Yeah I'm running the Bosch pump and I bought new hoses to run between the tank and the selector valve. Your story is one of favorite lessons learned stories. 
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
Awesome that everything seems to be there for the dual tank setup it's really nice to have both.
Everything works! Only thing is I have a leak from the filler hose. Not sure if it's a bad hose or loose clamp. It was dark when I filled up so I didn't get a good look.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Nice! Good job!
Woot! It's gotta feel good to double your range that easily.
Yeah that is really cool to double the fuel capacity just like that.
Had a little time today to put a new hose clamp on the filler hose and run down to the gas station. It seems to have solved the leaking problem during fill up.
yea
Today I took a break from the fluid systems. When I put the Magnaflow muffler in I just dumped it 6" from the muffler with a turn down. Problem was it was droning at idle. So I looped it up over the axle and added 27" of length after the muffler. Much better, but I forgot to take pics.
The other thing I did was to finally get a transfercase shifter installed. I got a cable shifter from JB Custom Fab. Jon donates a stainless steel twin-stick shifter every year for Blazer Bash, so I thought it would be good to do a little business with him.
I didn't get a good picture of the shifter itself, so I borrowed some from a thread on Pirate4x4.com.
The bracket can be moved around for multiple mounting options:
Shifter cable compared to a B&M cable (red).
They don't make a kit specific for the NP241, but he has a few parts to help you get it done.
They sent me a new lever for the tcase, and these ends with retainer clips.
I had to make a bracket to mount the cable to the transfercase. I decided the best approach was to run the cable towards the front so that it will loop around and pull the shift lever from the transmission direction.
I made a bracket that would use 2 of the 6 bolts from the tcase to adapter bolts. I have a clocking ring so it makes it easy to use them because they are studs and long enough to have room for the 3/16" thick bracket.
Here's the bracket:
The big hole is for the cable. The smaller hole above it was drilled in the wrong spot.The other 2 smaller holes are for the adapter bolts/studs.
Here's the bracket bolted in place:
Still needed to tighten up the adjuster nuts in that picture.
This is what the inside of the shifter looks like:
I didn't get a very good picture of the shifter mounted in the truck:
That's just a temporary spot but it works for now. You can note in the picture I have this nice big "grommet" to push the cable through.
I used a 60" cable, but I think a 48" may have been better.
Down the line I'm going to put a console in and them bolt the shifter to the side of that.
I didn't have much time to test it out. The only concern I have is when the lever is pulled all the way forward (4Lo) it might be too much in-line with the cable. This will make it hard to push it back. If it is an issue I will probably add a little extension to the end of my bracket that will drop the cable down some.
The cool thing with these shifters is that you can "stack" for multiple shifters:
Wicked cool set up! I just ordered my NP231J shifter from John. I got the 48" cable though. Should I have ordered the 60" cable or do you think I can get away with 48"?
I think you're probably okay depending on where exactly you want to mount the shifter.
Those look exactly like the shifter cables on older articulated 4wd John Deere tractors.
Martin
Martin
Cool! Im placing it in pretty much the stock location with a custom plate. Thanks for the info.
Yes, I think they are a "common" item with many applications. When I ordered the replacement cable after I melted mine, it seemed like the "Morse cables" was a generic term for these cables. It's possible "Morse" is like Kleenex, such a popular brand that the brand name becomes the item name.
The throw of the JB Fab shifter is longer than I would have thought. Make sure you have room between the dash and your seats and/or console to make the full movement. Mine is at most an 1" from the dash in 2Hi and hangs over the cup holder of the Tuffy console a little in 4Lo.
Did you make the bracket that attaches to the tcase adapter, or did someone make it for you? If you made it, how did you bend the steel?
I made the one I'm using now. I used a vice and blow torch. It did flex more than I was happy with so I added a gusset a couple of weeks ago to stiffen it up a little. I found a drawing of the adapter with the bolt pattern that I was able to use to get the bolt holes in the right spot to fit on the adapter. If I remember correctly, it is 3/16" steel.
