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Astro van cat conversion
- Thread starter Snowy Rivers
- Start date
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Unless you use a stick welder????? then not yours 
Looked like either 7018 rod on an AC welder or some 6011.
Very nasty welds.....
I learned to weld on a stick machine and then transitioned to a Mig years ago.
The company I worked for for 20 years had mostly AC stick machines.
The Boss was just sure that Mig was no good and that the welds would just break off....
Go figure....
We finally went to mostly Mig machines after the old fart retired.
I bought my Millermatic 250 back in early 90's
Been a sweet machine.
I added a spool gun for doing aluminum in 97 or so.
I had purchased a new Dump truck transfer rig with aluminum tubs and figured sooner or later I would need to weld on them....I DID...
The clowns that had been wrenching on the old Packer just hacked everything they touched....
But it's all repairable.... pretty much cut and chopped off all of their crap.
Going to weld up a few extra bolt holes I don't need, and touch up some other stuff that is just too ugly to leave out where it can be seen.
Looked like either 7018 rod on an AC welder or some 6011.
Very nasty welds.....
I learned to weld on a stick machine and then transitioned to a Mig years ago.
The company I worked for for 20 years had mostly AC stick machines.
The Boss was just sure that Mig was no good and that the welds would just break off....
Go figure....
We finally went to mostly Mig machines after the old fart retired.
I bought my Millermatic 250 back in early 90's
Been a sweet machine.
I added a spool gun for doing aluminum in 97 or so.
I had purchased a new Dump truck transfer rig with aluminum tubs and figured sooner or later I would need to weld on them....I DID...
The clowns that had been wrenching on the old Packer just hacked everything they touched....
But it's all repairable.... pretty much cut and chopped off all of their crap.
Going to weld up a few extra bolt holes I don't need, and touch up some other stuff that is just too ugly to leave out where it can be seen.
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
WAS GONNA
Get after the rear trans mount yesterday....buttttttttttttttttt, Tuesday when I was redoing the location on the front mount there was a little issue.
I had the entire power pack hanging on the rigging from the bucket of the skid steer, and while I was working on the front mount the hydraulics slowly bled off a tad bit.
The unit drifted back into the tub and the rear mount hung up on the side of the tub and put a bit of a strain on it.
The mount had twisted a tad bit from the weight and this put pressure on the rubber rear mount assembly.
While sitting the assembly back into the tub the rear cradle assembly was hanging a tad goofy.
I made note of the anomaly and went ahead and finished getting things back in.
The rear of the trans pan is sitting on a piece of 2x4 (Gave the proper height) until the rear mounting cradle is securely bolted into the tub.
Yesterday I removed the rear cradle and sure enough the cheezy rubber mount had tore loose on one side....
Definitely not a stellar piece.....
The last thing needed is to have the rear mount get loose and allow the drive shaft to go wonky and break stuff.
I ordered up a urethane mount that has the safety interlocking parts that will not allow the mount to come loose even if the urethane fails.
The Trans Dapt mounting hardware look pretty good and fit great....but the rear rubber mount was a POS......
New one will be here in a few days.
Good time to sort out these issues and not after the beast is all together.
Another little item popped up too.....THE EXHAUST is going to run down each side of the tub (Inside) and this could cause an issue in the future if the power pack is/was to be removed for service or ????
The exhaust could be run below the rear cradle, but this is going to make doing the exhaust a tad bit of an issue.
I can get the local exhaust shop to bend the needed tubing, but without the machine in his shop getting the bends just right is gonna be tough.....
Decided that running the exhaust over the top of the rear cradle is best and the new rear mount comes with studs/nuts and washers and will readily allow the trans to be unbolted from the cradle.
Should the cradle need to be removed one of the shim plates can be unbolted and slid out allowing the cradle to slide rearward and the turn sideways and come out of the tub.
Another little possible annoyance is the starter.
There is an access hole (Chopped in the tub by the last crew) that gives pretty good access to the starter....
Butttttttttttttttttt.....getting any leverage to hold the starter up to the engine is gonna be really tough.
I have looked at the mini gear drive starters and these look like a great plan.....still, holding the starter up to the block is gonna be tough if at all possible.
A cool little wood cradle "Tool if you will" can easily be constructed to hold the starter just barely below the block and allow the bolts to be inserted and tightened.
Also thinking about adding a REMOTE wiring pigtail from the starter to run forward to a junction block...there is plenty of room up front in the tub to be able to fasten this stuff in and make things a walk in the park to connect.
I absolutely hate a design that makes important parts tough to work on.
Now is a great time to deal with this stuff.
Once the van is on top of the pile there will be a whole new set of issues me thinks.
Get after the rear trans mount yesterday....buttttttttttttttttt, Tuesday when I was redoing the location on the front mount there was a little issue.
I had the entire power pack hanging on the rigging from the bucket of the skid steer, and while I was working on the front mount the hydraulics slowly bled off a tad bit.
The unit drifted back into the tub and the rear mount hung up on the side of the tub and put a bit of a strain on it.
The mount had twisted a tad bit from the weight and this put pressure on the rubber rear mount assembly.
While sitting the assembly back into the tub the rear cradle assembly was hanging a tad goofy.
I made note of the anomaly and went ahead and finished getting things back in.
The rear of the trans pan is sitting on a piece of 2x4 (Gave the proper height) until the rear mounting cradle is securely bolted into the tub.
Yesterday I removed the rear cradle and sure enough the cheezy rubber mount had tore loose on one side....
Definitely not a stellar piece.....
The last thing needed is to have the rear mount get loose and allow the drive shaft to go wonky and break stuff.
I ordered up a urethane mount that has the safety interlocking parts that will not allow the mount to come loose even if the urethane fails.
The Trans Dapt mounting hardware look pretty good and fit great....but the rear rubber mount was a POS......
New one will be here in a few days.
Good time to sort out these issues and not after the beast is all together.
Another little item popped up too.....THE EXHAUST is going to run down each side of the tub (Inside) and this could cause an issue in the future if the power pack is/was to be removed for service or ????
The exhaust could be run below the rear cradle, but this is going to make doing the exhaust a tad bit of an issue.
I can get the local exhaust shop to bend the needed tubing, but without the machine in his shop getting the bends just right is gonna be tough.....
Decided that running the exhaust over the top of the rear cradle is best and the new rear mount comes with studs/nuts and washers and will readily allow the trans to be unbolted from the cradle.
Should the cradle need to be removed one of the shim plates can be unbolted and slid out allowing the cradle to slide rearward and the turn sideways and come out of the tub.
Another little possible annoyance is the starter.
There is an access hole (Chopped in the tub by the last crew) that gives pretty good access to the starter....
Butttttttttttttttttt.....getting any leverage to hold the starter up to the engine is gonna be really tough.
I have looked at the mini gear drive starters and these look like a great plan.....still, holding the starter up to the block is gonna be tough if at all possible.
