Jans 53

[NorCalGal]

I'm going to use the drivers side wheel well for my headlight harness also, I'll hang my wires from the bolts that mate the inner and outer fender.
My a/c is hurricane air and the bulk head comes directly thru the original fan motor hole so I'll just go ahead and run them under the hood.

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by NorCalGal

I'm going to use the drivers side wheel well for my headlight harness also, I'll hang my wires from the bolts that mate the inner and outer fender.
My a/c is hurricane air and the bulk head comes directly thru the original fan motor hole so I'll just go ahead and run them under the hood.

My Vintage Air system is the same as yours. If I had thought about it earlier I would have swapped the fittings so I could route the hoses thru the wheel well as solid axel did. I did manage to route my trans cooler lines thru there so that reduces the clutter a bit.

[ptc]

I used 1/4-20 rod couplings that you can find at HD or Lowes. and then I welded them to the inside firewall so I didnt have any bolt heads on the engine side. Make your plate first to fit all your stuff and then do the mounting holes to the firewall. Just tack them first and remove the plate and then weld em tight!



I put my main fuse box and CDI ignition box on one plate there in the upper drivers corner.

[NorCalGal]

That looks sharp, I welded some elevator bolts to the inside firewall to mount a/c and the firewall to dash support.

[NorCalGal]

Fed Ex delivered my Birthday gift from my hubby today.

[gigamanx]

That's pretty slick! Mine didn't come with a manual so I had to figure out what each wire did and how to connect that to the existing harness. Are you going to use the control panel thing? Seems kind of new for these old trucks compared to hooking it up to the old needle gauge.

[NorCalGal]

No, I will only use the control panel for programming purposes. I like the old school look.The hubby is a loose cannon,lol. I was trying to keep things simple but he reads about all this cool stuff and next thing I know I come home to gear vendors over drive and brushless programmable fans, now he keeps talking about the aftermarket EFI. I can't complain he buys I do the work, WEIRD RIGHT!

[NorCalGal]

Mocked up the radiator with the fan installed, looks like about an inch clearance.

[NorCalGal]

Spent the weekend making running board supports (used Hussey's idea). Still need to blow it apart and do the final welding, but glad to get one more thing done.
Next is to rethink my bed support. I would like to be able to lift the bed wood to have access to fuel tank and battery. Anyone have any slick ideas?
Here's the pictures of today's progress.

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by NorCalGal

Spent the weekend making running board supports (used Hussey's idea). Still need to blow it apart and do the final welding, but glad to get one more thing done.
Next is to rethink my bed support. I would like to be able to lift the bed wood to have access to fuel tank and battery. Anyone have any slick ideas?
Here's the pictures of today's progress.

I've been considering a bed for myself also. I left a space in the center you can see below. I'm still deciding what style I'd like, but I'm pretty set now on doing a center split with two fold up sides. That way I can fold it from standing at the rear of the truck and potentially only have to unfold one side at a time. The added benefit is that I can split the bed down one of the seams between wood panels so it will look like the bed doesn't fold at all

Here are some poor sketchup designs of what I've been noodling around in my head...

Bed down flat:


A. Traditional lift of the whole bed towards the cab:


B. Split lift of the traditional towards the cab. Like a concertina:


C. The one I think I want is a split down the center with either side opening towards the wheel wells. Allows me to open just one side at a time and I can open either from the rear of the truck.


My current bed floor has a space in the center I'll use for the lift areas. I have given myself 6" on either side as a space for wheel tubs, if needed, and for somewhere to attach hinges to.


Something like a trunk hinge to help lift them

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Unive...20(Dec26_2017)

[NorCalGal]

I like the idea of your C illustration

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by NorCalGal

I like the idea of your C illustration

I'm still mulling it over in my head to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious in the execution of it. e.g. is there space for two trunk hinges with the gas tank and an air tank in the way? How does the center of the bed not bend inward when I throw things in the truck? Where do I put air shocks as helpers to lift each side? When lifting, is the length an issue with it warping? How will I latch it closed so the sides don't fly open?

I think all those issues can be figured out in the ole noodle.

[ptc]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

I'm still mulling it over in my head to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious in the execution of it. e.g. is there space for two trunk hinges with the gas tank and an air tank in the way? How does the center of the bed not bend inward when I throw things in the truck? Where do I put air shocks as helpers to lift each side? When lifting, is the length an issue with it warping? How will I latch it closed so the sides don't fly open?

I think all those issues can be figured out in the ole noodle.

Draw it on paper --- then build it in cardboard first....

[oldman3]

nice job...Jim

[NorCalGal]

hadn't thought about the tire changing problem. Thanks for the input. Fortunately I have plenty of time to mull some ideas over.

[JSavoie]

Like having the spare on the exterior side of the bed. One on each side would balance the look though only one on the driver side looks good too.

Simple idea from a simple mind (mine).

[NorCalGal]

So after tacking the running board bracket together I found it was kind of a pain to reach under the truck with it sitting on the ground. I decided to separate the running board bracket from the mounts coming off of the frame, now I can remove the runnng board with 3 bolts and just slide off. In the pictures I haven't drilled a tapped the upper forked end yet but you get the idea.

[joedoh]

hey thats a neat idea, nice thinking

[NorCalGal]

I have made a FEW hydraulic lines over the years, sure comes in handy now!

[iowaboynca]

Ok...i need to ask.

Is pistachio harvesting different than almond harvesting?

*they shake the "L" outta 'em (Some of the ranchers say its pronounced "Amonds")

[NorCalGal]

Almonds are shaken off the tree onto the ground then swept up. With Pistachios you run a shaker down on side of the tree with a receiver on the other, the nuts are shaken onto the decks which direct the nuts onto the belt of the receiver which then run out the back into a bin.
I was always told they're amens if you grow them, almonds if you eat them. Lol

[NorCalGal]

So lately I've been looking for a place to mount my Derale hyper cool transmission cooler. Real estate on this truck is getting tight. I ended up hanging it from the bottom of the radiator support. To mount the bottom I made a bracket that I welded to tongue that comes off the front of the S10 cross member. I only have about 5/8 of an inch between the front of the cooler and the anti sway bar and 5/8 of an inch between the fan and the crank pulley. (I'm holding my breath)

[NorCalGal]

So today I wanted to makes sure my trans cooler didn't hang down below the front bumper so I mocked up the front end, wow is it low! I may have to raise things up after it gets all the fluids and interior in it. The picture shows 6 inches off the ground but after standing on the bumper it dropped to 4 1/2

[Scott2]

FWIW my Derale (stacked plate version with an integral fan) is mounted to the side of the chassis outside the pass side rail and behind the running board, just behind my drop down battery box. There is enough space between the top of the frame rail and the bottom of the cab to run the lines there. Several others have done the same and it seems like a good spot if you can't get enough clearance up front.

[NorCalGal]

Last week I bought some 14 gauge sheet metal and had new bedsides bent up. So today I sat down and welded the 1 1/2 tubing on. Unfortunately the only 14 G I could get is hot rolled.