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CRC Industries
CRC Brakleen
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MATCO Tools are the Official Tool Supplier to Music City Trucks
The Industrial Depot
Tools, Hardware, Shop Supplies

Episode Transcript

(Marc)>> You're Watching Powernation.

(Brandon)>> Today on Music City Trucks.

(Marc)>> We find a 1964 F-350 flatbed and see if we can bring it back to life. ♪ ♪ [ engine revving ] ♪ ♪

(Brandon)>> Welcome to Music City Trucks. I'm Brandon Burke.

(Marc)>> And I'm Marc Christ. Now you've seen us do a bunch of Driveway Rescues over the years with our friends at RockAuto dot com. Well this time we wanted to do something a little bit different. So we took our rescue van and our tow rig out to pick up something for ourselves.

(Brandon)>> We're calling this project Ran When Parked. You know the truck that's sitting in a field, or behind a barn for five or 10 years. Well it ran when it was parked there but you don't know if it still does today.

(Marc)>> Well that's exactly what we did with this 1964 F-350 flatbed.

(Brandon)>> And here's how we got it. ♪ ♪ [ rooster clucking ]

(Marc)>> Our journey begins about 30 miles south of Nashville in Columbia, Tennessee.

(Brandon)>> I actually found this truck on a farm on the way home from work, and it looks like a few roosters have called it home. The guy says it hasn't run in the last six years. [ rooster clucking ]

(Marc)>> We like what we see but the truck definitely has some age issues and some obvious rust problems.

(Brandon)>> So this is a '64 F-350 one ton obviously, but it's a dually and it's a flatbed. The owner that we bought it from made this flatbed cause it used to have a water tank on the back of it. Once he bought it from the county he ripped it all out and put this bed in here.

(Marc)>> So as we move the RockAuto van into place our goal here is just get it started. In a situation like this the first thing we'll do is check all the fluids, like oil, the air filter... ♪ ♪ ...radiator and wiring. Now the moment of truth. [ engine cranking ]

(Marc)>> Not surprising she didn't start. That's to be expected. We next try spraying starter fluid directly into the carb. [ engine cranking ] [ rooster clucking ]

(Marc)>> Another start attempt! [ engine starting and stopping ]

(Marc)>> Not happening. So our last recourse is to take apart the carburetor right there in the field. We found the float spring was jammed. So we sprayed a lot of SeaFoam Deep Creep into the springs.

(Brandon)>> Don't let that spring go by-by.

(Marc)>> The last thing we want is to drop one of those small springs or screws. Then we cleaned out the old gas in the bowl and put the 57 year old carb back together and on the engine. [ engine starting ]

(Brandon)>> That's the sound of success. It seems we do have a vacuum leak. So placing your hand over the intake acts a restrictor to keep the engine running. ♪ ♪

(Marc)>> We had to be careful to drive the truck onto our hauler because with the engine leak and no brakes what so ever this is trickier than it looks. ♪ ♪

(Brandon)>> Mission accomplished. So now all we have to do is haul it back to the Music City Trucks shop to make it safer and drivable. ♪ ♪

(Marc)>> You know there for a little bit we thought maybe we wouldn't get it running but I mean who are we kidding? These old Ford straight sixes are tanks.

(Brandon)>> Just cause it's running doesn't mean it's actually road worthy. There's a couple of things we've got to check off the list because this thing's been sitting for six years, like tune-up, brakes, and anything else to make sure this thing's safe for the road.

(Marc)>> Alright let's get this thing on the lift. ♪ ♪ Ah smells good! Coming up on Music City Trucks, teardown!

(Brandon)>> We're working on our Ran When Parked project trying to get it road worthy. It's a '64 F-350 flatbed, and if there's one thing we want working on this truck it's gonna be the brakes.

(Marc)>> And this wasn't really a great braking system from the factory. We've got a single pot master, drum brakes all the way around on an F-350. So either way we need to go through all the brakes. It doesn't help it's been sitting for six years. You ready?

