just going to be a matter of tuning things up or just making adjustments. It has a P7100 pump on it. I'm going to start with adjustments to the fuel screw, checking boost to see if the wastegate actuator is working properly and I have a new diaphragm coming for the AFC controller. Hopefully I'll hit on something simple!
Looks great Will! Ed
Sweet crummy…
I have the VE pump and no wastegate tuning will be a little different.My reading says you have a much better injection pump.Hopefully it is something simple....
I made a small adjustment to the injection pump, it really seemed to wake the truck up thankfully. I have a couple more things to adjust but it's a different truck already!
Looking forward to a picture of the two of them when they finaly get together
New issue came up today. We've put a couple hundred kilometers on it now and today we were going up a hill on the highway in 5th gear, doing about 95kmh. Truck was running good but a strange sound starting coming from the transmission and it felt like the truck lost power. By the time I came off the throttle and put the signal light on to pull over, the engine died. I put the clutch in and the engine came back to life on its own. I got out to have a look and smoke was pouring out of the back of the engine and you could smell burning clutch. No fluid leaking anywhere to cause the smoke, engine oil pressure and water temperature were both good. It's a brand new clutch in it but something caused it to smoke. We started driving again to get it home. The strange noise in the transmission was gone and it shifted fine, I don't think the new clutch is completely shot but now there's a ticking sound from the back of the engine that changes with rpm, it happens whether it's in gear or neutral. I think the ticking is coming from the bell housing/clutch but I'm not 100% sure. I don't even know where to start on this one.
Not good Will....Do you have a NV 4500 trans ???
No, it's the Getrag 5 speed. I'm happy it got me home and seems to function properly, aside from the ticking, but now I'm a little concerned about where and when is it going to happen again and will it leave me stuck on the side of the road next time. That and it either ruined a brand new clutch or at least took a few years off of its life.
Your'e concern is understood..Not a good feeling...
After all the work you did I'd pull it apart and find the problem. The fact it let you make it home is like it's telling you something needs to be looked at before it causes really expensive damage or worse... a terrible accident. The truck is talking to you.
To be honest....I would be tearing it apart.Its alot of work but there are questions to be answered and there is only one way to find out..
I agree with these guys, you know it's not correct and it won't fix itself. Better to fix it in your shop then sit on the side of the road when it's pouring down rain in the dark hoping somebody doesn't run into you.
Or pile up and roll in the ditch.
Lose the getrag
Update. We took the transmission out, only half of the friction surface on the new clutch we put in was contacting the flywheel. The old flywheel was perfectly smooth and the old clutch was making contact along the entire surface. There was still plenty of life left in the new clutch but I replaced it and the old flywheel with a new South Bend clutch and flywheel. We ran the engine without the clutch and transmission on, it's still ticking so it's something on the engine. Transmission looks almost new, no signs of failure or damage. Mechanics are thinking the ticking might be coming from an injector, possible result of the truck sitting as long as it did. We have a new set of injectors on the way, there going to open up the top end again when they're installing them to do a valve set and make sure they're isn't something wrong inside the new head we installed on it.
Good to hear Will...I have a 13 1/2 inch dual disc south bend clutch,flywheel and hydrolics in my truck..It is over kill but i bought it and my NV4500 from a failed project...It is very nice stuff and the clutch is very smooth..The ticking injector makes sense to me...Good luck with it all..
Just a note....I see the little thread I started a few years back about Grizzly Trucks has hit 200K views..My thanks to everyone
MSN
Just found out about this today..Might explain why my Grizzly videos on you tube are getting watched so much....https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/the-rare-mighty-grizzly-truck-is-canadas-unimog/
Good article, the pictures of your truck look great!
I turned my phone on this morning and scrolled down through the stories on the net and there was the Hagerty article about Grizzlies and your knowledge about them. Need to convince the owners of the double cab to fix it or sell it to someone who will.
It's why I posted the MSN link in post #1440
Sorry...didnt know what that meant...
Great article. It should had mentioned you were also a Pacific employee. Great to see BC innovation getting some arttention. Doug
There were lots of great ideas about equipment that came from BC.
I thought it a little odd that wasn't mentioned too considering Pacific was started by ex Hayes employee's. Sad to see all of these companies closed. They built some of the toughest trucks ever.
Hey Will...any updates on your truck ????
Unfortunately no. I've changed the injectors out, which was needed anyway, they were pretty dirty. That really helped with power, it's a different truck power wise but the ticking is still there. I've listened all around the engine with a stethoscope, the ticking sounds loudest at the back of the engine, down low on the driver's side near the starter and around the front of the bell housing. I read if the starter isn't pulling the bendix back all the way that can cause ticking. I put a new starter on it too but no luck. The odd thing about the ticking, when you first start it and the engine is cold, there's no tick. After it runs for about 30 seconds it comes back. If you lug it a little letting the clutch out the ticking goes away too. The truck runs great and has plenty of power but not being able to find the cause of the tick is worrying me. I have it booked in to a different shop Wednesday morning for an alignment and to see if they can find it. If they can't I'm going to change the oil and see if it's making metal inside. I hope it doesn't come to it but it's looking like a compete rebuild might be in the near future. I'm too far in to it to not want to drive it for fear of what's causing the noise. If anyone on here has any ideas, I'd sure be happy to hear them!
Could it be something like the throwout bearing? That the ticking does go away in certain situations makes me think it isn't a serious problem
Wow....I get it.That would bother me and i wouldn't be happy till i knew the cause.,Time to send a oil sample to Finning...
Did you guys look at the rods & mains while the engine was out of the truck or while you were rebuilding the truck?
Only what could be seen when the oil pan and head were off. The engine was running fine at that point so we decided not to open it up any more than necessary. Everything that could be checked was tight, no play or slop at that time. When the clutch was changed the second time and the new flywheel was installed (after the ticking started) the output shaft at the back of the engine was still tight.
I know this sounds crazy but you have a cracked exhaust manifold?
I've run my hands all around it and tried to look with a flashlight when it's cold, I can't see anything. The ticking sounds sharper than an exhaust leak. I tried to attach a video but it doesn't want to upload.
This is a 12V isn't it? Anywho-lift pumps on small Cummins have been known to be noisy. Guess how many FE block Fords had lifters changed-only to be a worn out loose fuel pump arm.
Not being at your place limits my trouble shooting ability. Here is something to ponder. The valves and pistons are operating about 17 times a second @ 2000 RPM and about 7 times a second @ 800 RPM. That is almost too fast to be able to distinguish a click. I'd look for something that is gear or belt driven that is not moving so fast if you are hear a distinct clicking. Just a thought that might not be worth a darn..
Fair enough on both points but the noise does seem to be coming from the back of the engine, aside from the lift pump there's nothing back there that I can think of that's gear or belt driven. It is a 12 valve, i have heard of the lift pump getting noisy. I put a new one on shortly after I got the truck (4 years and very few KM's ago) and listening to it with the stethoscope, the noise doesn't seem to be coming from the pump. It is certainly louder down by the starter. Thank you all for the ideas, keep them coming!
Unless there is a bell/rear structure bolt that's backed out hitting flywheel, Had two 6NZ Cats that happen to, found them snapped off laying in bell.
The starter leads me to question if perhaps the starter is loose and on an angle striking the flywheel. Is it the correct starter? If not, it could be protruding too far into the housing. Another thought came to mind. How tough would it be to pull the starter, bar the engine over 360, and look for wear marks?
Problem with all of this is-if starter it should be making noise cold, How much endplay on crankshaft, Does noise decrease depressing clutch?
When I put the new starter on there were no wear marks on the old one or the ring gear I could see. Starter was certainly tight, new one is too. I agree with Truck Shop, starter noise would be there all the time. Last shop said the end play on the crank was okay when they changed the clutch and flywheel. I would assume they would have checked for broken or missing bolts on the bell housing and rear of the engine as well but I'm not ruling anything out yet. I was planning on trying to see if the noise changes when the clutch is depressed, see if I can find something other than the cold or lugging that changes the noise. I'll post another update when I know more.
Just wondering you replaced starter like for like? Open nose pinion Denso or Closed nose Delco 28mt?
You're 100% correct, I know because I have one right now in my crew cab.
I have nothing to lose by putting a new lift pump on it, better than a complete rebuild. I was thinking maybe wrong starter to begin with too. I called Napa, told them I needed a starter for a 12 valve 5.9L and the new one was the same as the old one. Engine didn't tick for the first 100km or so I drive it after getting it back on the road. It wasn't until rig ht after the first new clutch slipped on me that the ticking started.
Ah-Ha--Depress that clutch while it's noisy.
No change to the noise when depressing and releasing the clutch. Didn't matter if it was in gear or neutral. The only reason the noise changes when you lug it or torque stall against the brakes is the rpm change of the engine itself. I timed how long it took for the ticking to start when the engine is cold, it's pretty much exactly 30 seconds. I think the lift pump will be the next thing to try, it does make sense. I'm curious to see if the guys at the shop tomorrow have any other ideas.
I had to reseal the accessory drive on 8 12V 5.9's-the added weight of air compressor with no rear support mount will cause them to leak real bad like. All were in Freightliner FL60's-1995's. Plus change all the cams and lifters because those had never been adjusted in 160,000. But one had a click noise, inspecting the cams that one had a worn lobe for the lift pump. Anywho once done no more noise. Valves on a 12V need adjusting ever 75K or the flat tappits will scrub the cam.
First thing we tried after the ticking started was a valve set, everything was good. It couldn't have been something easy! I'll be happy to do what it takes to fix it, we just need to figure out what that is.
Any luck yet?
Nice truck...I have a 65 427FE in my 68 Mustang fastback...Lifelong FE guy
They're cool engines for sure. A buddy of mine has a 428 CJ dual quad deal that he just pulled out of his crew cab as he's unfortunately going to put a big block Chevy in it. The 428 just doesn't provide the horsepower that he's looking for but damn they are a cool platform.
Not to mess-up this thread but one of the three 66 Fairlane's I owned. This one I built a 428 for based on a 427, real squirrely. The crazy Ford limited production 64 Fairlane Thunderbolt was capable of mid 11 second 1/4 mile runs. Sold as 425 hp but in reality 600. * Wheels were off being polished.
