Alwaysworking

try priceing the 1450 cv, there really expensive

SRobertson

I don't want to know what a 1450 CV costs. But if you are in Utah or close by and need a shaft Gaylon Pugh in Lehi gave me a great deal on a whole new rear shaft. I was very pleased, especially with the price. I got pretty lucky with Tom's and Gaylon's both are great, but Gaylon wanted to beat up Tom Wood's on the price so I drove the extra 30 minutes and let him!!!

Cut the stock 96 rear blocks down and at an angle to improve the pinion angle. Worked wonders. I still need to make some ladder bars and put new shocks on but those are luxuries. My wife has been tremendously patient as I have been underemployed and (don't tell her) but I spend more money than she does. She is one wonderful Proverbs 31 wife!!! Good news is I have another project (that pays) and should be hearing from the local Air Force Base and will continue on with my MBA as part of their Student Program. (Any GMAT Tips?)

Driving it around and now just working out some small bugs. Exhaust is done and this morning I got the Cruise Control to work. I ended up using the Ramcharger Gauges, the oil pressure is a bit funky, water doesn't work (assuming it doesn't read cold enough?), amp doesn't work as it only reads to 60, but the speedo works and is actually dead on!!! I put the cable sender in the back of my NP241 and with the 3.54's and 33" tires it reads within 1 mph so I am happy. Made a custom pod for the dash for the boost, egt and tach. Still need the sender kit for the tach and I have a new thermocouple on order as mine went south, but the boost works as do the lights. Clutch is holding better so I think it just needed some break in time. Still have some slight vibrations but it may be tires or front shaft, nothing alarming.

Modified the stock pitman arm to give me a better drag link angle which took away quite a bit of bump steer. Its fun and fast, just moves out of its way in a hurry!!!

Still haven't had a diesel head stop ask "what the heck?" but I am sure it will come. Now to get some paint done on it, but I am happy with the interior and getting happier each time I drive it.

Thanks for all the help,

MichaelP

Wow, cool project! I have an old '73 Chevy Blazer with a Pontiac 400 swapped in, someday it would be fun to build a 12V for it. I know there are already kits for putting in a 12V in that generation of Chevy.

For the tach, apparently the factory cam sensor is only 1 pulse per revolution, and the adjustment on the tach you have would not go far enough. It appears you are stuck with adding the 2 magnet kit.

As far as GMAT tips, I took mine about 18 years ago. I got a study guide from the library (I'll bet they're available online these days). I thought the exam was just like the study guide, and I did pretty well on it. I remember LOTS of problems calculating the time value of money. Back then I had a simple programmable calculator which I programmed with the basic present value formulas, and it worked great.

Regards,
Michael Pliska

SRobertson

Thanks Michael,

I assumed as much about the tach, but thank you for your input. Now I just need to send back the harness I don't need and buy the magnet kit.

Its a fun project, much more work than I was expecting but thats because the donor was a 2nd gen. A 1st gen would be much easier and cheaper, but it wouldn't have the P7100 bigger radiator and intercooler as this one does.

Have to put new shoes on the rear brakes to pass safety (old ones had heat cracks and a piece missing) along with find a passenger side washer nozzle. Other than that it passed so I see that as a good thing.

I have a book coming for the GMAT, I am pressed for time so I have 20 days. YIKES!!! But I am currently underemployed so I have the time to study.

Thanks again,

SRobertson

Anyone familiar with EPA engine swap rules?

I was told that it has to be an engine originally put in the vehicle at some point? That is if it is 84 or newer.

That sounds fishy as there are Cummins into Ford sites, chevy into jeep, ford into jeep, ford into Miata, Chevy into Miata, etc, etc.

It doesn't make any sense except to the local Vehicle Czar who has a monopoly, there is no place else to go for Diesel test. The EPA webpage (lots of fun) says that if the emissions are tampered with you could get a fine, but if there is reasonable evidence that the emissions are not damaged than it is okay and legal? It sounds like it comes down to subjectivity, in which case I am on the losing end.

Any help would be appreciated. The person (Czar) said any vehicle that came through that had an alternate engine would be failed if it wasn't originally offered from the factory. The EPA law is too fuzzy to use as hard evidence, it sounds like it was actually written for rational common sense people, who could make a good judgement. I don't think I am dealing with one of them.

HELP

Alwaysworking

here you dont have to get emmissions test on old car or trucks

DevilzTower

normally the emissions controls are maintained at the state level, the feds tell the state well levels of emissions they must be under then it's up to the state to determine how it's suppose to meet those standards.