(Brandon)>> Yep, raise it up. [ mechanical humming ]

(Brandon)>> First things first, all the tires come off including the duallies in the rear. ♪ ♪ And since our goal is just to make the truck drivable we're gonna keep these tires. Otherwise they'd be in the recycle bin.

(Marc)>> The axle comes out surprisingly dry. ♪ ♪ Then it takes two of us to lift this 50 plus pound rear hub off, and not uncommon on these trucks this old that have been sitting this long we've got dirt dobbers nests on the backing plates. Brandon makes quick work of evicting our squatters, and yes those are live bugs.

(Brandon)>> The more we tear into this thing the more critters we find. ♪ ♪ While Marc forges ahead and starts installing the rears I'll work on the front brakes. Not too dirty! ♪ ♪ Drum brake installation calls for a special tool. I'm using drum brake spring pliers. Now if you've never replaced shoes before it's a good practice to do one side at a time so you always have a reference for how they go back together. There's 57 years worth of dirt, grime, and rust on this thing. So I'm using a wire brush to knock off all the flake. I'll follow that up with a good coating of CRC's Brake Kleen to get the rest. [ compressed air hissing ]

(Brandon)>> And that's why you wear safety glasses.

(Marc)>> We're using replacement brakes we got at RockAuto dot com, and like Brandon said earlier it helps if you keep one of the old brakes intact as you install the replacement so you have a guide to work with.

(Brandon)>> First things first is that retainer and spring. Sometimes those springs can be a little tricky to get in. It's a lot easier with the right tool. This is the part where you need to wear safety glasses. ♪ ♪ Cause I have hit myself in the face multiple times with these springs, and it's not fun. ♪ ♪ One thing to make sure the springs don't come off that pedestal is crimp them down with a pair of pliers. It's always a good idea to run in the adjustor all the way. That way it's a little easier to get this spring on with new shoes. Alright now that we've got the front brakes done and Marc's got the rear brakes done all we've got to do is get this front hub installed and then get the front shocks on that we got from RockAuto, get this thing on the ground. ♪ ♪

(Marc)>> With the front back together we can lift our wheels back onto the axles. ♪ ♪ [ drill humming ]

(Brandon)>> Now we can concentrate underneath the hood. ♪ ♪

(Marc)>> With the truck back on the ground we can now start working on what needs to be done under the hood. The main thing we saw that this truck needed was ignition components, especially anything that's been sitting for a long time. The short list would be plugs and wires, and you go from there. Maybe do a cap and rotor, and even a coil. A truck like this being 57 years old surprisingly a lot of these parts are still available and affordable at RockAuto dot com. They even had the rebuild kit for the carburetor. So I went ahead and got that rebuilt. Now we just need to get this stuff installed. Won't be long we'll be on our way. the new plugs go in with a little anti-seize and get torqued in, followed by the coil and the plug wires. ♪ ♪ Next the rebuilt carb goes back in its stock location with a couple of nuts and two lines. Alright Brandon go ahead and run the throttle through its paces. Feel good?

(Brandon)>> Yeah I like that.

(Marc)>> Alright well we got it all wrapped up. Getting ready to put the air cleaner on here and then we can fire this thing up.

(Brandon)>> I'm gonna give her about a quarter choke.

(Marc)>> Okay go ahead. [ engine starting ]

(Marc)>> Yeah!

(Brandon)>> This thing purrs like a kitten! [ engine revving ]

(Marc)>> Okay now I'm excited about it. We've got to take this thing out.

(Brandon)>> Yeah let's have some fun. With our vacuum leaks fixed, all new brakes front and rear, and some of the engine refreshed now it's time to have some fun, like how much horsepower can this thing make? ♪ ♪

(Marc)>> Coming up on Music City Trucks, that's right, chassis dyno!

(Marc)>> Well we've got our flatbed all up and running, and we could have taken it out on the street but we wanted to make one more stop before we did that. So we've got it here in probably the least likely spot you would expect to see this truck. Strapped to the chassis dyno down here in Engine Power. We've got Pat and Frankie gonna help us out, and spin the rollers on this thing.

