eesh, well, now I'm in the middle of some major support surgery... update to follow...
CK5
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87 K5 Build...Hmmm, whats that Ryoken up to? stay tuned...
- Thread starter ryoken
- Start date
so.... I was figuring out a way to attach the filter bracket to the rad support... it really wants it's bolts attached to the lower section, which is enclosed... I could have just run some large self tappers in and called it a day.. or installed nutserts..
but i wasn't really happy with either of those ideas... I was also concerned about some pretty heavy rust on the lower piece, that the rad sits on and the wheelwells bolt up to.... not to mention some rust i had noticed in between the body mount plate and said lower panel...
so.... being that my rad is a custom install anyway, i figured i might as well kill a 1/2 dozen issues with one mod.... a custom lower panel.....
this will give me a clean platform to do a nice rad install... allows me to weld nuts on the inside for the filter mount, allows me to sandblast and zinc that whole enclosed section and have a nice beefy plate to mount the wheelwells too...
the factory design kinda blows as it's just a huge water/crud trap, thus why they always rot...
on with some pics....
here you can see some of the heavy rust.... wouldn't have been much left after blasting....
this is what kills trucks....
taking the panel off...
removed...
you can see the replacement in the background in the vice in this shot... 1/8 plate.... still need to do some end bends and holes for the fender bolts... etc...
but blasting the support thoroughly is next on the list...
but i wasn't really happy with either of those ideas... I was also concerned about some pretty heavy rust on the lower piece, that the rad sits on and the wheelwells bolt up to.... not to mention some rust i had noticed in between the body mount plate and said lower panel...
so.... being that my rad is a custom install anyway, i figured i might as well kill a 1/2 dozen issues with one mod.... a custom lower panel.....
this will give me a clean platform to do a nice rad install... allows me to weld nuts on the inside for the filter mount, allows me to sandblast and zinc that whole enclosed section and have a nice beefy plate to mount the wheelwells too...
the factory design kinda blows as it's just a huge water/crud trap, thus why they always rot...
on with some pics....
here you can see some of the heavy rust.... wouldn't have been much left after blasting....
this is what kills trucks....
taking the panel off...
removed...
you can see the replacement in the background in the vice in this shot... 1/8 plate.... still need to do some end bends and holes for the fender bolts... etc...
but blasting the support thoroughly is next on the list...
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ubernewb, are you reading this whole novel? your a brave man! 
???ubernewb, are you reading this whole novel? your a brave man!
he's been down in the active users viewing this thread for quite a few hrs.....
he's been down in the active users viewing this thread for quite a few hrs.....
lol, been their done that, still doin it haha
Freekin michigan lol. Are you guys gettin slammed with snow right now in Kzoo too??
I'm so glad I don't have to deal with rust like that on mine. I've had enough work without having to fix stuff like that.
I would have to say its the biggest problem with cars/trucks up here.
I would just freak out and have to give up if I had to deal with the rust repairs you guys have to deal with. I don't even like the minor little s**t I've had on mine.
i still need to buy some front wheel wells too.. they've got giant holes in em...
thankfully they're only like 40, $50 a piece.... ain't much left on the truck thats original or stock... but i guarantee I'll be long dead before this rig has an ounce of rust back on it....
thankfully they're only like 40, $50 a piece.... ain't much left on the truck thats original or stock... but i guarantee I'll be long dead before this rig has an ounce of rust back on it....
Mine have holes in that same spot, and ive seen alot do it their, must be from that bolt or something
i still need to buy some front wheel wells too.. they've got giant holes in em...
thankfully they're only like 40, $50 a piece.... ain't much left on the truck thats original or stock... but i guarantee I'll be long dead before this rig has an ounce of rust back on it....
Slapperbar
Retired Navy NDT Examiner
There's a reinforcing bracket in that location. The sandwich leaves a great place for rust to start.
Doesn't someone make plastic inners?
Doesn't someone make plastic inners?
