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I will have to add this to my (long) list of future modifications! I had to sneak in two smaller fans to get them to fit, I should be able to install one larger, more effective fan this way!
Are you running hot quite frequently? And are you using a pusher and or puller type fan? Cooling these trucks is a common problem. I truly love your designs and craftsmanship. Thank you again for sharing with all of us.
The truck seldom runs hot. The only time it ran hot was under load. Either at slow speeds in the bush or climbing a real long steep grade on a highway. The truck is running a 16" puller fan. The rad is a recore stocker, so basically new and the water passages in the block are pristine. There are several steps I am going to take. the first will be to build a shroud and if that does not help then a second pusher fan and hood louvers get added. The shroud should do the trick.
Check out the mounting tabs on the shroud. Took a silly amount of time to mount these in place. All told 68 holes were drilled and lots of trial tests to fit the shroud. So I have the look of rivets but they are not rivets, they are doctored button head screws.
With all the talk about the rivets Alex, have you tried to just press them cold? I realize some pieces you couldn't get in a shop press but some of the things shown you could. I would think with 3/8" rivets it would not be that bad. We did sickle bar sections on mowers and combine cutter bars all the time with a portable press/remover. They were 3/16" rivets as I recall and they made them look perfect and hold great. I've used my shop press to heat form and cold press stuff with good results. I may have to make up some hardened dies and try it.
This is pressing a cowl support bar to look like the original. I'd heat the bar and then press it quick. Took about 2 or 3 heats as I recall.
The result and you can see how I ground the hardened tool steel forming piece.
Pressing the rivets I made in for the leaf spring keepers.
Married a NP205 and a NP203 together. I had a serious issue with the NP203 although it looked great inside the chain was stretched and finding a new one was way too expensive. So I ordered a kit and will join the two transfer cases together. Gives me almost 4 - 1 ratio when I need it. But a NP241 case in place of the NP203 would be a better way to go. At present the parts are going in the trash truck. long term they may end up under a M37.
So I finally get my Silicone elbow and do a test fit. The hoses line up and I will not need to notch the radiator fan shroud. But the elbow is 2.5" instead of 2.25".
Not sure how that happened but that means I get to wait another 3 weeks for a new elbow. I think what happened is this, when I punched in 2.25" a whole list comes up and 2.5" elbows are mixed up in that list. After looking at a few I selected the wrong one. And NO, my local shop could not get the right one from any of their suppliers, including their turbo supplier.
That NP205? The front yoke is a Dodge yoke on a 32 spline Ford output. The rear is a Ford 32 spline output and Ford yoke. The flange and speedo drive are Chevy, with the Chevy drive gear mounted to the Ford output. The case is a Chevy, a couple of the covers are Dodge. I needed to do this because the Chevy case was a 10 spline unit and a slip yoke, so I used what I had to get a transferase that would work for me and keep the costs down.
Stupid silicone elbow.....stupid ebay sale site, stupid programmer........stupid me for not catching it :)
I didn't get what the elbow was for, but if its no too hot or the pressure is not too high.. Couldn't, for now, sleeve it with a piece of 2.25 radiator hose? Just to get you up and running before the replacement arrives.
I'm thinking this way 'cause I'm in the garage making up kludges to get stuff running with what I can get my hands on, today.
I thought of that Jim. The elbow is for the lower rad hose. Things are tight down there. If I put in the hose and the shroud, fan and overflow tank I will have to remove all of that to get at the lower hose, and drain the coolant. That is a messy job. I will try waiting. i cut the hole for the fan in the shroud today, then tack welded in some nuts for the fan. Built myself an over flow tank, I want to clear the area where the old steam engine tank is mounted on the fire wall. The new tank will be mounted on the passenger side of the fan shroud - I just need to come up with a mounting bracket. Will fire off some pictures in the next day or so.
take care out there
Bruce
getting close to 750,000 hits biggest thread on PWA :)
In my years back in the automotive aftermarket, late 90's they made these hose attachmants that consisted of several wire stainless rings all in a row with a single piece of stainless flat stock welded to the sides. "I will search for a name and a photo, when im not on cell phone"
They were made for 1/4 inch rubber hose on up to i believe 3 inch. The purpose was you could take any piece of heater or flexible rubber hose and make it bend in whatever angle you needed the hose to be without kinking it.
For the longest time I wouldnt stock them at the part store, to hokey for me. Until I broke down and ordered some for a guy and saw them installed. Quite brilliant really. I am not sure of the are still being made but oil lines, fuel lines, heater lines, radiator hoses could be virtually made out in a few seconds to fit any application.
These hose posts have made me think of these. I will research these some more.
