Project "My Happy Mess"

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Dynomax Muffler Demonstration - YouTube

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Check this out, 55RamJet's video. nice!

RamJet 350 55 Bel Air Dynamax Hemi Super Turbo Mufflers

RamJet 350 55 Bel Air Dynamax Hemi Super Turbo...

^ he says Dynamax
^ wish my truck's front would jump so easily!

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Small update: I bought some mufflers locally. Their book didn't reference the Dynomax Hemi Super Turbos so I just got the Super Turbos. They are the same ones that the PO in 1991 had installed (Super Turbo 17736's, coupled with headers though). Put them on this afternoon. We had to cut the rear hangers and move the end pipes towards the cab to fit (short a few inches). I can always buy ends to put on to extend, like previously - so that the tailpipe isn't positioned under the bed.

Product Features
- Large internal flow tubes improve exhaust flow and reduce backpressure
- Dyno proven to flow up to 700 SCFM
- Exclusive patented flow director design channels exhaust flow and eliminates turbulence
- Fiberglass matting technology to absorb unwanted interior resonance
- Mellow performance tone

They're only 2" IN/OUT and my exhaust is 2" throughout,
needless to say - I'm not expecting exceptional sound but hope to be surprised, if even a little.

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Magnaflow website

I'll need to upgrade to at least 2.5" exhaust eventually. Probably get an H section too.

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The entire field broke at once, in a mad dash for position, ...it's "My Happy Mess" out front!

Video: Before Dynomax mufflers and After, with. The camera picks up higher pitches easier than my ears - in person the sound is more soft than the video's audio, not to mention it's facing a back wall vs. being outdoors. Installing 2.5" pipes will def. tone it down nicely. Sounds great in person! Even better after it warms up.

the ending is kind of quiet but The Fixer is reving
the engine, you can see the cab jump a little

mufflers.wmv - YouTube

I prob. won't be updating for a while but will post when I can.

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fyi

Video's audio - the chattering sound coming from the engine is coming from the roller rockers. The camera picks up on their sound but it isn't as loud in person.

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One last video. Wish I could edit out the noise, but listen carefully and you can hear The Fixer revving the engine. Like how the mufflers softens the sound. I'll be able to punch it and not draw too much attention - at idle, it'll be heard nice. Not sure when I'll update the exhaust, but I'm not in any rush.

MVC 841W - YouTube

Who wants to race?

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Just a few pics to cap the segment off.

Tapped up defrost vent -




Old timing gun -






New temp. sending unit -




New mufflers installed -






Behind the shop, spot the deer -

[bundeber]

subscribed. Nice build

[litew8]

Thanks. Going to bleed the brakes, put the transmission through the motions (w/o moving, go through the gears) to circulate fluid. Then replace the trailing arms and pumpkin's gasket. Prob. repack with grease and check rear brakes. Then paint differential with Zero Rust.

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Got the brakes bleed. Ran into an issue with a rear bleeder valve being stripped out. Went to the auto store (you know, what I hate) to get a replacement. Wow, what a racket they got going on. I couldn't buy what I needed individually or as a pair, so I had to buy an entire assortment of 10. What a rip-off. Donated what I didn't use to The Fixer's shop. Glad my trips to the auto store are near an end, entirely.

Anyway, brakes bleed good. Tomorrow we'll run the transmission through its gears and then probably take the truck out into the driveway to spin it around - if the weather is good.

[bollybib]

Mostly sunny and high of 42 according to forecast so you should be good to go.

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The weather was nice enough, but my schedule and The Fixer's didn't work out. I greased the front suspension, will run the transmission through gears (a couple of times), before actually moving the truck - tomorrow. We'll see.

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Decided not to take the truck out just yet (it snowed some earlier too). Didn't circulate transmission fluids either. Instead, we're tackling the trailing arms. Ending up having to cut the U bolts off to remove. Rusted up nice. The bottom brackets where the U bolts go through looked to be rusted some. Not sure, but it looks like there are two holes where water would drain?, next to where the U bolts go through. Well, if they were for the draining of water - they've rusted away a little, making the opening larger. We'll weld up some plates to the bottom side of the brackets for better security when we cross that road. Have pics, will post when I have time.