Nice.....The 427 going back into the 68. Engine was first installed in 1989 with a 4spd..Its now a 5spd.I have owned the car since 1977..
Both awesome cars!!
The 428 I had was for street heavily modified, the crowning piece was the 850 3 BBL, that engine with only slight throttle would start a two 60's tire fire and dine on a quart of gas.
Nothing yet. When I talked to the shop Friday afternoon they hadn't had a chance to look at it yet. They're going to pull the oil filter off hopefully first thing tomorrow and see if it's making metal, then reassess from there.
Anybody that's into classic Fords knows of VanCleve Ford in Morton. I grew up right next door to Jim and let me tell you, he had the baddest of the bad dudes! Pantera, GT350s and 500, 63 1/2 Galaxie with a 427, Boss 302 and 429 cars, you name it he had every single one of the special edition cars that came out etc. He's been gone for over 20 years now and still holds numerous NHRA records.
I used to go to Renegade and SIR with hope to see VanCleve. His 67 Fairlane 427 was something to be reckoned with, always enjoyed watching that car launch. *
Time to send the oil to finning and get it analyzed...
VanCleve Jr has built another 427 Fairlane recently...Its turning mid 8's.The original Vancleve car is still around..
A couple years ago Jimmy III was running a pretty stout Maverick also.
In the day I had a couple of Fords with the 429 Thunderjet package. They were real "stump pullers." I know they had more HP than what was rated.
Thunderjets-rated at 360 to 365 hp IIRC. Basically all 429 were Thunderjet's, there was a 2BBl and 4BBl the 2 was 10.1 and the 4 was 11.1. Any other 429's were CJ, SCJ and Boss. The heads is where the real difference laid. Thunderjets had 2.08 intakes, the SCJ was 2.50. with huge oval ports, you could fit a jumbo egg into a SCJ intake port with room to spare. At one time I had 3 CJ and 3 SCJ core rebuildable engines. But out of all the ford engines that had the most available HP with just bolt on was the Cleveland. * Thunderjets made a great pickup engine just stock.
A few years ago (like 40!) I was looking for a bellhousing for my mustang. Friend said "my brother probably has one". We drove to Marysville, WA from Whidbey Island and his brother says "yeah, let's go look in the barn" Huge dirt floor barn, FULL of Fords- one whole wall lined up with Boss 429's, some still jacked up, hood scoops, purple horny metal flake. Right when you walked in a Hertz Shelby, and I remember him showing us the Fairlane was a factory drag car because it was something like a 1/4 turn lock-to-lock steering. He picked them up late 60's early 70's from NAS Whidbey sailors off to the war.
Hertz lost there ass with that car, people would rent them take them to the drags and run the crap out of them, turn them back in. Also pull the 271 out and replace with a stock 289.
Ford only built 57 of these 1966 R code 427 Fairlane's. And only one 1967 convertible 427 Fairlane with a C6 auto.-----Old boomer toys. *
I don't care what anybody says, old Ford muscle cars are cool as hell!
Ford built those to kill the competition from the Dodge Hemi, and it worked.
I have had the 427 in my Mustang for decades.I have been in a Boss 429,Hemi Cuda and dozens of 427 Corvettes..Corvettes are limited by their tire size...I would put 427 up against any of them on the street...
I was recently reading about a rare Ford high performance engine. The SOHC "Cammer" 427 was outlawed by Nascar. It sounds like it would have knocked the 426 Hemi off it's pedestal as the most sought after high performance engine.
Holmes & Moody ended up with most of the sohc 427's.
Because the timing chain was 6' long on the sohc 427, one cam was retarded 2* the other advanced 2* to run correctly at 7K.
I got an update today but unfortunately not the one I wanted. Oil filter has metal in it so something is going on internally. I guess it's time to start going down the road of pulling the engine and rebuilding, at least when it's done I'll know what I have.
Sorry to hear that.
Thanks. It is what it is. Truck did sit quite a while, a person has to expect something to happen. I'll have some peace of mind knowing its good once it's overhauled.
It sucks that you have to tear all that fresh work apart but you are right..It will give you pc of mind afterwords...
It will be even more awesome with a rebuilt engine but hopefully it doesn't require everything rebuilt.
The only things left after the engine are transmission and transfer case, fingers crossed they'll be good for a bit!
Hey Will. Any progress reports ???
Truck is going back in to the shop this week, hopefully the engine is out by next weekend. I've been referred to a machine shop in Calgary, the guy who owns it is a 12 valve wizard apparently. He's been working on them and overhauling them for over 20 years. Hopefully in a months time the truck will have a brand new heart, and be better than it was when the engine was brand new. I'll post updates as I get them!
Good to hear and good luck with it....
Engine is out, I dropped it off at the machine shop this morning. Guy seemed quite knowledgeable about all things B-model Cummins. We won't know what's wrong inside until it's pulled apart but just by looking at it, he noticed a few things wrong with it for a pickup application. He's thinking a combination of not enough things in some areas and not the proper things in others were changed when this engine was converted from industrial use to a pickup use engine. If there's a silver lining to the engine problems happening, at least it's going to be new when it's done and it'll be put back together properly for what it's going to be doing. There might be an extra upgrade or two going in to it while we're this deep too.
I got an update from the engine shop yesterday. The #6 piston had failed and it looked like it was stuck in the cylinder for a brief moment, most likely when the engine died and the clutch was smoked, it was definitely the cause of the ticking. On top of that, it looks like the internals of the engine got quite hot at some point in its life. 3 connecting rods got hot enough that they started to blue. By the looks of the bearings and the bottom end it looked like someone did a part way overhaul and went in through the oil pan and did some work to the bottom end without pulling pistons out. Nothing that they have found so far can't be fixed, they're starting to clean parts today and come up with a list of what's needed.
You're on the road to recovery.
Good to hear Will....You made the right choice and now you have some answers.....
It's always good feeling when you know you made the right decision to pull it out. It'll be fresh and correct when you get it back for many miles of smiles.
Hey Will....did you get a autopsy report on your engine ???
Nothing more yet than what I posted a couple weeks ago about the #6 piston and the bluing of 3 of the rods. Engine will hopefully be finished by the weekend. It'll have proper sized injectors in it, a new turbo with the right size exhaust turbine so it's going to spool quicker, 3000 rpm governor springs, heavy duty head studs and a few other mods to whip out in to shape. The engine guy could tell from what he saw and took apart that it would have been quite gutless but he assures me it'll be producing a lot more power now. Hopefully the weather stays decent so I can get a few miles on it once it's back in the truck.
Very good..I have the BD govenor springs in mine but it only goes to 2600 RPM and I am ok with that..Glad to hear you engine builders opinion ...I hope all is good...
I picked the engine up today, one step closer to getting back on the road. I can't wait to drive it and see how different it feels. Pictures are of the #6 piston, that's what was causing the ticking.
Thats a ugly piston...I have heard they can lean out on the end cyl's due to the inlet on the intake.That is why I am making a dual inlet intake for mine..My friend put a dual inlet intake (Banks) on his Cummins Dodge truck and said it made a huge difference....The new engine Will should last you your life time..Is a exhaust brake in the plans..I have a Pak-brake exhaust brake..Holy Fu*K does it haul that truck down in 3rd gear..Need to get my truck fired up again..Friken divorces can sure screw a man up....
We did put an exhaust brake on it last winter when we did the exhaust. I can't remember what make it is but the performance of it isn't that remarkable. With all the changes that have been made to the engine im hoping I'll notice an improvement with it as well.
A piston with skirt damage like that should have made a little more noise than a click.
That's a fact! That thing beat that bore like it owed it money!
Not Grizzly but it is my thread so....Shifter knobs for my 36 Diamond T 212BD..I put a Brownie 3spd box in it when I rebuilt the truck..Yes I paid dearly for the knob with the brass inlay.. .
About 7 years ago now a original replacement still had the box with it 1920 Diamond T emblem came up for auction-I stopped bidding at 700.
I paid $600.00 for it...At auction..I had a NOS in the box 68 Shelby shifter knob and it sold for $650.00 so i was OK with it...
DT--I saw a rarity on FB market place-listed in Spokane. I personally have only seen one set and were broke cracked/welded. 1964 FE 427 Long Leg cast iron headers in perfect condition- $2,500. and was surprised that cheap .
Hey Will.....How is the engine build going...???
I brought the truck home this afternoon. Roads were a little sloppy so I didn't want to drive it too much but what a difference! It runs great and has fantastic power. I played around a little lugging it up hills and putting my foot in to it without shifting down, it drives just like a pickup now instead of a heavy truck. It sounds and drives great, it was certainly the right thing to do. I'm very happy with the results!
That's great to hear!
Hey Will....have you had a chance or opportunity to put some time on the hour meter. ???
Unfortunately I haven't been able to drive it at all. I missed all the good weather we had in the fall and now the roads have been too sloppy to take it out. I'm hoping we can get a decent colder spell to dry the roads off. If they were just wet it wouldn't be a problem, I just don't want to get salt all through it so soon!
I got the truck out for a short drive yesterday. Aside from a small oil leak from a loose valve cover it ran great. The driveability of the truck now after the engine overhaul is night and day better than before.
That's great---glad it turned out well and what you expected, that's a nice rig.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Thank you, we're pretty happy with it!
Just wondering if Will_M or Diamondtguy, Have able to get a some seat time enjoying their trucks?
To be honest I haven't driven the Grizzly in almost two years. The divorce and the loss of my shop and property took the wind out of my sails. Slowly getting back on my feet and am planning on starting the Grizzly in the next month.I have my 68 Mustang almost finished and the 67 Mustang is ready to go.....Slow and steady..
Sucks to be as old as we are and have to start over.
That is very true.....
By the photos I saw before that Mustang looks real nice.
Thank-you...It is some of my best work yet .I have stayed focused on the direction I wanted to go with the car.. I am only a few hours away from firing the 427 back up...
Looking sharp
I've had mine out for a couple of short drives close to home shaking things down after the engine rebuild. I took it a little further this morning to town to run some errands, it's running like a top!
Thats good to hear Will....
SWEEEEET !
Stole these off of T-Mar's post today.
I bet they would sell well if still made. I doubt the fancy $100K+ pick ups would hold up as well.