I could go on and on about that truck but lets chew on a few details.
(1) Air filter on the fender - I do not like it but I may end up going the same route - I have moved my overflow tank because I want room for the Donaldson filter. May go under the hood, may not. That clear air filter thingie at the top, I was already looking for one after seeing how well they work.
(2) roof rack - am thinking about it, but I wonder about wind noise and what it would do to the fuel milage. But the design is close to what I have on paper.
(3) Odd choice of wheels, not the easiest wheel to replace in the outback. A steel wheel that you can beat back into shape might have been a better way to go. I do not think the rims are DOT approved, not that it matters much. Hutchinson makes a wheel that looks military enough to fit on the carryall.
(4) Fuel loading inside a vehicle? Honestly this takes up too much space and it smells. Some of the old parcel vans took fuel this way, PITA.
The number of not new parts in this vehicle is interesting. 4bt, NV4500 and the rear axle are not off the shelf new parts. The newer corporate 14 bolt disc brake rears have the emergency brakes inside a drum, the ones in the video look like GM callipers off an Eldorado - I have the same set up but the cables are higher.
Interesting that the drive train is close to mine except I have air bags in the rear and can adjust to any weight load, I have ARBs all around and twin transfer cases a bigger winch and a nicer front bumper. Given the choice between the two trucks I would take mine - the ride is much smoother and the build details are a tad more polished. The on board welder is the one thing my truck is missing, the Moal brackets for the gauges are a nice touch, but getting a bit boring, I have seen so many.
I will take $250,000 for mine but that makes Alex's build worth at least 50 grand more.
Kevins truck should be on that show - now there is a sweet build.
Paint ? Those graphics are gross. A curve in that straight black line and a transition colour would have cleaned it up quite a lot.
Tires - Funny I am running Toyos on my rig. 35lbs seems to be hard enough on the high way, 18 -24 lbs on dirt and 10lbs in the snow.
thanks for the video link.
"only 8000 were built" Nope records show 8500 and I have a body number with 9500 on it so more than 8000 were built.
edit : I like the sound of the 4bt - I wish they had better detail shots of the engine compartment.
Overall I think it's a good truck, but the beauty is in the details, some of which I think have been lost on this truck.
- I've always disliked electric winches on WCs and Power Wagons. They look small and weak and don't fit the look of the truck. And there is nothing quite as nice as a factory front bumper. Electric winches are hard on the electrical system, and tend to overheat during heavy use. A hydraulically driven Braden MU2 would be a much better choice in my opinion. Easy to operate, easy on the engine and electrics, and bulletproof.
- The LED tail lights look out of place on the truck. It's easy to retrofit military tail lights with LED bulbs and full-view lenses.
- All that expensive rear sheet metal deserves some protection. I would have left the bumperettes in place and mounted M-series tail lights outboard of them - in fact that's what I did on my 6x6.
- An original latch on the lift gate is easier to operate and is lockable. Padlocks are going to be noisy and beat the heck out of the body when they are off-roading. I like the cable stays on the tailgate, and the gas struts on the lift gate.
- Having the filler neck buried under piles of tools and parts is going to be a big pain in the neck. Get a locking gas cap and be done with it.
- I like the fender mounted air cleaner.
- The E-brake cables are going to get snagged on something.
- Battery placement is good.
- Compressor placement will be noisy when driving.
- Welder placement is bad, or at least cover it with the glove box door!
- Paint - ick!
- The seats are nice. I like the integral shoulder belts.
- Anyone notice how they covered the Carhartt emblem on Winslow's vest? Corporate BS.
Greg Coffin
Unrepentant Dodge Enthusiast
1951 Dodge M37 - Bone Stock
1958 Dodge M37 - Ex-Forest Service Brush Truck
1962 M37-B1 - Work in Progress
1962 Dodge WM300 Power Wagon - Factory 251, 4.89s
1944/1957 Dodge WM500T 6x6 Power Wagon - LA318-3, NP435, 5.83s, Power Steering, Undercab Power Brakes
1974 Dodge W200 - 360/727, Factory Sno-Fighter Package
I'd agree with just about everything Greg said and I'd add that they did build it for a customer, who might have specified a few of the items we didn't like. Not knowing how much influence they had in steering the customer I'd liked to have seen the fueling, tail lights, bumperets lift gate latch fixed.
Based on this video I'm a little less down on Legacy Trucks than I had become over in recent months.
I've seen a lot less Dodge Power Wagon stuff built by others with ls power that I'm heat broken to see the "press" glorify and push on the public. At least it looks like they kept the trucks intended use in mind in this build and I liked they prefer keeping the trucks original frame.
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