Sprinter 4WD Conversion Idea, GMT-800 IFS.

[shade]

No one should trip over that, and reaching down to clunk it into 4WD shouldn't interrupt your grinning.

 

[Alloy]

Good tips, always important to check, because assuming someone knows the basics, makes an Ass of U and Me. I watched me father pull a 1" long wire wheel brush strand out of his leg once. That left a lasting impression.

I have been putting my direct-from-china handheld bandsaw to good use. I find its a bit easier to control on these big cuts.

View attachment 545540

I have a Porter Cable hand band saw that hasn't been used for years. Zip discs will cut as straight be faster, will plunge cut and don't have a limited cutting depth.

 

[shade]

Good tips, always important to check, because assuming someone knows the basics, makes an Ass of U and Me. I watched me father pull a 1" long wire wheel brush strand out of his leg once. That left a lasting impression.

I have been putting my direct-from-china handheld bandsaw to good use. I find its a bit easier to control on these big cuts.

View attachment 545540

If you haven't figured it out yet, good blades will make a big difference in the performance of that tool.

I have a Porter Cable hand band saw that hasn't been used for years. Zip discs will cut as straight be faster, will plunge cut and don't have a limited cutting depth.

Cutoff tool, jigsaw, bandsaw, plasma cutter, cutting torch, funky oscillating cutters - all have their place. For that shifter hole, I'd consider using a portable scroll saw for a clean cut that would follow the template precisely, without a mess.

@luthj - If you haven't considered making or buying a table for that bandsaw, they can be a big help and extend the capabilities of the tool. I recently used mine to cut a bunch of 1/4" shims from 3" aluminum tube stock.

SWAG Portaband Tables & Accessories

Portable band saw, Band saw, table, metal fabrication, welding, milwaukee, dewalt, harbor freight, table saw, weld, metal fab tool, diy, makita, garage, offroading, off road

www.swagoffroad.com

 

[luthj]

Cool table. I may have to get one of those.

For the floor cutouts I general use a combination of hole saws and jig saw work.

The issue with the die grinder, is the chance of kickback (or kick forward) on thicker material. With the generally low speed, and flexibility of the bandsaw blade, there is less risk of that occurring.

 

[luthj]

I tested the tcase position sensor. The results are a bit confusing. Per the service manual pin A is the common. B,C,D are the switched pins. As shown below, 4LO uses the same output as 4HI-Part Time. Which poses a problem for me. I need a way to differentiate between Hi and Low rang for the CANbridge. Hmmm. My only option I think is to change the length of the switches plunger, so the switch combos are different. Should be doable, but likely to be fiddly.

2HI C
4HI-PT C+D
4HI-FT C+B
Neutral none
4LO C+D

 

[shade]

I tested the tcase position sensor. The results are a bit confusing. Per the service manual pin A is the common. B,C,D are the switched pins. As shown below, 4LO uses the same output as 4HI-Part Time. Which poses a problem for me. I need a way to differentiate between Hi and Low rang for the CANbridge. Hmmm. My only option I think is to change the length of the switches plunger, so the switch combos are different. Should be doable, but likely to be fiddly.

2HI C
4HI-PT C+D
4HI-FT C+B
Neutral none
4LO C+D

Could you just add another toggle switch in the cab for 4LO? Not as elegant, but possibly a lot less fiddly.

 

[luthj]

Could you just add another toggle switch in the cab for 4LO? Not as elegant, but possibly a lot less fiddly.

Yeah, always an option for a dash switch. I am mostly trying to make the operation seamless. Pull the shifter, drive. In an emergency situation Jen or someone else may need to operate the van.

I also was hoping to create a LED indicator panel on the console, so I would know what gear I am in without having to look down at the shifter. A bit of a luxury of course, not a requirement.

Since the front diff has an axle disconnect, I was also considering using the Tcase position to close the disconnect, though I haven't worked out what logic I would want to use. I may just keep that a manual switch, who knows.