A cool little wood cradle "Tool if you will" can easily be constructed to hold the starter just barely below the block and allow the bolts to be inserted and tightened.
Also thinking about adding a REMOTE wiring pigtail from the starter to run forward to a junction block...there is plenty of room up front in the tub to be able to fasten this stuff in and make things a walk in the park to connect.
I absolutely hate a design that makes important parts tough to work on.
Now is a great time to deal with this stuff.
Once the van is on top of the pile there will be a whole new set of issues me thinks.
Last edited:
olympicorange
Active member
……… absolutely,.... when modifying a project, lots to consider. besides quality , function, durability, performance, etc..... one of my main focuses is always the ''poor bastard'' that has to make any kind of a removal/repair , of any component..... if you can't build it easier /better , than a damn engineer to work on,....well …. what's the sense of even starting ,.... 
Snowtrac Nome
member formerly known as dds
with a gas engine run your exhaust high as you can my diesel had started leaf fire in the tub the first year I had it and yes the vegetation in the tub was imported up here with the cat.
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Copy on the combustibles in the tub.
Today I welded the cover plate that had been under the disc brake on.
Sometime in the past somebody had cut two access holes in the floor of the tub and welded nuts on to bolt the plate covers in.
No way to get under the rig to get in there, and I do not have a service pit.
Decided to weld the covers on so they won't shake loose and get scraped off.
I got the tub clean now...
Not quite clean enough to paint, but the gunge is gone.....
Orange.
Serviceability is paramount.
There will no doubt be an item or two that will cause some issues when servicing....but I am trying hard to think through stuff and not end up building a BOAT IN A BASEMENT.
A couple issues.
The starter.
Once the van goes on top it may be a booger......but there appears to be some access through the front wheel house openings and in through the front end.
Radiator will be up top in the van body so the area right in front of the engine will be open.
Some form of bolt on plate will likely be what covers the large opening in the tub where the original radiator was located.
I am fiddling with several ideas for starters.
May try one of the little mini Denso starters.
Possibly construct a "Tool" to hold the starter up in place to allow the bolts to be installed.
The transmission control is being a bit if a pain.
The Vans use a cable shifter that requires a special switch that bolts to the 4L60E trans to illuminate the shift quadrant in the dash..
The TH350 does not have any way to connect this stuff.
A stand alone floor type shifter with a cable seems to be the easiest solution....but the cable has to be installed on the trans. and then threaded into the vans operator area...
Looking into the idea of running the shift cable forward to a crank assembly with a rod running back to the trans.
Gotta make it easy to assemble and adjust.....
I looked at a couple of fully electronic shifters.....but they has a myriad of power/control wires and are very spendy....
It may come down to building a custom shifter from bits and pieces and mounting it on a bracket between the front seats.
There are two heat ducts between the seats and they are under the carpet.
The seats sit on a riser/stool and have plenty of material to mount a bracket on that can serve to mount shifters????????
The cable can go forward and out the cowl alongside the doghouse and then curve back towards the rear on the drivers side.
I really want to get a good plan hatched before the van is mounted....
I DO NOT want to be scratching my AZZ and looking at the thing UH DUHHHHH OH CHIT FRANK...
Some stuff is fairly straight forward.....but getting a reliable shifter has to be right on and not a sketchy maybe type thing..
I don't want crap that leaves me stranded some place.....
Wiring is more or less a NO BRAINER....Add length and connect the sensors and such that match the ones on the van engine to the 305 V8
Same with the starter wiring.
The throttle cable is another item that may end up being a booger.
Specialty throttle cables are available to connect most applications to just about whatever you can dream up.
The V8 will be nearly right below where the little V6 once sat....should be an easy go....SHOULD BE..
The exhaust is not gonna be tough....lottsa room for the pipe/mufflers.
Trans cooler lines are easy too...
Likely run braided hydraulic hose (Type with reusable field serviceable fittings)
Run them to a manifold near the front of the tub and then jumper to a cooler in the grille area....
Possibly use the stock cooler in the radiator, but I do like a stand alone oil cooler.....
These tend to cool better than running the oil through the hot water in the radiator.
OMG
All sorts of things to think about......
My kingdom for a good cad program .....
Today I welded the cover plate that had been under the disc brake on.
Sometime in the past somebody had cut two access holes in the floor of the tub and welded nuts on to bolt the plate covers in.
No way to get under the rig to get in there, and I do not have a service pit.
Decided to weld the covers on so they won't shake loose and get scraped off.
I got the tub clean now...
Not quite clean enough to paint, but the gunge is gone.....
Orange.
Serviceability is paramount.
There will no doubt be an item or two that will cause some issues when servicing....but I am trying hard to think through stuff and not end up building a BOAT IN A BASEMENT.
A couple issues.
The starter.
Once the van goes on top it may be a booger......but there appears to be some access through the front wheel house openings and in through the front end.
Radiator will be up top in the van body so the area right in front of the engine will be open.
Some form of bolt on plate will likely be what covers the large opening in the tub where the original radiator was located.
I am fiddling with several ideas for starters.
May try one of the little mini Denso starters.
Possibly construct a "Tool" to hold the starter up in place to allow the bolts to be installed.
The transmission control is being a bit if a pain.
The Vans use a cable shifter that requires a special switch that bolts to the 4L60E trans to illuminate the shift quadrant in the dash..
The TH350 does not have any way to connect this stuff.
A stand alone floor type shifter with a cable seems to be the easiest solution....but the cable has to be installed on the trans. and then threaded into the vans operator area...
Looking into the idea of running the shift cable forward to a crank assembly with a rod running back to the trans.
Gotta make it easy to assemble and adjust.....
I looked at a couple of fully electronic shifters.....but they has a myriad of power/control wires and are very spendy....
It may come down to building a custom shifter from bits and pieces and mounting it on a bracket between the front seats.
There are two heat ducts between the seats and they are under the carpet.
The seats sit on a riser/stool and have plenty of material to mount a bracket on that can serve to mount shifters????????
The cable can go forward and out the cowl alongside the doghouse and then curve back towards the rear on the drivers side.
I really want to get a good plan hatched before the van is mounted....
I DO NOT want to be scratching my AZZ and looking at the thing UH DUHHHHH OH CHIT FRANK...
Some stuff is fairly straight forward.....but getting a reliable shifter has to be right on and not a sketchy maybe type thing..
I don't want crap that leaves me stranded some place.....
Wiring is more or less a NO BRAINER....Add length and connect the sensors and such that match the ones on the van engine to the 305 V8
Same with the starter wiring.
The throttle cable is another item that may end up being a booger.
Specialty throttle cables are available to connect most applications to just about whatever you can dream up.
The V8 will be nearly right below where the little V6 once sat....should be an easy go....SHOULD BE..
The exhaust is not gonna be tough....lottsa room for the pipe/mufflers.
Trans cooler lines are easy too...
