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6/11/05 Brett showed today, and worked on getting the egnine started again, which it would now NOT do. We cranked endlessly, tried all sorts of things, and he finally tried ether. It fired, indicating no fuel. I tried priming with a little fuel down the intake, but no go. He took the primer screw out of the filter, filled, still no go. He went back to the manual and found the plunger on top of the fuel filter is for PRIMING the motor when it runs dry. 20 pumps later, instanto start. Whew! Tried putting the power steering hoses on, but the fitting Orme gave me for the lower hose does not work. Also, the return line to the pump need s to be drastically shortened, if I'm going to the correct port. Roy was unable to join today. I've got the battery bracket finished, got the other computer mounted in a wood box, so the left side fender panel is pretty much filled, unless I can fit something under the battery. I still have to find a location for a puke tank for the radiator, mount the right fender battery, and get the air intake into the air box. I'll probably have to have a custom tank made for the radiator overflow. Turns out I have the radiator in upside down as well. I'm pondering whether the overflow and return lines will matter in the inverted position, as well as the cross flow radiator function. The latter should make no difference really, although physics says cold water will fall to the bottom, and now the small puke tube is at the bottom, not the top.
6/12/05 Rob Anderson has answered the question, and the answer is yes, it matters. He notes the small tube is a gas vent to let gasses escapes from the system. Without it, I will lose heating capacity. I looked more closely at the radiator, and it turns out there is a 1/2 threaded hole in the upper left corner of my setup, presumably a drain plug that was originally on the bottom in the stock configuration. I'll take it! I'm off right now to Tampa Hdwe to get a barb fitting for that port. Whew!! I'll convert the nipple on mine (now at the lower left) to a drain line using a ball valve inline and 1/2 tubing, the same size as the hose I'll run from the new upper barb fitting to the puke tank. Well, it gets rougher. The 3/8 pipe thread it APPEARED to be, is in fact about .060 too big, so will not work. This is not plumbing, but automotive, and the sizes may be (and apparently ARE) different. I called Rydell parts, and they show just a plug (#52461346) in that location for $2.43. I can not steal the plug from my Duramax truck, as it will drain the radiator. So I'll need to get one, then take it to some places to see just what the thread actually is, as Chevy does not give a size and thread configuration. The plug I happened to pick up and which seemed to fit may also help, but I want to see if there is any difference in the Chevy part, just to be sure. I hve to go there and prepay this order. Silly. Hmmm, I could pull the DM plug, throw mine in, and see how close it is that way. Might just do that. Meanwhile, I will endeavor t find a mounting location for the puke tank, perhaps rework the air intake box positioning, and see if I can figure a way to use the windshield washer bottle from the 03 setup, perhaps fitting it under the left side battery. I may have to drill the core support to make an opening for the top of the bottle's neck. In the 03, it is sandwiched between the core support and the battery, then flares out to a larger container under the battery. I have no room to do that, but we'll keep trying, perhaps notching the support to make it a similar mounting. If I do that, I'll have to remake the leg I just fabricated to hold the front of the battery tray. I opted to rush over before closing time and pay for the part to be ordered. I also ordered the elusive radiator/trans cooler nut, which was pricey at $40. No doubt I will find it tomorrow. I have slotted the fuse block cover (plastic) to allow it slip over the 12-volt feed from the positive battery cable, and anchored the block down. I'm now moving on to locating the washer bottle to see if I can fit it under the battery. So far, I can't locate it. The puke tank will be another effort. I am considering turning the air box sideways as it sits in the 03, and cutting the inner fender panel to allow it to slip in there. I also got the power steering hose to start, but I am unsure if it is really threading properly, and am afraid to crank down on it. I also need to solve the mystery of the other hose, the low pressure return line. And, I can not find the little nipple which was the prior low pressure line. Yuk!
