1984 Dodge W350 Crew Cab

Kmehr

Adventurer
yes, I'm very excited about the Volvo fans. Recycling car parts is so cool!

I found this out about the other fans- the Dakota fan is an auxiliary fan, so probably not suited for a stand alone fan.

the E320 Mercedes fans are the solo engine fan, though some models use a pair of much smaller auxiliary fans as pushers when the engine fan is not running but the a/c is on. I think I am going to attempt to put both of these on my Chevy, although it's looking like I may need to replace the water pump again. it's making some strange noises and I think I'm overheating at idle....
 

underdrive

jackwagon
Regarding temperature settings for the controllers, find out the operating temperature your engine is happiest at, and hover around that with the controllers. Also, factor in the ram-air effect thru the griller at higher speeds. For example one of our engines gets best fuel economy running at around 210F, however unless it's under load just driving at 40-45 mph with no fans is enough to keep it at around 200 if the ambient temperatures are around 50F or less. The hotter it gets outside the faster you need to go to maintain 200F without fans, but since we want more than 200F we end up being able to cruise 55-60mph in 80F weather without fans running and still be under 210F on the coolant. So what I'm getting at is, set your low-speed fan to run all the time when the A/C is on, and when the A/C is off set it to come on at slightly above the coolant temperature you desire and shut off slightly below it. Then for the high-speed fan consider the max temp you are comfortable hitting while under heavy load, and set the fan to come on just before that, and shut off slightly below the temperature at which the low-speed fan comes on. This should result in only the low-speed fan coming on and off as needed during normal driving, and then when loaded heavy the low-speed fan will likely end up running all the time with the high-speed kicking in and out to keep the engine from getting too hot.
 

Kmehr

Adventurer
Been researching and rethinking my setup. I think my plan now is to activate the low speed when the A/C is turned on, and then have high speed temperature controlled with a switch that will come on at 185 and go off at 170. My thinking here is that 1)low speed will likely be enough when just the A/C needs cooling. 2) Ill only use the A/C when it's hot outside anyways, so the low speed will be cooling the motor on hot days already, 3) Then because the cummins thermostat is 180*, if it opens at 180*, then that extra flow may be enough to cool the motor down without the fans kicking on high, but if it's really getting ready to work and get hot, then fans will be on high really close after the thermostat opens.

I'm thinking that I will install the temp switch in a "hollister road company" hose barb (http://www.hollisterroad.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Stainless_Adaptor_Single), in my top radiator hose, as close to the thermostat as possible. This accomplishes two things 1) the fan switch is running on coolant temp that is going to be very close to what the thermostat is measuring, and 2) I'm having a horrible time finding an upper radiator hose that will work for my setup, so the barb will let me splice two hoses together to get the bends I need.

Of course this is all dependent on what I apologize may be a stupid question- the coolant that is in the top radiator hose will be hot right? or is there no flow in the upper radiator hose until the thermostat is open?
 

Kmehr

Adventurer
Well the truck keeps fighting me. Bought a new brake master cylinder from auto zone, Duralast brand- NM3081. Got one for a 2002 so it would have the bigger reservoir since I have discs in the rear thinking that would cure my spongy brakes and it doesn't fit! the stupid body is just barely too big to slide into my hydro booster. My hydrobooster is ACDelco 14PB4344 and says it fits 98-2002 dodges.

Any ways, here are some photos/videos:

fan shroud we fabbed up for the Volvo fan. Was hoping to run two, but just no way we could make more than one fit.
<a href="http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/kmehr87/media/D6378F49-7EF6-4373-AA44-83ACA27DD2B0_zpsgvkivywl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a625/kmehr87/D6378F49-7EF6-4373-AA44-83ACA27DD2B0_zpsgvkivywl.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo D6378F49-7EF6-4373-AA44-83ACA27DD2B0_zpsgvkivywl.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/kmehr87/media/F9AC44A9-AD8F-411B-A339-9D18D0297B4A_zpszgtrprrn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a625/kmehr87/F9AC44A9-AD8F-411B-A339-9D18D0297B4A_zpszgtrprrn.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F9AC44A9-AD8F-411B-A339-9D18D0297B4A_zpszgtrprrn.jpg"/></a>


Had to splice together two different radiator hoses to come up with one that would work, so I got a barb that has a temp sensor in it to run the high speed on my fan:


battery tray we made:


video of it moving under its own power for the first time in a year!


and just some darkness but the sound of sweet 6cyl music:
 

Kmehr

Adventurer
Took her out for her first drive and things went well for the most part. Still have a short list of wrinkles to iron out before its really ready to go:

1. Brakes- replaced the master cylinder with a 2002 for discs in the rear, and it doesn't fit, so i swapped it for a new one from a 99 (parts numbers say that either should work with my hydrobooster- also from a 99, but they simply don't fit together.) Bench bled the master and bled each wheel and the brakes are still really spongy and weak. Pedal is very soft and they just don't stop like they should.

2. Wiring- feel like I spent forever on this. Solidified my hatred of wiring. Using a 86 harness and adapted it to the diesel, replaced several melted wires along the way. Still need to run the taillights wiring. I was afraid to hook up the alternator because I'm scared it would melt something, and also I've got a large black wire that splits into several smaller wires. Not sure where it goes, on the wiring diagram for the 84 Gasser motor and it goes to the "BATT" terminal on the alternator. Don't have the grid heater hooked up, and still using my 770 CCA single battery- seems to start fine.