That is Art's truck on Vancouver Island...He is the original owner...
Surerus has a real nice Grizzly too that's been posted on here. They have a big yard and shop I drive by when going out to my property. Lots of equipment.
Yes they do...They have done a lot of work to it and they bought it new..
Do you know what number it is?
I would have to go look it up..It has the Maple leaf grille so it is after #5. If i remember correctly it was built just before Arts truck. I only have about 4 confirmed numbers for the order of build..
Will...I just realized that you would have to DOT that truck in Alberta..Curious as to how that went. I had some problems with the Alberta DOT 10 years ago...
With everything on the truck being brand new it was quite easy. It was only in the shop for inspection for maybe an hour. Once I had the inspection report, registries issued me a license plate and it was done.
Good to hear....
Hey Will...are you getting some seat time in on the Grizzly ?????
I've put about 650 km on it so far. It drives and handles great so far but I think this fall in going to put a crossover steering kit on it. Right now with the big tires the drag link wants to hit the driver's side tire when I'm turning right so I have the stops set accordingly. Long story story it doesn't turn to the right as well as it should. I just got the truck back from the engine builder, he was tuning it up and making some adjustments now that it has some miles on the engine after the overhaul. So far all the changes we did to the engine have made great improvements.
Will you up early this morning, Good to hear your enjoying your truck.
Hey Will..Good to hear you are driving it. My truck has all Ford steering but I did change it over to cross over steering when I converted it to FWD. It is a little twitchy but it is a very short truck.Once my Mustangs are running I will turn my attention to my trucks..
Have you been driving your truck much?
Will...I have not had it running in a year and and a half..Sad but true...Doing the best to get my **** together after the divorce i did not want...I am getting there...
It happens. All in good time, your truck isn't going anywhere.
I met Skadill earlier this week and we bs'd for a hour or so and he did a video of my truck. Yesterday he posted it on you tube. This should be interesting as he has over 60K subscribers to his channel. I posted a link on the video directing them to this thread....
Cory you trucks looks mint Excellent job you did.
Thanks Hank....
Your truck looks great in the video
Thanks Will...
Is this for sale?
Is this 1 still in it’s current state I’d be interested if it’s for sale
If you find out the story I’m am an interested buyer
Is it still listed for sale?
One post would have been sufficient.
I wish I could get my hands on those catalogs/ brochures
I will pay you to send me exact copies of that book
I would really like you to make copies of those brochures and catalogs and send them to me
If the Canadian wilderness ppl would get back to me I would like to purchase it and restore it back to exactly what it looked like wen it was new green paint and all they still have not responded back to me I heard through th grape vine the front axle needs some help
Do you know if it was sold or not?
Canadian wilderness truck is not for sale..Mike's truck is indeed coming up for sale...It will be around 85K. There is also one in Prince George for sale for 105K. The burgandy Grizzly that sat in Qualicum is actually the last truck built is now fully rebuilt and lives in Alberta and is not for sale....It is me who told you the CWA truck has front axle issues.. You are chasing rainbows..Find this truck and you may be able to get one...
10 posts in 2 days. You need to chill out and give people a chance to respond instead getting on their nerves.
Any leads on it?
1 of you guys said before this truck was sold at auction in the early 2000 was wondering if you have a auction brochure with the truck in it thanks… just wondering
I have no decent leads on the yellow truck. Yes it was sold at a auction in Alberta many years ago. I have heard it is in B.C here some where. This truck is also missing. It is the 3rd truck built. I have been told a few times it is hiding in Prince George B.C
I appreciate it
I’ve seen a picture of that truck just all blue…….
Might have been a different truck.
I hear ya no problem
You are thinking of a different truck..There are a few blue ones...This one also in Prince George
Yes it almost looks like the crew cab grey 1
Did you every find out who owned that white regular cab truck with cali plates on it
My god
No...I never chased it..Truck is obviously gas powered and the hood tilts with the fenders attached..***
Yes I absolutely agree it looks like a nice truck definitely……
Not for nothing I did a check on this and didn’t find Facebook add…… I assume it sense sold … and yes i already know it been a few years sense been posted but you know some stuff is on there for years……… I appreciate all I can see thanks again…
Just curious with is …. So do you know were that yellow truck extended 4x4 service truck located is? Thanks again I appreciate it
Absolutely
Double cab?
What’s it ganna take diamondtguy
Holy crap, give it a rest already!!!
Ya, no shrit....none for sale! Go lay down. Ed
Would need a stick to fight off all the ladies... call it the babe magnet
Did I speak to you …. No so unless I speak to you do not reply to me unless u got something useful to something I say you don’t like it to dam bad I ask simple questions I don’t need ur negative feedback I don’t give you negative anything to what who you are talking to thank you
You don’t like me asking questions welder Dave get off the thread thank you
Thread is made for questions to be ask and senior ppl with knowledge to answer thank you very much I appreciate everything diamonds guy says I don’t appreciate your remarks thank you
Welcome to the Forums Acmack. Your quote above is correct however HEF is not a "swap meet" either. Apparently Diamondtguy doesn't want to sell his truck so it's time for you to move on. That's not how it works here either. When someone posts here on HEF anyone can reply to thread, post and discussion as long as it does not violate the Forum rules. Thanks.
Thanks CM. I tried to give a gentle reminder earlier but it obviously wasn't very effective. Finding a needle in a hay stack would be easier than finding a Grizzly for sale. Will was very smart to jump on the one he saw for sale right away.
Dude I didn’t ask to buy his truck
I asked for copies of brochures and catalogs that’s it idk what your talking about dude
Enough guys. Let it go. Thread is locked for now until ya'll cool down.
Can we be civil now and discuss this strange little truck like adults?
I know how to be the bigger man I just won’t come on this thread again thanks a lot …… Acmack out
Referring to people as dude is disrespectful especially a forum moderator. Perhaps if Acmack could have been a little more clear about what he was enquiring about and not been so impatient the thread wouldn't gave gone off the rails. Two or three posts should have been sufficient. I'm sure there are a lot people who would love to have a Grizzly. Unfortunately there were only 13 of them made. It's fantastic to learn about them and to see a couple of them restored to better than new condition is icing on the cake.
Pretty cool trucks, been following this thread since day 1. Was happy to see the video of diamondtguy truck, made it come to life for me.
I was surprised that so few were made.
Yeah me too. Actually never heard of them living in the Southeast so this has been an interesting thread.
I have Skadill's video of my truck in my you tube channel history file.. As of today the video has been watched 22,000 thousand times.. nice to see it getting some attention.
I was more than surprised the interest and comments it generated, way beyond any others in a very long time. Glad people like the truck and it is getting respect it is due.
Thanks Skadill...
We took the truck for a drive tonight and broke the 1000km threshold! I've had a few little problems with a bad battery, a couple of electrical connections and one bad ground for the right headlights but so far, so good. There is a small vibration in the driveline somewhere that i can't figure out but the truck is going back in the shop this week to get a couple of things done so they are going to have a look and see if they can figure it out.
Looking very nice Will..Hope to get back on mine soon...Very Happy that truck found a good home. Now if we could just get Canadian Wilderness Adventures to turn their billboard into a fully operational truck again..
That's a waste--find another wagon to put signage on.
I want it for my family of 5! Pleasure to see the trucks operational,I like all the lights and color Will.
It is a shame it's just sitting. I'd be curious to know why they won't either fix it themselves or sell it to someone who will. A broken axle shouldn't be that hard to address.
For sure it's a truck that once you sell, you won't find another one. Rarer than hens teeth. Would be nice to see it fixed up.
Main thing is keep it stock as a rock, don't change a thing. It was good then so it's still good now.
Recent spotting of Avery's Truck from Rust Valley. Truck was in Vancouver BC. The truck does get around. Looks like mother nature is getting a hold of the roof line above the windshields..
Of all the vehicles they're restoring the Grizzly should be at the top of the list.
I got a e-mail this morn from Canadian Wilderness Adventures. They have decided to sell their Grizzly. I am waiting for some more info($$$) on the truck...This should be interesting...
They have an ad up on Facebook marketplace with some more info and photos.
That's tempting, but it would be a shame if it left BC.
What is the truck listed under or can you post a link to it.....Thanks
Look up "1992 Grizzly 4x4 SUV" on facebook marketplace. One of a kind Grizzly 9 passenger suburban style 4x4. Made in North Vancouver. Unique larger than life piece of Canadian history, has a 5.9 Cummins turbo diesel, air bag suspension, 12 guage steel body panels, Dodge 3500 drivetrain. Over build for B.C’s rugged backcountry is a great collector piece. The company made a few pick up trucks for the logging industry and plans for the military but only one custom built for passengers. A doctor custom ordered this one and took it across Canada with his family and then eventually sold it to an art collector. Our guests would go crazy and start taking pictures when they saw this truck come to pick them up for their tour. Our operations manager back in the day borrowed it for his first date to hook his now wife and they are now married with twins. It’s magical and has huge effect on you when you see it in person. We are the third owners. Many of the body parts are apparently interchangeable and available through heavy truck manufacturers and the mechanical drive trail parts through Dodge. Needs a complete restoration. This truck would be idea for the film industry or maybe a large brand looking for the ultimate marketing vehicle. Selling to the highest bidder. Whistler, BC
I could not find it on Market place..
I know it would be modifying it and not original---but it would have a interesting look with a set of daylight doors/front only. Old ones could be kept for originality purpose. That looks pretty nice under the hood.
I just tried looking it up again, and its been taken down. So- they were selling to the highest bidder, any ideas what this thing should / would / might sell for? Its a project, no matter what. but what's the best guess? $20,000 (USD) which would be $28,000 or so CAD. That's my guess, but Will here is probably the last buyer of a truck, unless others have changed hands since then.
Well..... That didn't last long! They deleted there ad on marketplace. Will be interesting to see where it ends up!
It has been done already....
I will find out if it was sold...I was talking to them this morning about the truck...
I looked/scrolled through tons, never found it. Things like that don't last long, I'm sure others had their eye on it.
Thing about these Grizzly trucks-----Those are a true collectable--simply because of the unique style & design plus the fact there only a very limited number built. Unlike a corvette---vehicles like those are everywhere and really there is not much unique about cars like that because too many were produced each year, only difference was some options, big deal nothing really rare about a vette.