6/14/05 03 DM The 03 DM truck had a very expensive valve body replacement a few weeks ago, as you may recall. Well, today Jorge called me to say that the truck started shifting oddly, and he immediately pulled over on Mulholland Drive . One of the clip fittings in the trans cooler came loose, and bingo, 8 quarts (2 GALLONS) of trans fluid went bye bye. John and I boogied over with trans fluid, paper towels, and some tools and clips. Jorge had replaced the clip and line onto the cooler. We added fluid until it appeared full, but it still started in 3rd gear (safety mode), and the check engine light remained on. John said HIS stomach hurt from my HORRIBLE luck, and protested, this can not be bad, it just can't be. I resigned myself to it, made an appointment for 7 AM tomorrow at Power Service in the City of Industry , and John and I ventured home to work until the truck returned, at which point we would douche it down and prepare it for the drive some 60 miles away at 5:30 AM . Jorge arrived about 6:45 PM saying it now shifted fine. He had the intuition to disconnect the batteries for about 5 minutes once he returned to the jobsite, let it sit for two hours, and when he started it up it shifted fine, although the service light remained. I got in it here, drove it down the street, and no service light! Whew!!!!!!! I am going to put a pressure gauge in the trans cooler line with a warning light and buzzer to alert ANY driver for an instant shutoff if the line fails again.
DUALLY Roy found the missing fitting this morning in a bag beneath the rear of the dually. I also found the DM missing trans cooler (the new one) late tonight in a box in plain view, despite the fact that John and I looked for HOURS for it today. Also in the box were spare fittings for the trans cooler (trans side), and the 4 grab handles I had ordered to update the Dually. I actually have a couple of hand holds, but not as stylish as these. I have revamped the puke tank location to the right front fender, found the also missing 03 windshield washer reservoir (not usable, too deep, unless I can cut and weld the plastic), and did not hear from Marcellini at Rydell regarding the drain plug (for thread verification only) and the now-redundant radiator tank trans cooler line fitting. Roy ran the trans cooler lines to the upper radiator fitting, and to one side of the trans cooler. We lack about 2' of blue hose for the lower radiator outlet to trans cooler line. I spent about two hours using our bad cooler (the repaired, but not repaired) to mock up a new mounting on the Dually. It worked great, and I installed the brand new cooler. Of critical importance was getting the grille to clear, and it appears it does. We will need to make some frame clamps to hold the cooler lines, but otherwise we're good. The power steering lines are puzzling. We have three ports on the pump, three on the hydro booster, and two on the steering box. We have an extra line and no place to put it! I need to check with Tom Lee of Lee Mfg, world-renowned maker of Nascar and circle track power steering units. Roy is also going to do some manual research to see what he can find. Rob Anderson may have the answer on the PVC welding.
6/17/05 We are closer on the dually, as Roy got the brakes lines done today except for the actual connection to the master cylinder. Once complete, along with another power steering line, the dually could conceivably be moved and driven, at least in and out of the garage. We still have to remake the gas tanks, modify the fuel lines (more $ for Orme Bros!!), and establish some kind of shifter for the trans. The puke tank has yet to be final-mounted, and the backordered parts at Rydell are waiting for pickup. I'll get those in the morning. I MIGHT trim the inner fender panel to make more room for the puke tank. Brett will not be returning for several weekends to be of any help, and then only occasionally on weekends. We've made some heartening progress on the dually and trailer this week. Some day soon they will once again be united in happiness motoring down the road.
6/19/05 800-252-5283-Allison-says in Tech Data E-section page 7 they specify the line pressure at 35# in the cooler circuit. I have therefore purchased fittings, a sensor switch, and a buzzer to go off at 15# for both the dually and the 03 Duramax truck. This will give us a fighting chance at shutting the engine down if we lose a line again. I will incorporate an LCD light (very bright, very low amperage requirement). Roy or I will cut it into the dually circuit Tuesday. The 03 truck will require a little more work, as interrupting the hard lines takes some doing, as in removing them, have them cut, compression rings slipped on (to hold a hose), and more $$ at Orme Bros.
6/21/05 Roy and I did some work today (mostly Roy ), working on the brake lines, power steering, and setting the proportioning valve. We have been stressing for almost a week about the mysterious third line, and finally Roy noticed there IS a third line on the rear of the pump. I then started searching for that line, and thinking how I would order one from Chevrolet, and have it modified. I then FOUND the very line I had Orme make several weeks ago!! Gads, no memory at all! So we saw that it was the correct line, and we modified the bends in it to get a better routing and clearance for the intercooler piping. It's in, so all lines are accounted for. At this point the brakes, power steering, and AC lines are complete, and the intercooler piping is also complete. Ditto for the radiator coolant lines, EXCEPT the upper hose to the puke tank. I am ready to fabricate the puke tank mounts, and once in, perhaps make use of the oddball thread size fitting I got from Chevy. This is a drain pedcock, and I MIGHT be able to come up with a line INTO the opening of this little plastic device. Otherwise, I'll have to somehow find threads to match it, modify it, or have something made custom. I got the 1/2 rubber line for the lower outlet and a ball valve with proper barb fitting adapter so I can seal off that lower nipple (and drain the radiator at the turn of a valve). We have not cut the buzzer and light warning system into the trans cooler line as yet, but it is in position and ready to be done. The next challenge will be the fuel tank(s). I have to go out and measure the 03 tank, and see if it would fit. Meanwhile, the fuel lines need to be cut, shoulders installed, and the fuel cooler positioned. But hey, big progress so far this last week. See the accompanying pictures.
