55*6BT My 55 w/ Cummins power

[II_Slow]

I found a bench seat locally on Craigslist from a Tacoma which should be about the right width, and being a manual shift the seat it is designed to clear the shifter, which should also clear my console. I think I'll go check it out take some more measurements - this just might work.....

Hopefully the headrests are removable without resorting to a saw.

[Brant Campbell]

Build is going awesome! I recognize your car.. I race in Denton too. You've probably seen my old Camaro.. lol.. I'm about to start a 6BT Cummins 53 1.5 ton truck build. Your build is definitely helping!

[II_Slow]

Oh, damn. Nice Camaro, Brant! Yep I saw it at an RTTA race there.

Finally drug my ass back to shop and made more progress on the 55. Front bumper looks like it will be pretty easy to mount. I have the bumber hanging in place, all of the brackets and tabs shaped and should be ready to weld up.
The back bumper is mounted but I'm not happy with it. But with it hanging in place I can cut some better brackets in posterboard and go to metal with them a little easier now.
Steps are mounted, but not braced. Another visit to the plasma cutter and I now have brackets rough cut.
Thinking about hitting it all with some cheap tinted primer just to get it all one color.

The transmission is leaking at the front of the pan. I bought a deep aluminum pan and will put it on and get this thing where it will start and run again soon.

[II_Slow]

Got the transmission pan replaced with a deep sump aluminum pan so I could start the engine again (was leaking fluid badly so I stopped topping it off). Started the engine for the first time since I ran it to add antifreeze last November! It fired right up and I got to see all the gauges work for the first time. It took it 30 minutes to warm up enough to cycle the fans, and then it would drop back below the "on" temperature and shut right back off. I don;t think I'll have any issues keeing it cool.
Front bumper is permanently mounted, it was much easier than the rear. I'm going to re-do the rear - I'm not happy with what I have done. Another do-over, not the first one on this project!
Brackets are cut for the steps, should be pretty easy to mount those up.

I still think I may have the hydroboost plumbed wrong. It pukes fluid when I shut it off, and the brake pedal pulses a little. maybe my assumptions on input and output on the brake assembly are wrong. I know the power steering pump is right (obvious which is high pressure, and which is return) and i know the gear box is right (compared it to factory truck) - or maybe my parts aren't compatible.

This thing starts are runs so great - can't wait to get my 12-valve back on the road. I've had that engine for 21 years now.

[Brant Campbell]

You're making me jealous. I'm so ready to get started on my 49 GMC diesel swap, but I've got a project in front of it. lol..

What hydroboost kit did you go with? I'm going to have to hydroboost a 70 c-10 I'm working on cause I did a 2016 L83 5.3 swap, and I have no vacuum source on the engine.

[II_Slow]

Mine was from a 2002 1-ton Dodge I think. It did fit right where the brake booster was (aligned to the pedal assembly I had and rod appeared to be the right length). I bought it from a local parts yard and he just dropped it off at my shop door so I didn't actually see the donor. I have a vacuum source, but even a small booster didn't really have a spot to go. I'm sure I'll figure it out. Steering works great, and brakes depress easily but you can feel pulseing when the pedal is applying steady brake pressure, and it hisses and pisses fluid when the engine is shut off. Maybe it won't work with the reservoir that low?

[II_Slow]

I'm sectioning one of my bad hoods to make a cover for the radiator, intercooler, and condenser and blend it in to the core support. It should have the correct contour, right!? Not sure yet if the hood will clear it, should have the front DS corner tacked in place this weekend so I'll know. Looks like it just might work.

Here's another lesson learned. Save your scrap body panels (fenders, hood, roof) until your project is finished. Lots of good curved pieces to section and use as needed. Not everyone has a teardrop mallet and sandbag or english wheel, nor the skill to use them if we had them!

[lower50's]

Good one on the "save your panels" I burnt myself on that sold parts when I moved 5 years ago and needed some of the parts

[II_Slow]

This just might work.


Been trying to figure out a way to bridge the gap between the core support and radiator. A little more (Ok a lot more) metal work and a little body filler and problem solved. Clears the hood so that's a big plus.

Next issue - bracing the hood. Factory braces don't clear the boost tube from the intercooler to the intake.

