SkinnyG's '61 Apache

[SkinnyG]

Oh man! Bless you for checking in and showing interest!

I'm a highschool shop teacher, and we did not return to school since spring break because of covid. However, we were directed to continue teaching from home. As a shop teacher, that has been a significant challenge for me, and sucking a LOT of my time out of my life trying to provide a quality shop program to kids with no shop. If you subscribe to my YouTube channel, you've seen the videos I've been pumping out to teach my students.

Last week I started unraveling from the stress, and just sat on the shop floor with my AC components, listening to Black Sabbath, trying to figure out the best way to fabricate/connect the hoses, and how best to mount the condenser, drier, trans cooler, engine oil cooler, and power steering cooler.

And I started cutting up materials to make a better sheet metal brake, because my angle iron one sucks.

And I foolishly agreed to do a 4-wheel alignment and corner-balance on a buddy's CRX race car.

Rest assured - the project has not stalled.

It's just taken less priority recently. But I'm itching to get back on it. Work has kind of settled in now, which is freeing up my mind and energy.

I'm hoping to get the CRX out of here this weekend, and then back to working on the '61.

[Palf70Step]

Black Sabbath is great shop music, unless you are doing body work (hammer/dolly), then you tend to get a bit wild when the Sabbath goes up!

[62bagger]

Hi Skinny G, In your post #133 you mention that you regret the retractable extension cords mounted up on the ceiling. I am just completing the construction on my shop and I was thinking of hanging extension cords as well. what is it that you don't like?
Great build thread!

[SkinnyG]

I regret not putting plugs in the ceiling for them.

I ended up tapping into the lights fixtures and adding a box externally.

[SkinnyG]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Black Sabbath is great shop music, unless you are doing body work (hammer/dolly)

For that, I prefer Pink Floyd.

[aggie91]

Sounds like you have a ton of stuff to stick in a small area for the coolers for you truck.

What is you youtube channel? My son is a Senior this year and did not return to school either after spring break. The school is still working on how to hold a graduation for them.

[SkinnyG]

https://www.youtube.com/user/gwellwood/

I will continue to post up videos of the work I do on this truck.

For now, I have a crap load of Mechanics Class videos I've been producing. And some AutoCAD.

[SkinnyG]

I'm a few threaded holes away from completing a sheet metal brake I've been building. It will look like this (attached), and I'll post a video of the build.

Rust patch panels have started arriving.

[SkinnyG]

Now to take it all apart and paint it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DpVbXwVO0g

[Captainfab]

I like it! Is this your own design?

[SkinnyG]

An adaptation of a 24" design I found online. I widened it to 36" and beefed it up accordingly.

I used to have my Metalwork students make a "Machinist's Vice" from 3x3x1/2" angle and 2-1/2x1/2" flat, but they usually ended up being so badly made that I stopped doing that project, but had lots of the steel left over. So I altered the design to suit the steel that I had on the shelf already.

I will be making plans available shortly.

[SkinnyG]

The build video, and a link to free plans in the description.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JAi5IxwAwU

[doug_p]

Damn, where were you when I was in high school? Probably in High School, lol . . . just watched that video - absolutely awesome! Question for you, may seem odd, what kind of drill bits do you use, those things look indestructible! One thing I hate is cheap drill bits and I have never really found any that are "good."
Looking forward to more truck updates!
Thanks,
Doug

[SkinnyG]

I don't recall what my regular drill bits are, I bought them close to 15 years ago. I only buy drill bits from industrial supply places, NOT hardware stores or Princess Auto (Harbor Freight). My students straight up destroy cheap cutters, so it's always best to buy brand name. Come to think of it, I think I've been buying quite a bit of CLE-LINE for work; they are not frightfully expensive.

My demming bits are Princess Auto, and they just do not hold an edge, though it could just be that my drill press is running too fast. I did take all the stepped pulleys out, and I'm running the smallest pulley that would fit the motor shaft, and the largest pulley that would fit under the cover. I may have to go bigger, and make a new cover.

Cheap taps are also my nemesis - I won a big-ass tap and die set at a shop teacher's conference a couple years ago, but turns out they are all made of butter; they're all a one-time-use in Aluminum sort of thing. Broke another good brand tap today making a proper handle to replace the clamp nut on my lathe tailstock. - what the heck?!

[SkinnyG]

School has been a horrific amount of work, and things sat still for a couple months.