7/2/05 Derek has been charged with sorting and ordering the pictures, which means I will have to do all of that, number them, and then have him install them in the website. Roy has completed the brake lines including installing the new proportioning valve, tees, and anchors. John and I remade the windshield washer reservoir using contact cement and cutting the LONG neck down a few inches. I'll work on getting it installed first, as it is below the puke tank, then get on with the puke tank install. This area is turning out quite nicely. I still have yet to find the proper fitting for the top air bleed line in the radiator. I have the insert, I just have to get to someone who has metric fittings and see what it is. I can't get it into the SAE and metric thread sizer on the garage wall as it has some ears, and I don't want to destroy it just yet. I also have to get the proper pressure cap for the puke tank, about a 17# unit or so. I did cut the core support at the top to make room for the neck and lid on the windshield washer reservoir, so that is good to go. As I have the 03 here, I'll go out and take some measurements on the fuel tank and see what gives there.
7/3/05 The tanks measure nearly identical, although the newer tank holds 30 gallons, and mine are 20-gallon units. I have a hunch there is some footwell space I will need to give up in front of the rear seat area in order to use the newer tank. No way to know until I push one up in there and see. It would, of course, be WAY sweet to put one of the new units on EACH side, giving about 600-800 miles of range per fill. For now, I'll look at getting an 03 tank in there. I mounted the windshield washer reservoir, the puke tank, and made and mounted the right side battery. However, the battery is not level, by intent, but the positive side-mount cable falls right next to the AC dryer aluminum tubing. This would be a VERY nasty short resulting in a ruptured freon line. SO it looks like I get to cut it out and do it over. Spent about an hour on the cell with Brett, discussing all sorts of stuff, and he intends coming up for the day on Saturday July 16 th . If Roy and I keep at it, we might have this thing running out the gate by then. I did get the hood on, but the clock spring hinge assists have to go. So I'll either use a prop-rod or attempt to fit some struts in there once were all done. The prop rod approach is not the end of the world, it's just a heavy hood. Still gotta find the upper outlet fitting for the puke tank. Today I'll work on getting the hoses to the puke tank and heater, and remake the battery mounting. I have second thoughts on the not-so-level battery, and unless I went to an Optima (which could be mounted any direction), I'll need to go more or less standard. Roy was right about the Kenny tube, it's just too big on one end, it's HORRIBLE to try to fit over the hose, and won't stay on anyway. Tuesday I will take it back to Kenny to compress on his machine. I spoke with Roy today and outlined our game plan for this week. Roy suggested an approach on the trans cooler line warning light and buzzer: power the light and buzzer from 12-volts at the dash and run just a ground wire from the light and buzzer at the dash to the sensing unit, and from there to ground. Excellent idea. Brett noted I need to use keyed power for that, or it would buzz whenever the engine was off. Correctomundo. I will be working on numbering and ordering the progress pix this week, to allow Derek to update the website and diary. I did not hear back from the fellow who appeared hot to trot on installing a Duramax in a Buick Grand National. Time will tell, but it looks unlikely right now. No problem, I've got the twin-engined Stude pickup, the KiloKube, to entertain me once the dually is completed, and the Condor is finished with Phase One.
