Project Southern X-Posure

[rswords]

So one night this week I decided to start on the driveshafts. Come to find out the TC was shifted 2" over. So I unbolted it to re drill and center it, wouldn't move. Who ever did the swap built the most solid motor mounts you can imagine and put them in crooked.

So, since I have to pull it all out and fabricate some mounts I figure might as well do the 4.3 swap I've been putting off. So out it came....



Good thing to, when I was pulling the engine I realized the drivers motor mount had torn and it was no longer connected to the frame.



Then I drained the oil so I could toss the engine in the scrap pile, found coolant in the oil.



So I guess it was a good time to pull it and swap.

Got the 4.3 mocked up. The "new" one should show up tonight. Gotta get the manifolds figured out....

[toynrnd]

So this started out as a little project?

[rswords]

don't they all? Lol

[rswords]

Man its been a while since I updated this....

Got the fuel pump mounted, braced the lower link crossmember, and got the suckdown mounted.







Provience came by one day to lend a hand and use the bender for his bed cage. Got the 205 rotated and the drivetrain fully mounted.




Pretty flat for not having to cut up the floor


Also got the front half of the rear shaft built and the pillow block bearing installed.



Provience laying down on the job.


Also found this drawn on the underside of my cab. He said he used his pecker to measure.... No wonder my T-case mount holes where to close together and his wife is always pissed off....



Knocked out some small stuff, it is the busiest time of the year for our shop, gotta make the money while its available. Got the rear pretty much finished up and assembled the last time. Mounted the fuel cell permanently, ran the fuel line to the pump, charged the shocks, finished installing the driveshafts, and mounted a 10 micron fuel filter.




I still need to run a sleeve over the fuel lines and attach them better.



Plenty of clearance


Made a shield for the suckdown winch and Got the tranny cooler mounted. I feel its way to tall, have some aluminum stock coming to make some spacers to drop it down.





Also plumbed the engine.


Moved the battery into the cab, and wired in a battery switch. Waiting on some wire loom to cover it all up.



Took it for a quick spin... Need to fix an vacuum leak and get the exhaust run.



Did a couple donuts which is pretty ˟˟˟˟˟˟ scary seeing as how the brakes are not hooked up yet. But she moves along pretty silly good. The old small block must have really been on its way out. :laughing:

Also scored some new feet. After much though and penny pinching I'm gonna drop back to 36's. I could destroy ring gears at will on 35's and didn't feel like up grading to tons for 40's

[rswords]

Provience came by and we ran the rear brake lines, bleed, then beat around a bit with it.




Toyotas done.... Never mind the fact that the seats just sit in the floor, it has no front driveshaft, no cooling fan, one flat tire, and no exhaust.... She does burnouts.... That's done in my book....

:flipoff2:



The drivers rear tire had no valve stem so it just flops around, made for an interesting shaped black mark.

[rswords]

Built a front pack out of some trail gear 3" HD springs. Removed a leak for a total of 4, finally the front moves. This weekend I'll measure for shocks (again) and mount some bump stops. The springs like to go negative pretty quick.





Dropped the truck off at S&B Muffler and Brakes here in Gloucester, VA and Steve knocked the exhaust out for me.

Drivers side clearance


Passenger side


Sits up nice and out of the way tight to the floor. Ran a Dynomax Super Turbo Muffler backwards. Has a nice tone, actually pretty deep for a 4.3.


Drops out at the rear of the cab.


Front shock mounts in


And suckdown winch fully installed and wired. Kinda loosly based it on SMEWHTGUY's setup

[rswords]

Been moving along a bit. Got some boomerang shackles on... The old shackles sat on the frame at ride height.



The new Sky shackles make it more better. I may shorten them up a bit though.



Also started on my hydro assist.







I needed to knock about 1.125" off the stroke of my budget surplus center hydro ram so I jerked it apart tonight.

All that holds the together is a snap ring.


Then simply pull out the shaft


Remove the nut on the shaft the pull the puck off. Make sure to unscrew the o-ring past the threads so you don't tear it. same putting it back on.


I cut my spacers out of some StarBoard (HDPE) we had laying around the shop. This is easy to find, its the same stuff they make cutting boards out of. Hit it with a hole saw to get the correct OD then drilled the center hole out to just over 3/4. When drilling go slow, you want to cut not melt, especially with the hole saw. I take little bites of about 1/16th of an inch at a time.


I need two pieces to get to my thickness. A 3/4 and 1/2.