Likely run braided hydraulic hose (Type with reusable field serviceable fittings)
Run them to a manifold near the front of the tub and then jumper to a cooler in the grille area....
Possibly use the stock cooler in the radiator, but I do like a stand alone oil cooler.....
These tend to cool better than running the oil through the hot water in the radiator.
OMG
All sorts of things to think about......
My kingdom for a good cad program .....
olympicorange
Active member
…….. so, is the van going to be removeable still,....or permanently mounted to Cat,.....
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Ah....sort of a two fold answer.
YES it will be removable easily.
Originally I had planned on making it removable and drivable under it's own power.
After deciding to place the Chevy engine in the belly (Original location) the factory van engine and transmission is coming out completely.
Going to leave the front and rear suspension and use that to facilitate a quick and simple way to connect the Van to the Cat,
WHEEL HUB FLANGES AND LUG STUDS using a fabricated bracket.
In order to be able to do some repairs or remove the engine and transmission the Van will be able to roll rearward on a pair of steel channels that the tires can run in. (Will be part of the structure added to the top of the tub)
Simply unbolt the anchor brackets at each corner and slip on a tire/wheel
Thinking about using 4 of the mini space saver spare tires for the purpose of ON AND OFF.
With the van body rolled off (Or possibly have a pair of channel extensions here at the shop)
Rolling the van back about 4 feet would allow complete access to the engine, or rolling back a tad farther would allow the entire power pack to be lifted out as has been shown in pics recently......Or taking the van off completely if need be for ????? Drive shaft access is not going to be easy anyway ya look at it...so roll off is a necessary evil...
Long story short yesssssss.
This is why there has got to be good planning on several things that WILL/MAY/PROBABLY need to be unhooked easily.
Throttle, shift cable, electrical, air feed into the van.......
Not a hard task...just want to do it once and have it work right.
I have already bought things that are never going to be used..... Guess this is what we shall call "Engineering Costs"
With ideas spawned here by others things have already changed some for the better..... Much appreciated my friends
YES it will be removable easily.
Originally I had planned on making it removable and drivable under it's own power.
After deciding to place the Chevy engine in the belly (Original location) the factory van engine and transmission is coming out completely.
Going to leave the front and rear suspension and use that to facilitate a quick and simple way to connect the Van to the Cat,
WHEEL HUB FLANGES AND LUG STUDS using a fabricated bracket.
In order to be able to do some repairs or remove the engine and transmission the Van will be able to roll rearward on a pair of steel channels that the tires can run in. (Will be part of the structure added to the top of the tub)
Simply unbolt the anchor brackets at each corner and slip on a tire/wheel
Thinking about using 4 of the mini space saver spare tires for the purpose of ON AND OFF.
With the van body rolled off (Or possibly have a pair of channel extensions here at the shop)
Rolling the van back about 4 feet would allow complete access to the engine, or rolling back a tad farther would allow the entire power pack to be lifted out as has been shown in pics recently......Or taking the van off completely if need be for ????? Drive shaft access is not going to be easy anyway ya look at it...so roll off is a necessary evil...
Long story short yesssssss.
This is why there has got to be good planning on several things that WILL/MAY/PROBABLY need to be unhooked easily.
Throttle, shift cable, electrical, air feed into the van.......
Not a hard task...just want to do it once and have it work right.
I have already bought things that are never going to be used..... Guess this is what we shall call "Engineering Costs"
With ideas spawned here by others things have already changed some for the better..... Much appreciated my friends
olympicorange
Active member
…….. roger that,... yes , any & all plans can & usually change as things evolve for sure. well, that's what it was sounding like, as to why I asked. now to add to your complications..lol . I know it's been done before , so you may not want to consider it , but here goes..... pulling all the suspension & everything else out of the underside of the van, build a ''sub-frame'' for the van to sit on... and make it ''pivot/tilt/ liftup'' , by means of hyd. cyls., to access all those things in the ''tub''. you could employ an electric dump body pump/reservoir set-up to operate the cyls. it-s a rather compact unit. and would only be used for & when to lift van up & out of the way. your floor mount tranny. /pedestal shifter could stay in place , foot paedals on a floorboard mount could also, and things like that. electrical cords, wires, air lines , etc. could have enough lengths to flex/stretch/bend, etc. for the ''pivot'' process. and then you wouldn't have to unload, disconnect , or any of that fun stuff. I know it's following others that have done it before , but may simplify your tasks at hand perhaps,.... as they say ...''my 2 cents'',..... 
. I know it's been done before , so you may not want to consider it , but here goes..... pulling all the suspension & everything else out of the underside of the van, build a ''sub-frame'' for the van to sit on... and make it ''pivot/tilt/ liftup'' , by means of hyd. cyls., to access all those things in the ''tub''. you could employ an electric dump body pump/reservoir set-up to operate the cyls. it-s a rather compact unit. and would only be used for & when to lift van up & out of the way. your floor mount tranny. /pedestal shifter could stay in place , foot paedals on a floorboard mount could also, and things like that. electrical cords, wires, air lines , etc. could have enough lengths to flex/stretch/bend, etc. for the ''pivot'' process. and then you wouldn't have to unload, disconnect , or any of that fun stuff. I know it's following others that have done it before , but may simplify your tasks at hand perhaps,.... as they say ...''my 2 cents'',.....
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
I looked at the "TILT...PIVOT" IDEA and have hashed about a lot.
Using the intact suspension front and back is a zero cost option.
Adding the tilt option is going to add $$$$$ to the picture.
Being able to simply roll the van backwards some, or roll it off onto our big trailer (Height is pretty close) is a no cost option.
With the van out of the way one can access any part of power train with ease.
Even with the tracks on the machine it will be easy (Toss a couple sheets of plywood on the tracks and go at it...Or drop the tracks loose and walk right up to the side of the tub)
I really like the tilt up idea.. but if it's a side tilt the one side will be a pain to get to.
Again my big issue is the added cost.
The night is young though....plenty of time to make changes ....
I'm expecting the new rear trans mount Monday....then the rear saddle can be finished up.
Then it's on to getting the OC12 out and apart.
When the OC12 goes back together the pinion yoke will get replaced by the custom flange unit I built to allow the CV flange to connect.
Once the OC12 is back in the cat the drive shaft can be cut to length (Front short section needs to be shortened a few inches and the yoke welded back on)
At this point the exhaust can be dealt with and built.
I am hoping to have the cat chassis pretty much complete this summer.
Still snooping for a different van (Bad engine and or) one with nicer body and interior.
I keep hoping things will pick up speed a bit....
But actually a lot has been accomplished since getting the cat home....
Just want the project done ya know
Ahh well...patience.... NOT ONE OF MY STRONG POINTS:th_lmao:
Using the intact suspension front and back is a zero cost option.
Adding the tilt option is going to add $$$$$ to the picture.
Being able to simply roll the van backwards some, or roll it off onto our big trailer (Height is pretty close) is a no cost option.
