55*6BT My 55 w/ Cummins power

[II_Slow]

Best news was I received the Bonded Title in the mail last week. I was pretty sure that securing a title would not be a problem, but I've heard so many horror stories that I was a little concerned. Sure helped have a fellow car guy/gear head assisting at the DMV!

I also had the paint/body guy over to look over the door, fender, and hood gaps and we was good with everything . I was waiting on his blessing before blowing it back apart. Trying to make a final decision on color in the next week or so. Decisions, decisions......

When I lifted the cab this last time I did it with the doors on, seats installed, and steering column and A/C inside unit in place. I won't do that again. Way to heavy to try to get high enought to clear the back tires

[Coldshot]

Love the truck! Just did a quick look threw on the thread. Much nicer looking then I plan to have mine tho lol.
12v is something I'd love to play with down the road. Have you thought about wrapping the truck? You can experiment with colours at a much lower cost, the 3m stuff is really nice and easy to use now. Be about $500 if you try it on your own.

Otherwise is say factory yellow

[II_Slow]

Transmission is out and at the shop for upgrade. Very easy with the cab off!
With the cab off, I had the access I needed to fill some of the unused holes on the firewall and begin smoothing it all out. I need the beef up the firewall a little where the brake booster mounts since it was flexing some when I was bleeding the brakes. Finished welding up the toe boards except for one patch. Then I'll roll it over on it's back and finish welding up the bottom, particularly the ends and back of the rocker panels and the back brace. The bottom of the hinge pockets need a lot of love too.

[II_Slow]

Finshed all of the rust repair and filling unused holes on the firewall and toe boards. I need to box in the steering wheel penetration and add the seal (which has to mount perpendicular to the column). Putting a little filler over the seams and patches. I also cut a panel to follow the contours of the engine at the top of the transmission tunnel to clean things up.



Seems like I can spend 2-3 hours at the shop in the evening and accomplish almost nothing. Not sure where all the time goes!

[brimc]

Looking good! I agree with the shop time.
I sure wish the time at work went as fast as the shop time too

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Those little things seem to take forever.
Kim

[II_Slow]

The firewall and toeboards fininshed now except for some final sanding. The steering column was coming through right in the corner but needed a flat surface for the mount/seal so I fabbed a box to fint the firewall. Also the brake booster and hydro boost mount was landing right on one of the raised features on the firewall so I had to modify that. Also beefed it up on the backside to get rid of the flex. The tunnel is ready for the ceramic heat barrier, just need to finish the hinge pockets and weld up the rockers on the bottom.


Also put a stiff wire brush on the grinder and went over most of the cab interior - at least the front half. Applied Epoxie primer in preparation for the sound deadener. I'm trying to get the defroster ducts, wiper arms, fuse box, Dakota dash interface, etc and layed out and mocked up before applying the Lizardskin. I don't want to weld any brackets or tabs after the Lizard skin on on

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice work! Yeah, the time seems to fly by and I can rarely check things off my project list either.

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim

[HeloCrewChief]

Awesome build. I'm on my third Cummins and have been day dreaming about swapping one into my 68 Suburban lately. Just a sweet engine to have. Its the only engine that feels like it would run forever and reliably.

[II_Slow]

Finished patching the floors and welding up the seams from the bottom side. Decided to replace the hinge pockets, replacements delived late last week but not yet installed. Sprayed the LizardSkin sound deadener on the floor and firewall inside the cab. I need to order more to spray the bottom side then I'll put the ceramic heat barrier on the bottom as well. Hopefully it will really knock the noise down on that 12-V Cummins.


(Sorry, can't get Photobucket to rotate the photo right - it looks right until posted)

I was hoping to get the dash installed over the weekend but ran out of time.
I ordered a turbo and manifold blanket, and I'll wrap the down pipe as well. I ordered the Painless Wiring "Power Braid" split wire loom.

Also picked up the rebuilt 47RH ransmission and billet backing plate converter but didn't get it installed yet. Overhaul kit, plus improved clutches, new valve body to increase line pressure and pump fluid in park, and a couple of other weak points like the O/D sprag addressed. Should handle a lot more power than I will be throwing at it.

Lots of work to do but still optimistic for HRPT.

[_AJ_]

Lookin good man. You got like 50 days or so......no problems. We'll see you in Gonzales, La.

[roushinator]

Nice work! cant wait to see more progress

[lower50's]

Floor and lizard looks great. I just drove mine for the first time Sat. In the evening we drove around with the windows up and I was quite happy with how the Lizard worked at keeping the diesel rattle to a minimum.

