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Old 05-13-2016, 07:15 PM   #1661
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That's looking idea, and stout. Not that I know that much about front end linkage. To me that looks like as good as a guy can hope for. Very strong looking and the welds look great. I was a major components type of guy. I love old trucks, but sometimes neighbor kids shoot them up when you're gone. That kid was in prison long before I knew about the truck being shot up. Later some tweekers apparently cut it up and hauled it off when steel was high. That truck just didn't seem to have any good luck. It was a nice old chrome grill '49 GMC with a flatbed dump. It had a big old straight six and got about 18 mgp. Two speed rear end, but that didn't matter. It just wouldn't go up a steep hill. Pretty sure it wasn't getting fuel while going up hill. That was a problem because I live on a hill. Now there was just one wheel left as a memorial. I'd rather have the chrome grill.
Now I have a '62 MW300 with a flatbed dump. I think the kids still in prison.

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Old 05-13-2016, 07:33 PM   #1662
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AMEN Robin! --- Being able to adapt your rig to your own, personal needs is to me what building a skoolie is all about. You want a "Tiny Home" with a wood burning fireplace and ice machine? Go for it. You want a rolling tin tent with minimal build out? Go for it. Whatever else you do...make it your own.

BTW...here's couple of kwik pix of the draglink. Part Isuzu NPR...part 1946 Chevy 1.5 ton truck/bus.



We opted to over weld the joint and not grind it. It needs strong...not purdy.
The diameter of the original shaft was welded up from 5/8" then turned down and threaded to 3/4" for a little extra beef. I'll add a jam nut once I get it adjusted to where I want it.

Should be a fun weekend.

this is why when i did cars I never chose a car tat would be "spoiled" by customization.. I always built them to be what I wanted.. Resto-Mod is the term that comes to mind...

and I had started to do a little of that with my last bus but never got around to it before it got destroyed..

Kudos to building it however you want!

I used to use a company called alan-grove for accessory brackets... they make brackets for about any engine and accessory... bracketology is another but much more pricey..
-Christopher
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Old 05-13-2016, 09:03 PM   #1663
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They did a masterful job (under your direction). Isn't it cool the way the LF tire tucks into the dog leg in the drag link when turning left? Too much fun! Jack
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Old 05-13-2016, 10:31 PM   #1664
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Thanks guys --- Yeah...really glad to have that piece in hand.

And yes Jack...that kink in the NPR drag link was obviously designed specifically to work with pre-WWII Chevy iron. I can only imagine how much more work it would have been to have to fit that sucker around my tire. It is a perfect fit.
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Old 05-14-2016, 07:51 PM   #1665
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Saturday's Output --- Not all that much really, but one big step. Got the new homemade draglink fitted and adjusted. Went in and out more times than I could keep track of, but at least it is finished and appears to be functional. Then I hooked up the steering wheel to check it's alignment. This just might actually work. Today is the first time in about three years that I have been able to turn the wheels! Yeeee-Haaawww!

It will all have to come back apart once more before the final lockdown, but at least now I can start to work around it all.


Here's how it looks from the front. You can see the big "kink" that Jack was talking about. It is in just the right place to clear the tire when turned full left.


Inside the end are more old parts. A couple of half circle pieces that fit around the ball and a spring...all held in with a screw plug. Pretty clever and simple design for 1946.


And the wheel hooked up. Getting everything on the right splines so it all wound up in the right places took more than a few tries. Now I'll mark it all to make reassembly a little easier. The cardboard thing on the dash is a template for the Allison shifter that is on order. Plain T-handle and cable set up. No electronics except for a back-light behind the indicator.

I like simple.

ONWARD!
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Old 05-14-2016, 09:29 PM   #1666
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wow thats some serious work for that drag link... great work!

are you going to have Power steering in the final build?


I was reading about the allison 6 speeds and saw that a standard shifter works which is R-N-D-3-2-1, how does that work with your 6 speed?

the allison 1000 that im looking at uses the original shift pattern also.. directly replacing my 545 even uses a cable driven TPS that fits exactly into the exact place of the OEM 545 shift cable.. but it also doesnt say anything about how you downshift.. id certainly hope to be able to go down below 3rd gear if needed on a serious downhill run.

