Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, with the cover that mounting approach won't work. But thanks!

Ok, here's an idea I've had. Brackets made out of aluminum and machined to fit against that rib running down the inside of the bed and then going below it - maybe 6". There would be nutserts in the rib and in the side below that. And the bracket would be counterbored so the nutserts would fit back into them to ensure the bracket sits directly against the side in order to carry the weight of the jack.

Thoughts?

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, here's an idea I've had. Brackets made out of aluminum and machined to fit against that rib running down the inside of the bed and then going below it - maybe 6". There would be nutserts in the rib and in the side below that. And the bracket would be counterbored so the nutserts would fit back into them to ensure the bracket sits directly against the side in order to carry the weight of the jack.

Thoughts?

Let me update that idea. Instead of aluminum I think this would be an ideal opportunity to use UHMW Polyethylene. That's Ultra High Molecular Weight. This 1" x 3" x 12" piece would be just right I think.

My understanding is that the stuff machines nicely, and as it has some "give" it'll be better against the side of the truck awa the jack itself.

Have any of you worked with the stuff?

[ArdWrknTrk]

Let me update that idea. Instead of aluminum I think this would be an ideal opportunity to use UHMW Polyethylene. That's Ultra High Molecular Weight. This 1" x 3" x 12" piece would be just right I think.

My understanding is that the stuff machines nicely, and as it has some "give" it'll be better against the side of the truck awa the jack itself.

Have any of you worked with the stuff?

I've worked with it.

"Give"... how hot do you think it will get under that bed cover?

It's stringy, prone to heat distortion/softening and needs mist coolant to keep from melting onto your cutting tools unless you can go CNC with extreme feed rates.

It's only pros in my mind are resistance to chemicals and extreme lubricity.

If you want to machine a bracket, why not acetal?

It was developed to be machineable and stiff without prone to brittle fracture.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I've worked with it.

"Give"... how hot do you think it will get under that bed cover?

It's stringy, prone to heat distortion/softening and needs mist coolant to keep from melting onto your cutting tools unless you can go CNC with extreme feed rates.

It's only pros in my mind are resistance to chemicals and extreme lubricity.

If you want to machine a bracket, why not acetal?

It was developed to be machineable and stiff without prone to brittle fracture.

I'm glad you responded, Jim. I almost tagged you 'cause I thought you'd know. Sounds like I don't want UHMW.

I didn't think I knew anything about acetal, but looking it up I see that that's what Delrin is and I've heard good things about it. But my first search hasn't turned up anything in the 1" x 3" x 12" range. I'll keep looking.

[Gary Lewis]

I'm glad you responded, Jim. I almost tagged you 'cause I thought you'd know. Sounds like I don't want UHMW.

I didn't think I knew anything about acetal, but looking it up I see that that's what Delrin is and I've heard good things about it. But my first search hasn't turned up anything in the 1" x 3" x 12" range. I'll keep looking.

My nephew sent me a link to the McMaster-Carr catalog which has a 1 1/2 x 3 x 12" piece of acetal for $64. So, the $64K question is, will it be enough? I think so, but need to do some work measuring and drawing the thing up. Maybe tomorrow.

And now for a report on today's trip. We drove 171.7 miles and used 13.3 gallons for 12.9 MPG. That's basically the same as last trip even though we have new tires at 50 instead of 35 PSI. But I don't know for sure that the tires are exactly the same size, so I need to check that.

Last, a report on the Air Charge Temp, meaning the inlet air temp. On this truck the air enters the inlet tube behind the grille and next to the radiator. Then it goes into the air filter box which is on the driver's fender - roughly behind where the Bullnose coolant recovery reservoir is. And that's where the temp sensor is. Up to that point I have it insulated, but from there it goes through the MAF and then the inlet tubing to the throttle body, and that isn't yet insulated. Nor do I have a way of measuring that temp.

In any event, we drove the truck for an hour at 97F ambient and stopped in Pawhuska at The Mercantile. The truck heat-soaked for about 30 minutes, and then I came back out and started it up and took the log below.

At startup the ACT was 126F, but I let it idle for 4 minutes and the ACT climbed to 142F, which is exactly what Bill has been talking about - the hot air off the radiator must be finding its way back around and is getting sucked into the air intake.

Then after 4 minutes we started moving and the ACT started coming down, although you can see one spot where it came back up as we waited to turn left at a stop sign.

After about 15 minutes of driving directly into the wind the ACT got down to 102F, which is pretty good considering that the ambient was 97F and the pavement was scorching. But then we turned east, across the wind, and the ACT started coming up slowly. And after 16 minutes of driving it was up to 106F.

