SFBD square with a Cummins and custom chassis

So did you section the oil pan?

Not yet. Since the rear isn't laid out yet and the truck is in the grass and can't lay flat it's been ok just setting the front down. As soon as I pull everything back apart for the finish work and final paint I'm going to do it while I've got it apart. Just have to find a way to hold the engine up safely enough to get under it and get the thing off now.

I got the front clip all put back on this afternoon with the exception of the grill. I have to go try to run down some new headlight adjusters tomorrow and hopefully get all of that put in and the front should be done. I have a different hood at school I've been playing with but I won't have it done for a while. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have the batteries mounted up and most of the wiring done.

The body work looks excellent. You have been putting in a lot of hard hours in, and it shows!

NICE!

Thanks guys!! I do have a lot of hours in trying to make all the panels on the truck straight again without using filler. I'm trying to get the entire body done with as little body filler as possible. I guess it takes a lot longer that way but it's worth it to me.

I managed to get my intercooler pipes finished up at school last night. With the engine sitting much lower and closer to the intercooler than it was in the dodge I've had to take roughly 6" out of the left side pipe and the right side about 2". I went out tonight when I finally made it home and made sure they fit. The right side still needs about an inch taken out to fit properly. Since the ends are flared for the band clamps I've been cutting middle sections out and butt welding it back together. Tomorrow I'll go out and finish them up and post some pics for everyone.

Here's a couple pix of the finished and installed intercooler pipes. I had to shorten the drivers side about 6" to make it fit and the left side I was able to twist and make it for but I'll eventually have to take an inch out to be happy with it.



I also got my down pipe made to start the exhaust off the turbo. I ran it down to about the bottom of the cab floor and ran out of day light. For right now I'm using 3" pipe for the exhaust. Later on I may switch it out to 3.5" or 4". It a really tight fit with 3" though so I may have to make a tunnel in the floor pan to fit the 4". I would also have to do something with my cross embers since the frame is only 4" tall now.


I also had to find a place to mount the remote reservoir for the power steering. Some of you may remember that I opted to take the dodge and Chevy pumps apart and swap the remote reservoir parts onto the dodge pump to keep the extra capacity for the hydroboost and not have to deal with running a T fitting in the return line. The reservoir bolted to a mount on the old big block and it's a tight fit with the cummins. I ended up using an old bracket that is bolted on with the brake master cylinder. I think it was a hold down for the plumbing going into the brake booster. I just welded up a piece of round stock and made a bracket to bolt onto the reservoir. I still need to clean it up and paint it but you get the idea. After I got it mounted up I realized the factory bracket on the master had a lot of flex in it so I took it back off and lined the entire back side of the bracket with a piece of 18 gauge. It's pretty rigid now.

short of needing A/C- I am jealous! Good work.

Speaking of AC I've been thinking about how to make it work. I trimmed the frame enough to fit the dodge AC compressor onto the engine. I think I can get the condenser mounted in the front of the core support and I have a little self contained behind dash hot rod type of heat and AC unit in one. Just not sure I know how to make all of the plumbing work in the tight space. I'm also unsure if I'll be able to run the ac compressor and the York. It might come down to having to choose one of the two. I've kind of been avoiding that parts of this but I'm to a point where I'm going to have to dive in and see what happens. I'd love to have AC on this thing since it get so hot here in the summer. I'd drive it a lot more when it's done if it had AC. We'll see what happens pretty soon I guess.