-Christopher
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Old 05-14-2016, 11:05 PM   #1667
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I think these 545s are good training for people. They do seem to freewheel on downhills, but being that careful is what we're supposed to be doing in the first place so we stay out of trouble. As much as we fix these buses up they're never going to drive like cars. Your car wouldn't drive like a car if you put this much crap in it.
I downshift my 545 on hills. It resists against the bus but slowing down 19,000 lbs is just to much weight for the engine and requires a little braking to assist. I'm starting to think that's the little transmission that could.
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Old 05-14-2016, 11:08 PM   #1668
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Woops, looking good Tango. I'm looking forward to seeing how you finish that out. That steering wheel looks comfortable.
Do you know where you're going for your first trip?
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Old 05-15-2016, 07:29 AM   #1669
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I think these 545s are good training for people. They do seem to freewheel on downhills, but being that careful is what we're supposed to be doing in the first place so we stay out of trouble. As much as we fix these buses up they're never going to drive like cars. Your car wouldn't drive like a car if you put this much crap in it.
I downshift my 545 on hills. It resists against the bus but slowing down 19,000 lbs is just to much weight for the engine and requires a little braking to assist. I'm starting to think that's the little transmission that could.
of course part of trucking-101 is using your transmission and engine as brakes as much as possible.. that IS part of safe driving..

I'll know a LOT about my bus once I get it home as my first trip embarks on tuesday and will consist of now 1500 miles instead of 1100.. since my A/C system is ready to be picked up.. so rather than spend $500+ in pallet shipping to my home I decided im just going to take the bus to get it ..

but im just wondering on the shifter pattern as tango is using a 6 speed.. im wondering if his shifter is 6 position or if it has buttons to downshift t othe lowest gears..

if I hate my 545 im simply going to swap it for a 1000 series.. but im pretty sure after 1500 miles on the road I'll know if I hate the 545..

-Christopher
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Old 05-15-2016, 09:42 AM   #1670
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Hey Tango your project is coming along quite nicely, man you've done a lot of customizing and still have a lot to do.....keep up the great work.
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Old 05-15-2016, 11:22 AM   #1671
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Thanks All --- Lots more to do but the steering was major hang up for way too long.

Cadillac...Yes, I am using the power steering box from an '03 Isuzu NPR. It's the same unit that Ol' Trunt (Jack) has in his rig. My Cummins has a hydraulic pump that should be able to drive it plus the power disk brakes I have installed.
The shifter for mine will also include a "Park" position and as I recall reads down from the top as...P-R-4 (OD) 3-2-1. You can pick any gear needed. The only button is a mechanical lockout to go between gears. If you find a tranny with no shifter, go to Ebay, I see brand new ones there all the time at a big discount...just not with Park. And make sure any tranny you buy comes with the dipstick and wiring harness. They are both a royal PITA to source otherwise.

Robin...beyond a few "shakedown" test runs, I will very likely head for the Big Bend/Davis mountains area in west Texas. I love the high desert out there and want to buy a couple of acres to park on during cross country trips. Also looking in several other areas. I think having a couple of pieces of your own land here and there makes sense. And undeveloped land can be had very cheaply. With a self contained RV, you can stay just about anywhere for about a month with no fees, hassles or neighbors to whine because..."it's not an RV...it's a school bus". With taxes on such properties running about $25 bucks a year, it just makes sense to me. And a few of us here have discussed forming a club of schoolies to share such such properties. To HELL with KOA!
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Old 05-15-2016, 12:00 PM   #1672
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the idea of a hydraulic power steering pump built into the engine was new to me.. it became an issue for me trying to order an A/C bracket... i kept tellign them yes I have power steering.. yet the pictures looked totally different.. so when I was down and saw the bus the other day (still in progress).. I set out to find the power steering pump.. and sure enough it looks to be gear driven..

for the tranny I wont need Park since I have air brakes.. and the 1000 supposedly uses the same shifter and dipstick as the 545.. the folks at CAC (thank you for the link!) have a package which includes the TCM and wiring harness .. if I do the swap im likely to do brand new or reman.. im not gonna mess with trying to find a used one.. I plan to put a lot of miles on this bus so I want it to run as best it can..

so when you downshift you will go directly from 6th to 3rd.. or maybe as advanced as the new allisons are it will only downshift as much as your engine can take for its redline... interesting..

