Many thanks to all who patiently answered my multitude of questions and helped me through-out swapping exhaust manifolds and re-clocking/re-locating the turbo-charger.

Before, with the Dodge-specific manifold, the exhaust-housing lay almost touching my A/C evaporator-box; now, with the normal Cummins manifold, there is nearly half-a-mile between them.

With the Dodge set-up, it was a real hassle to access the turbo mounting bolts; with the new, all four nuts can be easily removed/installed with a socket and long extension.

I replaced the manifold bolts with studs/nuts/washers that came from McMaster-CARR; 10mm X 1.5 ; the part-numbers are posted in my thread about same.

Studs are far easier to work with and just look more professional.

With the turbo relocated, a whole host of issues had to be addressed.

The turbo had to be re-clocked nearly 180*; this was an adventure in itself, as it had not been molested since 1988.

Prior to dis-assembly, the impeller-shaft was nice and slop-free, but was somewhat sluggish when spun by hand and would cease movement almost as soon as let go.

Although boost would climb quickly, I hadn't heard any turbo whistle in a long time.

After dis-assembly, wire-wheel brushing the exhaust-housing, gobs of anti-sieze, and re-assembly, I can give the shaft a flip and it will freely spin for a week; the turbo whistles with authority now.

The old oil-feed line came up about six-inches short.

After experimenting with rigid 1/4-NPT fittings --- and they would have worked fine ---, on a member's suggestion, I used a piece of stainless flexible line that came with a propane heater to extend the length of the braided stainless hose.

This worked wonderfully and looks very custom.

The old oil drain had to be re-aimed and somewhat massaged into shape.

That steel tube is 7/8-O.D. and nigh impossible to bend without some kind of hydraulic assistance.

One thing I learned that makes re-aiming these tubes easier is that the flange is counter-bored, having a shoulder that bottoms out the tube, instead of the tube simply being perched on the bottom of the flange.

I sawed off the tube just below the weld, then ground the old weld flush with the flange.

I was then able to take a sharp-edged punch and knock the remaining "ring" of tubing out of the counter-bore.

That counter-bore is so snug that the flange needs be driven onto the tube; that too makes things easier, as the flange can be driven onto the tube and it will remain where you put it and not lose your location.

The drain now angles fore and is abeam the oil-filter; a loop of silicone hose carries it downward to the nipple in the crank-case.

Of course, the pyrometer had to be drilled/tapped into the new manifold.

I had the boost gauge-line on a fitting tapped into the old factory cross-over.

It now resides in that neat little 1/8-NPT port that is hidden behind the throttle holder bracket thing-a-ma-jig.

I fabricated a plate and tube intake adapter of 3-inch O.D. galva-lume tube.

I discovered that this necessitated notching the top angle of the throttle thingie about 1/2-inch between the bolt holes for clearance.

As the grid-heaters were never hooked up anyway, they remained attached to the old cross-over and are no longer an issue.

Two lengths of 1/4-NPT pipe now act as spacers between the throttle bracket and the intake.

The new intake cross-over starts at the turbo outlet = 2-inch, a straight silicone adapter 2 x 2-1/2, a very short length of 2-1/2" galva-lume with a slight angle bend at it's center, a 90* silicone elbow 2-1/2 x 3, this connected to the 3-inch intake adapter.


Of course, my signature ether injection port was incorporated into the length of 2-1/2 galva-lume.


I cut the down-pipe at about the mid-point of it's length and added about 18-inches of stainless flex, secured with stainless band-clamps.

I was pleased to see just how solid and still-new looking the down-pipe was; it looked as good as one on a two month old truck.




The end result is just what I wanted.

I now have plenty of clearance around the A/C.

The manifold is a nice shiny red.

The turbo is many times easier to deal with.

The turbo whistles nicely.

The engine seems quicker to respond than before.

And this one I cannot really account for, unless it is a result of replacing the restrictive factory cross-over; the exhaust now sounds much more "throaty", more like what I am used to in the big trucks, deeper and more resonating, more powerful, if you will.

I don't feel my time was wasted.


Thanks.

 

Well,
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Where are the pictures?

 

I don't think Bearkiller does the picture thing, iirc, though I was thinking the same thing, Jim! Sounds like the project turned out great, Bear, glad you got-er-did!

 

I wanna see it too! If he'll email me the pics I'll post them up...

Just a hint.

 

I didn't take any pictures of the process in progress, but I will take some of the results and once and for all see if I can't get it through my thick head just how to put them on here.

 

I think i missed the part where you said what turbo you put on?

Sounds interesting i want to see some videos of this beast, haha.

 

I just relocated the original turbo that came on it in 1989.


It is amazing how much difference simply removing the exhaust housing and wire-wheeling away all the rust made in the "free-ness" and responsiveness of the turbo.