Looking good Greg. Just remember the old saying about KISS Keep It Simple Stupid and you'll create less work for yourself. 
CK5
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'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build
- Thread starter Greg72
- Start date
This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
Hehe,
You're getting closer to firing up this beast. Do you have a carb that you could throw on there just for the fire up? Just a thought if you don't, maybe Zimm could send you his as it's going to be collecting dust here soon. Hell, for that matter, I could send ya mine for the start up.
There is just nothing like a super uplift in the build to hear it run for the first time. Great progress lately. Looks like you ran into the same tube being a pain on the drivers side. A little hack, hack and it all works out though.
Again, it's great to see you plugging away at this thing again. I'd like to see a vid of Dangers face when you fire her up for the first time. Maybe you can get him on another show with that vid too. lol
You're getting closer to firing up this beast. Do you have a carb that you could throw on there just for the fire up? Just a thought if you don't, maybe Zimm could send you his as it's going to be collecting dust here soon. Hell, for that matter, I could send ya mine for the start up.
There is just nothing like a super uplift in the build to hear it run for the first time. Great progress lately. Looks like you ran into the same tube being a pain on the drivers side. A little hack, hack and it all works out though.
Again, it's great to see you plugging away at this thing again. I'd like to see a vid of Dangers face when you fire her up for the first time. Maybe you can get him on another show with that vid too. lol
Looking good Greg. Just remember the old saying about KISS Keep It Simple Stupid and you'll create less work for yourself.
Truth Scotty!
I was relieved when I saw the solution COULD be simple... Saved a bunch of time by being able to install the headers in a mostly stock configuration. Next time I pull the motor out, I can plate in that one small area I cut last night. Plenty of strength still left in that area, but I'd prefer to close it back up anyway.Mike, yeah I'll have to go back to your build thread to look at your header photos. Did you end up using the same Hooker Comps part number?
As for the first fire-up, I doubt that will happen any time soon (maybe Spring)
I would prefer to start it on the break-in cart so I can check for leaks and have easy access to everything. Plus, I've never done EFI before and the Holley Dominator is a pretty complex looking controller so I'd like to be able to take my time any fully understand all of its capabilities, triggering options, etc. it also has programmable timing curves. Philly87 already helped me get my MSD dizzy "locked out" so that the only advance will come from the EFI controller.Ideally..... I'd love to find a talented shop with an engine dyno and have them run the motor under different loads so that I could build a really accurate set of maps.
-G
Yep, I bought them when you and AJ picked them up. I think that AJ ended up with another pair though.
I knew about the EFI, but forgot about that super engine cart. That will be cool seeing the cart being put to use after all of this time.
My vote still goes for throwing a carb on there, a couple of hoses, a can of gas a couple feet away and turning the key, if you're all fancy like me... lol
Maybe you can't with the way the Dizzy is now though. Don't know about all that.
I knew about the EFI, but forgot about that super engine cart. That will be cool seeing the cart being put to use after all of this time.
My vote still goes for throwing a carb on there, a couple of hoses, a can of gas a couple feet away and turning the key, if you're all fancy like me... lol
Maybe you can't with the way the Dizzy is now though. Don't know about all that.
There is another way to do it?
It looks good, I like Hooker headers, one of the few companies that still weld the collector flange solid. Start it puppy up soon! That will get you motivated.
Heath,
Guess I'd always been lucky and was able to drop them in from above....
Hopefully I will be able to pull the motor with the headers still bolted on. It would be a royal pain to have to completely dismantle everything to get the motor out in the future.
Next steps will probably be either the front axle or the front clip setup. I can't really build the upper shock mounts until I have the axle in position (at least with the housing on jackstands).... and I can't build the lower brackets until I know where the link mounts are going to be. I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm not going to be able to use a 16" travel strut up front like I did out back. It would really be ugly to have them sticking up through holes in the hood!!!
-G
Guess I'd always been lucky and was able to drop them in from above....
Hopefully I will be able to pull the motor with the headers still bolted on. It would be a royal pain to have to completely dismantle everything to get the motor out in the future.
Next steps will probably be either the front axle or the front clip setup. I can't really build the upper shock mounts until I have the axle in position (at least with the housing on jackstands).... and I can't build the lower brackets until I know where the link mounts are going to be. I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm not going to be able to use a 16" travel strut up front like I did out back. It would really be ugly to have them sticking up through holes in the hood!!!
