Because, Racecar – XtremeOwnage

14 bolt FF swap – Part 2

XO — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 18:39:34 +0000

This is a continuation of part 1 of me swapping out a 14bolt SF for a 14 bolt FF rear end.

So- we left off with the rear-end half way mounted, due to me not having the proper u-bolts to secure the rear end. As well- the rear end came with a 1410 pinion yoke, which would not be ideal for connecting to my 1350 driveshaft.

I stopped by Sam’s Offroad to have a new 1350 pinion yoke installed, and properly torqued down. While I was there, they were able to provide me with some new u-bolts as well.

Here is the pinion after Sam’s worked their magic to properly torque the new yoke on, and install a new seal. As well, I picked up some synthetic 75w-140 gear oil from autozone.

Pinion with 1350 yoke, and new seals ready to go in. 75w-140 gear oil.

As well, here is a image showing the new u-bolts.

New u-bolts installed to keep the rear end secured.

So- I did run into an issue where the wrong seal was mistakenly installed by Sams, causing fluid to leak out of the front-seal. After bringing the pinion back, they were able to locate the proper seal, install it, and re-torque everything down to spec. It was a very painless experience- I would recommend Sam’s for your offroad / 4×4 work.

Lets get started!

Since- it has been raining for the last few days, and the temp is around 40F, with high winds- I did not want to spend long under the truck. But- I DID want to get the pinion placed back into the rear end to prevent moisture or water from getting in.

To re-install the pinion, You will need…. a socket / wrench to fasten the 6 bolts holding the pinion support in, and a small wrench to tighten the u-joints.

Required tools to finish the job.

Here is an image of the rear-end without the pinion support installed.

Instead the front of the 14 bolt.

After installing the pinion support, and properly torquing the bolts. Use a 3/8″ ratchet with an extension to remove the fill plug. Add fluid until it starts to seep out. Place the plug back in.

Filling rear end with gear oil.

After that is completed, install the driveshaft. (Not pictured..)

Lastly- I took a video of the final test of the rear end. To test it for leaks and other issues, I let the truck run on jack stands for around 30 minutes. This allowed plenty of time for my battery to charge back up and for the rear-end lube to get nice and warm to ensure it does not leak.

Testing the rear end for leaks or weird noises.

After the video was cutoff- I went inside to let it run on jack stands for another minutes or so.

The only remaining items to get the truck back on the road:

Connect the shocks
Connect the new brake lines up.
Bleed all 4 corners.
Route the rear-end vent-line.

Those steps are pretty simple, and will not be documented.

As well- you will notice- this rear end is indeed a peg-leg. Don’t worry- I will remediate that one day…. If I don’t buy an old station wagon first.

Update:

I went ahead and connected the rear brake lines, bled the brakes, and installed new shocks.

As I checked the fluids and prepared to go for a ride- I noticed my battery was dead, which is very odd- since, I let it run for 30 minutes to let the rear end get heated up, and to charge the battery. After some investigation- My alternator is not charging…. So- The next step will be to rebuild or replace the alternator… Stay tuned.

14 bolt FF swap – Part 1

XO — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 22:22:44 +0000

So, my rear end is starting to make death noises because I failed to properly set the pinion crush / preload.

To replace it, I picked up a 14 bolt full floater from a 2004 1500HD. The new rear end also has disc brakes which will be a welcomed edition. 4.11 rear end gears.

14bolt FF 10.5″ 4.11s

The first step was to jack the truck up and start removing the old rear end.

If you don’t have a good battery powered impact, get one. 100% worth every penny.

To note, it took 4 minutes to remove the old rear end. It took 30 minutes to remove the spare tire.. lol. Its bracket was stuck.

I ran out of daylight, and decided to finish up tomorrow.

Day 2…

Started the evening by pulling out the old rear end.

This was the easy part.

I pulled the cover off the new 14 bolt FF to inspect it. I squirted everything down with brake cleaner to clean it up a bit. Everything looked healthy. While I had it jacked up, I removed the e-brake cables as I do not currently have provisions to use them.

Wiped down the rear cover.

Drained out the old fluid and filled it back up with some cheap oil to give it a good flush once I can run it for 15 or 20 minutes.

Putting the new rear end in the truck kicked my ass. I struggled as bit trying to get the 600lb rear end lined up properly by myself. In the end, I was unsuccessful tonight. Will continue tomorrow….

Where I left off.

Day 3….

Picked up where I left off and got the rear end into place pretty quickly. I was able to get one side properly fastened, however- I need a longer u-bolt to complete the other side.

As well- I determined I would need a different u-joint, as the 14 bolt FF, requires a much larger u-joint then the 14 bolt SF.

Part 2

Dash Fabrication – Part 3

XO — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 00:33:01 +0000

If you missed Part 2, please go read it first! For part 3, additional gauges and switches will be added, as well as a slightly better point job.

After driving around with the previous version, I determined I would need additional toggle switches for various piece of functionality.

