I finally found some time to work on the truck again. I re-wired the SPAL cooling fans with SPAL relay kits. I had previously used some relays I had on hand and some bulk wire and just wasn't thrilled with how it turned out. I also neatened up the wire a bit by installing some black convoluted tubing. Now all of the FAST XFI wiring blends in a bit better.

The A/C hoses are installed. I have a little more wiring to do and then a recharge.

I have had a vacuum leak between the sheet metal upper 1/2 and the cast aluminum lower half of the intake. All along I had doubts about how well it would seal with just 4 small bolts widely spaced holding the 2 pieces together. Intially it was decided to bolt them together in case mods were needed inside the plenum. I decided to pull the intake and weld the 1/2's together. I figure if it needs to come back apart, I have carbide die grinder bits and a welder.

The big question was if i would be able to do this. I have very little TIG experience and no training. This was the first time welding a combo of plate and cast aluminum. I think I did OK- not to pretty, but funtional. It actually came out better than I anticipated. I figured if it was really bad looking it would not be visible anyway.

No more vacuum leak !
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/runner_weld.jpg

There ya go!

Now if you want to make it pretty - just 'blend' it a bit with some paper rolls on that die grinder...

I always do as much stuff as possible on my cars/projects... that's how you learn and build your skills! SO way to go.

BTW -- I finally ditched all those relays for the fans - and went with a SPAL fan controller. It operates TWO fans - and is pulse width modulated - so runs fan #1 at half speed and brings it's speed up as required to keep the heat contained - when #1 gets to full speed and needs some help - fan #2 comes on... It has an A/C input - so a few seconds after the A/C is switched on BOTH fans come on - and they stay on until 30 seconds after the A/C is switched off.

It's small - waterproof (resistant in legalese) and is programable for your low and high temp control. It's also much "neater" without all the relays.

it seems that my fuel pump repair may have failed. Lucky for me it happened in the shop rather than on the road. I made a few laps up and down my road , working on the low speed XFI tune. Pulled back into the shop to make some changes and then while adjusting the tables at idle, the truck sputtered and stalled. Oh well... i tried... Now I need to pick a new pump.

subscribed:thumbsup:

Looks great, everything is coming along. Welds dont look too shabby either.
I'd like to stick a BB in my truck one day.

a Mallory 60 gph EFI pump is on it's way to me. pics when it gets installed... :thumbsup:

The new Mallory fuel pump has been working just fine for the limited amount of driving i have done.

I have an old aluminum marine fuel tank that I got when I bought a different parts truck a while back. I decided to cut it down to fit in the bed. I'll be adding baffles and the fittings I need to the EFI system. It will end up right about at 18 gallons capacity, which is more than the stock tank. It's sitting on my welding table which was a freebie from a fab shop that went out of business a few years ago.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/tank001.jpg


http://www.bigblockdakota.com/tank002.jpg

Since I can't afford $1K+ each for aluminum wheels to fit the M/T 29x18x18 tires fro the rear, I'm making my own 18x15 wheels. I am starting out with these steel 18x7.5 wheels with a 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern from an '06 or newer Ford Explorer. I got one to start with and if it works out, I'll get 3 more, one more to widen and 2 for the front. The wheel was $71.95 plus shipping from www.iautobodyparts.com part #STL03654U45 in case anyone with a Ford or Mopar is interested.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/wheels001.jpg

The offset should be OK as is for the front of the Dakota since in stock form, they use a FWD type offset.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/wheels002.jpg

For the rear, I am going to widen the wheel to be 12"-15" wide. Not sure yet exactly how wide. It looks like it might be smart to reverse the center & widen the wheel. I want to be sure to have plenty of dish.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/wheels003.jpg

Feel free to input with ideas !

How do you plan to cut and weld on the gas tank? I have one I'd like to modify - but am not sure I know how to do it after it's been "used"...
:_paranoid

Unless you are really dead-set on widening those yourself, you might check out Stockton Wheel...They do this kind of thing for a living and the price to have it done just might surprise you.

Widening a wheel and having it come out true is not an especially easy thing to do without having the right fixtures, etc...

Good luck!

Of course I'm doing it myself. One reason is no one I asked, including stockton , would/could widen a steel 18" wheel. At the PRI show I spoke with one of the Basset wheel reps and he said "go for it". It's not as difficult as people think. I'll show all of the step by step as I do it.

Cutting the tank ? Already done as seen in the pictures. I used an air saw & an electric saber saw. Welding a used gas tank ? Aluminum, steel , stainless, doesn't matter too much. What matters is it needs to be clean. I worked helping to run a welding and fab shop for a while in my early 20's - i helped in the office mostly, i didn't do any fab or welding. We used to build and fix fuel tanks all the time, mostly for boats. Welding up pin holes, patching, you name it. A steam cleaner and soapy water works well to clean before hand. When doing my own, I drain the tank, remove the sender & anything that can trap fuel then let it air dry completly. Pour in about a cup of dishsoap & put the garden hose in & let it run slow until the water comes out with no suds. Repeat. Let it air dry again, and if it smells clean & you are comfortable, do what you need to do. Of course you need to use your own judgment and take responsibility for your own actions. Purging the tank with argon is a good safety measure too.

Yeah -- that's what I've been told to do -- wash it throughly and back gas it with argon. It's a stainless tank and I'd TIG it - so a back gas with Argon works... just thought maybe you had a different way.