Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Sorry to go off topic, but in this photo, your p-side vacuum line is going to your timing advance, but what is the d-side vacuum line going to?

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

It heads into the cab and connects to the vacuum gauge. Thanks for asking.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Hahahahah gotcha !!
I have not set up the vacuum lines on mine yet, and was admiring how clean yours turned out, then was like.... where the heck is that one going ??

Thanks Mark :metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Great job with the lines ! Looks very clean, I like the attention to detail , keep up the good work !

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

It took my little propane heater 4 hours to bring the garage temperature up from 42 degrees to 54. Figuring that was as good as it was going to get the heater was shut down and removed from the garage. I jacked the rear of the truck even higher, removed the wheels I had the tires sitting on, and placed stands under the axle. This allowed removal of the right rear wheel so I could access the hard line to the tank from the side instead of directly underneath. I have this thing about gasoline pouring right in my face.

The old line came apart easily, but I had a problem getting the “plug” into the fitting because I made it too short and the rubber hose/gear clamp kept bumping into the crossmember throwing off my alignment.

http://imageshack.us/a/img171/2630/012rxb.jpg

My head was outside the fender so I couldn’t see what I was doing, but it only took a couple of minutes to stop the flow. In spite of the difficulties what spilled was probably less than a pint or so and was quickly cleaned up.

The old hard line was removed from the tank up to a union about 10” behind the factory frame mounted canister style fuel filter. The forward 3/8” hard line was connected and clamped to the frame about 6” in front of the rubber hose coming from the pump:

http://imageshack.us/a/img201/5542/011dvs.jpg

New hose was installed on both sides of the pump, and the filter & hard line to the tank were attached to the hose. The tank connection will happen tomorrow after I finish up with the mechanical pump, which got delivered this evening after I had already cleaned up and quit for the day.

I’ve included enough hose on the pump side of the filter for it to mount at the same height as the previous hard line, so there won’t be any interference with the panhard bracket.

I’ve had a lot of fun working on this, but I’m looking forward to it being done and enjoying the benefit of being able to start the truck whenever I want. The weather is cold and miserable which diminishes the thrill of dragging my old carcass around on concrete. It was a tad warmer today (high 30’s), but 50+ mph winds all day made it nice and drafty and the forecasted daily high is below freezing for the next few days. It might have been wiser to wait until the summer, but I am thankful to have something to do in the garage!

Hopefully one more day should wrap it up.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

[whisper on] Mark it is 40 below zero here...scooting around on the concrete in the garage is seriously not an option! No matter how old you are !! :smoke: [/whisper off]

Seriously I cannot wait to be back down there in the PNW !! It is just stupid cold up here !
By the way thanks for the photos with the arrows and stuff, they really help!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Excellent documentation as usual Mark. I like how you researched and mapped it all out. I bet you can't wait to see how much better it starts!
I need to do this to my '58. It's a hard starter as well with the tank mounted behind the rear axle. Thanks for the inspiration.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Back when I was looking for a truck my first choice was always a 63 Chevy. I wanted the wrap around windshield and liked the 1963 Chevy grille better than any of the other 60-66 versions. I absolutely did not want the torsion bar front end and especially did not want the GMC V6.

Truth is I never found any 60-66 at any price I was willling to buy. Most were just too beat up or rusty no matter the asking price. Then I found this 2nd owner, 1 family 1960 GMC with torsion bars and a boat anchor V6 - and bought it on the spot! So much for conviction! :lol:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for the feedback. It’s funny but those little details became important to me all the way back in high school, no doubt a carry over from my modeling experiences. Of all the things I did to improve my high school 54 Chevy sedan driver, one detail received more compliments than everything else combined. Being young and automotively enthusiastic, when I painted the car black I scrubbed the brake drums and hubs spotless. On the day of the paint job, I jacked the car up and took off all the wheels. In addition to the body, I sprayed the brake drums, hubs, and studs gloss black. After, I sat down with a thread chaser and cleaned all the paint off the studs, leaving the shiny black ends showing. Brand new stock lug nuts set me back about 5 bucks, and everyone that saw the car raved about those lug studs, shiny black hubs, and new lug nuts since nobody had ever seen it done before (including me)! This is a crop of a divorce damaged photo taken in 1965, but a close look still shows the shiny black stud tips and hub.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/207...4chevy160a.jpg

Thanks for the comments. I am indeed looking forward to what I hope is a big improvement in fire up after long periods of non-use.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Got the fuel pump info locked away in the file. Thanks for all the detailed info.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks once again, Mark, for the great info. I've been back and forth as to what type fuel pump I'm going to use and now it's solved. :metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Spent most of the day out in the garage again getting everything buttoned up on the fuel system project. First thing up was pulling the old mechanical fuel pump.