Then I was able to settle in, and get back at it.

Figuring how to mount the A/C Condenser (tacked in), and I am able to slip the transmission cooler between the Condenser and the Intercooler. Wrecked my big 1-3/8" step drill. Well, it was wrecked to begin with, as it appears they made it out of non-carbon steel. Ended up clamping the brackets down in the mill and just using a hole saw. Did I mention I made my own dimple dies?

[SkinnyG]

Oil cooler mounted. And modified the high pressure AC fitting to be 2" longer, and re-located the port to make it accessible, but I need to find the correct tap to put it back together. I <em>think</em> it's 6mmx0.75....

[SkinnyG]

And fitted as here:



The Condenser outlet was lengthened 1-3/4":



I also tried my first foray into Silicone Bronze Welding with TIG, putting -6 JIC fittings (same angle as AN) on the power steering cooler. Seemed surprisingly easy.



The 3-BAR "Truck" MAP sensor is part #12623671 from EFI-Source. Not sure if they had it custom made, or if it's an OEM fitment elsewhere, but I figured I'd put the number up so I can find it again when I need it.

[Palf70Step]

Nice job on the break. You have a lot of nice stuff to make stuff with. My dad was a metal fabricator and wish I had paid a lot more attention to some of the things he did back then.

[SkinnyG]

I cut off the end of the PS Pump line, and Silicon-Bronze-Welded -6AN to the end. Also installed the Fox-Mustang-Rack -6AN fitting adapters (Unisteer #8026070):



Added Hydroboost -6AN adapters (Earls #961955ERL and #961956ERL) to the Hydroboost unit:



I was also a little concerned about the PS reservoir return being so close to the exhaust manifold, so I cut it out, plugged the hole (what my finger points to), and Silicon-Bronze-Welded it to the front side with another -6AN fitting (shown here completed):



My LQ4 engine is from an Express 3500 van, but did not come with the remote reservoir, and just buying a reservoir was cheaper. I did have to do a lot of re-shaping to the bracket to make an acceptable fit. At the time, I wasn't sure if I was going to do the turbo crossover in front of the engine or not, and the placement of the reservoir was a concern. I ended up not, and it is what it is.

Front view, with radiator, AC condenser, trans cooler, intercooler, and (not shown) PS cooler under the AC and trans cooler:

[doug_p]

Just wanted to say thanks for the call on the cle line drill bits. Bought a small set at Lowe's, and so far they appear to be exactly what I was looking for! They cut through steel like butter -
Doug

[SkinnyG]

Yeah - cheap drills are more expensive in the long run.

I checked my drills at home the other day (thinking of you) and they are all Wilson brand. Work is all CLE Line.

[SkinnyG]

I had Princess Auto make up the hydraulic lines. Was half almost a third the price of doing it all in fancy braided line. I Bronze-Welded -6AN fittings to the return at the pump, and I Bronze-Welded a -6AN fitting to the shortened return barb at the Hydroboost so I can run hydraulic lines for return too, for a more aestheticly pleasing spaghetti-collection of hoses. I will be getting the HB return hose shortened 2".



Lines to the P/S cooler under the rad:

[aggie91]

Nice!

[SkinnyG]

I had one hydroboost line shortened 2". Rearranged some of the other lines to fit better.

I dug up the factory LS thermostatic oil-cooler adapter, disassembled the unit, dug out the original hardline (sheared by the wreckers who pulled it), drilled and tapped 1/2" NPT for -10AN (need to pick up another fitting). I'll use the oil cooler I didn't use on the V8 Firefly.



IN and OUT are on the left; threaded end up top is the plug to hold the thermostatic valve

Also added an IAT bung as well as a Methanol Injection bung.



Also, since I am running -8AN fuel line to the fuel rail, I am going to use the remote oil filter mount from the V8 Firefly oil cooler kit as a fuel filter holder, with a WIX 33382.

[SkinnyG]

Ran into a snag - because I started drilling and threading for 3/8"NPT fittings and then changed my mind and went 1/2"NPT so I could run -10AN hose for the oil cooler, the fittings were now too close together to assemble. This would not do.

So I ran a plug in through one, and drilled (at an angle) and tapped the end of the oil cooler block to relocate the fitting.

Also ported the mother-loving mess inside to make it flow decent.



Pretty sure it's not a thermostatic valve - looks more like a pressure relief valve inside.
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