Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i will gladly sell "car show decorative ribbon tabs" ... but i'm not taking on the liability of a seat belt mount! :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

What about using 1/4" X 6" plate and making it look good and wrap it around inside the cab fasten it good then if the shoulder belts want to move they have to take the cab with them.
I have been using manual switches for ride height for 5 years now I run at 4" normally I just look out the window to the running board to verify height. I have bag pressure gauges as well but I find the pressure might be different based on the ambient air temp.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i don't know if i'm picturing what you were, but between that and what Rob said you've given me an idea. we'll wait and see after it's bolted in though and go from there.

i'm SUPER torn on the ride height control honestly. part of me wants the digital hotness for a perfect set-up every time ... while another part says that with a bump start this truck can run n drive with zero electricity of any kind.

except i just installed electric compressors ... ugh ... i need an engine driven compressor!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

More orphan bolts found their forever home tonight :)

https://i.imgur.com/Gn44FWk.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

You running a good water trap for the air ride? I was amazed at how much moisture mine hold when I release the air. I have (2) tanks and one trap per tank.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

ya know, i was planning to put a drain line on the tank i could access easy without getting under it ... but i hadn't thought about a separator. thanks sir!

i also plan to run the air intake for each pump up high under the hood, not just under the truck.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I have been regretting the 3 point set up in my 71 Camaro I went with. On me, the shoulder strap always rubs me and annoys me. I'd much rather have the 5 pt. It feels more secure and comfortable to me. I happen to have a holset air compressor for one of these. :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Just to add to the discussion lol I just put a drain valve on each tank and I don't run a separator, I had a separator on my jeep with a york compressor and found the tank collected all the moisture. For the air filter on my truck I just run the filter screwed to the compressor, if you run to much hose even 3/4" dia on the intake side it creates vacuum on the suction and the compressors will get hotter. In my trucks system I don't have much moisture and the filters stay relatively clean, and I drive it in all kinds of different weather. Just FYI
The compressors are mounted just inboard of the tanks.
Attachment 2115816

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I will add that my separators are the lowest point of the system. Lower than the tanks, so that is probably why they collect so much water. My old set up did not collect water like that. I bet that has something to do with it.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

wasn't a quick shift, but got everything tipped over for finishing efforts. why weld upside down if ya don't have too?!?! lots of welding still on the chassis, and the floor gets sealed good.

https://i.imgur.com/ap4O64s.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Cant wait to see this one go back together....

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looking great! I don't blame you for trying to minimize welding over head. You always get burnt up one way or another doing it.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

burnt is one thing ... but with the feet of weld i had to lay this was way more ergonomic and i could get cleaner looking welds.

i tell ya what though, i had a few bad days of welding. some of these are not pretty. solid n not going anywhere, but not smooth.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

finally got my clutch in! the box also included a clutch arm, throughout bearing, and little plastic alignment tool for a total of 116.xx LBS. every time i spin this turd to 4000RPM, i'm also spinning up over 100lbs of steel and ceramic!

:jdp:

13" dual disk, ceramic button clutch rated at 650hp / 1300ft-lbs

1) i really hope it's balanced! 2) the mid-plate is as thick as a normal flywheel!

seriously though, that'll be a significant HP suck if i ever play on the strip. but at least it should hold the torques.

https://i.imgur.com/wJSYXJR.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Did the delivery guy toss it on its side at your door? My delivery guy always looks pissed if it the box weighs more than 20lbs. If its over 20, its almost always got a hole in the side, like they were pissed they had to unload it and walk the 30 feet to my gate. And just drop it on the ground.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Very nice! Try not to slip it a lot since you went full ceramic. She'll get jumpy and jar your teeth out of your head. :lol: My only complaint about a dual disc is they actually slow down the shifting process if you are trying to drive fast, but yet necessary if you have the powa.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I love the progress on your project.. I keep coming back and checking for updates every day or two.


It's funny to me that they can't build a clutch to hold torque in a gasser and go straight to the dual disc. On the diesel side of the house I have a 12v cummins pushing 750hp running a single that never slipped and shifted like butter. The work truck does have a dual disc but hauls alot of heavy loads. It shifts way slower but also never slips.. Both are G56 transmissions. Nothing but good things to day about South Bend Clutches.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

actually, the box was in the best shape of most any recent shippment! but my usual UPS guy was here yesterday and said his fill-in for a few days was really complaining about having to show up with it 2x :lol:

oh man, i love my ceramic pucks! both the crawler and the street-rod jeep's have em. on the street it's 2 options, super easy or lots of go, that middle range is where it's annoying. offroad though i can keep the R's way down and slip here and there for control without generating anywhere near the heat i used to with a standard clutch.

this is a Valair clutch, from my research everyone said just buy the SB or Valair that was on sale that day. i found a deal on this and jumped.

sorry for the slow progress, i've just been out there welding! weld, let it all cool, weld more, let it all cool again, etc. i'm really jumping around trying to keep from warping anything!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

so i've just been chugging along with the welding, trying to be patient about welding a little and moving around the letting things cool. weld one side of the fish plate, do another side on another plate, etc. also took me a bit to find the pattern/settings that made the prettier welds on these. never did find something i really liked on the fish plate holes. BUT, aint nothing going nowhere! i still need to take a grinder to the top edge of all the plates and soften that before i snag/cut hoses or wires on em.

https://i.imgur.com/K6eiCZO.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Kinda tought to tell from the pic but it looks like your welds are possibly undercutting a bit. You could try less current which can help the edges of the puddle not melt the base metal around the puddle as much so that area doesnt drain into the puddle and leave a void where it came from. Also, check the arc length or try a shorter arc length to control the heat around the puddle better. do you use some sort of a V or a C pattern with the electrode as you move the puddle around?

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

An undercut weld happens when you are welding to slow, welding too hot, or welding at the wrong angle. This will cause a cavity to form either below or above the weld and result in a weaker weld. To fix this turn down your amperage, speed up your weld, and turn up your wire speed to help fill in the weld.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

so that plate might have 4 different setting trials on it, lol

it's crazy how much the fish plates and frame rail acted like 2 different thickness, way more than i expected. both are 1/4", but from room temp the frame rail ends up being a HUGE thermal mass to heat.

i started out trying different sittings around my usual V and C, but never got a look i liked. the pattern i landed on was actually a down n out, followed by a re-trace. so basically i come straight down the one plate, then straight out the other, letting the puddle form in the middle. then i would sweep back up over the puddle quickly to ad a touch more fill while also giving a 2nd pass to flow the puddle n smooth/blend it more.

the hole fills were the same settings, but i guess i should have turned it down or given time between stitches in each.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I have seen prettier welds, but I think they still qualify for the "that aint goin anywhere" comment.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

over the last few lbs of wire i can't decide if i got prettier welds or worse :lol: i'm now near 15lbs of wire into this truck!

because things aren't allowed to move unless i say so, i went ahead and added little gussets to the bag mounts, and also in the steering box mount. un-sprung weight? whatever :lol:

the chassis is fully welded now though, as is the cab floor. LOTS of clean-up to do softening edges, and i still need to add my zip-tie tabs on everything. then i can start paint prep.

https://i.imgur.com/KCmgp52.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kwKIh3u.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aMmcsp6.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i know it doesn't look like much of a change, but taking a flap wheel around all the edges made a HUGE difference. i normally don't go over things after welding. you can now wipe your hand around over the whole thing and no snags, scratches, or roughness. should be nicer for wires n hoses, and way nicer to work on in the future.

also smoothed out the welds on the sleeved holes, was satisfying.

https://i.imgur.com/UDBai84.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Cq2aYxn.jpg