That Surerus Grizzly is sure sharp. Must not be much pipelining going on in Alberta recently because the Surerus yard at Gibbons must have $15,000,000.00 or more worth of machinery in their yard. All lined up in order. Looks like a smaller Ritchie Bros. yard! Looks like at least 6 Volvo excavator based pipelayers and dozens of excavators. Very impressive to say the least. I should try to get a pic. the next time I go out to my property.
The value of a Grizzly is wide open..I can tell you this tho..Six weeks ago I was offered $70K for my truck. It is a standing offer and a good offer. Not ready to sell it tho...I have had my 67 mustang for 20 years,my 68 Mustang Fastback for 47 years,my 36 Diamond T for 36 years. My dad had it for 20 years before that... I am 65 now with no kids. At some point i will have to find homes for my toy's...But not yet...
With the price of new trucks like a Ford Raptor I think your Grizzly being way heavier built and ultra rare it's easily worth North of $100K. Yours also has a very special history with the widow of the builder and being the 1st one built. Those 2 things should bring more $$$$$ too. Will's is the last 1 built which deserves extra as well. You should try to convince Avery to restore his.
I just hope we see it on the forum.
I agree with much said as the value of them is all over the board. They're such a unique and specialty vehicle that it will be hard to find the correct buyer willing to pay large money for one but then on the flip side there is someone that when they find the truck they want, money will not be an object.
I got a e-mail from CWA this morning.The owners and the staff have had a change of heart. The owners had sellers remorse before the truck was sold. They have decided to keep it and get it fixed..
I get the sellers remorse, I got that with my crew cab and it hasn't left either.
Important thing is it's getting fixed, happy to hear it!
An example of selling--even for a tidy sum, the big BUT is what is it going to cost to replace. This one, my brothers 97 350 PS 4x4, he has been offered stupid money--30K. It only has 80k miles, interior is like new garage kept, mainly all miles are highway. So it stays put, if he was to pass I end up with it---I don't need it though. *
I don't need to tell you this but that truck is worth a hell of a lot more than 30k!
I suppose, he bought it off the show room floor at Bellevue Ford, his daughter picked it out at the age of 16. The dealer had it customized with the flairs, side nerf bars, Centerline wheels, grille & pinstriping. It is loaded with every option that was available that year. I changed out all the coolant hoses with oem about 5 years ago and have done most of the service work on it through the years.
Not sure that this is settled -- we just got an email from CWA saying they hope to get $45K for it, even though it needs a complete body rebuild.
I talked to them directly and they said they are keeping it..We will see..
Due to the rarity it may be worth $45K??
I’m the guy in Whistler with the Grizzly Den. I’m certainly on the fence about keeping or selling it. It probably needs $50,000 worth of body work if you had to pay someone. Open to creative ideas, projects and suggestions. We might even sell it if you catch us on the right day. I seem to be flip flopping. FYI the front axel is and has always been fine. I saw that someone posted something about it being broken. It’s got the 5.9 Cummins with the Dodge 3500 chassis. Runs and drives. 6049328809
I am the Guy who said it has a broken front axle..Years ago I got a hold you guys about the truck and I believe I talked to a guy named Craig. He told me the front end was broken.. Cory
Not to change the subject but I got my truck back from the shop last week. Crossover steering is a game changer, I get full turn out of the wheels in both directions now. We replaced the industrial p-pump with an automotive p-pump, with a little tuning it's now producing an estimated 350hp. The driveline vibration turned out to be bad angles on the driveshaft. When the engine and transmission were mounted on the frame they tilt down towards the front of the truck, creating a bad angle on the u-joints. New perches were made for the rear axle and the air bag mounts had to be realigned to tip the pinion up to ease the angle. I haven't had a chance to drive it much since getting it back but the vibration is gone and the extra power is noticeable.
Well done Will.....I may have asked you this before . Do you have a pyro and boost gauge in the truck???
As a cool project, I would restore it into a camper for family of 5. My idea would be a camper with beds,not with full on stove, toilette etc. Similar to a Westfalia Weekender model,which is essentially a place to sit, has small foldable table and beds for sleeping. Full on overland would be cool, but it makes the vehicle a single purpose only. With temporary beds etc it could still easily be transformed in a crummy like it's original purpose.
I have a boost gauge. We just drilled a hole in the exhaust manifold to put in the probe for the Pyro gauge.
I don't have a lot of room to work in my shop but i can tinker and catch up on little jobs.I made a set of cables for the safety pins on the over center tailgate latches on the grizzly and I made a cable for the trunk pin on the 67..I have never made cables before but i figured it out...
Your skill and attention to small details is amazing
I bought a Nicopress crimper and nickel plated copper crimp connectors from an aircraft supply store. The crimper fits 3 sizes and just uses 2 bolts to tighten the dies. You could use a vice too. It has a metal gauge with notches to tell you if you crimped it enough. The copper crimp fittings are stronger than aluminum. The crimper is certified for aircraft use. It wasn't too expensive. There are also bigger crimpers similar to bolt cutters but they are a little pricey.
For small al crimps, (1/16, 1/8 cable), I use my electrical crimping tool.
Thank you Hank
Yes...I have a good electrical crimper that would work. This kit came with one. Two or three crimps are required to get the whole thing.It was 1/16 304 Stainless cable and all s/s ..
My brake lights and hazard lights stopped working last night. I've traced it down to an issue in the hazzard light switch on the steering column. Does anyone recognize this setup or know what it might be out of?
The basic switch looks Ford to me but i don't recognize the 4 way knob. Is the turn signal arm threaded and screws in ???
Turn signal arm does screw in. Turn signal side works good but I would imagine you'd have to change it all out with the connections being permanent. Worst case I can put an aftermarket signal/hazard switch on the side of the column but I'd like to keep it the way it is if possible.
First picture is from a 65 international D1000, second picture is a 70's ford bronco. turn signal switch automatic transmission 1974 1975 1976 1977 early ford bronco parts turn signal switch automatic transmission 1974 1975 1976 1977 early ford bronco parts www.northeastclassicfordparts.com
Impressive!
That's fantastic. The one from the International is definitely it, now to find one! Thank you.
Turn Signal Return Switch w/ Hazard - Scout 80/800 Scout 80/800 turn signal return switch. Fits columns with a hazard switch. This is exact original replacement. This will also work with an older Scout 80, non hazard column. You can do a few basic modifications to the column and add the hazards. Includes: 1x scout 80/800 turn signal return... anythingscout.com
Damn, you make that too easy. Thank you again!
356998C91 international or a 99908 for a bluebird bus. Bus one was the cheapest 0099908, Blue Bird Turn Signal Switch Switches, Blue Bird Switches, Turn Signals, 0099908, Blue Bird Turn Signal Switch, 0031533, RC2000, 7 wire, Directional, Hazard Switch, Bluebird Turn Switch, Blue Bird Turn Signal Switch, MBP, Electrical, Turn Signals, 099908, 99908, 480848, 0031533, 031533, 31533, 363432C91, 356998C91... www.unityparts.com
Sure as the sun comes up, you'll order it and the attachment holes will be 3/32's off from lining up.
Good to know. Unity parts doesn't ship to Canada, is there anywhere in the country you know of for Blue Bird parts?
The first one of those numbers is a international number. You should have international truck dealers up there. If its anything like ours in the U.S., the parts will be three times more expensive than they should be.
Will: google bluebird bus parts in Canada. They show dealers in Calgary, Red Deer and several others. Even Napa came up in the google search close to the top of the list.
I was just looking at that, found a few places. I didn't realize Crane Operator is in the U.S., I was hoping he knew of a supplier north of the border.
Well done......
I found a Blue Bird dealer in Calgary, the switch should be here next week. Thank you again Crane Operator for your help and great information.
No problem, glad I could help. Now if you could just buy me that red SUV grizzly, and get it through customs, I'll have one of my own to play with, and we'll be even...
So...the Canadian wilderness was seen everywhere yesterday on a tow truck it had no signage on. I just heard from the owners and yes it was sold. Doug Callahan bought it..
That seems kind of sudden. Any idea on price?
Could not of gone to a better home. Great purchase Doug
I did not ask the price...
Who is Doug?
Doug is here on HEF as 72Hayes
Oh nice!!
I have been doing a bit or research trying to figure out where the CWA truck fits into the sequence. I know the first 5 or 6 trucks had the bar grille like mine. Then came the solid Maple leaf grille (wag)..I had no idea tho that there were so many variations of it . They may have been done for more air flow. Time to dig my books out.
More..
Bottom one looks like an FJ40.
That truck would later be transformed to this..
I got to say I like the single rear wheel version of it better. Pretty damn cool looking rig
The SUV Grizzly [now red] was originally forest green [see earlier post] and had the more solid maple leaf grill. My father had to have the truck re-powered while on a cross-Canada trip. The diagnosis in part was that the engine failed prematurely due to inadequate cooling and the grill was modified for more air flow. The new engine was also more powerful, although I don't know the details.
I suspected air flow was the reason behind all the grill mods. My truck has a very small rad but its aluminum with bolt on tanks.I was worried about it when I put the intercooler in. I pushed the truck hard up the canyon hills going to Cache Creek. It was very hot outside. I have mechanical gauges and the water temp and pyro were fine...
Just a update. I plan on getting my 2 mustangs and the the grizzly back running and on the road this spring. First is my 67 which is now done. Then the 68 which is ready to be fired. Then charge up the batteries in the Grizzly and get it running again. I think a aluminum nose for the Grizzly will be in the works soon. Feeling better and want some changes in 2025. Apparantly my ex does as well. We have been spending some time together... Its all good....
Good morning. This is good news. Hope both of you work to a good relation.
Thank You...
That sounds great, it'll be good to see another Grizzly back on the road. I've had mine out a couple times now, it developed a vibration since I drove out last in the fall. It still has the tires on it that it had when I bought it, I'm thinking the tread might be starting to separate.
I while ago I bought a 1/16 cable kit to make the trunk pin cable on the 67. I wasn't happy with it and bought some silicone hose to put the cable in to protect the paint.. Today i made up cables for the safety pins on the tail gate latches for the grizzly...I will drill and tap the tailgate for the cable ends....Small details...
