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One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

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Hit it early this morning with some hammer and dolly work. Much smoother now between the headlight spring recess and the sectioned area of the core.

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I'll start trimming and tacking things together.

David
 
To help fill the gaps without warping the metal get either a copper or brass block/flat bar and clamp it to the other side. It gives the weld something to build on but just pops right off. They have the added benifit of absorbing heat faster then the steel will keeping it cooler.
 
KirsL said:
To help fill the gaps without warping the metal get either a copper or brass block/flat bar and clamp it to the other side. It gives the weld something to build on but just pops right off. They have the added benifit of absorbing heat faster then the steel will keeping it cooler.
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Agreed. I used a piece of leftover bus bar as a backer. Works very well. Thanks!

David
 
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After a day of stitch welding and grinding with the core on saw horses, my back was killing me. So, I cleaned up and pulled out the work bench for an elevated work surface.

All I could get done this weekend before the Mardi Gras parade.

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David
 
A busy week at work limited my time in the shop.

After much grinding and a bit of hammer and dolly, basic modifications to clear the intercooler are complete. Next up: build new "torque boxes" that tie the body mount to the top of the core, modify the intercooler itself, and start integrating the oil coolers and AC condenser.

Lots more to go.

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David
 
Taking the radiator out to start fitting it along with the intercooler, and found a few surprises.

First, a heavily corroded spring in the lower radiator hose. It came out...in pieces. Definitely a first. I'm thinking I may change the water pump while I have all this access.

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Not to be outdone, calcium deposits in the radiator. Big ones. Never ran anything other than distilled and the green stuff, so I'm kind of surprised. Add hot tanking to the task list.

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David
 
That is pretty odd the spring corroding like that. I'd be tempted to flush the block out as well as you can. Might be build of crap from old age. Certainly wouldn't hurt to do.

Would mean flushing the heater cores and lines but you might need to switch coolant types. The standard green stuff might be reacting with the aluminum the radiator is made of. I'm not sure but it's a thought.
 
Wouldn't hurt to throw in a new water pump if you're worried about spring pieces moving downstream (maybe a thermostat, too?). Won't be this easy again in the near future.
 
I've seen springs in lower hoses dissolve like that before--I think what happens is the spring makes contact with the aluminum radiator and touches the water pump outlet which is probably steel,and it creates a battery of sorts,and electrolosis takes over..or maybe the coolant acts as a conductor...

I have lots of iron in my tap (well) water--so much so I hate to use it with anti-freeze in vehicles--it turns everything rusty brown and likes to clog up things......what you think is calcium may be corrosion from the aluminum in your case..
 
Lol!

You guys have seen some of the amount of useless knowledge I have. I can also do a compass swing on an aircraft.

I'm full of useless knowledge. But I can calibrate your Cessna's compass! :thumb:
 
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