In reply to revdstan :
I'm using a C5 Corvette oil pan and a set of urethane universal LS swap mounts that have been cut and rewelded 3 different time. There are a couple other guys that have done LS swaps on these truck and have them running, I'm pretty confident that I am the only one with C4 Corvette suspension. The biggest problem with an LS swap on these trucks is getting exhaust between the engine and the narrow frame rails, especially if you mount the engine as low as I did. You also will probably have to modify your firewall.
In reply to RacetruckRon :
I'm fine with modifying the firewall, and the exhaust will be going forward into the turbo, and them dumping out the fender, so hopefully I won't run into too many exhaust issues.
In reply to revdstan :
You should be fine then. I hope you put a build thread up here for your truck. Sounds like a crazy ass project.
Making some progress. 3D printed a cutting template and an assembly jig for header merge cones. I also ordered a custom driveshaft from a local company, only took a couple days to get made and it fits perfect.
The hole in the floor got a little bit bigger too.
Not so much a truck update but I might end up using something like this on the truck eventually. So I have seen a few posts around the interwebz about using 3D printed dies to form sheet metal mostly really thin stuff in the 20-24 gauge range. I had a piece of 18 gauge stainless (I think) laying around that I want to turn into a TIG filler rod holder so it isn't just laying on some horizontal surface that is taking up precious floor space in my small garage.
30 minutes in Solidworks, and 22 hours of print time later. Boom. We have a die set that should work with a 2.5" hole and apply a 15mm radius to a piece of 18 gauge sheet.
Now all of the example I have seen previously with this concept working involved a hydraulic press and thinner sheet metal. I'm using a big old USA made Reed Co. vise, it's skookum as frig. I used two pieces of 1x4 to distribute the clamping load of the vise jaws and had to put a tube over the vise handle as a 4' breaker bar but it worked. There was some slight layer separation with the male die but I attribute most of that to the rough edges left by the hole saw that I didn't clean up and the lack of lubrication. I need a shop press now because this works almost too well and then my power will know no limits. I'm going to try this with PLA or PETG next since those can be printed on any of my machines and don't warp. These were printed with ABS and I did get some slight warp, if you want to try this at home my settings were as followed: Nozzle temp: 260°C, Bed Temp: 94°C, Nozzle: 0.4mm, Bottom layers: 6, Top Layers: 6, Perimeters: 5, Infill: 30% honeycomb pattern.
Here's a little teaser of some high quality Chinesium that is supposed to be delivered today. I've been working on over-engineering the shifter relocation.
The way the transmission is mounted in my truck the stock 350Z shifter would be inline with my hip, potentially even farther back. I wanted to make something that would relocate the shifter to on top of the inspection plate, this seemed to be optimal placement after a few session of sitting in the truck making engine noise and using a large screwdriver as a shifter.
I couldn't quite figure out how to interface with the selector rod in a manner that didn't negatively affect the inner workings. This may be a project to revisit in the future but for now it seemed like a simple linkage between the stock shifter and the point I want the put my right hand was the better solution.
Enter SolidWorks. I got some inspiration from big hydraulic drift brakes and CAE shifters. I designed an assembly that utilized the 350z shifter, a lever, a lever mount and a linkage. The full linkage is not shown as I plan to fabricate this out of steel for simplicity's sake and so I can take up any slack in my design there.
My plan was to try and bribe one of my friends that works at a machine shop to make this for material and a nice bottle of whiskey. He said there was no way he'd be able to sneak that in but a coworker of his had contracted work like this out to a supplier he found on Alibaba and had good results, "You can even get it anodized any color you want" he said.
So alter the SAE drawings I made anticipating an American machinist would manufacturing these parts. I would have just drawn these in metric to begin with if I new I would be having them made in Asia. I normally draw in metric anyways, it's what my printers speak and what all of the tools I design for a living are made in too.
On to setting up a quote on Alibaba. I made an account with my personal business email, set it up kinda like a facade and put up an RFQ for CNC aluminum components with Type II anodize finish and a couple of PDF drawings. Within a week I had over 30 shops in China and India asking for step files and providing quotes. Sort by cheapest, take the bottom 2 shops out and then start looking into the next 5 shops. I found one that was willing to take payment via Alibaba and not a direct wire transfer. Promised a 15 day leadtime and air freight shipping. Three weeks later these showed up at my front door. All 3 of these parts shipped cost me $78, shipping was $27 of that cost. This just blew the door wide open for challenge priced adapter plates.
Almost a good match for Empire Blue.
It fits perfect.
All together with a 3D printed shift knob I designed and McMaster hardware. I might need to have a shift knob turned or a mold made for forged carbon shift knobs...
It's really astonishing how cheap they are willing to make some parts. Good for you for being bold enough to give it a try.
In reply to Indy-Guy :
I figured it was worth the money to find out if they could actually make good parts for that cheap.
RacetruckRon said:
The hole in the floor got a little bit bigger too.
Just here to comment that you're not the only mini-truck with a gaping hole where the trans tunnel should be.
Shifter looks awesome, will be pumped to see you get everything closed up.
In reply to classicJackets :
I think we are in the same boat on more than one level. Ridiculous minitruck builds with big holes in the floor that need to be done by next summer for a wedding. It's a little daunting..