Nice ideas, nice work, nice vehicles.
I installed the tailgate latch pins and cables. Just required some drilling and tapping. The parts are all stainless. Going to remove the air con cover and get it wrapped. Tried painting it 4 times at my old home and it just fell off. The cover currently is a mess. They will make me new Red Dot decals as well..
Had to take some pics of the A/C cover to send to them. I forgot it has hole and a grill up top. To say the cover is a mess is a understatement. The Reddot decal is red and black. As I am getting the cover wrapped in satin black I will change the black in the decal to white..Truck needs a very good clean up.....
More Irons in the fire..A few years ago I bought new stainless intake plates for the Cummins. The factory inlet is not in the center. They make dual inlet ones but they are for trucks that have the intercooler pipes go down the side of the rad. Mine go over. It will be a dual feed intake using 2 1/2 stainless tube.I will eliminate the grid heater as I dont need it and it just disrupts the flow..This will be a very simple design and a friend will weld it for me as I dont have enough power here for a tig machine..I have a Idea for a plenum style manifold but that will have to wait .The tubing and elbows are on order... I have heard the dual inlet intake works well Intake plate is bolted down to a pc of 1" aluminum.
I got all the stainless tubing today for the intake... Need to do some drawings and engineering now...It's all good.
Be interesting to see when done.
I have some ideas but am going to keep it simple..If i can get access to some equipment and a tig machine I will build a plenum style manifold. This idea will certainly improve the distribution of air. That's my primary goal..
Asked a friend to come by and help me fire up the Grizzly. He showed up before I could get the battery charger on it (it has 2 big battery's) so we did that and I changed direction and we put the interior back together in my 36 Diamond T. Once the Grizzly is up and running I will move it up the driveway and start cleaning it up. I have the main shifter and the A-box shifter a little to close to each other on the truck. I couldn't use standard boots and trim rings so my friend came up with what you see..
Wow, that looks very nice.
I am going to ad another step on both running boards of the Grizzly and while searching for good pics of the running boards I found this pic. My truck is new and sitting next to a very good looking Challenger.. I don't know if I have posted this pic before and I don't know where I got it from..
It looks odd with the door handle below your waist. I never noticed that before.
Agreed..KW doors. Not so bad now that it is 4wd
To my eye it looks better now than when new (full credit to you). The black line along the lower body maybe. Does it sit slightly higher now or maybe that's an angle of camera thing. Definitely a useful looking, solid vehicle.
Thanks...It sits much higher now. Rear spring perches were flipped during the 4WD conversion.. Pic of truck as purchased and the air bags are full.
Nice looking rig.
Thank's
Still trying to figure out the math on my new Intake. I have two options for my friend and they are both very different.Getting the correct height is the issue. I found some tight radius 2 1/2" 304 stainless elbows and purchased them. I am OK with too many parts. I have had a few long calls with Art who (original owner) owns the Sayward Grizzly and he is going to send me detailed pics of his aluminum hood..I am not the only Grizzly owner who wants one. I know 2 others. I am also talking to Chris who bought the truck off of Gibson's and it has a aluminum hood.. Rumored to built by the same place on Van Isl. That truck is less than 10 min west from me.
Pretty looking truck and the word pretty, is hardly ever used for trucks. Also looks very versatile.
Fired my truck up today..Its been a few years. It only turned over twice and it fired right up. We let it run for about 30 min. Good to hear it again
Generally don't pay much attention to my regi's. I was putting the current paper work in the Grizzly today and sat down with my calculator and converted the kilo's to lbs. It would appear my Grizzly is a 2 Ton pick up...News to me...I did weigh the truck and the paper work is close. Will what does your regi's say...
We don't have to put weights on our registration if it's not commercial but when I weighed it, it's around 4000kg. It would make sense for the weight of the extra cab.
In BC they put the commercial rating on trucks a given size and up. My truck is now 150 lbs lighter then new. That would be from all my aluminum work. Yes my cab is much smaller than yours.. I will get ahold of Art in Sayward and see what his papers say..
The Grizzly was moved today and parked in front of the shop. The mirrors are stainless,have lights and are heated. They mounted the lights with mild steel screws that rusted. Changed to stainless. I changed the mirror brkt bolts to plated Gr.8 so they could be tightened much better than than Gr.2 stainless. Front air bags were aired up. Issue with the drivers side bag as it folded up and the lower mount kicked out. Put a jack between the frame and spring and got things sorted out.. Time to start cleaning and wire the trailer brake controller.....Slow and steady.
I got started on cleaning the Grizzly up yesterday afternoon. It's a mess. Mary brought me some concentrated cleaners to deal with the algae and grime. Bucket of hot water and cleaner, spray bottle full of hot water and cleaner, rag and a tooth brush . I got about 80% of the truck done. I did not hose it off as I knew it was going to rain today and it has been all day.. More work to come...Slow and steady.
It's totally cool and you should keep it in tip top shape. I'd bet thousands are jealous and wish they could own a Grizzly like yours or Will's. There isn't another HD truck like them.
Welder Dave...Thank you
The pile of parts for some Grizzly upgrades is growing. Rear rubber fender flare's like the front, some very nice mud flaps that are coming from Vancouver Is. (story later), 12 volt air valve, a dozen fittings and hose, weather pac terminal kit, reverse light switch for the 5spd. New pads for the disc brake e-brake. Progress report to come...The wind is to cold to be outside working on it...
Anybody have an update on the SUV Grizzly that used to be in Whistler, and previously belonged to my Dad in Comox?
Yes...Truck is in Kelowna now. It is in good hands. Doug is a equipment and truck collector and is a member here.
(Yesterday)...Rob has starting fitting the parts for the Grizzly intake. I have owned the bottom plates for 2 years and never noticed they were wrong. I have always known my turbo and intercooler were 2 1.2" pipe. This stuff is for 3" pipe. Rob made new bottom plates for the elbows and has started the fitting.. It is all 304 stainless..
Todays progress.....
Thanks for the updates there Cory
A little more today. Hole was cut and prepped for the inlet tube..The welding ( tig with purge) will start tomorrow..
I just found this forum yesterday. I started reading at page 1 right through to 87. Excellent read! I must applaud all the work that has been done and the follow up work to keep this truck alive. I was working in Whistler in the early '90s when these trucks were being built. I had an opportunity to meet "Grizzly Pete" and see his truck here on Vancouver Island. He also had offered to sell it to me...damn hindsight! They now refer to them as "Vocational Trucks". They were built for heavy duty use in a specific market. The logging industry, but they could have easily found their way into mining, heavy construction and the oil field. Years later when doing contract work in Ft. Mac , l met a mechanic that was familiar with the Grizzly Trucks and he remarked that they wished they had produced more as they would have fit into their mining industry well. It's unfortunate we lost Pacific, Hayes and Western Star truck manufacturing. They were the trucks that were built to work and last. There are several still in operation throughout BC. Not to derail this thread, but there's a company building Vocational Trucks in Donald, BC by hand. Check them out (Edison Motors).
Diamond T what is the best way to get in touch with you?
Send him a PM.
On his OnlyFans?
Look for the envelope on the right side at the top of the page. It opens a conversation window.
(yesterday) More progress on the Grizzly intake. Welding has had it's challenges. The elbows were labeled as 304 stainless and they are not. Not enough nickel in them. They are supposed to be .065 thick and they are a very thin .041. I hope they don't rust. It is all being pickled.... Slow going..
Manifold was finished today. No warpage or pulling. Welds dressed and polished... Another project completed..
This pic was sent to me a few days ago on FB. This is truck #5 his name is Art and I spoke to him aprox 5 years ago. Truck is in Prince George and if I remember correctly his father in law bought it new. Don't know how old the pic is. This truck was for sale a few years ago. It is kept in running order..
A photographic story to remind myself just how much work I put into this truck !!! There is more to come..Stay tuned.
Like everyone here just waiting for it to stop raining... Took the intake off the fixture. Looks pretty good..I have the gaskets. Mounting hardware is metric. Going to change from the supplied socket head bolts to studs and locking flange nuts..
That came out nice!
Yesterday I went to clean the bottom plate of the manifold and found these marks. Done with a carbide cutter to vent the purging gas. Not happy. I can think of other ways to do it. Its a under pressure gasket surface and I will need to fix it...One is about 10 thou deep and the other 15 thou. Edit...He would not have just left them. Just something he forgot to repair..
Don't really like your post but glad you discovered the grooves. I agree there are better ways it could have been done. Do they have to be welded up and ground flat/smooth to repair?
Not sure what I am going to do yet..
Can you have it Blanchard ground So it has a good finish to seal well?
Thats a Idea. Going to change the gasket material as well. The gaskets i have are graphite. Designed for the grid heater which i am deleting..
My friend own High performance Engines and he is only 10 minutes away. We have already talked about the problem. He hasn't seen it yet but he has a nice milling machine and a surface grinder...I will see him next week....
The damaged plate is now at my friends shop. Plan is to clamp it down on the mill and and use a 3/4 end mill. Only the gasket surface will get cleaned up. Should be pretty straight forward.. I will get it back early Jan.
More pics tomorrow but here is the intake plenum plate in the mill this morning. It came out great and he had no problems. He is a engine machinist and doesn't normally do this sort of thing. Only required about a .005 cut..
Handy to have a machinist nearby. Out of interest, any idea what the silver pieces with holes in are used for, hanging on the wall behind mill?
They look like lifter bore honing blocks and rocker jigs
They are indeed for one of the boring machines...
The repaired plate. He did a good job.
I have been battling Pneumonia for the last 3 weeks but started tinkering again today. I got the stainless mudflap brackets off the truck and got the 3/16 x 1 stainless mudflap clamping bars cut to length. The right rear fender has had a unknown repair so the brkt is some what different, I also have all the hardware to install the intake. Sorry about the pic I have the shakes a bit.
The reason I have pulled the flap brkts back off is because the truck was built with 24"W flaps. They knotched them to clear the frame. I have some very nice 20"w flaps and the bolt pattern is different. I need to re drill the stainless brkts so the flaps are mounted correctly.
Will you use standard hss drill bit, or something else for drilling through that stainless steel?
Probably just my standard drills and lots of cutting fluid..
