Projects Kurt’s Puddle Jumper - 1930 Model A Extended-Cab Pickup Build

Finally some real progress to report. Temporary hardboard dash panel holes drilled and gauges installed Also installed ignition switch.



Wired the lights on the gauges and you can see in the pic that the lights work. Next up is to wire the ignition switch, voltmeter, and plumb the oil pressure and water temp gauges.

 

Nothing to take pictures of. Ignition switch wired and fusible links soldered in the feed to the fuseblock and ignition switch. Tested with an ohm meter from positive battery terminal to convient wire from fuse block (radio). Nothing! Turned battery disconnect on and had continuity when ign sw turned on or to aux. Will checkout more circuits tomorrow.

 

Spent the morning wiring the volt meter and tach. Hooked up the battery charger to the battery connections to checkout more circuits. Have a loud hum/vibration when I turn on the ignition. Can't isolated it yet. Smacked the top of my head a good one ducking into the door. Tried disconnecting the tach and voltmeter with no affect. Decided to think about the problem overnight and rest my sore head. Sorry no pictures. Hard to take pictures of a sound.

 

Well, my head still hurts but I figured out the noise. I disconnected the alternator and removed all the fuses from the fuse block and no noise. As I started putting the fuses back in one at a time it dawned on me when I got to the fuel pump fuse. With the tank still empty, the fuel pump makes a hell of a racket. Left that fuse out for now.

Finished hooking up and plumbing the gauges. Voltmeter shows a reasonable reading hooked to low setting on battery charger.


Don't know about the tach, but will see when engine is started.

To Do List for starting is getting short.
Hookup fuel line to carb
Trans fluid
Antifreeze
Flush gas tank
Fill Gas Tank

 

A couple more items on the "To start" list checked off. Radiator filled with antifreeze and trans filled with ATF.

Started on the fuel line hookup to the carb. Forgot how I installed the fitting on the other end of the stainless braided hose last year. Luckily I documented it on the HAMB. Looked it up and twisted it on before inserting the screw in piece. Will finish it up tomorrow.

Added one more item I forgot. Set the timing.

 

Finished fuel line connection to carb.


Added another item to start list: remove cardboard from radiator. Fixed two coolant leaks at temp gauge sender and plug right next to it.

Tried to static set timing but found my timing light dead. Can't remember last time I used it but know it is at least 20 years ago. Ordered one from Northern Tool for $15.

 

A little closer to startup. Picked up a battery yesterday. Was going to borrow the one from my DD pickup and hold up buying a good one till closer to being on the road. Found I could get a 2 year battery for $55 at wally world.


Decided to install the gas gauge sender before flushing out the gas tank. Had to rework the sender to adjust to proper height in the tank. Drilled the 1.5 inch hole and 1/4 inch mounting holes. Took the gas fill flange off to have room to get my hand in the tank.





Got some 1/8 inch rubber gasket material. I didn't trust the thin cork gasket on the rough service on the outside of the tank.



Still have to punch holes in the gasket. Have a set of gasket punches coming tomorrow.

Timing light due Monday so real close now.

 

Gasket punch set arrived and holes punched in rubber gasket. Always wanted a set.


Vacuumed and washed out tank and installed sender.


Reinstalled filler flange and buttoned up ready to reinstall. Attached ground wire for static ground on filler flange and circuit ground on sender.

 

Reinstalled gas tank and tested sender with meter. Nothing! Had to take it back out, remove fill flange and found sender assembly was not touching mounting disc. Put in jumper wire from assembly to bolt with the ground attached. Put everything back together and reinstalled again. Added 4 gallons of gas while watching ohm meter and registered level going up. Sorry, no pics.

Next up try to start. Put fuel pump fuse back in. Surprisingly quiet with gas in the tank. Took about 2 mins to get gas to the carb. Gave it a try and it fired. This was not the first attempt. I need to figure out how to edit the video down as it is way to large. This was about the 4th start.

Opps, it says file is too large to upload, 27MB. Back to the drawing board.

 

Uploaded startup video to YouTube.



A lot quieter then I expected with no mufflers.

 

Well it started 8 days ago and I stopped. Came down with a bad cold that layed me up completely. They say if you think you have a cold you probably have Covid. Don't know, I just rode it out. Today was the first time I felt up to venturing out to the garage.

I finished wiring the gas gauge and it apparently works, shows just over a 1/4.

Updated the timing mark to let me see it with the timing light. Tried again to set the timing, but never got it running today. Would fire and immediately stall. Will try again tomorrow.

 

Success! Engine started and timing set. Problem was two fold. Seems to take way too long for fuel pump to prime carb, like mins.

Timing was way off. I know I bumped distributor while wiring the fuel gauge but was probably 45-50 degrees off. Decided to chase around the dampner till I found the timing mark with the timing light. Finally found it on the passenger side. Retarded it to 8 degrees and now starts right up.

On to the next To Do List "MOVE".

 

After 3 weeks finally felt good enough to get out in the garage and back to work. Got the new longer draglink cut, threaded, and installed.

Sorry, no picture. Tried to take one but the battery in my tablet ran all the way down.

Even not getting in the garage, I have drawn up a pattern for my front shock and headlight bracket.

 

Here is the pic I could not get yesterday of the draglink.


Made a set of templates for the front shock and headlight mounts. Hope to turn into steel tomorrow.

 

Got pattern turned into steel. Hoped to get 2 done but had trouble cutting them out.



Have been using Metabo Slicer Cutoff Disc's. Have gone through over a 100 since I started on the Model A with great results until I got into the last order of 50.