With the van out of the way one can access any part of power train with ease.
Even with the tracks on the machine it will be easy (Toss a couple sheets of plywood on the tracks and go at it...Or drop the tracks loose and walk right up to the side of the tub)
I really like the tilt up idea.. but if it's a side tilt the one side will be a pain to get to.
Again my big issue is the added cost.
The night is young though....plenty of time to make changes ....
I'm expecting the new rear trans mount Monday....then the rear saddle can be finished up.
Then it's on to getting the OC12 out and apart.
When the OC12 goes back together the pinion yoke will get replaced by the custom flange unit I built to allow the CV flange to connect.
Once the OC12 is back in the cat the drive shaft can be cut to length (Front short section needs to be shortened a few inches and the yoke welded back on)
At this point the exhaust can be dealt with and built.
I am hoping to have the cat chassis pretty much complete this summer.
Still snooping for a different van (Bad engine and or) one with nicer body and interior.
I keep hoping things will pick up speed a bit....
But actually a lot has been accomplished since getting the cat home....
Just want the project done ya know
Ahh well...patience.... NOT ONE OF MY STRONG POINTS:th_lmao:
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Yesterday was a so so day.
Rained off and on....but I DID get some work done.
I cut the rear trans mount shim plates (1/4" x 6" x 6" steel) and located them over the original rear mount bolt holes.
Transferred the hole locations and drilled the holes in the plates.
The new rear mount did not show up Saturday as scheduled...so no go there.
The Fedex delivery shows the mount is on the truck for today....
Hard to say when it will get here....likely later today towards evening?????
Once the new mount is here it will not take but a few minutes to bolt it to the X member and then get after locating and drilling the holes in the tub.
Once the new holes are drilled in the tub then they can be transferred to the shim plates and those drilled too.
Getting closer.....
I do not want to move the tub (Lifting to get the OC12 out) until the rear trans mount is secured in its location.
All quiet here until parts arrive.
Rained off and on....but I DID get some work done.
I cut the rear trans mount shim plates (1/4" x 6" x 6" steel) and located them over the original rear mount bolt holes.
Transferred the hole locations and drilled the holes in the plates.
The new rear mount did not show up Saturday as scheduled...so no go there.
The Fedex delivery shows the mount is on the truck for today....
Hard to say when it will get here....likely later today towards evening?????
Once the new mount is here it will not take but a few minutes to bolt it to the X member and then get after locating and drilling the holes in the tub.
Once the new holes are drilled in the tub then they can be transferred to the shim plates and those drilled too.
Getting closer.....
I do not want to move the tub (Lifting to get the OC12 out) until the rear trans mount is secured in its location.
All quiet here until parts arrive.
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Fedex has not arrived yet with my mount..... Arrrrrgh
Decided to take a peek at the exhaust manifolds on the engines RH side as the rear bolt is missing.....
Manifold off and Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....the rear port on the 305 manifold has a wide spacing between the bolts and the outlet goes between the bolts....
The heads are likely off of an early 350 as the bolts are standard spacing.
I want manifolds that have a more rearward facing outlet and I do not want to fight the 40 year old studs out of the manifolds.
The RH side had a thrashed heat riser (flap removed and shaft welded)
The RH side also uses the metal taper type cone on the manifold and the pipe just clamps up with two bolts.
I want the soft donut type seal that uses the 3 bolt flange and springs for the constant torque type set up...
Soooooo.....
Off to look through 5 bazzilion pictures of chevy manifolds to find ones that give me the outlet where I want them.....and the 3 bolt flanges with the soft seal biscuit....
Finally after a hour or so of searching pictures.
Dorman 674-156 and 674-157 manifolds.
Yessssssss....
Amazing how much hacking these old things get over the years.
Found a RH manifold on ebay and made an offer....
We shall see.
I want the exhaust to be as simple as possible to install and service if need be.
Picture of the manifold that's going back on....
Decided to take a peek at the exhaust manifolds on the engines RH side as the rear bolt is missing.....
Manifold off and Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....the rear port on the 305 manifold has a wide spacing between the bolts and the outlet goes between the bolts....
The heads are likely off of an early 350 as the bolts are standard spacing.
I want manifolds that have a more rearward facing outlet and I do not want to fight the 40 year old studs out of the manifolds.
The RH side had a thrashed heat riser (flap removed and shaft welded)
The RH side also uses the metal taper type cone on the manifold and the pipe just clamps up with two bolts.
I want the soft donut type seal that uses the 3 bolt flange and springs for the constant torque type set up...
Soooooo.....
Off to look through 5 bazzilion pictures of chevy manifolds to find ones that give me the outlet where I want them.....and the 3 bolt flanges with the soft seal biscuit....
Finally after a hour or so of searching pictures.
Dorman 674-156 and 674-157 manifolds.
Yessssssss....
Amazing how much hacking these old things get over the years.
Found a RH manifold on ebay and made an offer....
We shall see.
I want the exhaust to be as simple as possible to install and service if need be.
Picture of the manifold that's going back on....
Attachments
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Finally got the new transmission mount (The good one)
FINISHED transferring the bolt holes to the tub and then to the shim plates.
Got the rear mount all squared away and bolted to the transmission, a little trim on the cross saddle to allow the transmission to be moved about 1/8" more to the Left side.....
All centered up now and the rear saddle tube welded.
The bolts that came with the kits were way too long, so gonna have to hit the Ace hardware bolt rack and get a bunch of shorter bolts.
For now this section can be put on hold and it's time to rip into the OC12.
DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER.....I can get the cat jacked up enough to drop the diffy out and get after it.
This part of the project is not what I had planned on doing at all.
Finding water in the diffy was a real let down....but at least things all turn and should be fine after a good cleaning and a bit of buffing here and there to get the rust off stuff.
Will be nice to have the diffy done and ready to go.
Did more measuring on things and it's looking pretty much like the bottom of the front bumper on the van is going to be between 45" and 48" off the ground/floor.....
To get plenty of room to scoot the van forward over the engine, and to possibly gain a bit of extra room to access things on the engine these numbers are looking pretty solid at present. GONNA BE A TALL WHIZZ BANG
Also decided to go with an aluminum radiator and mount it in the front of the tub close to where the 2100 radiator was originally.
The aluminum radiators do not break the bank and they are much better than the plastic tanked units used in the van.
Also mounting the radiator lower will eliminate any issues that might come up by trying to pump the coolant way up into the van radiator...
We shall see.
Thinking about using a coolant fill tank and mounting it up in the van engine bay and filling the system that way to assure the system fills full and does not air lock the heater core in the van.
We shall see....
That's about it for now....
More pics as the diffy comes out and apart.....
FINISHED transferring the bolt holes to the tub and then to the shim plates.
Got the rear mount all squared away and bolted to the transmission, a little trim on the cross saddle to allow the transmission to be moved about 1/8" more to the Left side.....