I guess what this is telling me is two things:

• Even having the air inlet insulated it takes quite a while to get the ACT down close to ambient after heat soaking. And if it isn't insulated it'll take a lot longer. Given that, I want to get the inlet tubing after the MAF insulated as well to help the ACT come down as quickly as possible.

• I need to consider installing the pieces Bill added to try and keep the hot air from wrapping back around. In fact, I wonder if that might have something to do with the rise of the ACT after turning across the wind.

[85lebaront2]

My nephew sent me a link to the McMaster-Carr catalog which has a 1 1/2 x 3 x 12" piece of acetal for $64. So, the $64K question is, will it be enough? I think so, but need to do some work measuring and drawing the thing up. Maybe tomorrow.

And now for a report on today's trip. We drove 171.7 miles and used 13.3 gallons for 12.9 MPG. That's basically the same as last trip even though we have new tires at 50 instead of 35 PSI. But I don't know for sure that the tires are exactly the same size, so I need to check that.

Last, a report on the Air Charge Temp, meaning the inlet air temp. On this truck the air enters the inlet tube behind the grille and next to the radiator. Then it goes into the air filter box which is on the driver's fender - roughly behind where the Bullnose coolant recovery reservoir is. And that's where the temp sensor is. Up to that point I have it insulated, but from there it goes through the MAF and then the inlet tubing to the throttle body, and that isn't yet insulated. Nor do I have a way of measuring that temp.

In any event, we drove the truck for an hour at 97F ambient and stopped in Pawhuska at The Mercantile. The truck heat-soaked for about 30 minutes, and then I came back out and started it up and took the log below.

At startup the ACT was 126F, but I let it idle for 4 minutes and the ACT climbed to 142F, which is exactly what Bill has been talking about - the hot air off the radiator must be finding its way back around and is getting sucked into the air intake.

Then after 4 minutes we started moving and the ACT started coming down, although you can see one spot where it came back up as we waited to turn left at a stop sign.

After about 15 minutes of driving directly into the wind the ACT got down to 102F, which is pretty good considering that the ambient was 97F and the pavement was scorching. But then we turned east, across the wind, and the ACT started coming up slowly. And after 16 minutes of driving it was up to 106F.

I guess what this is telling me is two things:

• Even having the air inlet insulated it takes quite a while to get the ACT down close to ambient after heat soaking. And if it isn't insulated it'll take a lot longer. Given that, I want to get the inlet tubing after the MAF insulated as well to help the ACT come down as quickly as possible.

• I need to consider installing the pieces Bill added to try and keep the hot air from wrapping back around. In fact, I wonder if that might have something to do with the rise of the ACT after turning across the wind.

Gary, if the wind was blowing from right to left it would push the heat across somewhat since the air inlet to the filter is left of the radiator.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, if the wind was blowing from right to left it would push the heat across somewhat since the air inlet to the filter is left of the radiator.

Yep. We were going east with the wind coming from the south/right.

So, please remind me what all pieces you added to Darth, and what vehicle you got them off of?

[85lebaront2]

Yep. We were going east with the wind coming from the south/right.

So, please remind me what all pieces you added to Darth, and what vehicle you got them off of?

Gary, there were 3 pieces, a bottom rubber cover and two rubber deflectors for the sides of the radiator opening.

Keep in mind Darth's front "doghouse" is a 1990 so some of it may not work. They came off an OBS truck, 1992 or 3 up and I think it was an F150. I can get you a picture of the bottom if I didn't already as my oil cooler lines run through it. The sides I had to cut to clear the grille, and they could be made from sheet metal and that might work better on the pre-1987 front.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, there were 3 pieces, a bottom rubber cover and two rubber deflectors for the sides of the radiator opening.

Keep in mind Darth's front "doghouse" is a 1990 so some of it may not work. They came off an OBS truck, 1992 or 3 up and I think it was an F150. I can get you a picture of the bottom if I didn't already as my oil cooler lines run through it. The sides I had to cut to clear the grille, and they could be made from sheet metal and that might work better on the pre-1987 front.

Ok, thanks. Any pics you have would be helpful, but it isn't critical. I'm not about to go to a salvage in this weather to look for the pieces.

[85lebaront2]

Ok, thanks. Any pics you have would be helpful, but it isn't critical. I'm not about to go to a salvage in this weather to look for the pieces.

I do not have one of the side deflectors, but this is roughly where they go. I had to trim the width (front to back) so they fit behind the grille properly.

Here is the bottom side, again some trimming was needed around the oil cooler lines. The part inside of the bumper has a flange (all molded rubber) that goes up against the back side of the bumper.