They have the exact same labeling and appear to be the same, but they just don't cut. They generate a lot of heat and burn the surface but don't cut. Have another 20 on order from a different vendor. Used some older worn down discs to cut the brackets today.

 

I've had the same problem with Pferd 6" x .045 depressed center discs. I tried a lot of brands including Metabo and these were far superior to any I had found. A couple years ago they changed the label color, but the part number stayed the same. All of a sudden they didn't cut quickly and would wear down to the grinder nuts in just a few feet on 16ga. I had been buying at a local vendor so I got a few online and they were no better. I don't know what happened, but I'm pretty disappointed.

 

They saved some money for the shareholders...

 

Sell more discs.

 

Got the shipment of Metabo Slicer Cutoff Disc's and they seem to be cutting (slicing) just fine. Tried an experiment with one of the old batch that would not slice. I mounted with the label down. I always mounted them label up. Label does not say anything about rotation direction. Seemed to cut ok, but a few of that batch did cut ok, maybe 1 out of 10.

Got side plates for 2nd shock bracket cut out and end plates cut for one. About ready to tack weld together.

Had a small fuel leak at fuel line connection to carb. Had gotten a AN6 to Quadrajet fitting (laying in front of thermostat housing) but it did not seal at the carb. Reinstalled the original filter/inlet fitting with a AN6 to 5/8 flare fitting. It sealed on first try. Have a filter with backflow prevention on order.

 

Driver side shock and headlight mount/bracket tack welded and mounted.



Rear:



Hope to get passenger side done tomorrow.

 

Yesterday got passenger side shock/headlight bracket tacked together and mounted. Sure looks better with 2 eyes.

Goal for today is to finish welding and clean up. Having trouble getting the headlights to aim lower. Need to put a wedge under the headlights.

 

OK, I seem to be a day behind posting. Did complete the goal yesterday and brackets are all welded, cleaned up, and about ready to paint. Finally got them pointed down a little bit.






Have to completely rebuild the headlights. Notice I can get a pair of Chrome Dietz Type Headlights from Speedway for $74. Don't think I can buy all the parts to rebuild them for that. Won't need working headlights for awhile especially since I seldom drive at night anymore.

Will not get anything done today as I have to take the bionic woman to the Doc for a checkup.

 

Got shock / headlight brackets painted. Will let dry for a few days before reinstalling them.


Went to the local pick and pull yesterday and got a 1991 S10 driveshaft for $18. Was not ready to spend $300-$500 for a custom made driveshaft.

Goal for this week is to shorten it about 10 inches. This is all temporary to get it moving under its own power. Will get a better one before I'm done.

 

Two steps forward, one step back. Moved the MH back so I could get some lumber stored on the other side to cut up some support blocks to raise the A 3-4 more inches so I can get under it on the creeper instead of crawling on the floor. Had to pump up a flat tire (rear outside dual) so I could move it. Need to pull the wheel off and get it fixed.

Went under on the creeper and measured exactly how much I needed to shorten the driveshaft. 9 inches. Got it cut and setup for welding.



Then welded it. Now need to clean up the rust and put some paint on it.



Ok, that is the forward steps. After fixing the fuel leak at the card inlet, I could not get the engine started. It appears the elec fuel pump quit. Pumps about 4 ounces in 30 seconds. A fuel pressure gauge shows zero. I may have caused it when I was trying to figure out what was making the noise and it was running with a dry tank for 5 mins or more. Oh well!

 

A few more items checked off. Driveshaft painted.



Installed rear end center section gasket. Replaced pinion seal. Injected what gear lub I had in the garage. Need to top it off next week. Was beautiful today high 60s. Supposed to get 3-6 inches of snow tonight and high in the 30s tomorrow. Will not be worth burning up propane at current prices to heat garage so I will take the weekend off.

 

Nothing to take picture of yesterday but got driveshaft installed and painted front shock brackets/ headlight mounts installed.

Today got new wishbone mounts installed. Had temp mounts that were to far to the rear after moving the crossmember forward for room for the radiator. Only tacked in place for now. Will finish weld when I pull the body.


Cleaned up and painted air cleaner. At the far left you can see I added a couple of aluminum pieces to lower the radiator support rods so the air cleaner will clear. Will redo the whole bracket in one piece.

 

Held off ordering a new fuel pump till my credit card cycle ended. Took out the bulked yesterday to easily get to the pump. Decided to check it out today before ordering.

Took it apart and saw nothing wrong. Hooked up to trickle charger and it spun over. Put it back together, hooked up some hoses and tried pumping gas between a couple coffee cans. Transfered 3/4 can in about 20-30 seconds, so working good. Blew out all lines to check. Reinstalled and nothing. WTF? Checked power ok.

Finally figured the push on terminals were coming loose when I put the plastic cover on the bottom of the pump. Crimped them tighter and held. I remember before I bought it the reviews complained about this issue. Engine started right up.

Topped off the rear end grease and lowered it on to jackstands. Started it up and ran it thru the gears to circulate the ATF. Topped off the ATF.



Ready to test drive to the end of the driveway after I reinstall the bulkhead and driver seat.

 

The day has finnaly arrived. Model A drove out of the garage under its own power.

Jockey out of garage:





I had a technical error filming actual first test drive up around circle so this is the second a recreation.

https://youtu.be/iVb5Yy_PhuY

Edited out most while out of site but you can hear it going thru 3 gears at the start of part 2.



Not fun driving without a windshield. Need to get it legal, licensed and insured before driving it more. Note new Headlights and taillights installed but not wired yet.

 

Sorry 3rd video link did not work, try again

 

Sorry again, wrong link, try again