Project Family Chummins

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by 6lcummins

When it comes time, might as well do a 4k kit, may never use it but it is really nice to have if you ever want to use it.

How hard is it to change the valve springs?

[6lcummins]

Not very hard, but it will depend on if you go 60# or the proper spring setup for higher RPM's. In all honesty you can get away with factory spring if you aren't constantly spinning 4k. But if it were me I would spend the extra money and do it right and do the springs, keepers, and retainers, but that's just me.

[Dieselwrencher]

I've got a new in box 5k kit I'll sell you.

[Ackattack]

I did a little work last night.

Finished mounting the shifter boot. I had it set in place yesterday, and its amazing how much noise it gets rid of from the interior.

I mounted up my trailer brake controller, no I just need to wire it up (I wasn't in the mood to do wiring)

Then I dove into figuring out why my power mirrors aren't working. After doing some testing I came to the conclusion the switch is bad, so I ordered a new one.

[jb1016]

Originally Posted by Ackattack

Also, I paid less for a gallon of diesel than a gallon of gas. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not

I wish I could say that for my wife's TDI Jetta...Diesel is still pretty pricey around here.

[Ackattack]

I had a jetty tdi, loved that little car (and got 51mpg). Sold it when we had our first kid cause the backseat was too small for the rear facing car seats.
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[Ackattack]

I started working on the A/C. My first thing to tackle was the lack of airflow. The blower operates on all speeds, just very little air comes out. This is also the way it was when I drove it home (100 degrees that day, I remember )

Last night I pulled out the blower motor and vacuumed out some debris, but that didn't really help much as I didn't get a whole lot out.

So today I borrowed my neighbors little hand held boroscope and ran it up there to take a look. Well the whole evaporator is pretty much clogged with dried mud. The evaporator is also the first thing the air hits, so that kind of explains the lack of airflow.

Tomorrow I'll get a new evaporator and heater core (just cause I have the old one out and they're not that much). I also picked up a new A/C line for the GMC. I'm going to cut off the compressor fittings from this line and connect the compressor fittings from the dodge and hopefully that will be taken care of. Then, finally I have to wire it all up. Oh, and I guess charge it up too

I also got a new orifice tube and accumulator. If all goes well I'll be chilling out with A/C by the weekend

[jbclassix]

Not my favorite company but have you checked Parker for the metric fittings? I used to build all my own. Are you missing the fresh air deflector in the right fender or do you think the mud came from somewhere else?
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[Ackattack]

I think it was just a bunch of dust that over time caked up on the evaporator. I believe the debris also is what caused the evaporator box no to drain correctly, therefore rusting out the passenger floor



I got the new evaporator and heater core installed tonight and the box/ducting partially put back together. Kind of a pain in the but. I also busted out a part of the box putting the evaporator back in. I'll have to "weld" it back together. I did a lot of "welding" on the A/C system from a 90 chevy that I put into my 69

I also got the mirror switch installed, and now my mirrors work.

[Ackattack]

So tonight I got the rest of the heater ducting installed, got the new reciever/dryer installed, flushed out the condenser and installed a new orifice tube, then installed the original low pressure line through the hole in the core support that the fresh air did come into:





I then looked at the hose assembly from the reciever/dryer to the compressor and then on to the condenser. The idea was to splice the two lines together. Unfortunately the suction line is a different size on the dodge compared to the GM line. So I guess I will have to take it to the A/C shop to have them make it up for me. At least they only have to do the one line now since I got the low pressure

[Ackattack]

I took the lines to the A/C shop and had it modified. The guy there said he even had a tough time getting the right fittings, cause a few of them were mislabled on their boxes. Never the less, he got the hose made up (not the cheap way to go for sure). I wrapped a foil cloth thing around the suction line to help block the heat from the turbo since the outlet from the receiver/dryer is pointed direct at the turbo.

Then I pressured the system with air to check for leaks. I let it set there while I worked on wiring. I pretty much used the stock wiring. However, from the A/C unit, the a/c request is a 12v signal. Normally the A/C relay needs a ground from the ECM to activate. So I rewired the relay to be grounded and will now activate when it gets this positive signal. Also, the Dodge wiring that goes from the high pressure switch to the low pressure switch and to the relay worked even on the GM low pressure switch...kinda suprised about that. Then I have an aux fan for the A/C. I had to do a similar thing, switching the ground around.

At some point while I was working on the wiring I checked my guage and it was leaking a little. I was able to figure out where......I swapped out for a different size o-ring and pressurized it again. It held pressure for several hours, so I figured I'm good. So then I vacuumed it down and left it vacuumed over night. The next morning I charged it up. I was getting ~50 degree air out of the vent in the morning.

So I loaded up the family and ran over the KC to get a loveseat. By this time it had warmed up a little more. The lack of airflow out of the vents didn't help, and the air out of the vents was ~60 degrees.

