1949 Chevy 3100 Build Thread

[Flysocal]

I've got about 3 weeks before the painter takes the cab and doors. He said I get to keep the rolling chassis and most of the sheet metal for a few extra weeks. My plan is to get the inner fenders squared away (holes welded shut), figure out where to mount horn, where brake lines will get routed etc before the cab goes away. Got my wilwood calipers mounted, Ict billet bracket (7176 sanden) mocked up, stock truck ps/alternator bracket mocked up. Waiting on my ps pump, starter and some other odds and ends. Yes it will be plain Jane stock under the hood. My experience with motorcycles tells me to go OEM whenever possible. So that's what I'm doing, nothing fancy under the hood. Plenty of power but hopefully very reliable and driveable.

[solidaxel]

This is in the fun stage!
Now would be a good time to look for a route for the air cleaner and maybe a cold air location!

[Flysocal]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

This is in the fun stage!
Now would be a good time to look for a route for the air cleaner and maybe a cold air location!

Yes sir, haven't put much thought into the air cleaner. K&N seems like the gold standard so it will be something along those lines.

I enjoy electrical, pumping and wrenching more than the fabrication (welding and grinding), so things are getting fun.

Need to plumb up my PS pump when it arrives. I will use the borgeson pressure reducing kit.

I want to run a catch can. The intake was filthy!! I like the Trick Flow can, so I will probably go with it.

Items on their way:

Starter
PS pump

Things to buy:

Trick flow catch can
7176 sanden
Air filter K&N?

[MIKESAD50]

Coming along nicely.

[solidaxel]

These LS motors REALLY respond to cold air from outside of the engine bay

[mongocanfly]

solidaxel is dead on about the cold air...I was surprised when they opened the hood on my truck while it was on the dyno..about a 20hp jump..I laughed and told the guy I'd look funny driving down the road with my hood open..that trucks intake is all under hood..my 55/53 ls3 will def be cold air..
Looking good socal

[Flysocal]

Wonder where I would route the air cleaner to get cold air? I guess I will have to mock up the sheet metal and see what will work. Initial though is inner fender but the wheel will kick up dirt and water. Link to threads on the subject appreciated

[solidaxel]

I am thinking the inner fender wheel well with a shield, now is the time to experiment !

[Flysocal]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

I am thinking the inner fender wheel well with a shield, now is the time to experiment !

No obvious solution to cold air but my neighbor has a new challenger with cold air through headlight pretty trick!

As for progress I'm getting things ready for my painter who is picking up on the 30th. I'm keeping the inner fenders, chassis, bed and rear fenders. Still work to do one these. I mocked up my front end sheet metal just to check fit, low and behold my front bumper apron doesn't fit its for 47-53 not 54. Have to settle for a repop I think. I've been back and forth on my hood. Smooth one piece or stock. I kinda like it the way it is but will delete the side emblem "3100" means nothing to me. Ordered a 7176 sanden and it might fit without any inner fender mods, we shall see. Sure was nice to get front sheet metal lightly bolted in place, looks like a truck now!

Got the cab seam sealed as well. Slowly crossing things off the list

[nvrdone]

after you get the front accessory drive & radiator in place, see if there is room to sneak a hose from the intake down the core support & into a scoop mounted under the lower grill splash pan. should get lots of cold air from there

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by nvrdone

after you get the front accessory drive & radiator in place, see if there is room to sneak a hose from the intake down the core support & into a scoop mounted under the lower grill splash pan. should get lots of cold air from there

That would have to be a four inch hose and two 90* !

[mongocanfly]

this is where I'm considering doing my cold air intake..or very close to this location depending on clearance ..planning on doing a filter box inside the fender well that may go thru inner fender into engine bay..then the intake tube would hook up to that..

[solidaxel]

Great location,
How about a LARGE rectangle air cleaner on the outside and access able from the inside of the engine compartment, when the grill is installed

stay out of driving rain storms!

[mongocanfly]

That's kinda what I had in mind..that was just x marks the spot..that's why I was gonna do it partially thru the inner fender so I could get to the filter from under hood..most of the air collection would be thru a hole where the x is ,inside the fender well..shape to be determined by clearance..the rain is my biggest concern but I think I can fix it so any water would drain out of the box..my newer truck has a baffle type system on it i might can copy if needed..I've got all the air intake stuff that came off my LS3 so I'm goimg to try to use most of it if possible..if it won't work ill fab something..

[solidaxel]

Spent a lot of time on this one .............. but it did not work because it was too close the the MAF and too much turbulence did not have 10" of straight pipe for a good reading
You will not have that problem

[Flysocal]

Ha great minds think alike. Since my 54 grill is different this is where I cut my 3" hole. Got 3" tube on the way, also some 4" tube, MAF sensor, and cone filter. Intake is next on the list. Had to notch my inner fender for sanden compressor. Very close but no cigar.

