Scoutkid's van is HERE!!!
- Thread starter scoutkid
- Start date
Our low-buck solution was to install a simple fuel pump and switch that would pump it into the main tank--no change to the factory sender, in-tank pump, etc. When you get to 1/4 tank up front, hit the switch. You need a pump that can run dry or a way to shut it down when it is done. Did that to a bunch of old ford farm pickups that didn't have the second tank option--less prone to issues than the selector valves.
You can still buy a 22 gal rear tank for vans. That one fits even with the spare in place IIRC. (ETA) At least if you use the old-style spare holder.
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scoutkid
Van Builder
Stopped by the tranny shop tonight - they want to do all the rest of the work. Swap the tailshafts, install xfer case, modify the drivelines, extend the tranny xmember and install the shifter. All for a VERY reasonable price.
I haven't used this shop before but it is a short walk from my house and comes highly recommended by my favorite diesel parts place down the street. I'm gonna give them a whirl!
I drop off the van and parts tomorrow at 7:30 AM, should have it back Thursday evening or Friday morning!
:wings::wings:
I haven't used this shop before but it is a short walk from my house and comes highly recommended by my favorite diesel parts place down the street. I'm gonna give them a whirl!
I drop off the van and parts tomorrow at 7:30 AM, should have it back Thursday evening or Friday morning!
:wings::wings:
scoutkid
Van Builder
AC Transmission right of Colfax and I70. I took the recommendation of the guys down at 5R (performance truck shop) and they said Brian and his team were top notch, family owned.
I went in to talk about the project and they made it seem like it was no big deal and had me sold. I dropped off the donor tranny, xfer case and a box of parts yesterday and they pretty much just said 'cool' and went to work
I haven't heard a peep from them, and I take that to be a GOOD thing from these kind of guys. They seem super on top of it!
:sombrero:
I went in to talk about the project and they made it seem like it was no big deal and had me sold. I dropped off the donor tranny, xfer case and a box of parts yesterday and they pretty much just said 'cool' and went to work
I haven't heard a peep from them, and I take that to be a GOOD thing from these kind of guys. They seem super on top of it!:sombrero:
scoutkid
Van Builder
Now, what are all the details?
The wonderful guys at AC Transmission pulled my old trans, took the tailshaft out of the donor tranny and swapped it in. While they were in there, the tweeked a few things to help with more firm shifts, and put in a magnificent billet torque converter. I didn't really know this was going to happen, but when I dropped it off I told them "Men makes transmissions bomb proof. I am a Man, therefore make my transmission bomb proof". And bomb proof they made it.
Somewhere in the flurry of activity it occured to me that this would be a good time to add a deep pan, particularly one that would also assist in the bombproofness of the transmission. This Mag-Hytec pan does just that by adding a ton of rigidity to the transmission itself. And it now holds enough transmission fluid to keep an Abrahms tank tranny cool.
Driveshafts. Oh the horror. Front shaft? No problem. New ujoints all around and a CV up top. The rear shaft? Remember the trouble I went through to get the Vantom mobile just so I could drive to 2 miles to the tranny shop? Yeah, that all went away. I still have big-*** 1410 ujoints, but the rest of the shaft was scrapped since we needed a CV at the transfer case, and put the slip yolk down at the rear axle....
Oh, and now you are all cranky cause the picture quality sucks. Yeah, me too, but thats what happens when you are taking paparazzi photos of your own van in the lot of the transmission shop and trying not to look like a creeper.
FYI - the cheap little computer that Chris sells to make the 4WD tranny talk to the Speedo/Odomoeter? BUY THAT. I didn't, I figured I would 'have lots of time later'. I didn't, and forgot. Now Vantom can't tell me how fast he is going. He isn't SUPPOSED to shift without the speed sensor plugged in, but he does. Apparently the trans shop guys got him to run all up and down the street. They think he sifts because I have the speed sensor at the rear axle hooked up. I don't plan on driving him until I get the computer from Chris, which should happen next week.
So much for a weekend shakedown run!!!
The wonderful guys at AC Transmission pulled my old trans, took the tailshaft out of the donor tranny and swapped it in. While they were in there, the tweeked a few things to help with more firm shifts, and put in a magnificent billet torque converter. I didn't really know this was going to happen, but when I dropped it off I told them "Men makes transmissions bomb proof. I am a Man, therefore make my transmission bomb proof". And bomb proof they made it.
Somewhere in the flurry of activity it occured to me that this would be a good time to add a deep pan, particularly one that would also assist in the bombproofness of the transmission. This Mag-Hytec pan does just that by adding a ton of rigidity to the transmission itself. And it now holds enough transmission fluid to keep an Abrahms tank tranny cool.
Driveshafts. Oh the horror. Front shaft? No problem. New ujoints all around and a CV up top. The rear shaft? Remember the trouble I went through to get the Vantom mobile just so I could drive to 2 miles to the tranny shop? Yeah, that all went away. I still have big-*** 1410 ujoints, but the rest of the shaft was scrapped since we needed a CV at the transfer case, and put the slip yolk down at the rear axle....
Oh, and now you are all cranky cause the picture quality sucks. Yeah, me too, but thats what happens when you are taking paparazzi photos of your own van in the lot of the transmission shop and trying not to look like a creeper.
FYI - the cheap little computer that Chris sells to make the 4WD tranny talk to the Speedo/Odomoeter? BUY THAT. I didn't, I figured I would 'have lots of time later'. I didn't, and forgot. Now Vantom can't tell me how fast he is going. He isn't SUPPOSED to shift without the speed sensor plugged in, but he does. Apparently the trans shop guys got him to run all up and down the street. They think he sifts because I have the speed sensor at the rear axle hooked up. I don't plan on driving him until I get the computer from Chris, which should happen next week.
So much for a weekend shakedown run!!!
Why do you think Porches use so much oil to stay cool/ Fuzzy feelings!:sombrero:
sdski
Observer
At the front of that rides one of these:
Wow! Look at that leaf pack. Those diesels are beasts!
This thing is looking sweet. Maybe you should talk to chris about paying you for his marketing because you are slowly convincing me to go the Ujoint route (slowly? scratch that you did this conversion in a month...).
Sweet tranny pan, good choice. You must be bored that everything is done now, want to come to Washington?
scoutkid
Van Builder
Thanks!!
I have been trying to tell Chris that I need a full van wrap to be a Ujoint offroad driving billboard!! I would totally rock that!:sombrero:
I may just need to drive the van up to Washington, down the PCH... hmmm, or UP the PCH to AK!
I will get some better pics today, I walked down to the trans shop this morning and drove the big boy home. Hard shifts you say! WOW! I didn't realize an auto could BE so firm, and the dang computer isn't even hooked up yet!!
Today I beging the 'shop transmorgification'. That's where I change my shop over from primarily Auto to primarily Wood. That way I can start building cabinets (for both Vantom and my kitchen) in my nice heated shop as the weather gets cooler.