Money Pit - Phase III

[KyleQ]

My first outing went well, but the steering needed some work - my main concerns were I was starving the pump and I noticed the fluid was getting HOT. I came to the realization that the reservoir that PSC provided is not going to work in an EB without a body lift, so I'm going to have to build my own.

I ordered the AN fittings and steel bungs I would need to make my own tank as well as a vented cap to fill my reservoir with. My plans are to cut two 6x6 pieces of steel the same length, cut one wall of both pieces, weld them together and run a baffle down the middle so the fluid has to flow the entire length of the reservoir twice before it goes back into the pump. That way I shouldn't have turbulent fluid sloshing around and getting foamy, and it will also aid in cooling as the more surface area the fluid passes the more chances it has to cool.

I'm running a small plate and bar cooler from PSC, but it isn't enough for this application - things sure do get hot under the hood of an EB, only going to get worse with a bigger motor. I ended up ordering a killer Derale 16 pass bar and plate cooler that has a nice shrouded fan paired with an automatic fan controller. The fan controller pops on when it reaches a certain temp - I got the radiator probe version as I'm running -6 AN lines as they didn't have one in that side. I'm going to run the probe between the pair of coolers to pop the fan - should help cool things down nicely ;D

I'll post up my reservoir design and costs when I get started on that - I'm going to place the reservoir directly on top of the fender well so the 5/8's hose that feeds the pump is shorter then 6" and it hopefully going to end up ~1.5" above the pump. There isn't much room to work with - it is going to be close...

 

[KyleQ]

Well I got most of my stuff done and I'm just waiting on my inline filer setup and I'll start the massive rerouting of hoses. The reservoir turned out good, fits perfectly under the hood and will provide plenty of cooled fluid for my upgraded pump.

The inside has two chambers - the large main chamber is where the fill cap and dual inlets are located. The inlets come in at the front, flow all the way down the main chamber, flow through the baffle (to prevent foaming in the secondary chamber) and then out the front side of the reservoir to the pump.


The system currently has about 3/4 of a gallon of fluid in it, with this addition I'm going to guess I'll be using around 2 1/2 gallons of power steering fluid. I will be running the large fan with a thermostatic turn on along with a large filtration system to keep things happy.

The main problem I've been dealing with is that the provided reservoir is just too tall to be used under the hood without cutting a hole in it, so I had to build one that would work. I moved my windshield washer tank to the passenger side wheel well and I'm planning on mounting the power steering fan from the wheel well to the core support. There is dead space there and it keeps things close together and out of the way of any critical parts.

 

[KyleQ]

Got the maze of hoses routed on Sat and it seems to steer better, but it isn't 100%.... Not sure if I am having pump problems or what - kinda annoying.



The new system holds 2.5 gallons and is kept clean with the inline filter. The baffles work great, the fluid doesn't thrash around and get bubbly.

 

[KyleQ]

Well - pump died and I went to PSC heaven. I've got a new one on the way and I'm going to directly mount the reservoir to the pump and cut a hole in the hood to clear it. That will solve all of the feed issues and make me happy.

I got a new red top battery, gear reduction starter, new starter solenoid, installed a set of lights up front, rebuilt the carb, installed a new temp gauge, wired up that cooler fan and also took the D60 apart to replace the spindle nuts and re-grease the bearings.

 

[KyleQ]

I got the pump on Thursday and installed it as soon as I could get off of work. The bracket I built worked perfectly to mount the reservoir over the pump and I used the plasma cutter to quickly cut a hold in the hood to clear it.

I pounded on the Bronco all weekend long without a single issue - I really need to weld the front now ;D

Got the Bronco twisted up on the "RTI ramp"

I've got Cage 5.5" progressive coils up front and they like to compress and stretch at ease - wondering what a linear rate coil would do...


The rear springs are WH 5.5" lift springs - the don't flex as willing as the front coils, but they sure do work hard...

Negative arch on that last one - I'm looking forward to how it will move on a real RTI ramp. This thing is a slinky on the trail - controlled movement that eats up rocks, lots and holes without any drama.

 

[Tito]

How close is your front center section to the frame on compression?

 

[KyleQ]

How close is your front center section to the frame on compression?

I'm running a 5.5" coil and even on the RTI ramp with the coil compressed this much it didn't make contact.



It took all of the weight of the truck to compress it that much, and I would have gone further if the fender wasn't cutting into the tire. I forgot to take pictures from the front angle, would have been nice. Unless you are jumping this thing in a tough truck, I don't think you will have any issues.

Take a look at this picture very closely - you cannot see the frame and you can clearly see the top of the differential. Even with the coil compressed as far as it is, there is still room at for more up-travel. I didn't want to sacrifice any up-travel in this build - I'm not even running any bump stops right now.

 

[KyleQ]

I've done some more work on the steering - mainly so it works and clears the hood.

Here is what I've got-



Needed to feed the pump - so I mounted the reservoir directly to the pump. It works flawlessly - just had to cut a hole in the hood. This will all change once I switch over to the 351W with Explorer serpentine and a new TC style PSC pump.

I also welded the front end before I went wheeling again - what a difference ;D I'm using the twin stick more now because of it - I can see a rear line lock in the future.

