wedged- 41 Dodge truck project
 

This started out as a dakota project and now is using a 1941 Dodge truck body.


Since I am starting back in on this long term project, I decided to create an update thread.

A few years back I bought a '94 V-6 5 speed Dakota for a big block swap. At the time I was thinking "sleeper". I also had long term plans of putting EFI on the 440 I was installing and then add a pair of turbos.

Here's the truck as it looked when I bought it
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/stockdak02.JPG

The first thing I did was to lower it. I used 3" blocks in the rear, then decided to cut and weld instead. I stuck with the cheap 'n dirty method.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/dump11.jpg

Rear bracket
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/dump13.jpg

Dropped the front with 2" Bell Tech spindles

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/spindles07.jpg

I had to add a 1" lowering block in the rear to get it just right. The weight of the 440 had dropped the front a little more than I thought and there was too much rake.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/sideshot.jpg

I picked up a 440 which was going to get a clean up, regasketed,painted and dropped in. In the middle of doing that, I changed my mind. It got hot tanked, a quick hone, all new bearings and rings, a set of Edelbrock heads, new oil pump and billet timing set and a small Lunati cam. I kept the stock low compression pistons to keep the short block cheap and this will allow for testing the planned turbos.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/engine010.jpg

A 727 was completely rebuilt with a B&M kit, B&M deep pan and a TCI converter. This will get swapped out for a 518 OD trans with a JW adapter belhousing at some point.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/trans01.jpg

Notched the stock bog block truck oil pan and extended the pick up. I'll need to re-do the pan to add fittings for turbo drains and increase the capacity. I may modify the cross member too.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pan03.jpg

before the swap
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/enginein.jpg


CAD designed laser cut adapter brackets
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/rawmnt02.jpg

mock up of the first tran cross member. You can also see the stock speed sensor in the trans. I had to make a 7 v signal source so the speedo would work.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/rawmnt04.jpg

passenger side mount in place
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/newmnt012.jpg

driver's side
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/newmnt013.jpg

test fitting with an empty block and empty trans case
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/test1.jpg

building the headers
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes01.jpg

here you can also see the custom intake a buddy made for me using a tunnel ram base. I was copying Nelson's design to go along with the twin turbo idea.I'll need all new headers when it comes time to add the turbos
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes02.jpg

it wasn't easy
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes22.jpg

but it was fun
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes27.jpg

VHT ceramic paint which didn't hold up too well. Not equal length, not pretty, but they work. I learned a lot from doing this and I look forward to doing it again some time.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers01.jpg

Like I said, crude but effective.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers02.jpg

Yay ! They fit !
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers03.jpg

I originally tried to use the stock tran cross member which ended up perfectly in the way of the exhaust. I used a cable shifter at first, then switched to a Lokar linkage shifter. No more worries about melted cables.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers04.jpg

This is what it looks like now.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/newrad.jpg


The next thing is to is getting it running again- I had a fuel pump failure and you can read about that in the EFI section. I also need to find a vacuum leak and work on the IAC to be sure it's working right. I've finally got the hoses ready for the AC system so I can finish hooking that up and recharging it. From there I am going to start working on the back half. I have a set of Mickey Thompson 29"x18"x18" Sportsman SR's for the back.
http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/i...an_sr_rear.jpg

When the tires go on, a new fuel tank will go into the bed. I'd like to put C4 front suspension under it with bigger brakes and maybe a hydroboost.

Yes, everything looks a bit rough, but i made up my mind that I want to be able to drive the truck as I work on it. When time and money allow, I would like to tear it all down and make it look pretty- new paint, new upholstery etc. With 18" wheels for the rear being pricey, I started poking around for steel wheels. Ford Explorers were equiped with 18"x7.5" steel wheel with a 5x4.5" bolt pattern. I am going to get a pair and see if they will work on the front and if they work, get 2 more. Then I am going to widen a pair for the back. I'm going to do this the old school circle track way. Cut, measure, tack and weld. I'll start taking more pics as I move along.

Cool project, that should make one hell of a sleeper:_paranoid

Very cool build, I've always liked that body style a lot. The headers came out great for a first attempt, that's something I want to try eventually. I bet that is an interesting ride with that much motor in it, to say the least. Good luck with it!

