72 k20 project

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

i think i am getting a markerboard for the garage so i can make a list and cross things off to feel more accomplished.

What you will find is when you do this (or something similar) you will accomplish a few things one day or weekend and look at your list and find NONE of them were on the list. D'oh!! Now, do you write them on the list so you can immediately scratch them off the list for some visual sense of accomplishment (WOO-HOO!!, something has a line through it!!), or just keep plugging along hoping to eventually hit something on the list?? I have no answer as I did (and still do) both myself .

Your intercooler mounting is bringing back some memories that I am glad are memories now. The I/C from the second gen looks quite similar to the first gen in shape and overall size.

I may have missed it, but what are your plans for motor mounts??

[NewType72]

lookin good that should keep her nice and cool

[ryanroo]

Originally Posted by mosesburb

What you will find is when you do this (or something similar) you will accomplish a few things one day or weekend and look at your list and find NONE of them were on the list. D'oh!! Now, do you write them on the list so you can immediately scratch them off the list for some visual sense of accomplishment (WOO-HOO!!, something has a line through it!!), or just keep plugging along hoping to eventually hit something on the list?? I have no answer as I did (and still do) both myself .

Your intercooler mounting is bringing back some memories that I am glad are memories now. The I/C from the second gen looks quite similar to the first gen in shape and overall size.

I may have missed it, but what are your plans for motor mounts??

i do that without the markerboard already! the reason i want the markerboard is to keep my ideas fresh in my head. i need some brake parts from the junk yard to do what i want with my front brakes. i was at the junk yard a few weeks ago just for a look around and had totally forgotten to grab the stuff i needed because it wasn't at the front of my mind. hopefully a big crayon colored list that i see every day will help me remember.

i almost convinced myself to do major core support surgery and install the dodge radiator also. i am glad i didnt do that.

the motor mounts are somewhere farther back in the thread but here are a few pics of what i made









ryan

[ryanroo]

so i had this 2nd gen dodge radiator. the nagging feeling that my p7100 engine wanted a radiator that was deemed adequate by the boys (and girls) in Detroit would not leave my mind. usually when that happens the only acceptable course of action is either prove to myself that it is impossible or to cede to the notion. i knew that mosesburb used a square body rad in his burb and the height wasn't an issue. in looking and measuring i decided it would amount to about the same difference in height to use the dodge rad. all i have to do is wedge it in there width wise.

i had an old rust core support that i have cut enough to determine that i am going to be able to make it work! but i will need to flip the intercooler back over. no big deal there

somehow i make more work for myself at every turn....

[GMCJOE]

Really enjoyed reading and seeing what you have accomplished so far on your build. This may be a future endeavor for myself if I ever pick up a 4x4. And have a place big enough to handle a project like this. Nice work, looking forward to seeing the finished project one day.

[ryanroo]

thanks!

a little farther on the core support renovations. i will hopefully have a part in the next few days to tie the bottom back together and allow for the dodge pin and bushing lower location system.

[NewType72]

looking good I like the setup for the new Rad should work nice

[ryanroo]

i fabbed up a little stiffener/mount do-whacker for the bottom of the core support. it will provide mounting for the radiator and the I/C as well as tying the bottom of the core support back together and stiffening it up a bit.



Ryan

[Dieselwrencher]

If I were you, I'd just use a 4 core rad for the 67-72's and be done with it. The dodge radiators are plenty big, but a 4 core GM will be adequate as well. Here's what's in my corvette and it never gets hot unless you make 3 to 4 hot laps at the track. But even then it's rare to see it at over 200*.




You have to keep in mind that these water pumps flow an ungodly amount of coolant at the low rpm's they spin. It's so much that above 3,000 rpms you need to trim 2 fins on the water pump to help keep it from cavitating, or install a bypass system.

[ryanroo]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

If I were you, I'd just use a 4 core rad for the 67-72's and be done with it. The dodge radiators are plenty big, but a 4 core GM will be adequate as well. Here's what's in my corvette and it never gets hot unless you make 3 to 4 hot laps at the track. But even then it's rare to see it at over 200*.




You have to keep in mind that these water pumps flow an ungodly amount of coolant at the low rpm's they spin. It's so much that above 3,000 rpms you need to trim 2 fins on the water pump to help keep it from cavitating, or install a bypass system.

that car is nuts.

i agree that the 4 row would have worked without issue most likely. i have this undying hatred of overheating so i wanted to avoid the issue if i could. i did the same thing in my jeep, making sort of extreme mods to fit a matched radiator to my 454 and i am the only M715 that I've been around with a BBC and no heat issues. my truck will be a lot heavier than your vette and we have some brutal 10K' plus mountain passes that can really work a truck and trailer. since i have the ability (and therefore view the fitment as a challenge) i always have to try. this will also give me off the shelf parts availability as the hoses will fit from the dodge. and the radiator and I/C are easily obtained. all i have to do is fab up a shroud and finish beefing the core support and never think about it again.

so i have a couple of spare 69-72 four row radiators now....