All centered up now and the rear saddle tube welded.
The bolts that came with the kits were way too long, so gonna have to hit the Ace hardware bolt rack and get a bunch of shorter bolts.
For now this section can be put on hold and it's time to rip into the OC12.
DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER.....I can get the cat jacked up enough to drop the diffy out and get after it.
This part of the project is not what I had planned on doing at all.
Finding water in the diffy was a real let down....but at least things all turn and should be fine after a good cleaning and a bit of buffing here and there to get the rust off stuff.
Will be nice to have the diffy done and ready to go.
Did more measuring on things and it's looking pretty much like the bottom of the front bumper on the van is going to be between 45" and 48" off the ground/floor.....
To get plenty of room to scoot the van forward over the engine, and to possibly gain a bit of extra room to access things on the engine these numbers are looking pretty solid at present. GONNA BE A TALL WHIZZ BANG
Also decided to go with an aluminum radiator and mount it in the front of the tub close to where the 2100 radiator was originally.
The aluminum radiators do not break the bank and they are much better than the plastic tanked units used in the van.
Also mounting the radiator lower will eliminate any issues that might come up by trying to pump the coolant way up into the van radiator...
We shall see.
Thinking about using a coolant fill tank and mounting it up in the van engine bay and filling the system that way to assure the system fills full and does not air lock the heater core in the van.
We shall see....
That's about it for now....
More pics as the diffy comes out and apart.....
Attachments
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Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
OK.....
The little Freightliner trolley valves arrived yesterday.
Perfect size to do the job needed.
Could not stand it, so I sketched up a bracket to mount the valves on the operator station I already had built...
Absolutely sweet...Run the controls with one hand.
Palm on the foam rest and the levers are quite easily maneuvered.
The valves use standard 3/8" air brake tubing and the valve bodies can be turned slightly to allow the tubing to feed in easily without extra fittings....
This setup is gonna be the CATSASS.
A regulator at the tank set to max psi needed to fully lock the band and not over stress things.
A full valve pull will lock the band, or a slightly less pull to get a nudge to correct while traveling at speed.
Also these valves will only require 3 feed lines from the rear of the cat.
1 line from the tank/regulator
1 line for RH side
1 line for LH side
Each valve has an exhaust that goes to the outside...
Pix of
The little angle plate in the mill ....bored the holes to allow the valves to fit.
Made a template to locate the holes where the black front bezel screws in from the back side.
A couple shots of the unit sitting on the wheel.
very comfy to access.
That hideous BLUE noodle has got to go....Ordered up a black one for $9
Once the kinks and bugs are worked out the plan is to bead blast the aluminum assembly and then paint it flat black.... Should make it look decent.....
Sort of blend in with the black wheel and column assembly....maybe even look like it was supposed to be there...
The little Freightliner trolley valves arrived yesterday.
Perfect size to do the job needed.
Could not stand it, so I sketched up a bracket to mount the valves on the operator station I already had built...
Absolutely sweet...Run the controls with one hand.
Palm on the foam rest and the levers are quite easily maneuvered.
The valves use standard 3/8" air brake tubing and the valve bodies can be turned slightly to allow the tubing to feed in easily without extra fittings....
This setup is gonna be the CATSASS.
A regulator at the tank set to max psi needed to fully lock the band and not over stress things.
A full valve pull will lock the band, or a slightly less pull to get a nudge to correct while traveling at speed.
Also these valves will only require 3 feed lines from the rear of the cat.
1 line from the tank/regulator
1 line for RH side
1 line for LH side
Each valve has an exhaust that goes to the outside...
Pix of
The little angle plate in the mill ....bored the holes to allow the valves to fit.
Made a template to locate the holes where the black front bezel screws in from the back side.
A couple shots of the unit sitting on the wheel.
very comfy to access.
That hideous BLUE noodle has got to go....Ordered up a black one for $9
Once the kinks and bugs are worked out the plan is to bead blast the aluminum assembly and then paint it flat black.... Should make it look decent.....
Sort of blend in with the black wheel and column assembly....maybe even look like it was supposed to be there...
Attachments
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PJL
Well-known member
I've put about 150 hours on an OC-12 equipped LMC. The correct driving technique is to pull the lever all the way back so that the steering band stops the drum completely. This will result is jerky steering but it's normal. If you feather the controls and slip the bands it will overheat the diff after awhile and cause premature wear on the bands. Looks like your setup will work really well. Enough pressure to to stop them but not so much as to slam the bands on to the drums.
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Yup...pretty much.
My experience with the OLIVER crawlers of yesteryear ( OC4-OC6 AND a couple others) I would agree 100%
Constant slipping of the bands will certainly wear them and the drums out quickly.
We found that at higher speed (Relative term) that a harsh application of the band was just obnoxiously annoying and a quick light "bump" would make a small correction in the direction of travel and did not seem to cause any issue
I think that with heavy tracks, a blade and working the unit hard that the full on application of the band is about all you can do and keep things alive in the box.
Likely why the 2100 used the hydraulic system to control the bands vs the hand pulled levers on the master cylinders like the Sprytes and other smaller machines.
Back in the day when I ran the Spryte grooming for the snowmobile club we replaced bands in the Spryte every year.
Several of the people who volunteered to groom just could not be convinced DON'T DRAG THE BANDS
Every summer we replaced bands and or drums or both.
The one season that I ran machines at the ski resort I did run a couple of the 2100 machines and I never cared for the harsh jerky steering on them, but after learning more about them and then actually owning one and getting a good look at the innards.....Pretty much the only way that they could operate and keep the OC12 alive...
Also the setup on the 2100 eliminates the learning curve of the operator as far as how to apply the steering properly.
Back when we had the Oliver crawlers I learned the technique early on as the old man was a tough task master and did not appreciate having to replace bands.
I think the air steering will take a bit of a learning curve to get things in the groove, but should be fine.
What you mentioned "Slam the bands to the drums" this is what I was worried about.
Having been an auto tranny tech back in the day we used to install shift kits to help keep the gear boxes alive.
Lazy sloppy "Smooth" shifts eat up clutches and bands, add the shift kit and things get rather obnoxious but the parts live.
Bringing the band application on in a nice "pressure curve" rise to full pressure should be sweet I HOPE...
I am still looking for a definitive number as to exactly what pressure the factory used at the band cylinders.
I have heard and read many different numbers.
The brake chambers are made in many different sizes and this will allow getting any pressure on the bands needed....but I need a firm number of PSI to calculate what size chamber to use.
Too big and or too much air pressure and things will break.... bad ju ju
My experience with the OLIVER crawlers of yesteryear ( OC4-OC6 AND a couple others) I would agree 100%
Constant slipping of the bands will certainly wear them and the drums out quickly.
We found that at higher speed (Relative term) that a harsh application of the band was just obnoxiously annoying and a quick light "bump" would make a small correction in the direction of travel and did not seem to cause any issue
I think that with heavy tracks, a blade and working the unit hard that the full on application of the band is about all you can do and keep things alive in the box.
