75 Dually build

[3757chevy]

That's true, 1 thing always leads to another.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by aggie91

you left off something on you list of stuff that needs to be done.

The insides of the front fenders really need to be painted. Maybe a satin black to make it easy on you...

I need inner fences too... Add one more to the list!

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

I have a feeling he left about a dozen little things off his list.

Try 2 or 3 dozen... Again death by 1000 cuts!

[COS399]

Sorry it has taken a few days but here are the pics of my intercooler and radiator set up in my 88. He may have had to resize the lower radiator hose. As you can tell the intercooler is inverted and the inlet and outlet come through the air holes punched into the radiator core support. It's hard to see but the inlet and outlet tubes were cut where they are chocked down and welded back 180 degrees from their original position so that you can clear the radiator. Hope this helps.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by COS399

Sorry it has taken a few days but here are the pics of my intercooler and radiator set up in my 88. He may have had to resize the lower radiator hose. As you can tell the intercooler is inverted and the inlet and outlet come through the air holes punched into the radiator core support. It's hard to see but the inlet and outlet tubes were cut where they are chocked down and welded back 180 degrees from their original position so that you can clear the radiator. Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for the pictures!

A couple of questions: 1. What intercooler did you use? 2. What radiator did you use?

Thanks again!

[COS399]

A couple of questions: 1. What intercooler did you use? 2. What radiator did you use?

The intercooler is from a 1994-2000ish. For some reason there is a height difference between this models so you need to verify the height to ensure it fits in you core support.

The radiator is the factory four core radiator.

Hope this answers your question.

[COS399]

A couple of questions: 1. What intercooler did you use? 2. What radiator did you use?

The intercooler is from the 1994-2000ish models but there seems to be a small variation in the height so verify that it will fit in your core support first.

The radiator is the four core that I bought back in 1996 and it was the same size that it replaced.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

[75Dually]

Intercoolers are cool! The gen 1 unit from the donor fits perfectly under the grille. Still need to make the top mount, but that's for another day.

I also got the Dodge radiator fit tonight too. I have started the mock up on the electric fans. I just need to make the additional shrouds and make the mounts. Sounds like a 10 minute job right! Oh I wish....

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

Today was a parts running day, mostly... Actually this is more about how this hobby is having good friends help you with your projects, and meeting new friends along the way. Some of my best friends are "car" or "truck" guys. They just get it, and they seem to go out of their way to help people who have the same passion.

Here is how today went. I started out the day going into the shop and pulling the transmission fittings off the trans so I could make hard lines. I went to Napa and saw my buddy Scott (he is a legend!) and we went back into the warehouse and found a reel of 3/8" hard line. I asked Scott how I was going to make this hard line into a straight line? Well the roller straightener, duh! We go further back into the warehouse where the tool benches are for hydraulics, and he hands me the roller straightener, and says bring it back when I finished. They rarely use it but just Wow! (see below pic of tubing and tool) So while I'm checking out I ask Scott who he knows that has used 4" exhaust tubing (yeah I'm a cheap DIY guy and don't like buying overpriced kits) He gives me a name and a number for a guy just north of town.

Enter Benny and his amazing truck bone yard. Now before I tell you about Benny, I did make a stop before this at a friends shop where he had a 4" straight pipe DEF delete kit he wanted rid of. (pic below). I got it for next to nothing, and he was happy it went out of his junk pile, score! Now back to Benny. I called Benny and asked him if he had any 4" mufflers for sale, yes sir he said come out to the yard and I could poke around and see what he had. Now for those of you who like junk yards, and especially old truck bone yards this was a cool place. However his place is not clean and neat like most of the salvage yards today, nope this was an old school yard, less the junk yard dog though... Benny and I found the perfect specimen and he and his hired hand pulled it for me. Benny BTW is around 85 or slightly older, they will never make guys like him ever again. The cool thing is we sat on the tail gate and swapped stories for quite a while, and I made a new friend. When a junk yard guy from around here says you are welcome anytime and to come back soon, you have made a great bud.

Now why am I including this in my blog? Because this is the best hobby I know. Not only do you get to use cool tools and make cool stuff, but you get to meet folks that make this land great. I don't get why some guys get all wrapped up in shows to the point that they forget to keep it fun. Your only going to get a plastic trophy that is going to collect dust somewhere in your shop or garage. Guys like Benny and Scott are what keep me going. They are the cool part of this hobby. Like Ronnie on C10 talk says "The trucks are cool, but the people are cooler!" Remember to go help a friend out this weekend. You will never regret the time spent hanging out and making cool stuff.

Stay tuned!

[daddyjeep]

Well said sir. I went the other way myself over the weekend. Instead of hanging out with an old school car guy, I helped a kid work through some issues on his truck.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice scores on the parts! Nice to hear ya made a new pal especially one with good parts. Does he have any old heavy trucks he will sell? (I need another project like I need another hole in my head)

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Nice scores on the parts! Nice to hear ya made a new pal especially one with good parts. Does he have any old heavy trucks he will sell? (I need another project like I need another hole in my head)

If you got another project and I was to blame then both of us would be in deep trouble! LOL!

[75Dually]

I have been really busy on the truck lately. I have pulled the engine back out and been prepping it for paint and all the dozens of other items that still need to be done, but I am making progress.

For instance today I got the throttle cable assembly out of the donor and have it ready to go into the truck. I have all the power steering from the truck ready to be bolted up to the Cummins. I now have the 4" down pipe mounted and ready for the muffler to be bolted up. The transmission and the torque converter are finally bolted correctly to the engine. etc... Yup this and about 100 other small items I have been checking off my list. Oh yeah and I got the new injectors installed last night along with the return line.

