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'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond

Started out with 2wd TBI350 with SM465 to current 4wd with 454, 700r4, NP241
Overview Gallery Discussion
I think if you tie the sliders to the frame without a cage it’s just going to tear the remaining rocker panel metal. You either need sliders tied to the frame and not the cab or you need to cage it and have sliders tied to frame and cage.

Years ago I built a truck and didn’t tie the sliders into anything but the rockers….after one season I couldn’t open the doors anymore because they had pushed up that much.
 
So what I'm hearing is I should wait to tie the sliders to the frame for when I add a roll cage. Not sure if I'll ever get a cage made with this truck, but you never know what the future holds.
 
mrk5 said:
So what I'm hearing is I should wait to tie the sliders to the frame for when I add a roll cage. Not sure if I'll ever get a cage made with this truck, but you never know what the future holds.
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It's cold outside and now is the perfect time to do it all at once. Do you hear that, it's the truck whispering in your ear: 'cage me daddy' :haha:
 
We've got too many sign projects in the shop right now. It's a catch 22, because I hope we stay this busy but then I can't take up any shop space for personal projects.


On another note, I think I have a fuel issue. I've been noticing for a while now that fuel pressure seems to be running low. I have a vacuum referenced regulator set for 43psi that I just set last week. However it never gets above 35 to 38 psi even on hard acceleration.

Last week I replaced the fuel filter thinking it might be causing a restriction. After that, I also reset the regulator to 43psi. Still runs under under 38psi even with hard acceleration.

I can't tell there's an issue based on engine operation. It seems to run fine.

I figured the pressure should hit the 43psi setpoint under hard acceleration, but maybe I have that wrong. The system used to hold 58psi steady for the Sniper. Only change was adding the external regulator along with a different efi/engine.

I was thinking a test would be pulling the vacuum reference and see what the fuel pressure does without it. If it can't hold 43psi under acceleration then the fuel system is unable to keep up. If it does hold 43psi then either there's something wrong with the regulator or it just doesn't need 43psi.

Picture below of the regulator. It's in the return line so the connection on the right is fuel in from the return off the fuel rail. The bottom line goes to the tank. On the left side is the fuel pressure sender.

Screenshot_20241212_111952_Gallery.jpg
 
I don't recommend that with a gerotor electric pump or you can quickly burn the pump up if you stall the pump. Maybe for a fraction of a second or something just as a test.

How much vacuum do you see when the fuel pressure is not at 43 psi? Because it will only be 43 psi at WOT, it may still have vacuum at half throttle.
 
Stupid question time. Didn’t the stock fuel rail under the plenum have a regulator in it? Did you remove it? IIRC there is a regulator stock on the return side of the rail. If it’s still there it could be screwing with the pressure value. Though I though spec on a L29 should be at 58-62psi. I know with the Holley system you aren’t stock so that may dictate a different value.
 
folkenheath said:
I don't recommend that with a gerotor electric pump or you can quickly burn the pump up if you stall the pump. Maybe for a fraction of a second or something just as a test.

How much vacuum do you see when the fuel pressure is not at 43 psi? Because it will only be 43 psi at WOT, it may still have vacuum at half throttle.
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I don't have numbers since changing the filter and adjusting the regulator. I did video the dash once before that. I was cruising at about 65mph, MAP was 45kpa. I accelerated from there and MAP went to 70kpa and fuel pressure dropped about 8 or 9psi. After the changes it still drops in a similar fashion but I didn't record the numbers.


ZooMad75 said:
Stupid question time. Didn’t the stock fuel rail under the plenum have a regulator in it? Did you remove it? IIRC there is a regulator stock on the return side of the rail. If it’s still there it could be screwing with the pressure value. Though I though spec on a L29 should be at 58-62psi. I know with the Holley system you aren’t stock so that may dictate a different value.
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I did take the factory regulator out. I found a blank/plug on Amazon. It was made for an ls1, but it was a perfect fit. I am pulling the vacuum signal from the same port as factory.

We opted to set it up with 43psi. That pressure works for the injectors and I thought the lower pressure would make it easier on the fuel pump.
 
mrk5 said:
I don't have numbers since changing the filter and adjusting the regulator. I did video the dash once before that. I was cruising at about 65mph, MAP was 45kpa. I accelerated from there and MAP went to 70kpa and fuel pressure dropped about 8 or 9psi. After the changes it still drops in a similar fashion but I didn't record the numbers.
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It won't reach full fuel pressure until closer to 100 kPa, or whatever barometric pressure is at your altitude when you set the pressure originally. You can see that if you look at the MAP with the engine off, at high altitute it could be much lower.
 
folkenheath said:
It won't reach full fuel pressure until closer to 100 kPa, or whatever barometric pressure is at your altitude when you set the pressure originally. You can see that if you look at the MAP with the engine off, at high altitute it could be much lower.
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Are you logging fuel pressure? If so you should be able to pull some datalogs and compare MAP to fuel pressure to verify the 43psi differential. As mentioned, check MAP with the engine off and with it on at WOT. I bet you're still seeing a few PSI of vacuum with an air filter.
 
r3dd0g said:
Are you logging fuel pressure? If so you should be able to pull some datalogs and compare MAP to fuel pressure to verify the 43psi differential. As mentioned, check MAP with the engine off and with it on at WOT. I bet you're still seeing a few PSI of vacuum with an air filter.
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He can log pressure and everything else with his laptop, not sure if he has or not.
 
I haven't logged yet, but I'm planning to. It's too hard to try and observe all of the variables at once, especially while driving.

The reason why I started even worrying about this stuff is kinda funny. I have the fuel pressure on the digital dash set with a warning at 40psi since the old system ran at 58psi all the time. Since the new system is set to 43psi with the vacuum reference, it's flashing yellow at me all the time. Ironically I feel like even though I know why it's flashing, it still makes me concerned about it. :doah: On the last drive I did change the warning parameters on the dash so it's not flashing at me anymore.
 
I'm not familiar with the Terminator, but on my Dominator I have it set to log for 30 seconds any time I floor it. I can just go in to the computer later and pull all the logs down.
 
r3dd0g said:
I'm not familiar with the Terminator, but on my Dominator I have it set to log for 30 seconds any time I floor it. I can just go in to the computer later and pull all the logs down.
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I don’t think the terminator can do that, you have to physically have the laptop plugged in and hit record.
 
I was thinking the laptop has to plugged in. There's some chance I can do it with the dash, but I think that only records what's displayed.
 
r3dd0g said:
I'm not familiar with the Terminator, but on my Dominator I have it set to log for 30 seconds any time I floor it. I can just go in to the computer later and pull all the logs down.
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The Dominator and HP both have internal data logging capability, the Terminator does not, it uses external data logging like a laptop or digital dash.
 
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