Howdy Jack --- Really not sure about the MC as this unit had been semi-converted when I found it. Came with a 350 Chevy and the MC may well have been part of an "upgrade" but it does not look that way. It is a single pot master with a Hydroboost system under the floor. I'm replacing all of that with a dual pot power brake master and (hopefully) front disk brakes.
As for the cuts, I just use a thin cutoff wheel on my 4-1/2" grinder then finish the corners with a body saw. I'd use the saw more but I don't have a compressor that'll keep it spinning for more than about 5 seconds at a time before running out of air. Did learn that if you carefully score the length of the cut line with the disk then keep making more passes, it works much better than trying to make a single pass cut all the way through the metal. That said, when I cut away the old sheet metal below the windows, I did it in a single pass but used a 7-1/4 circular saw with a metal cutting blade set to only penetrate the sheet metal. To make it easy on myself, I tack welded a length of angle iron all the way down each side as a guide for the saw and it was a piece of cake. Came out very straight.
I have welded some 1/8th x 1-1/2 to the inside leaving a 1/2" lip to close the door against and will likely add some around three sides of the door on the outside for rigidity and overlap the opening a bit for appearance. Not concerned about sealing anything as it is just a pass through in the body to access the drain valve, not a closed compartment behind.
Having fits finding an in town supplier for Dzus'es. Called a bunch of "specialty" & industrial fastener shops and they had no idea what a Dzus was (?). Easy to get online but I'm touchy/feely about things like that and like to handle & look stuff over before I buy.
Did (finally!) manage to get a couple of friends to help with the very first test fit of the motor & tranny yesterday! At just over a thousand pounds it takes a minimum of three people to maneuver the whole package. One on each side of the A-frame and one guiding at center. Quickly became evident I need to make some "adjustments". The oil filter has to go but I already suspected that and have some of the parts to fit a remote system. Will probably swap out the starter for one that has better frame clearance as well but that is a "wait-and-see" until I can try one more fitting. On this first try, I did mark the firewall and cut it out last night so we can place the whole unit much farther back than what we had yesterday. The front of the Cummins engine will probably wind up more than a foot farther back than what the 350 Chevy was. And as you have probably noticed...these old frames taper down in front which means I'll gain a little width as I move towards the rear.
Hope to try another "fitting" this weekend, but getting the necessary team in place is the tricky part. May be able to do it all myself with a come-a-long or some such, but it was such a piece-of-cake with 6 hands that I hope I can lure them back soon. Maybe beer?
More pix soon.
Onward!
