njtacoma
Explorer
X2Any new activity Mr Colorado? It would be cool to see what you are up to. Cheers, chilli..
enjoyed the work you have done thus far.
7K of USA
- Thread starter Colorado_Outback
- Start date
enjoyed the work you have done thus far.
Colorado_Outback
Adventurer
I was planning on working on the truck the whole month of December but I injured my ankle and was unable to walk or stand for 3 weeks. Finally getting back to it.
The biggest problem ive ran into is the throttle body angle.
20161105_135922 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
I decided to make a TB spacer to level it out, this will help with the throttle cable routing too I think.
20170110_110247 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170110_111550 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Still need to cap my tube for the IAC and hopefully it still fits like it did when I test fit it.
20170111_153221 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
The biggest problem ive ran into is the throttle body angle.
20161105_135922 by colorado_baja, on FlickrI decided to make a TB spacer to level it out, this will help with the throttle cable routing too I think.
20170110_110247 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170110_111550 by colorado_baja, on FlickrStill need to cap my tube for the IAC and hopefully it still fits like it did when I test fit it.
20170111_153221 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Colorado_Outback
Adventurer
Got a chance to finish up the TB spacer and work on the intake a little bit today. Looks like its all going to work out, though ill have to use electric fans instead of the mechanical fan.
20170115_122431 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_122508 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_122452 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_122439 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
For the intake I'm using the top half of a GMT800 air box. I was going to use the whole box but with the dual battery setup its just too big. I really don't like cone filters so I opted to make this one fit. Planning on building a bracket to hold it in place, the old air intake was bolted to the fender liner right there so it shouldn't be too hard.
20170115_150449 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
The intake will sit a couple inches higher then it is in this pic, its just sitting on the fender liner.
20170115_150403 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_150519 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_122431 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_122508 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_122452 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_122439 by colorado_baja, on FlickrFor the intake I'm using the top half of a GMT800 air box. I was going to use the whole box but with the dual battery setup its just too big. I really don't like cone filters so I opted to make this one fit. Planning on building a bracket to hold it in place, the old air intake was bolted to the fender liner right there so it shouldn't be too hard.
20170115_150449 by colorado_baja, on FlickrThe intake will sit a couple inches higher then it is in this pic, its just sitting on the fender liner.
20170115_150403 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170115_150519 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Colorado_Outback
Adventurer
Looks likie a real snug fit :Wow1:there Mr Colorado. Now I know why you are going for the electric fan option... Cheers, Chilli..
There is a reason that the medium duty GMT400's that came with the 8.1 have a 2" body lift thats for sure.
I sent my harness back to Howell to be reworked and I need to get a fan bought and get on with it.
Colorado_Outback
Adventurer
I decided to weld my throttle cable bracket to the spacer. Just made life easier.
20170204_094803 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
I used all the Lokar parts on this end to hook it up to the 454 TB.
20170204_095556 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
The cable on the left is the Lokar cable end, the one on the right is the stock GMT400 end that hooks to the pedal. Luckily I didn't need the stock cable anymore so I clipped it to get the little plastic end and slid it onto the Lokar cable replacing the aluminum fitting it came with, worked perfectly.
20170201_093600 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Cable routing
20170204_095615 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170201_130333 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Welded up my intake tube.
20170131_181026 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
I don't like cone filters so I decided to keep what I could of the stock air box. Makes replacing filters cheap and easy.
I cut the bottom of the stock air box off leaving only what I needed. the sealing surface for the filter and the 4 bosses the lid screws onto.
20170204_102421 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
I made a 3" splash guard and welded some tabs to it to mount it to the fender liner. I still need to drill some holes and find some hardware.
20170204_145255 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
The splash guard is pretty flush with the bottom of the fender liner so it should keep the filter pretty clean.
20170201_125135 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
I decided to go with GMT800 electric fans from a Tahoe. Took some trimming but I have the shroud flush with the radiator, still need to fab the upper and lower mounts but everything clears... just barely haha.
20170204_144216 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Everything crammed in there.
20170204_145349 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170204_145311 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170204_164025 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170204_094803 by colorado_baja, on FlickrI used all the Lokar parts on this end to hook it up to the 454 TB.
20170204_095556 by colorado_baja, on FlickrThe cable on the left is the Lokar cable end, the one on the right is the stock GMT400 end that hooks to the pedal. Luckily I didn't need the stock cable anymore so I clipped it to get the little plastic end and slid it onto the Lokar cable replacing the aluminum fitting it came with, worked perfectly.
20170201_093600 by colorado_baja, on FlickrCable routing
20170204_095615 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170201_130333 by colorado_baja, on FlickrWelded up my intake tube.
20170131_181026 by colorado_baja, on FlickrI don't like cone filters so I decided to keep what I could of the stock air box. Makes replacing filters cheap and easy.
I cut the bottom of the stock air box off leaving only what I needed. the sealing surface for the filter and the 4 bosses the lid screws onto.
20170204_102421 by colorado_baja, on FlickrI made a 3" splash guard and welded some tabs to it to mount it to the fender liner. I still need to drill some holes and find some hardware.
