Backyard Cummins

[C20scott]

Finally removed the junk universal mirrors that the PO put on there. Went with an original set of tripods that i found locally.

[C20scott]

Found a rust-free metal floor bed locally for a good price. There will be some body work needed. but not going for a show truck here. I have it temporarily setup with lights, no tailgate.

The shackle-flip moved my axle forward a good amount, and is no longer centered in the well. I decided that i am not going to try and reverse this. Instead, i am simply going to set the current location of the axle as the centerpoint of the fenderwell, and cut from there. I will have fender flares for mockup before i do this.

I will need to make a set work, as i have yet to see a good looking set of flares for these trucks.

[C20scott]

I have done alot more undercover work in the last month, more pics to come. Hopefully some smokey burnout videos once i get this engine dialed.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice score on the bed. Are you saying you're going to cut the bed around the wheel well and move it forward instead of just moving the axle back to center it in the wheel well? Have you thought about using a zero rate off set block to help move it back?

[C20scott]

Yes, that's exactly what i'm planning. I could easily get the axle to move back, but this would mean that i need to have my driveshaft rebuilt.(didnt have the foresight to think about the axle moving forward when i measured..)

I want fender flares anyways, and a shorter wheelbase could never hurt.. Also, would linexing the entire truck in a custom color be a bad idea?

[superduty_59]

Ultimately it's your truck and you will do as you see fit. I have seen Jeeps that were beat up and rusted out. The owners did a spray on bed liner just to give it a uniform look and make it look better than it did. I think it could look cool done right but very hard to remove if you want to do anything in the future.

[Dieselwrencher]

I'd say pass on the liner over the whole body. To me it doesn't look great on a vehicle you're sticking so much money in. And how many hours will you have doing the bed sides versus moving the axle back and having your drive shaft re tubed? My drive shaft shop will re tube and balance one for around $100. I'd rather spend $100 than have several hours cutting and moving the wheel wells in the bed side. I've stretched quarter panels before on tubbed cars and that work sounds easy until you get it all cut up.

[C20scott]

Im not going to linex the whole truck, it was a thought though. I will be linexing the bumpers and rockers, because thats my style.

Also, good advice on the fenderwells, i can get a longer tube for about the same price. On the other side, its not like im going to spend weeks on the bodywork. I would literally be slapping some plastic flares over the larger opening.

[C20scott]

I finally got my engine dialed today.. Im now wondering if its necessary to have this much power..

Here's a list of everything i have under the hood so far:
Engine - 1997 cummins 12v, 215hp pump, 120k on odometer before swap
Tranny - NV4500HD 5 speed
TCase - NP205 from cummins, matching spline count

Engine Upgrades:
4" straight pipe exhaust
Amsoil Ait filter, no restriction
DPS exhaust manifold
Phatshaft 62/65/12 turbo
Carl's dual intake(not sure if this really helps with power)
3k gov springs
5x.014 injectors from DFI
#11 fuel plate
Timing bumped to 16*
A badass lightweight chevy truck to put it all into

The above combo gives me more power than i could ever need in a truck. I almost want to put an auto tranny in it just to see how fast i could make it. I still have some tuning to do, but currently have no turbo lag, good fuel mileage, and more power than any other vehicle ive ever owned(tires spin in 2nd-4th gears). since injectors, timing, and sealing up all of my air leaks, this engine is a whole different animal

[84chevyguyid]

How much boost does it make?

[C20scott]

Top gear on the highway I saw 39psi at the intake manifold. Pretty sure the wastegate is set right around 40. Im on stock head studs and gaskets, so im not going to push it over 40psi. EGTs are staying nice and low too. I need to figure out how to post a video!

[rgreathouse]

How do you like the tuff country leafs?

[Dieselwrencher]

Have you retorqued your original head bolts yet? If not, do it. It's cheap insurance. I usually take them to 135-150lb ft depending on who's truck it is.

[C20scott]

DO NOT BUY the Tough Country HD leafs with a 4" lift for an application like the one i have. They are wayy too stiff, and have not settled at all, even with the weight of the cummins. I will be ordering a custom spring pack from ORD in the next few months that will hopefully be alot better. Spend the extra money...