Likely why the 2100 used the hydraulic system to control the bands vs the hand pulled levers on the master cylinders like the Sprytes and other smaller machines.
Back in the day when I ran the Spryte grooming for the snowmobile club we replaced bands in the Spryte every year.
Several of the people who volunteered to groom just could not be convinced DON'T DRAG THE BANDS
Every summer we replaced bands and or drums or both.
The one season that I ran machines at the ski resort I did run a couple of the 2100 machines and I never cared for the harsh jerky steering on them, but after learning more about them and then actually owning one and getting a good look at the innards.....Pretty much the only way that they could operate and keep the OC12 alive...
Also the setup on the 2100 eliminates the learning curve of the operator as far as how to apply the steering properly.
Back when we had the Oliver crawlers I learned the technique early on as the old man was a tough task master and did not appreciate having to replace bands.
I think the air steering will take a bit of a learning curve to get things in the groove, but should be fine.
What you mentioned "Slam the bands to the drums" this is what I was worried about.
Having been an auto tranny tech back in the day we used to install shift kits to help keep the gear boxes alive.
Lazy sloppy "Smooth" shifts eat up clutches and bands, add the shift kit and things get rather obnoxious but the parts live.
Bringing the band application on in a nice "pressure curve" rise to full pressure should be sweet I HOPE...
I am still looking for a definitive number as to exactly what pressure the factory used at the band cylinders.
I have heard and read many different numbers.
The brake chambers are made in many different sizes and this will allow getting any pressure on the bands needed....but I need a firm number of PSI to calculate what size chamber to use.
Too big and or too much air pressure and things will break.... bad ju ju
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olympicorange
Active member
…… heat created by slippage also will cause ''glazing'' of the linings ,...which creates all kinds of issues, operational clichés, etc.... you can also install two ''brake applied '' air pressure gauges , on the delivery lines to chambers. which will help on your psi application/testing. once you find the ''happy place'' , you can apply to that psi each time,.... plus will help any other operators also, not familiar with the system.....
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Orange
Great idea on the App gauges...
On my Steering wheel mounted operator station there is a large area on the right side that I had planned to use for mounting connection manifolds and such
Should be enough room for some "Happy place gauges"
The top edge of the control station just to the right of the control levers would be a great spot to bolt on a piece of flat aluminum with 2 holes for the gauges.
This would put the gauges in view of the operator so they would be useful.
Sort of like these bad boy happy gauges
A simple T in the line at each gauge with the line going back to the rear to the air chambers
Great idea on the App gauges...
On my Steering wheel mounted operator station there is a large area on the right side that I had planned to use for mounting connection manifolds and such
Should be enough room for some "Happy place gauges"
The top edge of the control station just to the right of the control levers would be a great spot to bolt on a piece of flat aluminum with 2 holes for the gauges.
This would put the gauges in view of the operator so they would be useful.
Sort of like these bad boy happy gauges
A simple T in the line at each gauge with the line going back to the rear to the air chambers
Attachments
olympicorange
Active member
……….Nice,...…….
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
The 2100 slave cylinders are 2-1/4" in diameter....approx 4 square inches of surface area.
@400 psi that will be 1600 pounds of force on the band link.
A type 20 brake chamber is 20 square inches.
80 psi on the chamber will provide 1600 pounds of force..
Very easy to achieve the needed PUSH
Could move up to a type 24 which would only require 66.6 psi.
Will need to see how much room is available in the rear to hook up the brake chambers.
Should be plenty......
Pix of a type 20 chamber (Black)
Pix of a type 24 chamber (Gold color)
@400 psi that will be 1600 pounds of force on the band link.
A type 20 brake chamber is 20 square inches.
80 psi on the chamber will provide 1600 pounds of force..
Very easy to achieve the needed PUSH
Could move up to a type 24 which would only require 66.6 psi.
Will need to see how much room is available in the rear to hook up the brake chambers.
Should be plenty......
Pix of a type 20 chamber (Black)
Pix of a type 24 chamber (Gold color)
Attachments
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Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Got busy today ...and not the way I wanted to.....arrrrrrrgh
A friend called up and told me her home AC was not cooling at all.
She said the fan in the condenser unit was running.
Figuring that the beast was just low on R22 I grabbed my gauges and the 30 pound pail of 22 and head out.
Get the gauges all hooked up and the valve on the tank of R22 WILL NOT OPEN.
OMG
PUT A PLIERS ON THE VALVE WING AND NO WAY.
Sucker has been sitting in the storage shed sine I installed our AC here in the house back in may of 1994.
Well....so much for that job.
Came home just bummed out.
Grabbed some tools and went after getting the drop box guards off the 2100 so I can move ahead on getting the diffy on the dirt....
Someone in the last crew threaded on a fine thread nut onto two of the coarse thread bolts.... and then add rust...OH BOY WHAT FUN.
Those bad boys came off....with a great amount of brute force and awkwardness ....
But now the kids are here for the afternoon....
I need a fresh carburetor for the little mouse motor....been looking at the possibility of an aluminum intake and a fresh carb, or maybe just a fresh Quadrajet on the factory manifold....
I am leaning towards just a fresh carb....
Really do not need to replace the intake....not gonna make squat as far as what we need for power in this beast.
New carbs are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...a top notch rebuilt QJ is about $300
The QJ will do a fine job feeding the 305.......
I thought about an Edelbrock carb.....but along with a square bore...Carb the cost gets a tad higher than I want.
Still thinking...
A friend called up and told me her home AC was not cooling at all.
She said the fan in the condenser unit was running.
Figuring that the beast was just low on R22 I grabbed my gauges and the 30 pound pail of 22 and head out.
Get the gauges all hooked up and the valve on the tank of R22 WILL NOT OPEN.
OMG
PUT A PLIERS ON THE VALVE WING AND NO WAY.
Sucker has been sitting in the storage shed sine I installed our AC here in the house back in may of 1994.
Well....so much for that job.
Came home just bummed out.
Grabbed some tools and went after getting the drop box guards off the 2100 so I can move ahead on getting the diffy on the dirt....
Someone in the last crew threaded on a fine thread nut onto two of the coarse thread bolts.... and then add rust...OH BOY WHAT FUN.
Those bad boys came off....with a great amount of brute force and awkwardness ....
But now the kids are here for the afternoon....
I need a fresh carburetor for the little mouse motor....been looking at the possibility of an aluminum intake and a fresh carb, or maybe just a fresh Quadrajet on the factory manifold....
I am leaning towards just a fresh carb....
Really do not need to replace the intake....not gonna make squat as far as what we need for power in this beast.
New carbs are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...a top notch rebuilt QJ is about $300
The QJ will do a fine job feeding the 305.......
I thought about an Edelbrock carb.....but along with a square bore...Carb the cost gets a tad higher than I want.