Here’s a time saving tip for anyone that has ever spent hours trying to install a new mechanical fuel pump on a 1st generation small block Chevy. Try as you might to hold the fuel pump push rod in the up position with your finger, grease, hacksaw blade, or whatever, it inevitably falls down just as you try to insert the pump arm into the engine block opening.

Here’s the easy method. The upper passenger side motor mount boss for the old 1955 engine mounts is open to the crankcase, and in direct alignment with the fuel pump push rod. Remove the factory 3/8x16, ¾” long bolt and set it aside for reinstallation after the pump is changed. Obtain a 3/8x16 bolt that is 1.5” long. Clean the threads until they look like new, or run the bolt through a die. It’s important the threads are clean so they will easily turn in the block with just finger pressure. Run the bolt into the hole until it bottoms out on the push rod. Run it up tight with finger pressure. Avoid using a wrench or over tightening as this may ding or score the push rod. That’s all there is too it. Now you can go about removing and installing the pump with absolutely no interference from the push rod. Once the new pump is in place simply remove the long bolt and reinstall the original.

Here’s the factory bolt on the left, and a 1.5” version I threaded for the job:

http://imageshack.us/a/img23/7352/44805753.jpg

Here’s a photo showing the long bolt holding the pushrod in the up position:

http://imageshack.us/a/img5/6452/34242148.jpg

The new mechanical pump had to be re-clocked as the inlet/outlets were completely different than what was shown in the listing photo. After I set the new position, I checked the action on the pump and thought something might be wrong because I could easily cycle the lever by hand. It’s been a long time since I’ve held a bare fuel pump in my hands, but I didn’t think I’d gotten that much stronger with age. Sure enough when I removed the old pump, I could only cycle the lever by pressing it against the bench, which immediately made me suspect something might be wrong with the new pump. Nevertheless I went forward with the installation.

The new mechanical pump was mounted and new hard lines formed and connected. The last step was removing the plug in the tank and hooking up the hard line to the filter and electric pump. The last step was changing the fog light toggle switch to a momentary model and installing it in the dash.

The first starting test was not a roaring success.

The good news – no fuel leaks in any of the lines or connections, and the engine started right up.

The bad news – idling the engine in the driveway the engine quit running after 2-3 minutes, something it’s never done before. A quick shot with the electric pump and the engine fired right back up, and quit a few minutes later. I can only assume my worries were well founded and the new mechanical pump is defective. So tomorrow I’ll pull it off and retest with the old pump which was working perfectly.

It’s always something!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Dang Mark, you probably broke the new pump with that super human strength you have acquired with age... I thought you knew about "Old Dude power" :lol:
:5150:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I have a 62 that I am tossing around ideas on... the V-6 is already in the scrap pile.
The torsion front suspension may be right in it's heals bit I haven't decided on that yet.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

This morning I ran over to O’Reilly Auto Parts and picked up a stock replacement 69-81 Chevy fuel pump as a replacement for the one that has served well for the last 20 years. I pulled the brand new pump and sure enough the lever/actuator is doing nothing at all and will be returned.

The new sealed (non-clockable) pump was mounted in a few minutes and new hard lines fitted again, since the fittings were different than the new pump it replaced. No leaks were found anywhere in the system and the truck fired right up and ran just fine. Mission accomplished!

Oh wait, yep everything worked fine, except the new mechanical pump is putting out so much pressure my AFB/Edelbrock 1405 is receiving way too much pressure and leaking all over the intake manifold. So I got back online and ordered a Holley regulator and gauge which should be here in a day or two. That should give me time to figure out how and where I’d like to mount it.

I’m kind of bummed I have to go with a regulator, since I drove the truck for 20 years with the identical pump and carburetor with no flooding issues, but obviously the new pumps are no longer manufactured to the same specifications as 20 years ago. My original mechanical pump is AC Delco branded and I thought about going to a GM dealer and paying twice as much money for an AC pump, but looking at several AC Delco fuel pumps online I couldn’t help but notice their disclaimer that said in effect: “The AC fuel pump you receive may be manufactured by AC Delco, or by one of their approved suppliers. The pump you receive may not look exactly like the image pictured”.