[mongocanfly]

Looks good..mines a 55.1 so I'm interested fo see how your cai works out

[Flysocal]

Here's where I'm at. Got the 3" pipe welded to inner fender. Got my radiator mounted today. I will need a tight radius from throttle body to clear radiator so I'm stuck until I get my tight bend pipe from summit. Good thing they are fast!

[solidaxel]

You will appreciate the work it took to get cold air in there,............. looks cold"
Where are you placing the element and access to it?

[Flysocal]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

You will appreciate the work it took to get cold air in there,............. looks cold"
Where are you placing the element and access to it?

I think I will route the intake so cone air filter sits right over top of the hole. Not perfect but easy, clean and plenty of air

[Flysocal]

Got my cold air intake done. Well, maybe more like warm air intake but I wanted to keep it simple. I expected to weld up the 4" pipe with some funky bends to get the filter located over the cold air hole but with some careful cuts it ended being fairly easy. I like using this stretchy thin tape to mark off the cuts. Welded a tab to A/C bracket and it's a done deal. The tight 90 throttle body elbow is spectre. Everything else is K&N.

[mongocanfly]

So the outside air comes thru the other tube and just blows in where the filter sits?..are you going to build a housing around the filter?

[Flysocal]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

So the outside air comes thru the other tube and just blows in where the filter sits?..are you going to build a housing around the filter?

Maybe but I'm done with the inner fender. Painter picks up on the 30th! I might fab a heat shield that clamps onto the filter but I don't know, probably not. Diminishing reaturns at this point. It's a stock 5.3 and it won't get terribly hot under the hood. There's plenty of room to build a closed system in the inner fender but I'm keeping everything as simple as possible. My goal is 300 ponies in 2500 lb truck.

[e015475]

I like your cold air approach - I may steal a few of your ideas if you don't mind.

A little anecdotal story - I'd taken the factory paper filter and ductwork off of my 2003 GMC and installed a K&N filter directly upstream of the MAF. I was curious how much temperature the filter saw in its new location, so I put a thermocouple on the filter and hooked it up to a Fluke meter to see what the temp was driving to work one day. I compared the temp at the air filter to a analog temp gauge (the kind the ac tech sticks in your dash to measure temps) that I'd wedged between the door window and the weatherseal to sample the ambient temp.

The difference was about 10-15 degrees with the truck sitting in traffic, but as soon as I'd start moving it was maybe half that. I concluded that the cold air intake wouldn't give that dramatic a result and it wasn't worth going to the trouble of rerouting the intake to the inner fender on my daily driver

For my '49 though, I'd sure like to keep the engine bay as uncluttered as possible and really like the idea you have to push the filter through the inner fender.

On the comment of '300 hp and 2500#' - I had similar goals for my truck, but wasn't quite so aggressive on the weight. I'd read that a half ton AD weighs about 3200# from the factory. Have you done any weight calcs or actually had the truck weighed? At 2500# and 300HP it should go like stink.

You build is looking great so far - best of luck at the painter. Having a ball helping doing mine myself, but it takes much longer to do than you'd think it would- took me a whole day just to color sand the dash and interior. I'm down $1500 for material and supplies so far, and have not really painted anything but the interior

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by e015475

I like your cold air approach - I may steal a few of your ideas if you don't mind.

A little anecdotal story - I'd taken the factory paper filter and ductwork off of my 2003 GMC and installed a K&N filter directly upstream of the MAF. I was curious how much temperature the filter saw in its new location, so I put a thermocouple on the filter and hooked it up to a Fluke meter to see what the temp was driving to work one day. I compared the temp at the air filter to a analog temp gauge (the kind the ac tech sticks in your dash to measure temps) that I'd wedged between the door window and the weatherseal to sample the ambient temp.

The difference was about 10-15 degrees with the truck sitting in traffic, but as soon as I'd start moving it was maybe half that. I concluded that the cold air intake wouldn't give that dramatic a result and it wasn't worth going to the trouble of rerouting the intake to the inner fender on my daily driver

For my '49 though, I'd sure like to keep the engine bay as uncluttered as possible and really like the idea you have to push the filter through the inner fender.

On the comment of '300 hp and 2500#' - I had similar goals for my truck, but wasn't quite so aggressive on the weight. I'd read that a half ton AD weighs about 3200# from the factory. Have you done any weight calcs or actually had the truck weighed? At 2500# and 300HP it should go like stink.

You build is looking great so far - best of luck at the painter. Having a ball helping doing mine myself, but it takes much longer to do than you'd think it would- took me a whole day just to color sand the dash and interior. I'm down $1500 for material and supplies so far, and have not really painted anything but the interior

Your under hood temps will increase about 100* come june july !!