7/4/05 Removed the right side battery holder and repositioned and rewelded it with more clearance for the positive terminal at the AC dryer. I also made the battery essentially level. There is still room to run the 4 air intake into the fender well between the battery and the puke tank. I have to do some checking to see if the air sensor needs to remain in its plastic collar or can be put in some other tubing. For now, I will presume I have to cut the collar off the stock air box and incorporate it into the intake ducting. I see no alternative for air filtering other than a K&N inside the compartment or cutting the right fender and making an air box there with a filter. I'll obviously check out the K&N approach first. If I'm going to start the motor that sensor must be in the circuit. I've got to shorten a bolt under the core support as it is just touching the windshield washer reservoir, and I feel it could wear a hole in it over time. I will add a layer of foam under it as well. I will endeavor to determine which plugs go to the puke tank and washer motor (I think I know), and study the hifi loom as well. I talked with Rob Anderson, who will visit later in the week to make sure I reconnect the hifi circuits correctly. I will pull the dash cover off in a few minutes and see what kind of fit I can get with the instrument cluster. I might have to put a hump in the dash cover. Whatever. Keep it moving.
7/5/05 Roy was here today, mostly alone. When we did team up, we found some wiring answers, but only a couple. Firstly, I found the windshield washer wire from the 86, but do not yet have the proper plug for the 03 washer bottle, nor its level sensor plug. We did find both correct plugs in a spare wire loom, and I'm debating on whether to cut those off or go to Chevy and see if a selection of plugs is available. Perhaps Molex or someone makes a catalog of these plugs. We also found the AC compressor plug, and I brought out the 86 compressor and we plugged it in to be sure that was the right one. Yes, it is, and we grafted that onto the 03 plug. So we potentially have the windshield washer bottle and sensor handled, presuming we can locate the sensor wire. Rob Anderson will hopefully yield some answers to the hifi wiring, and perhaps some other wiring as well. Roy is going to the DWP truck service center, where he worked for decades, and will attempt to find a manual for the 86 and see just where the wiring is. We do have the full set of manuals for the 03. So far it looks like we have to trigger the 03 AC compressor with the 86 wiring, as I still have the 86 controls and steering column. Ditto for the washer bottle. However the SENSOR for the bottle level must go to the 03 harness, as the gauge package is 03. We also have deduced (hopefully correctly), that the vacuum lines are AC related, and at least one controls the check valve in the heater (water) line. It was this line which I had incorrectly connected earlier to the puke tank line from the lower radiator hose. On that issue, Kenny remade the end, still too big, and gave me a spare end to test. The smaller end works, and Roy dropped the pipe back to him with markings and instructions. It should take Kenny under 5 minutes to correct it. Roy is going to bring his vacuum pump Thursday and we'll see if we can make the AC doors move, etc. Once we can start the thing and run it, we can find out a few things. For now, I guess we'll just turn the key on (and off), and start checking which wires get voltage, which controls energize which plugs, etc. If I get some time tomorrow, Wednesday, I'll pull the dash cover off and see what I need to do to fit the gauge cluster in there. I believe it is only one plug. On the fuel tank issue, I emailed Travis, from whom I bough the hulk, and am awaiting a reply about where the heck my tank is. It was part of the buy package, and he thought he'd put it in the cab, but did not.
7/9/05 Travis has agreed to send me the tank, and I will split the shipping with him. We talked about his 05, and he laments mine is better suited for hop-ups. He's pretty sharp on how to deal with the computer end of these diesels. I did some serious driving, but did find some stainless bolts to use in the puke tank, shouldered, and with a sealing washer. Sunday will be dually wiring, and perhaps a little Condor work if I get stuck. I did drill out the 16mm x 1.5 radiator "bolt" I bought for the dually puke tank line, but I need to buy and braze a 1/2" brass barb fitting to it for a hose connection. As it is stainless, this should prove interesting. I also mounted a junction block and the hifi breaker on the firewall, and got a piggyback bolt for the battery and a pigtail from Rich at Valley Car Stereo. I may need a second pigtail to power up the hifi. Rob Anderson has not shown, and I'll need to double check the power and cable size requirements before jumpering from the junction block to his wiring. There is a large fuse block type of connector inside the dash which has a bad connection. Brett says tightening it up does not improve it. I will pull it apart and see if I can observe anything. It might have a bad connection to one of the lugs, have a bent pin, or something. OK, it is definitely something. Sadly, Kenny lost the radiator junction tube he made up and modified. He set it up on a wall, and his daily junkman pickup just took it without asking. This is not a good thing. I'll have to tow it over again, not an easy thing. If I can get everything else done, I could drive it back. That would require the fuel tank to be in, the shifter to work, and a few other little things to be done. A nice goal in any event. Once drivable, I can have Arrow AC replace the AC dryer and charge up the system with my HC-12 coolant.