To me that meant I could pay twice as much money at GM, for the same off brand part I can buy locally for half the price, with no assurance it would work any better. I did go to the trouble to seek out and obtain a “Precision” branded pump. It’s the same outfit that produced my windshield gasket, so I’m hoping I have the same good luck with the pump because the windshield seal was perfect.

The saga continues….

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Inspirational thread Mark.

It also happens to be the first '60 thread I read on here.

Thanks for posting a lot of pics and details.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for the comments Grizz.

While I was waiting for the pressure regulator to show up (due today) I pulled the new/defective pump apart last night to see what was wrong with it. Sure enough, whatever connects the actuating arm to the diaphragm plunger is either broken or missing. They connect above a rubber seal which cannot be removed for closer inspection, but safe to say it will never pump anything with the linkage disconnected. Would have been a nice time saver had I taken the time to figure that out before going to all the trouble of installing it.

This is the first time I’ve ever had to access the returns feature of Amazon.com. What a delight. Fill out the entries, select the refund option, print the no charge return labels and send it back. Of course with the luck I’m currently having - it wouldn’t fit through the drop box door, and the nearest UPS store folded up shop and closed the doors! I might have to wait until after Christmas to send it back.

I’m still trying to decide where to put the regulator. I’ve got at least three choices. Inline just in front of the carb, on the firewall to the left of the engine, or down on the frame near the fuel pump where it won’t prominently show. All 3 locations have advantages and disadvantages. On the firewall it will never pass NHRA tech. Of course it probably wouldn’t anyway and I have no intention of racing it. On the engine the heat and vibration might potentially shorten the life of the regulator, the gauge, or both. And on the frame it’s more likely to get pretty cruddy, which probably wouldn’t make any difference in performance.

It will be a lot easier to decide once the parts are in hand.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

The Holley 12-803 fuel pressure regular and Aeromotive 15 psi fuel gauge showed up at 5 pm this evening, and the installation was completed by 8:15. The first hour and a half were spent trying to figure out the best place to install it. I finally decided to mount it on the hard line running from the mechanical fuel pump to the carburetor. That way rubber hoses were not required and routing was the easiest. I thought it would look stupid there, but with the regulator canted about 15 degrees, everything fits nicely and is solid as a rock.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/3496/001pea.jpg

http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/5642/005bn.jpg

If the carb doesn’t flood anymore I’ll just have to find happiness with the appearance. I’m still going to attach a stabilizing strap to the right front carb stud for extra vibration resistance.

I’m waiting until tomorrow morning to fire it up. I’ll have my wife run the electric pump while I watch the pressure gauge to see how far it needs to be adjusted. From what I’ve read Edelbrock carbs like 5 - 5.5 psi. The regulator comes pre-set at 7 psi, so I backed it down one full turn. Unfortunately I have no idea where that sets the pressure without running the system and getting a reading. I may also pick up a 90 degree fitting to turn the gauge towards the camera. It would be easier to read and probably minimize crud build up on the face.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Great documentation as usual, Thank You! Anxiously anticipating follow up today... Merry CHRISTmas!!!
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks Don, and Merry Christmas to you & your family and the rest of the forum as well!

Since the fuel system was empty above the fuel pump, it seemed like a good idea to run down to the custom hose store and pick up a couple of elbows for the pressure gauge. I bought both a 45 and 90 degree fitting, and ended up going with the 45 degree version. Five minutes later it was much easier to read:

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/3923/003quw.jpg

My wife engaged the electric pump and the reading was five psi, exactly where I wanted it. So for the many forum members that have asked how many turns equal a pressure change, one full turn out reduced the factory 7 psi to 5 psi, or ½ turn per pound. I wouldn’t use this as an absolute figure, it just happened to be what my regulator provided. But if you don’t have a gauge, it might get you in the ballpark.

The bad news being, even at 5 psi the carburetor was clearly leaking from numerous sources indicating the floats were stuck open. So after a quick break, the carb was on the bench getting torn down. Everything was thoroughly hosed out with carb cleaner and compressed air. The floats were inspected and the level and drop checked and both remained perfect. Surprisingly however, there was quite a bit of crud in the bottom of one of the bowls.

I was a little concerned because I hadn’t really found anything wrong, but there was enough crap in the bowl to have potentially caused the needles to stick. Easily reassembled it was back on the engine and all the attachments buttoned up. After charging the carb with the electric pump, the engine fired right up and ran beautifully – and NO MORE LEAKS!

