Some "getting to know my 62" questions

[Phil]

This is pretty basic but what does the inside of the cowl area look like?
Where does rain water shed off too?

I noted rivets about every 10" across the cowl top below the hood.
Does this hold a hood to cowl seal?

My steps in my cab are pretty rusty mostly at the ends.
Is this generally a door weatherstripping/fitment issue?

Just looking for fixes to prevent futher rust.

A note on the ride. I have a heavy duty rear spring pack and
the front has OEM leafs. The ride is terrible. Does pulling leafs help?
Would new shocks be a better fix?

Steering- yea its scary at speeds above 50mph.
Real sketchy like a go cart. Doesn't feel loose, just overly responsive. Normal?

I do have one bad spot in the travel where it will suprise you with a keel over to one side that requires correcting.
Not super bad but I suspect its the cumulative effect of kingpin wear,
old alignment, and tie rod ends.
Power assist seems to be in good shape, usual ford leaks

[fmartin_gila]

Look up under about where the floorboard changes angle to flat right in front of the door, you should find a drain on each side, use a long thin screwdriver or similar to make sure the drains are open.

After a good rain, I have water standing in the step area, I think it seeps around the weatherstripping at the upper and front of the doors.

As to the ride, depends on what you mean by terrible. Shocks will help with control and limit bouncing. If the ride is too hard, you could remove a leaf or two, but then you are limiting your load carrying, depends on what your intentions.

Steering should not be scary. You may have to install a shim to get some caster back into it. After all these years, the springs have sagged to some extent and changed the caster angle. Also keep in mind that if you remove any leafs from the back, it will affect the caster of the front. Bad spot sounds like maybe the adjustment is slightly tight to compensate for wear,and binding at the high spot, Rebuild may be in order to eliminate, unless you can find somewhere else something is causing a problem. Keep in mind these are not new type vehicles with car type handling like the newer pickups, but if set up properly and maintained properly, there is no reason to consider the steering scary.
Fred

[Garbz]

The rivits are actually spiral nails. and they held the rubber to the cowl top.

If your hinge riser is rusted at the bottom there are a plethora of issues involved. they rot out form the inside from water actually infiltrating from the cowl.

Look in the hinge pocket and if you can see inside the cowl the entire lower area needs to be replaced.

The cowl bottom consists of three layers of metal all formed with only a small drain. this being blocked allows the water to rot out the back side and then go into the hinge pocket upright. It is a major project to repair this area. as the inner sectoion mudst be repaired or it will just happen again in a few months. Its a good bet that if the hinge pocket riser is shot the lower cowl will be gone or a bunch of slapped on bondo.

What is the condition of the trucks Torque Box?

Garbz

[Phil]

Here are some pics Garbz.

Still isn't obvious where the drain holes are. Ill jump under the truck again after I put on some work cloths

Any observations?

[Phil]

I pulled the small plates off under the hinges. NOW I know how the fender bolts come out.


Still not sure where the drain is. Does the water run down the firewall or the side of the cab behind the fenders?

There are some leaves visible in the cowl that I need to get out.
Any easy way to vacuum or blow em out?

[Garbz]

In your second pic in the center is the dain. about one inch by three quartes of an inch. on the inward sweeping part. It is about four inches above the rusted out hole

It is horizontal and attaches to the kick panel.

Water from the cowl runs down and out of theese small rectangular openings. you will see the edge of the firewall at the hood hinges this down sweeping area carries the water to the drains.

By the look of your pictures you have major structural issues as all the lower metal is rusted through. you definatly have a hole throught the inner panel into the hing pocket area as thats the only way to get water in there.

Look under the truck at the rear of the doors and take some pics of the torque box it will be a square rectangular box that runs from quarter panel to quarter panel just aft of the rear cab mount. It will be about 12 inches long on a short bed and 20 inches long on a long bed.

You can actyally blow them inot the lower cowl and clean it out throught the vents.



Garbz

[Slick Fan]

This member's got some cut apart cowl pics in his pic album that may help some; http://fordtruk.com/forums/album.php?user_id=69

Here's your cowl drain hole.
You can take off your inside kick panel vent on each side & feel around in there too. I put a water hose in mine, as I pulled the dirt & crap out with my fingers, while the water flushed the rest out the hole.

[Phil]

So as far as the rust goes is this particular example going to be a hell repair?

To a layman and a guy who knows Torinos very well I wouldn't think this was too bad. Can it be pieced in easily?
What gauge sheet metal do I need to patch things up?
When you say "major structrual issues" do you mean, cab busting in half issues?

[Greg D]

There are no patch panels that I know of for that area. Not tough to fab up parts for though. I had to rebuild mine on the drivers side but mine may have actually been worse. The last pic on page 2 (passenger side) shows what it should look like. If you (or anyone else) needs more pics I could take some and post or email them.
http://www.fordtruk.com/forums/album.ph ... 2&start=40

[Phil]

Some pix of the rest of the rust spots.























The Tq box looks ok to me- agreed?

[Phil]

There are no patch panels that I know of for that area. Not tough to fab up parts for though. I had to rebuild mine on the drivers side but mine may have actually been worse. The last pic on page 2 (passenger side) shows what it should look like. If you (or anyone else) needs more pics I could take some and post or email them.
http://www.fordtruk.com/forums/album.ph ... 2&start=40

Good stuff, not too scary!

[Slick Fan]

Geez, speaking of rust issues...check out this truck.
--->LINKY<---
The odd thing is, that with the doors shut, it looks like a decent, rust-free truck. I guess at least it has good summertime ventilation!

[65 66 Ford]

Looks like a Fred Flintstone mobile
The spare cab will give you plenty of extra parts.

[Alan Mclennan]

Slick Fan,dont leave the keys in the ignition someone might pinch it!.

Alan