Headers were cool when I was in high school
Now I realize they leak and get crusty unless you spend 1000$
Yeah, I should have left the manifolds on mine.
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TnA's 86 Jimmy Shop Build / Product Development Thread - (Trailing Arms?!?!)
- Thread starter CFMi
- Start date
Yeah, I should have left the manifolds on mine.
SouthernYank
1/2 ton status
Thanks man! I've been building engine crossmembers for a while, and I've always had a removeable center section in them. I can't understand why very few others do that. Of course if they don't include a track bar mount (which almost none of them do) I guess it's pretty easy to just remove the whole thing.
I will probably get a few things up on the site fairly soon, and also post them into new threads in the Vendor section here on CK5. If there is anything you want in the meantime though, please feel free to PM me and we can work something out
-Darren
Sounds good, been traveling a lot around this sh** hole called AFG so haven't been on but I'll get in touch with you when i figure out what I am going to do.
Once again, I don't know yet what your design looks like on the computer for a rear bumper, but have you seen the write up for this one http://coloradok5.com/4x4iron-rearbumper.shtml
I know this company went under a long time ago (I grew up in Parker and remember that company) but the design of that rear bumper is really cool. Add a swing down to that and it would be pimpin
I know this company went under a long time ago (I grew up in Parker and remember that company) but the design of that rear bumper is really cool. Add a swing down to that and it would be pimpin
drew4x4
1/2 ton status
Question:
How many individual pieces do I have to cut, clean and weld for just 1 of the new crossmembers??
Answer: 24 pieces!!!!!!!
-Darren
hey quick question.....
the small paddle shaped tabs... at the very bottom left, and very bottom right. where are they supposed to go? i can't seem to find a use for em...
thanks
btw i had mine in, the 6.0 dropped on top, it all fit beautifully and went together like a charm. great engineering man. even did a header (street & performance) test fit with no issues.
Here ya go for the nut tabs, they are just to make getting those upper motor mount bolts in easier:
AWESOME to hear that everything fit really good! I was waiting to hear from you on fitment before I released it on the forums here, PM me if you can to let me know about ANY little issues you might have had! Thanks man!
-Darren
drew4x4
1/2 ton status
pm sent
Got it! Thanks man!
Today I have a day at the shop, and spent all morning running around trying to get fuel lines settled. I purchased some custom lines from a company that I have been dealing with for years and have ALWAYS had nothing but excellent service from. So this time they came through a lot more expensive than I had planned on, but they were made out of really good hose, so that explains the price. The hose ends that were put on were Aeroquip (really good name brand) brass ones that felt cheap to me on first inspection. They looked like this:
So I got them all routed under the truck, and then went to tighten up my first connection, and the inner piece of the hose end (that has the 37 degree flare on it) basically started pulling out from the outer hex piece. It went all crooked and fubar'd the hose end. I was not happy.
So to make a long story short, I called my guy back up after I had calmed down, and he was totally apologetic about the situation and after I brought the hoses back to him, I ended up with this, free of charge:
Now I have fully crimped steel hose ends, capable of more psi than ANY fuel injection system could ever put out, and between the hose and the ends, I can now run ANY type of fuel I want without worry. Not that I'll ever run anything other than regular old gasoline, but at least now I will never have to worry about the fuel lines again!
...and now.... back to work on the K5!!!!
-Darren
Ahhhh!!!! Yes, I know..... But if the Rig isn't running for Blazer Bash.... well then that would just suck!
Soooo, I wanted to re-use the factory fuel lines from the TBI down to the framerail. The later model frame bracket is bent wrong for these frames. So a cut-off wheel, some banging with a hammer, and some quick welds and some washers fixed that...
...and while I'm sharing pics, I guess I'll post this one up too. When I wheeled the engine over to the truck to put it on the engine hoist, I accidentally left the rotate handle in the engine stand, and managed to slam it pretty hard up against the new paint on the front bumper. Dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Darren
I want more of thisWaiting for some real trail abuse on these bumpers
x2 on this. That's what that beef bumper is for right??
I want more of this
x2 on this. That's what that beef bumper is for right??
X3 on this!!! Lol. I have no problems at all with there being some scratches on the bumper... I DO have a problem with the first big scratch NOT coming from a rock or a tree though, lol!! Oh, well, right? There will soon be time for me to put on some REAL trail damage, even though this bumper was designed for light trails really. Moderate to Hardcore trails really should be using the winch cradle instead for better ground clearance. But that doesn't mean that this particular one won't see any hard trails, gotta test it and all...
