The 396-6.2 swap project

[Barrman]

We have the district Camporee this weekend. I decided to show of my repowered truck. I also figured to use the troop seats, bows and m1008 top. Mind you those three things were aquirred or built seperately and have never even seen each other before. Much less test fit.

We put the troop seats back on and tried the cut down m35 bows. They fit.
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I couldn't figure out which top was my spare 101 top without un rolling all the m35 and m105 tops. So I grabbed the different color m1008 top.

This top is smaller than a 101 top by just a bit. Turns out it is smaller than a 715 top too. Of course since I guessed in how high to make the bows. It could just be me.

The super rope was set up just right for a 101. Not so right for a 715. It isn't supposed to rain. It will be near 80 each day and around 60 at night. I just need something to keep the dew off my gear. So it should work perfect.

Then we hooked up the scout trailer which makes a F350 squat. The 715 didn't move or even creak. It should work.
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Yes, the rear flap does go down. I haven't messed with my fan shroud yet. We will see how it works tomorrow night.

[Mikel]

Very nice. How did it pull?

Got more photos of the hitch?

[Barrman]

I remembered wrong. I did have the bows on the truck before:

Busy Day, Troop Seats and Flat Tow

[Barrman]

Here is the thread about my hitch:
barrman : Tale of Three Hitches

The Zone doesn't like multiple links in a single post. That is why the double post.

[Barrman]

The NA engine did not like the extra wind resistance of the cargo cover and for sure it did not like the 9-11K pounds of the big square trailer. It was ok at 42-45 mph. Above that and my temp gauge went to 200°. We were on a back road with lots of short approach hills and they just killed my performance. I also got black soot on the fender from the exhaust now. This was a bigger load and more air resistance than RED two weeks ago.

However, now that it is basically summer here. It is time for the bikinni top!
We got home from camping yesterday, unhooked, removed the cargo cover, bows and troop seats. Then we pulled the hard top for the first time in at least 2 years:



We installed my home made bikini top bow mount and put factory bows on them with the top, CJ5, over that. We took it for a drive and it is so much better. I was feeling all cooped up and cramped in the truck. Now, I am at home again. Air in my face, mellow exhaust and shoulder room.

[k8icu]

If your going to pull that weight I'd say throw a turbo on the motor. Otherwise it sounds like a typical 6.2 doing what it does.

[Barrman]

No, I don't plan to pull that much besides in town every so often. I wanted to know how it would do though. Handling wise, the truck did great and the hydroboost is amazing.

[randyscycle]

I just wonder if you aren't over-geared?

The 5.87's, even with that NV4500 and overdrive, might be putting you above the usable RPM range of the 6.2. They've never been known as being the huge powerhouse diesel, but they can do the job fairly well in their design limits. It'd be interesting to see what's going on once you get a tach on it and an EGT gauge. That temp climbing to 200 degrees sounds like it was working hard.

[Barrman]

I think I am actually lugging it too much instead of over revving it. Here are the numbers for each gear with my truck and tires at 2600 rpm, my self imposed red line:

1st= 8 mph indicated or 9 actual

2nd= 15 indicated or 16 actual

3rd= 27 indicated or 30 actual

4th= 45 indicated or 50 actual

5th= 60 indicated or 67 actual.

I just ran those numbers. I should have done that before I started driving it. I have been shifting to 3rd at or below 10 mph on the speedo, 4th at 20 and 5th at 30. Going by sound alone has me below the power band of 1800-2200 most of the time.

I am going to print out those numbers, laminate them and put them on the dash.

I also solved a mystery last night. Driving to and from the Rally a few weeks ago with RED had my fender by the exhaust clean of soot. It had some after going to the Scout camp and more once we got home. I will get a picture tonight, but here is the mystery.

My tail gate had what looked like black over spray up near the bed on the passenger side. Who has been paintint stuff on my tail gate? I had Colton drive me around last night while I sat in the bed to hear the exhaust. I wanted to hear it. I also smelled it. Then I made the connection. My over spray was soot sucked up because the cargo cover made a low pressure area.

If I was pushing smoke. I was running too hot.

[gimpyrobb]

"it will work out fine"..... Famous last words.

We figured out a way to make the Nitrogen can clear the injector lines by putting a 3/8" nut spacer on the passenger side Hydroboost mount and building a brace to go between the drivers inner fender and the bottom of the unit to push it up. It was actually tilted and twisted at the same time and cleared everything. I didn't take a picture.

I ordered brand new Hydroboost hoses for a 1985 K30 a while ago since that is what my power steering pump is from. Once we had the Hydroboost installed on the truck, the pedal moved freely, the push rod was just right and it was just a matter of screwing the lines in. That is where it has all gone wrong.

It turns out the unit I am using is a metric O ring unit while the hoses for 1985 are standard O ring thread. I of course figured this out after bending the metal line all up to fit just right. Thankfully, I had another unit on the bench next to the truck that Gimpy gave me in 2007 or so while Kwai and I were driving through Cincinati one midnight on a cross country parts trip. The hoses screwed into that one just fine.

The unit from Chris though is a long push rod one. The one we had bolted up was a short push rod version. Oh well, just a little cutting and welding to make it work.

We removed the metric unit from my truck and went to changing out the mount plates. Once you remove the snap ring, only a 1-7/8" open end will fit the big nut on there. It is a square face so no 6 or 12 point box end will fit. My students alway ask why I have such big tools in the tool room. They were amazed that something as small as a brake booster would need something so big.

Both the welding teacher and the autobody teacher are out the today and tomorrow. That means the welders are all locked up. Looking for something to do, I decided to make sure the lines fit the pump and steering box. No problem on the pump. The box was a problem. Of course the lines are bent for a K30 and not to go under that cross brace the M715 has.

Once I get it bent to fit, it wouldn't thread in either. I knew the box was not metric because I pulled it myself from a 1966 Impalla. I couldn't make it go. I walked over to Sermis' truck and it screwed right in. Then I looked in the box hole. The hose was standard O ring and my box is standard flare line fitting. RRRRHHHHH.

Thankfully, I hadn't thrown away the 1966 power steering lines I had been using on the box and my deciding to put new ones on is what started this entire Hydroboost thing. I cut the old and new lines where I wanted and used a compression fitting to put them back together. We will see how it works.

Once that was figured out, I got to looking online and realized I had been stupid. Why not just turn the booster over to clear the valve cover? Duh! Guys with old Bronco's and muscle cars do it all the time. I test fitted like that and my clutch master is about 1/8 too much in the way. That sure would free up a lot of space though. We might try something creative to make it fit upside down. However, the lines are all bent to be just right with it not upside down. Choice and choices.

All I got out of 20ish pages of reading, I have a part on your truck. SWEET.