Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I think we have all had one or more of those injuries, I think it is part of building vehicles. Wash, bandage, stop for a beer, go back to work.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

it's helpful having done it enough that i have a nice little selection of finger splints so i don't have to go out when it happens any more. :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Electrical tape works. Wrap it tighter if you have a bleeder. My 5 year old grandson calls it garage bandaid.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

lookin really nice.. sorry about your finger. they dont call it "sweat,blood and gears" for nothin

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i hate to suggest going back under, but...
cut out the ashtray bracket while you have the opportunity
it's nothing but in the way when you rewire the truck

i didn't and cut my fingers on it more than once while wiring

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

:insert excuses for lack of progress:

chopped up the seat and got it's final resting place all figured. now i just need to fab up the mounts. shouldn't be too bad.

chopped up the Helix pedal bracket and got it to fit. she's bolted to the firewall and the dash, but now i need to weld it back together. also bought a 2nd pedal assembly just to steel the pedal for my clutch. pretty happy with this, need a longer bolt and to chop off the extra now.

https://i.imgur.com/vxqTg4z.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uDMzj3J.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eM47q5l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qSj5dJc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fX5A7nq.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Cv0SLaw.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

That looks like it should work good, and when you bolt the seat down the wood blocks will give some extra support to the floor.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

:haha:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i tell ya what ... i'm going to have to try something else ... i can NOT get the stain color to match floor!!! :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

seat is officially placed, and temporarily secured. the rear mounts are bolted to the factory seat location then tacked to the seat frame. the delrin spacer blocks are just sitting there but will be screwed to the seat frame and not the floor just for support. thought, i might also delete em after the mount is fully welded since the seat leans on the back of the cab anyways. the forward mounts will be riv-nuts in the floor vs the current self tappers now that i know the placement is good. fold n tumble seat still works great too. with the console down you really notice the driver seat being offset probably 2-3" from center of the cluster.

fit the steering and kind of wish i had gotten the 28" vs the 30". i'd rather have the brushed natural finish, but the 3 different finishes kind of sucks, so i might try and get a black 28". in the picture you can see it exits the firewall really close to the frame, and i could use it a little further away from me inside at that placement.

also got the pedals bracket all modified and welded back together, easier than shipping them back to try something different. cut up my 2nd set for the clutch pedal, and spliced the bolts to make the length i needed to get thru the whole thing. it feels pretty good, but now i need to figure out the height to place the clutch master. i was shocked and excited tough that the pedal shaft that came with the hydroboost for whatever application was perfect as-is!

https://i.imgur.com/sltYCux.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Ke1B5EN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/U2LexFv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mtQJLwI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jKKpmSn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0jNHtqE.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Coming along nice. I am thinking on what length column to get. It has a 31" chevy van column now but want aa different column. I want to get the steering wheel away from my leg with the stock seat. May go to a 33"ididit but not sure how it would fit. Keep it going. Steve

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i bought the 30" since that was what the vast majority of them were. i did a quick measure and it seamed reasonable, but now i think the 28 might be what i need. my knee will JUST rub the back of the wheel when i lift my foot high for the brake. and i'd love for it to only stuck thru the firewall by almost nothing.

i'm a 6'3" 275lb dude though. my 5'8" wife wants to move the sear fwd like 1-2", but no way i'm putting in sliders :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

so i did return the 30" natural finish steering, and got a 28" all black. the 3 different materials/textures of the natural was pissing me off.

so funny story, i returned it directly to the Summit Racing warehouse where i like to go thru the scratch n dent pile. well they got rid of it, and that sux, hopefully coming back after renovations cuz even the staff was pissed. so i'm getting my gift card credit at the cashier and with no one else in line i ask for some extra help. their online order history is only 3 years and i've already lost access to orders i made for this truck. i asked if she could print out my entire order history for me to scan back into a PDF. sure thing! so she proceeds to then tell my wife how much i've spent at summit racing since 2013.