JB Fab does make a bracket as well. He sent me one to try out but it was for driverside drop NP241 so it wouldn't line up right with my linkage. Theirs is very beefy so if the price is good and it works on whichever side your drop is, I would recommend using it.
JB Fab does make a bracket as well. He sent me one to try out but it was for driverside drop NP241 so it wouldn't line up right with my linkage. Theirs is very beefy so if the price is good and it works on whichever side your drop is, I would recommend using it.
Been working on redoing some things in the bed of the truck. This is how I've had the tool box tied down for the past 2 years.
I had made some angle iron frames to mount under the ends of the toolbox but then I realized I wouldn't have easy access to the bolts under the bed because the would be right above the fuel tanks. Not worth the effort to drop the tanks just to bolt the toolbox down.
Instead I built a frame with some 4" aluminum channel. I'm fortunate that we have lots of aluminum stock around our shop/business.
The frame is bolted with (2) 5/16" bolts on the end of each piece. It is hard to reach the inside of the bedsides so I used some heavy duty rivet nuts.
The potential problem with rivet nuts is the install tool. It costs $95. Luckily I found a write-up on a do-it-yourself install tool on a Honda Ridgeline site. It requires:
This is how the pieces are assembled.
You will note there are 2 additional washers behind the aluminum angle; this is because the bedside is embossed in so I needed the washers to act as spacers.
Here it is the hole ready for install.
This is the wrench set up:
Hold the ratchet and spin the nut like you were trying to spin it off the bolt. This will collapse the rivet nut. It worked really well, better than I thought it would.
Here is the tool box bolted into place:
I'm super happy about how this turned out. This is my first aluminum welding project so some of the welds are a little ugly but they will work. We mig weld aluminum with a spool gun and argon gas. Very different feel than mig welding steel.
I also remounted the Hi-Lift jack. I had a locking mount in the K5 and I finally pulled it out and bolted them to the bed side.
Much cleaner and more stable than the 1/2" bolts I was using.
I had made some angle iron frames to mount under the ends of the toolbox but then I realized I wouldn't have easy access to the bolts under the bed because the would be right above the fuel tanks. Not worth the effort to drop the tanks just to bolt the toolbox down.
Instead I built a frame with some 4" aluminum channel. I'm fortunate that we have lots of aluminum stock around our shop/business.
The frame is bolted with (2) 5/16" bolts on the end of each piece. It is hard to reach the inside of the bedsides so I used some heavy duty rivet nuts.
The potential problem with rivet nuts is the install tool. It costs $95. Luckily I found a write-up on a do-it-yourself install tool on a Honda Ridgeline site. It requires:
- a long bolt (I used 2.5" long bolt): threads thru entire aparatus
- nut: this will pull the bolt thru which in turn collapses the rivet nut
- washer: for the nut to spin on
- aluminum strap: protect the rivet nut from being scarred up by the spinning nut/washer
- grease: lube the treads, washer, and nut for easy spinning.
This is how the pieces are assembled.
You will note there are 2 additional washers behind the aluminum angle; this is because the bedside is embossed in so I needed the washers to act as spacers.
Here it is the hole ready for install.
This is the wrench set up:
Hold the ratchet and spin the nut like you were trying to spin it off the bolt. This will collapse the rivet nut. It worked really well, better than I thought it would.
Here is the tool box bolted into place:
I'm super happy about how this turned out. This is my first aluminum welding project so some of the welds are a little ugly but they will work. We mig weld aluminum with a spool gun and argon gas. Very different feel than mig welding steel.
I also remounted the Hi-Lift jack. I had a locking mount in the K5 and I finally pulled it out and bolted them to the bed side.
Much cleaner and more stable than the 1/2" bolts I was using.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Dang! That gives me such a good idea! Thanks! I'm thinking maybe use a narrow tool box like you have but shove the tool box to one side or the other and then stand the spare tire up on the other side.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Pretty much. Tho ideally I would use a wider tool box that left around a 12" gap on the one side. Cause my spare is essentially a 33x12.5.
