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Projects My Apache...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Shane Spencer, Sep 15, 2012.

  1. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Im actually thinking about doing a battery door in the floor like the 47-54 ad trucks, i wont be ablt to crawl under the truck either since its riding low. The area where the battery is would put the door right in front of the bench seat on the passenger side floor. whats your opinion on the exhaust being close to the battery ? The pipe will have to snake between the battery, trans crossmember and trans. i can rebuild the trans crossmember for more clearance. Hows your exhaust routed?

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    Last edited: Nov 26, 2012
  2. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    And thanks man, i tried to make it look cool even though no one will ever see it. Idk. At least ill know its there haha

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    Last edited: Nov 26, 2012
  3. Buzznut
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,349

    Buzznut
    Member

    I'm planning on building a heat shield out of sheet metal. I will make it so that it sits about an inch below the tray so that the shield takes the brunt of the heat and then the air that passes over the top of the shield and under the battery dissipates the heat. I may also make the shield wrap around the front to protect the battery from debris...particularly rocks.

    I'm also installing an x-pipe, so the exhaust won't exactly pass directly under the battery...it will go under the rear engine / trans bell-housing cross member and straight back about 8 inches then angle at about a 45 toward the underside of the M22 rear output shaft / front driveline yoke and then after the x-pipe it will angle back toward the rear corner of the cab and then straighten back out to be in line with the straight front section (it will never go outside the frame rails). At the cross member just behind the cab I will have a hanger installed and then have the DynoMax mufflers installed right after that. It will then go up and over the rear axle and turn out angled slightly toward the left and right sides of the bed (respectively) and then be salami cut about 8 to 10 inches past the axle. I don't want it visible and I don't want the sides isolated to the left and the right away from each other. I also don't want it pointed down because that will create dust clouds and piss other hot rodders off.
     
  4. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    I like the heat shield idea. I can either redo my crossmember if i have to or modify the headers to give me more area to snake the exhaust around. Im just running longtubes for the 81 camaro clip. The way my headers are the exhaust will run more alongside the battery than under it. Id rather have the exhaust sit higher though, the truck will be really low when its all said and done. Wanna trade muncies ? Hahha :)

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  5. Buzznut
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,349

    Buzznut
    Member

    M22's are great, but the close ratio aspect is a bear on long hauls. I have an M21 wide ratio also and wouldn't think twice about running that one as well. Sure the M22 is the supposed holy grail, but I think any M20, M21 or M22 is worth having and using.
     
  6. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    I thought the only wide ratios were m20's ? Unless you put an m20 gear set in a 21? But yeah i agree any muncie is a pretty killer trans. 22 has the cool straight cut gear whine lol

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  7. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Finished the battery tray itself, just gotta do the tiedown now......

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    Attached Files:

  8. 1959apache
    Joined: Nov 22, 2009
    Posts: 2,635

    1959apache
    Member

    looks damn good, nice fab skills. Do you have some pictures of the truck recently?
     
  9. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Thanks dude. Its just the rolling chassis right now. With the motor in it, still gotta mock in the muncie

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    Last edited: Nov 27, 2012
  10. ChefMike
    Joined: Dec 16, 2011
    Posts: 647

    ChefMike
    Member

    very nice work !
     
  11. Buzznut
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,349

    Buzznut
    Member

    I'm remembering wrong...apparently I'm not getting any younger. It's an M21, that's all I care about.
     
  12. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Heres the completed battery tray and tiedown. Ill put some sort of lock washer on as well. I cut heads off two bolts and welded the studs to the tray. I just need to mount it to the framerail....

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  13. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Speaking of muncies, whats the bolt/thread aize on the 4 bolts to the bellhousing ?

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  14. Buzznut
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,349

    Buzznut
    Member

    I know I used a 3/4 wrench and socket on them, I'm not sure if they're 9/16 or 5/8... I replaced them with new grade 8 bolts, so I'll look for my old ones and get back to you.
     