Still thinking...
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Yeah buddy.
Lottery or other lucrative pass time.
I decided on a rebuilt from National Caburetors an ND4478
Set up to handle the 305 and the 350.
They have good reviews.
Electric choke and will bolt right onto the existing manifold.
Don't really need a fancy anything, just a good reliable carburetor....
The factory fuel line (steel) will bolt right on from the mechanical fuel pump too....
Just want this to be a simple set up with as few hard to get parts as possible.
A small block Chevy in stock trim is about as simple as it gets.
The engine has the factory Large Cap HEI distributor.....these are nearly bomb proof.
Don't really need the carb just yet, butttttttttttttt...having it on the shelf ready will make things better later.
Lottery or other lucrative pass time.
I decided on a rebuilt from National Caburetors an ND4478
Set up to handle the 305 and the 350.
They have good reviews.
Electric choke and will bolt right onto the existing manifold.
Don't really need a fancy anything, just a good reliable carburetor....
The factory fuel line (steel) will bolt right on from the mechanical fuel pump too....
Just want this to be a simple set up with as few hard to get parts as possible.
A small block Chevy in stock trim is about as simple as it gets.
The engine has the factory Large Cap HEI distributor.....these are nearly bomb proof.
Don't really need the carb just yet, butttttttttttttt...having it on the shelf ready will make things better later.
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Well...the rain is back now....the new carburetor for the little 305 is on it's way.
Then came the harsh realization that we need an air filter.
A factory chevy one would be nice.
GM has not used the Quadrajet 4 barrel since mid/late 1980's
So off to the U PULLIT YARD WE WENT.
Cruised down to where they keep the old gm rigs.
BINGO....Scored a complete air cleaner assembly off of a 1978 chevy pickup with a 350 in it.
The unit was nasty dirty....but structurally sound.
Washed it up well with degreaser and water.
It needs some buffing with a wire wheel to remove some light rust.
A good coat of Rustoleum gloss black paint will make the little prize look pretty good.
Best part was the price...$27 including the yard entry fee.....
The aftermarket stuff is either crap or high dollar....
The factory parts fit so nice too.
This filter has the correct relief on the back to clear the big HEI distributor....
I have new exhaust manifolds on the way too, and the hot air tube from the manifold will connect to the air filter hot air inlet...
I think that given the close proximity of the snorkel to the outer edge of the tub that a baffle may be in order to keep fluffy snow from getting sucked into the filter...
All in good time..
Then came the harsh realization that we need an air filter.
A factory chevy one would be nice.
GM has not used the Quadrajet 4 barrel since mid/late 1980's
So off to the U PULLIT YARD WE WENT.
Cruised down to where they keep the old gm rigs.
BINGO....Scored a complete air cleaner assembly off of a 1978 chevy pickup with a 350 in it.
The unit was nasty dirty....but structurally sound.
Washed it up well with degreaser and water.
It needs some buffing with a wire wheel to remove some light rust.
A good coat of Rustoleum gloss black paint will make the little prize look pretty good.
Best part was the price...$27 including the yard entry fee.....
The aftermarket stuff is either crap or high dollar....
The factory parts fit so nice too.
This filter has the correct relief on the back to clear the big HEI distributor....
I have new exhaust manifolds on the way too, and the hot air tube from the manifold will connect to the air filter hot air inlet...
I think that given the close proximity of the snorkel to the outer edge of the tub that a baffle may be in order to keep fluffy snow from getting sucked into the filter...
All in good time..
Attachments
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Yeah...pretty much...
Actually a lot of that is just dirty scale and not very much rust.....There are a few places that have a little pitting, but no worries.
Think today I will get some Rust Mort and go after the entire assembly.
Would have been nice to have found a "Cherry" one...I am living in the past.
Seems like just yesterday I could have scared up a nice specimen......but the 80's were a long time ago....
Patina is good....the entire tub has a fair bit of patina too.....the only thing that saved the beast was the generous amount of hydraulic oil that had leaked all over in the bilge and other places and caked up with dirt....
The tub is 3/16" steel, so the little rust that is on it is really nothing to worry about.....
Ahhhh yess...the joys of resurrecting old iron toys
You want to see patina ????? wait till we get into the OC 12.....That beast had water in it and it made a mess.
Nothing really bad, just a mess to clean up....bearings need replacing and a bit of dusting off some surface rust.
Pix will come as soon as this rain stops and the diffy can come out.
I will shoot lots of pix of the diffy rebuild.....these are not hard to work on....just a bit awkward is all.
Probably call on my little Red tractor to hang the air chain hoist on so the diffy center section can be eased out of the case.
The diffy still has a fair bit of nasty yuck in the drop boxes and I want that outside.... Once things are clean then we can work on the bench in the shop.
Just a thought.
Once the final fitting on the power pack is finished I want to clean the engine up with the hot washer....and then paint it.
I am thinking CAT YELLOW WOULD BE SWEEEEEEEET.
I used cat yellow on the 6.5 in my 95 GMC DUALLY 4X4
Cat yellow on the engine and leave the trans natural aluminum.....
Eventually paint the tub and frame flat black outside and maybe a dull silver or light gray inside the tub to allow visibility when working on it.
Until things are wrapped up and any bugs worked out I am going to likely hold off on painting the tub.. There will no doubt be modifications and welding and such...makes zero sense to paint it all pretty and then weld on it again.
Primer up the structures added to the top of the tub where the van will sit and call it good until it runs... then strip it down and paint it....
Fun fun fun..
Actually a lot of that is just dirty scale and not very much rust.....There are a few places that have a little pitting, but no worries.
Think today I will get some Rust Mort and go after the entire assembly.
Would have been nice to have found a "Cherry" one...I am living in the past.
Seems like just yesterday I could have scared up a nice specimen......but the 80's were a long time ago....
Patina is good....the entire tub has a fair bit of patina too.....the only thing that saved the beast was the generous amount of hydraulic oil that had leaked all over in the bilge and other places and caked up with dirt....
The tub is 3/16" steel, so the little rust that is on it is really nothing to worry about.....
Ahhhh yess...the joys of resurrecting old iron toys
You want to see patina ????? wait till we get into the OC 12.....That beast had water in it and it made a mess.
Nothing really bad, just a mess to clean up....bearings need replacing and a bit of dusting off some surface rust.
Pix will come as soon as this rain stops and the diffy can come out.
I will shoot lots of pix of the diffy rebuild.....these are not hard to work on....just a bit awkward is all.
Probably call on my little Red tractor to hang the air chain hoist on so the diffy center section can be eased out of the case.
The diffy still has a fair bit of nasty yuck in the drop boxes and I want that outside.... Once things are clean then we can work on the bench in the shop.
Just a thought.
Once the final fitting on the power pack is finished I want to clean the engine up with the hot washer....and then paint it.
I am thinking CAT YELLOW WOULD BE SWEEEEEEEET.