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

that car is nuts.

i agree that the 4 row would have worked without issue most likely. i have this undying hatred of overheating so i wanted to avoid the issue if i could. i did the same thing in my jeep, making sort of extreme mods to fit a matched radiator to my 454 and i am the only M715 that I've been around with a BBC and no heat issues. my truck will be a lot heavier than your vette and we have some brutal 10K' plus mountain passes that can really work a truck and trailer. since i have the ability (and therefore view the fitment as a challenge) i always have to try. this will also give me off the shelf parts availability as the hoses will fit from the dodge. and the radiator and I/C are easily obtained. all i have to do is fab up a shroud and finish beefing the core support and never think about it again.

so i have a couple of spare 69-72 four row radiators now....

My brother's 88 V30 4x4 had a 90 ag 12v in it. BBC 4 core rad, no fan. That truck was driven for 15 years that way and had towed it's whole life. The only times it ever over heated was one, when you made 2 passes back to back sled pulling, and two, in stand still traffic with the a/c on. Like I said, no fan. If it would have had a fan, it would have been fine. I like your rad idea, I just never have any good dodge radiators around. Usually they're all corroded out or leaking already.

[ryanroo]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I like your rad idea, I just never have any good dodge radiators around. Usually they're all corroded out or leaking already.

Damn iowa salt spreaders

mine has about 1000#s of coal dust in it but no leak and no rust.

i am to chicken to run with no fan!

Ryan

[Dieselwrencher]

Yes this state is hard on anything that runs the roads for sure. I ran my 92 F-350 without any fans for a year too. LOL Never got around to adding them. Was too busy driving it and fixing drive train. HaHa

[ryanroo]

got a little further on the sore support restructuring.

i removed the top channel that was originally there and used a piece of 1 1/2"x1 1/2" 12 guage tubing. the stock stuff was pretty flimsy after my cut off wheel attack. i also figured i need to add back some of the stiffness vertically. the channel i added in in the bottom and the tube at the top were actually very stiff. unfortunately the 16ga. material the core support is made of flexed through its vertical run due to the fact that i cut all of the dimension out of it! so some 2"x2"x.120" tubing is being added to tie it all back together and generally re-rigidize (<-- new word) the thing.







no real good pics of the new upper tube but it cleans up the top of the core support quite a bit.

[ryanroo]

finally have a functioning core support!



little stiffeners





up close on the side



ryan

[1985-GMC]

Sweet! I wasn't sure at first but that turned out really nice, I like it!

[mosesburb]

Man, that is so biitchin'!! Great idea. I wish I would have thought of that.

I am guessing the no fan thing works back east, because Ryan is not the first person I have heard of running without one, but out here in the land of the big hills and warm summers, I don't think I would be trying it. I know on our little journey around the southwest this summer, my fan came on MANY times for engine temperature alone. I will be honest and say that usually it comes on for A/C pressure, but often it is for engine temp--especially when we are out on the trail not moving very fast. Now usually I can keep the Horton off by running the dual electrics on the I/C, but I would not recommend pulling any of the passes unloaded without one.

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by mosesburb

Man, that is so biitchin'!! Great idea. I wish I would have thought of that.

I am guessing the no fan thing works back east, because Ryan is not the first person I have heard of running without one, but out here in the land of the big hills and warm summers, I don't think I would be trying it. I know on our little journey around the southwest this summer, my fan came on MANY times for engine temperature alone. I will be honest and say that usually it comes on for A/C pressure, but often it is for engine temp--especially when we are out on the trail not moving very fast. Now usually I can keep the Horton off by running the dual electrics on the I/C, but I would not recommend pulling any of the passes unloaded without one.

No, I'm sure it isn't a good idea in the desert, or on mountain passes. But it's amazing how cool these things will stay without a fan. My Dad's F-350 has 2 electric fans and a stock IDI radiator. As long as the fans don't give up the ghost, it never has an over temp issue. It's been to TX, Cali via the desert, while towing, and it is fine. I do prefer mechanical fans, but I'm not scared of the electric ones either. Just depends on the build and how much work a person wants to spend on them.


Ryan, your core support is looking awesome! If I didn't want to drive my truck Oct 7th, I'd re do mine.

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

But it's amazing how cool these things will stay without a fan.

I completely agree. I can drive mine around town in 115* temps and so long as the a/c is not on the fan will not come on--with the a/c it will kick the Horton on for pressure only, not engine temp. Never would have believed it if I had not experienced it myself.

[Dieselwrencher]

Ryan, I have a funny feeling you could sell those modified core supports.

[ryanroo]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Ryan, I have a funny feeling you could sell those modified core supports.

i'm not sure i could make any money with that! but i appreciate the notion

[sboris]

Just read all this, holy crap this thing is gonna be a tank. Love your work. Will follow this for sure.
Posted via Mobile Device

[ryanroo]

So, to celebrate my 28th trip around the sun i drove north on maybe the most beautiful day of the year for seeing the aspen and scrub oak in their fall colors and of course snag some truck parts

this is the area i drove through, not my pic just a random from google



the truck





i also got a real nice fender. i was looking for a PS but this was to nice to pass up, and the fellow tossed it in gratis so who am i to argue. my fender needed a little dent repaired and a bit of rust repair so that will save the trouble for me



ryan

[NewType72]

sweet find hell any decent fenders are worth grabbing now a days

[ryanroo]

so i ran to the J/Y today and it turns out that mcmlxix has had an effect on me!



i also drilled the spot welds on the hat channel that was in the way of letting the bed all the way forward because of the B&W hitch that was in the way. now i have to locate and holesaw for the ball.



ill have to get into the front axle and start figuring the bracketry out for the abutment brackets

Ryan