-G
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phreddei166
1/2 ton status
Cool.
Do you have any personal experience with that shop?
Any idea if they do EFI tuning or old school stuff? Most of the items they advertise look like the newer-generation Chevy engines.
-G
Do you have any personal experience with that shop?
Any idea if they do EFI tuning or old school stuff? Most of the items they advertise look like the newer-generation Chevy engines.
-G
The Art of the Deal..... 
Did a little horse trading this weekend. 8 hours of "Honey-Dos" today in exchange for 8 hours of time in the manspace tomorrow. I'll take that deal every time!
The project for tomorrow will be the configuration of a 4-link front suspension with mechanical steering. Not a simple task, especially since I can't find any good photos of it on the interwebs... Supposedly the original Currie "Fire Ant" Jeep (circa 2002) had this setup, and the BlueTorch Fab KOH buggy (2011) did it also... I heard that a LeDuc Trophy Truck did it but can't even find that one. I'd take any help available to get some images to study. 
The main problem with the setup is that you cant use conventional crossover steering... Massive bumpsteer. The solution is a more complicated bellcrank push-pull system, and I think this is where most people either give up completely or just throw full-hydro steering at it. I need mechanical steering for the street, so I'll need to solve it the hard way.
I did one quick link design last night using parallel lowers and triangulated uppers (converged at axle). Ideally I'd prefer to converge at the frame side like the rear axle setup but the bracketry required might not allow for any up travel. Obviously, I need to make sure I've got clearance for the front driveshaft (even under articulation) and for whatever crazy steering linkage needs to fit along the drivers side.
Brandon, Heath, Blazinzuk and others are MORE than welcome to chime in on this one today. Links to photos or other resources would be appreciated.... Don't want to waste my precious shop time making "rookie" mistakes.
-G
Did a little horse trading this weekend. 8 hours of "Honey-Dos" today in exchange for 8 hours of time in the manspace tomorrow. I'll take that deal every time!
The project for tomorrow will be the configuration of a 4-link front suspension with mechanical steering. Not a simple task, especially since I can't find any good photos of it on the interwebs... Supposedly the original Currie "Fire Ant" Jeep (circa 2002) had this setup, and the BlueTorch Fab KOH buggy (2011) did it also... I heard that a LeDuc Trophy Truck did it but can't even find that one.
I'd take any help available to get some images to study. The main problem with the setup is that you cant use conventional crossover steering... Massive bumpsteer. The solution is a more complicated bellcrank push-pull system, and I think this is where most people either give up completely or just throw full-hydro steering at it. I need mechanical steering for the street, so I'll need to solve it the hard way.
I did one quick link design last night using parallel lowers and triangulated uppers (converged at axle). Ideally I'd prefer to converge at the frame side like the rear axle setup but the bracketry required might not allow for any up travel. Obviously, I need to make sure I've got clearance for the front driveshaft (even under articulation) and for whatever crazy steering linkage needs to fit along the drivers side.
Brandon, Heath, Blazinzuk and others are MORE than welcome to chime in on this one today. Links to photos or other resources would be appreciated.... Don't want to waste my precious shop time making "rookie" mistakes.
-G
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Well done sir!..... :beer:
-G
-G
My driver side had the same issues on the frame rail too. However, don't get too excited yet on the passenger side. The collector flange was right in the middle of the front drive shaft on my clocked up 241. Just something to think about.... Ultimately yes, I did end up going a different route on the headers.
2012.12.09 - UPDATE! - CHOPPING UP HOOKERS...!!!
Tough day today... I started out with big plans to get the suspension figured out, but ended up humbled at every turn.
Things started out pretty well. Got the front axle in place and at ride height.
It didn't take long to realize that AJ was right. The passenger-side header was completely blocking any chances for a front driveshaft.
It was centered perfectly between the framerail and the transmission.
The best option seemed to be pushing the pumpkin even further right, and pushing the headers as far LEFT as possible. After studying it for a while, I felt confident that I could cut two of the tubes and swap them to the opposite side of the header.
Here is an in-process shot after the first tube was moved...
Took me a couple of hours of careful finessing, but I eventually got both tubes to the opposite side. The underside tubes in this photo were previously on top.
Once I got the header back in place, I carefully fitted to collector and tacked in in place to get the best possible clearance and to keep it parallel to the framerail. This was the end result (also with the axle shifted further right)
Now at least I've got a straight shot to the front axle pinion. The problem is that the output of the Atlas is not aligned with any of this, so I pretty much am now forced to due a 2-piece front shaft with a pillow block tight against the framerail.