-Christopher
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Old 05-15-2016, 03:02 PM   #1673
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Hey Tango. Being a desert rat myself, I checked out the Davis mtn area on the net--it is beautiful and the weather looks to be about perfect. At 6000 feet or so its not too hot and not too cold. Not sure I'll ever get there, but it's on my list. Jack
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Old 05-15-2016, 09:00 PM   #1674
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Cadillac --- Downshifting is auto in OD...then mechanical from 4th on down but with mechanical, you can go from any gear to any other.

Jack
--- Ya ...the west Texas high desert area is pretty spectacular. More stars than any where this side of the deep Pacific (ask me how I know). Especially in the Davis mountain area, but I do love Big Bend. Google "El Solatario" for a real treat. Massive circular feature 11 miles across that is visible from space. Pre-historic super volcano that left an amazing geo feature. Very cool. And almost no one seems to have heard of it.
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Old 05-16-2016, 09:26 AM   #1675
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We opted to over weld the joint and not grind it. It needs strong...not purdy.
You might want to consider smoothing out the weld with a carbide burr bit or something similar. It won't reduce the strength of the weld any but will look cleaner and may eliminate any hassle in the future if you're truck is getting inspected for any reason and they see the "raw" welded joint. If you smooth it out and then paint it it should look good and eliminate the chance of any hassles. Just something to consider. I like how you were able to find the gear from a modern vehicle and mate it to fit the existing part.
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Old 05-20-2016, 06:19 PM   #1676
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Been pullin' fuel hose for a couple of days now and it was getting boring. Also had to weld on a bunch of home-made attachments for holding straps and add some abrasion resistant covers to much of the hose. Not very exciting but at least some progress. And given that my water separator and fuel filter will be here on Monday or so...good timing.

They are big and I'm still trying to figure out just where they might fit. Oh well...that's what weekends are for, right?

Maybe a couple of pix to come. We'll see.
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Old 05-20-2016, 07:16 PM   #1677
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are the water separator and fuel filter typically the same thing? I found a LARGE device under my hood that says water separator.. is that likely my fuel filter too?
-Christopher
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Old 05-20-2016, 10:33 PM   #1678
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Howdy Cadillac --- They can be combined into a single unit or they can be separate so it is hard to tell. If it only says "water separator" on it, then it is likely just that. Today's fuel is so full of water and crap that diesels really need good filtering of both to be on the safe side. The water can be an engine killer so it's pretty critical. I have been reading up on fuel over on the "4BTswaps" forum and decided to go with separate units.

They take up a fair amount of space between the two so I am looking at a couple of possible locations other than in the engine bay. The better units have a drain to draw off the water so they need reasonable access. That is the tricky part on my micro-bus. Room. The one thing I have very little of.
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Old 05-20-2016, 10:44 PM   #1679
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mine has the drain in the bottom, and was just replaced.. actually all kinds of filters and things were just replaced.. if mine is combined I wont worry about trying to find a fuel filter.. I think it says on it that its a filter and a water separator...

so i guess its just like in an airplane Pre-flight... drain a bit of fuel off the water separator every so often ... im trying to imagine where you will put something like that in your space.. mine is 4-6 inches in diameter and 8-10 inches tall.. thats the element and its housing.. plus the bracket and routing the fuel lines to it.. wonderif you would be best to mount it closer to your tank and not try for in the engine compartment.. but then maybe you want that device warmer in winter...
-Christopher
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Old 05-22-2016, 12:36 AM   #1680
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Another rainy day n Houston --- Good thing I'm working indoors...even if the crappy, old roof leaks. Got a couple of items wrapped up and others started.


The supply and return fuel lines are in place now. Being a little paranoid, I took the liberty of trying to shield them from abrasion. Had to weld some elevator bolts in place to have something to hold them but they should stay put for a while.


This is an attempt to fabricate a throttle cable bracket. There will be a bell crank at the top that a cable will pull on and the crank will tug a short shaft with Heim joints to work the throttle. Took a lot of time to put together and I won't know if it will work until I can get the dash/firewall in.


And Cadillac...this is no ordinary cardboard box. In reality, it is a working mockup for my dual fuel filters. Yep...they are big. About 11" tall x 8-1/2 wide and almost 7" deep. I have surmised it will NOT be going in the engine bay. Checking a couple of locations this weekend.

ONWARD!
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