Big Blue's Transformation

[85lebaront2]

The entire underside of my Ranger is covered in a large sheet of reflective insulation, and I've thought many times about ripping it out. Not only does it tear super easily, but it has a bad tendency of falling onto your face when removing transmissions and such. More annoyance than it's worth honestly, because I can still feel heat through the floorboard even with carpet.

I have my reflective insulation on the inside of the cab. Front and rear footwells and an extra layer over where the exhaust runs. Keeps the floor a lot cooler in the summer.

[Gary Lewis]

I have my reflective insulation on the inside of the cab. Front and rear footwells and an extra layer over where the exhaust runs. Keeps the floor a lot cooler in the summer.

I'm hoping the rear slider on Big Blue as well as the foot well vents will let me run with the A/C off in cooler temps. But the wind noise with the side windows open is brutal and makes long trips exhausting, hence the desire for the A/C to work well. And if it works well I can turn the fan speed down.

As for the reflective stuff, it needs some space to be effective. Some of the literature says at least 2", but that varies by what you read.

For the exhaust, the best use of reflective materials would be underneath, but it would get dirty and then not be as effective. But some reflective material there and then good insulation inside would be a good package.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm hoping the rear slider on Big Blue as well as the foot well vents will let me run with the A/C off in cooler temps. But the wind noise with the side windows open is brutal and makes long trips exhausting, hence the desire for the A/C to work well. And if it works well I can turn the fan speed down.

As for the reflective stuff, it needs some space to be effective. Some of the literature says at least 2", but that varies by what you read.

For the exhaust, the best use of reflective materials would be underneath, but it would get dirty and then not be as effective. But some reflective material there and then good insulation inside would be a good package.

I use my slider and vent windows all the time.

It's all I've got!

In my building literature it says a gap is needed, but nothing like 2".

I think what's important is that there is draft so the reflected heat is carried away (before the foil becomes a conductor of that heat)

I don't think you could get much better airflow than under hood, but you start with a big radiator at the inlet, so there isn't much you can do about that.

In buildings we typically use convection (the chimney effect) to carry the heat up and away.

Paired soffit and ridge vents, or cool deck style roofs.

Rain screen walls over foil faced sheathing.

Whatever you can do for passive cooling.

Great reason why you used to see vine covered lattice in front of houses too.

The plants want the sun, and keep the house in the shade.

I don't have great expectations for 3/8 foam faced with foil in the floor/firewall of my truck, but it's certainly going to be better than nothing.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I use my slider and vent windows all the time.

It's all I've got!

In my building literature it says a gap is needed, but nothing like 2".

I think what's important is that there is draft so the reflected heat is carried away (before the foil becomes a conductor of that heat)

I don't think you could get much better airflow than under hood, but you start with a big radiator at the inlet, so there isn't much you can do about that.

In buildings we typically use convection (the chimney effect) to carry the heat up and away.

Paired soffit and ridge vents, or cool deck style roofs.

Rain screen walls over foil faced sheathing.

Whatever you can do for passive cooling.

Great reason why you used to see vine covered lattice in front of houses too.

The plants want the sun, and keep the house in the shade.

I don't have great expectations for 3/8 foam faced with foil in the floor/firewall of my truck, but it's certainly going to be better than nothing.

Yes, I think the foil would have been great on the firewall. Pity I didn't think of it at the right time.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, I think the foil would have been great on the firewall. Pity I didn't think of it at the right time.

Several updates. First, I got this today from Jim. THANK YOU!

Next, I'd emailed and called Detroit Muscle Technologies looking for the plenum/firewall gaskets but as of early afternoon hadn't heard from them. So when Scott offered to send me his I accepted. Then I got a call from the lady at Detroit Muscle Technologies. However she's going to have the guy call me as I need those two gaskets as well as the Bricknose motor gasket and since it doesn't show on the website she doesn't know if they have it. I've offered to send a tracing so they can produce it if they don't.

Last, I got all of the insulating done on the plenum. And I got enough of the "trimming" with aluminum tape done in this area to install the recirc door and motor, as well as the vacuum hoses. As you can see, the motor screws on.

And here's a shot of where the blower motor goes. As you can see, that area is insulated and trimmed as well. Hopefully I can finish up the trimming tomorrow, although this is REALLY tedious work.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Several updates. First, I got this today from Jim. THANK YOU!

