y5mgisi
1 ton status
Bad ASS!
CK5
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The Story Of A Cummins Suburban (Lots Of Pics)
- Thread starter mosesburb
- Start date
jimbug
1/2 ton status
YESSS this thing is BAD arse!!! It made my burb very envious when it was parked next to his (while getting it's Q-jet masterfully rebuilt a couple of times.... the carbs fault not his!) Yeah very nice work my friend, very nice work indeed!
BTW I already put myself on the list for a cloning.......
BTW I already put myself on the list for a cloning.......
Thanks guys.
I've been fabbing my way into more problems. I decided it is about time to start thinking about starting to think about wiring this mess. I dug out the harness I constructed for the big block and stripped the looming off of it to see what I was going to be able to reuse (little) and what I was going to have to remake (lots!!). Anyways, I figured before I start doing anything electrical, I had best get some batteries in it. Well, at least figure out exactly where they are going to go. In its original configuration, the battery was on the passenger side mounted parallel with the core support. That works fantastic when you do not have an intercooler. I happen to have an intercooler. That being the case, I needed to come up with a plan B. I figured out that there would be enough room on both sides if I mounted the batteries perpendicular to the core support. Then all I had to do was come up with some type of mounting apparatus. No big deal, eh??
This is what I came up with:
This is what the driver's side roughed in looks like: (the pic is kind of deceiving because the battery is actually level)
This is the mounting configuration for the driver's side to the rear of the core support. The tube that goes above the headlight is mounted to the top bolt that holds the core support ti the inside/back of the fender. The vertical tube that has the two bolt holes in the top goes down and has two bolts lolding it to the bottom flat part of the core support. (You can see the power steering filter mount below the tray with the vertical tray support running between the mounting tab and the fluid ports)
The rear of the tray is basically free-floating except for a mounting tab (more like a block) on the bottom of the tray that mounts to the inner fender well.
The passenger side is *basically* a mirror image of the driver side, but not really.
They actually turned out pretty good. When I was figuring out the first one, I was not too thrilled, but I realized that this was about the only way it was going to work and it worked out good in the end. With bolts in all the holes, I dropped (literally) an Optima in each one and they did not budge at all. I then grabbed the batteries and tried shoving them around, front/back and side/side and they do not move at all. The strangest thing about this is these things are actually pretty light--not that weight is an issue (obviously), but usually I tend to overbuild things to the point I need a gantry crane to install whatever it is I just engineered.
Man, for such a cavernous engine compartment, I sure seem to be running out of room quickly.
I've been fabbing my way into more problems. I decided it is about time to start thinking about starting to think about wiring this mess. I dug out the harness I constructed for the big block and stripped the looming off of it to see what I was going to be able to reuse (little) and what I was going to have to remake (lots!!). Anyways, I figured before I start doing anything electrical, I had best get some batteries in it. Well, at least figure out exactly where they are going to go. In its original configuration, the battery was on the passenger side mounted parallel with the core support. That works fantastic when you do not have an intercooler. I happen to have an intercooler. That being the case, I needed to come up with a plan B. I figured out that there would be enough room on both sides if I mounted the batteries perpendicular to the core support. Then all I had to do was come up with some type of mounting apparatus. No big deal, eh??
This is what I came up with:
This is what the driver's side roughed in looks like: (the pic is kind of deceiving because the battery is actually level)
This is the mounting configuration for the driver's side to the rear of the core support. The tube that goes above the headlight is mounted to the top bolt that holds the core support ti the inside/back of the fender. The vertical tube that has the two bolt holes in the top goes down and has two bolts lolding it to the bottom flat part of the core support. (You can see the power steering filter mount below the tray with the vertical tray support running between the mounting tab and the fluid ports)
The rear of the tray is basically free-floating except for a mounting tab (more like a block) on the bottom of the tray that mounts to the inner fender well.
The passenger side is *basically* a mirror image of the driver side, but not really.