US body makes fiberglass ones... around $100 a piece iirc.. double the price... i've thought about running em in the past... but once i decided to run factory fenders, i figured i'd run replacement steels...
when i build the shock towers, i'll use the rotted ones for mockup and decide which would be a better route to take....
don't think there are any plastic ones, tho i have seen them on a fair amount of vehicles... iirc, the 70 and up Chevelles had plastic ones...
when i build the shock towers, i'll use the rotted ones for mockup and decide which would be a better route to take....
don't think there are any plastic ones, tho i have seen them on a fair amount of vehicles... iirc, the 70 and up Chevelles had plastic ones...
well........ the middle east may implode, but at least I can sleep at night knowing my filter mount can survive nuclear holocaust......
6 3/8" grade 8's (I may swap these out to those buttonhead allens I'm using for the grill) with welded nuts out back....
gonna patch up the tophat and other holes today too.. figure I may as well get all this fab work done now before I blast, considering we've got snow outside again...
6 3/8" grade 8's (I may swap these out to those buttonhead allens I'm using for the grill) with welded nuts out back....
gonna patch up the tophat and other holes today too.. figure I may as well get all this fab work done now before I blast, considering we've got snow outside again...
oh... the cooler config is up in the air again, since i'm waiting on coin.... I'm considering doing a 2 layer approach.... using the 3" or so cavity where the AC condensor would go, between the rad and front surface of the support is..
I know a second layer only gets about 75% of it efficiency that way... but I'm thinking I could REALLY up the size of the coolers.. huge single one for the trans in there, then the oil and ps out front...
I'll see, I'm VERY undecided on all that right now...
I know a second layer only gets about 75% of it efficiency that way... but I'm thinking I could REALLY up the size of the coolers.. huge single one for the trans in there, then the oil and ps out front...
I'll see, I'm VERY undecided on all that right now...
Nice piece for the mounting of filters Paul, looks like a stamped out part!
Your running a Northern Rad right? I think double stacking your coolers would be ok with that radiator, it cools awesome. How much air gap do you figure between each row of coolers/radiator? I've read at least 3/4" is preferred.
Your running a Northern Rad right? I think double stacking your coolers would be ok with that radiator, it cools awesome. How much air gap do you figure between each row of coolers/radiator? I've read at least 3/4" is preferred.
thanks...
yeah, Northern... I'm not particularly worried about cooling the mill..... heck, one of the Windstars does the job 98% of the time... and it is just a TBI'd SB afterall..
I figure I can get at least an inch between the coolers... haven't really looked at what it'll do for the plumbing, it should only help the situation...
only issue is upping the cooler sizes, up costs, but I'm hoping that going with more standardized cooling sizes will help offset the higher costs of the unusual sizing/config's i had... all those coolers i had sized where narrow, high tube count ones, which are pricey.. if i go with lower tube count, wide units, the cost goes down...
i'll work it out over the next couple weeks... and if by chance, going huge on the coolers keeps things too cool, i can always add oil thermostats down the road, maybe bulkhead fittings and the therms coming off them on the engine side of the support...
alrighty, steels cooled off, back to the dungeon....
yeah, Northern... I'm not particularly worried about cooling the mill..... heck, one of the Windstars does the job 98% of the time... and it is just a TBI'd SB afterall..
I figure I can get at least an inch between the coolers... haven't really looked at what it'll do for the plumbing, it should only help the situation...
only issue is upping the cooler sizes, up costs, but I'm hoping that going with more standardized cooling sizes will help offset the higher costs of the unusual sizing/config's i had... all those coolers i had sized where narrow, high tube count ones, which are pricey.. if i go with lower tube count, wide units, the cost goes down...
i'll work it out over the next couple weeks... and if by chance, going huge on the coolers keeps things too cool, i can always add oil thermostats down the road, maybe bulkhead fittings and the therms coming off them on the engine side of the support...
alrighty, steels cooled off, back to the dungeon....
