46 Power Wagon Restoration pt. 2

[Desoto61]

Loose ends

There were a few other issues to button up on the frame. The biggest was the support bracket for the spare tire carrier. Since I had to cut out and build a new crossmember I also cut out and removed the original brace. I wasn't sure I was going to re-install it but after looking at the leverage the spare would have on the frame I decided it needed to be replaced.

A cardboard template was used to cut some 3/16" plate. A relief cut let me easily bend the brace into shape and then clamp and mark the holes to be drilled. The outside end is held in place by the bolts for the spare tire carrier, the inner bolts to the crossmember. I could have welded it but it would have damaged the paint and made future removal impossible if needed, so it was bolted instead.

One of the smaller tasks was to create a new hanger for the rear brake line to hose support bracket. These are those tasks that take a lot of the time. It's a simple enough task, a bracket to hold the end of the brake line where it transitions to the brake hose going to the rear axle. Two pieces of plate and a short length of round stock make up the bracket, but between the cutting, bending, and drilling that bracket took most of the morning. Then it still needed painted and installed.

With all that done the frame was pushed out of the garage so I could start learning how to do the body work on the cab.

[Desoto61]

Most of the interior modifications are completed, so I've been slowly and systematically disassembling and unbolting parts from the cab and sorting them. Some need finished, others just need labeled and stored until they can be reinstalled, hopefully for the last time. Then the cab can be lifted clear of the frame, a feat made easier by the lift.

With the cab clear of the frame some final cleanup work on the transmission crossmember modification I started. The extra clearance allowed access from the top which allowed me to finish cutting out the old section and weld in a new gusset for the trans support. I'll clean up the area once cool and hit it with some chassis paint.

[Desoto61]

I wanted to keep the windshield mechanism operation looking stock even if it didn't operate that way. The hot-rod scene has created a switch to allow you to use stock manual window cranks with power windows. They come with different shafts for different handles and are well built with positive stops to prevent damage.

Problem was that the mechanism mount didn't leave much free space behind the dash, the switch was kind of large and has to tilt slightly to fit. That meant modifying the mounting bracket. I cut a piece of plate that fit into the corner and tack welded it into place, then cut away the original mount and finished welding the new plate in place.

The end result provided the room I needed for the switch. It doesn't quite come straight out of the dash due to the size of the switch, but it should work well once I figure out how to mount it behind the dash.

[Desoto61]

Progress has been slow for a few different reasons, but still creeping along. Determining the best way to plumb the heating and AC lines through the firewall was tricky. Not a lot of room and some large lines. The right combination of fittings and locations are important.

There are two AC lines and two heater lines. I decided to use a set of bulkhead fittings for a cleaner look and ease of install. There are a few different configurations but by splitting them up into two groups of two I needed less room and could more easily route the hoses.

I also decided I would use a bulkhead connector for the electrical system to make installation cleaner and more water tight. It required a fairly large hole and is a little tricky to get centered right, but it should support all the wires I will need to run through the firewall.

[Desoto61]

One of the last interior pieces was to finalize the Vintage Air box. That meant having the real thing so I could determine where all the plumbing would pass through the firewall. It was also a chance to check how all the plumbing would work under the dash.

It looks like a nightmare but should fit, though it will be tight in spots. I have a few parts on order so I can figure out the plumbing for the heater and AC lines and install the bulkhead plates.

The other plumbing issue is the condensate drain off the unit. Since there is also a drain off the cowl vent I purchased some fittings and tubing and routed them together with a Tee fitting. I didn't like the idea of just punching a hole for the tube so using some plumbing fittings I built a bulkhead fitting using some street elbows that gives a cleaner look and can run tighter to the firewall.

[Desoto61]

Pulled the A/C mount off to paint it, and to allow access for the remote filter plate. The plate and remote filter head came from e-bay. There are some small parts and a gasket needed to install it that came from the local Cummins dealer.

Before I bolted it in place I took both parts to the local hydraulic shop and found the right fittings to make up hoses. I purchased all the fittings and then they let me take some hose home so I could accurately measure and mark for length before having the ends crimped on.

First I had to build a mount for the remote filter though. I was able to use the four bolt holes for the heater mounts from the firewall side. Some metal plate and angle iron make up the rest.

I made sure to dig out the inner splash guard and set it in place to check for clearance between everything, especially the alternator mount. It's close but should be fine.

[Duane Aldridge]

The horizontal filter is not that bad changing, not much drip's out when you take it off. Fleabag!!

