Great White: A Chevy K10 Build
- Thread starter Ouiwee
- Start date
Thats some mighty well done fabrication work Quiwee. Me like. Serious work done there. Cheers, Chilli...
Thanks Chili. It's going on 4 years now I have been working on this thing.
I'll be testing this spring by getting it off road. I want to do a trip to the north rim of the grand canyon this year. It needs to be bullet proof before a trip like that (its 2,300 miles just to get there from my location).
I installed a new steering wheel today. It seems a better size.
Longacre makes wide angle rear view mirrors for race cars and I adapted one using two GoPro mounts. I can adjust it however I like and it can be moved around the windshield.
It's good to see her out and about.
I managed to get the gauge cluster working today. There was a network conflict with the GPS unit. The Dakota Digital dash allows for an adjustment range on the speedometer from 75% to 125%. I was fortunate in that 75% is just about perfect, based on following another car.
Longacre makes wide angle rear view mirrors for race cars and I adapted one using two GoPro mounts. I can adjust it however I like and it can be moved around the windshield.
It's good to see her out and about.
I managed to get the gauge cluster working today. There was a network conflict with the GPS unit. The Dakota Digital dash allows for an adjustment range on the speedometer from 75% to 125%. I was fortunate in that 75% is just about perfect, based on following another car.
I did the first mileage test today on a short trip north. I filled the tanks and drove 72 miles, part of which was through the city but nearly all was highway at 70 mph. I refilled and got 2.8 gallons in the tank. I cannot help being skeptical that it actually got 25 mpg, but those are the numbers. I'll have to test with a longer trip, maybe drain an entire tank for a larger data sample.
Nonetheless, this thing is getting at least 20 mpg on the highway. I'm tickled, to say the least. The best I could muster in perfect circumstances was 12 mpg with the prior engine.
Nonetheless, this thing is getting at least 20 mpg on the highway. I'm tickled, to say the least. The best I could muster in perfect circumstances was 12 mpg with the prior engine.
Many thanks.
Thanks Chilli.
I put the 500 break in miles on the new engine and changed filter/oil. While I had it drained, I pulled one of the stainless pipes that feeds oil from the sump tank. It was weeping oil, very little, but weeping nonetheless. I visually inspected them but did not have the fittings to pressure test. So, I bought the fittings and installed a schrader valve to pressure test, and sure enough there was a pinhole in one of the welds. It took literally 30 seconds to fix it.
I wondered how much oil would make it past the compression stage of the pump. Very little, maybe a quart gets past in a day. Sure enough, sitting for a week it drained the sump tank into the bottom end of the engine. There isn't enough oil to hit the pistons, seep by the rings, and hydro lock the engine...this I verified. On my track car, I just pull the belt off the pump and spin it with a cordless drill to drain the bottom of the crankcase.
So, I installed a valve that allows me to turn off the oil to the engine. Bad idea you say...well, it could very well be depending on how it is executed. I installed a 3/4" motorized ball valve.
It also includes (5-wire version) a separate circuit that switches between opened valve close circuit and closed valve close circuit. I used the circuit to interrupt the ground to the starter relay. Thus, I cannot start the truck if the valve is closed. It is rated for 80k to 100k cycles, so should more than last. I'll put a double throw switch in the cab to operate the valve.
The only thing that bugs me is that it would be possible to turn off the oil while the engine is running. I guess I could wire in a kill circuit for just such a case.
It is strange that nothing has been a problem so far. But, I won't tempt fate.
I put the 500 break in miles on the new engine and changed filter/oil. While I had it drained, I pulled one of the stainless pipes that feeds oil from the sump tank. It was weeping oil, very little, but weeping nonetheless. I visually inspected them but did not have the fittings to pressure test. So, I bought the fittings and installed a schrader valve to pressure test, and sure enough there was a pinhole in one of the welds. It took literally 30 seconds to fix it.
I wondered how much oil would make it past the compression stage of the pump. Very little, maybe a quart gets past in a day. Sure enough, sitting for a week it drained the sump tank into the bottom end of the engine. There isn't enough oil to hit the pistons, seep by the rings, and hydro lock the engine...this I verified. On my track car, I just pull the belt off the pump and spin it with a cordless drill to drain the bottom of the crankcase.
So, I installed a valve that allows me to turn off the oil to the engine. Bad idea you say...well, it could very well be depending on how it is executed. I installed a 3/4" motorized ball valve.
It also includes (5-wire version) a separate circuit that switches between opened valve close circuit and closed valve close circuit. I used the circuit to interrupt the ground to the starter relay. Thus, I cannot start the truck if the valve is closed. It is rated for 80k to 100k cycles, so should more than last. I'll put a double throw switch in the cab to operate the valve.
The only thing that bugs me is that it would be possible to turn off the oil while the engine is running. I guess I could wire in a kill circuit for just such a case.
It is strange that nothing has been a problem so far. But, I won't tempt fate.
No, that would be too interesting. I sit in airports and type on a keyboard.
partsflyin
Adventurer
Amazing build. Hats off.
Thank you.
I got around to turning some caps for the swing out bearings. I couldn't get normal ones to fit right, so I rolled my own. They are off to paint.
The rear tank fabrication has begun in earnest. I have the bottom of the tank off to get it bent with a brake. I used thicker material on the bottom and want a nice bend across the width.
I bought an airplane style fill cap and a gasket for a tank access panel. The gasket is an 8 bolt circle with a diameter of 5.25". I took the level sender from an extra one I had for the saddle tanks. The pump is supported by a 3/4" right angle piece of aluminum.
Here is the assembly.
I have a -6 AN roll over valve / vent in the center. The feed and return are in red. The access panel is fairly low profile but it will have to fit a 90 degree hose fitting. I had thoughts about putting it on the front side of the tank but thought better of it.
The electrical connections are slightly tricky, but I've done this before.
Here is how it looks downside up.
I have all but the bottom panel of the tank welded. Tomorrow, I will see about fabricating some mounting tabs and test fitting the tank. Once I know where it wants to go, I can see about installing the fill port.
The only remaining item, sans installation, is the bottom panel. Here are some pics showing where it will go.
I didn't spare the rod on those mounts (forgive the pun). There will be a rubber pad between the angle iron (AL) and the frame.
Not the best picture, but it shows the layout. Here is the fuel hatch that will be filled from the bed.
The tank is good for just under 18 gallons. At 20 MPG (optimistic, sure) that means 20+20+18 = 58 gallons is 1,160 miles. Of course it only makes sense to assume 8 MPG on the trail? But with Jerry cans providing another 20 gallons it should suffice.
I didn't spare the rod on those mounts (forgive the pun). There will be a rubber pad between the angle iron (AL) and the frame.
Not the best picture, but it shows the layout. Here is the fuel hatch that will be filled from the bed.
The tank is good for just under 18 gallons. At 20 MPG (optimistic, sure) that means 20+20+18 = 58 gallons is 1,160 miles. Of course it only makes sense to assume 8 MPG on the trail? But with Jerry cans providing another 20 gallons it should suffice.
I have a 4 pole rotary switch that will switch between two 6-port valves. The rotary switch will reverse polarity to each valve appropriately while also switching both power to the in-tank pumps and fuel level senders.
It is a bit tricky to wire, but is simple enough to do. I'll post the wiring diagram when I get a chance to make a soft copy of it.
It is a bit tricky to wire, but is simple enough to do. I'll post the wiring diagram when I get a chance to make a soft copy of it.