(Brandon)>> I didn't think I needed to see a flatbed on a dyno.

(Pat)>> You absolutely need to see it!

(Frankie)>> This is awesome!

(Pat)>> This is a big whiff of nostalgia for me because I grew up with Ford trucks right, from the '50's all the way through the '70's and '80's, and a straight six in this. You know these are workhorses. A dually with a 233. These things last forever. This is proof positive because not only does it run we're gonna see how much power it makes.

(Marc)>> Let's do it.

(Pat)>> Alright here we go! I like it! Runs nice.

(Brandon)>> This is so exciting.

(Pat)>> Do we have tach signal?

(Frankie)>> Yep you see that?

(Pat)>> There's one gauge in here and there's nothing else.

(Marc)>> That's all you need!

(Pat)>> I'm not gonna put it in creeper here. The clutch is a little squashy. ♪ ♪ Are the tires old?

(Marc)>> They're a little cupped.

(Brandon)>> They're octagonal! [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> Oh my god! [ laughter ]

(Pat)>> Everybody stay on that side, here we go! [ engine revving ] ♪ ♪

(Pat)>> That is amazing!

(Frankie)>> That's the heat right there. 69.33 and 133.29 pound feet.

(Pat)>> The engine was glass smooth the whole time. The tires not so much. Alright everything seems good, nothing flew off it. Who's gonna be first?

(Brandon)>> If Marc doesn't mind I would like to.

(Pat)>> Get here about, somewhere in there. Green button! Floorboard it! [ engine revving ] ♪ ♪

(Pat)>> Whoa! Perfect, you did it!

(Brandon)>> This is the greatest day ever.

(Frankie)>> Heck yeah, 70.81! A little bit more than you.

(Pat)>> Broke the 70! Dude that's awesome. Marc's an old pro at the dyno.

(Brandon)>> I'm more worried about getting away from this bias ply that's obliterated.

(Marc)>> You guys ready?

(Brandon)>> Am I in a good spot? ♪ ♪ [ engine revving ] ♪ ♪

(Pat)>> That's got a heinous sound to it doesn't it?

(Marc)>> It shut off at the top of the pull.

(Pat)>> 77.17 horsepower! That is pretty cool though. You know what I'm impressed with? None of the tires came apart. I'm not particularly worried about the engine because those are hard to kill with no oil pressure, overheating, and whatever. I was worried about something in the driveline flying out, whether it be a U-joint, whether those field setting dry rotted snow tires. I thought something was gonna come apart. Success! I'm a little envious because I love this truck. When it first came in here I'm like yes! This is gonna be a great project.

(Marc)>> Well what we love about it. We kind of lean toward the old Ford trucks anyway. We like a little bit of everything but there's something about these trucks that's just so attractive, and this is like a clean slate. We could do whatever we want with it but it's just cool the way it is.

(Frankie)>> I hope you keep the flatbed. Maybe not wood but I think that goes with the look of the truck, super cool!

(Pat)>> I think there's actually one thing that can be improved on since look what shop you're in, engine wise.

(Brandon)>> Hold on, we haven't even driven the truck.

(Frankie)>> Options though!

(Pat)>> We have options if you perhaps want to upgrade that 78 horsepower, 77 horsepower, whatever this thing made.

(Marc)>> Well let us enjoy it the way it is and let the new wear off, and then we'll check back with you on that later.

(Pat)>> This would be a great shop truck.

(Brandon)>> And it's got the look, and the potential, and you can go any direction you want to with it.

(Marc)>> We'll just see where it goes but we'll check back with you.

(Pat)>> Well there's nothing on the ground, there's nothing on fire, success.

(Marc)>> Get it off of here so we can get it out on the road.

(Brandon)>> Coming up, we attempt to drive our F-350 into downtown Franklin. Will we make it?