:eek: :lol: :dohh: :fry:

so i set about getting the 12V placement figured, that was a b!tch. at one point i got it stuck between the chassis and cab and had to just start cutting, but at least it was stuff i needed to eventually cut anyways. it "fits". engine/trans and chassis are sitting on separate jack stands ready for mounts. i have them all drawn up, but need to get the plate cut now ... i really need my own plasma table ...

firewall reference for how far back it is, the #6 cylinder is totally behind it. the '55 AL radiator is in basically the stock placement to check clearance, and there is some. fun fact: there is 11" from the rocker of a 1955 chevy truck up to the under side of the floor. and yet, with an nv5600 sitting on the ground it still requires cutting! that trans is literally in there with the bottom parallel to the ground and the same 0.5" above the bottom of the frame that the rockers are.

please excuse the second "rock out selfie" ... it just keeps happening! :lol: :metal:

https://i.imgur.com/t3lk19A.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FH2iNBS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nrTH2bf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cg8JuEZ.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looks good man!

We were at the Arlington Summit location a couple weeks ago and they had a decent scratch and dent section...there was all sorts was crap I didn't need but sure thought about buying!

Drivetrain looks right at home in there...:metal::metal::metal:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

"so i did return the 30" natural finish steering, and got a 28" all black."

How far out of the cab does the shorter one extend? Just out of curiosity, how tall are you? Does the shorter column "feel" more comfortable than the longer one?

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Awesome build! Keep up the good work!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looks good in there, at least you will have a little bit of room from the back of the motor to the dash. :eek:
Your not supposed to do that type of transaction with your wife around.:crazy:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

YES! that's where they said it all went! man, there's always good stuff

i'm 6'3 with some long arms, but my wife is 5'8. i set the column where it was on the close side of comfortable for me but the away side of comfortable for her. the 28" should put the butt of the column tube 0-0.5" out of the firewall at the very top of the slot. the DD shaft sticking past that.

it should be here soon, i'll make sure i get pictures as i set up the steering shaft.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Nice looking progress.....Keep it up.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

battery tray's in, including a bolt welded to the frame to attach the ground strap. fuel cell mounts placed, but not totally convinced i like them yet. i need to get fittings on there and make sure i have enough room under the bed floor. 19gal x2, the current plan is to simply tie them together into one volume. no dual tank value needed.

https://i.imgur.com/2n30gOC.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Well you won't have a range problem that's for sure.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

new power steering pump n bracket to delete the factory vacuum pump gives me all kinds of room for motor mounts! and one less oil leak.

drew up the shock mounts. decided to use RS9000XL shocks for the adjustability, so i hit up service and got a PDF with every shock they make listed with lengths and eye's. took a bit to go thru, but found some.

also sandblasted a factory bezel before i made a backing to mount gauges. the plate is actually CORTEN and will most likely get a clearcoat to keep that look. at this point i'm leaning towards one gps Speedhut speedo centered low, and 2 Banks iDash datalogging gauges above. can display anything and everything i'd ever want, plus datalog and tune the 12v when i start playing with it. i probably won't order those until i get the body back on the chassis for good though.

https://i.imgur.com/Y0c0N0x.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j0xRiGj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xFetrz0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PtfENxt.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

so i'll be really disappointed if i never get the chance to throw way too many PSI's at this motor. with that in mind, and my current record of blowing out drive shafts, i wanted to make sure i gave this every chance to live. enter the 1410 series u-joints, ram used them factory on some HD applications and is what the truck-pull guys will upgrade to as well.

i need a 2pc drive shaft just for length alone, and to get out from under the cab easier. i also wanted a CV rear shaft with the CV flange fixed right at the truck arm pivot. this would give me the "perfect" shaft angle thru the entire range of travel. this all meant that i needed a fixed carrier bearing at a different angle than the forward shaft, so really you could maybe call this a 3pc drive shaft. the carrier bearing or mid shaft, will be at the same 6.5deg as the transmission and have a standard shaft between the trans to bearing. the bearing will be fixed to the chassis and give me the fixed CV flange output to the axle.

so the offroad rock racing guys also use 1410, and Branik Motorsports sells this ultimate carrier bearing. however they only sell it with a standard yoke on both ends. Dodge used a 1410 CV in the front of some 4x4 trucks, and dimensionally i figured it could be used in the assembly. i bought a used yoke, mailed it to Branik, and they machined it to work! 32spline chromoly shaft, shimmed bearing pre-load, and ready to weld in. can't weld it with the bearings in there, so once it's fit i'll pack it with grease and install the seals.