They actually turned out pretty good. When I was figuring out the first one, I was not too thrilled, but I realized that this was about the only way it was going to work and it worked out good in the end. With bolts in all the holes, I dropped (literally) an Optima in each one and they did not budge at all. I then grabbed the batteries and tried shoving them around, front/back and side/side and they do not move at all. The strangest thing about this is these things are actually pretty light--not that weight is an issue (obviously), but usually I tend to overbuild things to the point I need a gantry crane to install whatever it is I just engineered.
Man, for such a cavernous engine compartment, I sure seem to be running out of room quickly.
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Yukon Jack
1/2 ton status
Those look plenty strong and a good approach to solve your fitment issue. Well done.
Thanks Jack.
I moved on to the hood latch and latch/grille support. Neither of these items were designed to be used in conjunction with an intercooler. I still have an intercooler.
Initial fitment of latch:
Better shot of clearance from latch to intercooler:
So the latch fits good. The support for the latch mechanism and grille needs some work to clear the intercooler, so another template is in order. The template is actually sitting on top of the latch/grille support:
A little work with the cutoff wheel and there is clearance. I had to cut the bottom of the support off because the bottom of the intercooler is in the way of the factory mounting. I made a support for the bottom out of some .187 flat stock and tacked it to the bottom of the support. Welding to the vintage iron is great--so easy compared to late model tin-foil.
Here it is roughed in: (The pic doesn't show it well, but there is about 1/2" of clearance between the support and the intercooler)
I still have some more work to do on the support. Some family came over for dinner and they felt I should stop what I was doing to eat. Some people...
The fe-mailman brought me something today:
Hmmmm.
I moved on to the hood latch and latch/grille support. Neither of these items were designed to be used in conjunction with an intercooler. I still have an intercooler.
Initial fitment of latch:
Better shot of clearance from latch to intercooler:
So the latch fits good. The support for the latch mechanism and grille needs some work to clear the intercooler, so another template is in order. The template is actually sitting on top of the latch/grille support:
A little work with the cutoff wheel and there is clearance. I had to cut the bottom of the support off because the bottom of the intercooler is in the way of the factory mounting. I made a support for the bottom out of some .187 flat stock and tacked it to the bottom of the support. Welding to the vintage iron is great--so easy compared to late model tin-foil.
Here it is roughed in: (The pic doesn't show it well, but there is about 1/2" of clearance between the support and the intercooler)
I still have some more work to do on the support. Some family came over for dinner and they felt I should stop what I was doing to eat. Some people...
The fe-mailman brought me something today:
Hmmmm.
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Nice progress... looks like you'll be moving some serious air! 
Midwestern4x4Parts
1/2 ton status
Never seen so many fans on a diesel ...
Yeah, I can't say that I have either, but have you ever seen a 120* thermometer in the shade with the needle buried?
Actually, only two are for this truck, but I got such a screamin' deal on them I bought a spare as I have at least one of these fans on every vehicle in my fleet. Also, I'm not sure I'm going to *need* them, but I do not want to build a wiring harness now only to find out later that I do need them and have to hack in some type of auxilliary harness to run the fans, so in they go now. They also help tremendously with A/C performance when the ambient air temp is above about 105* and especially above 110*+.
jimbug
1/2 ton status
Hey Nick lets see a pic of that sexy motor as it sits today.... all you have up are the mockup shots. Trying to show Suzy how this is a beautiful thing!
jimbug
1/2 ton status
Ya know I have only heard how you cant run an intercooler.... Strange seems like you have that problem solved so there.
Oh btw I still have your garage sale tools on my floorboard... give me a call and I'll run em by
Oh btw I still have your garage sale tools on my floorboard... give me a call and I'll run em by
Hmm, I did not know that I couldn't run an intercooler. I guess that can be added to the list of things that can't be done with one of these trucks.
Ahh, I kept meaning to ask you if I left them in your Sub. Mystery solved.
Oh, BTW, the motor looks like crap right now. It is covered with my wife's tupperware full of miscellaneous hardware and other non-sorted hardware, plumbing, etc. I'll post one as soon as it is decent.
