I'm back, Dahoooley may ride again

[Missy Good Wench]

Just seems like a crime to ruin that many vehicles.

People would learn to drive in snow/ice damned quick me thinks.

Heaven forbid to have a worthless thread :hihi:

Piccy's

My buddy came over yesterday and we did a bit more on the beast.

We got the exhaust manifolds on as well as the cross over pipe and a few goodies up top.

Turbo needs to go on as does the radiator, shroud, fan and such.

Gotta get the starter back on as well, but want to check it out first on the ground.

Going to cut a rat hole in the inner fender on the RH side to allow easy access to the rear glow plug.

I will make a little plastic cover to go over the hole.

The last time we did this, getting to the back plug was a beotch, and now with my Right hand pretty much out of the action, its impossible.

Soooo, will make an access PORT :hihi:
i will get some pix of that maneuver for Y'all.

The other 3 plugs are all easy to access via the inner fender opening (Rubber flap)

Just the back one that's a PITA

 

[WarWagon]

When you have thousands of cars and trucks per hour turning that snow into ice you really have no economically viable choice besides salt. Leaving the ice would mean hundreds of wrecks every day. That wouldn't fly. Nor should it.

After all the State dumping the salt on the ice or feds putting emissions on your vehicle aren't paying for the economically viable rust damage or cost of the emissions. You do. (Let alone the cost of dead tree removal from the salt.) Even then they don't get all of the ice and hundreds of wrecks every day... Well hundreds of wrecks happen every day even on a nice sunny dry road day.

There are other options. Like using cinders instead. Or better yet moving to a place where Unicorns are more common than snow. :hihi:

Even here if you head up into the mountains you can find a pile of snow sitting on the side of the road. Melting onto the road and frozen over to ice. Lots of fun to hit that towing at full power and have the ass end enthusiastically step out on you with a trailer. They have a debate of salt over cinders out here...

 

[Will L.]

Whatever happened to the dude that invented the solar powered paver things that kept ice and snow melted? Environmentally friendly and all that jazz?

 

[btfarm]

If you don't have 15+ city type commutes in a northern winter then you would not understand. We don't like salt any more than you but we do, in fact, have to drive amongst hundreds of others in those conditions. You can speculate until you're blue in the face. You don't live it. We do. It IS possible to live with it and have a relatively rust free vehicle. I'm proof. Have to make the effort though...
Back to the topic of Dahooooly resurrection.

 

[WarWagon]

eace: It's not that I am trying to get under anyone's skin, but, while I am sitting in the broiler out here I will enjoy the "suffering" of others in snow. After all I watch the Weather Channel for "entertainment". Yes, I am a little touched in that way. On the other hand having been through "The worst winter in 100 years", "Blizzard '97", and a few other storms...

The best point of view is not having to put up with that kind of nasty weather anymore. 4x4 is for offroading and fun not a daily commute. :thumbsup: 4 seasons? They make AC compressors... and a mention on the Weather Channel.

Yes, the Cinder and salt debate goes on in higher or northern AZ too. Gloves for driving: because the steering wheel is too hot to hold with your bare hands.

 

[3500GMC]

Piccy's

My buddy came over yesterday and we did a bit more on the beast.

Awesome to see the fat butt truck (oh that truck? YEAH i remember that rig!) getting some attention. If it weren't for, say, a few thousand miles and daily obligations around here, I'd gladly help turn a wrench. Good to hear you have help.

The CAT yellow is starting to grow on me.

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Thanks

The few thou miles is certainly a big stumbling block.

Yeah, the yellow does grow on ya for sure.

Brightens up the engine bay too :thumbsup:

 

[Missy Good Wench]

OK
I did some serious thinking about things on the Right side.
Folks are always complaining about accessing the Glow plugs on the RH side.

Here is grand solution to this PITA.

With my right hand Effed up from the stroke, I can't reach up and get to the #8 Glow plug and wire.

I did some measuring and serious looking since the turbo is not on yet.

Using the next to the bottom retainer button hole as a reference point.

Go from the center of the button hole up 1 inch and drill a 1/4 inch hole
Then go straight back 4 inches (use the torsion bar in the down position as a reference point to parallel)
On the front edge follow the curve around leaving about 3/8" of metal behind the little dip where the rubber flap fits, as this keeps the inner fender sturdy.

The lower edge of the cut is 3-3/4" below the top cut (Measuring down the front)
The back edge is 3" to the rear, then connect the top and bottom, following the natural curve of the inner fenders form in that area.


Warning
The top cut goes fairly close to the main wiring harness
So be careful, lest you screw up your wiring.

The piccy shows my harness well as it has a red wrap on it.
The pix have explanations on them.
Also is a great shot of the Starter hanger bracket with the red colored bolt in the block.
To get at the #8 glow plug may require removing the clamp at the turbo outlet and letting the down pipe drop some.

The entire area is easily accessed with the RF tire/wheel removed.

This access point is also the method of choice when changing the starter.

Removing the rubber inner fender flap is easy, and new push in barb buttons are cheap at the parts house.

