JeepcoMJ Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 why would you need to build a housing for the gauges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted August 1, 2007 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 I hate the stock one. And I don't have provisions for a speedo. Or fuel gauge. Or any of the other crap on it (HVAC, all the lights and $#!&). So it's not going back in. And the stock gauges need to be in a sealed housing or they will fill up with stuff and stop working. Short term I could make it work (and maybe should). Long term it won't work. Since my truck fills with dust/dirt/trees every wheeling trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepcoMJ Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I hate the stock one. And I don't have provisions for a speedo. Or fuel gauge. Or any of the other crap on it (HVAC, all the lights and $#!+). So it's not going back in. And the stock gauges need to be in a sealed housing or they will fill up with stuff and stop working. Short term I could make it work (and maybe should). Long term it won't work. Since my truck fills with dust/dirt/trees every wheeling trip. I suggest cutting the back off of the gauge cluster, then taking some acrylic and building a rectangle box to fit the gauges in. add what gauges you need, using the remnant of the stock speedo cluster as your mounting system, and then simply run wires to the spots that the stock gauge cluster had wires run to (i.e. use wires instead of the "motherboard" thing on the back of the stock cluster. then it would be waterproof, and you can add what you want if you leave a few extra spots in there. plus lighting it would be easy, and if you put a screw-on faceplate in there with a rubber seal, it will remain waterproof (provided you waterproof your electrical connections) but still maintainable. do you follow what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 You almost need to start thingking outside the box... can't find the exhaust tubing you need.. think about aluminum conduit :brows: Go to your local home improvement store and start looking around... or better yet go to your local industrial supply store... You can find all kinda of premade boxes to use as a gauge box, and ther is nothng wrong with rouging some old school gauages from a 70's camaro or trans-am (other muscles cars included, they were the only ones I could think of that had individual gauages) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted August 8, 2007 Author Share Posted August 8, 2007 The $#!& hit the fan. I'm going wheeling on sunday. Okay, yeah right. Gotta weld the cage, run all the wiring (uh-oh), and plumb the rad. I got more hose on order, it WILL be here tomorrow or I will finially be reduced to the mental equivalent of a vegitible. And I'd better do something with the exhaust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 Yeah, blew by that deadline. Next weekend? It's really close. A little more playing with the cooling system and it is done. Buy a few dollars more in electrical connectors and fuse holders and I'll have the wiring done. Throw on a few more DG clamps for the liquid propane line, and it's done. Then weld a bunch more of the cage. Then I just need to book it in for the propane to be tuned and certified, and it should be trail ready. I think I can actually get the propane close enough to make a run on it before then, but we'll see. Oh, IDK what I did with my camera, so not really taking pics... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 I ran it for 15 seconds. It sounds gnarly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaterjeep Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 I ran it for 15 seconds. It sounds gnarly. What, no video clip for us? :cheers: Making some serious progress on it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 Yeah, it wasn't yet at that point. I don't have a rad cap, and there isn't actually any coolant in the entire thing. And I need to set the idle a little better - it would only run with the throttle cracked. I can get a clip then, I found my camera. I'm also hooped on my tach. I can't seem to find the connector for the tach output on a GM HEI. And my power connector for it is about 30 years old and rotten. I might have to try the auto parts store again. And my PCV is messed. Gotta take in the boots tomorrow and try to get something to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted September 6, 2007 Author Share Posted September 6, 2007 So, I've been running this thing and stuff. The rad and fans seem to work. I had my propane tuned and the idle circuit in the mixer is f'd. But the power valve is alive... So, I'll need another mixer. However, since the power valve did work, it does run and drive fine other than it bogs off idle and runs a little rich the rest of the time. However, something happened that I'm wondering about... I was in 4LO driving around on the pavement and put my foot down. It bogged, then went like mad (okay, seems as it should). I watched the tach and it hit 7200. Is it even possible, or is my tach out? It's a cheaper gauge (equis). It pulled hard the entire way and definatly sounded like it might have been running that many revs... I've had this engine to 6000ish on missed shifts, but never THAT high. Maybe I'd better do it with the camera on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 Tach is fuct. Since my propane tank failed tech, I got PO'd and bought something new... A 33lb forklift tank... Aluminum. It probably doesn't have enough range for me, but I can get a second one for in the dodge. It's crazy light for a propane tank. And I got a new mixer. But I tore the base plate to mixer gasket while swapping them. :headpop: And I went to the parts store and they were being TOOLS and wouldn't even talk to me. :headpop: I figure if I can't be helped in under 10 minutes