y5mgisi
1 ton status
Very slick setup!
CK5
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'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond
- Thread starter mrk5
- Start date
Started out with 2wd TBI350 with SM465 to current 4wd with 454, 700r4, NP241
So you are doing this cable shift on your 241 that you swapped from the General? Or are you going doubler? If for the 241, that might be a pretty slick set up that I might need to look into
Yes, the 241 out of the general.
I can pass along the specs for the bracket. The part that will vary is the location of the cable attachment. I have a DIY4x clocking ring that allows for 2 positions. Mine is in the first position which is about 2" up. "Fully clocked" would be 4" up. So you could need the cable to be located 2" higher or lower than what I have.
The factory shifter never has quite worked right after doing to clocking so I've been wanting to do the cable shifter for awhile. I think it's a good idea for anyone with a clocked tcase. Also allows you to put the shifter in a more convenient location.
I can pass along the specs for the bracket. The part that will vary is the location of the cable attachment. I have a DIY4x clocking ring that allows for 2 positions. Mine is in the first position which is about 2" up. "Fully clocked" would be 4" up. So you could need the cable to be located 2" higher or lower than what I have.
The factory shifter never has quite worked right after doing to clocking so I've been wanting to do the cable shifter for awhile. I think it's a good idea for anyone with a clocked tcase. Also allows you to put the shifter in a more convenient location.
Heck a person could adapt their factory shifter to work with a cable. Then you'd only need to buy a cable. IIRC, a 60" cable runs about $50.
Good info. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind and maybe send you a pm if I go that route. My tcase is not clocked, but I might in the future. I need to get my TBI motor in first 
The detent on the tcase is strong enough I can tell when it switches gear range. I am planning to make a little plate that roughly shows what range I'm in based on where the lever is.
In theory using the factory shifter should allow you to use the same gates and range indicator. Although in my case it's backwards.
I think if a fella wanted, you could get a longer cable and route it in a "S" shape so that the lever would operate in the same direction as factory. You'd have to make a bracket for the cable that uses a couple of the bolts that hold the case halves together. The only thing I'm not sure about is if the shift lever on the case is tall enough to line up right.
Speaking of which, I used a 60" cable, but I'm thinking maybe a 48" cable would be better.
In theory using the factory shifter should allow you to use the same gates and range indicator. Although in my case it's backwards.
I think if a fella wanted, you could get a longer cable and route it in a "S" shape so that the lever would operate in the same direction as factory. You'd have to make a bracket for the cable that uses a couple of the bolts that hold the case halves together. The only thing I'm not sure about is if the shift lever on the case is tall enough to line up right.
Speaking of which, I used a 60" cable, but I'm thinking maybe a 48" cable would be better.
Here's a better picture of the shifter in the cab.
Not sure if you have seen this one, but I think your crew cab should end up looking like this rig
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/chevy/942594-74-crewcab-build.html
Just saying, that would be bad a$$
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/chevy/942594-74-crewcab-build.html
Just saying, that would be bad a$$
Hopefully not quite that far on the mods. The 42's would be cool. They would be worth more than the whole truck!
Here's the fan and shroud hopefully ready for install if I can get to the shop tomorrow.
It's a Volvo 2-speed fan along with the relay. I picked up a couple at the junkyard for $35. I liked this option because the fan could be bolted into another shroud and I like the relay set up.
The black rectangles are rubber flaps. They cover openings in the shroud and the idea is that when the "natural" air flow through the radiator is strong, the air will push them open. But when the fan is pulling at low speeds, it will pull the flaps closed. I've seen that on a couple of shrouds and I thought it was a neat idea.
I have a temperature switch I'm going to use to active the low speed fan at the same temperature that the thermostat opens, 195°F. I'm going to use the unused port in the thermostat housing.
For now I'm going to put the high speed on a manual switch. Later down the road, I will put it on a temperature switch set for something like 210°F.
So here's the view from our shop:
That's the South Platte River. Normally it would be well within those trees. You can see a stop sign in the distance for depth reference. We're well east of all the major trouble but we're getting all the water that has been causing that trouble. 2 of the major rivers that are flooding badly dump into the South Platte.
Luckily we're on high ground here so it's not going to flood our building, but it sure is awfully close!
It's a Volvo 2-speed fan along with the relay. I picked up a couple at the junkyard for $35. I liked this option because the fan could be bolted into another shroud and I like the relay set up.
The black rectangles are rubber flaps. They cover openings in the shroud and the idea is that when the "natural" air flow through the radiator is strong, the air will push them open. But when the fan is pulling at low speeds, it will pull the flaps closed. I've seen that on a couple of shrouds and I thought it was a neat idea.
I have a temperature switch I'm going to use to active the low speed fan at the same temperature that the thermostat opens, 195°F. I'm going to use the unused port in the thermostat housing.
