My GMC, a little update

[Oldfart]

I appreciate the PM on engine alignment, OF! You actually got me thinking about raising the motor/tranny. It sits pretty low. The reason for that is the tranny crossmember is what is currently dictating where it all sits, height wise. If I remove the crossmember/frame bushings, put those bushings instead under the th400 tailshaft mounting holes I would have effectively moved the powertrain upwards 2.5 inches. That would not allow me enough room to get by without modifying the headers, but it would allow for a good 5" of oil pan clearance and the motor mounts would sit up a little higher.

Driveshaft angle wise, I believe you are correct in that it would be fine. You should see the HMMWV's. They are canted WAAAY over towards the passenger side. Those are some weird vehicles.

The 4bt Cummins used in some MV conversions usually uses the bell housing from a bread truck application so as to clear the steering gearboxes. This is most effective on M37's. What happens is the engine is rotated off the center line. It looks sort of like the slant head 6 that Dodge used for a number of years, only not so pronounced. Sticks in my mind it is a 4 degree rotation. Like I said, General Motors vans set the engine and trans off to the passenger side to make room for the foot controls and steering wheel on the drivers side.

 

[hendersond]

Not sure about the slip yoke issue in the driveshaft... unless I'm totally missing something here, the motor/transmission are stationary, and the t-case is stationary, so I can't see a need for a slip yoke...'Tanner'

There will be some flex in the frame, motor mount etc. The tailshaft has the slip joint inside on the standard TH 400 transmission so it is easier to keep it. If there was no ship joint you'll have to move the motor forward to replace a u-joint or install the driveshaft.

 

[Gunfreak25]

Fabbed up my mounts today and tacked them in place. Neighbor was too drunk to weld them so he'll be doing it tomorrow morning. Personally I wait until the work is through before guzzling brew. I can't do crap if I am stumbling around the yard.

I know somewhere Stan is laughing his hind end off at this.

 

[hendersond]

I'm noticing a decrease in the frequency of pictures in your postings lately.

It is your job to keep us GMC guys motivated!

(I better go post some in my thread)

 

[Stan Leschert]

My neighbor was too drunk to weld them so he'll be doing it tomorrow morning on his Miller MIG. Personally I wait until the work is through before guzzling brew. I can't do crap if I am stumbling around the yard. I know somewhere Stan is laughing his hind end off at this.

I can send you 2 of my welders,
but shipping and up keep for those thirsty buggers,
would make buying an M1 tank cheap by comparison!

These are the 2 legged kind of welders.
The beer bill alone is enough to drain your wallet!

 

[Gunfreak25]

 

[Gunfreak25]

If my neighbor finishes the mounts tomorrow i'll get pictures posted.

 

[Gunfreak25]

My neighbor hadn't gotten to my mounts by the next morning, so I took them back. I guess if you want something to get done you have to do it yourself. All is fine though, I got rid of the extension cord my welder was hooked up to and cranked the wire speed up to 9. It has never worked better. I ran out of wire though, so I only got 1 done. I did get my fenders, and side skirts back on. Just finished disassembling the brush guard/grill for sand/prime. Soon as I bolt the motor mounts in I will officially have all the body parts bolted back on for good. That sure will feel good. I must say it's no longer a sight for sore eyes.

By the way, thanks for all the compliments and words of encouragement old fart, as well as from everybody else. Helps a guy continue plugging away.

 

[hendersond]

Very nice! Thanks for the pictures. I like the idea of the Diesel engine. Your truck looks very clean. Keep plugging away!

 

[Oldfart]

Is that rain in Yuma???? Your front on photo looks good. The 6.2 appears to be a good candidate to fit in the engine pit. I think there are quite a few of us interested in the kind of performance this conversion will produce. ~~~ Your number crunching would seem to indicate the 6.2 is a good match for the old Jimmy's.
.

 

[Gunfreak25]

No, it doesn't rain here. I had just washed the truck down before the pictures.

 

[Gunfreak25]

All done with the engine swap. I finished my mounts last night and bolted them in. For my 1st set of motor mounts I think they came out very nice. To test them, I used the engine hoist to try and lift the motor up to flex the mounts. Instead, it started lifting the front end of the truck off the ground! I used 1/4" plate and laid down 8 full length welds per mount, grade #8 hardware too of course.

 

[armytruck63]

Excellent work! I like you concept here - repowering an older military truck with a more modern, yet still military engine.

Have you figured out how you are going to mount the air compressor? Keep up the good work.

 

[Gunfreak25]

I'll be covering the air compressor mounting soon. That is the very last thing I have to fabricate with this entire project.

These are the pictures I took today for M1010Plowboy

 

[m1010plowboy]

6.2 Deuce

Powered by Low Fart Cottage Cheese. A multi fuel?

Nice work Gunfreak, one bolt at a time. I understand you're still looking for a compressor rebuild package, what else is on your needs list?

Thanks for the pics!

 

[Gunfreak25]

Low Fart Cottage cheese?!


Got any hard tops? Actually nevermind, I don't have $1000 for postage. But i'd kill a rabbi with a porkchop to get my hands on a set of those cool Canadian mirrors you guys use. I think Stan has some on his, with the little orange reflectors. Really neat and clean looking. In all honesty I am trying to save as much of the NOS parts out there for people who really need them, people who are doing full restorations and need everything 100% original.

 

[armytruck63]

Bye they way, if you are looking to increase the overall oil capacity of the engine, there is a larger 2 qt (?) oil filter available. This is for 6.2's that were used in motorhome applications. It would hang down too low for a CUCV, but it would probably work fine with plenty of clearance in your truck.

 

[Gunfreak25]

Thanks for the tip! Looks like a Wix51794 or a Purolator L40048. That will take care of the extra oil capacity issue. After being inside the compressor already I don't think it will use more than a half quart. So the 2q oil filter will work great.


EDIT: Just to confirm this I looked at the difference in the oil capacity between the GMC 270 and 302 motors. The 302 only uses 1 extra quart compared to the 270, this is likely because of the air compressor. So my extra 1q theory is right.

 

[Seatyger]

Hey Brother, Great talking with you on the phone the other day. Like I said You Have a set of Titanium Balls to just dive in and get it done!

When all is together and you have a spare evening would you be able to create a journal with your tech info/sources for the conversion? I would even provide you with some of that Green paper stuff for a disc and a set of those motor mounts! (I'm certainly not one to reinvent the wheel!)

It's been a blast watching and reading about you enduring the heat, If Stan doesnt beat me to it I would be more than willing to visit and provide some real Beer.

The only downside to watching you is my Son's kicking my backside to try and keep up with my trucks!

Jim

 

[Gunfreak25]

Hey Jim! Thanks for the compliments!

Dave (M1010plowboy) is considering making a stop to Yuma sometime. He's been so very gracious in offering to help me and give me parts that I need! The best part of the project is all the cool people I have met and all the knowledge I have gained. 1 year ago I was 19 years old and had no idea what a carburetor was, now at 20 I am doing motor swaps. You Canadians all rock in my book, I am beginning to think I was born in the wrong country. Cold beer, cold weather, big trucks and cool accents.