Belafonte Reboot....Ambulance to 4x4 Camper Conversion

[tgreening]

Well that sorry son-of-a-biscuit-eater is out. The tranny jack actually proved useful, but not without modification. The little angle brackets that are supposed to stick up and support the tranny weren't near long enough and had to have extensions welded to them. Either that or I just don't know how the dang thing is supposed to work. I've never used one till now, always muscling them in or out. Since I was flying solo on this project, something I don't really recommend, there wasn't enough muscle for the muscling so the tranny jack was front and center. The only "issue" was once it was out the jack wouldn't drop low enough to slide out past the frame and boxes hanging down. Oh crap! I got the floor jack under once side of the axle and prayed. Topped out it was just barely enough, and I had to do some wiggling and tipping around to get it out, but out it is. Monday I'll get it to the rebuilder and it's his problem then.

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This bugger is next. I got one nut off of it and had to pack it in for Christmas Eve family events. I'm contemplating R&Ring the flex plate/ring gear just for giggles, which it looks pretty much fine from the laying on my back on cold ******** concrete position, but I'm thinking "while it's out". Anybody know the general cost on one of those and a good source other than the stealership?

Also, the drivers side down-pipe looks like something I might want to consider as well. It's solid, but has a fair amount of surface corrosion, plus whats that braided hose thingy in the middle. Same question on cost / source if anyone knows.

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Birds eye of the ring gear / flex plate.

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And last but not least a down the side shot to give a better idea of tire placement in the wheel well. For the late comers I used 2" adapters on the factory Dana 70 and recentered H1 wheels using 37/12.5/16.5 H1 Goodyears. The rims I believe are 9" with a stock 7" backspace which I changed to 3.5" back space. This put the sidewall of the tire in pretty much the same spot as the sidewall of the original outside dually tire, maybe a bit more outboard. Anyway the tire is right on the line of sticking outside the edge of the box, but no where near sticking out past the fender flare. I'm still undecided on dumping the flare. I had thought the tires might be more inboard in the wheel well and had considered dropping the flares to make that no so noticeable, but as it is I could, but don't really need to. I'll decide on that once it's rolling and I can pull it out of the shop and really give it a good look.

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All there is for now. Once I get the torque converter out and decide on the flex plate I'm moving on to the front end. Once I get that ripped out and the new suspension mounts drilled and/or welded in and off to the powder coater, I'll drag my front axle over here and get started on that. Sheesh. I don't know how folks get this done in a weekend or so, but doing it by yourself does not make for a quick mod.

 

[patoz]

plus whats that braided hose thingy in the middle.

Spoken like a true professional mechanic....

Sheesh. I don't know how folks get this done in a weekend or so, but doing it by yourself does not make for a quick mod.

Have you ever watched that video on Chris' (Ujoint) website? He does a complete conversion on a van and videos it. He has a fully equipped shop with hydraulic lift and all the right tools, all the parts on hand, an experienced 5 to 6 man (much younger) team, and it still takes him the better part of a day to complete it.

With that being said, I think you're making pretty good progress.

Merry Christmas Tom!

 

[tgreening]

Well I have a pretty good idea what The Braided Hose Thingy is for, I just wanted the definitive answer is all.

Whatched the vid a handful of times. When I finally get around to redoing my shop I intends to have one of them there lifts. They really aren't that expensive for the average, though I'll be spending a bit more because I want a 12k.

Been to his shop too (neener neener!). Having all the tools layed out, having some experience and knowing the task at hand is a huge time saver.

I r&r'd a Jeep engine once and turned out the supposedly good engine I put in was about 5 times worse than the one I'd just yanked. Wife had to get to work and I dang sure wasn't giving up my wheels so I dove back in. I yanked that piece of poop and reinstalled the piece of crap, and drove out....in 45 minutes.

Of course an engine bay doesnt get much simpler that a 70s era Jeep inline six, and ALL the right tools were right there because I'd just done the job once already, but still, I was pretty proud of that.

My new diesel truck...shoot, it takes almost 45 minutes just to fill that thing with fuel.

 

[patoz]

Yep, everything's 'new and improved', but sometimes I wonder.

It's been raining for a week here and just let up yesterday, so I haven't gotten anything done on mine except buy parts. Today and tomorrow are going to be nice, and then back to more rain, so I may get out there and try to get a few things done today.

