Yeah I made up to Denver. Had a good lunch

Don't know too much about what springs are best. I'm going with new original replacements with Rancho Add-A-Leaf's and crossing my fingers that they do the job. If you're looking for some good heavy duty shackles I recommend the Belltech ones intended for lowering. The ones I have are for Ford and are 7 3/4" eye to eye. They are very well made. I'm doing a shackle flip and using Ford hangers. The front are stock Ford front hangers and the rear are the Belltech front hangers that came with the lowering kit. The Ford front hangers are much longer than the stock Dodge ones so they bring the front of the spring down quite a bit. The Ford hangers also move the springs outboard 1" per side. This should provide a bit more stability, but could pose a problem with very wide tires. The same Belltech shackles are going up front too and will be mounted below the frame instead of going through it like the stock ones.

Nothing wrong with my transmission (NV5600).  I use my diesel offroad frequently and it does just fine.  Just pointing out something that lots of folks overlook in the gas versus diesel debate.  The 440 has twice the rpm range of the diesel.  For example, if you use a manual tranny and are doing a steep, rutted hillclimb, you have a better chance of not having to speed shift with the 440.  Obviously, if you use an automatic, the difference is less important...

Also, I'll be trying to achieve 14-15 mpg with my 440.  That seems laughable to some, I'm sure, but it can be done.

Nothing wrong with that.


Revolver shackles suck.  They work great on an RTI ramp, but that's it.  In real use they act very bad.  In a high traction steep climb (like in Moab) the rear shackles unfold, the rear of truck jacks up, and the rear axle climbs forward under the truck.  It's not worth it.

One suggestion on the front springs Sam, upgrade the frame bushing size on the front springs, the 1" bushing is a joke, especially  trying to control a D60 through a full arc on the suspension cycle. I would seriously consider Chevy springs to get the larger spring eye bushings in them also.

I guess they don't have to be Chevy specifically.
Trenton uses rear Dodge W200 springs from his `75 ClubCab, his front flexes and rides really well and doesn't chew up bushings. He did have to make a new front hanger setup on the frame though along with the frame bushing housing, but thats pretty minor fab work after all.

Don't waste your money on any of the name brand springs.
http://www.deaverspring.com/products.htm

http://www.nationalsprings.com/

I would go deaver, My ride is great and the rate is also good
Bad part is the prices front springs alone where 1000$ rear was 750-800$.

Anyways thats my 

Hey Mad Max. Maybe you should get ahold of Gale Banks his company was interested in my with my 84 ramcharger diesel project but I didn't have the money to work something out.

changes?! i can only imagine how you are gonna make this rig more kick ass.

Yes, and I'll keep a watchful eye on this one.  I've got plans of my own.

pm'ed ya on the axles!

  Sounds good.

Is it the green one Sam?

pm'd ya back 


Monday I hope, maybe Tuesday.


..yup...went up today to have a look, fired it right up, just like Cummins


it'll make Moab 08...and you can quote me 

- M2

Honestly I didn't expect to sell the 452 so fast, but I posted it to my local Mopar musclecar club e-mailer, and about 2 hours later one of my good buds in the club replied back that he wanted it and yesterday he came out and we did a bunch of measuring between the 440 and the 360 in Pat's rig and we discovered the 440 wasn't much bigger than a 360 at all - mostly just wider - they are nearly exactly the same length and height from the back of the block to the water pump. 
Also, he came out on his sport bike with his wife on the back, and I happened to also be selling my '98 Honda VTR1000F Superhawk, and long story short he was actually looking for a bigger bike...looked at the 'Hawk, test drove it, and was convinced...and bought it too.  The Lord works in mysterious ways  , but that made for a great day for the both of us, and now he and his wife can ride together side by side (she likes the bike they already have  ).

But yeah, did a quick search on Craigslist and found a 1st Gen 1993 rig that had been hurt (bent frame, no front clip, etc), but had all the driveline, price was good, and the bike paid for it, and hopefully between selling the 452 and a bit of spare 'mad money' I'll be able to get the leaf springs installed and get the 6BT good to go.