So the part you see below is one of 3 new transmission cooler mounts I made today. I have decided that I am going to run 2 coolers, the first unit will have a thermostatically controlled fan, and the second unit is an older cooler I have had for a long time and decided that it will be out in open flowing air. Just a bit of insurance to keep this beast as cool as possible. The mount is actually upside down in the pic (the paint was not 100% dry yet). The short portion of the mount will be bolted to the frame, and the long part will have the cooler mounted to it underneath the truck close to the transmission. I will be running steel hard lines from the trans to both of the coolers. I will run the line first into the cooler with the fan, and then into cooler #2, then back into the trans. I will post some pics once I get everything finalized.

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

So I went back out to the shop tonight to mock up the transmission coolers. The bench by the way is a prized possession of mine. My son built it in wood shop in high school. He and his buddies built a couple of them but I got his first one. OK back to the coolers... The coolers are just laid flat on the bench but under the car they will be angled so as to get the most air movement possible. I will run some small supports between the fan cooled unit to the middle support once I find the right angle to mount them. I will also make some ducting for the large unit, but again I will have to see how it all fits first and will also need to keep it out of possible damage.

If your more confused now, well just hold on and hopefully the pics of it under the truck will do it justice.

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

The twin fans for the radiator are done! Now just to mount it tomorrow and I can check this off my list! The sheet metal after it was painted was then pop riveted and then the back side glued together, that should make it a very solid assembly.

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

I had a very busy weekend, but I did get some stuff done on the Cummins and it is close to going back in the truck. I am hoping early this week.

Saturday morning I cleaned the entire engine and got it ready for paint. Then once it was all cleaned I painted it and the valve covers. While all that dried I worked on the transmission throttle valve kick down cable. I do not have pictures of it, but will post some in the near future. Then I spent the rest of the day working on the heater inlet and outlet fittings. I added a temp sensor for the fans and had to spend some quality time in brass fittings isle at Home Depot...

With everything all cleaned up and now painted I decided tonight was time to put the turbo wrap on the down pipe and the turbo blanket on. I just took my time and tried to make it look decent. At least the exhaust heat should not melt the AC unit now.

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

The engine is in! I know I have a lot of stuff to still do but this is another major milestone for me. Now the reassembly begins, and that will be a lot of fun and a lot of work. Can't wait.

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

Engine electrical. Yup this is when I lock the doors to the shop and sit and read all the electrical schematics. Then I go over to the truck and try to make head or tails of all that mess!

Right now i'm about half way through, and I should have the bulk of it done before the weekend. I would show a picture of what I'm doing but who wants to see wires laid all over the place right now. I will show the finished work once I get it done.

Stay tuned!

[Dieselwrencher]

At least there aren't many wires to make it run.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

At least there aren't many wires to make it run.

You don't know how thankful I am for that!

I got everything hooked up last night except for some grounds and the main battery wire to the starter, but that's tonight's job. The toughest job is all the existing wiring that needs to be taken out and making sure I keep the systems I still need and making them run correctly.

Then it's on to things like fuel lines and drive shaft, etc... Getting closer for sure!

[COS399]

I forgot that you have the new radiator support so the newer intercooler wouldn't have worked as well. Its looking good. You won't be disappointed with the mileage increase.

[75Dually]

Who ever painted the that nasty blue grey paint on the injector lines was one mean dude! It took me forever to get all the paint off but now I have some super shiny zinc coated injector lines! Shiny I say, SHINY!!

Today was mostly getting a ton of small things completed and checked off the list. I did get my drive shaft off to the drive shaft guys on Friday. Like normal they are 7 to 10 days behind..., but tell me have you ever had a drive shaft guy that was ever caught up!?!? Just sayin'!

Transmission stuff is next. The coolers and the hard lines, along with the thermostat controls. Oh yes and the shifting linkage, can't forget that. Ug... death by 1000 cuts I tell ya!

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

Some modifications required! I thought I had the down pipe all sorted, but nooo... it hung to low, and was aiming right at the new trans cross member. I wanted it up higher and to go over the top of the cross member which is how I designed that support from the beginning. So out came the down pipe, I removed all the wrap, then did a bunch more measurements, then the sawzall and I hacked it up into several pieces. Actually did some really nice cuts which only needed a slight clean up, and then tacked everything up and test fit it. Now I'm much happier with the fit and how everything is going to flow backwards.

I also got the rest of the battery cables finished up along with a new battery cut off (If I remember it I'll post a pic of that tomorrow, it's a really good one).

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

I have been working every night until late on a variety of items. I should have some cool pics later tonight or this weekend sometime!

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

A good long day in the shop. I got the York bracket finished up, with some help from the Home Depot hardware section. I then got the transmission coolers mounted and plumbed. That was a chore! Nothing better than laying on your back wrestling them into place while trying not to damage the fins. Ug! I used TIG wire to plan out the routing for the cooler tubes. Worked great! I bent up all the tubes to match and then installed them. I actually like doing that kind of work. Put some tunes on and concentrate on the job at hand. Simple...

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

She runs baby! Did the first start up tonight.

So every night for the last 2 weeks I have been trying to get all my items on the check list ticked off. I'm down to 3 small items so tonight I decided to start it up for the first time. It was a hard start for the first time because my batteries were not charged so after they sat on the charger for a while it finally kicked over. However the VE pump is over fueling (huge smoke plume as you can see in the videos below!). I have a second pump I'm going to put on because it has all the right mods already done to it and I don't want to mess with this pump anyways. So tomorrow I will take the old unit off and get the better pump installed.

After that then it is check over all the systems and then take it for a spin!

https://www.facebook.com/75Dually/vi...3083109814507/

https://www.facebook.com/75Dually/vi...6854074812082/

Stay tuned!