7/12/05 Left a couple of messages for Travis to see if the tank is on its way. Rob Anderson came down yesterday, just as I was returning from getting another battery cable to power up the hifi breaker. I made up a cable, we installed it (2 of them piggybacked off the positive side post terminal) using the extender bolt kit, and finally discerned that the large fuses, breaker, etc. in the other loom belonged to the trailer wiring setup. That is a MUCH sloppier setup than mil-spec Rob's work. All works, including the ten channels of hifi, lights, turn signal, AND the motor starts!! Hooray again!! The white junction box which Brett had warned can not be tightened together in fact must be making connection. The engine started without the instrument cluster and MAS air sensor in the circuit, on limp mode. Roy came today and while I was out working traced many wires in the old harness from the early instrument cluster, labeled them, and cut the old plug off. He also pulled out some wires no longer needed. We are now deciding how to interface the turn signals, dash light dimmer control, and high beam indicator to the new cluster, I suggested putting three new LED's on the soon-to-be new panel surrounding the new cluster. Roy thought that was an easy way to go. We may be able to route the dimmer wire to the cluster through my old light switch rheostat. We also don't know where the fuel level gauge receives its input. At this writing I find no wiring running back to the tanks. Brett is due here Saturday, and may be able to shed some light on the matter before if I can reach him by phone. No word from Kenny on the lost radiator hose coupler. Roy also found the ground at the left side of the radiator (to the core support) was not making a great connection, so corrected that. We also have a ground on the right (passenger) side, and he made that one good as well. He also got the wiring to the headlights, so they are good. We are still looking for a supplier of new generation plugs for the windshield washer and puke tanks. The fuel tank on the 03 has the same dimensions as the 86, however holds 30 gallons versus the 20 gallons for the 86. I suspect the kick downs in the body metal front and back may account for this and may prevent me using the 03 tank altogether. I await it with great anticipation to see just what we'll do. The 86 setup uses and switch between the 2 tanks (40 gallons total), and switches the vents, returns, and feeds, a total of six lines. These lines are too small for the diesel, so using that crossover valve will not be practical. I was unaware the vents were switched, and had no idea I even had return lines. I prefer just having two tanks (the originals), putting a crossover tube, and having 40 gallons. I could always add another tank in the bed if I really need long range, but 600 miles should be plenty. We've learned so much doing this swap. Should someone want it done, we could save HUGE time just going to the easy correct solutions. Oh, never heard again from the guy wanting to do the Duramax/Grand National project. What a shock. Roy is scheduled for this Thursday ( 7/14/05 ), and again for Saturday ( 7/16/05 ) when Brett is here. Meanwhile I hope to be here with Roy Thursday to move forward as possible. Without a tank, it really is impossible to drive the thing, so I'll probably have to hold off towing it back to Kenny until the tanks are in.
7/18/05 I will not join Roy tomorrow as I'm going to El Cajon ( San Diego ) to look at a 58 Impala. John and Randy are supposed to join me in the Duramax for the drive down. I would love to have had the dually to take down there, but we are still a ways down the road from that. I did some wiring over the weekend, extending the 14 wires in the instruments cluster about 18. I wrapped the loom with plastic (no adhesive) then covered that with black tape. Brett found the right place on the fuse box for the windshield washer reservoir sensor, and put that wire and two wires for the low-pressure trans cooler sensor through the firewall. I bought two plugs at GM for a MERE $50 (!!!!!!). What a gigantic screwing!! We used one for the windshield washer and Roy and I used the other for the puke tank sensor wiring. I did not want to cut up the loom if avoidable. I think that loom will bring several hundred dollars on ebay. It lists for between $700 and $1300 depending on which loom it is. Holy crap!! I have heard nothing from Travis, despite leaving numerous phone and email messages. I think he is blowing me off.