The truck ran fine except for one thing. The cruise control would kick off when I went over big bumps (such as bridge expansion joint). I assume this was cause the brake pedal was getting jarred enough to activate the brake switch, kicking off the cruise. But then on the way home it turn off, and I couldn't get it to come back on. I haven't gotten a chance to do any diagnostic on that yet.

So today I messed with the A/C more, trying to get it to work better. I clearanced the arm for the floor vent door so it will close a little better since the seal appears to be damaged. I also sealed up the holes in the firewall where the evaporator comes through that was pushing cold air into the engine compartment.

[jbclassix]

Interested to hear what the verdict is on your warm AC. AC work is my favorite to troubleshoot and work on!

What is your pressure difference hi and lo? You said that you used air to leak test your system. Was it shop air? using shop air can contaminate your dryer even when you pull it back to a vacuum.

When ever I have a warm air output I will usually feel test the suction and discharge lines on the compressor (should be fun on the Cummins). Good way to determine if it is an AC problem or heater interference problem.

I like your troubleshooting and reporting on this truck... and I look forward to the finished project!

[Ackattack]

I think the A/C may been overcharged slightly, pressures were 45/275. Luckily it developed a leak, and the pressures dropped a little to about 35psi on the low side (can't remember the high side....maybe 200???) So now I'm getting temps in the low 40s.

On another note: When I had the tranny out, I had to tip the engine back, breaking the temp sending unit on the left rear of the head. So tonight I'm going to relocate the sensor into the coolant line that goes to the heater. Hopefully that will work fine.

[Ackattack]

Well poop: I was driving the truck along today at about 25 mph and it started shaking violently side to side. I was able to pull onto a side street and get stopped no problem. So I hop out and start inspecting. This is what I found:





The frame around the pan hard bar is cracked! There is a seam on the bottom of the frame that is torn open and the crossmember in the engine is cracked. Looks like I have some serious reinforcing to do. These are factory welds. My welds on the panhard bracket appear to be fine. Obviously the frame wasn't meant to take the twisting force the panhard bar is putting on it.

I'll repair the frame, evaluate it and figure out a way to reinforce it.

Luckily I was only going 25 when it happened and not 75. That would have been a scary ride.

Posting from the side of the road waiting for a tow truck
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[jbclassix]

Holy Crap man! I'm glad you and the truck are alright!

[cAlvis165]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

holy crap man! I'm glad you and the truck are alright!

x2

[Ackattack]

While I wait on my welder to get repaired I'm going to continue on my to do list.

I got the alarm installed. It really wasn't too hard once you carefully read through the instructions. It has a starter disable function, shock sensor, and monitors the doors opening that will add to the security. However the biggest benefit of the alarm system is keyless entry. In the short time I've been driving it, I don't know how many times I had hopped out, walked around the truck to get a kiddo out of the back and realize the door is locked. So then I have to whip out the key, open the front door and unlock the doors. Much easier now

[Palf70Step]

Glad you caught the issue when you did. Love watching your builds over the years. I learn a whole lot from your skills and knowledge.

[Ackattack]

I keep plugging away at stuff. I got the power seats wired up, so they work now. Unfortunately (for my wife anyways) the seat heaters don't seem to be working. I've had several vehicles with heated seats and never use them, so its no loss to me.

I also ordered a sway bar. I found this one that I should be able to make work:
http://www.welderseries.com/blog/onl.../sway-bar-kit/

It may not be as firm a stock one, but really without a swaybar at all, its not that bad....not that I've been carving corners with it

[Ackattack]

Still no welder I called them today and apparently Miller is still waiting for a circuit board.

But on a bright side my Father's Day present from my wife and kids got here today so I put them on:







These ones don't have a turn signal in them. Overall, they appear to be good quality and will definitely help see, especially with a trailer. They will also pull out about an extra 6" These were on my "want" list, but not really a need, so that's why I hadn't gotten them yet. So my wife asked what I wanted for father's day, and I pointed her in the right direction

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice! Do you plan to plate and reinforce that track bar mount this time? I'd weld the frame seam too.

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Very nice! Do you plan to plate and reinforce that track bar mount this time? I'd weld the frame seam too.

Yep, if I ever get my welder back
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[Dieselwrencher]

I've got an AutoArc 180 you can borrow til you get yours back. Probably could GreyHound it too.

[Ackattack]

There's a rental place in town that has a 220V mig welder for $100/day I'm thinking about renting.

I could borrow one from work, but they're all 480 3 phase

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by Ackattack

There's a rental place in town that has a 220V mig welder for $100/day I'm thinking about renting.

I could borrow one from work, but they're all 480 3 phase

Man, I wish you were closer, I'd loan mine to you in a heartbeat.