The dummy and the diesel.........The Grey Whale

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Well it's 4:30, I'm tired, beat, my back hurts, and it's fixin to thunder 'n storm. Got the cab set on the trailer, it will not go far, a few feet to get out of the way. Weather permitting, tomorrow I'll pull the V10, trans, and transfer case

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RustyRatRod said:
So is this Del's demolition service now? lol
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No this is the attempt to "4WD IZE" the 2WD diesel. I ALMOST wish I'd just "melded" the 2WD and the "too short" 4wd frame.

At some point I have to swap ALL the axles. I already have them stripped out of the "too short" frame, but the ratio in the V10 frame is way too low (4.10) for the diesel. My 2WD and the two axles in the "too short" frame--a Cummins frame--are 3.54
 
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Well I rested my back, sat through a short thunder/ rain storm, and went back out and moved the cab, and wrestled the V10 frame back onto the hoist. Tomorrow, wx and health permitting, I'll pull the engine and see how far we can get. Bed needs to come off, rear axle needs to come out at some point and my 2WD 3.54 needs to go in there, the FRONT (4.10) needs to come out "later" and the 3.54 front out of the "too short" frame will go under. Supposed to be cooler, today was not too bad

It is 7:30 and getting tired, and NOW I am DONE

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I feel sorry for anyone trying to do anything to a V10. The intake is jammed up against the cowl, shoved underneath the cutout, and you can't reach anything, even some of the vacuum hose fittings. I'm not even sure about getting the rocker covers off!! I once thought about "maybe" getting one, but never tracked it seriously. I think I'd rather have an anemic V8 than one of these damn things.
 
67Dart273 said:
I feel sorry for anyone trying to do anything to a V10. The intake is jammed up against the cowl, shoved underneath the cutout, and you can't reach anything, even some of the vacuum hose fittings. I'm not even sure about getting the rocker covers off!! I once thought about "maybe" getting one, but never tracked it seriously. I think I'd rather have an anemic V8 than one of these damn things.
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I have a friend who's the head engine guy at the Chevy dealer in Macon. For some time now, the only way to do serious engine work on the newer trucks is to remove the cab. They had a rash of camshaft/lifter issues and that's the only way around it. He's posted so many of those type jobs on Facebook, I've lost count. I cannot imagine what customer pay would be on that job. lol
 
Sunday turned out to be a "dud" day. My back hurt and I got little done. Tomorrow morning I have to have a cat and some x-rays so most the morning will be a "dud." But today I got a lot done. Got the V10 yarded out and onto an old boat trailer frame, and got the bed off. Next I need to pull the tank, swap the front axle for the "Cummins" one out of the too short frame (V10 4.10 to 3.54 diesel)

"So far" this seems to be progressing OK.

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Del, I'm really enjoying this thread. It's been upper 90's in your part of the country the last few days....... I don't know how you got all that done in the heat!

But it's looking like you're making good progress.
 
mopardude62 said:
Del, I'm really enjoying this thread. It's been upper 90's in your part of the country the last few days....... I don't know how you got all that done in the heat!

But it's looking like you're making good progress.
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It is slowly cooling off. I'd guess it was 85 yesterday I didn't look. I am also "self limiting." My back requires that I take at least 1/2 hour--3/4 hour breads so that "cools things off."

Today likely is "not much." Have a morning xray session. I need to return some China brake hoses and check on others that were ordered, and see about a couple of gaskets for the NV4500 5 speed
 
LOL don't know whether to laugh or cry. got back from the cat scan this morning and pulled the pump out of the V10 tank. That ***** is CLEAR FULL!!! LOL
 
67Dart273 said:
LOL don't know whether to laugh or cry. got back from the cat scan this morning and pulled the pump out of the V10 tank. That ***** is CLEAR FULL!!! LOL
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That's funny and not funny. Is the gas at least good?
 
I put in some hours today, but it was slow going. Had one hell of a time dropping the tank, the holes in the straps are ?too small? and bound up on the studs. Got the front end dropped out, and stripped some of the steering linkage off to pick "the best" and wiggle test, see what needs immediate replacement. The pitman shaft on the 96 steering box has some side play so that box will come out of there. Tomorrow I need to strip parts off the two front axles, rotors, etc, and see what we have. The rear hitch is a POS and the bolts are AFU. I'm got them loose, but will just "plazma" the bolts off to get the receiver off. I'll use the "much better" receiver off my 2WD

The steering linkage on the 96 is completely different from the "too short frame." The "too short frame" which seems to be a 98 or 99, has a tie rod across both wheels, with a hole in the tie rod to which the drag link connects up to the box. "Fairly conventional."

The 96 is different. It has a rod from the far wheel up to the steering box, and that rod has a hole into which another rod attaches and runs down to the driver side wheel.

Hope to get the "new" frame back on the ground with the correct front axle tomorrow
 
Today, Sept 8, not much to "show." Got the correct front axle under the "new frame," so the 3.54 front from the "too short" frame is now under the donor correct WB frame, but still needs work. Will likely get it running and "moveable" and then tear into the front, likely replace hubs, knuckle U joints, turn rotors and replace brakes/ calipers. Unfortunately the older axles have the rotors INBOARD of the hubs, so the wheel bearing/ hubs will have to come off, one way or t'other.

If I'm lucky, I will be starting to tear down my 2WD truck tomorrow. I'm going to try and pull the cab WITH the fenders intact.
 
Yesterday and today, Sun, Sept 11. Yesterday did not go well. One tire on the little Farmall sprung a leak in the sidewall--these are old tires, and this is the remaining tire with brine, so it pissed all over everything. In spite of that I began the tear-down on my 2WD. Got the bumpers both off, got some underpinnings undone, and got the bed loaded on an old boat trailer frame. "Bonus round" got the tire off the Farmall and used "it's own backhoe" to jack it up and load the tire into the Dakota. I have two smaller tires over the "secret fence" off an old Farmall I'd bought for parts years ago. Hell I did not expect the thing to even hold air!!! Bolted er on and dropped er down!!

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Pulling the bumper with the hoist = childs play. Eight bolts with the impact, pull the bumper for added clearance, pull the fuel hookup and tail lamps / wiring, and yank that ***** off I have an old boat trailer frame which I had used as a dolly to move the V10, worked perfect. Some timbers, set 'er right down

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Got a fair amount done today. Got the proper rear axle--the one out of my 2WD temporarily hung under the new frame and already had the proper front one from the "too short" frame so both are 3.54. Why the concrete on the rear of the frame??? LOL Because with the removal of the bed, the rear axle, and the fuel tank, the hoist was close to the balance point on the front arms!!!!! Tomorrow I'll get the old V10 axle under my old 2WD frame so it's a "roller." The U bolts I HAD to use (for now) are reduced from corrosion. They are the longest I have, as the 2WD sits lower, the V10 had no overloads, and the "new" truck will have overloads. The only bolts that were long enough were on the "too short" frame, and it had gathered mud/ ?? in the "cups" of the spring clamps and rusted the hell out of the U bolts. I'll have to call the spring outfit in Spokane

The red cast, by the way is smoke from fires with the sun glowing through

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You sir are an animal. I love your motivation.
 
Thanks. Motivation in part is money and a 4x4. My truck has about 140K and I have about 5K into it. I could have put a limited slip in for about what I paid for the donor truck. Around here, you can't buy a Cummins 4x4 for 20-30K and even then many times they have over 200 or even 300K on the clock.
 
No dramatic goin's ons today, Sept 13. Went to the groceria, my back is bothering me. Got the unwanted 4.10 axle under the 2WD frame so "it's a roller" and somebody actually called interested in it (the 4.10 axle). I told him I'd need something to make it a roller. So he's trying to figure a way

Got a few minor things removed from the 2WD rig, driveshaft, some bolts, batteries, drained coolant. Hope I feel better tomorrow. Sure like to see the cab off before the weekend
 
FINALLY FINALLY!!! Got the cab off, fenders and all. Left the intercooler and AC in the cab. Just removed the AC compressor and tied it to the fender Didn't break so much as a wire!! ZERO damage. Laid some 2x6's along the bed rails of the Dakota, 4 concrete blocks on top, and 2 more 2x6's crosswise.

Next is transfer the engine/ trans to the "new" frame, then rig a rear support for the engine, and pull the gearbox for the transfer case conversion. And I'll transfer the exhaust system as well. Then start all over LOL

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Hot dang! With all your riggin and jiggin you'll get it done!
 
LOL I'm glad there ain't any more pieces!!! I've run out of rolling stock for "dollies"!!
 
Fri Sept 16

Got the Cummins out just approaching noon. DAMN could Dodge have any more stupid engineers? Look at the crossmember/ mount setup. Christ. Two studs out the bottom of the crossmember, "easy." But they have the captive exhaust pipe mount sandwiched between the top of the mount and the gearbox, and the hanger bracket is retained by bolts up into the trans, so you have to remove the crossmember nuts, the bolts from the trans mount to the exhaust bracket, and ONLY THEN can you remove the exhaust bracket bolts from the trans. SIX fasteners before you can release the exhaust header pipe.

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