You will notice in the above image- the lights are controlled via 2-way toggle switches(on the right). This gives me the ability to either have the dash lights “Always on” with ignition, or, automatically turn on when you enable the headlights.

On the left side of the image- I have 4 single pole switches for..

Transmission Shift Aggressiveness
Two-Step Toggle
ECU On/Off
Future High-Boost / Low-Boost

After making up my mind on which speedometer I wanted to use, I bored out a hole to fit the new instrument. The 4 small holes on the border are for vehicle status lights.

Left Blinker
Right Blinker
High Beam On
Check Engine

As well- I performed grinding and sanding to smooth down the surface somewhat. After some cleanup was performed, 4 coats of Dollar General’s finest black primer was applied, followed by clear-coat.

More new parts

Dash with all but one of the gauges mounted

In the above image, you will notice one of the gauges is missing. I discovered an issue where it appeared my fuel pressure gauge was actually showing my oil pressure. After contacting Holley support, the issue was confirmed as a batch-issue and a new replacement gauge was sent my way. As well- I did also have to send back the CAN-speedomoter, and instead order a 553-123 GPS speedometer.

Holley support was fantastic to deal with on these issues.

View of the dash during the daytime.

Nighttime view of the dash, with lighting turned on.

I finally acquired the last gauge.

Here is a shot of the dash while driving down the road.

New Transmission – First Drive

XO — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 20:59:47 +0000

A few weeks back- I noticed the transmission was “throwing out of gear” during hard acceleration.

When I got around to pulling the transmissions out- I notice the bellhousing was literally broken… and- most of the mounting ears were broken off.

While the transmission was being shipped to TCI for repairs, I decided to replace the rear main seal. Here are the parts and tools used.

Rear cover off.

Installing new seal, with fancy tool.

New seal installed, and completed. Flywheel torqued down.

Here is a video of popping the new transmission’s cherry. Includes a little bit of boost thrown in there.

Catch Can Install

XO — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 20:53:27 +0000

So, while I am waiting to put the transmission back in, I have been taking care of a few odds and ends.

Tonight, I worked on redoing the pcv system, and installing a catch can. lets get started!

A piece of tig filler wire greatly helps when routing tube, especially if it came off of a roll.

For a vacuum source, my best option was to tap into the air filter, as anything past the turbo is pressurized. However, since the cap of my air filter is rubber, I needed a pretty robust solution to ensure nothing can get sucked into the turbo.

I used the 2 1/16th blanks from drilling the dash, and drilled the center hole out to 5/8″. This should do a very good job of keeping the bulkhead securely attached to the air filter.

Inside the air filter.

Outside of the air filter.

I searched around the engine bay for a good location to mount the catch can. This spot seemed to be the best choice, as it didn’t require me to go over or under the hotside. As well, it didn’t require me to modify the catch can’s mounting system.

Air filter to catch can routing. I made the hose a bit longer, to hopefully prevent kinking.

A 3/8″ tee was used to bridge both sides together.

That’s it for the budget catch-can install. After 6 months- I have not seen a lot of benefits from this system. However- maybe I need to drive the truck more often.

Dash Fabrication – Part 2

XO — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 01:48:11 +0000

It is time to make the dash functional, and attractive!
note- Attractive happens in part 3.

If you missed part one, Please go here: https://xtremeownage.com/wordpress/2018/04/29/dash-fabrication-part-1/

Ordered new parts to support the current project. A few of the new holley EFI gauges, a hole-saw, and random fuel fittings.

I started measuring and drawing to try and get a good feel for how to design the layout.

Gauges added for testing the look and feel.

Checking the overall fit, feel, and looking for any clearance issues. I also mounted my old autometer tachometer.

Later, I came back and drill a few holes to allow for some toggle switches.. These will eventually be used for turning on the headlights, and dash lights.

Fast forward to Mar 18th….

I did acquire a new crimping tool to allow me to make higher quality crimps. However- I still also solder all of the connections as well.

Here is the initial mess of wiring for the dash lighting and function. Since all of the gauges share a single connection to the Holley EFI system, this simplified wiring. Note- The dash connects to the truck via molex connector. This allows it to be quickly removed.

Testing dash power, and lighting on the workbench.

Continue to Part 3

Aeromotive Eliminator Install

XO — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 20:45:34 +0000

Backstory- My holley 12-1800 died, and I needed a replacement which could handle the occasional trip to work.

The shop which I purchased the 12-1800 from, was able to swap me out a new eliminator fuel pump.

After fully reading the documentation and requirements for the new pump, I determined I would need to add a sump to my existing fuel tank, upgrade the feed lines to -12AN, and implement a system for PWM control during normal driving to prevent fuel overheating.

Parts ordered:

Parts needed for the new fuel pump, and filter.

Big sump. If there is fuel in the tank, there is fuel in the sump.

For the sump- I welded on a 1 foot section of my old, broken driveshaft. Since the tank is mounted in the bed of the truck, there is more then adequate room for this.

For the PWM setup, I made a simple, stupid table in the holley EFI.