  15. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    there 1/2 i believe. i got new grade 8's and the 1/2 looks good just the thread size is off. i read online 1/2 13 x 1.75" long
     
  16. Buzznut
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,349

    Buzznut
    Member

    Sounds right. The stock cast bellhousing has threaded holes on the top, but the bottom holes aren't. You'll have to nut them on the back (inside the bellhousing) with a lock washer. In order to do that you have to take a normal 3/4 socket and grind it down quite a bit to be able to fit it over the nut. I've talked to other guys and they've had to do the same...
     
  17. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    all 4 of mine are threaded.... i believe mines a 55 pass car bellhousing. at least thats what it was sold to me as:rolleyes::D

    also i may take the battery tray, flip it on to the outside of the framerail and run the 47-54 battery door in the floor. having battery cables and spark right next to the fuel line just sketch me out for some reason, even though i doubt anything would go wrong. this will also solve my exhaust clearance issues
     
  18. Buzznut
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,349

    Buzznut
    Member

    A door would work better in that location anyhow...if you cut a hole in the floor that close to the trans cover you'd probably lose a lot of floor integrity.
     
  19. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Yeah when i mentioned putting the door in the floor earlier i forgot to mention flipping the box to the outer rail. That would be pretty weak in the trans area

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  20. 1959apache
    Joined: Nov 22, 2009
    Posts: 2,635

    1959apache
    Member

    You should have a decent amount of room on the frame rail. Why do you want to cut the floor up? I agree that wherever you cut it you are going to really weaken the floor.
     
  21. shadams
    Joined: Mar 16, 2011
    Posts: 1,505

    shadams
    Member

    I bought a drop out/down battery box for mine, seems like that would be easier than cutting the floor.

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Itll just be easoer access to the battery, instead of wrestling with it through the transmission hole, one door and the battery is right there, and easily up and out. It cant be that weak if the ad trucks came stock like that for 7 years. Itll be on the passenger floorboard between the front cab mount and the raised seat rail that runs across the floor

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  23. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Im not sure if ill have clearance for a drop down box to work, id have to measure. Also i have to cut the floor anyway for a patch panel so i figured why not do it while im at it

    Heres a few pics of a 55 with the door in the floor...


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    Attached Files:

  24. Buzznut
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,349

    Buzznut
    Member

    Looks clean and makes sense...I like it. It's food for thought and I may go that route if my current set-up proves to be a PITA.
     
  25. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Yeah man it really looks pretty simple and alot easier to get the battery up and out if need be.....

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  26. chaddilac
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,054

    chaddilac
    Member

    Dig that batter box... what's the door off of?
     
  27. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    So before i decided to run the gmc dash i had planned on keeping the stock chevy dash, and grafting in the center dash grille and clock from a 51 chevy car. Now that im not running the chevy dash and he gmc profile is different i cant run the grille but i may still run the clock bezel on top. The dash will be gloss black and all the knobs, ashtray, and other misc items will be chrome. I think the chromed clock housing would look sick on a black dash. Herez a pic of the chevy car dash center section i planned to use, a quick look at the clock on the jimmy dash, and the battery box on the outer frame. It sits on the camaro clip very nicely, almost like it was made for it lol

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  28. dubie
    Joined: Aug 17, 2004
    Posts: 698

    dubie
    Member

    that battery box fits without hitting the step inside the cab? Nice looking work going on there
     
  29. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    Yea its about 1/4 inch clearance, this is also another reason i like it. The front cab mount, frame rail, and cab step create a " housing " that kinda protects the battery. Plus its away from exhaust heat and all

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  30. dubie
    Joined: Aug 17, 2004
    Posts: 698

    dubie
    Member

    oh yeah, that would be the perfect spot to keep it away from exhaust heat. Looks like a great location. I'm keeping mine on the firewall on the 56 but the wifes 58 GMC will be a relocated battery box
     

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