Project Family Chummins

[Ackattack]

The latest:

I finished up welding on the floor and then started prepping the cab for the lizard skin sound deadener (my wife really doesn't want to hear the cummins under the hood)







This stuff is pretty easy to spray on and easy to clean up. It cleans up with water. I did have to scuff eveything with a scotchbrite pad, so that took awhile. It has been below freezing for the last few days and my heater is working good so this stuff can dry. Earlier today I walked in and it was 72 degrees inside and probably 20 degrees outside. The problem with this is with all of the water evaporating it was condensing on the concrete floor and window. Oh well, It could be 20 in the garage.

I also started repairing the headliner. This truck was a "upscale conversion" (aka really dated) with a big console that ran all the way to the back with gaudy lights in it. Anyways, the headliner had an extra hole in it, so I'm working on filling it in with fiberglass before I recover it.



I also took the mechanical fan off. It was a huge PITA cause it was on so tight. I had to make a special tool to hold the pulley while I unthreaded the fan.



I also modified the sending unit. On a cummins the lift pump is on the engine, so it sucks the fuel from the tank to the lift pump (and then pushes it to the injection pump). So I removed the stock chevy fuel pump and replaced it with a piece of tubing.



I also changed out thermostat (no pictures cause what would I take a picture of?)

Finally, I started installing new brake lines. I managed to cut them on the rear axle when I was cutting the stock spring purches. I'm also going to go ahead and run all new hardlines cause the chevy lines were pretty rusty looking.

[ryanroo]

i am interested in that lizard skin. i really want to try to keep the noise outside on mine. i also had fits getting the fan off my motor. we busted a snap on pulley tool (two overgrown cornfed gymrats are the true test of a tool!) and i ended up customizing a piece of flat bar to make it work.

looking good
Ryan

[Dieselwrencher]

When the engine is in a complete truck, an old oil filter wrench with the disc links, or an old exhaust pipe cutter like this works really well to hold the pulley and it doesn't destroy the pulley. I have the air hammer tool but it still doesn't always work. Nice work on the lizard skin. Do you think it's better than Al's Liner?

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

When the engine is in a complete truck, an old oil filter wrench with the disc links, or an old exhaust pipe cutter like this works really well to hold the pulley and it doesn't destroy the pulley. I have the air hammer tool but it still doesn't always work. Nice work on the lizard skin. Do you think it's better than Al's Liner?

I was thinking about a strap wrench if this didn't work.

I started looking at the radiator/innercooler/condensor/electric fan setup tonight. Here is what my clearance looks like:



I contemplated hacking up the dodge and the gm core supports to make one, but decided on just mounting the innercooler to the front of the core support.
I'm not 100% sure if the condensor will fit with the inner cooler there behind the stock grill. If not, I will definatly have to figure something out. A/C is not optional. I am going to mount the electric fan to the inside of the shroud to get it a little further from the engine. I didn't actually do any work on this setup other than disassembly and pondering tonight.

I instead decided to put the cab on:



I could barely get it on. The top of the cab was literally scraping the garage door opener to clear the frame. Once on I did a little more clearanceing around the firewall pinch weld. I think without the tranny in place, the engine is not setting at the proper angle, causing the additional interferances. I sure hope that is the issue.

Alls I can say is man this thing is tall (as I feared). I measured the height and the back of the cab is sitting at 6' 11-1/2" The parking garage I have to get into at work is 7' max height. A couple of varialbles: I have a couple hundred more pounds of transmission/transfer case /hood/fenders/bed/tailgate/doors/seats/carpet to add, so that should drop it a little more, but the current tires are `31.5" tall. To make it look right I'll probably end up with 33 - 35" tall tires. Plus, depending on the clearance issues, I may have to add a slight body lift (1/2" or so maybe) So the height could be a real issue for me. My wife is going to hate the height no matter what, but there's not much I can due about that with the solid front axle.

[ryanroo]

Looks pretty sweet at that height! my wife usually gripes when i tell her i want one inthe weeds. she never complains about a tall one.

Ryan

[Dieselwrencher]

It's looking good!

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

. Nice work on the lizard skin. Do you think it's better than Al's Liner?

I haven't used al's liner so I can't say. Lizard skin is specifically a sound deadener. I am planning on getting al's liner to spray in the bed of 68 and probably this truck sometime in the future.

Today I worked on the core support setup. It all seems to fit, though I'll have to come back to the A/C condensor later. Also, the radiator outlet is right next to the innercooler inlet, so installing them is going to be a pain in the butt.







The headlights required a lot of trimming to get them to fit. Any larger of a innercooler and it would not have worked.





Then I started on the crossmember that holds up the gas tank. In the process of shortening the frame and putting the cab on, I cut this crossmember up. So I welded it back together, moved it back a few inches, notched it out to clear part of the cab and then bolted into place. I still have some more welding to do.

[Ackattack]

Got the shifter for the transfer case installed this afternoon.





The shift pattern labeled on the shifter window is different so I'll have to modify that some time, but its not an important detail right now. I'll also paint the cover tan to match the interior.

[Ackattack]

Today I finished up installing the gas tank. Getting the front crossmember to to fit under the crewcab sure was a pain and took a long time.

Then I moved on to installing the clutch pedal. One of the bolt holes on the firewall was already drilled out, so I had to drill out the other. Then I had to slide the braket up into place. It mounts WAY up there and took me a little bit to figure out where it goes, but finally I got it in place. Then I drilled out the hole in the firewall for where the pushrod goes through. Then I put on the nut/bolts to secure it all in place (sounds easy, but access under the dash is very tight) The I snapped the clutch pedal in place.



