The Phoenix is awakening / B3B Rises from the Ashes

[pflaming]

Jeff, the oil checked out OK, just a little black which is normal. The brake still drags some, but good otherwise, still have to work on that some more.

[Jeff Balazs]

Paul;

What I found out with mine is that the pedal adjustment was a little fussy to begin with. Not sure if it has anything to do with the Cherokee M/C conversion......or if this happens with all of these trucks when they are put back on the road. I had to adjust mine 3 or 4 times in the first few months of daily use. Kept developing a tiny bit of drag on all 4 brakes. At the time I thought it was the cab settling in and affecting the pedal adjustment. At any rate it finally stopped doing it and has been good for the past year.

Jeff

[pflaming]

I confirmed 50 60 and 70 mph on my speedometer, the did a decimal check. 89 @ 50 mph; 93 @ 60; and 99 at 70 mph.  cab is sound deadened, firewall a professional insert, double layer deadening on the floor and a good mat. It is still to loud for me. Exhaust line check and noise up the steering column / pedals to be reduced.  

[pflaming]

Today I broke my determination to do all the labor on my truck by letting a good shop fix my exhaust pipe and muffler. They cut out about six feet of pipe and installed a quiet muffler. Engine sound is still there.but so much less and the sound is not harsh to hear. Total expense, $165.00. 

 

Getting ready for the BBQ drive. After the BBQ I'm going to stay overnight in Jamestown, a 90 minute drive, then on Sunday drive into Yosemite Valley. The water falls should be quite full by then. With the green grasses and colorful spring flowers it should be a great drive. Join me! 

Edited February 7, 2018 by pflaming

[Desotodav]

Money well spent Paul !!

[pflaming]

On an errand and stopped to enjoy the moment. It is getting very beautiful but a little too soon and not enough snow in the mountains. The big problem with an early bloom is the real threat of a late freeze, buds and fruit in the blossoms are not freeze friendly.

[pflaming]

My shifter works very nicely on the bench. There remain a couple rod linkages that need tweaking, the lockout handle mount will be aluminum and properly milled to hold position and the upper clevis rod lifter will be cosmetically charged but not until it's installed and the levers are adapted to fit seats, etc. the real lever is the lockout lever so all controls will be on the floor. I just ordered a new relay and kick down switch, and a mounting adapter plate is being made on a CNC machine. The drive shaft will need to be shortened and balanced, $$$$, then installation. I have a lift spoken for and two friends to help.  That done I'm ready for the BBQ drive. 

 

So so if you want to test drive the shifter and overdrive see me at the "Q". 

 

Edit: 2/13/18.  Yesterday I took all my shop fabbed parts in to my machinist friend to have them refined.  I also made contact with a driveline build and repair shop to shorten and balance it.  The goal is to install it the last days of Feb. 

 

Now, how difficult is it to put in new body mounts? Mine are rock solid! 

Edited February 13, 2018 by pflaming

[pflaming]

Today I drove the truck to a drive shaft company so they could advise me. All looks good, now to install the OD and take measurements. The truck ran comfortably at 2500 RPM's and I had no trouble driving with evening traffic on the freeway and the engine was not maxed out. It was a nice 70 mile round trip. When new refined OD shifter parts are done, it will be installation time for that.

 

New muffler and pipe reduced a lot of noise, valve adjustment, and new rear non aggressive tires are next. Oh, and the driveline owner is a member of the Fresno MOPAR Club so I may have recruited several more for Tims BBQ.  It was  great day! 

[pflaming]

I want to replace the HARD body mounts. Can I release/cut off the existing mounts, raise the cab, install new and let the cab back down? Could it be that simple or am I overlooking something? 

[pflaming]

Yesterday I replaced my aggressive rear truck tires with new  passenger car tires of same size. Checking off noise makers in the B3B. Valve readjustment is next, then new body mounts. Getting ready for the BBQ weekend. I'm planning on driving home via Jamestown then Sunday through Yosemite, join me, be great fun to caravan a number of old MOPARs and other makes through that valley. Waterfalls should be great then.

[Jeff Balazs]

The tires you removed look like Wranglers. I have them on my truck and they are definitely not noisy. Of course they haven't been BBQ'd either. Maybe the added grill marks are noisy?

[pflaming]

Jeff, yours like these? So I just spent $250 sooner than I should have? 

Edited February 20, 2018 by pflaming

[Jeff Balazs]

Uh huh. And they have a nice smooth quiet ride. I run em at 32 psi on my 3/4 ton. Have owned several sets of them over the years and IMO for the money they are a good value. There is a Michelin I like better on trucks this size but it is twice the cost.

[55 Fargo]

On 13/02/2018 at 10:22 PM, pflaming said:

Today I drove the truck to a drive shaft company so they could advise me. All looks good, now to install the OD and take measurements. The truck ran comfortably at 2500 RPM's and I had no trouble driving with evening traffic on the freeway and the engine was not maxed out. It was a nice 70 mile round trip. When new refined OD shifter parts are done, it will be installation time for that.

 

New muffler and pipe reduced a lot of noise, valve adjustment, and new rear non aggressive tires are next. Oh, and the driveline owner is a member of the Fresno MOPAR Club so I may have recruited several more for Tims BBQ.  It was  great day! 

So why do you need overdrive if your cruising on the freeway at 2500 rpms?

Do you plan on cruising at 80 mph?

At what speed is your 2500 rpm?

 

[55 Fargo]

5 hours ago, pflaming said:

Jeff, yours like these? So I just spent $250 sooner than I should have? 