 

[shade]

Since the front diff has an axle disconnect, I was also considering using the Tcase position to close the disconnect, though I haven't worked out what logic I would want to use. I may just keep that a manual switch, who knows.

I believe that's how Toyota does it with the Tacoma and similar systems. I smart fella made up a control box that allows putting the Tcase in 2LO by leaving the front disconnected.

If you haven't considered that mode, I suggest adding it. It's very useful for backing, especially with a trailer. It also allows creeping forward without concern for tearing up turf as much.

 

[luthj]

Yeah 2Lo is absolutely going to be a function. Weighing as much as the van does, backing up hills is a pain. On steep grades the TC slip rate causes the fluid to heat up fast, being able to run in 2nd or 3rd with the TC clutch locked makes a big difference. Half the battle with a heavy rig is keeping control when moving over big rocks, etc.

 

[luthj]

I pulled out my spare Tcase and measured the selector plate. The 4HI-PT and 4LO are the same switch position. So there is nothing externally I can do to change that. Had I noticed when I was building the tcase, I could have ground down that part of the shaft to a new position. Cest la via I guess.

I think the easiest thing to do will be to the use the Tcase switch for all the other positions, including neutral, and just put a microswitch on the shifter assembly for 4Lo.

I can reference those all to ground, and run them to the CANbridge. Then canbridge can then drive some LEDs on the console based on whatever logic I desire.

 

[luthj]

Had some life stuff come up which took some time. Started sending for laser quotes on Monday. First one was $1300, and they didn't want to order in stronger steel for me, so it would have been A36, with about 36-40ksi yield, HRPO (Hot Rolled Pickled and Oiled). Two others simply stopped replying to my emails without providing a quote.

That 4th seems promising/responsive, hopefully they can offer something a bit stronger 1018, A514, etc at a decent price.

@mountainhick is collaborating on this project with his van, and sent out essentially the same jobs (Albeit in Denver CO), and was quoted somewhere around $700$ IIRC, using hot rolled A514. Not that 1300$ is unreasonable, but its definitely not a good deal for a fairly quick laser job that doesn't need significant drafting/cam work.


I believe I have narrowed down my vans vibration to the engine mounts. Best guess is the extra 3 degrees of twist have put them out of alignment internally, so they are binding. Easy enough to correct with the subframe, I will just do a bit of light grinding on the towers to lower the rear face by 3 degrees.

 

[shade]

I don't know about pricing, but considering all they have to do is nest the parts into a larger program (if that), burn the parts with no prep work, and strap them to a pallet, I wouldn't think there'd be much more for them to do but accept payment.

 

[luthj]

I have pre-nested DXF/dwg files, so all they need to do is load into their CAM software. Generate the tool paths. Verify final dimensions for sanity, then burn it. I figure about 250$ of machine/labor per sheet, 300$ in material, and 100$ in operator/cam/cad time, max.

Now some shops don't have a lighter duty laser, or they only have more expensive machines that cut heavy plate, or are costly to operate. In those cases you are paying more for machine time on machine with more capability than needed.

The other issue is if the shop is booked up. They charge more based on available capacity, and if they need to bring an operator in for overtime. During work peaks a job cost can increase by 40% in some cases.

 

[shade]

The other issue is if the shop is booked up. They charge more based on available capacity, and if they need to bring an operator in for overtime. During work peaks a job cost can increase by 40% in some cases.

At my old plant, we shared a plasma cutter between two 20'x50' tanks so it could be kept burning while the other tank was being loaded & unloaded. It cut up to 3"-4" material, depending on the alloy. Iirc, the boss fit side jobs into the production schedule here and there as long as the plant's work was done.

I hope you find the right shop to work with and don't have to waste money on freight. How tight is your schedule?

 

[luthj]

How tight is your schedule?

I am flexible. NC doesn't get a real winter in my opinion, and welding is more pleasant in the 50F fall temps anyway. A delay just gives me time to work out the other changes the van needs. Lithium...cough cough.

All the places I have contacted are within a 30 minute drive, which is nice. Though some only take cash/check. So I would need to mail or drive it up for a deposit.