Uh, I used to know this one..... I *think* the BBC is about 750-800 dressed and I think the Cummins is about 1200ish dressed.
So far so good. Obviously it has not been driven, but when the motor got set in, believe it or not, they did not drop at all.
tomford
1/2 ton status
Wow i cant wait to see how this turns out
Tom
Tom
subscribed
Yeah, me too.
Well, I got some miscellaneous "stuff" done recently. I got the fittings and nipples on the power steering filter figured out. It doesn't look like much, but it took some time to figure out the angles to set the fittings at to keep the hoses from kinking when coming into or going out of the filter head.
I also got my electric fans mounted. This was a bit tougher than I expected because of the clearance (or lack thereof) between the intercooler and the power steering cooler. With a little creativity and adjustment of mounting shims, it was able to be accomplished.
With the fans mounted, I was able to install the intercooler (hopefully for the last time). I have not started building the wiring harness yet, so the wires are just tucked out of the way for now.
I also finished hacking the hood latch support. I removed so much of it for intercooler and then fan clearance that I felt it needed to have some structure added back into it. I welded a piece of 1" x .125 flat stock to the drivers side of the support from top to bottom. It probably weighs as much now as when I started cutting it and is probably as stout, if not stouter.
I'm not sure why, but every time I make a battery tray I forget to provide a provision to hold the battery down. It is a minor detail, but one worth having available. Of course the trays were both painted and one was installed, but I managed to come up with a hold down provision that both functioned well and was relatively easy to install. I got a couple chunks of 5/16-18 all thread and a handful of coupler nuts. I welded one coupler nut on each side of the tray. Then I took a piece of all thread and dropped it through the top strap that I made out of some 1" flat stock welded to a couple pieces of 1/2 x1/2 angle stock. I threaded them into the coupler nuts that I welded to the tray. then, I threaded another coupler nut down the all thread until it hit the top strap and I cut the all thread off flush with the top of the coupler nuts. I then removed the all thread with the coupler nuts still on them and welded the top of the nuts to the top of the all thread. I cleaned them up and painted the nuts. I think it turned out pretty ok.
Along the way, my boy came out wearing a mask that my wife and he had made earlier in the day. He goes by and says he is going to go weld. Uh, ok. Have fun!! Well, I got to thinking about him welding and being that he can't watch me do it, I figured I'd make something for him to use. I started with a piece of 1/2" o.d. copper tubing for the handle/nozzle and soldered a piece of 12ga solid core wire in the center for the electrode. A little bit of black electrical tape and we had a MIG (GMAW) welder on our hands. After presenting it to him he said that he's been waiting for me to make one of these for him. Gee, sorry it took so long boy.
The end result:
Gorilla mask, er, uh, helmet down and welder in use:
Now, I am either too poor or too cheap (probably a combination of both) to pony up for the gold plated factory tow hooks. Seeing as how I have a set of '73-'80 hooks gathering dust, I figured they would go well with the rest of the originality I am maintaining.
Initial fitment:
Installed:
I think they look pretty good. Yeah, some factory ones would be cool and some extreme bends would probably be even cooler, but I think these are a good compromise between form, function and cost.
Maybe it's just me.
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Yukon Jack
1/2 ton status
Those tow hooks will serve you just fine. Can you imagine buying one of the expensive original tow hooks and breaking one of those while in use - that would suck. Now you have no worries.
Pretty cool idea for your son - I bet he can lay a better bead than me!
Pretty cool idea for your son - I bet he can lay a better bead than me!
Still watching this thread.
Great post.
I like the side projects as well.
Great post.
I like the side projects as well.
I've got a set of 2nd gen tow hooks here somewhere, I think I'll do the same thing.
Yeah, these are definitely stouter than the original styles and yes, breaking one of those would be both a financial and mental tragedy.
Judging by the sounds coming from his welder, he was layin some nice beads!!