You have swapped in a newer engine, so it shouldn't be a real big issue as long as you keep whatever emissions equipment came from the factory, which on that engine, isn't much. I took a quick look at the state website and it looks like emissions testing is only requried in four counties, Salt Lake, Weber, Utah, and Davis. Assuming you're in one of these counties, call up the state emissions gurus ... engine swaps are not illegal and I can't believe that Utah's rules are more diffcult than Californias.

BTW, I love the gauge pod and placement you have on the rig, details? The mount and case in particular ...

Trebor

This is a bit old and may have been updated to possibly stricter rules. It was downloaded last year from the Govt website by me and I haven't found anything newer. I can't even find this doc to give a link so this is a cut n paste from my computer:

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
ENGINE SWITCHING FACT SHEET
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
March 13, 1991
OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION
Pursuant to frequent requests for information received by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) regarding the legality and effects of engine switching, this document will summarize federal law
and policy pertaining to this matter, and will discuss other related issues.
A. Federal Law
The federal tampering prohibition is contained in section 203(a)(3) of the Clean Air Act (Act), 42
U.S.C. 7522(a)(3). Section 203(a)(3)(A) of the Act prohibits any person from removing or rendering
inoperative any emission control device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor
vehicle engine prior to its sale and delivery to an ultimate purchaser and prohibits any person from
knowingly removing or rendering inoperative any such device or element of design after such sale and
delivery, and the causing thereof. The maximum civil penalty for a violation of this section by a
manufacturer or dealer is $25,000; for any other person, $2,500. Section 203(a)(3)(B) of the Act
prohibits any person from manufacturing or selling, or offering to sell, or installing, any part or
component intended for use with, or as part of, any motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine where a
principal effect of the part or component is to bypass, defeat, or render inoperative any device or
element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine, and where the person
knows or should know that such part or component is being offered for sale or is being installed for
such use. The maximum civil penalty for a violation of this section is $2,500.
EPA received many questions regarding the application of this law to a situation where one engine is
removed from a vehicle and another engine is installed in its place. EPA's policy regarding "engine
switching" is covered under the provisions of Mobile Source Enforcement Memorandum No. lA
(Attachment 1). This policy states that EPA will not consider any modification to a "certified
configuration" to be a violation of federal law if there is a reasonable basis for knowing that emissions
are not adversely affected. In many cases, proper emission testing according to the Federal Test
Procedure would be necessary to make this determination.
2
A "certified configuration" is an engine or engine chassis design which has been "certified" (approved)
by EPA prior to the production of vehicles with that design. Generally, the manufacturer submits an
application for certification of the designs of each engine or vehicle it proposes to manufacture prior to
production. The application includes design requirements for all emission related parts, engine
calibrations, and other design parameters for each different type of engine (in heavy-duty vehicles), or
engine chassis combination (in light-duty vehicles). EPA then "certifies" each acceptable design for use,
in vehicles of the upcoming model year.
For light-duty vehicles, installation of a light-duty engine into a different light-duty vehicle by any
person would be considered tampering unless the resulting vehicle is identical (with regard to all
emission related parts, engine design parameters, and engine calibrations) to a certified configuration of
the same or newer model year as the vehicle chassis, or if there is a reasonable basis for knowing that
emissions are not adversely affected as described in Memo 1A. The appropriate source for technical
information regarding the certified configuration of a vehicle of a particular model year is the vehicle
manufacturer.
For heavy-duty vehicles, the resulting vehicle must contain a heavy-duty engine which is identical to a
certified configura- tion of a heavy-duty engine of the same model year or newer as the year of the
installed engine. Under no circumstances, however, may a heavy-duty engine ever be installed in a
light-duty vehicle.
The most common engine replacement involves replacing a gasoline engine in a light-duty vehicle with
another gasoline engine. Another type of engine switching which commonly occurs, however, involves
diesel powered vehicles where the diesel engine is removed and replaced with a gasoline engine.
Applying the above policy, such a replacement is legal only if the resulting engine-chassis configuration
is equivalent to a certified configuration of the same model year or newer as the chassis. If the vehicle
chassis in question has been certified with gasoline, as well as diesel engines(as is common), such a
conversion could be done legally.
Another situation recently brought to EPA's attention involves the offering for sale of used foreign-built
engines. These engines are often not covered by a certified configuration for any vehicle sold in this
country. In such a case, there is no way to install such an engine legally. EPA has recently brought
enforcement actions against certain parties who have violated the tampering prohibition by performing
illegal engine switches.
It should be noted that while EPA's policy allows engine switches as long as the resulting vehicle
matches exactly to anv certified configuration of the same or newer model year as the chassis, there are
some substantial practical limitations to performing such a replacement. Vehicle chassis and engine
designs of one vehicle manufacturer are very distinct from those of another, such that it is generally not
possible to put an engine into a chassis of a different manufacturer and have it match up to a certified
3
configuration. Therefore, practical considerations will generally limit engine switches to installation of
another engine which was certified to be used in that same make and model (or a "twin" of that make
and model, e.g., Pontiac Grand Am and Oldsmobile Calais). In addition, converting a vehicle into a
different certified configuration is likely to be very difficult, and the cost may prove prohibitive.
B. State Laws
Many states also have statutes or regulations prohibiting tampering in general. Most of these laws
specifically prohibit tampering by individuals. A few specifically prohibit engine switching, using
provisions similar to those stated in EPA's policy. To determine the state law in any given state, the
state's Attorney General's office should be contacted. In addition, many states have state or local
antitampering inspection programs which require a periodic inspection of vehicles in that area, to
determine the integrity of emission control systems. Many programs have established policies for
vehicles which have been engine switched. While EPA does not require these programs to fail engine
switched vehicles which are not in compliance with federal policy, the Agency does strongly
recommend that these programs set their requirements so as to be consistent with the federal law. State
or local programs which pass illegally engine switched vehicles may mislead federally regulated parties
into believing that engine switching is allowed by federal law.

