L60-00511-The "El Bondo Patrol" rises from the ashes...

[moore_rb]

Good day yesterday- Got the clutch pedal and linkage all hooked up, so now I can officially say that ONE thing actually works on this truck....

One down, 50 to go...

[moore_rb]

1) Operational clutch: check.
2) Operational starter: check.

Engine actually turns over? Yes, of course it does. When I stored this engine, I poured enough WD40 down each spark plug hole to keep the pistons loose for centuries...

When I finally get the ignition and fuel systems hooked up and try to fire this hibernating bear, it's gonna smoke like the 80 year old lady sitting at the Triple 7's machine in Reno.... and then the piston rings are going to re-seat themselves, and it's gonna run just as smooth and awesome as it did in 2016, when I tore the red Patrol around it down to spare parts and scrap.

[L60Boerne]

Rob,
Now that description of a smoking motor is funny...well said!
Patrolling with your tailpipe prose,
L60Boerne

[moore_rb]

1) Operational clutch: check.
2) Operational starter: check.
3) Brakes: Check

Its raining in Sunny Az today, so instead of being out working on this truck, I have some time to post a build update...

I'm not going to re-hash any of my pedantic, soapbox diatribes about the Patrol's single-hydraulic circuit brakes, and their designed-in single point of failure (lose hydraulic pressure anywhere, and you lose all your brakes)...

But, I also wasn't going to let this truck leave my stead without dual-circuit brakes. Since it's a non-numbers matching truck that I intend to be a fun, safe, driver, I might as well improve what is improvable, right?

I had originally planned to use the dual circuit, 1-inch bore GM master cylinder that's been sitting in the shelf for years (and years, and years)... advantages with this one are: solid cast iron, and easily replaceable at any Autozone in the United States; but the primary drawback was the bolt pattern to the firewall is totally different. My plan was to fab a bolt pattern adapter, and a custom length pedal pushrod to make this one work...

20200216_121309.jpg

So back to my spare parts I went, looking to see if I had a junk pushrod that could be repurposed; but as I was looking through boxes (and boxes, and boxes) of parts... I discovered (and realized) that I am turning into an old-geezer. I totally forgot that I had purchased this (Protex JB1419) at some point; but there it was, brand new in the box, just waiting to be bolted onto a Patrol.

20200218_105854.jpg

Benefits of this one: Stock replacement for later-style (72 and up) G60 Patrols, works with stock Patrol pedal pushrod (no need for custom). Bolt pattern is still wrong for 1960's Patrols, but the 1-inch adaptor needed was easier to fabricate than doing a "vertical to horizontal" bolt pattern adaptor for the Chevy MC... Here is the adapter rough-fit before I cleaned it up and painted it:

20200217_182105.jpg

After the MC was bolted to the firewall, and the pedal pushrod free play verified to be correct (meaning: no more than about 1/32"-1/16") I went to work on the wheel end of the brakes- Rears got new Protex cylinders, cleaned up springs and adjusters, and I put pack the same brake shoes and drums that came off this truck back when it was green (I don't think they have more than 5000 miles on them, tops)

20200218_122946.jpg

The fronts got torn down to the spindles, cleaned, degreased, etc....

20200215_171541.jpg

Then the fronts got repacked bearings, seals, new Protex brake cylinders, cleaned up springs and adjusters, new brake lines, replaced the shoes and drums that came off this truck (just like the rears), then rebuilt and installed the set of Superwinch locking hubs that came with this truck when I bought it. (the matching blue on the hub dials is purely coincidental... )

20200218_141729.jpg

Making progress... too bad it's raining today, or I'd be out filling and bleeding the brakes, right now

[RiverPatrol]

Excellent work, as always.

What is the difference in the bolt pattern from the 60's Patrol and the Protex dual master? It looks the same from this vantage point, please enlighten.

[Esteban]

Excellent work, as always.

X2

Great pictures and details of the work done.

In addition to RiverPatrol’s question regarding the master cylinder, did you have to use adapters for the metric fittings?

[moore_rb]

Excellent work, as always.

What is the difference in the bolt pattern from the 60's Patrol and the Protex dual master? It looks the same from this vantage point, please enlighten.

3 things:
1) The stock 60's firewall studs are 5/16", and the Protex is only drilled for 1/4" bolts
2) The center to center measurement on the bolt pattern is 1-1/2" stock, and the Protex is a (more common) 1-3/8" (same as Wilwood, and many other aftermarket Master cylinders)
3) To use the stock pushrod, the Protex MC needs to sit 1" off the firewall in order to have that slight gap between pushrod and plunger when the pedal is released

In addition to RiverPatrol’s question regarding the master cylinder, did you have to use adapters for the metric fittings?

Yes- the Protex uses metric flared fittings, but since I had to modify the brake line (plus add an additional new line), I went ahead and did the metric flared nuts at that point.

I ran the rear brake line to the stock Patrol 3-way tee that is bolted to the frame, and I removed the small, S-shaped line that connects the stock Tee to the front brake hose and plugged that port. Then, I ran a new line from the front master fitting, directly to the soft brake hose for the fronts...

I'll post some pics of the line connections when the sun comes back out.

[moore_rb]

I ran the rear brake line to the stock Patrol 3-way tee that is bolted to the frame, and I removed the small, S-shaped line that connects the stock Tee to the front brake hose and plugged that port. Then, I ran a new line from the front master fitting, directly to the soft brake hose for the fronts...

I'll post some pics of the line connections when the sun comes back out.

[moore_rb]

Oh, and...

1) Operational clutch: check.
2) Operational starter: check.
3) Brakes: Check
4) Exhaust: Check

Since this Patrol had rear exit exhaust when I bought it, I went ahead and re-installed what remained of that system (the front half)... It seemed the Flowmaster muffler that used to be installed had somehow found its way out of the parts-bin, and had been re-purposed for some other project (no part is safe in my garage, when there is immediate need), so I had to break out the welder and the power tools and fab up a new muffler and tailpipe...

I think that marks another milestone.. I don't think I have any more welding to do on this project... Which would be just GRAND, because I burned something like ten-thousand spools of wire doing all the frame and chassis repairs on this rig...

now I gotta get it running so I can hear how it sounds...

[Esteban]

Excellent progress, Robert. The muffler and exhaust look at home there.