Weekend at Bernies...err. Drew's ( a weekend report)

Drew Merrick

Drew Merrick

Member
The weekend started for me at the exceptional IHSTO meeting conducted over at one of the roth's main compounds. It was a damn good meeting with some old and new friends and a diversity of IH iron second only to the Binder Bee. Thanks Mike and ken.

After the meeting Mike mayben brought his high profile mobile IH engineering lab over to my place for a couple of days. I let him get to sleep after a good bit of jawin on Thursday night but got him to work early Friday morn after some pancakes and scottish eggs. Something very new to him!

Friday:
First thing on the list was to start the Travelall up and evaluate my rebuild. The battery was nearly dead so I had to pull the suburban into the field and give it a bit of a jump. No the suburban will not get a "official IH recovery vehicle" sticker :dita: that sticker will go on the john deere mower who had to give the Travelall a jump start after we set the dwell :winky: .

Along with the dead #8 cylinder and poorly set timing there was quite a bit of lifter noise. We pulled the cover on the even side head and Mike pointed out that one of the rods for the #8 cylinder was missing. "well hell, that explains the loss of compression, better git yurself a flashlight and a magnet and get to fishen". I found the broken rod nestled nicely in the valley floor. We replaced it with a curiously shorter rod from the set off the 152 to further diagnose the oiling system. I used a vice grip to compress the rocker arm.

Once the Travelall was firing on all 8 cylinders and I got enough cardboard to build a mansion for a downtown transient, I threw the cardboard under the t-all (driveway is being resurfaced on Monday and oil is a no no :nono: ), we started it up and observed the oil flow. The reason for the broken rod was pointed out by Mike. Although there was some flow to the back rockers it was hardly enough to keep a valve from sticking. We made a plan to rebuild the rocker assembly using the shaft from the 152.

After we got all 8 pistons pumping air Mike showed me the proper way to set dwell and adjust the mixture screws. I added some oil and amazingly the lifters stopped chattering (all but one on the other side). I added some brake fluid to the master cylinder and I had brakes again... The master cyl needs to be replaced so the brakes are intermittent. But I am crazy enough to take it out on a test run.

While I was taking care of the kids and getting dinner ready Mike looked the 152 over and pulled my cam out. The prognosis isn't good. The 152's main crank is scored and might not even be fixable with a 10 grind. The cam is ultra screwed. There are hardly any lobes on the last three and the there is one lobe that is completely gone. There is so much evidence of bad dirty oil over many many years.

I threw a t-bone down on mikes plate (he was more familiar with that than a scottish egg) and made him eat with the boys. My kids have all taken quite a shine on him and they just wanted to hang out in his mobile tech station.

Saturday I had the kids full time as my wife had to spend the day at a high profile baby shower. My one day to work on vehicles was now over. Greg's son Mike showed up with his truck and mayben and him hit it hard with some specialized tuning. I didn't get to hang out that much with them but I do know that truck sounded about perfect as it drove out the driveway.

Mike stayed on and fixed up monte's carb and did some schematical diagnosis on the Travelall. Mike even learned a few new things, like, 1967 Travelall doesn't use a resistor wire or a balast resistor and the coil only has one wire. :icon_eek:

well that's it for the weekend report. It was a good weekend, got alot done, the Travelall is running but needs a bit more work for road worthiness and the Scout 80 had a minor motor setback.
 
All them kidz wore my azz out! I just woke up from my third nap of the day and it's only 2:30p.

One helluva productive work pardee though! And I didn't know that ya could actually eat geodes before they wuz cut and polished! Them goats in tha pasture shore lay sum strange aygs in yore kuntry!

Been doin' sum more research on that t'all ignition wiring...now I got wiring diagrams here I kin see! And all variations of that IH crap (even the old rigs) used a "resistor wire" for the coil feed with no bypass for starting. Since I didn't actually check the switched feed entirely, then mabee there is a resistor wire taped into the harness inside the cab where it's bound to catch fire sumday! Shows to be a 72" chunk of toaster element wire to give 1.8ohms. We need to check that more thoroughly next time. There was just too much to do to git too deep into the guts this trip since we wuz onna "makerun mission".

Drew couldn't stand not havin' sum bling on this beater! So he made a trip ta snake a chrome dual throttle return spring and mount! The IH oem return spring works real nice for slammin' old wood screen doors, but ain't wuff a shit for keep tha loud pedal from layin' on the floor when it don't need to.

But tha boy is hardware-challenged since he ain't made a run ta coastal farm or wilco store for 20 pounds of that cheeepazz nutz and boltz yet. So's all he had wuz a too-long bolt! But he did find a use for a craftsman socket that added a touch more brightness under the hood!
 

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As for tha Scout 80 152 motor...ain't never seen one so wore flat out! Dam thang prolly never hadda oil change in 40+ years!

