[1955 3100]

Originally Posted by dsraven

good luck with the knee deal, big part of it is being your own advocate for physio therapy. I know quite a few people who have had knees done and some have the mindset that the operation and the physiotherapist are what fixes the knee, they just have to show up to the appointments. i gotta tell you there is a huge difference between those guys compared to the guys who are out doing their best to build the muscle back and also doing range of motion exceesises. the physio is just there to check up on you and dole out more excersises and show you how to do them correctly as you progress.
anyway, it will give you time to think about your project, look at how others have done their's etc. if going with the original solid axle remember that the axle moves up and down right under the oil pan so you gotta leave room for that if you plan to lower the truck. there needs to be room for the distributor out back and the water pump/fan out front. some sort of fan shroud is also an asset. there are different length water pumps available as well as different types of belt drives. some belt drives use a serpentine belt and some of thwese will require a different water pump as it turns the pump backwards compared to the v belt style. i personally like to use as many stock parts as possible because they are readily available at a parts store on a long weekend in backwater towns. aset of stock side mount engine mounts from something really common could easily be adapted to work with some home made frame mounts or a cross member kit from a speed shop. the cross member that is originally used to support the bellbousing could be section cut out in the middle, the new drivetrain could be assembled and a new trans mount cpould be made up at the rear of the trans using, again, a common trans mount, then the old cross member could be made to fit back into place with a bolt in design so it supports the frame like it used to in order to keep the frame rails from flexing which affects the cab mounts.
I suggest to remove the fuel tank from the cab area, thats just me, and place it further back on the chassis, which can help with weight transfer and keep the leaks and fumes out of the personal space
I suggest to replace the single system master cylinder with a dual circuit master cylinder. they are available to fit the stock mounts and make the truck a safer ride. going through the whole system would be a great idea, looking for rusty spots on the steel lines, wet spots at connections, cracked or chaffed rubber lines, etc. if you plan on going with a power brake system you may consider the hydroboost set up for an under floor type set up because they give you awesome boost compared to a smaller duel diaphragm vac booster. there are lots of guys on here who have done that set up so a few new posts with that title will get you lots of answers and how-to's when the time comes. a disc brake conversion up front would yield better stopping power with less lane changes under hard braking
a cable operated throttle linkage works well. yes, these trucks did come with the v8 so there is solid linkage available but the cable set up doesn't care if the engine moves under torque, the solid linkage type will notice engine movement
when you are laid up is a great time to ponder, price different set ups and ask the group how to do things and what to watch for
Happy Easter

Thanks, I'm sure once I get started I will need pointers on things I know I may overlook. Have a great day.