(Marc)>> Well we finally got our '64 F-350 out here on the road. This was our Driveway Rescue, what we call Ran When Parked, that we picked up for ourselves.

(Brandon)>> And for the little that we've done to this truck it's driving pretty nice. The tires are completely out of round, but other than that.

(Marc)>> No complaints here. What was nice was we went to RockAuto dot com and got a bunch of little stuff that this thing needed. Really just a few things to get it up and going cause it had been sitting for six years.

(Brandon)>> I actually found this truck driving home in a field, and the guy was like yeah, it was a highway truck for 40 years, and then he had it from an auction and he hadn't driven it in six years. So literally went out there, got this thing running with very minimal stuff.

(Marc)>> So we got it running, brought it back to the shop, did some more stuff to it.

(Brandon)>> Got it drivable.

(Marc)>> Dyno'ed it!

(Brandon)>> Which is the most ridiculous and awesome thing I've seen on a dyno!

(Marc)>> It was good because this is one of those vehicles that you don't expect much out of it. No one's like oh, 77 rear wheel horsepower that's it?

(Brandon)>> There is no expectation. What you get is actually probably a little bit higher than you thought.

(Marc)>> Yeah, so there's no disappointment here.

(Brandon)>> And I'll be honest, after bleeding the brakes it's not bad. You can obviously tell it's drum brakes all the way around but it feels good. There you go! That's how you find third, double clutch it.

(Marc)>> So I'm just watching you over there and you're like the.

(Brandon)>> It's professor Marvel at the Emerald City over there. You could say it's a two handed driving truck.

(Marc)>> The only thing you're missing is the throttle lever, like I mentioned to Pat. That's the only thing that would make it more interesting.

(Brandon)>> If there wasn't enough going on in this truck. There's a reason why there's no radio.

(Marc)>> Yeah you don't have an extra hand to change it. Here we go now. [ engine revving ]

(Brandon)>> Oh yeah, power shift it baby!

(Marc)>> There it is. ♪ ♪

(Brandon)>> Practical? I mean it's not gonna be flatbed one ton anymore.

(Marc)>> No but it'd be a cool driver. Plus if we're gonna hang on to it we could use this as our.

(Brandon)>> Shop truck, in my head that's my main vision. If we can use this practically as a shop truck. It doesn't get any cooler than this.

(Marc)>> No it's got that look. You look at that truck and you're like oh, that's a farm truck, or a shop truck, or whatever. It's kinda like you said a blank slate. We can kinda just do whatever we wanted to.

(Brandon)>> For this to be a daily bare minimum would be an overdrive, obviously tires, and I would lower it.

(Marc)>> To me there's like a top five things a daily driver needs. Disc brakes, electronic fuel injection.

(Brandon)>> That would be a nice upgrade. Would you keep it two wheel drive?

(Marc)>> To me it could be either. So I'd keep it two wheel drive but I'm with you on the overdrive. So electronic fuel injection, disc brakes, overdrive, climate control. What am I missing?

(Brandon)>> Tires!

(Marc)>> Oh yeah, but I think if you did all those things to this truck it could be easily daily driven. Maybe do some restoration on the paint and kinda go for that.

(Brandon)>> I would totally keep this paint as close to this patina as possible.

(Marc)>> So when I mentioned to Pat that we may keep it he like, hey, we've got all these Ford engines here!

(Brandon)>> He seemed as excited about it as we were.

(Marc)>> If not more, which says a lot.

(Brandon)>> If he's got an engine to throw in this I'm all down for it. What if we do this? What if we let him pick? Since he loves the truck just as much as we do we should let him pick what goes in this. That's actually a really good idea. Just be like Pat, whatever.

(Marc)>> Tell you what, we're gonna go pull the engine out.

(Brandon)>> And you give us something to put back in it.

(Marc)>> And we'll figure out the rest of the driveline after that, perfect.

(Brandon)>> This is a perfect shop truck.

(Marc)>> I love it! We have to keep it! For more about this and our other cool truck builds go to Powernation TV dot com.
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