A suitable cover plate to go over the access "Rat Hole" is easily made from a piece of aluminum and fastened in place by a couple sheet metal screws.

The heater hoses are also easier to get to as well.
Again
Be careful when cutting the hole.
A spotter would be a good idea.
Every rig is going to be slightly different due to many factors, but close.

Just don't cut your wiring.
The rear Glow plug is a snap, and the rear injector reyurn hose and rear cap plug can be accessed too.

Hope a mod saves this to the tech file. :hello:

Missy

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Now for the icing on the cake.

Got a little help to provide the extra hand and POOOOOOF, a lovely little cover for the rat hole.

Some cardboard, a little cutting to make a template, trace it onto some 14 gauge aluminum and a bit of band saw work and then bend the notch in, insert a scrap of 14 ga into the slot and hammer the tab down to form the retainer lip.

Drill a hole around where the Black dot is and fasten to the inner fender with a suitable sheet metal screw.

Access hole all covered to keep out the crap. :hello:

Missy

 

[bison]

Excellent idea Robin, but it might have been easier to use an 1/1/4 hole saw in the drill

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Sadly the small hole saw will not allow your hand to reach in and deal with the Glow plug wire.

I did think about that very option, but the wire is still an issue.

Getting a long extension and deep socket would be easy through the round hole

Originally I was going for a 4" hole, but discovered my selection of saws went from 3-1/2" to 4-1/2" then 5"
Waaaaaay too big.

With the main wire harness right above the area, I did not want to take any chances with hitting it.

The access hole I came up with is excellent to allow your fingers grasp the glow plug wire terminal and remove it, as well as screw the plug in and out.

Getting to those heater hose clamps was an added perk that I had not really thought much about until I was looking at the area through the hole.


I am told that the stock down pipe does not make that back plug as tough to reach, but Dahoooley has a Banks down pipe that's 3-1/2" ID and its shape is a bit different than the stock ones too.


At any rate, the access hole was a real plus.

Missy

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Today the starter went back on, as did the turbo and a handful of other tid bits.
Was near 100F outside and this old girls Zippppp just fell on it's butt.
Getting closer.

I want to trim the inner fender on the LH side up near the front to allow easy access to the radiator drain cock.

The plastic/aluminum radiator drain is a PITA to get anywhere near.

Another RAT HOLE will solve the issue.

I just hate these items that can't be reached without great difficulty and major blood letting

 

[3500GMC]

Just looked at the foercast temp for Salem tomorrow.. 99. Definitely take it easy out there. Looks like there is a cool down thru midweek. Is the humidity always low like 20% ?

 

[Missy Good Wench]

No worries
I am not going out in that heat, at least no for very long.

Humidity in the summer is generally in the 40 range, but we can on occasion get into the 60+ %
This morning the air is heavy at 76%

Winter is a different story
70++++ %

Nothing like you get in the midwest

When it gets to 40 we start chewing our air before we inhale.

I like it when its about 10% but that's not going to happen here

Missy

 

[handcannon]

No worries

Humidity in the summer is generally in the 40 range, but we can on occasion get into the 60+ %
This morning the air is heavy at 76%

Winter is a different story
70++++ %

When it gets to 40 we start chewing our air before we inhale.

I like it when its about 10% but that's not going to happen here

Missy

Very accurate! I especially like the red letter edit.

Don

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Close now
Primed the entire oil system until the cooler was full and there was oil to the turbo.

Stuffed the regular oil pump drive in and buttoned that up.

All the rear main wire harness plugs are in and tidy.

Grounds done as are the other cables.

Just need to get radiator in and batteries.

Gotta wait till the first to get batteries.

Very close now.

It will be sweet to hear it run again.


Missy

 

[bowtiebutler956]

I'm really looking forward to hearing that beast run again. I really liked your attention to detail inside this engine, when you were building it. It should be sweat running 6.5!:thumbsup:

Matt

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Let us hope so.

 

[Missy Good Wench]

All ready to go now.

Just gotta wait till the 1st of the month to get batteries.
I don't want a cheap set, so better to wait til the $$$$ are in.

Got the grille back in the other day, with I might add, the gracious help of my 7 year old grandson. :thumbsup:

Little hands are great to reach into small spots ya know.

The past 4 years the truck has been sitting with the 2 front tires/wheels laying under the frame midship with some 4x6 across them, holding the rig up.

We got the tires/wheels out the other day and discovered some nasty splits in the tread face with shards of wire belts showing

Looks like tires are on the agenda as well.

Son in law took the hot washer and some wheel acid to the fronts and got them cleaned up.

Thinking about moding the bolt holes with a countersink to allow the use of the GM stock taper lug nuts that will allow the OEM plastic GMC cover that fastens on with the fitted plastic caps to work.

The wheels are aluminum drop center type that use a washer'd type nut currently, and the rigors of time have left the nuts YUCKY -----> RUSTY

 

[dangerousdave]

Welcome back Robyn. I missed you too. I've been off for a while lately; trip to Texas, visits to Doctors and lawyers and such. It has been since 2008 and they're still juggling my meds, so that's a constant adventure. Many of us out here eating the elephant; one bite at a time. :gnorsi: