Project "Sweet 16"

[rambler]

that door sign came out great !

[skymangs]

Wow, thanks all. Apparently my email notices quit working, I didn't realize there were so many responses.

We're headed up to Iowa at the end of the month for a 375 mile shakedown run. Almost the same distance as it is to Power Tour.

[rambler]

LOL also forgot to mention..you must be lost.. there is not colorado springs in Missouri , Chris !

[Atommik]

Skyman,

Do you have any more pics of the gauge cluster conversion you did? It looks just like what I will need to do also! How much were the auto meter gauges?

Atommik

[skymangs]

Atomik... Gauges were the designer series black (cheapest ones). I used all electric (mechanical won't work because of the way they "float" in the gauge cup). I think my total cost was around the $200 mark. I just carefully cut the plastic cups off, then used 2 part expoxy to mount them to the backs of the original faceplates. Once all the gauges were epoxied to the plates, I soldered wire to all the pins, then marked it and ran it through a hole in the back.

I did have to make a small plate to tie the four original faceplates together. I think I posted all the pics I have of it, but I'll dig around for some more.

[skymangs]

Some new pics... Here's the barnwood bed, and I wound up breaking down and getting an aluminum rad and water pump. rad was only $156 shipped, water pump was $52 shipped. I can't get the thing over 160 degrees now! Love it.

[skymangs]

last week I got bored and decided to hot rod that crappy harbor freight engine stand before returning it to the old man... I'm calling it "Uber-stand".

[skymangs]

And here's photographic evidence of the old girls flawless 740 mile round trip through the Heartland last weekend... 65-70 mph all day, zero defects.

Nothin' says driven like bugs on the windshield!

[99 to Life]

rad looks really similar to mine, I have a champion repro of a belair, did your come with the fan too? what brand? adding miles is fun, keep it up man.

[Atommik]

I'd be interested in the rad and fan info too. I'll be buying mine soon!!

[skymangs]

I believe this was a Champion. I bought it off of ebay. I can post a link to the company's store when I get home. They had a 99.8% pos. feedback, and when I called them they were very knowledgable. Radiator was listed as a direct replacement for 47-54 Chevy/GMC trucks. Is fully tig welded (no epoxy) and comes with transmission cooler if needed. It fit very well and the brackets were pre-welded at the correct angle, but it is 1.5" thicker and 3/4" taller than the stock one, so the fan had to get switched to a pusher.

Rad did not come with a fan, That was another ebay purchase months ago. I think it was 40 something shipped. 16", 2500cfm, reversable.

Water pump was from ebay as well. Someone I know told me that aluminum wp's cool much better than cast iron, and I didn't believe it. There isn't enough surface area for aluminum to make much difference... I had to do some research and found that the difference is that alum. doesn't contract and expand as quickly as cast, so with billet guts, the tollerances can be machined much tighter. So I went with one.

It was 85 degrees and HUMID all day Sunday. 370 miles and it never passed 160 degrees engine temp. Can't beat that with a stick!

[rambler]

A/C still working well?

[99 to Life]

the aluminum wp's I buy claim to pump 30% more volume but are $75 and polished and shipped. I run a 185 stat and I usually stay under it, especially with more water in the coolant, but now I run more coolant cause of the winter months and it runs a little hotter with more anitfreeze. Overall I think the belair replacement is smaller than yours by a tad. I'll be buying another rad soon for my next project. the store I got mine from had to wait about 6 weeks for champion to make them one though, I was bumming on that. So maybe I'll have better luck this time. Def not buying one without a warranty though.

[skymangs]

Rambler... sure is, AC is ice cold. Got to get your gauges back to you this week.

99, I totally understand. For the money, I was pleased with this setup. I run 50/50 mix on the coolant. I'm runnig a 160 stat (for summer with AC).

[_Ogre]

nice wheel mod skymangs

[skymangs]

Thanks Ogre, hardly anyone notices it!

[selfbuiltrods]

WOW! Is all I can say! Definitely subscribed! You guys have come up with so many DIY ideas on this dude! Congrats! Keep up the good work!

[skymangs]

Thank you Dustin. Hopefully the next one will be in the works shortly!

[RootBeer 6117]

Hey Skyman you have done some great work.
I have one question where did you put your battery? I looked back through the build and didn't see it.I was just wondering I have been thinking about moving mine.

[skymangs]

Rootbeer, Battery is behind the seat on the passenger side. I made a metal box for it, and crimped my own cables. The Pos cable is like 86" long.

I really don't care for having it in the passenger compartment, but couldn't figure any better solutions. The S10 frame runs right through the factory batter tray area.

[99 to Life]

I run my battery in the same place. To be honest I love the location. I also run a kill switch in the cab and a pos terminal up on the firewall. I run a couple things directly off the bat in the cab and then the pos terminal up on the firewall.

[RootBeer 6117]

Thanks skymangs,
I sat in my truck one afternoon looking at the floor and thinking about moving the battery access cover over but I will leave it under the hood for now. I have had a problem with the key being left on and ruined one battery, I have a shut off switch now.

[99 to Life]

honestly I feel all vehicles should have kill switches, especially carburated ones. Fire extinguishers too.

[Atommik]

Skyman,
Since our build are so similar, I hope you don't mind a few questions. Are you using a temp controlled fan switch? If you are, what temp range are you using on your fan switch. Also I think you said you used an EZ wiring harness right? Is the fan power wire hot all the time or only with the key on. I'm afraid my high powered fan may be a battery drainer if it runs after the engine is off.

Did I see windsheild washer squirters on your build? Something you added?

[99 to Life]

not trying to hijack but I literally was just going to post on my thread about installing a new "temp sender" mine went bad all of the sudden, you'd think you could just find one cheap online, well about $20 was the cheapest I found, then found a whole efan kit for about $28, made more sense to buy a whole kit to have another relay and parts. Anyway, I run a 185 temp sensor. I don't like the idea of 200 deg ones you see out there. I'd rather stay below 200.

As for EZ harness, your fan should not run when you shut the truck off, it will if you leave the key in acc mode. There is no reason the fan should stay running, IMO. Your going to have hotter water set idle while your stopped and you will see your temp gauge rise some, as soon as you turn engine over, and water circulates, temp is normal.