The last task was to fabricate and install a support arm from the bottom of the regulator to the nearest carb stud. I thought about it all last night envisioning some kind of a flat strap link with holes on both ends. I knew I’d seen something like that in my mind, that would work perfectly but I just couldn’t figure out was it was. Maybe something from a bicycle? Or maybe a piece of fence hardware, or a sewing machine or firearm part? I even searched online and couldn’t come up with anything.

So this morning I gave up and started digging through the junk metal drawer figuring I’d just have to fabricate something. Digging to the bottom, there was the piece I was envisioning! It was the bent and worn arm from one of my original door checks! I quickly remembered I had a nearly new door check left over after I replaced them both with NOS units.

It was quickly disassembled and bent it to the proper angle. Unfortunately the carburetor end needed to be drilled out to 5/16”. The problem being the link itself is file hardness, the same as a drill bit, so the hole couldn’t be drilled or filed bigger. But there’s always a way, so I hogged out the hole with a Dremel tool grinder bit. I put a lot of pressure on it which both opened up the hole and also made the end of the link blistering hot. When nearly the right size and as hot as I thought I could get it, I shoved a 5/16” step drill through the hole which sized it correctly and also cleaned up the wallowed out grinding mess.

Here’s what it looks like in position.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7307/009aah.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8378/007yia.jpg

With this in place the regulator and fuel lines are completely immovable so everything should stay nice and tight for years to come. I’m looking forward to having the next few days away from the constant smell of gasoline!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Your build is so clean. I love it.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Ditto...

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for the comments guys. For anyone interested, here’s the wiring layout I used for the electric fuel pump:

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6...gdiagrampo.jpg

As mentioned earlier the relay was already mounted just ahead of the battery and had previously powered the fog lamps. I ran a new 10 gauge wire to the pump, replaced the off-on toggle switch with a momentary type, and ran a new feed wire to the switch from post #20 on the fuse panel (which is always hot). When the relay operated the fog lamps, the feed wire to the switch was tied in to the headlight circuit which wouldn’t have been very practical for running the fuel pump.

If I intended to use the pump full time, an oil pressure switch should also be included to kill the pump if the engine quits. This is a primary safety feature in case of a wreck so the pump doesn’t keep running if the vehicle is crashed or upside down.

As a wrap up for the year I’m also including another random topic I don’t think I’ve covered anywhere else:

Cruise Control – This was installed back in 2000 when the truck was my daily commuter. I bought this one from Summit:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9499/rpc2501223.jpg

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/RP...1223/?rtype=10

Surprisingly the price has only gone up $6.00 in twelve years. At first I put the control box on the driver side fender panel, but soon tired of the clutter:

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9912/cruisebox01.jpg

Although the instructions advised against it due to noise concerns, it was remounted on the inside of the firewall next to the heater. This is viewed through the glove box opening with the liner removed:

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/8638/heater01.jpg

It does make a tiny click when switched on, but my truck is so noisy it doesn’t bother me a bit. The only thing visible in the engine compartment is the cable. This is about the only photo I have showing it:

http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/7...ruisecable.jpg

I sliced off a stock turn signal arm to mount the switch:

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/3...uiseswitch.jpg

Having done a bunch of these back in the 70’s and 80’s when they operated with a vacuum module, this is by far the easiest type I’ve ever installed, and it works as well as any new car cruise system I’ve ever used.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Soon after My Dad and I bought my 65 in the early 80's up here in Portland, I drove it back to my hometown Woodland CA,
My dad cut me a stick to length for Cruise Control. :lol:
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

My dad had a mechanical "cruise control" back in the early 60's. It was a J.C. Whitney left foot gas pedal.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9056/jcwhitney001.jpg

Theory was it would give the right foot a rest. In actual driving, I remember him being distracted after using it for long drives, doing somewhat of a "pedal dance" to avoid clobbering cars ahead when slowing in traffic! :lol:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Another failed attempt at starting the truck last night convinced me the battery was no longer holding a decent charge. Since it was seven years old, it seemed like a good time for a new one. When the last battery was purchased it was a Consumer Reports Best Buy – the Walmart EverStart. It’s been replaced by the EverStart MAXX, which is probably the same battery with a different sticker:

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9928/post0006.jpg

I no longer subscribe to CR, but other reviews on the web indicate the EverStart MAXX is still a CR Best Buy. One improvement is the carrying strap. The old battery had a fabric strap. The new battery has a plastic retractable handle which is much easier to use.