So over the last couple hours, I managed to pull the glove box out, remove the original spark computer from behind there, and remove the wiring harness that went along with it. That left me with a big round hole in the firewall and not much behind it. SO, I figured that would be the best place to graft in the factory Fuel Injection firewall pass-through. I measured the pass-through, and marked it out around the existing hole:
Then I snaked the fuel injection harness through that hole. I think I went back-and-forth from the cab to the engine bay about 100 times. Probably much less than that but it sure felt like it, lol. Then I grabbed some self-drilling screws and attached the pass-through, the power distribution block, and the fuel pump relay and fuse to the firewall. I placed the fuel injection harness onto the motor and connected most of the major stuff:
I think it looks a little messy, but I wanted to keep that "factory" look to it. When I go to get emissions on it, I want to fool them into thinking that it's a year later than it is so they don't question the lack of A.I.R. pump. If they do then it's a hassle to file the paperwork for an engine swap. So we'll see how that goes....
-Darren
So I made it to the shop today for a half-day at least!
I had an aluminum torque converter cover laying around, so I decided that should go onto this truck. It didn't quite fit as-is, so a little modification was in order. I cut around the opening for the oil pan clearance, and ground down a little bit on the other end too for transmission pan clearance. I actually had to go back and trim a little more for the corners of the oil pan than what is done in this pic, but here it is:
Then I tied up a few loose ends with the wiring (charge wire, oil pressure sensor, coolant temp sensor for the factory gage, etc...) and then began the dreaded transmission oil cooler lines. I hate doing these, I usually end up making them pretty neat and clean, but I still hate making them, lol. Here they are all done and tight:
I think they look pretty good. They should give enough clearance for the exhaust, and they follow the oil pan close enough to make it into the factory clips that were still there. Now I can take the leaky aftermarket oil cooler out from in front of the radiator, clean it all up and eventually put it back in as a power steering cooler if the core itself doesn't leak.
I also managed to get my old K&N intake tube onto the TBI unit, and then get the thing up on the lift. Tomorrow I'll be looking at exhaust and getting the new gas tank back in!!
Laters,
Darren
I had an aluminum torque converter cover laying around, so I decided that should go onto this truck. It didn't quite fit as-is, so a little modification was in order. I cut around the opening for the oil pan clearance, and ground down a little bit on the other end too for transmission pan clearance. I actually had to go back and trim a little more for the corners of the oil pan than what is done in this pic, but here it is:
Then I tied up a few loose ends with the wiring (charge wire, oil pressure sensor, coolant temp sensor for the factory gage, etc...) and then began the dreaded transmission oil cooler lines. I hate doing these, I usually end up making them pretty neat and clean, but I still hate making them, lol. Here they are all done and tight:
I think they look pretty good. They should give enough clearance for the exhaust, and they follow the oil pan close enough to make it into the factory clips that were still there. Now I can take the leaky aftermarket oil cooler out from in front of the radiator, clean it all up and eventually put it back in as a power steering cooler if the core itself doesn't leak.
I also managed to get my old K&N intake tube onto the TBI unit, and then get the thing up on the lift. Tomorrow I'll be looking at exhaust and getting the new gas tank back in!!
Laters,
Darren
I had a little K5 time today after getting some shipments out, but really just did a bunch of little things that needed done still. I did however get the new fuel tank in and the fuel pump wiring run so at least that showed a little progress.
Once I got home, I got back onto the computer, and re-designed my lower shock mount. I've made similar mounts in the past, but simplified this one a bit and made it easier to put together. I also set up some variables in the computer so that I can input a shock angle and an axle tube diameter and the drawings will automatically update. I'll try to get a set made as prototypes for the Jimmy as soon as I can
Here's the CAD model:
-Darren
Once I got home, I got back onto the computer, and re-designed my lower shock mount. I've made similar mounts in the past, but simplified this one a bit and made it easier to put together. I also set up some variables in the computer so that I can input a shock angle and an axle tube diameter and the drawings will automatically update. I'll try to get a set made as prototypes for the Jimmy as soon as I can
Here's the CAD model:
-Darren
So I came up to the shop today to get some work done, not necessarily on the K5, but needed to make a bunch of other stuff. I've been selling off the shelves and not replacing like I should, and now I'm under the gun to get stuff out the door. Duh. I know better! Lol.
So I spent some quality time with the Plasma table this morning, and with the grinders and de-slagging devices this afternoon. Felt like it was taking forever, but then I laid out what I made on the table and realized just how much I got done!
That's alot of pieces to cut, deslag and clean up by one guy in a few hours time, lol! I can't wait until I can afford to hire someone to do the cleanup stuff. It's so time consuming but not difficult to do, and I'd rather be designing new things (like the rear bumper!!) instead of doing this work, lol. Oh well, all in due time.
-Darren
Now... Off to the welder I go!
So I spent some quality time with the Plasma table this morning, and with the grinders and de-slagging devices this afternoon. Felt like it was taking forever, but then I laid out what I made on the table and realized just how much I got done!
That's alot of pieces to cut, deslag and clean up by one guy in a few hours time, lol! I can't wait until I can afford to hire someone to do the cleanup stuff. It's so time consuming but not difficult to do, and I'd rather be designing new things (like the rear bumper!!) instead of doing this work, lol. Oh well, all in due time.
-Darren
Now... Off to the welder I go!