As it reads and as it was explained to me by the then current person in charge of emissions in PA it you can swap any engine into a vehicle as long as it ends up as an IDENTICAL clone of an EPA tested and approved vehicle. That is how the law was written and as previously stated it depends on if the vehicle is subject to emissions testing in your state and how the state interprets and enforces the law. Some vehicles are exempt from emissions testing due to age and reclassifications into street rod, classic, antique, specially constructed. As the spirit of "cleaner & greener" grows larger more programs and legislation at the national lever gets larger. From January through April of this year the "cash for clunkers" bill has been defeated twice. If implemented it will produce the desired effect of reducing the available supply of used vehicles and parts to keep the older vehicles on the road there by removing all of the older polluters that no longer meet the newer EPA specifications from the highway.

SRobertson

Charger has been running great. Put a locking T PTO handle on it for the front CAD and hooked up the 4x4 dash light, working the suspension out, but need to get some new shocks and then we will see how the springs are, if I need to remove a leaf.

Took a couple hundred mile trip and averaged 22 mpg+ at 70-75, feel pretty confident it would do 25 mpg+ at 60-65 mph. I still need to get it one color, but the electrical works, cruise, speedo etc. Now to start adding some more insulation to the inside to make it more comfortable / quieter on long trips.

Ended up lifting the body 1" to give me more drive train clearance, runs pretty smooth at 75 on the highway and will bury the needle 85 mph in a hurry. Needs new bumpers and some type of steps as my wife makes me carry a step stool so she doesn't have to jump so high.

DevilzTower

nice!!!! I'm glad to hear you got all the licensing BS worked out.

SRobertson

Got it all taken care of. Now I just get to enjoy it. Haven't had a chance to really get it off road, but I am sure the opportunity will present itself this winter.

Now if I could find a diesel low top conversion van i would have my next project. How about an E250 with a common rail and the 68re. That would be awesome.

DevilzTower

Been thinking about one of those vehicles for a long time now ... (diesel 4X4 van or just diesel van) but I have many moons before thoughts like that can be entertained, a lot of work still left to do on the RC, like ... almost all of it

I must be getting behind in my reading - does someone have a standalone controller for the 68RFE released?

SRobertson

A CR cummins and a 68re in a conversion van would be sweet. Great mileage could pull any bumper pull you needed and haul the family.

I do know they make Chevy diesel vans with the Duramax. Wouldn't be my first choice but wouldn't be too bad. I know they drive nice. Moved a friend from Utah to Alabama and spent 24 hours behind the wheel in one stretch of a newer chevy box van towing a jeep. It pulled okay, but drove awesome! I was jealous of how nice it drove.

DevilzTower

a ram van with a CR and a 68RFE would be darn sweet! Throw on bags in the front and bags in the back with a four link ... dooh, stay on topic...

I think the D-max when it was put into the vans were D-rated (pun intended) to like 250Hp, I would assume because the vans only had the 4 spd auto. My guess would be that the Allison wouldn't fit into the van body without a new floorpan so they just used the tiny transmission and de-rated the engine. The chebby, still could be a cool vehicle though.

Speaking of sound deadener (previous post) here's a good source of info ... http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi

pytbul

so what hoops did you have to jump through to get it legal?