My friend Josh came by today and we went to work on the Grizzly. I am still suffering from last months trip to ER. Proper reverse light switch installed,the reworked mud flap brackets, air valve for the front bags. Fittings and one bulk head fitting. There was more. It was a good day. Next is making the braided hoses..Rear Bags were aired up and front let down onto blocks..
Nice work. In particular I noticed how well the paint is holding up on the springs, which I don't see where I am. (Too much salt)
This is the switch and plug for the reverse lights. It is beyond me how I missed this putting the truck together. The truck was built with a dash switch that still works. Switch is a AC Delco pc and the plug is a Standard..Trans is a NV 4500 5spd
I need 4 new #6 braided hoses for my front air bag upgrade. The two for inside the right side tool cabinet (compressor is in there) are done and I got the main supply hose half done. It needs to be fit now to get a length. I am servicing the tail gate latches as well. The adjusters has never been apart. Over one inch of seized 1/2 NF thread contact. Two says of soaking and a 3' pry bar(and some help) got it apart. Reverse light switch harness was done as well..
Game changer for me yesterday. I bought a package deal of a Miller 180 AC/DC inverter tig and a plasma cutter. Both machines are barely used. I dont want the plasma and have sold it..The tig came with a lot of supplies and a full argon bottle..
You're going to love that inverter machine! It makes a great welder out of a good welder
Nice purchase! Miller does make good inverter Tig welders. The Diversion 180 is a basic square wave Tig without all the adjustability of more expensive Tig welders. It should work pretty good for most applications. It's a dedicated Tig welder and doesn't have the option for stick welding, like most Tig machines, to make it more affordable. Having said that the Dynasty 300 inverter welders were fantastic Tig machines but not very good on stick. Dynasty 350's were much improved for stick welding. Must have to do with different processes require different arc characteristics when switching the process. Square wave is much better than sine wave for Tig welding.
When we bought our home in Maple Ridge in 2006 I bought a water cooled Miller 250 syncrowave (internet pic) I had to up the shops power (100 Amp)for my aluminum work. I only have 30 amps here so I sold the machine. I kept my supplys and my welding table/cabinet (my work). For the last year I have been spending time with my ex. Good chance we are going to buy another home. Long range plan is a Miller water cooled 250 dynasty and a fresh air helmet...This machine will suite me for now.
More latch work. I got the right latch apart with 3 heat cycles. The heat took out the roll pin tho. The roll pin holds the latch to the handle so it swivels. I dont have any 5/16 x 2 roll pins. I ended up useing a pin that you put a cotter pin in. I used stainless cotter pins. I just had to open the cotter pin hole up to 1/8. The left side was adjusted way to tight. It is all good now and every works as it should. Nothing seized anymore..Back onto my air system upgrades..
Up grades to the air system. I did the right side cabinet stuff yesterday. Two new braided lines. One goes to the rear air tank bulkhead fitting and thats where the auto leveling gets it air from. I have a single check in the supply hose. The other hose goes to a bulkhead fitting and will head to the front to my 12V air solenoid. The plastic push in hose is the supply line for my exhaust brake.... It would appear my cabinet has a leak...
I spent hours today massaging the holes in the manifold today to get it to drop nicely over all 14 studs..With that much welding things tend to move around. I tightened it up on my aluminum plate and every thing looks good...That job will get done when i am finished doing my current stuff....The grizzly tailgate makes for a nice work bench..
Looks real nice!
Thank you Truck Shop.. My post should say 8 studs not 14...
I am putting rubber fender on the rear fenders. I did my fronts when i built the fenders. The fronts have horizontal flanges and rears have vertical. The material comes rolled up and saran wrapped. It is almost collapsed and would be a nightmare to install. So.. get some angle,lots of clamps and a heat gun. Heat the rubber up quite hot and let it cool. I leap froged the angle so each are got heated twice. Worked better than i thought. Getting the angle in the right place and clamped takes some work. 2nd pc should go much quicker..
2nd pc done today. I then clamped them to some 3" channel and heated them up again. Did my layout for the bends in the fenders and made a little template for the cut outs.They should be finished tomorrow. Mary spent 1 1/2 hrs doing clean up on the truck yesterday.. It's all good.
The rubber fender parts are done and ready to install. I have been thinking about adding another step to make it easier to get in. Tossed around a lot of ideas. Everything from fabricating one to a electric one. In the end I chose something that fits in to the trucks original intended use (I think)..They are available in 9" long and 12".This is a 9. Pass side will get one if I like the look of this one.
I put the step on today. I like it. Very basic and worthy of a logging road. Glad I bought the 9" long one. More work on the truck tomorrow. Probably clean up.
When you look at the step close up, can you see how the wire rope is fixed top and bottom? Doesn't look like the "ferrules" are crimped, can rope be welded successfully to flat surfaces of steel? Cheers, like the design.
I've both welded and brazed cable. You can also spelter it, which is a zinc, tin and lead alloy. You can melt that down and pour it around the cable.
I worked in a shop and they'd cut slots in a piece of pipe that just fits over the cable and then fill the slots with weld using a small rod not too hot for the first pass. Mig would be good to use if you had it. Run the final pass/passes hot enough to fuse to the pipe good. Would only do it for something not to critical if it broke like a step. Do a few practice attempts and see how strong they are.
More work today. Two more hoses made and installed. Just need to wire up the air switch. The reverse light harness got installed (needs to be wired up)and the floors got put back together. The switch work was done from the top. Yesterday i installed my long awaited mudflaps. I was the hold up. I have started fitting the rubber fender. Still have a lot of clean up work to do.
I see my little Grizzly thread has hit 300K views.. Wow
And a Diamond T for diamondtguy in Grizzly yellow. *
That is a 36/37 deluxe cab. Pretty much the same truck I have. Very cool. Thanks
Looks like Minneapolis Moline colours. Just need a Comfortractor to complete the collection.
The jury is out on this one still..I was given a half roll of DOT approved reflective tape..I came up with a plan. My angle tools,templates, tape measure and scissors. It was alot of work. Not sure if i like it but it will certainly work.. Not a bumper I would want to run into..
Looks good and lets the bumper be seen easily. Maybe you need a bumper sticker that says, "You mess with me, you'll lose"!
Interesting....put it on the bottom horizontal bar of the hitch.. Or remove the center V and put it front and center..
Or just You Lose!
I got the left rear rubber fender all done today and have the other side all ready to start drilling. My rivets were a bit short so I used 10/24 ss machine screws and ss serated flange nuts. The ex phoned and wanted to go for lunch so I will finish this tomorrow..
You've been busy, truck is looking great!
Thanks Will. I got the other side done today. I am liking the changes..
No cleaning today..Put some time in yesterday. Just the roof and the top of the hood then (green crap) its will get a standard wash. Busy engineering a way to open the very heavy 1/8 thick steel hood. Two trucks do have aluminum hoods.Lots of math and research. Pretty sure i have it figured out. I will talk about when I am positive...I need to get the Red Dot wrapped in satin black as well...
Pretty sure i have the hood thing figured out. I am thinking to 2 linear actuators. They would have to be on the outside because if something went wrong you are screwed. They will be visable. Close to the front inside top of the fenders headed up to just above the Cummins emblem. I dont need 2 but i will do it. A controller will be used to sync them. I can adjust the speed and set the end stops. Each actuator can move 165Lbs..It is all available locally and no chinese junk. I have a little more research to do..
Would air assist cylinders under the hood work? Just enough to get it started? The big truck fiberglass hoods have springs on the hood cables. They stretch out as the hood closes. Our one mack has multiple and is tight/strong enough that you almost have to push the hood down to latch it. Top of radiator mount to sides of the hood. And the springs don't care if the batteries are dead. We've got a HVAC cart, and I used to be around some other equipment that used linear actuators, and I'm not a super big fan. There's no give in them, and I think driving down the road, it's going to want to crack out something where they mount.
Still thinking this through. I have thought about air assist. I plan on keeping the hood strapped down with its original stuff..
I think something under the hood would be better too. Springs similar to what they use for lifting heavy ramps on trailers, springs on cables like Crane Op suggested or gas struts. It would be better to have to push the hood down some than needing a lot of force to lift it. Something on the outside would look too redneck or second thought and take away from the beauty of the truck.
I have zero room under the hood. Truck has a very narrow (34") frame rail spacing...I need to do something !!
Just rechecked the rail spacing. I knew 34 was wrong..31 c-c. 28 inside..
The ones I am looking at are not very big. 8" stroke and 165 lbs force
Anyway to put springs on the hood pivots?
Its a flat piano hinge..
I can see signs (welded up holes) that they put a grab handle on the nose thinking they could tilt it like a glass nosed Hwy truck.. Hood id 51" long and made out of 11ga..
Could you have springs or some kind of counterweight underneath that pulls on the hood when you lift on it?
Wont i just have to fight that to close it
It depends on the tension. You just need an assist not something that pulls super strong and makes it hard to close. Just thought of something. Could you put a small winch underneath that pulls on the hood to open it but freewheels for closing it? Maybe a linear(s) actuator could work underneath. Might need a little stronger ones. I know Princess Auto has all kinds of different sizes of them.
My problem with putting a actuator under the hood is if it fails or i lose power I have no way of getting the hood open. If i put them where I am thinking i would just gave to pull the pins.
If they were electric you could have a remote switch you could jumper. I just think something that isn't obvious would look better.
I agree. It does come with a remote. The big problem is I have no room under the hood for the actuators. I will have the hood open soon and will have another look. Last time 2 of us agreed on the lack of space for them or a suitable place for them... I am going to look into the aluminum hood again. I do know who made them.
I got a hold of the company in Nanaimo that has built two aluminum hoods for these trucks. They do not have drawings. Not what i was hoping.
Good thing there is too kinds of luck or you would not have any.
That is very true...It's a good thing I like a challenge or...I am my own worst enemy..
I wouldn't think a aluminum hood would be difficult to produce, because it's angles instead of radiused. The hood I had to build for the mack was a very time consuming experience, simply because of both angles and radius. *
I agree..I have not given up on that Idea..