For now no big mods on the 6BT, at least not until I get it driving and see how it does.  Most likely no bolt ons for a while, not until I at least get the mad money account restocked.
But I will do a couple upgrades to the engine that don't cost much:
- The "3400" spring inside the pump (#366 - allows the engine to fuel more across the RPM band and gives the truck a LOT more legs and usable RPM.....and it cost's $17 bucks )
- The 'free' power upgrades on the pump (turn the fuel screw a bit, rotate the diaphram to max fuel, bump the timing a bit, and open up the fast idle.
- Kill the KDP - Killer Dowel Pin.  It's a locating pin inside the front timing case that has been known to wiggle out falling down into the gear teeth which...uh...pretty much causes catastrophic engine damage (read - new engine).  It's very rare, but it's very very bad, and it's cureable with a little tab and a couple hours of work.  Yup...that'll be done for certain.

Honestly it'll be a learning experience for me - over the last few years I've done the same mods on my other truck ("Big Mack" - my '93 Cummins Ram D250 tugboat) but they were done a while ago and unless you do them a lot they kind of get fuzzy in yer head.  I'm planning to do a lot of tech writeups on this thread and good pics that show what I'm doing - kind of a step-by-step.

But ultimately, when the mad money is restocked, I'll be bomb'ing the engine for sure  ...to include:
- PDR HX-35 hybrid turbo
- 12 cm wastegated exhaust collar
- ATS 3-piece pulse exhaust manifold
- 4" exhaust
- Injectors, maybe DDM Stage 3's

I don't want the truck to smoke much at all, which is why I'm going with the 12 cm collar.  Stock the '93s come with an 18cm collar, and the 12 is a very big leap.  The exhaust housing size has a direct proportion between turbo spool-up and heat retained - the smaller the collar...the fater the spool-up...but also the faster it heats up and the hotter the pyro gauge reads.  But the smaller the collar is, the sooner the spool-up is for the turbo (less turbo lag) and the sooner the air gets to the engine.  It's a fine line, but the real magic ingredient...is the exhaust.  If you can get the exhaust out of the cylinder head effeciently, it will retain less heat, and you won't have to 'lift' as soon if at all.  The ATS 3-piece exhaust manifold is maybe a bit spendy but it is worth every...single...penny.  I lost 200* easily over the power band after installing the ATS manifold, which adds up fast when you are trying to move the truck in a hurry or are towing heavy.  If the heat gets out, and the pyro stays at or below 1200*, hammer down.  If the pyro starts to see 1300-1350*...ya gotta lift off the throttle and ease the temps back town. 
The exhaust collar size and the fueling are the key factors to the heat generated by the engine.  More fuel = more power but also more heat.  Smaller collar = quicker spool-up but also more heat retained.  BIG OPEN EXHAUST (4" minimum) and an ATS manifold will eliminate nearly all 'heat' problems.
'Mack' has an ATS manifold, 14cm wastegated collar, and a 4" exhaust, plus all the mods I've described, and I have a hard time getting it 'hot'.  It rarely sees 1200* now, and only usually when towing heavy.  It is sweet.  The 12cm collar going on Nacho will aid the low end turbo lag and should make it burn fairly clean - faster spool-up means more air sooner which means cleaner burning.
Ever notice when a semi shifts it puffs smoke?  That's because the driver has to lift off the throttle, shift, and re-engage the go pedal.  When doing so the turbo de-spools (lifting), the engine looses the pressurized air charge (overfueling), then hits the pedal (fueling) then boost rebuilds (exhaust puffs and then cleans back out).  When you see diesel trucks smoking a lot of smoke, they either have too much fuel tuned into the pump and are essentially wasting fuel.  A tuned engine will barely smoke during shifting, and will clear out almost completely under full boost and load (acceleration). 
The 1st Gen Cummins rigs (1989-1993) were detuned from the factory quite a bit - you can almost double the power output on an early 6BT simple by turning screws on the stock VE44 injection pump.  The problem is the stock transmissions are not capable of holding the torque increases very well and can be prone to severe heat build up and eventual internal damage.  The biggest limiting factor to the stock 518 (46RH) automatic trannsmissions is the stock torque converter.  ANY aftermarket converter will make a world of difference.  I have heard that ther stock converter only transfers about 60-70% of the torque sent to it.  The rest 'stalls' out and the tranny 'feels' like it's slipping...like it's damaged internally.  In most cases the tranny simply needs a good converter.
I will most likely put a TCI converter (# 142250, about $399 from Summit Racing), which is I think the best bang for the buck - I had one on my first CTD and it made a world of difference.
For example, in my truck, with the stock set-up, if you're heading uphill while going 65 mph...the engine revving a nice 2000 rpm.....and while going uphill the truck would just...slow down - engine still revving at 2000...slowing down...down...nearly down to 40 mph...engine still at 2000 rpm..... - it was maddening!  I thought the tranny was toast, slipping badly, or a damaged overdrive, something.  Nope.  I installed a TCI converter, and the problem was essentially gone.  What was happening was the stock converter was so loose that it couldn't contain the stock torque output of the engine well enough to maintain speed on a decent hill, and while it was failing to do its job it was also heating up internally because it was bleeding to death.  It wasn't broken, but it wasn't great either.  The factory did this because the trannsmissions didn't have the technology on them like they do now, and they wanted to get the trucks on the market fast, so they went with what they had.  Lots of tranny's over the years have been replaced because they 'felt' broken, but what they really needed was a good converter.  Plus, with a new converter the tranny heats up a lot less, making it last a lot longer.

