September
Got the other side done too with brushed stainless pipe, today it's time start work with the BHAF bracket, I'm going to made it out of 8mm hydraulic pipe, it's easy to work with and strong enough to carry the filter
Got the plumbing from turbo to the IC done and started same thing with the drivers side, most likely going to finish it today.
Couldn't use the original heater hose system and wanted to keep them out of sight much as possible, so, back to the hydraulic store again, found a banjo fitting where you could sold a desired tube, only problem is, on the Cummins head the treads are 1/2" NPT threads, therefore conical shape but 1/2" bolts for the hydraulic banjo fittings are with straight threads. The solution is to drive the bolt ones with 1/2" NPT threading head to make the bolt match the shape of NPT threads. Too bad they didn't had the bolt in stainless… Also, trial fit some hose's from turbo to the ic, they need to make the bend before ic to get enough room for BHAF filter.
Some work has been done to burban, Frantz filter has been installed to drivers side inner fender as well as coolant filter on the other side of the engine bay. Happen to have a coolant filter unit, so I figured out it would be a good idea to use one, to keep coolant clean as possible.
Lokar tranny oil level stick kit needed to be lengthened a bit, so tear it apart and installed a new longer hose and made a longer stick too. Now it sit nicely next to the AC drier.
Battery trays done, when on lower position, it's easy to put a battery on it, connect the cables and lift back up. Finished the other side too last evening, now all they need is just cables and stuff.
Got it finished last evening, I made a new lens to cover speedo and rpm, couldn't use the old one for two reasons. The gauges are other way round now and Dodge speedo got the trip meter stick on a different location than burban meter has, no big deal, it was easy to do. Also finished the wiring and added 12 pin connector to just plug it in to the burban wires, just need to find the correct ones from that side and plug them on. At least the lights are working well, the rest of it, will see when I turn the key first time. There are still few things to work out, the long beam indicator needs to be located somewhere, also got to find a place to Cyberdyne digital fuel gauge, but now I'm going to leave the dash the way it's and concentrate to make a frame mounted battery trays.
Started to work with the cluster wiring last evening. I cut a part what's needed to rpm from Dodge foil and solder wires for it, now they just need to connect to the right places. Wires to the bulbs are all done, I cut the contact parts to the bulbs from the Dodge foil and clued them on place, then wired them together. From the burban foil, I only used the part what's needed to turn signal indicators
I Cut the support plates for the Isspro's from aluminum plate, since in a long term the plastic alone will start to bend one direction or the other under the weight of the gauges. Also added a spacers under the plates to get them level with the black plastic cover. I used drilled nylon rod, cut them to length and clued on place. To get the speedo and rpm meter on level too with the black cover I added 12mm nylon blocks under the gauge holders, I will put few small through screws to make sure they stay there too, after years of usage.
I use the front panel to check that the small meter holes are in center, marked with white marker and cut them a bit larger to accept the Isspro's. The plastic holds up the weight of the meter quite well but I'm going to stiffen up that are by cluing a thin aluminum plate behind it, don't want a squeaky dash board.
July
While waiting other parts, I decided to start the work with the gauges. The goal is to mate speed and rpm meters from -96 Dodge in to the burban unit and replace the four small ones with Isspro gauges. First I took everything off from both gauge holders and started to hack the dodge unit to get the base for the speedo and make it fit in the burban unit. That way the light bulbs are where they need to be and you could use meter own circuit foil to power it up. Although the foil is going to be a combination of Dodge and burban foils, but more of that later, ones I get that far.
I stiffen up the front sway bar fasteners by welding a few braces on, to reduce the flex and bolted it back together with new Energy Suspension greasable bushings.
While waiting the radiator etc. from a shop's, I decided to crawl under the truck and do the things what I have been postponed for a long time. Bilstein shocks for all four corners, drain plug to the tranny oil pan and bolted it back on place, drained the rear end and washed it inside with solvent to get most of the old oil "smudge" off and poured in a fresh RedLine rear end oils. Also got the drive shaft back home on Friday, got the front part bolted back on, the rear is hanging there with a piece of wire, that's why the funny angle on the pic.
Ac hoses done, the last coupling in T piece needs to be "squeezed" to the hose what runs rear ac core of the Suburban. Ones I got it in drivable condition, the first place where to cruise is the AC shop to get it done.
Last night bolted on with few bolts condenser and radiator just to get last two hose's done for the ac, this morning dropped them to a shop to get the other end done, need to trial fit them first to see where to cut the end of the ac compressor and the end of ac core. Also used a bucket as a air filter to see where to put BHAF, they should be about same size. Next on the line is to locate the oil filter base somewhere in the engine bay, to get easy access for it, most likely it's going to be between the air filter and radiator, there's a nice spot for it.
I cut off the original tubes from ac manifold and welded on new ones to clear engine fastener and the frame.Also done some mods to the lower tube of ac core, to accept a new hose to route it where I want it.The hose's in the pics are just regular water hose, I used them to get length and see how the hose's will fit to the engine bay.
First thing to do for the ac is to move the drier further away from the turbo to arrange more room around it, it's not necessary right now with this set up but you never know what future brings. I weld a piece of aluminum tube to extend the pipe to the drier a bit, now it only needs a fastener to keep it from developing cracks to the pipes.