Next, I'd emailed and called Detroit Muscle Technologies looking for the plenum/firewall gaskets but as of early afternoon hadn't heard from them. So when Scott offered to send me his I accepted. Then I got a call from the lady at Detroit Muscle Technologies. However she's going to have the guy call me as I need those two gaskets as well as the Bricknose motor gasket and since it doesn't show on the website she doesn't know if they have it. I've offered to send a tracing so they can produce it if they don't.

Last, I got all of the insulating done on the plenum. And I got enough of the "trimming" with aluminum tape done in this area to install the recirc door and motor, as well as the vacuum hoses. As you can see, the motor screws on.

And here's a shot of where the blower motor goes. As you can see, that area is insulated and trimmed as well. Hopefully I can finish up the trimming tomorrow, although this is REALLY tedious work.

I hope the stainless line and reflective boot offer a little more defense from those headers.

Don't forget, Excedy offers a slave made of aluminum with an actual bleeder.

Knowing how difficult it is to get a pedal with these trucks you might consider backpurging through the bleeder TO the master cylinder.

I use a 60 or 100cc irrigation syringe.

You can also find these for catheters and feeding tubes.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Several updates. First, I got this today from Jim. THANK YOU!

Next, I'd emailed and called Detroit Muscle Technologies looking for the plenum/firewall gaskets but as of early afternoon hadn't heard from them. So when Scott offered to send me his I accepted. Then I got a call from the lady at Detroit Muscle Technologies. However she's going to have the guy call me as I need those two gaskets as well as the Bricknose motor gasket and since it doesn't show on the website she doesn't know if they have it. I've offered to send a tracing so they can produce it if they don't.

Last, I got all of the insulating done on the plenum. And I got enough of the "trimming" with aluminum tape done in this area to install the recirc door and motor, as well as the vacuum hoses. As you can see, the motor screws on.

And here's a shot of where the blower motor goes. As you can see, that area is insulated and trimmed as well. Hopefully I can finish up the trimming tomorrow, although this is REALLY tedious work.

The plenum looks 'cool'!

Like something ready to be launched into space.

[85lebaront2]

I hope the stainless line and reflective boot offer a little more defense from those headers.

Don't forget, Excedy offers a slave made of aluminum with an actual bleeder.

Knowing how difficult it is to get a pedal with these trucks you might consider backpurging through the bleeder TO the master cylinder.

I use a 60 or 100cc irrigation syringe.

You can also find these for catheters and feeding tubes.

Trick I learned from a Mercedes-Benz service manual. Their clutch master cylinder sits on an angle (picture where the pedal to cross shaft rod runs on a mechanical clutch). They say to use a piece of hose from the left front caliper (nearest one) to the clutch slave. Open the bleeder screw on the slave about 1 to 1 1/2 turns, then bleed the brakes through the clutch hydraulics. They also suggest mounting the slave with the bleeder on the bottom. Works like a charm, even told my boss to try it on his daughter's Fiat X19.

[salans7]

Knowing how difficult it is to get a pedal with these trucks you might consider backpurging through the bleeder TO the master cylinder.

Are they "You have to pull the master cylinder, clutch line, and reservoir out as an assembly and stretch them out to bench bleed them" difficult? Because that's how my Ranger is and I was thinking these trucks were easier since the master cylinder isn't mounted at a moronic angle like on the Ranger.

[Gary Lewis]

Knowing how difficult it is to get a pedal with these trucks you might consider backpurging through the bleeder TO the master cylinder.

Are they "You have to pull the master cylinder, clutch line, and reservoir out as an assembly and stretch them out to bench bleed them" difficult? Because that's how my Ranger is and I was thinking these trucks were easier since the master cylinder isn't mounted at a moronic angle like on the Ranger.

I guess I'll have to address the clutch slave issue in the not too distant future. Good tips for bleeding it, guys. Thanks.

As for the plenum being "cool", I hope so. Sure will have been a lot of work if it doesn't do better than the previous system. It was marginal, and on a hot day the fan had to be run on High most of the time. However, there was no headliner in the truck and several leaks through the firewall that didn't help.

So, as I go back together with the interior I'll be adding insulation in the floor as well as a headliner - probably the Highliner - with sound deadening and insulation above it. Hopefully the FS10 compressor, larger condensor, insulated plenum, sealed recirculation door, and insulation in the floor and headliner will help.