I popped in the "new" guage cluster (for a manual diesel ) and the gauge surround, swapped out the hood release lever, the front door bushings mounted to the cab (will get the ones on the door later), put in oil (it would be REAL bad to forget that one), worked on the brake lines some more.

I also worked on the headliner some more, putting on some more fiberglass, sanding, then finally putting on the headliner material:

[Ackattack]

The other night I got the headliner installed and started cleaning some of the interior pieces. Generally speaking, this trucks interior was NASTY. A lot of stuff had been spilt on everything over the years. I also popped the "new" guage cluster into place as well as the stereo (I'll upgrade down the road, but this will work for now). I also got the overhead console installed for now (I need to run a few wires up there for the new homelink switches)



Today I got some parts, so I was able to run the fuel lines from the tank up to the engine. I'm using 3/8" and 5/16" aluminum lines with short pieces of rubber hose to connect the tank and engine.

So then, that allowed me to finally put the bed on and open up my garage floor space!



Now it feels like its getting close!

When I set the bed on, I hadn't cut the rear of the frame down yet.



I cut off about 6" or so. I'll have to go back and drill holes for the bumper and hitch to mount to.

I also started on the modified down pipe. Basically I cut up the stock one and added a 90. However, it still needs some work, but I'm going to wait until I get the tranny in so that I know what angle the engine and exhaust needs to be at.



I started working on the front axle brake line and ended up breaking the 3/16 double flare die. I also realized I had cut the front drivers side brake hose as well. Went to the parts store and got a new hose and a new double flare kit and what do you know, the 3/16" die in the new kit was broken too. So I didn't get that job done tonight.

While I was at the parts store I picked up new tailgate cables and installed the tailgate, got front door roll pins and got those installed, plastic inserts to hold the back carpet in place. I also installed the taillights in the bed. While I was installing them I noticed the passenger side connector had been damaged and two of the wires were broken. One was maybe 1/2" from the connector, so not much wire to work with. So I broke out the soldering iron and fixed that real quick and got the tail lights in. After that I did some more cleaning of interior parts.

[Palf70Step]

Getting closer! Looks like a truck again. Nice work on everything so far!

[bigguy69]

Looking good
Posted via Mobile Device

[ryanroo]

gonna be a sweet ride. i love those OBS trucks in the CCSB trim! and i'm looking forward to your opinion on the lizard skin
Ryan

[Ackattack]

Opinion needed:

I measured and I want to run ~ 34 - 35" tall tire. Originally i was thinking about 33" tall on an 18" rim, but now that I measured the wheel gap I think a taller tire is going to fit the bill a little better.

So I can go with 285/75/18 (34.8" tall) or 275/65/20 (34.1" tall).

Either way I go I'm going with Toyo A/T II on Raceline Renegade 8 rims....just have to decide 18 or 20.

[ryanroo]

I'd look at the gearing and decide based on the trucks use. if its gonna be a people hauler and DD mostly, get what you will like better looks-wise and a little taller will help the final drive ratio. if its going to haul loads and pull trailers a lot, shorter may be better. depending on the axle ratios.

Ryan

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

I'd look at the gearing and decide based on the trucks use. if its gonna be a people hauler and DD mostly, get what you will like better looks-wise and a little taller will help the final drive ratio. if its going to haul loads and pull trailers a lot, shorter may be better. depending on the axle ratios.

Ryan

either way, they're both about the same height. I just wanted peoples opinion on 20" vs 18"

[Palf70Step]

To me I guess it would be which one has the most tire options. Definitely not an expert, but it seems there is a lot more options for wheels and tires (even though you have your's picked at the moment) with 20s than there are for 18s.

[zden]

20's all the way

[Ackattack]

I got the clutch installed last night. Then I tried to install the tranny/transfer case. Basically this thing is kinda heavy and akward and I didn't get it in. It kept falling off the jacks and it was getting late so I stopped for the night.

I think I'm going to pull the engine back out to put the tranny on. The core support is just sitting in place, pull the two engine bolts and yank it back out. I think this will be the easier way to do it (and safer, don't want to have another crushed hand (or head)).

[jbclassix]

redneck it in there! Then bench the t-case. Then take a picture cuz you realized once you were done that the bellhousing comes off and can bolt to the engine first...

[Dieselwrencher]

Don't redneck it in there. That's how people become vegetables, and how clutch discs/hubs get damaged. If worst comes to worse, rent a trans jack or an adapter for one. It is a long unit to try to balance on a floor jack when tcase and trans are still coupled together.

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

Then take a picture cuz you realized once you were done that the bellhousing comes off and can bolt to the engine first...

Installing the trans with the bell housing on the engine and not on the trans is tricky because it can be a PITA to get the throw out bearing and clutch fork on the trans when trying to put the trans in the bell housing.

[jbclassix]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Don't redneck it in there. That's how people become vegetables, and how clutch discs/hubs get damaged. If worst comes to worse, rent a trans jack or an adapter for one. It is a long unit to try to balance on a floor jack when tcase and trans are still coupled together.

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Installing the trans with the bell housing on the engine and not on the trans is tricky because it can be a PITA to get the throw out bearing and clutch fork on the trans when trying to put the trans in the bell housing.

I've done some dumb stuff to get the job done... and my wife has pictures of most of it! I usually bench a tranny in, but the Yukon was too low and not much clearance...

[Dieselwrencher]

I'll give you $50 if you can bench a NV5600 in..............

[ryanroo]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I'll give you $50 if you can bench a NV5600 in..............

is that an open offer?