I used cat yellow on the 6.5 in my 95 GMC DUALLY 4X4
Cat yellow on the engine and leave the trans natural aluminum.....
Eventually paint the tub and frame flat black outside and maybe a dull silver or light gray inside the tub to allow visibility when working on it.
Until things are wrapped up and any bugs worked out I am going to likely hold off on painting the tub.. There will no doubt be modifications and welding and such...makes zero sense to paint it all pretty and then weld on it again.
Primer up the structures added to the top of the tub where the van will sit and call it good until it runs... then strip it down and paint it....
Fun fun fun..
Last edited:
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Good news..
The new manifolds showed up......butttttttttttttttttttttttttt....the RH one has a 3 bolt flange and one lobe of the flange hits the tub.....not hard, but we are going to need a rat hole in the tub to allow a bit of clearance.
Started to rain so I marked the area with a sharpie and buttoned things back up.
Will need to open a 4" x 5" hole and weld a 1" thick flange around it and add a sheet metal cover....
This will allow access to the one bolt on the 3 bolt flange and then the manifold will not hit.....
Other than this caveat I like the new manifolds..
This type of crap is what always plagues a roll your own project....
But these manifolds give better clearance on the Spark plugs and they have the soft tapered donut to seal the head pipes....plus they use the 3 bolt flange with the constant torque springs.....
And off we go....
The new manifolds showed up......butttttttttttttttttttttttttt....the RH one has a 3 bolt flange and one lobe of the flange hits the tub.....not hard, but we are going to need a rat hole in the tub to allow a bit of clearance.
Started to rain so I marked the area with a sharpie and buttoned things back up.
Will need to open a 4" x 5" hole and weld a 1" thick flange around it and add a sheet metal cover....
This will allow access to the one bolt on the 3 bolt flange and then the manifold will not hit.....
Other than this caveat I like the new manifolds..
This type of crap is what always plagues a roll your own project....
But these manifolds give better clearance on the Spark plugs and they have the soft tapered donut to seal the head pipes....plus they use the 3 bolt flange with the constant torque springs.....
And off we go....
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
The weather straightened up this afternoon....so I got busy on the cat.
Ripped into cutting the access hole in the tub to give the manifold a bit of room.
The manifold set were a very popular style for the small block.
1988 to 1995 GMT-400 series trucks ( Pickups, Suburban, Tahoe) with the 5.7 engine...Quite readily available item.
Sadly they area tad wide set and just needed a tad bit of relief to clear the tub..
With the hole cut, tomorrow I will get a piece of 3/4" x 1" flat bar and frame in the hole then bolt a cover over the area.
Just needed a small amount of room for the one stud and the corner of the manifold to have clearance to move a bit.
The UGLY hole that looks like it was axed in was a left over from the previous crew.
The hole was most likely for starter access, and then it was covered over by the lower blade mount.
The hole was partially covered by the blade mount and a piece welded in.
I am going to finish removing the mess and then clean up the hole and add an access cover so the starter can be removed if need be.
Gotta scare up the 3 bolt flanges that bolt to the exhaust manifold outlet studs.
The new manifold sits low and a starter heat shield is a MUST HAVE ITEM
Poor old Packer looks like Swiss cheese with all the extra holes cut and drilled in it......
And off we go....
Ripped into cutting the access hole in the tub to give the manifold a bit of room.
The manifold set were a very popular style for the small block.
1988 to 1995 GMT-400 series trucks ( Pickups, Suburban, Tahoe) with the 5.7 engine...Quite readily available item.
Sadly they area tad wide set and just needed a tad bit of relief to clear the tub..
With the hole cut, tomorrow I will get a piece of 3/4" x 1" flat bar and frame in the hole then bolt a cover over the area.
Just needed a small amount of room for the one stud and the corner of the manifold to have clearance to move a bit.
The UGLY hole that looks like it was axed in was a left over from the previous crew.
The hole was most likely for starter access, and then it was covered over by the lower blade mount.
The hole was partially covered by the blade mount and a piece welded in.
I am going to finish removing the mess and then clean up the hole and add an access cover so the starter can be removed if need be.
Gotta scare up the 3 bolt flanges that bolt to the exhaust manifold outlet studs.
The new manifold sits low and a starter heat shield is a MUST HAVE ITEM
Poor old Packer looks like Swiss cheese with all the extra holes cut and drilled in it......
And off we go....
Attachments
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
IT'S WET OUTSIDE...
But the urge to get things moving ahead were motivation enough to work in the rain to get things done.
Got the measurements taken to get the "Downpipe" made up this morning.
Local muffler shop "The Muffler Works" is a great shop.
Talked over what needed to get done and in about 15 minutes the fella had me all set.
Gonna use 2-1/4 down pipe out of the manifold and the down in a long bend and up over the rear trans mount.
I scored a pair of Flowmaster Super 10 mufflers for $43 and shipping was included....New in the box....sweeet deal... (Two mufflers for the $43)
As soon as the mufflers get here I can figure out the intermediate pipe.
Gonna go 2-1/2" pipe from the down pipe to the muffler and then 2-1/2" to the rear and out the side... (Not just sure yet on exact exit spot.....someplace that does not get in the way of other stuff )
Stopped and picked up the steel to frame in the "Rat hole" and make a cover.
Tomorrow is looking better as far as the weather goes....
Hopefully be able to get more meaningful work done..
With whats happening now I can swap in any Gen 1 small block chevy and everything will bolt right up.
If the little 305 is not to my liking, well them maybe a 350 or a 400 will be:th_lmao:
I suspect that the 305 will be fine, but ya never know.
The small block with the TH350 is a really good combination.....
Sitting here watching the rain come down....
But the urge to get things moving ahead were motivation enough to work in the rain to get things done.
Got the measurements taken to get the "Downpipe" made up this morning.
Local muffler shop "The Muffler Works" is a great shop.
Talked over what needed to get done and in about 15 minutes the fella had me all set.
Gonna use 2-1/4 down pipe out of the manifold and the down in a long bend and up over the rear trans mount.
I scored a pair of Flowmaster Super 10 mufflers for $43 and shipping was included....New in the box....sweeet deal... (Two mufflers for the $43)
As soon as the mufflers get here I can figure out the intermediate pipe.
Gonna go 2-1/2" pipe from the down pipe to the muffler and then 2-1/2" to the rear and out the side... (Not just sure yet on exact exit spot.....someplace that does not get in the way of other stuff )
Stopped and picked up the steel to frame in the "Rat hole" and make a cover.
Tomorrow is looking better as far as the weather goes....
Hopefully be able to get more meaningful work done..
With whats happening now I can swap in any Gen 1 small block chevy and everything will bolt right up.
If the little 305 is not to my liking, well them maybe a 350 or a 400 will be:th_lmao:
I suspect that the 305 will be fine, but ya never know.
The small block with the TH350 is a really good combination.....
Sitting here watching the rain come down....
