Todd Build Thread

[ggdad1951]

with a little help from some friends....

 

 

 

 

[ggdad1951]

car club meeting last night so I tossed the big boy fender extensions on...

 

[48Dodger]

Looks way better with the extenders on!

 

48D 

[ggdad1951]

spent my weekend getting the requisite cuts on my fingers and stabs in as well...but I learned a few things this weekend:

1. Minnesota sports had a good weekend (Wild win, Vikes win, Gopher hockey sweeps the Ugly Helmets, and Gopher football beat Penn to stay undefeated)
2. My air shear handles 16ga no problem
3. My electric nippers handles 16ga no problem
4. My neighbor challenges me every step on this project to take it up one step better (more on that later when I can show a picture)
5. Building a firewall is time consuming 
6. 4x8 16ga sheets are HEAVY and cantankerous.

 

[Dave72dt]

2 hours ago, ggdad1951 said:

 

1. My neighbor challenges me every step on this project to take it up one step better (more on that later when I can show a picture)
2. Building a firewall is time consuming 
3. 4x8 16ga sheets are HEAVY and cantankerous.

1>Good for him, makes for a cleaner build and improves the final product.

2>Yes it is.  Did it in 2 pieces or did all the brakes in a single, then sectioned out the recess?  it looks like it might be split in the center.  I found it to be much more time consuming to build the recess and trans cover than the initial firewall.  I did mine without the toe pieces, a bit of a flange brake at the bottom, then added the toe pieces, flanged on both the firewall and floorboard sides and plug welded them on.

3>Yes, they are, especially by yourself.

 

I always look forward to the sheet metal portions of the build especially , and to general progress on the total build.

 

[ggdad1951]

yah there is a center split in the top I'll have to weld up.  Since the sides are NOT square to the top (verified off the old firewall I removed), getting that all dialed in would have cost me time and metal I didn't want to spend.

[Radarsonwheels]

Yup firewall fabrication is fun and time consuming. I used posterboard and blue tape to make it then tried to bend and fold the least amount of single chunks as possible. The patterns ended up being made of lots of blue tape and facets but the same technique works for traditional radiused tunnels. 

 

Also the toe boards definitely help with airflow out of the engine bay but give you less brake and clutch pedal travel. I think my 90° drivers footwell vs the stockish angled passenger toe board contributed to my (now past tense after louvering the hood) heat soak problems. The quick and dirty black paintjob definitely cooked off the driver’s rear hood much more than the passenger side.

 

It’s looking good man don’t lose momentum!

 

Radar

[ggdad1951]

Yah, it's been suggested the pedal area might need to change.  I won't know till I get the floor in and figure out how it all flows with steering, seat location and pedals.  I do have extra room in the cab to move back since the cab is longer.

[ggdad1951]

Little work yesterday

[Radarsonwheels]

On 11/14/2019 at 6:10 AM, ggdad1951 said:

Yah, it's been suggested the pedal area might need to change.  I won't know till I get the floor in and figure out how it all flows with steering, seat location and pedals.  I do have extra room in the cab to move back since the cab is longer.

Are you sticking with pedals that do a rainbow arc down into the floor or swapping to swinging pedals? I had trouble getting enough throw on my brakes after swapping to a dual pot master. I either had good feel with a smaller bore MC but not enough travel unless the pedal was really high at rest, or a rock hard pedal that wouldn’t apply enough psi even standing on it. 

 

I ended up extending the bottom half of the stock linkage pivot which increased the throw but then the MC had to be angled up because the pushrod was now lower. In retrospect I should have made an adapter to lower the MC but after all that messing around without satisfaction I threw an aftermarket swinging pedal on the firewall with a small diameter dual diaphram power booster. I don’t know how much vacuum a diesel makes but maybe you want manual brakes for simplicity? Doing discs? There is a lot of math you can do mixed with trying to match OEM wheel and MC volumes but I always end up having to try a couple different masters until I’m happy.

 

My current squared off firewall with increased downward travel allowed by relieving the toe board ended up perfect for resting pedal height, pedal effort, and travel. 

 

I’m sure you will get it right!

 

What is that square wood box and metal frame you’re making in that last post? Probably obvious once you say but I don’t know what it is?