Looking at pic. above of the hood open I can't tell if it's cables or solid rods that support the hood when it's open. Could springs or gas struts be used there? Another thought was maybe a kind of scissor hinge like a truck hoist using an actuator. Might only need on one side if there's room for it to act as an assist. Is there any room between on either side of the rad. and the hood? If nothing will fit what about putting a couple pins on the hood and fenders and having a quick attach lineaer actuator(s) that you take off and store behind or under the seat? A couple pins would look better than the actuators being a permanent mount. Then you could still manually lift the hood if necessary. Aluminum would be lighter but a little pricey to make considering you have a good hood. Just need to make it easier to open.
Those are cables. When the hood shuts the ends are very close to each other. When the hood is shut (looking through the grille) there is only a couple of inches clearance between the hood and the rad. The reason I want the actuators on the outside is if some thing goes wrong I can remove them and open the hood. It so happens they are mounted with pins. I spent a few hours today making templates and measuring. The actuator company is now on board and helping me out. I have also reached out again to the people who made the aluminum hoods.. Al who owns the sayward truck may have some paperwork. The other truck has changed hands and know idea who the previous owner was.
For various reasons I have the grille out.. I dont see a lot of room in there for actuators. Its pretty busy in there.
I noticed this before but never gave it any thought. There is a filler plate under the grille. Looks like some one screwed up when the made the grille. Bolt holes are 1 inch center to center apart.. I will look at other trucks and see if they have it..
So here are some pics of the 2nd truck built. This is by all accounts truck #1.. I do not see that filler panel on this truck. Guessing mine was indeed a screw up. I don't see any Cummins badges on the hood and the running boards look like aluminum ??
I would imagine, for the fact few total were built, each one has something different except maybe for the last two or three.
That is possible..The bolt pattern on the filler plate is the same as the grille. Makes me think it was a mistake. Yes trucks were always changing.My truck does not have eye brows over the headlights like all the rest and my dash was also a one only thing. There is more
Did you give any thought to removeable actuators on the outside? Would have a nicer look without them I think. Super cool trucks!
The actuators are on pins. Its the wiring that might be a problem..We shall see.
Mine does not have the filler plate. The grill bolts directly to the hood.
Could have quick connectors with a cap the wires plug into.
Yes..Looks like everything is plug in.
This is the bottom cross member on the hood. The filler panel bolts to it and the grille. Looks like some one was having a bad day with math..
The race car trailer here is getting polished up. Saw this today and couldnt resist.. They are about 30' apart..
Up date...I got no where with the fabrication company that has already built two aluminum Grizzly hoods. If and when I go that route I will just get mine drawn up. I have been working with the actuator company and we have it all figured out. They strongly suggest the actuators stay on the outside in the event of a failure. I sent all my info/math to the head engineer where i used to work and he said I am good to go. I will be useing 85% of the actuators capacity. I will order everything next week..This will be interesting. Cory
My friend is coming this week to help me on the Grizzly. Mainly wiring a few things up. I have everything ready and am going to let him do all climbing around and crawling on the ground stuff. Yesterday I fired up my 68 Fastback that has the 427 FE in it. Its been 20 years since I heard that engine run. It went well.. It would appear I cannot post the video...
Try this
Sounds great.
I have to agree.. The sweet sound of a solid lifter V8..Good to hear it run again
My friend Josh came over today and we finished some upgrades to the Grizzly. I can now fill up the front air bags from inside the truck.A 12V air line switch was installed and the old grid heater wiring and switch were used to control it. I have a air pressure gauge in the dash. Reverse lights are all sorted out. Grizzly just put a switch on the dash. Now has the switch in the trans...The list is getting short...
Is it a side oiler? How much H.P.?
It is actually a center oiler. Side oilers have no advantage on the street and most of them are in rough shape. My crank and rods are still std and the over bore is only .017. It is close to 500 Hp but no more. I kept things conservitave. It is a torque monster. My other 2 427's were side oilers and they are now in Cobra replicas.One of which I put together at Cardiac Cobra. It was a stroker motor
Very nice! I can't tell if it's green or blue? Do you own the Cobra too, I've read side Oilers were designed to give proper lubrication during sustained high RPM operation. Several Cobra's actually came with 428's because of a shortage of side oilers. Shelby had to replace some with side oilers but the 428 was a better engine for normal driving. Just like 440's were less finicky than 426 Hemi's for the street. I think it might be difficult to drive a Cobra normally though. It's one of those cars that look fast sitting still!
You are correct. Just about all 427 Cobra street cars had 428's.I worked for 2 different company's building them and long lost count of how many I have driven.. They can be a handfull
I had a magazine all about Cobra's. Dick Smith was apparently the winningest Cobra driver. He said you had to steer a Cobra with the throttle! He still owned his Cobra and the engine was rebuilt and bored out to 468CI if I recall. I think he did some vintage racing. He had the same mechanic for years that looked after it. His Cobra was red which seemed unusual. I can't recall hearing if it was ever sold. With it's provenance might be worth as much as the $5mil. Super Snake.
I would agree..
I just ordered all the electronics for my tilt hood from Progressive Automations in Richmond BC. Shipping was only $16. All there stuff is made here...This will be interesting.
You couldn’t drive there for $16.
Its coming from the USA via UPS...I may be in for a surprise..
Last week when we were doing some air system up grades we found a bulk head fitting leaking on the outside. Obviously cracked. There are 3 in the cabinet along with a battery,cables, air lines and other stuff. Tight work space. I did get it changed today. It is the supply off of the air tank. I will air test it tomorrow. One more leak to find.. Yes the bulkhead fitting was cracked bad in more than one place.
The last pic, may not be a crack. If you look at machine made NPT fittings and others, you can usually find 4 witness marks. I always assumed this was because of the dies and however they were made. First noticed in a Sun hydraulic block and thought they were cracks. Die tested them multiple times and they were not cracks.
Yes....I saw those lines but they didnt go any where. Thanks
New bulk head fitting installed and soap tested. All is good.One more leak to deal with and I know where it is...
My electric actuators and all the components arrived today and more stainless hose and ends. I have work to do. No surprise on the actuator shipping. It was only $15.00
I have my own you-tube channel (Diamondtguy.) I have dirt bike,mustang and Grizzly videos on in it. The other day a guy commented on a grizzly video. His name was Tim M Ferguson and he says he has a yellow crew cab Grizzly truck thats a dually in Alberta. That can only be one truck and its one of 2 on my MIA list. I responded to him and am waiting. Pic of the truck I think it is..
Might be like finding the golden egg!
Would be awesome to find the missing Grizzly's!
Working on it.. This would be a good find.. I know were the other one is ( prince george) just need some tangable evidence
Way back a few years ago you posted pics. of a big machine you worked on with a very heavy base but some guy hijacked the thread. Wondering what it was used for?
We were building a machine that rolled/printed checker plate steel (prototype). In july of 2020 they sent 3 of us home thinking they were good to go. Worst decision they made. Their financial backers walked away. Machine was bought by Algoma steel in Ontario.The guy who hijacked the thread came after me again a year and a half ago.This time is actions were a federal offence. No one has any idea what his problem is with me. I used to work with him. I will deal with this when the time is right..
Thanks for posting that. You would need massive machinery to make checker plate. Did this idiot think he deserved credit for the machine and you didn't or something? I remember it being very odd that he came after you on the forum to attack you.
Agreed.. He was the shop stewart and I was union. So...he was trolling a union brother. Not cool. No one seems to know what his problem is with me. I spent years on this machine.
Brand new roll. Cracked in Ontario over a week end. They were machining it. Crack was repaired but it cracked again in shipping. Major set back for us.
Very cool machine! Was there further development and is the machine still being used? I'd guess the guy was jealous of you or thought he deserved more credit. Attacking you seemed pretty stupid. He was acting like you stole his patent or something.
No one really knows what his problem is.. We have no idea what Algoma has done with the machine but it coudnt be in better hands. I spent years on it.. I do have a video of it working.
I mounted the forward mounts for the actuators today. There is very little work involved in this project. Rear mounts are vertial holes in my aluminum fenders. I have already built the mounting brkt for the controller. The wiring is all plug in with the exception of power and ground. Then its the programming.I have other things I want to finish off first.
Actuator mocked up in place. I have removed the Pac Brake decal and will install new ones above the Cummins plate. Not going to worry about if i like them or not. I just need this to work.
Looks very clean and professional. Guessing you'll leave it permanently mounted. Is just the one actuator required? Such an awesome truck!
Can you post the video, that would be cool to see?
It will be two actuators.. I will send my video to u tube so I can post it
Done..we are testing. 5x10 sheet of 1/2 i think. Maybe 5/8. I am catching the sheet.
That is awesome! Must have tremendous down pressure to do it cold. I'm guessing that's the greatest feature it has. I've always wondered how they make checker plate. Always assumed they had to do it when the plate was red hot. I'd expect Algoma would be able to come up with a roller that wouldn't crack. Maybe you could reach out to them and see if they are using it?
You are probably correct about how checker plate is made. As far as we know this was the only machine in the world that did it cold. I changed the rolls a dozen times this was the only roll that ever cracked. Rolls are tapered. We were changing the taper .00025 per inch at a time. 32" of the roll were flat and the ends tapered.
Just a example of how much product we ran through the machine. This is finished checker plate. We were still testing. This was all sold but a few of us felt we still had a ways to go. The owner didnt agree. He gave us the boot.
That's a lot of checker plate! Sounds like the owner was just greedy or stupid. What kind of place was it that built it and who designed it? All the employee's built and tested the machine and after it showed signs of success he lets everyone go without knowing the long term durability or what other issues might have to be addressed. What an idiot! If all the bugs are worked out and it proves to be reliable over the long run, you'd think he could sell several of them and get it patented. I'd guess the gap is adjustable or the roller could be changed for different thicknesses of plate? I'd guess it could do aluminum too? What about stainless or even something like copper? Could Could do both sides of the plate if someone wanted it. It's a really cool machine! I worked for a shop that did chromium carbide overlay on pipe. The shop was a division of a large machine shop. One of the engineers designed an elbow welding machine that welded circumferentially instead of lengthwise. This was superior and there was a lot less warpage. I think it cost 3/4 of a million to build but it was the only machine like it in the world. The company made nothing but money with it making pipe for oilsands slurry. The engineer thought he deserved a bonus because his machine was making them millions. The greedy owner said he was paid as an engineer to design it and no bonus. I can't remember if the engineer left or not. All employee's in the shop had to sign non disclosure agreements and if anyone visited the shop they threw a tarp over the machine. It was quite complex as it had to keep the welding head in the flat position while turning the elbow and also raising and lowering the elbow so the welding was flat in all directions. There were different jigs that were welded to different size pipe and for different angles of elbows. Very impressive machine like the checker plate machine.