The axle pumpkin is now REALLY far right... So much that the knuckle will probably weld almost directly next to the pumpkin... No axle tube will show on that side. I'm borderline for running out of tube length on the drivers side as a result.
-G
Tough day today... I started out with big plans to get the suspension figured out, but ended up humbled at every turn.
Things started out pretty well. Got the front axle in place and at ride height.
It didn't take long to realize that AJ was right. The passenger-side header was completely blocking any chances for a front driveshaft.
It was centered perfectly between the framerail and the transmission.
The best option seemed to be pushing the pumpkin even further right, and pushing the headers as far LEFT as possible. After studying it for a while, I felt confident that I could cut two of the tubes and swap them to the opposite side of the header.
Here is an in-process shot after the first tube was moved...
Took me a couple of hours of careful finessing, but I eventually got both tubes to the opposite side. The underside tubes in this photo were previously on top.
Once I got the header back in place, I carefully fitted to collector and tacked in in place to get the best possible clearance and to keep it parallel to the framerail. This was the end result (also with the axle shifted further right)
Now at least I've got a straight shot to the front axle pinion. The problem is that the output of the Atlas is not aligned with any of this, so I pretty much am now forced to due a 2-piece front shaft with a pillow block tight against the framerail.
The axle pumpkin is now REALLY far right... So much that the knuckle will probably weld almost directly next to the pumpkin... No axle tube will show on that side. I'm borderline for running out of tube length on the drivers side as a result.
-G
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sounds like a drastic change on the header on that side is in order... wheren't you talking over the framerail header?
Paul,
Yeah... I thought about outboard headers, but they have their own set of issues as well. Like the fact that they end up running where the rocksliders are supposed to go, and there's no great way to transition them back between the framerails as they travel to the back. Lots of potential problems tangling up with the rear 4-link too.
I think the front driveshaft is now solvable as it sits in that final photo... It will probably be a really expensive driveshaft to buy, but I don't have much choice. A 2-piece shaft could potentially give me great shallow angularity and clearance from rocks.... Especially with the high-pinion front axle.
My original front suspension design doesn't seem to work in "real life" so I need to keep working on that. There seems to be good space remaining on the left side for steering linkages. With the pumpkin shoved way over like it is now, I also only have 4.5" of bump travel before it hits the underside of the frame.... I was hoping for 6". Realistically, I may not be able to fit the same 16" ORI strut up front due to the hood height limitation. So I may end up stepping it down to 14" instead. That would probably make a bunch of things easier clearance-wise.
-G
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Very nice build.
Gotta agree with Paul. Hate to see such big axle changes due to the header. Can you shorten the tubes at all? Take 2-3" off of each tube in the vertical run to bring the collector up higher, thus giving you more clearance?
AJ,
Man.... I don't know about cutting out 2-3" from the "verticals".
Every tube will end up totally misaligned and that will be a massive amount of work to repair. Not sure I'm up for that much aggravation.
The far-right pumpkin isn't actually all bad. One MAJOR bonus is that I don't have to worry about the pumpkin hitting the oilpan anymore. With the portal axle, I'm about 5.5" closer to that oilpan than normal so the interference is a big concern. If I need to notch the underside of the frame horn for another inch of bump travel, I can do that pretty easily. (relatively speaking)
-G
Man.... I don't know about cutting out 2-3" from the "verticals".
Every tube will end up totally misaligned and that will be a massive amount of work to repair. Not sure I'm up for that much aggravation.
The far-right pumpkin isn't actually all bad. One MAJOR bonus is that I don't have to worry about the pumpkin hitting the oilpan anymore. With the portal axle, I'm about 5.5" closer to that oilpan than normal so the interference is a big concern. If I need to notch the underside of the frame horn for another inch of bump travel, I can do that pretty easily. (relatively speaking)
-G
I say ditch the long tubes for maybe a thorley tri-y. maybe some hedman elites.. or even some shorties if need be...
Why not use a block hugger or even manifolds and run passenger exhaust around front of oil pan and tie into the drivers side. Even maybe a drivers side manifold on passenger side so it dumps at front of engine. If you need shorter struts the guy that bought my Sonoma has a brand new pair of 12" and 14" ORIs and needs 16" or 18" to put in back of Sonoma again. Maybe work a trade.