[Kim57]

Looks real nice.
Kim

[II_Slow]

Originally Posted by lower50's

Floor and lizard looks great. I just drove mine for the first time Sat. In the evening we drove around with the windows up and I was quite happy with how the Lizard worked at keeping the diesel rattle to a minimum.

Contrats on your first cruise. I'm beyond ready to get mine road ready!

What is the noise level on the 7.3 (international?) vs. 5.9 Cummins? They are both older diesels so probably close to the same. Mine is set back 14 inches so it's all up under the dash. I'm hoping to get it quieter that the Dodge was, but I'm sure a factory team of acoustic engineers will do a better job than a hack like me! I'm going to snuff it out any way I can. LizardSkin on both sides, plus jute padding underneath the carpet and up the firewall, and padding on the underside of the hood. I'm also a little concerned with wind noise - the doors and window seals weren't the greatest back then either.

[lower50's]

Thanks. I too think they are similar to noise levels. I will be putting carpet in mine also. My loudest part is my turbo whistle, but then again who wants a quiet turbo!

[Patience]

Awesome job man! You're doing almost exactly what I have planned for mine. Thanks for the inspiration, and the knowledge that it can be done!

Originally Posted by lower50's

Thanks. I too think they are similar to noise levels. I will be putting carpet in mine also. My loudest part is my turbo whistle, but then again who wants a quiet turbo!

^^ Agreed!!

[II_Slow]

Finally finally finally finished the patching, boxing, and sealing the bottom side of the cab. I have to completely rework all three sides and the bottom of the hinge pockets, and redo the area around the rear cab mounts. The bottom side now has both the sound deadener and the ceramic heat barrier.


I started reworking the brow. The donor cab had a good brow but the rats had started nesting there as well and the netal was pitter pretty badly so brushed it and rust treated it. I was trying really hard to finish up the brow and get the cab back on this weekend, so I didn't wait until the Phos treatment completely dried. I suppose that is what was contaminating my welds because it kept spitting and splattering - what a mess. Had to quit on it for now so I didn't finish as planned. I need to finish the brow with the cab propped up like this - will be much easier than welding/gringing overhead.

Here's what was cut out, and whats going in.

[Kim57]

Cab bottom looks real good.
Kim

[II_Slow]

Transmission and converter are back in. Chassis repainted after I let the Phos rust treatment from the cab run down and wreck the hell out of the paint. It's now ready for the cab to go back on. Yeah, so many parts scattered all over the shop that I'm do the tranny swap outside. Transmission jack don't roll so well in the grass, have to move the truck instead.

Damn that's a lot of motor!

I'm ready to flip that little lever on the ratchet from "loosen" to "tighten" and hopefully this will be final assembly.

[dug224]

Looking forward to seeing it all together....and, yes, I agree, that's allot of engine! dug

[II_Slow]

Finally finished patching the rusty brow using sections from my donor cab. A little more clean-up to do but about close enough for a little filler.

100% of the patch work done on the cab now. Still have to put the dash back in, fabricate a console, and do something with the back of the cab and the corners (cosmetic stuff and a place for the speakers). I am now exactly where I intended to be in November of last year!

The paint/body guy needs the cab back on to do the doors and get the fenders blocked to the doors. Using the Flintstone lifting mechanism and cherry picker as seen in a couple of other build threads, I was able to set the cab back on the stand, then lift it back on to the chassis all by my self. It was a little nerve racking having the cab suspended 30+ inches off of the ground and running the lift in under the chassis, but it went surpringly well.



The firewall has been smoothed and material added to follow the countours of the engine, should look really good in color.



The engine needs to be touched up after getting brake fluid on the valve covers and sitting outside.

Looked like this a couple of years ago!


I spoke with diesel shop owner that repaired my fuel pump a year and a half ago yesterday. He worked for Bosch for years building and upgrading P-Pumps before starting his own business. He says he can easily get 400hp out of it with stock delivery valves, injectors and turbo, possibly 500 but no promises. I was hoping for just 300-350, so I hope he's right. Looking at doing a fuel plate, new boost reference elbow, 3200 RPM governer spring, and some mods in the AFC. Torque on these engines is about 2x the HP, so this thing should pull like a freight train. Better not smoke like one though - not a fan of the stupid "rolling coal" thing.

[Kim57]

Engine looks real nice all cleaned up.
Kim

[lower50's]

Looking real nice I really like how the fire wall follows the motor. I have read couple different places that you can get up to 500-600hp out of a stock 5.9L with only adjusting stuff. I have my pump turned up 20% and I only get a puff of smoke, I think yours should be ok.