Cam's missin' mosta 3 lobes and a few others are on tha way out tha door. Lifters wuz dam near wore all tha way through! One pushrod was strange, it had been replaced but was about 0.040" short! No tellin' what it came from. Now doubt a valve seized and snapped a pushrod, same as on the 304 in the t'all...that's a classic IH motor failure mode. Little/no oil to tha top end.

Rocker shaft showed signs of wear bad onna few rocker pivots, so that means tha shaft weren't oilin' too guud...no wonder, tha dam cam bearings had almost left tha scene in entirety!

The crank journals is all bad wore lopsided and grooved like they been knurled. It'll take at least a 20/20 grind ta bring 'em back.

Didn't measure tha bores/pistons as now that don't matter, this block needs a total machine operation and based on all tha concrete mung in that water jackets it's gonna have ta be tumbled after a hot tank operation.

Tha babbit layer was peeled off all tha cam bearings, even one of tha shells wuz wore through! Big chunklettes of babbitt layin all over!

Just a typical woreout motor...yeah IH motors wear out jes' like anythin else if they ain't serviced every 20 years or so.

We got plenty 152/304 heads ta use as cores for reman, so that ain't no problema.

The cellcam pic is crap but ya can git an idear of how bad them cam bearings are. And the #1 bearing was not ever lined up proper at the factory, the spit hole is half restricted. And the #1 wuz tha best bearing of the lot!
 

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Nice work boys! Drew Dad reminded me that we have a pretty nice running 152 stored in a Scout 80 over in our "north storage yard" we should bring it over to the ihcs and you an mayben could check it over. If it passes it's tests I know it could be bought for a fraction of a rebuild. :gringrin:

not much IH related this weekend. I did have a blast at the meeting on Thursday. Very exciting to see so much IH iron at a regular club meeting. I hope it keeps up..:gringrin:

we did drag home a 1965 custom 1100 Travelall on Saturday and Dad started taking it apart. However I got a pm from a club member that was interested in the whole thing. So I called Dad off and the truck should be picked up today by it's new owner.:gringrin: one more that won't be taking a boat ride to china...:nono:
 
It's good to know you found someone for the Travelall, though I was kind of hoping it had the gas tank accessories I was after :gringrin: but I have got my jerrycan in a bag system going now so no worries.

I talked to your Dad a bit about that 152. It sounds like we might be talking a deal here soon. I would need to run a compression test and take a good look at it if that's ok.

We had our driveway re asphalted today. It's all nice and shiny and very black. I am going to have to find a solution for the IH drip.. And no it's not something you get in a foreign port of call :icon_4laugh:
 
drew merrick said:
it's good to know you found someone for the Travelall, though I was kind of hoping it had the gas tank accessories I was after :gringrin: but I have got my jerrycan in a bag system going now so no worries.

I talked to your Dad a bit about that 152. It sounds like we might be talking a deal here soon. I would need to run a compression test and take a good look at it if that's ok.

We had our driveway re asphalted today. It's all nice and shiny and very black. I am going to have to find a solution for the IH drip.. And no it's not something you get in a foreign port of call :icon_4laugh:
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I'd vote for swapping in a runner 10 out of 10 times over rebuilding. With all the rebuilds that I have seen that have either stalled out or taken 2 years or taken 5000 thousand dollar to finish.... There is a certain place in woodburn that has about 6 half finished engine swaps rusting away if you'd like some motivation. :dita:

and really if you can't find a running engine in this club that is looking for a new home - you aren't trying :gringrin:
 
chris pucci said:
I'd vote for swapping in a runner 10 out of 10 times over rebuilding. With all the rebuilds that I have seen that have either stalled out or taken 2 years or taken 5000 thousand dollar to finish.... There is a certain place in woodburn that has about 6 half finished engine swaps rusting away if you'd like some motivation. :dita:

and really if you can't find a running engine in this club that is looking for a new home - you aren't trying :gringrin:
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We don't want any $5,000 options:nono: I do have a brand new gasket and core plug set for a 152 sitting on my parts shelves. I have a new set of bore gauges, calipers, and inspection tools. And I have enjoyed ripping the engine apart. My direction is to find a swap. But I can't help the desire to see the cam and crank. With an engine swap I instantly have quite a few parts for a 152 and some crossover 304 parts (rods and rocker shaft have already come in handy for 304 application).

If Mike r's engine looks good then I will do that for sure. I might even look at buying some other parts off of it to help along the restoration.

