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8/27/05

We are SOOOOO close!

We have had the fuel tanks modified with crossover tubes put in each one. The sending units have also been modified with the left tank sender getting a new 1/2” copper pickup tube soldered in, and the 3/8” return removed and soldered closed. The vent tube has been capped with a rubber vacuum cap, The right side tank sender just has the two unused fittings capped with vacuum caps, and the 3/8” fittings used as the return.

Roy and I had a REAL problem getting the left hand tank in, and we called it quits about 6:15 PM Thursday night at my insistence. On Friday Jorge and Chris and I looked at it, and Chris noted that the right tank, as yet uninstalled at that point, had the upper strap bolt through its LOWER of two holes. That was all it took and we got the left tank back in in about 10 minutes. The right tank's crossover tube hit the exhaust, as we thought it would, and Chris again suggested just cutting it shorter. I did, and it is in as well. I ended up with INSIDE plugs for the crossover tubes, as the purportedly 1.5” rubber plumbing “JIM” caps actually are 2” ID.

The 1/2” blue flex hose we're using for the gas lines did NOT fit over the 1/2” copper line on the left tank, so I had to go to a 5/8” hose on the left tank sender assembly and adapt it down to 1/2”. The approximately 12” piece of 5/8” I HAPPENED to have here worked perfectly to get past the upper frame rail and allow for connection with a double-barb fitting to the 1/2” line. The 3/8” line fit of the return tanks nipple just fine, but neither line worked well on the modified hard lines we retained. As you m,ight recall, I cut the transitions of the factory hard fuel lines at the side of the transmission. It turns out the existing flares were too large for the hoses, so I had to grind and hand file them down on the lines at the trans. On the fuel cooler in the return line, I again cut off the flex factory flex hoses, leaving the same flared hard line. I used the grinder the smooth them down, and touched them up with emery. The hoses worked beautifully.

We mounted the fuel cooler directly in line with the return line to the right tank (a pure accident) on one of the crossmembers, and it sits nicely up next to the driveshaft using the factory bolts and nuts.

All that is left at this point is for me to connect the two lines at the side of the trans, and make a couple of clamps to hold the lines in place along the left frame rail.

I also should put the front seat back in for driving, huh?

The right rear dually wheel is off, as we could not fit the truck on the tow truck flat bed if you recall, with all four rears in place.

It has been WAY over 100 degrees here, and daytime work out there is rough. I'm scheduled to take a car to the Hollywood Hot Rods Show in Burbank tomorrow. It will likely be the Buick as I NEED air conditioning!! If I do not attend, I will work on the dually, Otherwise, it will be Monday.

Jorge and Chris are needed at other jobs, so I can not use them again Monday. They were VERY helpful yesterday with the tanks.

Roy has found a few more wires and their routing to the cluster. We have turns signals in the cluster, says Roy . I NEED to get going on the dash panel. I also need to find the old cluster to get the fuel level gauge out.

Oh, we also need to connect the sending unit wiring to our tanks. I think I found both hot leads for both tanks. We intend to use the right tank level.

The first item is to get the dually up to Sepulveda to get the crossover pipe completed, and then to Arrow for charging the AC (and the required dryer replacement), particularly NOW.

9/5/05

The magic moment of driving it out after two years and 3 weeks has been achieved, It feels wonderful, appears to have some exhaust leak, perhaps magnified by the lack of a completed floorboard connection. It promptly ran out of fuel about 2 miles away, easily corrected. It sits now at Sepulveda Muffler getting its right side exhaust modified to clear the crossover pipes, the boomerang-shaped crossover itself fabricated, and the shifter cable bracket on the firewall gusseted to eliminate the flexing into the low gears. It starts, runs, stops, turns, and plays music through its ten channel system nicely, thank you. We have yet to put the intercooling tubing clamps on, so no heavy foot as yet. We have most function on the unmounted dash cluster: turn indicators, charging, engine and trans temp, oil pressure, speedo, tach. Pulling on the lights energizes the left turn arrow, so something is awry there. But for the most part, quite functional. I need to make the actual dash panel for that side, and will do so a little later in the week using a combination of aluminum, the plastic bezels from the newer dash, and fiberglass and bondo. Oh, and charging that AC system to bring back the civility of it all. It will make an impressive Bob's car with a placard explaining the horrendous project. I have offered the saga to the Diesel page with no real answer as yet. The prior transplant series is out of print, and perhaps available by reprint or CD.