7/21/05 Notwithstanding the 104 degree outside temp, it was a sweet 77 inside the Garage Mahal owing to running the 5-ton AC in there. Roy and I were comfortable, as we should be in the beautiful venue, and as intended. Roy located a few more wires, and I found the emergency brake in the bed of the dually. It turns out that as the e-brake was out of the truck at the time, the new wire loom cut through the firewall was placed right where the front two mounting studs were located. Roy found the location of the upper one up inside the dash, suggested drilling out one of the screws in the firewall plug, and I did both. I had to extend the upper stud on the e-brake using a coupling nut and cutoff 5/16 bolt, and fabricate a new welded-in mount for the bottom stud. All is done. Now I have to drill the floorboard for the cable, mount a modified release lever and rod, and see how it all works. The transmission shifting requires a new 36 cable, some heim joints (5mm and 8 mm), standoffs, some bracketing, and a little creativity. Still no word from Travis. This is getting upsetting. I have sent him an ultimatum to send it or pay for it. So Roy and I will continue again this Tuesday July 25 th , 2005, and work towards completing the wiring, making the mounting tabs for the instrument cluster, ordering the 36 cable, finishing the parking brake, tracing some more wiring and generally attempting to get all functions working. To reiterate, I can't finish the AC nor do the radiator hose until I have the fuel tank done. I CAN, if I want to spend money and trouble towing it all over the place, but why? It won't be driveable anyway until the fuel system is complete.
7/25/05 I finally got around to changing the trans cooler on the 03 Duramax. The problem is, I used the bracket off of it for the dually! After much searching, and to no avail, I just fabricated a new one. All seems good. I still need to install the low pressure warning sensor on this truck as well. Roy is scheduled for tomorrow, and I should be here. I have not done the cluster mounting, but did get the hole drilled in the floorboard for the e-brake cable. I'll need Roy to give me a little slack on it in order to connect it to the holder. Still no response from Travis. Most discouraging.
7/30/05 Well, DID hear from Travis. He is demanding the old pink slip back in order to get my tank. This makes utterly no sense at all. I OWN the whole truck. I was SUPPOSED to have the tank as part of my deal with him. Apparently, he or someone else is trying to salvage , divest, or sell whatever was left of the truck. I really don't care, as I have no need for the title now. I have neglected to send it now three days in a row. I will FEDEX it up Monday to him, and await the tank. However, it does not appear likely the tank will even work. It is the same outside dimensions as the original, but hold 50% more fuel. There are intrusions into the tank space on the 86 units I think are NOT present on the new one. Whatever. In a week or so we'll settle this and get on with modifying the old ones or use the new one. Meanwhile, I solved the radiator hose adapter situation. I called Kenny and asked him to just make me a 5 radius elbow, and we would fill in the gap with another hose. As I was about to walk out the door to go to his shop, I look down and there is the PERFECT hose! I mean to the mm!! Wher eit came from, how it go there at the front of the truck just sitting on a milk crate is a mystery. I went to his shop, got him to make me two simple 4 long couplers, and boom! It's a done thing. So there appears nothing, other than a fuel tank, stopping the truck from being filled with coolant and power steering fluid and driven. If I could rig up a larger fuel tank in the bed, I might just drive it! The dash is still not in, but that wouldn't prevent it from being driven if connected. Oh, the trans shifter cable. THAT is required. We need a 36 long unit with special fittings. I'll get that ordered Monday from Orme Bros or Good Vibrations. The ebrake cable is connected, and I still need to mount a modified release rod and lever. The hood latch cable is connected, and coiled up with its release handle under the left front bumper area. The grille is in, the headlight surrounds are also in, and the lower valance installed. I had to relocate the trans cooler to make it all fit, but that's completed. We are ready to bolt on the bumper. We can NOT find the left turn signal light which WAS attached to the rear of the grille. It HAS to be here somewhere! I have not done the extensive picture sequencing I had noted I would do a while back. But I will, so you can understand this whole thing more easily. Knowing what I know now, I would NOT have done this swap. But, knowing what I do now, I could do this swap way easily for someone else. I've just cost myself a lot of time and money, and gotten yet another truck, not a bad thing. I did off the old gas dually, and that all in all is a fine improvement. Brett called last night and will not be here for at least 7 weeks, as he is on the final approach for his real estate license exam. Roy and I are REAL close, so this is not crushing so far.
