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

[blazinzuk]

I have used hardware store springs before, just use attach one end to the hose and the other end to something higher make it tight enough it pulls up on it to keep it off the spring but make sure it has enough length to let it stretch out.

my fittings hit my oil pan slightly they haven't broken yet but it worries me often. Get it on the ramp a center bumpstop might be in order

 

[mrk5]

I also worked on getting some coolers installed.

In the General I had a large trans cooler, 11"x11". With that big cooler, I never saw temps over 170° except for a few occasions like a long hard climb. I had decided to try a smaller cooler in the crew cab. I figured the larger cooler was a little overkill and it would help with airflow through the radiator.

I have a fan mounted on the cooler that runs off a temperature switch mounted on the cooler inlet.

IIRC, this is an 8"x11" cooler.

I found out I had the cooler mounted incorrectly in the General. I had the fittings pointing down, but that's the one way you are not supposed to mount the cooler. The fittings should be to the side or pointing up. Good thing I read the directions.

I pulled the trans shifter out of the General. I plan to make a new, but for now it will get the job done. I mounted the trans temp gauge with the shifter as well.

There is a switch for the torque converter clutch on the console. I also have a button for ignition that I used in the General but it's not hooked up now. I threw the little fuse block on there so I had power for the gauge and torque converter lockup. Down the road it will run the CB too. I'm using a tap off the factory fuse block to power it through an in-line fuse. Down the road when I add the CB I'll probably set it up with a relay instead.

So I found that maybe I need to keep the bigger trans cooler. The trans temp was running about 190° to 200°F. And that was just normal highway cruising. I found this chart on TCI's website that is good reference:

I went ahead and installed the 11"x11" cooler. It worked best with the fan behind the cooler.

And I moved the smaller cooler over and plumbed it in as an engine oil cooler.

 

[mrk5]

I have used hardware store springs before, just use attach one end to the hose and the other end to something higher make it tight enough it pulls up on it to keep it off the spring but make sure it has enough length to let it stretch out.

my fittings hit my oil pan slightly they haven't broken yet but it worries me often. Get it on the ramp a center bumpstop might be in order

Hadn't thought about a center bumpstop. That would allow the articulation to stay "limber".

That lack of clearance is part of the reason I commented in the rear shock discussion that I wasn't going to be bombing down any access roads yet.

I may have some old throttle return springs that might work to hold the hose up.

 

[mrk5]

Wrap it with hose and then hose clamp that?

I thought about adding a second hose around it. Or something like this:

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Either that or some of the plastic wiring loom protector might work.

If you have a hose sitting around that'd be cheapest. Probably most durable and protective too.

 

[CFMi]

Just a thought on the cylinder fittings hitting the crosmember... Why not rotate the cylinder 90 degrees so the fittings are pointed towards the back of the vehicle? Your cylinder is mounted high enough that there isn't anything they could hit (like an axle tube) in that position is there?

We have used screen door springs from the hardware store numerous times before on long brake lines to keep them off of things and it's cheap and works good. Throttle return springs don't usually have enough "stretch" for brake lines but might be just enough for your hydraulic lines there. From past experience, even the nice braided stainless lines WILL eventually spring a leak if left to rub on something like a leaf spring or even the smooth top of a differential (that one was actually on my personal truck!!) And they will start leaking at the most inopportune time too. You'd think it would be on a trail somewhere, but mine blew apart and dumped all my steering fluid on the highway at speed. 15.5" wide swampers on the highway with suddenly no fluid in the system isn't very much fun, lol!


-Darren

edit: If the fittings still look like they will hit, center bumpstops usually work out quite well. Also, for driveshaft binding issues, a center (well, pumpkin mounted at least) limiting strap works really well too. I've got a center limiting strap on the front of my big truck and it'll still flex out crazily, but the d-shaft can't quite handle it at full droop on both sides at the same time. Works like a charm! Well, I say that, but when the truck catches air (not that I've ever done that of course.... Whooops...) it lands a bit weird since one side inevitably droops more than the other side since the pumpkin and limiting strap is offset from center a little bit.

 

[mrk5]

I thought having the fittings anywhere but on the top of the cylinder was supposed to be a no-no for developing air pockets. Is that not an issue after the system as been bled?

 

[Smokinthehippies]

my understanding is it is not ideal for that reason, but neither is having the fitting smack into your engine/crossmember. lesser evil kinda thing.

 

[Kay86K5]

I thought having the fittings anywhere but on the top of the cylinder was supposed to be a no-no for developing air pockets. Is that not an issue after the system as been bled?

I read this too when doing my endless research while about to do my own hydro assist setup. However, I have seen pics of guys with the fittings on the side of the ram. I have never seen people actually comment on said pictures and confirm that they were having issues with air in the lines b/c of this though. It seems as though if you can get the system to bleed really good and make sure all the air is out that you should be fine. It might just be worth a try to see what happens. Could be a good excuse to get a high clearance crossmember too

 

[CFMi]

I thought having the fittings anywhere but on the top of the cylinder was supposed to be a no-no for developing air pockets. Is that not an issue after the system as been bled?

my understanding is it is not ideal for that reason, but neither is having the fitting smack into your engine/crossmember. lesser evil kinda thing.