Well I got a bunch welded up today, mostly things that you've all seen already. But I also managed to squeak in enough time to measure my rear shock angles and make a set of the new lower mounts for my Jimmy. I measured (educated guess at the very least) that when mounted to the new inboard upper mount, they should sit at approximately a 32 degree angle from vertical. So I plugged the figures into my CAD model and it spit out drawings of the plates needed. I'll see how they all fit later, but here they are all welded up:
They should end up flush with the bottom of the axle tube and the base will be horizontal for maximum ground clearance. They welded up fairly easily too. I like this re-design alot, I think it'll be a great product. Oh, and of course it puts the shock bolt perpendicular to the axle tube for less bind on articulation and less wear and tear on the shock bushings.
...and now... It's time for a drink I say! I think tonight's choice will be Crown and "Simply Orange with Mango" juice - if you all haven't tried this combo yet, you REALLY should, it's quite terrific! (Yes, 4x4 parts AND drink advice today! What more could you ask for?!)
Later,
Darren
They should end up flush with the bottom of the axle tube and the base will be horizontal for maximum ground clearance. They welded up fairly easily too. I like this re-design alot, I think it'll be a great product. Oh, and of course it puts the shock bolt perpendicular to the axle tube for less bind on articulation and less wear and tear on the shock bushings.
...and now... It's time for a drink I say! I think tonight's choice will be Crown and "Simply Orange with Mango" juice - if you all haven't tried this combo yet, you REALLY should, it's quite terrific! (Yes, 4x4 parts AND drink advice today! What more could you ask for?!)
Later,
Darren
Well, I ended up going to the shop again today, and helped my buddy Nick do a quick hydro assist setup with some used pieces he picked up from another customer of mine a while ago. Forgot to take any pictures of his Trazer, but you'll see it at Blazer Bash this year if you come along!
Also, I started fabrication of the exhaust system for mine. Got the two manifold down-pipes started and the O2 sensor bung welded in. I'll grab some pics tomorrow but I think I used four or five different pieces of old pipe that was laying around to cobble together what I made today, lol. At least it was all the same size, but it looks pretty funny. It cuts across above the driveshaft at a 45 degree angle and hugs really tight to the torque converter cover, so I'll be covering the whole conglomeration with some exhaust wrap anyways so it'll look decent in the end...
More to come tomorow!!
-Darren
Also, I started fabrication of the exhaust system for mine. Got the two manifold down-pipes started and the O2 sensor bung welded in. I'll grab some pics tomorrow but I think I used four or five different pieces of old pipe that was laying around to cobble together what I made today, lol. At least it was all the same size, but it looks pretty funny. It cuts across above the driveshaft at a 45 degree angle and hugs really tight to the torque converter cover, so I'll be covering the whole conglomeration with some exhaust wrap anyways so it'll look decent in the end...
More to come tomorow!!
-Darren
Shortly after I pick up the winch cradle and wings I'm going to be on you like smokinthehippies for that rear bumper
Sweet! I've managed to squeak in some CAD time on it recently, in between everything else, lol. I'll post a peek in the near future!
Until then though....
Here is the conglomeration of pieces I welded together yesterday and this morning for my new Y-pipe. All left-over pieces from other exhausts over the years, lol. But all the same size at least.
That's 10 individual pieces welded together, plus my flange!!
After exhaust wrap, it looks much better!
Y-Pipe installed and I know it looks like it's touching the tranny pan in the pic but there is at least 1/2" clearance all around it:
Here is the s-bend to the cat and the cat itself installed. All flanged for easy removal:
...and a Flowmaster 40-series behind the cat:
Hopefully I have enough clearance to the driveshaft, there is a decent amount, but I also know how much the shaft can move when flexing out. Of course this rig isn't going to "flex out" very much at the moment, lol.
After that much of the exhaust was done... I decided to get the factory rear shock mount cut off and the new one welded on. I tacked the upper shock mount to the crossmember but I think I have it too close to the framerail. I'm pretty sure the shock body will hit when the shock gets compressed.
Here is the lower end:
Here is the angle of the shock as it sits. I like this angle and don't want to move the top in much more, but I will have to move it just a little but. (The passenger side is still in the factory location):
-Darren
Here is the s-bend to the cat and the cat itself installed. All flanged for easy removal:
...and a Flowmaster 40-series behind the cat:
Hopefully I have enough clearance to the driveshaft, there is a decent amount, but I also know how much the shaft can move when flexing out. Of course this rig isn't going to "flex out" very much at the moment, lol.
After that much of the exhaust was done... I decided to get the factory rear shock mount cut off and the new one welded on. I tacked the upper shock mount to the crossmember but I think I have it too close to the framerail. I'm pretty sure the shock body will hit when the shock gets compressed.
Here is the lower end:
Here is the angle of the shock as it sits. I like this angle and don't want to move the top in much more, but I will have to move it just a little but. (The passenger side is still in the factory location):
-Darren