9/7/05

Got it back from Sepulveda Muffler. Another $200!! Dude! These 3” exhaust bend are expensive. Took it over to Alliance to add SOME fuel, only $40, for a total of about 16 gallons. It apparently has some air in the lines as it stalled a few times coming out of the station. This MIGHT be the dreaded right side pitch to which Rob Anderson referred, but with 16 gallons, seems doubtful. Got it across the street to Arrow AC and they charged it up with 134. This is a complete 03 system, save the evaporator, so it should chill KILLER cold. I already have Sam at Allstate set to replace the heater core. I'd love to find how to jam the whole 03 under-dash package in there, but it looks a little too much right now.

Roy and I have yet to figure a few other wiring oddities, but we'll get it. Meanwhile, it DID drive OK. I think it MAY be blowing boost around the lack of hose clamps on the flexible piping connections. We'll get those heavy-duty clamps on tomorrow, and see what gives. It rides lower in front, and surely needs an alignment. I will call Marlo first, and if he is too busy, go local here.

9/13/05

Done, and quickly. I took it to Marlon yesterday morning, and he called me just before noon saying it would be done in an hour. I noted it was riding kinda low, and he said he would check on springs for me. Short story: new SEVERE duty springs popped it back up 3-1/2” to perfect ride height. I also needed a new Pitman arm and idler arm.

I rides and drives well, although it feels a little sticky in the steering at times. It appears to be JUST hitting the lube joints on the A-arms. But for now it is fine and totally good.

9/25/05

I took the dually to flip's Tires and got 4 new rear tires for a cool $557. While there on Sat Sept 17 th , the morning of mom's funeral, I walked across the street to DP Performance, talked to John, and returned Monday for an Edge Juice with Attitude. DUDE!!!!!!!!! Holy f—--n' sh--!!!! It is like driving the Turbo Buick. It is SO quick and responsive. What a joy. That has to be the best $948 I ever spent on a car, and I just had lunch, came back, and had another 350# of torque! It now makes about 870# and 445 HP. What a wakeup for that truck!! It makes it a blast to drive, and is of course just a shocker to anyone who rides in it.

 

10/15/05

Brett is here today, wading through the wiring stuff. It turns out he already had installed a TOW MODE switch for me. He quickly noticed a small coolant leak from the smaller of the two puke tank lines. Just a loose clamp. I just cut the top of the dash cover to accommodate the instrument cluster. And Brett found the old cluster where he had tucked it in one of the garage cabinets. Roy just arrived, and hopefully together we can get a gas gauge, instrument lights, e-brake switching, high beam indicator, and a few other items handled.

On Thursday we found the core support did NOT have its mounts bolted. These are two large round pads, just like major body mounts, with integrated sleeves and rubber bushings. These were not bolted to the frame. However, we could not bolt it now as the AC condenser covers one hole on the right side. So I had Kenny at Sepulveda weld up two bolts and washers, slipped the head of the bolts INTO the hole, welded the washers to the core support, and just mounted the whole thing using them as studs. We found some large washers in the garage, and it did the trick.

The AC is lamentable at this point. It should be a freezer-like system as it is almost all 03 components. I will take it to Val at Arrow AC on Monday and see if he can figure something out. Meanwhile, I opened the evaporator box by removing a sensor, and liberally foamed the inside of it with the evaporator cleaner Val gave me. That stuff really cleans stuff off.

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