 

[flightcancled]

Still better than anything I've gotten done under my rig! If you can't do this solo I really don't want to even try.

 

[tgreening]

You can do just about anything solo as long as you have the right tools, but that doesn't always mean it's going to be easy. The worst thing is all the up and down. You grab the tools you think you need and drag them under the rig with you, only to find out 10 seconds later you need a longer this, or bigger that, and it's crawl back out, go get your tool, and then back under. Rinse and repeat pretty much for the entire time you're working on something. It would be worlds easier and a whole lot faster if you just had a helper that could fetch that stuff for you. Frustrating as all snot as well.

When I bolted down the bucket seats in the back I believe there were about 24 total bolts. I had to stick vicegrips on the bolt head, jump out and go up into the wheel well and/or compartment to ratchet on the nut, 24 times. Jumping out and climbing in got old REAL fast, but I was the sum total of the maintenance crew.

Plus you got that spiffy new diesel fired heater for yours, and stole it to boot! I am soooo jealous on that one I'll tell you. I never EVER find those "deals" that other people seem to find on a regular basis. Always just what they were looking for, and a killer price. Grrrr.

 

[flightcancled]

Hahaha that's a year of looking right there! Anyone want one of those handy low battery shutoff units? Same guy has one for 50$

Either way HUGE props to anyone that does the conversion single handed. I can't even begin to do that. At best I may source the new axles and rebuild them and lift the rear.

 

[patoz]

You can do just about anything solo as long as you have the right tools, but that doesn't always mean it's going to be easy. The worst thing is all the up and down. You grab the tools you think you need and drag them under the rig with you, only to find out 10 seconds later you need a longer this, or bigger that, and it's crawl back out, go get your tool, and then back under. Rinse and repeat pretty much for the entire time you're working on something. It would be worlds easier and a whole lot faster if you just had a helper that could fetch that stuff for you. Frustrating as all snot as well.

I hear ya brother, and that's my problem as well. Plus, I'm doing it on broken concrete and dirt.

It's too bad we don't all live in the same city. We could team up and knock out most of our big projects in no time.

 

[tgreening]

Where the heck did everybody go? Sheesh, one little pagan holiday rolls around and everybody disappears.

 

[patoz]

Huh, I've been working on mine all day and will make a post on my thread shortly.

BTW, I checked on this today and it is just a blank plug being used as a cap. It doesn't even have any pins in it. Without ripping my entire harness apart all I can tell is, it's spliced into some of the wires running from the front to the rear, and some of the wires just go forward. It may be part of the Ford harness (most likely), but it may also be an add on by Wheeled Coach. The splices are covered with heat shrink which looks like OEM stuff, but I've found other cases where WC used OEM plugs and tied in some of their stuff. I know this tells you basically nothing, but as I get further into it, I'll find out for sure.

 

[flightcancled]

I have that plug too I think. I'm wondering if it is for a tranny sensor.

 

[patoz]

Alex, if you have it also then that means it's a Ford plug.

I did find a rear differential speed sensor, which is connected by a harness consisting of a red and a green wire twisted together. It runs in the main harness on the left frame rail, from the differential all the way to the firewall area.

 

[tgreening]

Got the torque converter yanked. Needed the blue tip wrench to persuade it out of there, but out she came.

Also yanked the front end out. Still have to remove various brackets and finish pulling the shocks, but the old front be gone. Pics to follow after chow.

 

[tgreening]

Big fat sexy torque converter picture.... Can these things be tested for function?

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And the front end coming apart. Lefty...

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And the righty...

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And just to show that everything is better with a lift kit. Needs a spiffy paint job now.

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Tomorrow I'm going to work on ditching the unneeded brackets, pulling the shocks, and having a look at what needs trimmed on that engine cradle (cross brace). Hopefully I'll have enough time to get through that, and go have a look-see at my front axle. Rumor has it it's ready for paint, and I think I'll bring it to my home shop to continue on. AND I want to go have a look at this... Got it in my head I'd like to have a little truck to bang around in daily instead of racking up the miles on my dually.

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Anyhow that's it so far during the holiday.

 

[tgreening]

Forgot to mention, if anybody knows anybody that's interested in those front end pieces have them give me a shot asap. I won't hang on to them long before they hit the scrap pile.