I read this too when doing my endless research while about to do my own hydro assist setup. However, I have seen pics of guys with the fittings on the side of the ram. I have never seen people actually comment on said pictures and confirm that they were having issues with air in the lines b/c of this though. It seems as though if you can get the system to bleed really good and make sure all the air is out that you should be fine. It might just be worth a try to see what happens. Could be a good excuse to get a high clearance crossmember too

You really shouldn't have any issues after the system is bled properly. The only way you would develop an air pocket would be if your pump started cavitating and introducing air bubbles into the fluid. That being said though, even if it did happen, once you cycled your steering lock-to-lock most of that air would come back out again and you probably wouldn't even notice it I say go for it, and if you have any air problems you can blame me! Hehe.

-Darren

 

[mrk5]

I'm sensitive to air in the system because when I first installed hydro assist in the K5 I had a hell of a time getting it to bleed. To the point where I was late getting to Blazer Bash and I had to borrow my dad's K5.

I ended up having to pull the lines off the ram and dunk the ends in fluid while cycling the steering. I did the same thing this time around as well.

This shows about how much fluid was sucked up.

After I connected the lines to the steering box, I cracked the fittings on the ram. I was surprised how much air came out before it was just fluid.

So yeah, maybe after doing that it would be okay to re-orientate the fittings.

I did run it up the RTI ramp. Articulating the suspension, the fitting actually gets further away. So it's going to be a big compression of the entire front suspension that will be an issue.

Also the rear shocks have plenty of clearance to the rear springs.

Although that picture doesn't really show much I guess.

 

[CFMi]

Sweet man! Looks good in there. If the shocks have plenty of clearance then you should be good to go for BB, but my offer still stands if you want It would also be good on a shackle flip too if you need one!
Also, it be up to you on the fitting position on the front hydro cylinder, but if it were me, I'd rotate them. Worst case scenario you'll end up having to re-bleed the system, which is a heck of a lot better than crushing your oil pan into the rotating assembly and tearing a hole in it and losing all your oil, just sayin'... I know it might seem like a far cry from actually happening, but in my experience the worst thing that can happen, will happen lol...

-Darren

 

[mrk5]

Well I ordered up a radiator. I think the oil cooler was a net-zero gain. Whatever I picked up cooling the oil was lost with the reduction of air flow direct to the radiator.

On a mid-90's day, I am speed limited by the coolant temp. I can hold 65mph with engine running 210-215°F. When I push up to 75mph the temps rose to 225°F. Considering the redline is 250°F and the thermostat is 195°F, the radiator is definitely not keeping up.

I'd be willing to bet the truck is probably running the original coolant the factory dumped in.

 

[ssyork]

After you bleed the steering and tighten it all back up, just rotate the fittings down and tighten the heims back up, I had to do that too. With your resi you shouldn't have to worry about cavitation once its bleed and filled.

 

[mrk5]

After you bleed the steering and tighten it all back up, just rotate the fittings down and tighten the heims back up, I had to do that too. With your resi you shouldn't have to worry about cavitation once its bleed and filled.

Cool! I like the sounds of that.

 

[kgblazerfive]

Scott I have a trans cooler and an oil cooler in the burb when I was driving it around the hottest it ever got was doing 80+ on my way to Moab and that was only like 210.

Anything at freeway speeds the air flow is higher then the fan can pull.

 

[miniwally]

Well I ordered up a radiator. I think the oil cooler was a net-zero gain. Whatever I picked up cooling the oil was lost with the reduction of air flow direct to the radiator.

On a mid-90's day, I am speed limited by the coolant temp. I can hold 65mph with engine running 210-215°F. When I push up to 75mph the temps rose to 225°F. Considering the redline is 250°F and the thermostat is 195°F, the radiator is definitely not keeping up.

I'd be willing to bet the truck is probably running the original coolant the factory dumped in.

I think you really should have installed a much slower water pump and two thermostats so that the water really has time to cool off in the Radiator. Your going about this all wrong




FYI I know a guy that has a custom made water pump pulley to install a high flow short water pump on a TBI motor that originally had a long water pump on it. Works well

 

[mrk5]

I actually bought a new water pump but it was wrong, short or long. I just decided to forget it and returned it. Now I'm confused about which pump I need. This motor has the hybrid serpentine belt and v-belt combo.

 

[miniwally]

In a nut shell just about all chevy motors in trucks were long water pump motors.

The short water pump is/was a corvette/camaro car thing.

When I did my cooling system revamp I couldn't find a long water pump that I liked AND I needed a short pump to make my fans and shroud fit in front of the motor.

I could overheat the engine in the buggy originally just trying an obstacle too long or driving anything over about 25 mph.

I couldn't fit a larger Radiator so I bought a 4,000 CFM derale fan kit with shroud, got rid of the shroud and built a custom low drag high clearance one to fit my existing opening. Then installed a short AL high flow water pump with custom made pulley to keep the hybrid serpentine V belt setup. I needed the 5/8" of clearance the water pump added to fit the fans and shroud.

Got it all done filled it and hauled ass. Imagine added water flow and air flow and the same size radiator went from barely usable to driving 65 on the highway for 15+ minutes.

When we added the engine oil cooler with remote mount filter and the 12" square PWR heater core cooler it ran V2R in 09' placing second in class.

It's all about flow both air and water.

 

[y5mgisi]

Betty interesting.