[II_Slow]

Wow, last pic was in April and here it is June and I haven't even finished that! Worked on it some more last night, getting closer. I was dragging my feet a little becuase I wasn't it was going to look good but I think it's going to work out fine. It's has a break on the backside and mounts rigidly to the core support and radiator so it's pretty solid, and removable. I plan on boxing the ends as well

[Dieselwrencher]

That looks very nice!

[lower50's]

Very nice!! What do you use for metal shaping?

[Kim57]

That looks slick.
Kim

[II_Slow]

Originally Posted by lower50's

Very nice!! What do you use for metal shaping?

I just sacrificed and sectioned an old hood I had that was rusted out across the top along the back brace and at the hinges. Other than that it's bend stuff by hand or over anything that resembles what I'm looking for. Pie cut or slice here and there. I don't have any metal shaping tools.
Going to take some filler to smooth it out, but should look fine and provide a nice blank canvas for a pinstriper!

[lower50's]

Oh cool good thinking.

[Purcell69]

This is coming along very nicely! Keep up the good work!

-Joe

[II_Slow]

Had to move the truck out to clean the shop. Got a wild hair and took her for cruise on the backroads, then parked her in the wife's spot in garage. She looks right at home there.

With the shop cleaned, and a little motivation from the extended cruise (with no glass, brake lights, etc.), I started back to work on extending the dash to make a spot for the AC vents. With the engine set back so far and all of the electronics (wipers motor and arms, Dakota dash, Guard Dawg remote start, wiring harness, AC unit), it pretty packed behind the dash so I'm adding a couple of inches along the bottom for AC vents. With the contour of the dash, the glovebox door can't be hinged from the bottom so I sectioned it. I think I can make this work.

[lower50's]

What!! sneaking in a cruise and no pictures or video?! lol

[II_Slow]

High 80's in Texas in August, yep I'm working in the shop.
Bonus: It's always a great day in the shop when I get to use my Clecos!
That's a lot of drilling and tapping to get the top plate drilled, and the bed frame drilled and tapped. Drilling both panels at the same time with an 1/8th inch bit, clamping with Clecos, and drilling all of the holes is the best way I know get good hole alignment panel-to-panel - much better than drilling one panel and trying to mark second panel with center punch.




You can really see how much the bed floor is raised to clear the late model 3/4-ton frame.

[II_Slow]

Well I got the 55 running with the factory PCM with no problems - except the tach still does read. This was using the tach output from the PCM feed the keyless ignition and Dakota Digital interface. I even tried using the diesel tach interface module from Dakota. It has an LED that will flash the tach pulse train and it shows nothing so I think my crank sensor is bad. Tired of messing with for now - I'll try measuring the signal voltage on sensor next. At least the fuel shut off circuit works - and I didn't smoke the PCM.

[II_Slow]

Also reworked the hood bracing to clear the boost tube so the hood closes and clears everything now. Getting a little closer every day!

[II_Slow]

Testing my Photobucket alternative attachments.

If it worked, this is the (almost) completed radiator cover. What started out a big eyesore (radiator, intercooler, and condenser) turned out to be a nice blank canvas for a pinstriper.

I also got the hood re-brace reconfigured to clear the boost tube.

Right now, I'm hugely dissatisfied with the presumably imported hood hinges. You have to really work to close the hood evenly, including pushing down on the top of the hood to get it lay flat on one side. Maybe it's just me, or maybe these new hinges are junk.

[Purcell69]

Man that is coming along so nicely!

-Joe

[II_Slow]

Thanks, Joe. I'm so ready to wrap this thing up and just drive it instead of work on it all the time. I've got the wiring about 90% done but the lack of an ideal tach signal is wearing me out. Wouldn't be a problem but the keyless ignition is very unhappy right now - doesn't know when the engine is running so it doesn't sequence properly. Glad to see you got past your PCM issues!

My major fab work is done, except the dash extension and a little more on the console. Just "tying up the loose ends" but boy there's a bunch of them. Not sure what I'll run in to when I start really trying to get the gaps right on the panels. Really don't know what to expect but that's what keeps me up at night now.

[Dieselwrencher]

Can you add a different tone wheel to your dampner to get an alternative tach source by chance? Auto world in Montana makes several different ones and maybe that is a better signal than what you're getting from the dodge pick up sensor since it only uses 2 pulses.

Nice work on your radiator cover. It looks dang good!