Okay, so the tranny will get a good converter and a 4-quart deep pan (probaby the one currently under Nacho's 727 - they swap right over ), and I will most likely have it looked at by my tranny guy.  It'll be ready to handle more power, so when that time comes tha tranny will be good to go and I won't have to pull it.  To say it bluntly, the tranny is everything.  Without a good one all the power upgrades are useless. 

I'll 'bomb' the engine later, but fortunately the engine upgrades are all bolt-ons - don't have to crack it open.  'Mack' may get some internal engine magic, but Nacho won't need it.  I'll be quite happy with 300hp and 620 tq.  That'll get 'Nacho' down the road at 75 mph with nearly no effort, with the 3.54 gears at a nice 2000 rpm...getting around 18-20 mpg...and with the low end torque and the 203/205 doubler, well let's just say BRING ON MOAB! 

- M2

Oh, in case yer wondering...B.O.M.B. = Better Off Modified Baby 

Yaaa, I got that from the Cummins crowd - pretty apprapo (sp) ja? 

One thing that I've been asked is about the weight issue.  For me, weight is my ally.  Big weight means good suspension compression when crawling and a very good contact patch regardless of which tire is on the ground.  Lockers however (front and rear)...are essential..., because getting something this heavy stuck with an un-weighted wheel spinning free is real easy to do, and getting it unstuck is....uhh....well it sucks  . 

[Public Service Announcement:  Never 'Wheel Alone....and preferrably without at least one winch]   

But for sure the tires play the critical role when it comes to sinking.  I like the 12.5 wide tires - they give good floatation especially when aired down.  Last year at Moab I went down to the recommended 18 psi (thanks fellas  ).  I could have gone lower but the weight of the rig made good use of a bit more psi than say a rig that weighed 1000 lb less.  The more weight, the more squish, but you can't go too far or you run the risk of blowing a bead.  Now, eventually I will have 14.5-15.5 wide tires for serious wheeling, and that'll be good because I don't know how I can make the truck much heavier, and I'll need all the 'tire' I can get.  Might have them on by Moab - I'd really like to get a set of the 35x14.5 Mud Grapplers on a 10" wheel.  Again, see 'mad money' 

So, I like being a bit on the heavy side.  Right now it weighs 6800 lbs with two people in it and all of our camping gear.  Add two kids, two dogs, a canoe, a trailer, the quad, the dirk bike, plus two full tanks of fuel, we'll be pushing close to 7000 lbs of truck and about 2000 lbs of trailer.....yeah.....for this rig...at this altitude...a 300-horse turbocharged Cummins is THE way to go . 