One significant difference in the battery specs however is the price. Last time it was around $40. Now it’s climbed to $85. YIKES!

I hadn’t realized how badly the old battery had deteriorated. With the new one, the engine seems to be spinning over around 600 rpms on the starter motor and fires to life almost on the first revolution like it used to.

Of course it helped I also reset the accelerator pump to the lowest hole (where it belongs). When I recently tore the carb apart I set the pump link on the middle hole which provided too short a pump stroke. I think I’ll just sit back now and be happy for a while!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

you going to add a battery kill switch to it for long sit time ?

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for asking. In fact I’ve been running a Hotronics remote master disconnect since 1999.

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/9541/hotronics.jpg

http://hotronicsproducts.com/product...faabdb49d9f813

The nice feature of this setup is that no power is required to hold it in the on or off position. Once the bolt is thrown it remains in that position indefinitely until switched back the other direction.

Until recently I had the clock on the hot side so it would keep running continuously, but during the winter months even the aircraft clock was enough to drain the battery after several weeks. So I wired in a clock selector switch for winter/summer, allowing the clock to run all the time, or shut off with the master during the winter.

At first I added the Hotronics solenoid primarily for security, but it is really handy just for working on the car. If I want to work on the electrical system, or pull the steering wheel, or whatever – a quick flip of the switch and the entire truck is electrically dead. In winter mode even the clock is off, in summer mode only the clock remains powered.

When the truck is not in use the master switch is always off so there’s no risk of battery drain, fire, or other related issues. If the weather is half way decent it still gets driven all year. When the snowy/icy roads are just too dangerous however, it has sat on occasion for weeks at a time. I’ve tried to cover all the bases so whether I want to or not the truck is always ready to go, any time of day or night.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Do you still plan on the fenderwell headers? Love the build!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

They are probably out of financial reach at this point (forced early medical retirement) but if I can ever manage that aspect I’ll definitely be adding a set. The headers were really intended to go along with the new engine which was scheduled for 4 months after I left the workforce. With the mostly stock engine I have now the headers would really be wasted, since I don’t have anything special up top for better breathing.

In the meantime I’m planning on adding sneaker plugs under the front fenders just for fun. I’ve toyed around with different exit locations and angles, and haven’t yet decided on 2 or 3 bolt caps. I don’t have any mock up photos of my truck yet, but I’m thinking of something along these lines:

http://imageshack.us/a/img233/9959/caps04.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img141/4000/caps01.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img96/4025/caps02.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img545/355/caps03.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Hey Mark, I know they do auto swap meets in Spokane or near there anyway.
I find good deals on lots of stuff at those swap meets.
A fellow 60-66er got a set of fenderwell headers for $50 at one and I was there when he got them so I know it wasn't bench racing BS.
I find my best deals right at the end of the show/meet when people are getting ready to pack up...
:5150:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I’ve had that experience as well. Very few people want to pack up and haul all their junk back home after a long hot weekend!

It looks like I’ll be reshuffling gauges again. After sorting all the bugs out of the fuel system improvements, I realized how nice it would be to have a fuel pressure gauge in the cab to know when the system is charged up, and also for reading idle and WOT pressures.

Research indicated two options. An Autometer “Traditional Chrome” mechanical fuel pressure gauge is available matching all my other gauges, or a mismatched electrical model.

An electrical model would have been easier (and more expensive), but I’d rather have all the gauges match and save quite a bit of money. So I’ll be using the Autometer 2413 Fuel Pressure gauge with a mechanical isolator. Apparently these run gas from the carb to the isolator and antifreeze from the isolator to the gauge, keeping fuel out of the passenger compartment.

http://imageshack.us/a/img11/9967/lautometer2413.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img197/4670/autometer2413.jpg

I’ve got a couple of details to sort out, like where to mount the isolator, and whether to leave the regulator on the engine or mount it next to the isolator. Then it’s on to the inside.

I’ll probably remove the chrome bullets up on the instrument panel and either install the fuel level and fuel pressure gauges in those holes, or I may mount the fuel pressure gauge on the accessory panel and move the gas and vacuum gauges up on the main panel.

Either way I’ll need to do something with the lower accessory panel. The easiest solution would be to switch to a two gauge panel, but who knows, there might be something else creative I can do with the spare hole.

