MG Metalworks Van Build

Jasper Jones

Observer
Awesome! Can you now legally share them, or provide information on how to get them? I can see those being very useful for some projects.
 

mgmetalworks

Explorer
Awesome! Can you now legally share them, or provide information on how to get them? I can see those being very useful for some projects.

As much as I'd love for this kind of stuff to be open source, it is not. I cannot share.

The path I took to get here was probably the long route but I wanted to spend as little as possible to get as much detail as I could. Your best bet, and frankly what I'd recommend over how I did it, is to find a member of SEMA that has access to the Tech Transfer program and pay them to find the files for you.
 

mgmetalworks

Explorer
I finally had some time to work on my own van today.... Decided to knock out some of the wiring for the mirrors, starting with the lights.

DSC_0645 (800x536).jpg
DSC_0643 (800x536).jpg

The wiring for the mirror adjustment is already there. However, the motors in the truck mirrors are wired opposite of the van mirrors so up is down and left is right when you hit the switch. It's annoying so I think I'm going to reconfigure the switch. I opened up the factory switch housing to find a simple circuit board with some top layer copper traces. It won't be hard to cut some of the traces and reroute a couple wires. Believe it or not, this is actually easier than disassembling the mirror and swapping wires on the motors.

Power fold and power telescoping features are on hold because...well...I'd rather spend time on the Cummins swap.

Speaking of which...I do finally have the ECM unlocked. Still a ton of CAN bus configuration work to do but it is getting easier as I get more experience decoding the identifiers and data packets. I was kind of getting tired of working on the project until yesterday when I got to drive a '14 Ram with the same engine I'm using. These new engines are sooooo quiet and smooth. I have some renewed excitement now! :)
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
I was with ya right up till you started talkin 'bout Canadian buses and ID tags and data bags and whatsits. :Wow1: :drool:
 
I finally had some time to work on my own van today.... Decided to knock out some of the wiring for the mirrors, starting with the lights.

View attachment 249036
View attachment 249037

The wiring for the mirror adjustment is already there. However, the motors in the truck mirrors are wired opposite of the van mirrors so up is down and left is right when you hit the switch. It's annoying so I think I'm going to reconfigure the switch. I opened up the factory switch housing to find a simple circuit board with some top layer copper traces. It won't be hard to cut some of the traces and reroute a couple wires. Believe it or not, this is actually easier than disassembling the mirror and swapping wires on the motors.

Power fold and power telescoping features are on hold because...well...I'd rather spend time on the Cummins swap.

Speaking of which...I do finally have the ECM unlocked. Still a ton of CAN bus configuration work to do but it is getting easier as I get more experience decoding the identifiers and data packets. I was kind of getting tired of working on the project until yesterday when I got to drive a '14 Ram with the same engine I'm using. These new engines are sooooo quiet and smooth. I have some renewed excitement now! :)

Those mirrors look great! I'm definitely going to do that.
Very interested in the Cummins swap. Exciting work.
 

mgmetalworks

Explorer
Any chance of an update for Turkey day reading...?

I'll assume that most people want an update on what is going on with the Cummins swap so I'll start there....

There have been some recent developments with the 2013+ Cummins/Ram trucks that will make this swap a lot easier. Aftermarket tunes are available now that will simplify my life a great deal and make all of the potentially troublesome electronics irrelevant. The only unfortunate thing is that these tunes are commanding a premium price ($1500) and I just don't want to spend that much right now when I know the price will come down significantly in the coming months. The rest of the electronics integration is going well too. More CAN data has been deciphered, my Cummins/Ford/Allison CAN "translator" prototype is working (albeit somewhat crudely put together at the moment) and the wiring harnesses are looking less and less like rat's nests.

I also have a bunch of fabrication to do in preparation for mounting the engine/trans in my spare frame. I'm building an A-frame gantry hoist for the lifting and moving around of the drive train...plus I just want one around the shop for lifting stuff in general. There are also parts coming in for mounting the fuel tank and making fuel lines along with some new tools that will make my life easier.

To add to the fun, I've been making a lot of slider door hinges lately and making preparations for building more Sienna seat mounts. There are also some other fun design projects in the works. 2015 will be a busy year. :)
 

Jasper Jones

Observer
That sounds awesome! I can't wait to see the Cummins swap fired up.

Have you ever thought about making stainless steel door hinges? It seems like I am constantly battling rust on my van, and the worst part is the door hinges. They always get beat up by rocks on the road, and I can't keep paint on them.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you have coming down the line!

-Jason
 

fmboss429

Observer
Thanks for the update! I was interested in what you've been up to overall, not just specifically the Cummins swap, but that is how I got hooked on your thread. You've got a brilliant mind, and I can't wait to see what you come up with next!
 

mgmetalworks

Explorer
Thanks for the update! I was interested in what you've been up to overall, not just specifically the Cummins swap, but that is how I got hooked on your thread. You've got a brilliant mind, and I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Thanks for the kind words!

I'll have some fun updates for things other than the Cummins swap pretty soon. I need to get a little farther on the design before I start showing progress pictures.
 

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