[Desoto61]

AC bracket 3

The other result was that the lower alternator support originally attached to a tab at the top of the lower water neck. The top mount supports most of the weight, so the bottom is just to lock the position, so some 1/8" angle iron makes a bracket off the lower two water neck bolts and a piece of bar stock goes from the lower alternator mount to the bracket and is threaded to go through the bracket into the bar stock and hold the alternator in place.

End result seems strong enough and should give enough clearance with the hood, we'll see if the alternator has enough wrap once under a load. I might be able to add an idler between the AC and alt, but will look into that if I have too.

Biggest issue with this setup is that the belt length is really tight, it's tricky to get on and off, I'd like something just slightly longer (1/2" or so) but again, it's not available from what I could find.

The other casualty of this setup is that it interferes with the stock oil filter location which is directly behind the alternator. Cummins has a remote mount solution for that though once the parts show up, which should also make the filter easier to change and less messy then the horizontal mount filter in the future.

[Desoto61]

AC bracket 2

Second try moved the alternator down which tilts it outboard more but there is still sufficient clearance. The drop allowed the tensioner to move the belt far enough out to clear the water outlet, though it's close. The only downside is that it reduces the belt wrap around the alternator to about 90 degrees. Not sure if this is going to be enough or not under a heavier charging load. Additionally the stock belt is an 8-rib design but the Sanden only comes in a 7-rib setup, so the belt is narrower then original too.

I decided to go with this setup, and so rebuilt the mockup unit out of some heavier plate steel. Alignment of the compressor is important, ended up using a straight edge and a carpenter's square to verify the compressor was aligned and parallel to the belt. Once tacked in place I measured for the belt and found one close to the same size.

I did the measurement using some tape wrapped around the belts and marked the cross point and then measured that length. The Dayco belts I could get locally have a convenient numbering system of the format 50x0xxx. Not sure about the first two numbers but I think the 05 is a light duty/automotive use, the first x is the number of ribs (7 in this case) and the last xxx is the length in inches to one decimal place (i.e. 696 would be 69.5"). Summit will let you search on length, otherwise I could use the auto-complete feature on the Advance Auto web site to search for numbers to come up with a belt length close to what I measured, in my case about 70".

Once I was happy with the measurements and placement I welded the two mounts onto the back plate and bolted everything back together. The thicker plate and possibly slightly different location actually made the 70" belt almost too short, I'd like a little longer but it's not available, the next size up is too long. So I had to cut the tack welds and try again.

The mount feels secure bolted to the thermostat housing but only three M8 bolts holds the whole assembly, to provide extra strength I cut a piece of 5/8" plate and bridged the gap from the plate across the water outlet to the tensioner mounting bracket on the front of the engine which is the same thickness. It was tacked in place on the truck, then removed and welded solid. Removal of the bracket is difficult, but it's not something I should have to do often either.

[W_A_Watson_II]

Looking good, a little belt interference with the tension-er bracket. Is the water pump wrap enough?

[Gordon Maney]

Good work!

[Desoto61]

AC bracket 1

Living in the south AC was not really an option if I want to use the truck at certain times of the year. I'm sure all the vents and windows are great for moving air, but only if you're moving, and it gets less convenient at 60 mph.

The problem is that installing an AC compressor on the Cummins is not a simple thing. There is a Freightliner bracket that mounts it on the passenger side high, the Dodge setup puts it low but would interfere with my motor mounts and both use different alternators and compressors then what I have. Another bracket mounts it on the driver's side running off a V-belt from the fan pulley, but that would interfere with where I plan to run the aftercooler piping. The Dodge mount is probably reasonable but again I need new alternator and compressor, and the other two cummins mounts are dear money and still require different components. They also both change the lower water inlet direction to point straight out from the block which creates additional problems in routing.

Since I already had the big 22SI alternator that was on the Cummins, and the Vintage Air unit supplies a Sanden compressor. So I decided to see if I could build my own. Some people have done this on the 4BT swaps forum, so I had some ideas to go off of, and the high mount bracket is fairly simple in concept.

First step was building some mounts to bolt the compressor to. The Sanden uses ears to bolt through. A template was transferred to some scrap 5/8" plate and cut and ground into shape, the holes were tapped to accept the mounting bolts.

I used some leftover plate to build a mockup bracket mounted behind the stock alternator bracket and lined everything up, tacked it in place and then started playing with belt routing and clearance. This took a while looking at all the potential options. Leaving the alternator in it's original location didn't work because of the belt hitting the upper water neck. Cummins makes water necks that point upward that would help but again the current plan is for the intercooler piping to go right through that space.

Different routings, pully locations, adding idlers, removing them. There was lots of looking and scratching my head but I wanted to try and minimize the amount of complexity in the build and keep the spring tensioner for ease of use too.