I loaded up on a buddy's trailer and had a wonderful weekend of camping and wheeling with my girlfriend (I'm so lucky she loves to go wheeling as much as I do)


Had a lot of fun - got an apatite for rocks and had a blast.


I'm really looking forward to the 351 EFI swap - welded front is awesome though.


I've never run into mud this thick and sticky on a hill climb - you couldn't walk in it, you slipped around like you were on ice.


I also got my own trailer to tow this beast -

 

[KyleQ]

Here is one of my first rock climbs - the hill was steep and there was lots of loose dirt between the rocks.

 

[KyleQ]

Did some winter wheeling this weekend - my D20 has been jumping out of gear for a bit and I've just been dealing with it. Well this weekend the case gave up the ghost and now the case grinds and pops out no matter what in low range so bad I couldn't get it on the trailer. High range seems to be ok - but the case leaked out fluid from what looks like the top, probably split the case. Thankfully I ordered my Atlas2 a few weeks ago - so I'm just patiently waiting


Don't have a lot of pics - but I did use my tire groover on my rear tires, worked WONDERS!

 

[KyleQ]

Atlas arrived - PTO requested, hope to have it installed Friday afternoon. AA says I need a 2" body lift to fit the case, I'm thinking the floor will be messaged so it will fit. Pictures to come - I went with a 3.8 case with NO speed sensor so it would be a few inches shorter.

 

[KyleQ]

Friday was productive - got the old case out, fairly easy and all the bolts came out without a fight.
Put my lift cart under the case with a bin to catch the oil, separated the transfer case and waited for it to stop leaking. A little more tugging and it was resting on the cart - push of a lever and it was ground level and slid out from under the truck.


This was on the transmission after I pulled the case :-X


The rest of the afternoon was spent getting the shifters installed on my case... What a PITA.


Got everything together how I think it should be and called it a night.


Should be installed today - I'm still up in the air about the shifter positioning and the fun I'll have figuring out where it will clock and where the studs will end up...

 

[KyleQ]

Got the atlas installed with some good help - I bench pressed the case up a few times for trial fits; my gym membership payed off there

I installed the case without any body lift - it fits just fine with a little floor trimming, much less then I earlier expected. The shifters need to be adjusted (as suspected) as it runs into my leg in high range - my D20 twin stick did the same.

I filled the case through the breather with a fluid pump as I wasn't going to attempt to fill it through the sight tube at the clocking angle I've got it set at. My front drive shaft fit perfectly (Tom Woods, lots of spline engagement) and I took it out for a spin. I <3 gears ;D

It got dark and time ran late, so I didn't get any pictures, but I'll post some up later. I stretched my from axle forward in my build, so my Cage arm bracket sits right next to where the Atlas sits. It sits so close it interfered with the case fitting, so all the bolts came out and were flipped so the heads were on the inside of the frame. I've got about a half inch between the case and the frame rail - so I'm not worried there. The bottom of the Atlas sits a little bit lower then the Cage brackets, so I'll have to fab up a skid plate to protect it, probably incorporate it to the Cage brackets for extra strength.

 

[KyleQ]

I had to cut a bit of floor behind the shifters to clear the back edge of the case - just slightly into the x-member that supports the seats.


Here is how the case sits in my truck - this is with factory 74' body mounts.


This is the 3rd time I've modified the rear shaft - had to cut ~2.5" out of it this time. It was a bit long to begin with, so that number may not be the same for another swap.


Always remember to bevel the edges you are going to weld - clamp with 2 piece of angle iron to get it straight. Oh - and make sure the shaft is in proper phase!


Driveshaft in


Clearance won't be an issue - I'll build a small skid for it.

 

[broncomitch]

very nice

wish i lived in the mountains!

 

[KyleQ]

I got the top off the Bronco



I've got this little tarp that will work if we get a little rain while woods wheeling-

 

[KyleQ]

I was at Dresser over Memorial weekend and had a blast - my friends and I had a total of 10 trucks at the event and most of them lasted through the weekend. I removed my hood first thing as I didn't want to deal with overheating - best thing I did all weekend. My temp never got about 210 - even bouncing the motor off the rev limited in 3rd gear for minutes at a time.

My first trip out with the atlas was great - the extra gearing made everything different, some things got very easy.

I did end up blowing up the front yolk on the atlas on Monday afternoon - but I had done some serious rock crawling that involved some dented diff covers AA has one on the way to me free of charge and my Tom Woods drive-shaft is ok, just needed a new ujoint as I lost a cap. My other downfall was the original 1G alternator that I was running - my battery eventually discharged from frequent starting and the alternator would only provide enough juice to power the motor. JoeH stepped in and yanked a 3G for me and we installed it in camp in around 30 minutes - battery charges fast and I've noticed more power!

 

[DonaldDouchebag]

Wow. They let you have rear passengers without a rear cage?

 

[KyleQ]

Wow. They let you have rear passengers without a rear cage?

Not on black diamond obstacles - everything else is game. Cage is going in soon -

 

[DonaldDouchebag]

Not on black diamond obstacles - everything else is game. Cage is going in soon -

Makes sense. I wanted to make it to Dresser this year but I'm consumed by a bunch of upgrades right now. Maybe next year!