Electrical issues I'm having-

- none of my gauges are working. Even the Boost EGT and fuel pressure I added aren't working properly.
- I have the "hold" wire for the Fuel Shutoff Solenoid hooked to what was the "Ign coil" feed on the old harness. Truck starts with the key but does not shut down, even after the key is turned off and removed.

3. Driveline- Got a vibration that is noticeable in 4th gear. The axles definitely need to be shimmed.

4. Windshield- needs to be replaced

5. Transmission- guy I bought it from said it had just been rebuilt. I'm hoping it just needs to "loosen up" but it's very difficult to get into both first, second and reverse. The others shift very smoothly.

6. HVAC- don't have the vacuum lines hooked up or the AC compressor lines hooked up. Probably just going to take it to a professional.

Other than that I loved how it drove. Right now just the stock 175hp pump setting with the BD Super B turbo. Tons of torque and sounds amazing. Might be a while before I feel compelled to mess with the pump or install the delivery valves I bought! Rides decent with the Rancho shocks up front. I'm loving the clutch. It's a ceramic/kevlar unit from Valair. Combined with the HD clutch master from them, the pedal effort is perfect. Feels exactly like the stocker in my uncle's 03 Cummins.

Still have a ways to go before before its "finished" but a couple of things I'd definitely do differently for those of you contemplating the swap-

1- Intercooler/radiator- I would spend the money to get a nice First gen cummins intercooler/radiator/core support package. Using the 99 stuff may have some performance benefits, but damn it was a lot of work to get it to fit and I still haven't figured out how my grill is going to fit.

2- HVAC- I wouldn't even mess with old HVAC stuff, I'd just spend the money on new stuff from Vintage Air or somewhere. The plastic and controls are so brittle on mine, I'm sure that I'll be replacing most of it in a year anyways.

3- Gauges/wiring- In the same vein as the HVAC, I'd spend the money to get all new gauges and start with a new wiring harness. I just don't have confidence in the 30 year old wiring to last very long, and I think it would have been pretty easy to replace the instrument panel with a flat piece of sheet metal that looked pretty snazzy.

Anyways, some photos and videos:

Maiden voyage:


Three gauge mounting panel from Glowshift that fits decent in the dash:



Difference between the disc disc and disc drum master.
 

Kmehr

Adventurer
got the grill shell on, but had to take out the insert part to fit. Thinking Ill make a new insert from expanded steel mesh or something:

 

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Great to see:Wow1: the progress on your truck Kmehr! It must have been cool to take it for the first drive around the field in your video. You could always got for horizontal steel tubing for a front grill. That way you can take some bashing out in the bush without losing your rad or other vital parts. Cheers, Chilli...
 

Kmehr

Adventurer
update:

Instrument panel is off at the machine shop getting a new gauge cluster installed. Also having them cut me a piece of expanded steel mesh to replace my grill insert, getting tired of my truck looking like a clunker! Second battery is here, but will have to modify the battery tray for it to fit. new wiring harness is in. Ended up spending some extra and going with a Painless 21 circuit harness because it was the only one I could find that will handle my 130 amp alternator. Ordered and received all new Z series Autometer gauges. Big plans for the 3 day weekend!

I do need some advice on wiring my alternator. It is a Leece Neville 8LHA2050VBS. It's 130 amps, and has an internal voltage regulator. It has a negative output post and a positive output post. Should I wire both straight to one of the batteries? should a I ground the neg and run the positive to the starter? Painless wasn't any help as they had never seen my alternator before...
 

Kmehr

Adventurer
So far I like the harness a lot, it definitely is made of good quality stuff. One of the biggest hurdles is just the fact that we're wiring up Mopar trucks. If you had a GM this would all be 10,000 times easier! The connectors are all impossible to find, whereas GM used the same stuff for decades and it was all universal. I spent some much damn time tracing wires in the service manual trying to figure out what is what. Anyways....

Don't have it all wired up yet, but made some serious progress. Really happy with how the gauge panel turned out. I'm going to disassemble it and repaint it flat black though, the gloss just didn't take well to the plastic. The grill insert turned out really well, though I learned that it is NOT WELDABLE. I had to use JB weld to attach it. Definitely more see through than I had hoped, but looks sooo much better. When I get around to fabbing a front bumper replacement up, it'll look fantastic.

I ended up making all of my own battery cables with 1/0 welding wire- that's some serious cable! Had to modify my second battery tray so the hood hinge doesn't hit the battery. Finally, I've decided that A/C is going to be a whole other chapter- this harness only has a power feed for the controls.... there's like 20 wires in the factory harness for A/C!









 

snekvasil

Adventurer
Looking good, Kmehr! I was unsure of how your mesh grill would like, but I like it! You could even hide some lights behind there if you wanted. Keep it up. I enjoy seeing the updates.
 

Kmehr

Adventurer
Here's an electrical question for yall- I have one neg (-) post on one battery grounded to the frame, and the other neg (-) post on the other battery grounded to the engine. The positives of the two batteries are linked together. Do I need to also ground the engine to the frame?
 

shortbus4x4

Expedition Leader
Yes, ground engine to frame and don't forget to make sure you have the body grounded to either the frame or engine. If you don't there is a good chance the one battery grounded to the engine will be the only one the starter draws off of.
 
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