'73 k5 Build - New Drivetrain - 350/3500/241/205

[NorCalKid]

Little bit more progress, adapter is done and so is one shifter. Sorry about the ****ty cellphone picturesmy camera will show up one of these days...

 

[colbystephens]

That sucker is going to crawl like nobody's business. 6.5X1.96x2.73 = 33.7 x your gear ratio =

 

[NorCalKid]

The 3500 I have only has a 3.9 to 1 first gear, so with my 4.10s it will be 85 to 1. Not to shabby considering my old combo was 52 to 1

 

[colbystephens]

Oh, I was reading off your sig's 465. 85:1 should do pretty great though! That's around exactly what I've got with my automatic, and I like it w/ my 38" tires. I also, at one time, had the 465/205/4.10s and 38s, and that 52:1 ratio worked ok, but this 85:1 rocks it.

 

[NorCalKid]

Got a little more done this weekend. Did the pontiac alternator swap. For those that dont know its a 140amp unit out of a 1994 pontiac transport with rear ac. It goes in pretty easy, swapped my v belt pulley on, spliced a junkyard connector and mesaged some brackets. Its getting 13.7 volts at idle now and should be able to run my windstars and headlights at the same time. I also closed off the open end of the 241 and drilled/tapped the holes to hold the adapter to the 241. Thats about all I can do on the doubler until I get a 31 spline 205 input and intermediate shaft

 

[Avery4jc]

Cool build, keeping an eye on your 241/205 setup. I have mine in the garage ready to go in but haven't figured out what I want to do for shifters yet.

 

[NorCalKid]

Cool build, keeping an eye on your 241/205 setup. I have mine in the garage ready to go in but haven't figured out what I want to do for shifters yet.

Thanks. I am still trying to figure out how I am going to run mine too. Is your 241 case notched for your 205 shifter? You have a Ford 205 though right? So it might be a little different

 

[Avery4jc]

Yeah I have a Ford 205 and my adapter and intermediate shaft are pretty long so there's decent room to get to the rail thats normally tight on the 205.

 

[NorCalKid]

I got a little more done tonight before it started raining on me. Started preping for knuckle beef and sliders. The faint line is where I plan on cutting

 

[NorCalKid]

Rocker boxes really suck. There was some pretty rusty stuff in there and on the cab support but it all got chopped out.

For those who have replaced there rockers with sliders did you weld the whole length of the slider to the sheet metal? Or just sections?

 

[NorCalKid]

Rocker boxes really suck, but I won the fight against the passenger side with only minimal blood loss. Not looking forward to doing it again.

For those of you who have replaced their rockers with rectangular tube did you weld the whole length of the slider to the sheet metal?

Everything that got cut out. There was about 10 pounds of dirt and rust in there and the metal I took out weighed about the same as the tube going in.

 

[Avery4jc]

Rocker boxes really suck, but I won the fight against the passenger side with only minimal blood loss. Not looking forward to doing it again.

For those of you who have replaced their rockers with rectangular tube did you weld the whole length of the slider to the sheet metal?

Yeah I wasn't too happy while cutting out all my rockers. There's a lot of sheetmetal that comes together down there.

I have tube running to the frame with some little gussets and to answer your question I welded the whole length where the slider meets the floor...

 

[colbystephens]

I welded the whole length. I'm sure a certain amount could've been left unwelded and I would've had the same amount of strength. However, I felt like welding it would fill in spaces that would otherwise get caked with dirt/mud and cause premature rusting.

 

[Avery4jc]

I welded the whole length. I'm sure a certain amount could've been left unwelded and I would've had the same amount of strength. However, I felt like welding it would fill in spaces that would otherwise get caked with dirt/mud and cause premature rusting.

That was my thought. My strength comes from the tube running to the frame and cage but I didn't want it creaking around hitting the body.

 

[NorCalKid]

I guess I am going to get better at welding thin stuff then. I find it pretty tricky with the flux core wire I run

 

[colbystephens]

I don't know what to tell you about flux core, but my technique was to focus my heat on the thick material, keeping a nice pool of molten metal and then quickly brushing it up onto the sheet metal and then back down. Worked pretty slick, but then I was using shielding gas.

 

[Avery4jc]

Colby is right, that's the best technique.

What welder are you using? If it's capable I'd invest in a bottle and some wire, you'll be much happier.

 

[blazinzuk]

Weld everything you can, thats what I did on my 73.

You need to practice a bit with flux core, get some thinner stuff and weld it to thicker stuff.

Its really weird to alot of folks but to add to whats been said, my filler material doesn't usually get too close to the thinner stuff at all, and as soon as the thinner stuff sucks in the puddle ( you will see what I mean) get that filler back over just a touch or it will just melt the thinner stuff.

So basically like has been said, you never even put the filler on the thin stuff, just kind of encourage the puddle that direction if you have to as soon as the puddle sucks into the thin stuff move it back.

I bet it would help to run a fan while your welding, flux core smokes so bad it might help you see a bit better

 

[NorCalKid]

Thanks for the tips. I have a Lincoln 140 and have a tank and regulator but I use it in my kegerator. I use it more than the welder. Hopefully I will get some time this weekend to work on it

 

[colbystephens]

I have a Lincoln 140 and have a tank and regulator but I use it in my kegerator. I use it more than the welder.

It's all about priorities.