Ive run these tires there not bad for noise but there is some for sure. 

Now agressive duratracs give off noise..

[pflaming]

"So why do you need overdrive if your cruising on the freeway at 2500 rpms?

Do you plan on cruising at 80 mph?

At what speed is your 2500 rpm?"

 

As I find noise reductions, my need for overdrive is waning, yet on the open road after a couple of hours a quieter ride would be much less tiring. I love to drive this truck distances. I enjoy locking the foot in place and listen to the engine as I go.  The trek to the BBQ is about 2.5 hours so preparing for that one next. My speedometer is not accurate so I need to get me a pace car and determine what 2500 in fact is. 

[55 Fargo]

15 minutes ago, pflaming said:

"So why do you need overdrive if your cruising on the freeway at 2500 rpms?

Do you plan on cruising at 80 mph?

At what speed is your 2500 rpm?"

 

As I find noise reductions, my need for overdrive is waning, yet on the open road after a couple of hours a quieter ride would be much less tiring. I love to drive this truck distances. I enjoy locking the foot in place and listen to the engine as I go.  The trek to the BBQ is about 2.5 hours so preparing for that one next. My speedometer is not accurate so I need to get me a pace car and determine what 2500 in fact is. 

Tire size, rearend ratio, and rpm = speed

P235 75 15 = 28.8 inches in diameter 

With 3.23 at 2500 RPM = 66 mph

With 3.55s at 2500 RPM = 60mph

With 3.73 at 2500 RPM = 57 mph

3.23 and overdrive of .71 at 70 mph = 1872 rpm

3.55 and OD =2058 rpm

3.73 and OD= 2162 rpm

Anything under 2000 rpm might not be the greatest and you are getting under the powerband...

[pflaming]

 

Tire size, rearend ratio, and rpm = speed

P235 75 15 = 28.8 inches in diameter 

 

With 3.73 at 2500 RPM = 57 mph

3.73 @250440NDand OD= 2162 rpM

Anything under 2000 rpm might not be the greatest and you are getting under the powerband...

 

I have a 3.73 rear so with OD at  2162, mph would be 57.  That certainly would not be of help in the mountains and on rolling hilly roads marginal?  Maybe better rethink the OD. Would be nice in many Calif freeways but that's not where the fun stuff is. 

[pflaming]

Question, if the engine in OD is just above the lugging down point, wouldn't it tend to run hot! 

[Merle Coggins]

6 hours ago, pflaming said:

Question, if the engine in OD is just above the lugging down point, wouldn't it tend to run hot! 

 

It could, if there is a high load and at lower RPM the water pump and fan spin slower.

 

Do you have any interior sound deadening material in your truck? That goes a long ways to quiet things down.

[55 Fargo]

8 hours ago, pflaming said:

 

Tire size, rearend ratio, and rpm = speed

P235 75 15 = 28.8 inches in diameter 

 

With 3.73 at 2500 RPM = 57 mph

3.73 @250440NDand OD= 2162 rpM

Anything under 2000 rpm might not be the greatest and you are getting under the powerband...

 

I have a 3.73 rear so with OD at  2162, mph would be 57.  That certainly would not be of help in the mountains and on rolling hilly roads marginal?  Maybe better rethink the OD. Would be nice in many Calif freeways but that's not where the fun stuff is. 

With 3.73 gears and going 70 mph it would. be fine.

Going out of overdrive on hills and passing and for slower speeds. 

6 hours ago, pflaming said:

Question, if the engine in OD is just above the lugging down point, wouldn't it tend to run hot! 

Lugging is not good for the engine or fuel economy and engine temps.

Over 2100 cruising most likely fine until you hit a 7 % grade then shift outta overdrive.

Driving at 1800 rpm on the highway at 60 might not be too good

Edited February 21, 2018 by 55 Fargo Spitfire

[55 Fargo]

In my Fargo driving at say 40 mph in 4th gear and 3.23 gears no issues at say 1600 rpm.

But there is much less wind resistance at 40 mph then 60 or 70 mph.

But it will chug away happily at 40 mph as load is not causing it to lug.

These engines do have a benefit of max torque at low RPM.

[55 Fargo]

Also in my Fargo from 40 to about 52 mph she can be a real dog in a head wind.

Once she hits about 2100 rpm she goes much stronger.

Edited February 21, 2018 by 55 Fargo Spitfire

[pflaming]

Plymouthy told me a number of years ago to be very careful not change the engineer's decisions because they engineer per optimum results at the start. That might not be a fully accurate paraphrase of PA but it serves correct in this discussion. I went to the car manual to rediscover that the overdrive was matched with a 4:11 rear axle. The above comments show what happens when put with a 3:73 and with a truck body. 

 

So I'm not going to put the OD in even though it would be fine for the driver who understands the limitations. Since this truck will go to my daughter, the sensible thing to give her is the simplicity and dependability of the three speed with the 3:73 rear axle. Once again the value of this forum especially for the novice mechanic, which I remain.

 

Now I have an R10 Overdrive for sale. Interested, price is negotiable.

Edited February 21, 2018 by pflaming

[ggdad1951]

2 hours ago, Merle Coggins said:

 

It could, if there is a high load and at lower RPM the water pump and fan spin slower.

 

Do you have any interior sound deadening material in your truck? That goes a long ways to quiet things down.

 

I think the main problem I see with everyone is they expect these old boys to be as quiet as a brand new Lexus.  With a simple kit from Quiet Ride I have no problems having a conversation in FEF while hurtling thru time and space....