20170204_145255 by colorado_baja, on FlickrThe splash guard is pretty flush with the bottom of the fender liner so it should keep the filter pretty clean.
20170201_125135 by colorado_baja, on FlickrI decided to go with GMT800 electric fans from a Tahoe. Took some trimming but I have the shroud flush with the radiator, still need to fab the upper and lower mounts but everything clears... just barely haha.
20170204_144216 by colorado_baja, on FlickrEverything crammed in there.
20170204_145349 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170204_145311 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170204_164025 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Colorado_Outback
Adventurer
Thanks. I've been welding aluminum since 07 and have owned a small business that specializes in production and prototype aluminum parts and cast aluminum repair for the last couple years. Needless to say its my favorite material to make random things out of.
Couple more pics of the intake. Now that its secured to the fender liner I just have to undo the 4 cover screws and flex it out of the way to change the filter.
20170205_104555 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170205_105908 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170205_105858 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Also got a start on the radiator mounts, used another piece of aluminum to sandwich the shroud so hopefully it wont crack or blow out.
20170207_143832 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Started working on the upper radiator mount, no pics of that yet.
Couple more pics of the intake. Now that its secured to the fender liner I just have to undo the 4 cover screws and flex it out of the way to change the filter.
20170205_104555 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170205_105908 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170205_105858 by colorado_baja, on FlickrAlso got a start on the radiator mounts, used another piece of aluminum to sandwich the shroud so hopefully it wont crack or blow out.
20170207_143832 by colorado_baja, on FlickrStarted working on the upper radiator mount, no pics of that yet.
Colorado_Outback
Adventurer
Thanks guys, got a chance to work on the upper fan mount this week. Kills 2 birds with one stone covers the top of the radiator, and the gap in between it and the core support and has 2 studs for mounting the top of the Efan..
Since I cant bend a piece of 1/8" aluminum that wide I decided to gusset and weld a plate that bolts to the core support to a piece of 3x1.5" aluminum channel. I used a couple left over exhaust manifold studs and nuts for the upper Efan mounts.
20170218_141704 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170218_143127 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Need to get fender washers to go under the nuts.
20170218_143008 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Final fit for everything in the front half of the engine bay. Washer bottle, both battery trays, radiator, fans, throttle body and intake.
20170218_153012 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Since I cant bend a piece of 1/8" aluminum that wide I decided to gusset and weld a plate that bolts to the core support to a piece of 3x1.5" aluminum channel. I used a couple left over exhaust manifold studs and nuts for the upper Efan mounts.
20170218_141704 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170218_143127 by colorado_baja, on FlickrNeed to get fender washers to go under the nuts.
20170218_143008 by colorado_baja, on FlickrFinal fit for everything in the front half of the engine bay. Washer bottle, both battery trays, radiator, fans, throttle body and intake.
20170218_153012 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Last edited:
Colorado_Outback
Adventurer
On to the exhaust. Local shops wanted between 5-800 to make me a new Y pipe. I'm way to cheap for that so I opted to build my own.
The old small block Y pipe had 2 1/4" down pipes into a single 3" tube with this gigantic old cat converter.
20170228_133411 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
I had the exhaust shop flare some 1' pieces of 2.5" tube to mate up with my doughnut gaskets. Once I hung the down pipes, built the cross over and brought the 3" up to span the distance that the cat used to occupy it looked like this.
20170304_120043 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
After much thinking, mitering, deburing and tacking this is what I came up with. Its basically a copy of the small block Y pipe with 2.5" down pipes and no cat.
I tucked it up tighter then the factory small block. I left about an inch around the front drive shaft, should still be able to get it out easily with the Y pipe in place.
20170304_170636 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170304_171126 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
I used an extra 3" V band for the connection in the back so it'll be easy to remove the Y pipe later if I need to. The flanges are cut out of 3/8" mild steel.
20170305_143452 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
Still need to do a bunch of welding on the pie sections but the hard work is done. I also need to fix a bunch of shoddy work farther back on the exhaust and add a muffler.
The old small block Y pipe had 2 1/4" down pipes into a single 3" tube with this gigantic old cat converter.
20170228_133411 by colorado_baja, on FlickrI had the exhaust shop flare some 1' pieces of 2.5" tube to mate up with my doughnut gaskets. Once I hung the down pipes, built the cross over and brought the 3" up to span the distance that the cat used to occupy it looked like this.
20170304_120043 by colorado_baja, on FlickrAfter much thinking, mitering, deburing and tacking this is what I came up with. Its basically a copy of the small block Y pipe with 2.5" down pipes and no cat.
I tucked it up tighter then the factory small block. I left about an inch around the front drive shaft, should still be able to get it out easily with the Y pipe in place.
20170304_170636 by colorado_baja, on Flickr
20170304_171126 by colorado_baja, on FlickrI used an extra 3" V band for the connection in the back so it'll be easy to remove the Y pipe later if I need to. The flanges are cut out of 3/8" mild steel.
20170305_143452 by colorado_baja, on FlickrStill need to do a bunch of welding on the pie sections but the hard work is done. I also need to fix a bunch of shoddy work farther back on the exhaust and add a muffler.