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3752/dashboardn.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I would think keep fuel outside the cab is good but then again, if you have a stock tank, that is kind of a mute subject....;)
:5150:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

No kidding. Thankfully mine's under the back of the bed. I remember when I was a kid some early hot rods actually had the fuel tank and hand operated pressure pump where the passenger seat would normally be!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

The last few days have been spent dinking around installing the fuel pressure gauge isolator and related stuff as parts showed up. The isolator installation was rather straight forward after determining best location for mounting. NHRA doesn’t want it on the firewall, but there weren’t a lot of options on my truck, and I won’t be racing it anyway. Here’s the finished installation:

http://imageshack.us/a/img708/2207/0006dy.jpg

The only custom piece was the 300 psi hose between the T adapter and the isolator. It should hold up under the 5.5 psi in my system. It was pretty cheap at $15 and I had no other means to make the connection. I assumed the isolator would have a NPT connection, but it was 7/16x20 so I needed a custom fitting, and a full custom hose was the easiest solution.

For an added bit of sparkle I thought it would be fun to polish the side of the brass T adapter.

http://imageshack.us/a/img824/4454/0006am.jpg

The reflection shown in close up below is an image of the hose clamp on the lower heater hose at the firewall. It will eventually dull out but I had extra time on my hands and nothing better to do:

http://imageshack.us/a/img812/6483/0006bw.jpg

Gauges were reshuffled, moving the fuel level and vacuum gauge back to the main instrument panel, and the new fuel pressure gauge was installed on the right end of the accessory under dash panel. Now there’s a gauge for priming the engine with the electric fuel pump and also for showing pressure performance under WOT conditions.

http://imageshack.us/a/img708/9461/0029rq.jpg

This also gave me a place to install the charge indicator for the anti-tailgating device. It’s in the prototype stage but appears very promising. The indicator itself is state of the art, filled with depleted Corbomite gas that changes color as the system is charged. When disengaged the indicator is almost black, and changes to a dark blue in idle cutoff mode:

http://imageshack.us/a/img841/1615/0030lo.jpg

Fully charged and ready to activate it turns a bright whitish blue:

http://imageshack.us/a/img825/9307/0031gl.jpg

Once the indicator reaches this state it’s a simple matter of throwing the 3rd switch under the red safety cover and a directed beam is emitted directly behind the truck disabling any vehicle ignition system approaching closer than 1 car length/per 10 miles an hour of my vehicle speed, eliminating the danger of tailgaters.

There are still a few bugs to work out. The phaser capacitors overheat if run continuously for more than 15 minutes. Hopefully larger fans and punching louvers in the bedsides under the fenders (where they won’t show) will minimize that issue. Tapping into the cruise control speed sensor simplified connections.

Before it can be offered commercially the weight will have to be greatly reduced. The current military grade 17 megawatt Class 3 plasma eclipiton velocity discharge emitter will have to be reduced from 370 lbs to something practical for passenger cars. And hiding the emitters behind my wig/wag lights is playing havoc with the beam pattern.

Before certification can be obtained, the issue of shielding the ignition systems in police and emergency vehicles will have to be addressed, along with calibration of the beam emission/vehicle speed calculations.

But for now I’m just happy enjoying the nice blue color!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

man... the dash, the guages, that steering wheel, shifter, switches, seats... too cool. i'd crawl in that cockpit and never leave... to the bone.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Must Echo Clem's words... As always the attention to Detail is spot-om, Great Job Mark!!!:cong:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I will take 3. You take PayPal???:haha:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

""Once the indicator reaches this state it’s a simple matter of throwing the 3rd switch under the red safety cover and a directed beam is emitted directly behind the truck disabling any vehicle ignition system approaching closer than 1 car length/per 10 miles an hour of my vehicle speed, eliminating the danger of tailgaters.

There are still a few bugs to work out. The phaser capacitors overheat if run continuously for more than 15 minutes. Hopefully larger fans and punching louvers in the bedsides under the fenders (where they won’t show) will minimize that issue. Tapping into the cruise control speed sensor simplified connections.

Before it can be offered commercially the weight will have to be greatly reduced. The current military grade 17 megawatt Class 3 plasma eclipiton velocity discharge emitter will have to be reduced from 370 lbs to something practical for passenger cars. And hiding the emitters behind my wig/wag lights is playing havoc with the beam pattern.

Before certification can be obtained, the issue of shielding the ignition systems in police and emergency vehicles will have to be addressed, along with calibration of the beam emission/vehicle speed calculations.""


LMFAO i'll take 2 please :haha::wave:

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