For now I'm going to put the high speed on a manual switch. Later down the road, I will put it on a temperature switch set for something like 210°F.
So here's the view from our shop:
That's the South Platte River. Normally it would be well within those trees. You can see a stop sign in the distance for depth reference. We're well east of all the major trouble but we're getting all the water that has been causing that trouble. 2 of the major rivers that are flooding badly dump into the South Platte.
Luckily we're on high ground here so it's not going to flood our building, but it sure is awfully close!
Good grief, making a fan shroud is a pain, at least a bigger pain than I thought it would be.
I started out with the shroud about 1.75" deep. However that didn't work because it would hit the lower radiator hose connection. The outlet angles towards the center of the radiator. So I had to cut it down to closer to 1" thick.
Then it took me a couple of tries to get the lower bracket to line up with the factory mounting bolts for the lower shroud. They weren't quite centered either with the original radiator or at least where the radiator is now.
I almost made the shroud too exact and didn't have any wiggle room.
I wired the primary feed with a 70amp relay. I could have pulled battery power straight to the Volvo controller but I wanted the fans to turn off with the motor. Plus I can add a manual switch to the relay supply to be able to turn the fans off at will.
The 12V supply I used had been supplying power to the transmission cooler fan. It is an ignition feed from the fuse panel. So the relay is supplying power to both the cooling fan and the trans cooler fan. All my reading on Volvo fan indicated people have been using 30amp breakers to protect the circuit. The trans cooler fan draws 10amps.
The 70amp relay is over to the right mounted on the core support. You can see the inline fuse for the supply to the trans cooler fan.
Because of the flooding troubles, I didn't get the temperature fan switch Friday. So I don't have the low speed wired up to that. I wired the high speed to a manual switch. My hope is the low speed will get the job done 90% of the time. Down the road I will put in a temperature switch in for the high speed as well.
The Volvo controller operates through temperature switches that ground out to the block. So I ran the high speed wire through a switch to ground.
Once I have the temp switch for the high speed, I will use that switch to completely kill the cooling fans through the big relay.
I started out with the shroud about 1.75" deep. However that didn't work because it would hit the lower radiator hose connection. The outlet angles towards the center of the radiator. So I had to cut it down to closer to 1" thick.
Then it took me a couple of tries to get the lower bracket to line up with the factory mounting bolts for the lower shroud. They weren't quite centered either with the original radiator or at least where the radiator is now.
I almost made the shroud too exact and didn't have any wiggle room.
I wired the primary feed with a 70amp relay. I could have pulled battery power straight to the Volvo controller but I wanted the fans to turn off with the motor. Plus I can add a manual switch to the relay supply to be able to turn the fans off at will.
The 12V supply I used had been supplying power to the transmission cooler fan. It is an ignition feed from the fuse panel. So the relay is supplying power to both the cooling fan and the trans cooler fan. All my reading on Volvo fan indicated people have been using 30amp breakers to protect the circuit. The trans cooler fan draws 10amps.
The 70amp relay is over to the right mounted on the core support. You can see the inline fuse for the supply to the trans cooler fan.
Because of the flooding troubles, I didn't get the temperature fan switch Friday. So I don't have the low speed wired up to that. I wired the high speed to a manual switch. My hope is the low speed will get the job done 90% of the time. Down the road I will put in a temperature switch in for the high speed as well.
The Volvo controller operates through temperature switches that ground out to the block. So I ran the high speed wire through a switch to ground.
Once I have the temp switch for the high speed, I will use that switch to completely kill the cooling fans through the big relay.
Damn radiator is leaking!
that is not good
Can't find it visually, only by touch. Seems to weeping from the lower passenger side on the motor side I think right where the tubes meet the fins. The paper towel gets wet as soon as I touch it there. Somewhere in the lower 3 to 4 inches.
At first I thought it was just remnants from spill over on the initial install. Dried it all up yesterday and there's a puddle today.
I talked to Summit and they will do an exchange/refund no questions. Even sent me a prepaid shipping label.
At first I thought it was just remnants from spill over on the initial install. Dried it all up yesterday and there's a puddle today.
I talked to Summit and they will do an exchange/refund no questions. Even sent me a prepaid shipping label.
Okay so I haven't posted updates in a while. Spent several nights up til 1:30AM getting ready for Blazer Bash.
Turns out the radiator isn't leaking. The only thing I can figure is that the antifreeze I saw pooled up on the core support was left over from the overflow during the refill process. I thought I had let it sit long enough to rule that out, but I guess not.
We drove the truck over 1000 miles and made it home just fine. The only problems were loose bolts.