Small update, I dug my Microsquirt out of a bin and soldered the necessary resistor jumpers on it to run an LS. Wiring harness to follow this winter since I can do most of that inside.
Fresh tank of argon on the welder, knocked out a weld repair on a 4L80e for a friend and some mild steel work to tie the shifter linkage together. I still need to finish a couple welds on the driver's side header and start layout for the firewall.
buh-buh-bah-bah-bah, I'm loving this.
Alibaba shifter mod is choice!
In reply to ebelements :
I have plans for a few more pieces to complete the system.
Bought myself a 20 ton Hammer Store shop press for Christmas and played around with my 3D printed dimple dies again. I have the Swag Offroad finger brake kit for this on the way too. These 3d printed dies work almost too well, there's a lot of potential to do some wild stuff with this process and a hydraulic press just makes it even easier. I can't wait to get the finger brake setup on this and start knocking out the tin work for the firewall and trans tunnel.
RacetruckRon said:
The way the transmission is mounted in my truck the stock 350Z shifter would be inline with my hip, potentially even farther back. I wanted to make something that would relocate the shifter to on top of the inspection plate, this seemed to be optimal placement after a few session of sitting in the truck making engine noise and using a large screwdriver as a shifter.
I couldn't quite figure out how to interface with the selector rod in a manner that didn't negatively affect the inner workings. This may be a project to revisit in the future but for now it seemed like a simple linkage between the stock shifter and the point I want the put my right hand was the better solution.
Enter SolidWorks. I got some inspiration from big hydraulic drift brakes and CAE shifters. I designed an assembly that utilized the 350z shifter, a lever, a lever mount and a linkage. The full linkage is not shown as I plan to fabricate this out of steel for simplicity's sake and so I can take up any slack in my design there.
My plan was to try and bribe one of my friends that works at a machine shop to make this for material and a nice bottle of whiskey. He said there was no way he'd be able to sneak that in but a coworker of his had contracted work like this out to a supplier he found on Alibaba and had good results, "You can even get it anodized any color you want" he said.
So alter the SAE drawings I made anticipating an American machinist would manufacturing these parts. I would have just drawn these in metric to begin with if I new I would be having them made in Asia. I normally draw in metric anyways, it's what my printers speak and what all of the tools I design for a living are made in too.
On to setting up a quote on Alibaba. I made an account with my personal business email, set it up kinda like a facade and put up an RFQ for CNC aluminum components with Type II anodize finish and a couple of PDF drawings. Within a week I had over 30 shops in China and India asking for step files and providing quotes. Sort by cheapest, take the bottom 2 shops out and then start looking into the next 5 shops. I found one that was willing to take payment via Alibaba and not a direct wire transfer. Promised a 15 day leadtime and air freight shipping. Three weeks later these showed up at my front door. All 3 of these parts shipped cost me $78, shipping was $27 of that cost. This just blew the door wide open for challenge priced adapter plates.
Almost a good match for Empire Blue.
It fits perfect.
All together with a 3D printed shift knob I designed and McMaster hardware. I might need to have a shift knob turned or a mold made for forged carbon shift knobs...
Agreed, $78 is worth the risk. Material alone would cost that much domestically, let alone machine time, and let alone the NRE to set up the NC program. I'll have to keep this in mind when I want something built and don't feel like spending hours at the mill making chips. You're right, this would open up a ton of potential... I wonder what they'd charge for a trans adapter plate....
In reply to Brotus7 :
Let me know if you ever have a project you want to shop out over there. I have a guy I mostly trust over there.
In reply to RacetruckRon :
I'm also curious about what a trans adapter plate would cost. I suspect the hard part would be drawing it up accurately. I'm aways out from what I have in mind, probably at least a year with everything else going on. But when the time comes I might be able to have the engine and transmission 3d scanned by a friend and the drawings combined to send out for this. Unless there's an easier way. I dunno, I've not really played with SolidWorks, etc.
In reply to AWSX1686 :
Depending on the size and complexity of the adapter plate I would guess anywhere between $75-200. 3D model and a basic print (in metric) is what you need to get a good quote and have a part made.
Been trying to light a fire under my own ass and make some progress. Weather looks like it's supposed to be decent this weekend so gonna be out in the garage for a while Saturday and Sunday. About ready to throw the tax return at this thing and buy some parts to save myself some time. I picked up a dirt cheap L33 Aluminum 5.3 off craigslist last night, that has me really motivated. Also, having a car that can easily fit a V8 longblock in it is something I've never experienced before and it's berking awesome.
Allegedly this engine has 284k on it and was pulled because it had low oil pressure at idle. Pretty common on these engines, it spins fine so it's only getting an oil pump, pickup tube o-ring and rear main seal. We'll do a cam and valvetrain after the truck is shaken down. But it has almost brand new valve covers and a new looking waterpump. The seller had a rust free 2005 Silverado with almost 300k on it so I think this engine was pretty well taken care of.
I stopped by the metal store to pick up some supplies yesterday on lunch, I should have a large pile of new parts arriving between by the weekend. This engine is pretty clean on the inside, very little sludge. It's getting a new oil pump, timing chain and a couple other surprises that will be revealed shortly.
In reply to AngryCorvair :
That would be silly since I just scratch built a set of long tubes.