YES ..fully ajustable for all thickness of plate. Different rolls for 4',5' and 6' wide sheets. Stainless plate was in mind as well. The head engineer where I worked designed it and helped me assemble it on site in Pt Coquitlam. I was in charge and kept a eye on the machining and welding. I also was the lone fabricator of the machine it self (done at the main shop). I also spent hours on the mill doing weld preps. In the end our new GM Balgeet bushed me out (after almost 20 years). The owners of the machine hired me back to continue and move on but i no longer had the help of my old shop. You are right.. we could have made more machines..
What else did the shop that designed it do? Where they a machine or fabrication shop? Talk about a missed opportunity!! I'd imagine it's probably worth close to a million (maybe more) like the elbow welding machine.
I've read steel is usually done at about 1200 deg's. but aluminum can be done with a stamping process similar to the machine you worked on. Your machine looked a lot heavier built than the one I saw in a short video.
I worked for Mountain Mfg. I was the lone machine fitter. I did lots of mill stuff. water and dam stuff as well as looked after all the equipment at x-met industrys that made expanded metal (lots of other stuff). It was a family member of(x-met) them who started Western checker plate. We had a full fab shop.water jet and machine shop. For many years I was a fabricator for Mountain untill they asked me to take over the machine fitting. We were bought by Enermax fabricators circa 2002.They did heat exchangers for refineries and work for Ocean works the mini sub place and decompression chambers for divers.ASME certified shop. The machine was north of 1M and we made alot of money. Every body at the top ***ked up and all was lost.. This is a missing child of mine and it bothers me. I have more hours invested than anyone. Job was in the works for 13 years. We had a mini test machine i would set up 2-3 times a year. If I was 10 years younger I would contact Algoma..
Wow! They did #@%! Up royally. Did they sell it to Algoma because they went under? Really sucks when you put your heart and soul into something and stupid people in management screw it up. Still might not be a bad idea to contact Algoma to see what they did with the machine. It can't have needed too much refinement since it did produce hundreds or maybe thousand's of sheets of checker plate. I figured it could be over a million $$$$$! Sad thing is somebody could have copied it. Thanks so much for posting about it!
I dont know much about the sale to Algoma or how much they sold it for. I know they lost all of there financial backing and the writing was on the wall. Still very proud of what i did tho..
Tinkering with the actuators. I have the mounts on the fenders and I made 1/8 aluminum backing plates for them. All mounting holes (5/16) were drilled size for size to minimize movement. I have the control box mounted. It took 3 tries to get the bend right. Well made cables with quality plugs on them.They need some room to turn 90 deg. Need to avoid shifter contact as well. Going to look into screwing it to the bottom of the heater box. Need to look inside the door first.. I think the cover (metal) somes off the heater. The heater is cool. It has two seperate switches and moters. Seperate heat and defrost..
Sounds like a group of idiots too stupid to realize they could have made millions if they were just a little bit patient and not let everybody go.
That is very true..
Spent some time today fitting the actuators.Hood is latched and I wanted to be able to pull the pins on the actuators with no reistence when everything is at rest. I just took my time. Wiring is strapped down as well.I have made cables so i dont lose the hair clip...
I took the plastic lid off the A/C the other day to clean it up. I tried to paint it (4 times)satin black but it just kept falling off. I got pi!!ed of and sanded it with my orbital and put it back on. Just going to clean it the best I can and leave it for now I have other things to do. The logo is not a decal. It is imprinted right on it. No shortage of old wasp nests under it and one active one..
Plastikote is the only bomb can paint I've used that stuck to plastic and lasted. I used it to paint the inside spokes of chrome wheels in mid 80's, lasted 8 plus years right up to when I sold my jeep.
Thanks..I will get some and try it out. I will spray some on the inside..
Take a propane torch and go over it lightly it will bring back the deep black
Its actually white. I tried 4 times to paint it satin black. I spent today getting it cleaned up as best i could.It looks decent enough now.. Not sure what I am going to do next..
It works on dirt bike plastics from the '80s to bring back the white, red, whatever color they are. You might try it on an inconspicuous area.
I was a long time dirtbiker and know the trick well. I used my heat gun. It worked well.Had 2 acers in Mapleridge and had a bunch of stuff set up to play on. I rode single track and built Marylee a bike. She did well.
The A/C cover all cleaned up the best i could get.
Mary came by tonight for dinner and before we had it she scambled up the Grizzly on to the roof and put the A/C cover back on. She has worked with me long enough to know what to do. After dinner we were back out side and she started asking me questions about the Logo. She then says the A/C cover should be satin black (wrapped) and we will get new decals done for it. I dont disagree with her. She will look after getting it done. Off it comes.
I would almost consider a carbon fiber wrap.
interesting thought....
I wonder if you could dip dye the cover in a black solution. Dip Dyeing | You can dye even the smallest gaps | ONE3D Dip dyeing is an environmentally friendly and economical method of painting parts. You can dye any shape. www.one3d.cz
Never thought of that.. I am familiar with it tho.
Get some of that Plastidip spray that the kids were spraying their wheels with a few years back, if you don't like it it could peel right off
Another good thought..
I think the plastidip comes in cans too. Can be used for putting a rubber like grip on your tools. Could brush it on evenly but I think dip dying would be the best option.
I used to buy it to do just as you say. Rubber grips
I had a look for it but the black was flat or gloss... Not satin. The hunt continues.
Horrible air here today.Accuweather says "Unhealthy".It was hot and muggy as well. Not a fun day. Around noon i finished the actuator control box mount. I added a bottom brace as well as I put a fuse on it. The box is internaly protected but the fuse will take the hit first.For obvious reasons the fuse is inside the truck and easy to get to. Ground wire was left a little long in the event i need to move it. Main power is coming from under the hood. Small ground wire with the blue plastic is not my work.I will fix it later. I have been removing the plastic on terminals for decades.. For the most part this job is done.. Need to get the hood open and run the harnesses.
Last time i had the truck running I noticed it had no signals. Truck has a Ron Francis wiring kit in it. 12 fuses no labels. I pulled all the fuses (blade type) and metered them and they were good.I then noticed I lost my B/U lights and hour meter. So one by one I pulled them out and cleaned them with a file. They were all oxidized. Flasher was dirty to. I have things apart to install a switch in the door jam for the dome light. Some creative wiring is in order and another switch to turn it on when the door is closed. Lucky me a near by switch that works but didnt seem to do anything was near by. Turns out it was all wired up but did nothing. If its not raining tomorrow i will drill the door jam and install the switch.
Got it finished today. Will test everything tomorrow.Hole in door jam was fun as it is two layers and needs to be .700 dia. Made new ends to plug into switch.They got shrink tubed. Was not happy with the other ones and I dont have any of the OEM Ford small bullet ends. Ordered another step for the pass side and it showed up today. It was a good day..
I used a E-Z brand GM pickup harness in the truck I put together. It was a good harness, wire, insulation fuse box. It worked well for all cab/headlight/signal/horn/dash functions. But for trailer lights and a few other items I ran separate heavy fuse/breaker panel and heavier gauge wire. I think the best item I installed was a GPS speedometer, had slight lag time but accurate. The Francis harness is a good quality harness.
Yes it is.It was installed when the truck was built. For the most part it is well done. Other stuff not so well. Not a fan of open terminal strips outside. The Diamond T has two Pico boxes on it and I installed one on the rear of the grizzly.
If you're ever looking to rewire that I suggest the American Auto wire brand line of products. I've used painless, francis, a few others and the one I like best is the AAW.
Good to know.. I would like to strip it down and go back to standard front leafs with shackles but being the prototype wants me to leave it as built and just deal with it. Mistakes were made. I have some serious road trips planned for it.
That was a laughable use for a name for brand--no matter the harness none are painless.
Being the prototype is cool and all but build it to use it buddy, you know that as well as anybody as sadly our generation is the last one that will truly care about these things
I could not agree more. Well said...Cory
It finally stopped raining here just after lunch. Time to test my wiring. I turned the dome light on then the batteries. The light was off. Opened the door and the light came on. Next push the door switch and turn the light off. Flip the toggle switch and the light came on. Woo Hoo. I put the pass side step on today as well. Tomorrow I can strap the wires and put the interior panels back in. Cheers
Will. Did you get some seat time in the Grizzly this summer ??
Slow and steady.. Yesterday I wired up the electric brake controller. Just have to run the wire to the back. Chances are I will never use it but i want the truck to have one. Once the positive is run for the actuator control box i will tidy up the wires.
I have been working on the sudden loss of my signals again. I find the problem and another one shows up.In the end it was dirty fuses, blown fuses and a new HD12 flasher that dead shorted every thing. Now fixing the self grounding signal lights in the instument panel. Short version...3 coats of paint on the dash and a woodgrain laminate on the cluster plate, It's trying to ground thru the threads of the thumbs screws.. Thats if there touching the panel. The fun continues. More fileing, sanding and a ground wire.
That was a fairly common issue with a KW style dash.
Turns out it wasnt so easy. The problem is with the internal grounding of the lights. So far every attempt to fix it has failed. I have one more thing to try before I find new indicater lights.
The lights have been pulled out and new externaly grounded lights are on there way. Found a bulb socket rusty inside and that was it for me..I put alot of time into trying to save this stuff. Had to use pliers to get the lights out. Fearfull I would break the woodgrain laminate. After a few turns they cam loose.
New lights.They require a 3/4 hole which is nice. The right side light has always given me problems. Problem(s) solved. Very similar in looks to the old ones.
Sorry, it's been busy and I haven't had a chance to check in for a while. I have put some miles on the truck, it's running great! I've just been driving it on shorter local trips but I'm going to have to stretch it's legs one of these days. Hopefully it'll be good weather this fall and we can keep taking it out before winter sets in.