https://i.imgur.com/7NzsMX2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZD4x5MY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/h5XxDDh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GWrEjf2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/RGWJv2j.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MuuzLU5.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

small weekend update ... i ended up sleeping more than anticipated cuz my plate order didn't show up. stupid USPS. i guess i also worked on the street jeep some, wired up new Hi/Low heated seat switches :lol: Rain this weekend washed the roads clean so i can start driving it to work again!

got the front shock mounts all dialed in. also got the front clip body mounts all figured and ready, but didn't finish. maybe i'll do that tonight.

if anyone is interested, the mounts are made from old ford truck bolt-on mounts that i cut up. i've used them a lot on jeeps before, they are a great starting point.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://i.imgur.com/rb08LtI.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Ya I think you will have a hard time braking that, but I don't think your poor little 1/4 drive impact with that huge socket on it will have enough torque to tighten the nut properly ;)

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

:lol::lol:

i was an engineer with DeWALT Cordless for 7 years before coming back to Pittsburgh, i have a few other toys i could use ;)

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

oooohhhhh yeah! she officially holds her own face finally!

you might also notice that i chopped out the rad mount and welded it back in. it used to stand proud of the support, but i made it flush to gain another 1/2" of clearance. was going to go further, but this was easier and still helped.

https://i.imgur.com/mLc9Dkr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ApmvJ0i.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Very nice....we need to see a picture with the front sheet metal and laid out.......

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

:agree:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

yes sir!

so page 2 post 62 is pretty close picture ... but i have to wait til the engine is mounted to move it off the current blocks. my plate should have been in on friday, but USPS sucks pretty back and no estimated arrival now.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

so that's not going ANYwhere. a little alignment, a little more strap rubber, a few hoses, n fill it.

https://i.imgur.com/2FkkASf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Noxyj9P.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

"Make the noise!"

https://i.imgur.com/11pd7jF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fnlOyn2.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

she now holds the 12v! I'm super happy with the fit/function of these mounts, they aren't going anywhere. but they just lack something, they don't have the same style as other bits on the truck. they are missing with my eye, but unless i come up with something super easy, they aren't getting changed. front of the crank sits 1/2" passenger, and the trans output is 1/4" passenger to help gain clearance for the starter (and a throttle pedal)

https://i.imgur.com/Q6z8M4d.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ny4cRoN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4SOBymD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rNduJ19.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Nice job on the motor mounts. They should work. They look very robust.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Clearly you havent made enough brackets to appease the digital level. Or you probably forgot to put the kettle on. BadObsessionMotorsports

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

:lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

YYYEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHSSSSSSSSS!!

I might have done some things out of order n had to re-do em ... But she's officially hanging. The crossmember should be good for the chassis, was easy in n out, and won't let that trans go anywhere.

I love the flat belly pics, b/c racecar :lol:

https://i.imgur.com/3Md0whF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FtXjbWf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FTxuyOA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UXBeBd1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ECE4NHZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5Swp9NR.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Nice job!! Will the rubber in the motor mounts give enough for the shake of the diesel? Love your tube work.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Love your fab work. The braces and motor mounts look great.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

thanks! i do love my bender :metal:

so on the bushings ... i guess we'll find out! i used similar poly bushings for engine mounts on the GM 6.0L in my other Jeep, and they're great. a buddy who has a 12V in a square body used windshield installation urethane to inject his factory Ram motor mounts to fill all the voids. not only does the built engine move a lot less when romping on it, but i actually thought the vibration harshness in the cab was better. it was really different from the stock Ram i drove. i don't know what their original build metrics were for NHV, but i've never thought any factory decisions were the right compromise for me. :lol:

side note: if you try and shake the motor, because of the preload in the bushings with the weight, there is NO give in the bushings and the whole chassis moves. if you try and wiggle the trans tail shaft back n forth without the crossmember, the engine mounts only let you muscle it maybe 1/4" total motion. she's locked in