thanks, I'll build it like this and see what happens. There's not a lot of money in the manifolds and pipe
thanks Installed the new fuel pump. I decided to go with a 340 AEM. It's a bit longer than the stock pump, and came with a strainer that has an open bottom. Problem is installing it all the way down, so it fit the hanger and original lines, pushes the strainer against the bottom of the pan in the tank, choking it off. I ended up removing a brace, cutting the fuel line inside, and raising the pump up another 1/8" at the slide adjustment. I think it'll work. Also added the new fatter wire pigtail inside the tank.
A little progress is being made.... intercooler is in and plumbed. Fuel system is plumbed. Got the new rocker arms and steering gear today, they're installed. Throttle cable done, I shortened the original and put a new end on it. the trick for making nylon fuel lines...
You need to post that one in the Tips & Tricks thread too! Makes me feel like a slacker with the little I did today!
hopefully within a week...or so? It's actually moving along well. Tonight got the crossover exhaust pipe tacked together.
Working on the rear end today...welded on the perches, welded the center to the tubes, working on the traction bar mounts now. Welding the tubes on is a fun adventure, there seem to be a lot of ways to do it. I picked the easy way...got it mostly clean, got it a little warm with a torch, turned up the heat on the MIG a ways, and made four quarter passes in a row (weld 90 degrees, skip to the opposite side, then back to the end of the first weld, then the last quarter). I don't weld as art, I do it to hold metal parts together, so it's not pretty, but hopefully it's strong enough. And didn't get too bent out of shape.
Weld looks good, I would think the tube was slipped into center section , Did you weld just for insurance /strength? Or did you install the tube in center section then weld ? Because you shortened or centered ? If so mybe 2 plugs on each tube My experience with cast-iron to steel or cast to cast-iron ,after welding ,slowly decrease temperature over several hours to keep from cracking, I am No professional !!
Dumb question for @squirrel and @19Eddy30 are the center sections cast iron or cast steel. I will be shortening a rear end in the near future and looking for info on methods and also welding center to tubes. Thank you in advance Dan PS the welds good
Not sue , I would say both , Do a drill test , slithers = forge steel, Powder = Cast Or grind Test . Long sparks = F S Short sparks = C
There are a lot of rumors about 8.8 rear ends....the center is supposed to be cast steel. the tubes are pressed in, and a few rosettes, but the guys who go fast with them and do rock crawling with them have experience with them twisting. I saw it happen to a GM 10 bolt many years ago at the drag strip, the results are really ugly. You can tig weld it, you can preheat a lot, and control cooling, and you can stick weld it with nickel rod, there are all kinds of things guys do that are the "right" way. But there are also a lot of guys just mig welding them and they seem to hold up ok.
Thanks guys I have an 8.8, I will shorten long side to same length as short side, then get a short axle from the salvage yard. Dan
With a Lathe you could make a tube to fit inside , like slip tube .2-3 inch on each side of cut. Tube on inside OD to the ID of original tube , Bevel& weld at the cut , & add some plugs welds sand to finish all. You could when cutting on Lathe even make a lip to so less build up needed @ cut Some axle ends / bearing , cut weld press out end , then cut tube , press back in & weld , Pay attention to squaring .
I thought of the same thing IIRC I need to remove 2-7/8” on the long side. A tube on the inside would help keep everything straight and square. I was also thinking of using chain clamps in conjunction with three 1-1/2 x 1/4 angle to keep straight while tacking and welding. don’t have access to a lathe since I retired but probably can find someone turn tube or even a local shop can’t imagine it would cost much. Thank you Dan
I lucked out the Explorer and Cherokee have the same track width, within an inch. But the pinion is offset and puts the driveshaft at an angle side to side, and the rear yoke is right next to the original muffler, which I really want to keep. Got the rear in, no brakes or axles installed yet, but got the traction bars in place. Still need to make a few spacers to center the front joint between the plates.
I really like squirrels straight forward just do it attitude. No overthinking no over engineering. Whats needed gets done in a notime. Those MIG welds on rear tubes look art to me btw. I did the same way eight years ago in a 10 sec drag only Foxbody 8.8" and mig does the job just fine. No lathes or TIGs or special cooling procedures needed for that. I also added triangular supports from center section to tubes, like this Keep on rocking!
I took some time off from the forum and when I come back I hear there's an Off Topic forum, so I finally make my way over here and I find this fun thread; and I find out Plan II is gone! Somebody got a cool car!
You missed the Checker also I’ll bet, look it up https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/checker-cab.1327107/ Dan
Tinkering continues. The cooling system is almost done, I still need to mount the surge tank, which is going between the fender and brake master cylinder. I need to connect all those wires, there are really only about a dozen, it's not bad. I got the maxi fuse holder today for it. The firewall holes are all covered with sheet metal riveted in place. Transmission cooler in, rear brakes in and parking brakes working, I still need to finish mounting the hoses back there, and bleed the brakes. The EFI wiring is almost all connected. I need to make a shifter, put in a driveshaft, plumb the wastegate, install the blow off valve, build the exhaust that connects the stack to the old muffler/tail pipe, and a bunch of other little things. but it's making progress. In a functional, but ugly way
Hey @squirrel Hey Jim, I know this is going to sound like a very stupid question, but I will ask it anyway! Is this going to be run/driven with out a hood? Or will there be some kind of unique, one of a kind, semi cobbled together, in a typical more than cool squirrel style unit, to protect all of your excellent fabrication and installation? Thanks from Dennis.
Gotta love that particular element of the Mighty "CHEEP" road warrior machine! I would assume the radiator and the lower unit, wont be adorned with any hardware cloth mesh stone guard's to try to protect those units from stray rocks and other "FOD" from out of the universe at large? Everyone's results may vary greatly! Thanks from Dennis.
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