Great build definitely following along.

 

Is your shop hiring?!!!

 

Thanks bud, shes a keeper for sure! The axle did come out absolutely perfect, and should be super easy to weld!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Haha, we are actually, I have been able to hire 3 more people this year, making us a total of 4 people in the shop. It used to be just me for quite a while, running all these machines myself.

 

Well so far its cool, but I'm not super ecstatic. I guess its to be expected with the size of injector I have. This turbo is "recommended" with 160cc or larger injectors, and with my 130cc, Bob Riley says its not "too small", it will just not be able to fully use the turbo.

I also want to partially blame it on my tuning, which I'm planning on getting situated soon. For some reason I noticed my truck will shift at around 3000rpms, into every gear. Now I guess I never realized this before because I'm never paying attention to the tach, but my other gauges or the road. So I think some different tuning, while using a little more of the power band would help, especially because when it does shift, rpms drop so far that I loose a lot of power (and boost) trying to get back into the power band.

But, I am building 28psi of boost, most of which seems to be coming on much sooner than before. Another thing I'm trying to figure out is there is a different "sound" that is very pronounced while making more than 2-3psi of boost. It "almost" sounds like a super bad boost leak, like air rushing, but at the same time sounds like just a different noise the turbo makes and is reverberating it out of the intake. Almost sounds like a 6.7 if that makes sense?

Heres a video, I happened to have a snippet from the other night, so I cropped this short section of the video out. You can tell the early shifting and very far drop in RPM's after shifting.

 

Dan,

I have not had any great results with he stock system. At times it was okay especially if the truck was empty and the weather was just right. Tuning may get it sorted out.

I am not sure how many members here have done a 66mm and had great results, however anyone that has gone to a t4 has had great results. It seems the exhaust housing isn't efficient enough at higher flow rates. I haven't personally tried the KC turbo but a few have and claim it is good. Time proven results like Glenn has demonstrated speak well for the T4 setup.

I hope you can get it sorted out. Make sure you hook up to your heaviest trailer load and go pull a few grades. That will be the best test.

 

I had 66mm turbo with the 1.00 exhaust housing with 160/0 injectors, and solo that turbo was sweet but for some reason when I towed it sucked I couldn't even keep up speed on the freeway and egt's were out of control. I went to the stock super duty gtp38 and all was well. Future plans ate going to a t4 set up but it will be some time before I het there, truck is still a rolling project lolol..

Hey Dan a shot in the dark, but can you design/ fabricate lowering/lifting brackets for the 2wd I beams?
I would be interested in some if you are willing.

 

I'm curious though, the difference between the Wickes 66 and the D66 and other 66mm turbos. Are they all the same? They have to have differences.

I'm also not expecting a huge jump in performance, trying to not get my hopes up too much, but I also expect it to atleast do a better job than the stock turbo. If that happens, I'll be happy.

I also thought about a T4, but I already had intercooler pipes, bellowed up pipes and some other things, than the cost difference wasnt worth it to me, especially with companies like DieselSite and KC making drop in turbos, that compete with the T4 style turbos. But we'll see, maybe I'll hate it and end up going with a T4 in the end anyways.

Which 66mm turbo did you have? Bob Riley also mentioned that the 66mm really shines with 180-200cc injectors, and when I asked him about bigger, (like 238 or 250cc), he said no problem. So I think I'll end up going with a 238/80% in the future and see how this Wicked 66 holds up.

And yes I can make those brackets, drop brackets for lifts are no problem, but lowering needs new beams, you cant make a lowering bracket kit. Either way, I would need a truck to prototype on though.

 

I meant for lifting my truck 2" which is what those spacers I installed lifted the truck. Sucks your really far away if not I would drive up there for you to make a prototype.

 

Oh I see, you installed a leveling kit and want drop brackets to correct camber. If mine was still 2wd I could! But I cut all that **** off! Lol

 

Would the bracketa ne of any help? I could get you some if needed.

 

Oh and the 66mm was a custom built unit by a pal, like I mentioned good when not towing but shined when the truck was unloaded.

 

The brackets would help, but it would still be a little challenging without the truck.

 

Did some more work to Old Shamu yesterday.

Got the transmission crossmember swapped out with Rev 2.0 (I dunno if I even posted about Rev 1.0?) The old one was a little bulky, I wasn't too thrilled with the fitment, and it was difficult to get the trans pan off because of it, and I rattle canned it, so it looked pretty hammered...

So I made Rev 2.0 at the same time I made the new flatbed, and I just took this long to take it to powdercoat. Friday I got it back, so I figured I'd throw it in. This new crossmember was originally designed so that I could add 4x4 and not have the crossmember in the way of the driveshaft. (Because I'm doing a divorced t-case, the stock 2wd crossmember was going to be directly in the way), it also made for a much easier removal, similar to the 99-03 crossmembers that attach to the outside of the frame, instead of inside, which required lifting the transmission pretty high to get it out of the slots, and then still a difficult removal getting it out of the frame. So heres the pics:

Its a 2piece design, 1 solid piece makes it from one edge to the other, that is completely out of 3/8" Mild Steel, all formed together and the seams welded inside and out, then a small brace on the driver side to keep the crossmember from flexing under high torque.

A few speed holes/lightening holes in there.

Nice angled mount that simulates the same angle as the stock crossmember, and slotted for adjustability.

The driver side end has slotted holes, making it easy to get the top 2 bolts on the frame lined up, and then threaded holes for the brace, making easy install, and no need for nuts on top (too close to the bottom of the floor pan)

Installed, you can see the pretty big hump for the front driveshaft.

Outside from the passenger side, 4x 1/2" Fine thread bolts hold it to the outside of the frame. This is the only 4 holes you have to drill, everything else lines up with factory holes.

Front view, looking back. I plan on moving the fuel filters and fuel pump back about 8-12" soon. I already have a new bracket/system going in for that

And last pic, you can see the crossmember does not hang lower than the stock trans pan, so snagging it on something wont be "too" much of a problem, though I doubt I will hurt it even if it does get hung up on something.

The Old one, much more bulky, I had to modify it after cutting because of poor measurements (from me lol).

 

I also finished welding up the truss. I decided not to weld the casting, as for one, NOBODY seems to know what its made of (Cast Iron, Cast Steel, Ductile Iron, etc), and its completely unnecessary for what I'll be doing with the axle.



Front view, you can see the plates I welded in to cap the inside of the cutouts.

Nut-zert for the brake line attachment.

Stock brake lines still work, with just minimal hand bending for perfect fitment


Relocated the axle vent, since the truss covered the other one. Just a regular 3/8" Barbed fitting, with 1/4" NPT tapped hole.


Another nutzert to hold the brakeline in place.

And to my surprise, the stock SWAY BAR FITS! I realized it after I designed the entire kit, that If I just cut a small notch for the u-bolt, it would work, and what do you know, it fits perfect. No modifications to the axle, no extra work.

Couple more pics of the sway bar fitment.

 

Well, I did my oil change today, used a new Delo 400 XLE, a Synthetic Blend, and took another sample, I'll send it in on Monday. Also changed the oil in the generator in the toyhauler with the same stuff, worked out well.

Then I painted the truss and axle. This Seymour paint works effing awesome, I can't believe how well it lays, how fast it dries, and how tough it is! Now, I've also decided that when I pull out my 10.25, I will be swapping the 4.10s and TracLok into the new 10.5. I'll be doing that maybe next weekend. If anyone wants one of these truss's, they are pretty damn affordable, so let me know if anybody wants one! They fit the 10.25 also.