The clamp for the ram on the tie rod slipped on the first trail run. I had just been thinking the truck seemed to be turning very well on the trail when all of sudden I couldn't turn at all. I had the same clamp and tie rod on the General for 6 year with no trouble. At least I didn't have trouble after I tightened everything up.
The other problem I had was that every time the truck hit a bump the steering would pull side to side. Really the entire front end felt loose. Turned out I didn't get the bolts for the front springs tight enough. Tigthened them up to the good-n-tight spec and the truck's ride was hugely improved. On the General I just had them snug using pinch-lock nuts so they wouldn't loosen up. With the setup on the crewcab, the truck handled much better with the bolts tight.
I pushed the truck a lot harder than I planned and it performed great. The only obstacle that denied me was Wipe-Out Hill which was the first one I tried. I think if I could go back and try it again now that I know the truck is in good shape I could get it.
Had some overheating issues pulling the big passes, but I have some ideas to fix that. The truck sends out a big cloud of smoke on start-up. We were joking about Puff the Magic Dragon all weekend. However I didn't use any oil in the 1000 mile journey. We could run 75 on the interstate and we averaged 12mpg over the entire trip.
Here are some pics and videos:
Here's a funny video on that first obstacle I ever attempted with this truck and I couldn't get. You can the hear the wife getting mad at me. 
VIDEOS:
Turns out the radiator isn't leaking. The only thing I can figure is that the antifreeze I saw pooled up on the core support was left over from the overflow during the refill process. I thought I had let it sit long enough to rule that out, but I guess not.
We drove the truck over 1000 miles and made it home just fine. The only problems were loose bolts.
The clamp for the ram on the tie rod slipped on the first trail run. I had just been thinking the truck seemed to be turning very well on the trail when all of sudden I couldn't turn at all. I had the same clamp and tie rod on the General for 6 year with no trouble. At least I didn't have trouble after I tightened everything up.
The other problem I had was that every time the truck hit a bump the steering would pull side to side. Really the entire front end felt loose. Turned out I didn't get the bolts for the front springs tight enough. Tigthened them up to the good-n-tight spec and the truck's ride was hugely improved. On the General I just had them snug using pinch-lock nuts so they wouldn't loosen up. With the setup on the crewcab, the truck handled much better with the bolts tight.
I pushed the truck a lot harder than I planned and it performed great. The only obstacle that denied me was Wipe-Out Hill which was the first one I tried. I think if I could go back and try it again now that I know the truck is in good shape I could get it.
Had some overheating issues pulling the big passes, but I have some ideas to fix that. The truck sends out a big cloud of smoke on start-up. We were joking about Puff the Magic Dragon all weekend. However I didn't use any oil in the 1000 mile journey. We could run 75 on the interstate and we averaged 12mpg over the entire trip.
Here are some pics and videos:
Here's a funny video on that first obstacle I ever attempted with this truck and I couldn't get. You can the hear the wife getting mad at me.
VIDEOS:
Did you find that the long wheel base helped you to climb things?
Martin
Martin
Well it seemed to hurt on that first obstacle, Wipe-Out Hill. Past that it seemed to work great. Felt way more stable than the General did. I'm really liking it!
Height seemed good for the wheelbase as well. Didn't have a skid on the tcase but it was never an issue. Only hit the slider just barely one time.
It will be interesting to see how it goes in the Colorado trails with trees along the trails.
Height seemed good for the wheelbase as well. Didn't have a skid on the tcase but it was never an issue. Only hit the slider just barely one time.
It will be interesting to see how it goes in the Colorado trails with trees along the trails.
Pics look good Scott. Looks like the crew cab was a success! I think you are right though, some of these trails in CO will make it interesting for your long beast . So still thinking of shortening the wheelbase (I think you mentioned something like that on the first page of this thread)? Even if you don't, you could bob the bed to have at least a little bit less overhang but still have a funtional bed. Just a thought.
Once I get my TBI motor swap done, we need to go wheeling!!
. So still thinking of shortening the wheelbase (I think you mentioned something like that on the first page of this thread)? Even if you don't, you could bob the bed to have at least a little bit less overhang but still have a funtional bed. Just a thought.Once I get my TBI motor swap done, we need to go wheeling!!
I didn't drag anywhere, including the rear when we dropped off ledges. I was very surprised because I used to hit the rear bumper all the time in the K5. We're going to run it like it is until we figure out otherwise. This bed now is not in good shape so it can be sacrificial. I had intended to shorten it but I really like the long wheelbase in Moab and I like the utility of the longer bed.
Definitely looking forward to some more trail running. 12mpg is slightly better than we got with the tow rig and the gas is cheaper than diesel. So that helps with traveling expenses.
Definitely looking forward to some more trail running. 12mpg is slightly better than we got with the tow rig and the gas is cheaper than diesel. So that helps with traveling expenses.
