SkinnyG's '61 Apache

[SkinnyG]

I forgot to take a pic with the back all down too:

[cwcarpenter98]

Looks great man! Keep up the great work

[SkinnyG]

According to this document (page 60), we're sitting at 8.2" lower, referencing the roof measurement.

[SkinnyG]

Trial fit the engine and trans into the frame. Yes, I will have to shorten the oil pan about 1.5", or spend $200+ for a F-Body pan, assuming I can't find one at the wreckers.

[SkinnyG]

'61 C10 Apache Part 8: Suspension & Steering...

[SkinnyG]

Working on shortening the LS truck oil pan 2".

Baked all the oil off in the oven for seven hours. Cooked it outside because I don't fully trust my electrically-molested oven inside the shop.



Pieced together the bottom of the pan using 3/16" Aluminum plate. I'd already be finished, but I ran out of Argon. The pan is not as short as the F-Body LS pan, but I lengthened it to match. No idea what the capacity is now. The bottom matches the bottom of the 4L80E pan.

[Apache1961]

Love the build, finally someone working on a '61 that I can use to copy ideas from. Re-purposing newer OEM parts on projects is my favorite way to build. I have a long bed fleetside C20 that will eventually get a 6.0 LS, NV4500 5 speed, and all of the '87 C20 suspension that I have sitting in garage.

Things like can the x-frame be shortened, and is there room to fit a gas tank in the rear have not been done on a 61 from the research I have done. So I will hold tight and see how yours turn out. I want to do a hidden hitch behind the license plate and hide the fuel filler behind the left taillight. Mine will be used more as a daily, fun to drive truck that I can potentially use to pull my car trailer. I am only going to dropping it a couple inches front and rear and plan on keeping it a long bed for now.

But thanks for updating your build thread, can't wait to see more updates.

[SkinnyG]

Pan welded up. It was not fun aluminum to weld. I also sharpened a LOT of tungsten. Drain bung on bottom front, turbo drain bung left rear, oil level sensor right rear.





One wee leak at the back which I fixed. This is 6.5L of solvent in the pan; good capacity.

[Captainfab]

Yeah cast aluminum that has been subject to oil and such is no fun to weld. Baking it like you did is about the best you can do to try and get the oil out of the pores. Looks like a good job welding.

[SkinnyG]

Motor, trans, and cab, at ride height. Oil pan flush with bottom of frame.

[SkinnyG]

I shoved the motor around until it was centered in the frame rails, and just far enough away from the firewall that I probably could get the heads off the head studs without dropping the motor or pulling the cab. You know: serviceability.



Finally got motor mounts tacked together. I initially tried to mimic the 63+ mount in tube, but attaching to the new (higher) upper control arm mounts to give it rigidity. Worked fine on the passenger side, but not the driver's side because of the steering - nothing seemed to work well.

Then I thought if I ever wanted to ditch the turbo and run headers, that tube would be in the way, so.....

Simple "ears" off the crossmember, basic plate on the motor, the tubing will be gusseted.





Driver's side got the ears further down to clear the steering (this is not the u-joint I'm using, I'm just gauging space). Not symmetrical (boo), but it will work (yay). Though I will very likely change the tube and make it centered in the mount plate (double yay).





Not a lot of clearance between the motor and the rack:

[SkinnyG]

That's better. Vertical is more eye-pleasing. I'll gusset the back.

[Android04]

Looks killer!

[SkinnyG]

I was not happy with those motor mounts. I am much happier now.

Driver's side welded and installed, passenger side ready to be tacked.

[cwcarpenter98]

I like the looks of the new mounts. Would adding additional bolts from the mount to the frame add in some more rigidity, or would that be a little too much? Seems pretty easy to do if desired

[SkinnyG]

I will probably add a couple bolts in the top. You're right though - easy to add later (which is why I haven't done it yet). There are no factory bolt holes in the top of the frame.

Trans mount is 1.5" tube, with 3/16" flanges, 3/8" bolts. Driveline is about 3° down, and none of the driveline is below the frame. I will -probably- have to modify the top of the frame "X" (and cab floor?) for driveshaft clearance.

[Apache1961]

I like the engine mount design a lot more than the old vertical one, might have to use this idea on my '61 in the future. Is the tube currently welded to the subframe, or are you going to use bolts so it is removable? Looks like if it is welded you can't remove the subframe.

[SkinnyG]

There is a 1/2" bolt coming up through an existing hole in the crossmember (had to enlarge the hole slightly), threaded into a welded nut and flange in the bottom of the tube.

Having suffered through working on some of my previous modified vehicles, I have a keener eye for "serviceability" now. (grin)

[Apache1961]

Makes sense! I work in the auto industry and even we forget about serviceability sometimes until it is too late. Figured you didn't weld it but I was curious.

I also like your tranny mount. Did you delete the bell housing mounts and crossmember then? I have an NV4500 for my '61 that will need a new crossmember when I have time for the swap.

[SkinnyG]

The SM420 trans mount was cut out completely.

I saw this design on somebody's build page and I liked the look.

One of the things I didn't like about my motor mount design was that if I chose to lose my turbo and go headers, headers won't fit. But I'm willing to bet that once I have the turbo up and running, I won't ever lose it and go back to headers.

Of course, I could make my own headers.....

[SkinnyG]

'68 column auto shift arrived. Yay!

[SkinnyG]

The "new" column didn't shift, and the wheel on it is not the right wheel, and the horn apparatus on the '61 does not work with the '68 column.

I took the column out of the '61, took both of them apart, and compared everything inside. The '68 column is longer, but for the most part very similar. I could put the column shift parts in the '61 column with very minimal work, or I could adapt the '68 column to fit the '61 dash. I could even probably shorten the '68 column too.

One disadvantage of keeping the '61 column, is the signal light switch was designed by Rube Goldberg, and it may be beneficial to keep the later stuff.

[Captainfab]

Yeah I think I would try and make the '68 column work if for no other reason than the turn signal switch. It should also have 4 way flasher capabilities.

[SkinnyG]

It does. It also looks like the hazards are cancelled by turning the wheel - is that correct?

I'm going to sleep on it, but I'm leaning towards using the '68 column, then I can potentially sell the complete '61 column.

I got the shifter mechanism all loosened up and working again.

[jkeating1]

My bet is that a guy who can make a 350 work in a Firefly, can make a '61 horn work on a '68 column.