- M2

Yeah, if I wasn't so frugging broke right now, I'd be snatching up that front axle.

heh heh yeah...I've done a lot of write-ups on the 1st gens and mods for 'em.  The Cummins, especially the early ones, are probably my favorite engines bar none.  I have been so impressed with the stability and reliability of a Cummins ever since the first time I fired one up.  They make so much torque that unless you drive a warm big block and then a stock Cummins you can't realize how much is really there.
The #1 reason I'm swapping my 452 out for a Cummins is because there is no comparison - the Cummins blows the 452 away...and the 452 is not a weak engine...but on a scale of available torque the Cummins cannot be compared to anything except another Cummins.
I'm very spoiled by my '93 Ram ("Big Mack" - the writeup is in the trucks section).  It was on the way home from work...in the '93...that I decided I wanted the Nacho to have the same power and reliability as the '93...and the the way to go was a repower...so here I am again.  It's all good - after the repower the Nacho is going to be the perfect camping rig that I originally built it to be.

The cool part is the guy that bought the 452 is putting it in a flammed rat rod.  The 452 in a car is going to be a monster   I'll post some pics of it.
- S

Figures you'd post up a D60 front for sale while I'm out of town for three days...

I want a D60 front axle. Let me know if you happen to still have it come Moab...

Yuuuup.  I'm real good friends with the guy that owns PDR up in Vancouver BC, and he's a big 1st Gen fan.  I was up at their dyno fest in '03, and I met some of the guys and gals that own the fastest diesels on the world up there.  Some of the 2nd gen rigs were pushing 700 hp and 1400 lbs of torque...to the tires!  ...daily drivers that have 3 power modes - daily, towing, and race.  The tunability and selectability...not to mention the strength and stability and power of the little 5.9 liter (360 cid) Cummins is bar none the most impressive engine I've ever worked with.  A buddy of mine in Cheyenne owns maybe the fastest 1st Gen in the region - it's about 531 hp and runs low 13's at bandimere - that's in a 7000 lb 4x4...and he's using the factory VE44 pump - not a 2nd gen refit pump.



John - I can get you an axle I think pretty easily.  What gear ratio are you after?  Lemme know and I'll ask a guy I know that can prolly hook you up.  If you can wait for it I'll bring it to Moab this year.  If not we'll figure out how to get it to you.  I think you can expect right around $800-$900 for one.



That's part of the reason for the 6BT swap - daily drivability with decent mileage.  The Cummins will lend to about 18-20 mpg - the 452 got about 7 

- M2

That's all good John.  I can pretty much get any gear ratio you'd like, but if you're needing taller than 4.10's I think you'd have to get a new carrier for the '56s or 88's anyway, so the ratio we'd get for you wouldn't matter.  No sweat.  When yer ready for it lemme know and I'll hook it up.  Moab's only6 months away 

Got the donor yesterday . 



...donor...and transplant recipient...





Transplant in progress...well teardown is, transplant will come soon.  First is teardown, then scrapping leftovers, then mock-up, then fab, then rebuild/restore parts, then make it all purty...then install. 
The turbo impeller's had a rough life, but it'll do for now.  I need to get doubler kit from ORD first so I can mock up the doubler, and my local tranny shop is gonna do the whammy on the 518 - just a rebuild with a kit and a converter - nothing fancy, then check out the t-cases, then reassemble everything.  Real good prices on tranny work too .  And in the meantime I'm going to try to get the suspension figured out.  The donor truck was secured a lot faster than I anticipated, and I don't want the thing just sitting around, so disassembly started today and I'll have the engine/tranny out tomorrow, strip the rest of the truck down, then haul the bend frame and junked body to the crusher, then take my wife out to eat with the $ from the scrap yard  .  Steel's pretty high now so we'll go somewhere nice this time 

Yo Eddie, how's this weekend sound for the swap-o-rama?

- M2

which ever day works for you.

saturday pretty much any time.sunday prefer early morning or late afternoon.

You're definitely not wasting any time.

Dave


PS Moab isn't in 6 months it's in 16 days

Engine does look too bad at all! Good to see you get going on it!

It's gonna' be SOOO Sweet... I drove "Red" last night. Still puts smile on my face. Goin' on year # 3 soon!!

Talk at you soon!
Andrew

I've gotta' chime in and say, it is so cool to see people working and gettin' greasy with the kids! I love those pics.

I've got a 12 and 14 year old boy and I think it's great to start them out young, learning that it take two hands and a brain to do anything...

Sam,

Will you have a governor set up similar to Ben's?