Project Crusher Bait - 99 S10

[EricF]

You're gonna keep the hood, right? I mean that hood... c'mon... massive style-points!

[Smithy]

Yessir!

[Ayreonaut]

I bet the box those racing stripes came in said it would add at least 10 horsepower

[EricF]

Wait..... they don't?

I just ordered a set. With the Labor Day coupon code it said I'd get FIFTEEN horsepower!

[yellowx16]

Should be a cool project! Looking forward to the build

[Smithy]

I'm working on the drivetrain first so everything is ready to swap in when the time comes. For starters we have a crusty rusty Ford np205, which is in the worst shape that I have seen in a long time. But its old school reliable, heavy cast iron case and gear drive, no wimpy chains here.

   
   

The inside is full of dirt, sand, more rust, and even a family of mice. Yuck.

   
   

For the most part everything came apart easily, only had one broken bolt. Time to clean everything up, install new bearings/seals and make it usable again.

   

[Smithy]

Instead of sandblasting or grinding, I dropped all the steel and iron parts in 5 gallons of vinegar to dissolve the rust. Vinegar is a mild acid and will slowly clean everything up without harming the good metal.

   

[AlvarezMetalWorks]

How long will that take?

[Smithy]

When I checked it this morning the gears were almost done, the case is another story. Guessing maybe a week? Never tried it this way before, figured why not. We shall find out. It is bubbling away nicely though.

[BlueCrawler]

Never heard of using vinegar for parts cleaning before. Interested to see how that comes out.