I will outline the work I need to do on the Scout 80.

chasis
  • new shocks, shock bushings, bolts, and possibly hangers
  • new motor mounts and transmission mounts
  • clean and inspect d-27 front and rear
  • inspect clutch assembly and assess condition
  • get a clean frame from lonnie
  • inspect and clean the transmission
  • inspect and clean the transfer case (water came out on removal)
  • paint chassis and drive train
  • install slight body lift (cj5 probably)
  • rebuild brake lines on axles
  • rebuild parking brake (cable broken)
  • buy new tires

I have quite a bit to do. I really need to get the frame clean and painted up. Once that is done then the rest will come fast. The motor and tranny mounts are expensive. I still have not made up my mind about por15 yet. That could be another major expense along with the unknown clutch and tires. I haven't looked into the economics of break lines, fittings, tools etc but I bet it's not cheap. I will use van sickle line of paint in the case IH tint for the engine and engine parts, cheap at $25 a gallon from wilco. The biggest thing holding me back is money right now.
 
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Right now...our 4 banger engine kits are selling for $622.47 which includes a reground stock cam profile with new lifters. New camshafts for these motors are not available like they are for IH sv apps. Then back out about $85 for the gasket set you already have. This does not include any valve train items associated with the head such as replacement valves if needed. Includes an oil pump rebuild kit which is all ya need, we can "upgrade" the pump at the time of rebuilding using some tricks (no shimming of the relief valve with washers!).

I'd estimate the machine work for the block and head to run around $350 at current prices. That would include the crank grind, bore job, cleanup, cam bearing install (or we can do that), and the head work.

We also have available a "crank kit" which might be even less $$$ as opposed to machining the original crank.

And I have two 152 motors on the stands right now, either are candidates for building but who knows what shape the guts are without inspection. One was a runner which I watched the cam bearings dissolve on before my eyes, so I know what's wrong with it! Any motor (no matter where it comes from) that is not currently running and able to have compression, oil pressure, and top end oiling verified is only a "core" to me. Been there/done that too many times!

Even in the case of your newly re-born 304...it's still only a core until the valve train noise/oiling issues are solved, simply replacing the botched rocker assembly doesn't make it oil, but that's the next step. I should have a fresh assembly ready by Friday for that motor.

You already have mucho dinero tied up in the weber carb dealybob, that sure would be much nicer onna "built" 196 that is freshly-prepped instead of a 152! For the same dinero as building a 152!

I personally think that por 15 is a total waste of time and cash, and it's a mega azzpain to deal with. Plain old industrial/implement enamel like the excellent vansickle stuff will outlast anyone's lifetime, most especially if all the bare metal is primed before hand. You already have the gear to spray that stuff, just need the proper thinner for the vansickle product.

This crap rotted away because of the sub-standard design engineering that went into the rig initially, aided by production methodology where corrosion inhibition was not a consideration by any manufacturer. It was only in the mid-70's when the feds stepped in and mandated "rust-thru" warranty that deetroit and their spawn did anything "minimal" about that issue.

Then add in 40+ years of neglect and non-op, sitting inna pasture or a ditch, with no weather protection, and anything will rot away!

You are gonna freshen the chassis once and then you will never deal with that again! If it becomes a fambly heirloom, it will still not turn to dust in the kidz lifetime if they take care of it!

I'd concentrate on building the s80 rolling chassis for now, set the body aside for later. Tarp it and roll it outside to free up needed shop space, wish ta hail I had that mobile body workbench!! If ya wanna scruu with it, do it outside! Ya need the shop for the t'all, it don't need to go back to pastureshop!

Without a chassis, ya ain't got shit. Ya saw lonnie's rig at the bee, set your sights on something similar. That's much labor (which in your case is free), with very little cash outlay. Hail...ya can drive it without a body! Them boyz can sand and grind just fine, put 'em to work! Dani too! Obi will lick up the grinding sluff also! Mount them cheeepy jackstands on some hf casters and make the chassis mobile too! It doesn't need to be square and perpendicular to the floor for restoration, ya ain't buildin' a new suspension! This is all doable right now with little cash outlay...don't sweat a motor, sumthin' will come along when it's supposed to! Or...the fookin' county animal control will come and snag it through the fence and take it away.
 
Wise words Mike. I don't have to jump on the first motor I see. Ultimately I will have a 196. Someday it will come my way. But if the roth's have a running 152 with good compression and good oil gallery functions and they are asking the right price I would have to consider that as the tweener option. They are good guys who have gone out of their way to help me out. But now that Mike has remembered he has this vehicle he might be able to find someone in need of one and want's the motor as well. Maybe I can talk mikes daughter into the scouts and get that s100 of his hands instead of a motor ;)

van sickle paint is reduced with naptha. They recommend starting at a 10-15% before moving on to 20%.

They have a basic primer in white, red, yellow, and black. It's not a hi-fill primer but van sickle says it's pretty meaty.

Van sickle also has an enamel hardener you can add to the paint. They say add it prior to thinning.

I am going to shoot the chassis and drivetrain with van sickle.. And I will probably shoot the body as well. I saw some metallic structures in their custom paint line!!! :winky:
 
Drew,

Dad and I have a couple of 4 cylinder cams if you need one. I don't know the shape, so you'll need to have them inspected. The one I am thinking of appears to the naked eye to be in good shape. Let me know if you need it.
 