8/4/05 Brett returned my further call to inform me that the white box which is a fuse box/junction under the left side of the dash, is responsible for the dash not functioning. He thought its mal-connection prevented the engine from working. Not so. So Roy and I will fiddle with that tomorrow, Friday, while we are starting the shifter cable install. The 3/16 diameter of the Heim joints matches well with the 8 mm shifter lever boss, and allows for a sleeve on the 5/16 hole in the shifter arm on the column. Roy filled it with water, we have run it for several minutes, and no leaks of any kind. I need to address the hood springs, or the lack of them. I've got to see if there is a way to mount some struts. This is tough on the passenger side, as the battery is completely tight to the fender well there to clear the AC dryer canister and the fuel filter (remounted on the front of the dryer). We did get the windshield washers to function, after I got a mouthful of whatever sucking on the vacuum lines. The power steering works great, the emergency brake works great, the stereo works awesomely. We still have a vacuum issue to solve, perhaps using the little 6 plastic ball from the 86 engine and used originally for that very purpose. The gas tank situation appears now to require using the originals. Not really a huge thing, and I have found amputation points in the new hard lines which will be convenient for conversion to 1/2 flexible blue tubing. Modifying the tanks is just another thing requiring hunting and finding the right people. Jim Deist suggested using Halon. For him that's cheap, for me CO2 is cheaper. Jim is going to Bonneville next week, so I will look for another source to modify the tanks. I have sent Travis a couple of requests to confirm his PO Box # with no answer, so he has not been sent the Hulk title, and I therefore have not been sent the 03 tank.
8/8/05 GETTING THE 03 TANK-WHICH WE DON'T NEED NOW Travis did get me the proper PO Box #, and I sent the title away. He then responded with a nasty email, pissed off that I had put him through a lot of effort, when the tank was supposed to have been picked up. He says he told the guys he needed the title. In fact. He sent ME the title long after I got the hulk. Whatever. I asked him about the electrical gremlins, and he suggested a series of procedures to check it, all excellent. It turns out I won't even be using the tank. I will pay for the shipping, once I find out how much it is. Randy and I brained on the tank situation today. I put the left tank back up in, after pulling the sending units out of both tanks. The short of all this is the following: I will use the supply and return lines and level sensor in the left tank. There is also a vent line, which I believe I will block, but I need to check on that. The combined area of the supply and return lines of 3/8 and 1/4 is within 10% of a single half inch line. Close enough. I will extend the smaller return line to the bottom of the tank, tee them together at the top and bring them into a single half inch barb fitting, and run a single flexible blue hose from there to the hard line at the side of the transmission. More on that connection in a moment. The RIGHT side tank will be only for return fuel, and will be connected with a 1.5 crossover line approximately mid-tank (front to back) to fill the left tank. The sending unit from the left tank will be the operable unit, although I can easily use both sending units and have the right tank sensor as a backup. I'll mount the fuel level gauge(s) on the new dash panel, using one from the old instrument cluster. The right tank will need only its former 3/8 supply line connected to blue hose. That hose will go to the fuel cooler, then from the cooler to the return line mounted next to the supply line on the right side of the transmission.
THE CONNECTIONS AT THE TRANS These two lines at the trans have a connection to a short section of flexible hose, and use a crimped collar. From here they revert to hard lines back to the tank and fuel cooler, where again they go to flexible lines. I intend to cut them off just outside the bead-rolled bump in the tubing (no high speed grinder on this one!!!) at the trans, and just slip blue hose and a clamp over these connections. The hard lines from the right side of the trans go up to the motor, and are VERY tough to get at. So we're just not going to bother with them, as they are fine and do their job perfectly. We're just trying to simplify things down below where we connect to the old tanks. So the only new penetrations to the old tanks will be the crossover tube, long overdue. This will allow for filling both tanks from either side, and allow use of the right tank all the way down to the bare bottom. No more crossover switch. At 40 gallons total capacity, that will give about 600 miles range, pretty darn good. If I'm nutzoid (well, OK ..), I could add another 40 or more in the bed for another 600 miles. No reason to do that now. When all else is done, and I'm aching for some technical thing to do, maybe then. That system would use an electric pump and just pump into the filler neck(s) of the existing tank(s). No complicated switchover valves or anything, just an in-flight refueling if you will. Roy is due tomorrow ( 8/9/05 ) to work on the shifter cable. I need to run to Orme Bros tomorrow to get the proper-sized pins for the 3/16 Heim joints. I'll also go to Sepulveda Muffler and have Kenny cut and flare some 1.5 tubing for the welder to use to cut in the crossovers on the tanks. We're closing in on it!
