Started prepping the turbo kit by cleaning them up and getting some high-heat paint on them. Having a hell of a time on the exhaust pieces for the turbo

 

Dont even know why im working on the turbo, dont even have all the parts. But here it is cleaned up. Snagged some new nuts to put it back together from the homeless despot. Attention is split between work, the truck, and a mustang I am trying to get put back together VERY fast... the guy that was supposed to be building my car was fired while I was out with the flu. Go figure. That means on top of 60+ hours a week i have to find the time to build two vehicles.

 

Looks real good though. Takes a lot of patience to prep and paint exhaust parts.
That keyboard must be so you can tell the Cummins boys that you've re-tuned it.

 

Evening all,

Been fooling around with little stuff on the truck. Really not having much luck at local pick a part yards, but managed to find a steering wheel so I could experiment with re-wrapping a wheel myself. The cheapest local shop I could find to do this wanted 450$ (!!!!WOW!!!!!) just to wrap the wheel with cheap vinyl! I had some leather scraps I've owned for a few years now in gray, tan, and black. I've begun cutting up the scraps to fit up to the wheel. I've come to an impasse, I believe I'll need a real sewing machine to sew the wider portions - most of the sewing so far has been done by hand. I've always wanted to try upholstery and now I can! this is a spare wheel I've had for awhile. I've also placed an order for new coil springs, radius arm bushings, I-beam bushings, sway bar bushings, and I've picked up that remanned steering box in the yard a couple weeks ago. I've already replaced all the tie rods a few months back, so this should REALLY tighten up the front end. I am most excited about the coil springs, and I'm hoping that replacing them will help level out the front end. I chose the Moog CC844 springs to replace the original ones. Also picked up a few power steering return lines from RA for dirt cheap - they're the real deal Ford parts, for 3.50$! The original list price was over 250$$

 

Spent most of my saturday morning and this afternoon up at the shop getting some serious front end work done. Managed to finally get my new radius arm bushings in (polyurethane), installed new Moog CC844 springs in the front, replace the spring insulators at the bottom which, for a few years, have been a MASSIVE pain to find... only to find out a few years of Impala/Caprice used an identical insulator!!! Also replaced all the front sway bar bushings, rear sway bar bushings as well.

I have to say, the little bit I drove it seems to be a huge improvement - My original radius arm bushings were GONE - the old heads in the shop took up chairs to watch me work and joke around but were surprised to see how little was left. I do not think they had ever been replaced - I know when I reversed into a parking spot the tire would barely clear the front bumper by about 1/4", and if I moved forward would fall back about 1.5" from the front bumper. The original spring insulators crumbled into litlle pieces of crystals. The ride seems so much less harsh now with all this rubber between me and the metal.

Next on the list will be the I-Beam bushings, steering box, steering return line, and FINALLY an alignment. I also need to reinstall my filter head and new filter that has been bypassed - But I'd like to do that after I replace the return line O-rings.

 

Tried to replace my return line o-rings today - key word, tried. Started on the drivers side okay, but when I went to tighten down the fittings on the injector side, the most forward injector I somehow managed to crossthread by hand, and now mists whenever I turn the truck on. Anyone have a lead on just that line, or should I replace the whole set?

 

Junk yard might be your best bet, it sounds like those are hard to source.

 

https://oregonfuelinjection.com/shop...ection-line-2/
they have them, or whole sets if you prefer. MAKE SURE YOU PUT THE RUBBER LINE CLAMPS ON!
That or you might message mike r green on facebook and see if he has any

 

This guy has a whole new set for $239


https://www.accuratediesel.com/shop/140.html




Charlie

 

Thanks guys,

I found a whole set of used lines for 110$ on ebay, and ordered those. Trying to keep it cheap for this truck - I'd love to have to new ones though

 

Since my injector lines have yet to come in (they lost them in houston for THREE DAYS!!!) I've started working on a little something I've had cooking for awhile. Can anyone guess?

 

Gauge pod? or heads up display?

 

Looks like overhead storage to me, and a sunglass drop down tray in the center

 

Hint!

 

Got the "good" lines in today. They are in rougher shape than what I already have... but I degreased thgem, sanded them down, and got a few coats of paint on them for the install soon. Also got the console painted to match the interior as well, and reassembled. See below!