[Merle Coggins]

Diesels don’t make any vacuum. The intake is wide open so they can take in as much air as possible. Most diesel pickups have a hydraulic brake booster that runs off the power steering pump

[ggdad1951]

17 hours ago, Radarsonwheels said:

Are you sticking with pedals that do a rainbow arc down into the floor or swapping to swinging pedals? I had trouble getting enough throw on my brakes after swapping to a dual pot master. I either had good feel with a smaller bore MC but not enough travel unless the pedal was really high at rest, or a rock hard pedal that wouldn’t apply enough psi even standing on it. 

 

I ended up extending the bottom half of the stock linkage pivot which increased the throw but then the MC had to be angled up because the pushrod was now lower. In retrospect I should have made an adapter to lower the MC but after all that messing around without satisfaction I threw an aftermarket swinging pedal on the firewall with a small diameter dual diaphram power booster. I don’t know how much vacuum a diesel makes but maybe you want manual brakes for simplicity? Doing discs? There is a lot of math you can do mixed with trying to match OEM wheel and MC volumes but I always end up having to try a couple different masters until I’m happy.

 

My current squared off firewall with increased downward travel allowed by relieving the toe board ended up perfect for resting pedal height, pedal effort, and travel. 

 

I’m sure you will get it right!

 

What is that square wood box and metal frame you’re making in that last post? Probably obvious once you say but I don’t know what it is?

 

The wood buck is to roll the sheetmetal edge for the engine intrusion into the cab.  Nice round edge looks better then squared off sheetmetal.   Once welded up will look more "stock".

[ggdad1951]

Firewall engine intrusion panel built, the buck got a little hot tacking it together.

[ggdad1951]

got a little further last night after work:

 

[Merle Coggins]

Is there enough room to get the valve cover off if needed?

[ggdad1951]

1 hour ago, Merle Coggins said:

Is there enough room to get the valve cover off if needed?

 

no, likely not (altho it might be able to be sneaked out) and I know this...I am choosing the avenue of more cab space for the 99% than the 1% I need play engine.   Jacking up the cab a few inches (if needed) would be the answer for the 1%.

[48Dodger]

Sight hole under the dash? Might be worth investigating it now, then later.

Your 1% argument is valid, but as the build progresses, you may find it

more difficult to jack the cab up (ie to many things tied up on the firewall, etc)

Otherwise, things are looking good!

 

48D

[ggdad1951]

2 hours ago, 48Dodger said:

Sight hole under the dash? Might be worth investigating it now, then later.

Your 1% argument is valid, but as the build progresses, you may find it

more difficult to jack the cab up (ie to many things tied up on the firewall, etc)

Otherwise, things are looking good!

 

48D

 

time will tell...when things are a bit further along I can try and pull a cover....but I'm not worried about it.

[Todd B]

You could put an inspection cover  in the firewall above the valve cover 

[Merle Coggins]

I just know that, as a mechanic, I would have several unkind words for the engineer that caused me to jack the cab off the frame a couple inches for enough clearance to remove the valve cover. But since you are both at this point, you'll just be cussing out yourself... ?

It might be as simple as raising the box on the firewall an inch or two. Now is the time to test, and modify, before welding it fully.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Merle Coggins

[Dodgeb4ya]

You really do want room to get the V/C off.

I would go back and fab a bump up in the firewall panel. Just a little more work and you wouldn't have to answer stupid questions everytime you open the hood to show it off....

continually asking...what do you do if you have to remove the valve cover??

[Jeff Balazs]

21 minutes ago, Merle Coggins said:

I just know that, as a mechanic, I would have several unkind words for the engineer that caused me to jack the cab off the frame a couple inches for enough clearance to remove the valve cover. But since you are both at this point, you'll just be cussing out yourself... ?

It might be as simple as raising the box on the firewall an inch or two. Now is the time to test, and modify, before welding it fully.

You are so right Merle.......but then I see the crap that almost all of the automakers are doing today and it just blows my mind. As an example there are many transverse V6 installations that require  a few hours disassembly just to change the rear sparkplugs. Literally almost nothing is being built these days with service requirements in mind. It is just crap engineering.....but it seems as if this sort of stuff has become an accepted norm. In the old days if someone actually designed this into a production auto or truck they would have got a foot up the arse......

Jeff

[ggdad1951]

hey...I'M the mechanic....

[T120]

Nice work fabricating the firewall...helpful feedback offered.☺️

[Plymouthy Adams]

hey, its a Dodge...where is there a need to return to the scene of the crime for future repairs....??????????