for a simple gasket there is no hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted September 25, 2007 Author Share Posted September 25, 2007 There's an event that runs ever year out here, it was last weekend. I was on invite as a spotter. One of the yota guys rolled on the first night... Aftermath: Image Not Found As you can see, his cage design is in many ways like mine. At least on the roof there. What happened was he rolled onto a log which went between the bars and crushed in the roof. He wasn't wearing a 5-point, and if he was he most likely would have taken it in the head. As it was he got really lucky and got off with some brusing. Popped the roof back up and wheeled it the next day. Anyways, I'm going to add some more tube to mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twisty Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 I've always wondered what would happen if a rock, or tree goes in between the tubes. Would it have been different if it was an interior cage as opposed to an exo-cage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted September 25, 2007 Author Share Posted September 25, 2007 Somewhat. If it tears through the sheetmetal you're in just as bad of shape. But the sheetmetal is less likely to get crushed in like that with an interior cage. My cage is already welded to the roof though. Somewhat decreasing the risk of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feerocknok Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Did you get the tach figured out? The Equis gauges aren't bad, they just aren't as nice as, say, Autometer. Your reading def should not be off by what I suspect to be 2000 rpms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted September 30, 2007 Author Share Posted September 30, 2007 No, it's screwed. On the 4cyl setting it seems to be the same, and on the 8 it reads rather low. So, unless I take it apart, I have no options. I even tried hitting it with a hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 I have a very similar design on my exo.. guess it is time to add some expanded metal to the top :nuts: That looks like it was kinda close Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 1, 2007 Author Share Posted October 1, 2007 I actually looked at mine a bunch more, and I'm not so worried. Those toy cabs are crap anyways, and my top triangle runs over my head a lot better than that. I'm still going to put a couple tie-in plates between the cab top and cage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 2, 2007 Author Share Posted October 2, 2007 I've modelled a rear 4-link... I don't know how it'll be just yet. I've hammered out a design for the crossmember and brackets on that side, a rough idea on the brackets for the axle, a firm idea for my upper coil mounts, and a decent idea on the actual arms design (just plain tube is too boring). I'm going to use RE larges at the frame side and Currie JJs at the axle end for adjustability. Maybe, I get quoted tomorrow. The numbers I came up with are: Link length: Upper:39.1 Lower:37.1 Which is funky. Normally you do it the other way, but that doesn't fit too well. Anti-Squat 131.02% RC Slope 0.0320 in / in RC Height 27.093 in RC Angle 1.8349 degrees It's a little whack as I don't have the CG correct (I know that for sure). I can get the AS down to about 125% with a single adjustment, but I think I'll set my mid-point for it at 131%. I could drop the lowers some more at the frame end and get it down to about 100%, but I don't like where they'll mount then - unless I make them way longer. In which case I think they'll get bent. I dunno. Figure it'll work okay... Maybe. Haven't a clue actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feerocknok Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Numbers are only good on paper. Are you going triangulated 4-link or running a panhard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 2, 2007 Author Share Posted October 2, 2007 Dual triangulated... The space is there. Rear panhards suck balls anyways, unless you have rear steer. Even then they aren't great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feerocknok Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Lol, the forum doesn't sensor "suck balls". How much did you get quoted on the REs? My local shop told me $92 a piece...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 No. They're $45 out the door for me. The JJs are more though. $65 and tax. Whatever. They have a shank and come with a jam nut (for that price). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 I took pictures... Dunno why. Or why of. I've got about 2 of these done: Image Not Found They're a fawking PITA. Hopefully they won't leak. I think I'm going to braze the inner lip of the ring to ensure it is airtight (hence asking about brazing). I dunno how well I can braze with a stick welder. I might have to rent a torch to do it... Gotta torch some other crap too, so WTH. I also need to get some rebar or square stock bent to strengthen the inner bead. Other crap I've been working at: Image Not Found The D44 is a HP unit that's getting cut down. I blew the knuckles off today while waiting around because one of my toyota friends was over. Something about having to fix his frame. God damn toyotas. I'll have to take the carrier out tomorrow then take it to the machine shop. Screw cutting 3x.500 DOM myself. The other is my spare isuzu housing. It's all cleaned up (mostly) for my 4-link crap to go one once it arrives. I want to shave it too, but it seems like a PITA. I need another set of isuzu brake calipers, and an open third. Gotta go to the j-yard. Here's my tank setup: Image Not Found Aluminum tanks rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 damn man! been busy have we? comin along nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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