8/9/05 Travis noted: Unfortunately the only one that will actually allow you to see what you are reading is expensive. That's why I suggested taking it to the local dealer. I explained to my dealer what my project was and they had no problem helping me out for a normal fee. Kragen has one that is under 150.00 that should clear the codes. Pull the white box and check to make sure all wires are in all the way .they tend to fall out when being pulled on repeatedly.....maybe one is slightly out...would be the first time I saw this....if so pull the wire all the way out and pry the barbs back out. This should keep it from happening again. Try a direct line from the battery to a switch and test to see why it's not coming on....then go back and find out what you need to fix for the AC. Roy and I will do this today. 8/11/05 Roy checked with a dealer tech who informed him we need to buy five computers!!!. Roy then asked to be connected to an electrician who noted that there are TWO 12-volt supplies to the cluster. We have the glow plug indicator and the check engine light icon, but nothing else. We spent the time working out the shifter cable. Roy got the bottom bracket fabbed and mounted, and I roughed in the top bracket. The welding was HORRIBLE as it was upside down, and burning me with slag. I couldn't find my good Jackson helmet. It was murder, and I was the victim. The bracket is too flexy, but does function. A more expert welder will be needed to add a gusset to the bracket to make it right. Joe Ziola is ready to go on the fuel tanks, if I can just get them over there. I need to have Kenny make the crossover pipes. Roy and I decided to come out 4.5 from each tank to clear the frame rails (the pipes are below the frame rails, barely), and kick them 45-degrees to the front. I'll then have a U-bend made which passes under the center support bearing area (no vertical driveshaft movement), connected to the tank stubs with 2 short coupling sleeves of rubber. I'll make some bracket off the trans crossmember and hang the U-bend for more security. This approach makes for a more secure system. I'll also fab up a driveshaft safety loop at some point. So our next thing, while the vehicle could actually be driven now if I set the 5-gallon fuel can in the bed, will be to do the fuel lines correctly. Then it can REALLY be driven, and get the AC charged (once we get it to function).
8/14/05 The good news is the cable seems to shift the trans nicely. The bad news is, besides the flexiness, is that the neutral safety switch is no longer operating. Next step is to pull the cable off the trans and see if somehow it now starts. We're hoping it is just a slight misalignment, although I frankly doubt it. I have my brother-in-law coming to work with me on the business starting tomorrow, so I don't know if I will have time to take the tanks over or not before Roy gets here Tuesday. 8/20/05 Roy adjusted the cable, and it works in Park and Neutral now. It does shift, but the upper bracket flexes too much to get all the way down past Drive to 1 and 2. No need anyway. Drive will work just fine to get it up to Sepulveda to have Kenny weld in the gusset on that bracket, and finish up the crossover tube. Did get Allstate Radiators Sam the Man to convert one of the 86 tank sending units to 1/2 copper, so those units are ready to go back in the tanks. Joe at Hollingshead has the tanks and should be working on them Tuesday morning 8323/05. It turns out Sam could have soldered the tubes into the tanks. I might just take them over to Sam to get them done more quickly. The dash cluster functions on almost all functions now. Roy found we needed the grounds attached. With an external ground to the (2) #B11 pin wires, all functions were there except speedo and the engine icon going out. That grounding provided cluster illumination, but it would not go out. Disconnecting the external ground jumper has left us with full function, including voltmeter, and the engine check icon goes out! Yeah!!! So at this point we are essentially drivable, have oil pressure and temp and speedo functions. Oh, the trans was 9 quarts low! Ouch! It shifts, pulls the wheels both directions, and reads about right on the stick now. We do have one problem: the brake master leaks at the firewall junction. As you may recall, we had put a core on there to get the missing spring and plunger. Whatever, we appear to have a figure-8 shaped O-ring leaking. So now I will pull fuel from the left tank, read fuel level from the right tank sending unit, and return fuel to the right tank. The level should be the same in both tanks with a 1.5 crossover tube. Should I ever get the tank from Travis, we might put that pickup and sending unit in the left tank. For now, this should do. Brett says he should be able to finagle some interface with the sending unit to read properly in the 03 cluster. Roy and I will commence cutting the hard lines and installing the new 1/2 blue flex lines on Tuesday. Once we put the tanks back in, we should be able to drive the thing out. I'll need some caps for the tanks until we get the crossover tube installed. And I STIL have to shoot all the pix so this will read and show nicely.
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