Pat 12 gets a nose job

[Bob Carriere]

HI Phil

I am currently going through the smae frustration. Grants keeps laughing at me for putting on 2 pieces remove one installing two more and then thebolt hole do not line up.

Fortunately I have other less molested cab 12 to refer to. Yes ...... their is a specific order to installing the sheet metal andnow I think I know.

First of all the 3/16 floor panels that have been in place for years have to be loosened up ....only to realize that the nice hole I cut into the floor plates for the 2 speed T case was too tight and gave me no flexibility at all...... so I removed about 5/16 of an inch on two sides and that made a whole difference. Having removed all the sheet metal panels previously installed Grant and I started to pull, pry with alignment bars and tapered punches and in some cases with 4 inch long bolts to pull everything together...... now all of this work is ONLY for a trial fit..... it all has to come off for the official 5/16 domed slotted fine thread screws...... and also to fit the antisqueak/rattle tape on all metal to metal surfaces.

I don't know how you do it all alone particualrly some fo the frame/floor bolts as I was glad to have Grant work the top side while I crawled underneath to hold the other end of the bolt/nut. Your name did come up many time deuring the difficult fitting.

So it is round bulding inner fender, front inner panel, then remove half the inner fender bolts and do the top inner foot well,....oops forgot to insert the front fenders at this point......yeck !!! then the nose vent panel without forgetting to install the funnel and short peice of duct macterial then over the radiator cross piece then the outter nose panel..... and that is only for one size.

Now I do have a few bolt holes I cannot instal a bolt as the fender support bracket is now in the way.... not sure I can take ther backet off now... and all of this is for one side only..... and the engine cover has to be remembered...

I am sure I will have to remove some panels to get this job done.

Wish you where closer Phil.

Cheers

[Bob Carriere]

Chinese puzzle....

Holly manure...... now I can't post pictures as the system says I need "security tokens" and I think Bill Alexander bought them all last time he had to post pictures.

Any one has a nickle for me to buy a security token???

UN - Cheers

[Ian Johns]

I guess I have lots to look forward to with a cab 11 and 12 to do.

[Bob Carriere]

Lots of pictures Ian...... and then some more.....before...during and after.....
None of the shop manual gives you those details.

Cheers

[Bob Carriere]

...apparently security token is code for your picture is too lrage and needs resizing...

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Bob

Got a kick out of your two steps forward one back, on a good day it is three steps forward and only one back.

Well this morning - Another Lesson Remembered- when things don't seem to fit call it a day go have a cool one and start over again in the morning. Which fortunately is what I did yesterday when the inner fender panels didn't want to fit.

When I started fresh this morning they fitted with only having to remove one part. Which was much better than what I thought would have to be done yesterday.

As to how do I manage to assemble these trucks working alone, you know how the Pat 11&12 are some times referred to as Monkey Faced. Like every one I assumed this reference was to the appearance, wrong it is a reference to who assembled the trucks I am now convinced that they were assembled by monkeys with extremely long arms who could also hold wrenches with their feet. Though I've not taken my shoes off to hold a wrench but come close. Actually a really fast impact wrench will often let you push a bolt through a hole then instal the washer lock washer and nut, if you put the impact socket on the nut you can spin the nut tight before the bolt has a chance to turn allowing one sided tightening.

Well the truck is nearly all reassembled which is good because we have some real hot weather forecast for next week 30C or 86F which will give me a chance to see if after all this work I've actually cured the over heating problem.

Ian yes you are in for a lot of fun and just as Bob says lots and lots of pictures. Don't know how many times I've gone back to the pictures I or other people have taken of their trucks to get a part positioned correctly.

One other thing Ian if you whether or not you plan to reuse the bolts have lots of small containers which you can label right front fender etc and throw all the bolts into the correct bucket. Will help in figuring out what bolts and what size and length to get as well. I buy all grade 8 bolts in 50-100 count bulk from an industrial supplier much cheaper than the hardware store or auto-parts store.

Cheers Phil

Cheers Phil

[Ian Johns]

Thanks guys