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Status Report - Update

We've been working diligently on the rear suspension/brakes. Got the trailing arms, shocks,
new pre-bent brake lines and track (panhard) bar bushings all installed. Painted afterward.
Here are some pics:

Before:




The trailing arm U bolts were severely rusted, hard to remove.
We had to use a little elbow grease to get them both off.
Cutting torch, pry bar and the use of a sledge hammer did the trick.


















For sale, a slightly bent trailing arm j/k - not for sale




U-bolts after:




Original spiral shock, condition:




Lower shock mount and lower coil cups/clamps, painted (Zero Rust):






Then started to paint other pieces:








Haven't taken the truck out for the first drive because of...






Took off the differential cover, cleaned up, painted, installed new gasket -












The pre-bent rear brake lines arrived from LMC. These are a different bend
than what was currently on there. The old ones weren't really bent like factory,
guessing it's because they were regular lines installed when they switched out
the rear axle/differential 20+ years ago.

One of the lines got smashed when we were taking off a trailing arm (thanks sledgehammer) -
so I replaced them both. We had to modify the bracket though, by relocating/welding it to
the right. The bracket that goes onto the differential cover was also bent upwards to hold
the line steady. The Fixer fabricated a bracket for the rubber lines, and welded in place.







Next up, the panhard (track) bar bushings, replaced w/new polyurethan.


















Putting the cover back on -











...refilled w/gear oil.

New trailing arms installed, finished painting -












And finally (older pic, track bar has been painted), After:




Took the vent doors out of the cab. Not good. Need new seals for both.
We decided to invest in a new toy. It had to be good quality - so we got a blast cabinet.














Bench seat rails, now NOS!










And finally, we're beginning to move forward -




Also, I found 2 OEM lighters for 6 bucks on fleabay.
I blasted them clean and will paint soon. I'll post pics when finished.

[red69ss]

Very nice build....... I like the new blast cabinet, I use mine all the time it's one of the best tools I own.

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Thanks red69ss. Growing up, we had pretty cool shop classes/teachers [mid-late 80's] in high school - [auto shop] included a blast cabinet similar to the one we got. Cleaning (parts cleaner) and blasting parts was just the normal course of work whenever we wrenched in class. We had some pretty cool teachers back in the day that taught us great work ethics.

Have you ever found a solution to the inner protective screen (replacing)?
We're looking for something to use besides the clear plastic sheets.

[red69ss]

No, I use the clear plastic sheets I can't think of any other way. I replaced the glass in mine last year and have been using the sheets since, but they don't last very long before having to be replaced.

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We "think" we've found a "solution". If it works well, we won't have to replace the inner plastic nearly as much (or maybe at all). We'll test it out and I'll post the results.

What brand cabinet do you have? Is the window size on yours 1'x2' or close?

[red69ss]

cool can't wait to hear the results. Mine is a infa-blast, I bought it used from a machine shop. It is built almost identical to yours. The glass is close to 1'x2' I can't remember the exact size.

[litew8]

Originally Posted by red69ss

cool can't wait to hear the results. Mine is a infa-blast, I bought it used from a machine shop. It is built almost identical to yours. The glass is close to 1'x2' I can't remember the exact size.

red69ss, we've got the "solution" and it looks like it is going to work!
I'll post pics when I have time.

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Ok, lets get back to work!
Pictures of the driver's side door cleaned up more, and passenger's side door.
I've done more since these pictures were taken.
Also, pictures of the "Solution"!








Passenger's door - a little worse than driver's.






SOUTHSIDE! Trust me, we know what we're doing!






Below, trying to show that I replaced (right side) one of the bulbs with a huge
45w Day Light florescent. Will get another one to put on the left side.

[hgs_notes]

Those vent windows looked great. Nice progress on the cab.

[VA72C10]

Looking good. Know how much a pain that wire wheeling is though.....I've done that a lot and will do a lot more in the future