The engine is actually kind of lame thanks to the 8:1 compression, but it still is fun to drive. Well, to me it feels lame because that blue plymouth scamp in the background of the rear spring mount picture runs low 11's on slicks and on the hard street tires it will roast 'em from a 45 mph roll.

Once the Mickey T's go on, the sleeper image will be gone, but right now it just blends in with traffic.

Kind of reminds me of my buddys ranger in high school. He had an 87 ranger with a 429 cobra jet in it. Stupid fast, and by stupid i mean way to much power to be safe in such a little truck.

I was succesful in getting the fuel pump working again. I'll add a few pics of the pump repair when I get a chance. I also picked up a used Holset HX35W for when the time comes to start mock up for the twin turbos. It looks like I have plenty of room for them, I just have move some things around.

Here's the fuel pump disassembled. The first time I took it apart, I desoldered the wires at the bulkhead screws. When reassembling this time, I realized I should have done that again this time as it makes putting the pump back together easier.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/fp003.jpg

The little parts. It's simple to take this pump apart. Aeromotive doesn't offer any service parts in their catalog. I don't know if they would sell them seperately. I bought the replacement brushes based on dimension from Eurton Electric Company, 800-423-4789. I was able to look up the size of the brush in their pdf catalog online at www.eurtonelectric.com. The part # is 33D. The brushes cost $3.25 each and I got 4 so I would have spares in case I screwed up. The brushes are about .100" too long as supplied. I shortened them with a sanding drum un my Dremel tool. I should have done that before I soldered them to the board, but I forgot to check them first.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/fp004.jpg

The inside of the motor case with the magnets re-epoxied. I didn't take any "before" pics.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/fp007.jpg

The brush holder after soldering the new brushes in place. I was also able to get them partially crimped into the connector, but not well enough to eliminate the need for solder. Again, I should have checked and trimmed the brushes to length before soldering them as well as de-soldering the wires to the bulkhead screws in the pump end cap.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/fp010.jpg

A shot of the motor before installing the brush holder assembly
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/fp013.jpg

I installed the pump yesterday and wedged fired right up after priming.


JB Weld $6.99
http://toolmonger.com/wp-content/upl...01/jb-weld.jpg

2 sets of brushes plus shipping $20
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/fp004.jpg

repairing a $300+ paperweight yourself:
priceless !

:woot:



Now we'll just have to see how long the JB weld will hold up to soaking in alcohol enhanced gasoline. The stock glue holding the magnets in place lasted less than 500 miles. I bought the pump 05/06. It was installed toward the end of 09/06. It first partially failed during the summer of 2008 , then started working again, then failed totally early spring 09.

Wow --- such little parts! I hate little parts!!

Good job!

The rear tires waiting patiently
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/mickyt.jpg

the used turbo that might someday get installed
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/turbo001.jpg

it needs some work. The shaft has a lot of play and the compressor wheel has hit the housing, contrary to the description in the ebay auction.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/turbo002.jpg

close up of the damage
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/turbo003.jpg

a bigger picture- it's really too big and messes up the layout of the post, so just click.
CLICK

the housing just got polished a little from the contact, but doesn't appear to have any real damage.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/turbo006.jpg

dude this is a cool project! You should do yourself a favor and just get a new turbo. Having a bad turbo like that rebuilt costs some money and its an absolute pain when they go out. I have seen quite a few rebuilt ones go bad because they will start to leak oil and its difficult to get a high miler rebuilt properly. I guess you could get it mounted and running with it and get a new one later but its totally worth it to start new with a warranty and get the exact size you need...just my .02..

I am going to rebuild the turbo myself. The kits are cheap and I've already found a source for a new compressor wheel at a fair price. $ became a big issue over the last year, so it's now low budget all the way. If $ wasn't an issue, I'd have an aluminum block and a pair of Turbonetics Thumpers.

After a bit of back and forth, I was able to get specialty car insurance on wedged ! :thumbsup: I'm limited to 3,000 miles a year, which is plenty for me. I was a bit unmotivated since I couldn't drive the thing. I've got a vacuum leak between the upper plenum and lower runners of the intake. I'm going to make a gasket and try it. If that doesn't hold up, I'll weld the upper to the lower. Once that's situated, I'll finish up the A/C system.