[Desoto61]

The steering column I ordered finally showed up last week. It's a Ididit "shorty" column with tilt powder coated black. I had it outfitted with cruise control in case I want to test my metal on some of the longer drives to the various rallys in the area or beyond.

I used the factory upper mount position, but the Ididit column is a 2" tube and the factory was smaller, though not by much, so I managed to flatten the half-round mounting brackets and open them up enough to go over the column. Originally a large felt pad was used as a cushion, I'll probably use some thinner rubber material to protect the finish but better restrict movement. For now some paper towels taped around the column protect the finish.

Installing the steering wheel was a little tricky since the instructions for the column, the wheel adapter, and the wheel itself are all somewhat generic so that they work for a range of products. Which means you have to determine which parts apply to your application. Ultimately it's not difficult but there were a few confusing moments.

The hole in the dash support ended up being perfect for the wiring to come through and the only other issue was remembering exactly how it all went together with regards to where the column mount halves went in relation to the dash. For my purposes both sit under the dash.

That kind of defined the angle of the steering wheel, which worked well for me, and the column has a decent amount of tilt left upward if needed (it goes down even more but without lowering the seats that would be uncomfortable). I did lots of "research", which essentially means sitting in the truck pretending to drive it to make sure I was happy with the position. I may want to lower the seats eventually depending on my sight lines but that would require rebuilding the bases and I can always do that later, so for now I'm happy and that meant I could measure for the lower column mount.

Because the steering box is so close to the cab a regular column won't work as they need to exit the firewall, it's also not quite a straight shot, so the shorty column both allowed for the offset and provided extra clearance for the peddles (it's cheaper then a colapsable column and just as safe). So to support the column a second mounting point is needed, so with the angle set I could measure and order a lower drop mount to support the column. It was drilled and attached to the dash support bracket and clamps around the bottom of the column to help stiffen everything up.

A lower U-joint adapts between the splined shaft on the steering box and the DD shaft of the column, it's also a vibration damper. Some stainless DD shafting and another U-joint complete the linkage and would let me turn the wheels if I had a working power steering system.

The cruise control unit can mount inside or outside the cab. The instructions recommend installing it outside to reduce any noise it makes. I elected to mount it high on the firewall under the hood it's out of the way but not difficult to get at the settings switches, and it makes use of the long cable attached.

I snaked the cable down to the throttle return spring bracket and used that as the brace and attached the pull cable to my throttle linkage. The version in the pic is not the final setup as I had to lengthen the cable and adjust the cover so it did not interefere with the throttle travel.

[Alxj64]

If you need another panel cut, just draw it up and send it my way. I've got no reservations about doing future work for you since you are one of the first few people that actual saved the file in the correct format and the drawing had no errors in it on my end. Was no problem to cut out at all.

Keep up the good work and the posts though! Once again this build is helping to keep a fire lit under my but and keeping me moving on mine. I am looking forward to the FFPW group beach trips hopefully next summer!

[Desoto61]

Gauges and wires

Aftermarket gauges will be used in the dash, so I had previously cut out the stock gauge area with the intent of cutting an fitting a new panel. I worked out a design with some drawing software and Alxj64 was kind enough to turn it into metal on his plasma table.

It looked nice and fit well, so I drilled out the mounting holes and proceeded to fit it into place which is when I realized something interesting. The gauge opening, and by proxy my panel, are not centered over the steering column.

Not sure how much this is going to bug me, but the offset is not insignificant, so I would either have to do a lot of cutting to move the steering mount, try to modify the panel and dash to move the gauge panel over the needed distance, or potentially toss it and design a non-symmetrical panel that will hide the discrepancy. Think I'm going to reserve judgement till I have the steering column in and can see it as it will be.

The other issue was how to route wires to the doors. Originally I had leaned toward the flush mount pin switches they sell for hotrods, however the set I bought I wasn't real happy with, and when I started thinking about it I could need a lot of them depending on where the power door lock switches go and where I put speakers. So I returned those and went for these braided stainless door looms which extend and retract through the A-pillar. They install easily and will be hid with the kick panels. Only downside is that they protrude a bit more than I like, such that they almost prevent the door from closing, and the threaded portion of each mounting bracket is very long. I may be able to cut them down to prevent interference though.

I had purchased reproduction door limiters from ebay, and they are nice, however I noticed an issue while working on the wire loom. When the door is closed they are pushed up against the outer skin of the truck very hard. Hard enough they are marking the steel. I need to figure out a way to give them some additional movement to prevent this. Widening the slot they travel in should work. Not sure if this is an issue with the way they are cut or with the way I installed it in the truck.