Basically, under moderate throttle, or boost, the pump goes to 100%. I have since improved.

Very Simple, Stupid PWM config in the Holley.

For parts, You will need a solid state relay, and a flyback diode. Both of these parts are extremely important. A regular relay will burn up. Without a flyback diode, you will burn up your solid state relay from the inductance.

The solid state relay is important- A normal relay isn’t meant to switch a PWM signal.

The flyback diode is also very important- It keeps the inductance from the pump from frying your solid state relay.

At the current time, I am using this relay:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VU5FPE

One note- check whether your relay is normally open, or normally closed. In my case- this one is normally open. So, a 100% PWM signal, turns the pump off. 0% PWM signal, is max.

For the flyback diode, I used one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056RHMCG

It is wired from the Pump (+) to the (-) terminal. When a large spike is created from the pump spinning down, it “eats” the excess current.

I did not remember to take pictures of the wiring diagram, or the wiring.

One year follow-up

After one year of street driving- I can say this setup has held solid with no issues. I did adjust the PWM config in the holley to not be based on TPS.

Convert Silverado DBW Pedal to DBC

XO — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 19:29:16 +0000

As a continuation from building a throttle cable bracket.. It was time to install a compatible throttle pedal assembly.

The factory throttle pedal was designed for DBW(Drive by wire), and had no provisions for mounting or attaching a throttle cable. It was strictly intended to be used electronically.

I had planned on using the Holley EFI to utilize DBW.. but- I did not want to spend 1,000$ extra on the dominator vs hp efi just for this feature. I did also visit a junkyard to acquire a factory DBC pedal assembly- but, discovered the assembly would require disassembling most of the dash to remove from the Junkyard vehicle. So- I decided to modify my factory pedal to suit my needs!

Here is my factory drive by wire pedal assembly.

I started by removing a lot of the “Extra” material which was not required for my purposes.

To remove the DBW sensor- I used a hammer. My other efforts of removing the sensor were not successful. The hammer was extremely successful.

While I was at the Junkyard- I did acquire a DBC pedal from a random car. Ignore the piece of metal hanging off my pedal.

After removal of the DBW sensor, a large hold was left. I used a piece of 16ga steel to fill in the empty space. Also note- I cut the “stop” off, and adjusted its position and angle to allow more pedal travel.

From the factory, there was a flat location on the firewall, which I assume was intended for DBC. I drilled a hole, and installed my new lokar throttle cable.

Another view.

Preparing to cut and weld.

The next day…. (Ran out of daylight)

I cut apart the junkyard pedal into the components required. I beveled the edges before welding to ensure good penetration.

After welding

I had to mount the gas pedal many times and make adjustments before I was able to get the angles perfected.

After many attempts- I was able to get everything lined up properly, with the correct amount of travel.

Here is my finished assembly after welding, grinding, and painting. Notice a spring was also added to return the pedal to an upright position.

Mounted and completed. The truck now has a functional gas pedal.

Attempted throttle cable bracket fabrication

XO — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 19:17:22 +0000

I am going to assume nobody has noticed in the previous posts and videos….. The gas pedal was not connected or functional.

Up until this time- I have been controller the throttle via a cable ran through the firewall. While the truck was still down waiting on a new driveshaft- I figured this would be the best time to address this issue.

I was not happy with the appearance of Holley’s brackets- So- I decided to attempt to fabricate my own.

I started with 1/2″ bar stock, and drilled holes to match the mounting bosses on the intake.

Testing to ensure the metal fits properly.

For the main “body”, I used 1/2″ steel tubing.

I cut end-caps for the tubing out of bar-stock, and also cut a second piece of bar-stock to thicken up the main mounting location.

I welded the two pieces together, to make a single, thicker piece.

I welded the mounting piece, to the “main body”

Once again, testing the fit and clearance. The black cable is my ghetto throttle cable.

Final image. However- I still didn’t have a cable-driven throttle pedal, as my factory pedal is drive by wire.

To rectify not having a compatible throttle pedal- I needed to acquire or build one… See next post (Converting DBW pedal to DBC)

One Year Later……….

While my bracket did serve its purpose, and worked with no issues…. Motion raceworks had a sale on the Lokar bracket, which looked amazing compared to mine.

So- I purchased the Lokar bracket.

Side view of completed product.

Front view of completed product.

Cast aluminum alternator bracket repair

XO — Wed, 30 May 2018 23:11:29 +0000

Today’s project was to see if I could successfully repair a busted bolt-hole on my alternator bracket. A bolt which was too long broke it.

The engine looks so much cleaner without the alternator bracket attached.

Here is the problem I need to resolve.

I threaded in a bolt with the proper thread pattern, and started welding around it. I maintained a very hot puddle in an attempt to get the aluminum to flow into the nooks and cracks.

After welding, I did a bit of grinding, and unscrewed the bolt. It Looks good.

Another angle.

In hindsight, the best way to accomplish this repair would had been to completely weld up the affected area, and to re-drill and re-tap the hole.

However- to also add- this repair has held up with no issues at all.