Its enough of a chalange getting these back together never mind dealing with ins.co.

The insurance company wasn't too bad. They said "no" , I said "why", they said "um... fill out this modified vehicle work sheet and we'll get back to you". A few days later I've got insurance cards. I've been dealing with this company for quite few years now. Heacock Insurance : Heacock Classic . Heck, they even insured a buddy's 9 second pro street blown hemi Duster.

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.

I spoke with the metal shop that does water jet cutting for me. They can roll steel plate the width I need to make the rings to widen the wheels. I just need to determine exact width and diameter I want. I need to decide if i want to widen it in the drop center or the larger diameter

I managed to knock the center out of the wheel. It took a bit more effort than I had anticipated. First I cut the four 4" long welds with a cut off wheel. Then i heated the joint and started smacking near the joint with a piece of 1/2" round bar and a BFH. It took a while but the weld seams finally split and the center popped out. I wanted to make sure not to over grind and cut into the rim. Next week I'll swing by the metal shop and have them make up two 16.5" ID rings about 8" wide.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/wheels005.jpg

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/wheels006.jpg

The rims will end up right about 15" wide , which is what M/T specs for the tires. The aluminum wheels M/T offers have 5" of backspace, so I am going get as close to that as I can. Ironically, the center will end up almost exactly where it was in stock configuration. It needed to come out because where I am adding to the width starts right under the edge of the front surface of the center. :unibrow:

The steel rings for widening the wheels have been ordered - 16.5" ID x 8" wide.

Here's a video i took with my phone.
engine video

Not much more progress on on wedged but I figured I post a couple of pics anyway.

The D100 (dubbed "the anti-christ" by it's owner) has a 451 low deck stroker which I need to pull out. It seems the thrust bearing is wiped out allowing the crank to move around. Hopefully it won't be too involved to repair. The owner gave it that name a few years ago after a seemingly endless string of problems... which are obviously continuing. I think the short block might be cursed ?

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/junk-001.jpg

There's a build thread of the satellite that's probably lost at this point due to lack of updates. Quick rundown: 6.1L hemi, a518 OD trans, 8 3/4 rear, 13" Baer brakes on all 4 corners.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/junk-002.jpg

Picked up the steel rings yesterday. Now I just need to cut the wheel in 1/2.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/junk-005.jpg

I'm highjacking my own thread....I've been side tracked with the D100. Pulled the stroker 451 and found the crank to be junk and the block damaged. Crank thrust bearing surface wiped out, 1 spun rod bearing and 1 badly scored piston and bore. I'll be dropping in a 383 that the owner had laying around. Before I do, I have fix the "reinforcements" that someone else did on the C4 front suspension. The upper control arm mounts were tipping in at the top because the welds on the coil over brackets, which doubled as a reinforcement, had broken. In order to stop it, the owner had an off road truck shop add some bracing and some huge booger welds. Let's just just say the engine was in the way when they did it, and leave it at that...

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti009.jpg

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti014.jpg

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti008.jpg

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti020.jpg

Made more progress today on the anti-christ. I resorted to the torch to cut off the braces then spent some time with the grinder.


http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti-021.jpg

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti-022.jpg

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti-023.jpg

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti-024.jpg

The driver's side had tipped in about 1/2" at the top. I used a reciprocating saw to cut through most of the weld along the base. I was just going to realign it and re-weld it. The huge booger welds on the shock upright were taking too long to grind out with a die grinder so I just cut the whole thing off. I then cut the welds off using the band saw.

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti-025.jpg

lined it back up where it had been...
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti-026.jpg

...and welded it back on.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/anti-027.jpg

The next step is to reinforce them.

Much better!

I have some welding on my 37 chassis (the old one not the new one!) that makes the booger welds you cut out look like a pro did them... :rofl:

Hey Greg
After hearing the story of the old 37 chassi I think you should write a book called How to not build a street rod chassi. :unibrow: :unibrow:

That's right Tonny -- I showed you the photos didn't I!! Ever seen such an amazing mess?!

:rofl: :rofl:

Wedges truck was actually "welded" -- whereas I don't think I could say the same thing.