Back to the t'all semi-oiler.

I sterilized a rocker assembly for ya today, went through five shafts to find a good one. It's been completely douched including swabbing with a 20 gauge bore brush and new core plugs installed.

There is a correct mounting bolt in each end stand to hold it all together. Those are "specials" and have a nylon button in the thread, don't toss 'em in the scrap bucket, I want 'em back!!! The whole thing is pre-lubed with moly-filled assembly lube.

Clean and dry each mounting hole in the head, then put some hylomar on each bolt thread before inserting. Some of the holes in the head penetrate the intake runners, if ya don't seal 'em, it'll suk oil and also create a vacuum leak(s).

Should take 30>45 seconds after starting for the shaft to fill with oil, purge the air, and start droolin' oil down each "split" in the rockers. Pay close attention to #8 and verify that both the intake and exhaust rockers are oiling and oil is running steadily onto the valve stem tip. Currently, neither one is oiling.

Do not disassemble the original rocker shaft, I wanna see it myself and tear down carefully to diagnose why it was not spittin' lube. So consider this a trade!

You can find the fresh one at ken roth's tomorrow (Thursday) after 1pm. I'm shuttlin' the traveler up there in the mornin', then we're gonna go recover the other t'ette. May end up takin' the thumb taxi home tomorrow nite??

Today we lined up a warehouse source for new rocker shafts of both designs (9 stand and 4 stand), new stamped-type rocker arms, and reconditioned welded rocker arms. In stock and on the shelf now. No rocker stands as those are proprietary, but some p/n's are still available from IH dealers.
 
Damm, sounds like u,all are having way too much fun! If you ever get out the nebraska way stop in and say hi, I won't have you do any work (well maybe a little :)).
Ron
 
I could show up any time ron! A few years back I was going back and forth from here to omaha when my wife was temporarily living there onna work project. And me and tate shuttled his travelette through there just last year on the way to it's new home in lower indiana.

In fact...another travelette "shuttle" May be in the works right now...goin' to lower yankeeland also!

Stand by, you May be in trouble, ya better hide the grub!

Bring this old crap to life is what I get major enjoyment from...especially helpin' these kids that don't know a claw hammer froma crow bar! Got pass on the tradition before I pass on myself!
 
Hey, come any time!! Need a place to stay coming through, stop by. Food will be on the grill if I know your coming. It would be great to meet some of you guys.
I live north of omaha, more in line with sioux city iowa, 80mi west.
 
Yeah, what chris said. The fwb's has got lot's of gnawlij tuh skweez out of ya yet. You ain't dun by a damsite. Chomp on yer vytamin seas and stick tuh the lean ground chupee meat. We gotcha on retaynors 'til 2028.
 
Welll...today came mitee close to both me and ken takin' our last suks of air!

But ken just dropped me off at home after tha big adventure of tha decade and I gotta go change shorts that got fouled a bit after we kinda slid to the edge of the canyon and hung there kinda all womperjawed. We got enuff storeez ta tell now to last at least anutha year, and Mike got the aftermath on digifilm.

A true wilecoyote day today!

I got enuff spare parts on tha other laig to do another quintuple. But these modern drugs have now made me bulletproof. That theory was tested today...it worked!

But tha latest t'ette is now down off phelps mountain!
 
Needa status report grasshopper II!

Got oil to #8 rockers???

Lifters quiet down any?

Done the "motor flush" deal we talked?

Got cinnamon rolls in tha mail to me?

I'm headed back through yore kuntry mabee on Tuesday...I'm gonna avoid ya unless ya got sum positive feedback!

Don't need no lame excuses like..."fambly stuff got in the way"...or "dawg's snakin' chikins agin", or..."I'm broke", or..."it's too hot/cold/rainin'/snowin'/wind's blowin'". Etc.
 
michael mayben said:
needa status report grasshopper II!

Got oil to #8 rockers???

Lifters quiet down any?

Done the "motor flush" deal we talked?

Got cinnamon rolls in tha mail to me?

I'm headed back through yore kuntry mabee on Tuesday...I'm gonna avoid ya unless ya got sum positive feedback!

Don't need no lame excuses like..."fambly stuff got in the way"...or "dawg's snakin' chikins agin", or..."I'm broke", or..."it's too hot/cold/rainin'/snowin'/wind's blowin'". Etc.
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Ha! No excuses. The rocker you built is still down at ken's. I gotta go down this week and get it. I have been out camping all week up in the high desert of the cascades. Well, I really wasn't camping.. I was taking care of my kids while they camped...:icon_eh:

Mike, I got all the stuff to do the lifter flush. My shop is still filled with Scout parts so I need to make some room. I'll get'er'done though.
 
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