Weldless firewall repair (Updated)

[arrowmntdiesel]

I have been working on a spare Pup that I have at home and one of the repairs on it is the "oh so common" broken out firewall where the clutch cable goes through. The original metal is very thin there and with so many other items in close proximity, I did not want to get the welder out for a temporary, messy repair,so...... here is a few pictures of what turned out to be a very solid repair that improved the feel of the clutch alot. The next set that I make I will change alittle to make installation better, but that is to be expected on the first try. I have templates made up so the next go around will not be so time consuming in the mock up. No special tools were needed other than the two hole saws for the two different size cable openings. Might work for other people if the need arrives for you!

Thanks for looking,

Mark

[dunkel]

Looks good. The pics are great, too.

[pup daddy]

My turbo pup wants one.

Have you noticed on any of your trucks something that looks like a shock absorber hooked to the clutch pedal and the firewall? My turbo has it but not my 84 or 85. I unhooked it and couldn't tell any difference. What is it used for??

pup daddy

[puttputtinpup]

Mark, that is great work! Make up several sets. I'd be interested in buying a kit. So far, my 82's is still intact. I chuckled when I saw several guys checking out my firewall at the Pup meet to see if mine was broken. They assured me it was fine! but who know for how long, right?
Andy

[NeDieselLUV]

I want your rust free red cab! Wow!!!

Great pics too!

[arrowmntdiesel]

I want your rust free red cab! Wow!!!

Great pics too!

Believe Me, I was just as shocked when I pulled up the vinyl flooring and insulation. I have not seen one with the bolts still yellow with the original protective coating still intact. There was just abit of paint flaking along the sill where water had gotten in and sat, so I stripped that area and treated it with a rust netralizer and then painted it red again.

All of this work is being done in preparation for the truck to be sold. I have my 8th grade daughter's Washington DC trip in September of this year, and one or two of my trucks are going to need to be sold to pay for the trip for her and I. I am not quite ready to post it yet, but don't mind showing the progress here on the site. I will offer it here of course first. This is really turning out to be a great little truck. Still working on the interior right now.

Thanks!
Mark

[kravdraa]

Mark, Excellent fire wall fix. Looks similar to one I did. I was able to keep the gromet hole (Used my Bridgeport Milling machine) by boring a percision plate around the hole. It was a light press fit and had lots of margain around it to bolt over the good metal.

Eric

[arrowmntdiesel]

Thanks Eric.

I was amazed at just how bad the breakage was on the red truck. The grommet was totally missing! With the "Mule" truck available to mock it up, I was able to get dimensions for the plate to work on a truck that still had a good firewall or a truck that was as bad as the one I was working with. It sure did make for a nice tight clutch operation!

Mark

[arrowmntdiesel]

Just went through another firewall repair and ended up changing the system a bit for what is an improved mount. This was out of nessecity due to the amount of damage to the firewall itself and what was missing. To date I have not seen a firewall this bad. There was very little left to work with, so a 90 degree piece of 1/4" aluminum plate was selected for the repair this time.

I'll let the picture do the talking.

Mark

[puttputtinpup]

Again, Mark. Nice work!! Would it have been possible to place the inner plate up to the firewall, scribe the holes to be drilled, remove it, then drill them on a press (a little larger to allow for error? ) or get a piece of poster-board and use as a template. Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture. Oh, I get it! Then you wouldn't have a case for getting a new toy... tool!
But really, how to do do it????......manage to get Teresa to help you Marsha shakes her head and says "Teresa's weak. She's losing ground"
Andy

[arrowmntdiesel]

Andy,

Yeh, the plate was predrilled on the drill press. It is the body rib up undernieth the dash that needs to be drilled in place. I got this all together yesterday and my original clutch issue is gone! I have a very solid clutch feel now. It's any wonder I was able to get it in and out of gear at all as bad as this was.

In refference to Teresa helping,....Well.... Maybe I can get some back-up here from Dave (Dccunning) because Donna seems to get it also! The benifits of a mutual relationship in all areas of a marriage have great rewards at the end of the sale!! Talk to you later
Andy, I've got to get up and go do the dishes!!

Mark

[John Boyd]

Add another clutch cable repair for my 86 PUP, performed in the carport some years ago from scrap aluminum.
Pictures attached for cable installation.
Also picture of disabled air pump.

[rpus]

Ok, call me crazy or cheep, wife would say nuts for still having the truck, but i took Mark's basic pattern/idea, but uses a 1/4 inch plastic cutting board to fix my 86. Five months into a cold Nebraska winter and not one issue with the fix. Strong, sturdy, and simple as heck to work with, the cable grommet hole can be drilled with a $5.00 hole saw, cut with a jig saw, and you can cut both pieces from a $7.00 cutting board from Walmart. And the peddle feel is great. If and when i ever get my my camera working, i will add them to the post.

[John Boyd]

Not free, but cheap enough to fix with a cutting board.
When my trans kept popping out of 5th, the garage wanted $200. just to look at it. I bought a bungy cord for 38 cents and attached it to the dash. That was 20 years ago. Works fine.

[Pupfriend]

Not free, but cheap enough to fix with a cutting board.
When my trans kept popping out of 5th, the garage wanted $200. just to look at it. I bought a bungy cord for 38 cents and attached it to the dash. That was 20 years ago. Works fine.

LOL,
I thought I was the only one to do that! I told some of the guys at the airport, that my 'ole Nissan diesel King Cab had a "stick shaker" just like the jumbo jets.....I kept the bungee looped around the heater somewhere under the dash. Since it was about a 4am 37 mile morning commute I didn't have to shift much and it worked well.

Eddie