I will be re-torquing the head studs soon. Also, confirmed that my wastegate is set at 35PSI, hits it no problem.

As far as drivability, the truck is becoming alot more manageable now that i have some weight over the back tires, and the fuel system dialed in. I am however, experiencing some extremely lurchy driving when going up steep hills at less than 5mph. Its a condition similar to "speed wobbles" except the truck is lurching forward and back. I literally have to come to a complete stop, and start moving all over again to stop it. I suspect that it is a mixture of excessive lash in the drivetrain somewhere, and the overpowering low-end torque of the engine in 1st gear. Advice?

[C20scott]

Plasti-dipped the panels and handles, Duplicolor on the armrest, matt black fits well in my opinion. Also put new weatherstripping, window seals and velvet, sound deadener in the door, stereo system. Amplified Alpine type-R door speakers/tweeters and 12" kicker sub behind the seat. Things are sounding good now.

[C20scott]

Tomorrow i plan on removing the lowermost leaf on my front spring packs. Effectively turning the tuffcountry HD into the EZRide. As of now the front end has 0 flex, solid as a rock, and sits about 1" higher than the rear. Im hoping that the cure-all is to remove the short leaf from the pack.

[brimc]

That's a neat idea on the plasti dip for the door panels. Looks good. Interested on how you make out with the front springs as I think I have that same ones or very close.

[ryanroo]

I doubt you will see a lot of change from removing the short leaf. if you are looking to soften the ride i think it will help more if you pull a leaf from the middle. the longer ones will have a more noticeable effect.

i have the 2 1/2" ez rides on my K20 and they are not terribly smooth either. i have a set of rough country 4" springs that will probably end up on that truck but i have no idea how they ride in comparison. they have been sitting in my garage for several years without having been down the road.

[C20scott]

I went ahead and removed the lower leaf from the Tuff Country 4" HD springpacks. (i think it was 12"-16"or something) I now have a total of [3] leafs, instead of [4] on the front end. The truck now sits level with the rear end, which has stock leafs and the ORD shackle flip. It has alot more "give" than previously, flexes slightly more, and feels more like a truck than a block. Still rides like an old truck though...

I wasnt sure how big of a difference removing a leaf would make, so i wanted to start small. I am happy with the current ride of the front, especially compared to what it once was. Not sure how much more weight i will be adding up front either.. I will comment again once i feel the suspension has settled to a more permanent stiffness.

CONCLUSION: Even with the added weight of the Cummins fully dressed, do not buy the 4" lift "HD" leafs on the front if you have the same setup as mine. I could get about 1/4" of flex out of the suspension by jumping on the front bumper as hard as i could, which was probably only the bushings anyways Speedbumps at <5mph were something to cringe about. Literally like driving a brick. Unless you plan on adding a 1500#+ snowplow or something, do not be tempted. I cannot speak for lower lift heights, or vehicles with more weight on front, as those would probably ride better even with the HD leafs.

[y5mgisi]

Good to know!

[1972RedNeck]

If you want to run more boost, you should look into Mighty Diesel's head bolts - still not as good as studs but much cheaper.

[Dieselwrencher]

Just retorque your stockers and save up for actual studs. A broken allen bolt is no fun to get out.

[C20scott]

Plasti-dip was a bad idea on the door panels. It is somewhat abrasive/porus, and collects dust. Also, i started picking at it and it peels off very easily. The door panels need a slick, hard shell of paint, for getting in and out of the truck.

I have been changing jobs/locations over the past few weeks, no visible progress to post.

[C20scott]

Pulled the batteries out of the engine compartment, and mounted them on the frame underneath the bed. Used pre-made battery boxes from summit racing, and fully reinforced them with angle and square tube. Lighting is terrible for these pics...

[C20scott]

Grover Stuttertone 1510. Fire Truck Horn. Check out a video on youtube if you want to hear it.

I plan to have a full time on-board-air setup with a 20lb CO2 tank. A friend of mine gave me a tank for free. Once again, the lighting is terrible in this pic, makes it look like crap underneath the cab.