Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Where to put needle valve for fuel pressure gauge?

[SRath]

Thaaaat's what I needed...

Paydirt! Those photos help a bunch, Kenny! Thanks!!

Did you paint your pillar pod or did it come that color? If painted, do you know what paint to order and is it only available from a dodge dealer?

If your '96 was just a little dirtier and uglier (and maroon over silver--yuk--with a green topper in the winter--double yuk according to my son), it would be the twin to mine. I keep telling my kid to just get the sander and paint gun out some sunny summer day and paint the topper if it bothers him to be seen that way... I just use it to keep the snow off things like the dog and the guns and the birds and whatever else finds it's way in there. Besides, everyone but girls know that Ugly Trucks are waaay tougher! And there's the real problem with my mis-matched topper: girls! He's 16...

For a few years, there was guy in town with a green Dodge pickup running around with a maroon topper. Same body style. We would pass each other now and then and point and laugh at each other. It looked like we stole each others' topper. We should have just stopped and swapped!

Doesn't it seem odd (ultra-chintzy) that Cummins does not have the exhaust manifold made with a pipe-plugged threaded hole already in them? C'mon! This IS a diesel and it couldn't possibly cost that much to do it. What? An extra dollar at most? They could more than make that back by then offering a factory or dealer-installed gauge package of their own.

"Cheap, cheap, cheap" says the little birdy...

 

[kenny61]

My topper is laying in the weeds behind my garage awaiting repair...

The pillar pod is from genos they come black and must be painted. I have paint guns so I went to the local paint shop and after figuring out the paint code he was nice enough to mix up a small amount for me so that I could spray it with my touch up gun...

Don't get me started on the penny counter's at the corporate office... .

While I have you here I think I read you are into GM muscle cars if you have any use for an almost new mallory unilite distributor "3748201 h let me know I would send you a pm but your box is full...

its a mechanical advance model

Mallory 3748201 Mallory Unilite Distributor

 

[SRath]

I got the inbox emptied out somewhat. If only my shop were that easy...



If it had vacuum advance I'd be very interested since we run street motors, Kenny. I'll bet there are some racers who would love to buy it, though.



We do have a couple of Camaros: '69 and '73. CF isn't always around to set folks straight about me, so the Camaros are necessary to maintain my image as a total Yee-Hah Redneck.



We actually drive the '73 regularly and even get it dirty, so there's no mistaking us for rich yuppy car "investors".

 

[kenny61]

I just spent 3 days cleaning up my garage and it still aint done... Let me know if you change your mind about the distrib...

 

[GAmes]

Scott, while you are doing your boost gauge you might want to do what I did. I threaded the rubber tubing into a piece of air horn plastic line. Took a little effort, but it adds rigidity and keeps it from chaffing a hole in it.

 

[SRath]

I stopped at the truck parts store and got the heavy duty black 1/8th inch airline to use instead of that weaker white plastic tubing that come with the gauge. I don't recall seeing any rubber hose in the gauge box, but maybe I missed something?



Regardless, slipping the black plastic tube into another line for shielding sounds like a great idea, GAmes. Thanks!



My shop has a large divider in it right now. the only way from one side of the shop (tools and workbench) to the other (welding table, drill press, bandsaw, bead blaster) is either under it on the creeper, through it (easier while the seats are still out, but still a pain), over it-- no, forget over it; I'm not climbing the side of that thing, or pay the shin-busting price of squeezing one leg at a time between the overhead door and the trailer hitch. That doggone hangar queen Dodge has GOT to go before I completely trash the shop. putting things back is as tough as getting them out; so they aren't getting put back.



Whoever thought "twenty four feet is plenty of shop depth for any vehicle" never owned a 2500 x-cab. And don't even get me started on getting my crewcab K-30 in there! NO CHANCE with that 7 foot overhead door, much less the length. someday, I either have to give up pickups or figure an economical way to make that shop BIGGER!!



I have a 2 1/2 car attached garage I had built on after buying the house, but "the shop" is where all my tools and equipment and heat are. The garage is for #1> wife's car (or 'no deal' on building it ) #2> the '69, and #3> all the bicycles and other junk. Lots of that.



3 days? That's encouraging... not... maybe I need to go to the Largest Retailer in America's parking lot and hire some unofficial foreign visitors who need non-taxable emergency funds?

 

[GAmes]

The black rubber tubing that came with my gauge is just visible. I slid the heavy air horn line away from the manifold a little for the picture.



My garage has a 7ft 4 inch ceiling and is also just barely deep enough to fit the truck into so I feel your pain. When I did the G56 conversion I jacked the truck up until the roof nearly touched the ceiling. That just barely gave me the 19 inches or so I needed to slide the transmission underneath. We then extended the boom of my engine hoist into the drivers door, dropped a rope through the shifter hole and lifted the transmission onto the transmission jack.

 

[hsmith]

Sooooo Gary, are you saying the G56 is finally installed????? Bet you like it too.

 

[SRath]

Thanks for the tip! I still have an NV5600 to install.

 

[CCiatteo]

Scott, while you are doing your boost gauge you might want to do what I did. I threaded the rubber tubing into a piece of air horn plastic line. Took a little effort, but it adds rigidity and keeps it from chaffing a hole in it.

I plumbed my boost gauge with A/N fitting at the intake,then ran a length of pre-made braided line (from Autometer) to the firewall. At that point I transitioned to the plastic capillary tube which is easier to fish into the cab and up the pillar pod to the gauge.

For paint, Autometer makes the correct paints in convenient spray cans for our dodges. I think a can was $8 and it looks factory.

As for drilling the exhaust manifold, that's easy with good bits and a good drill. Grease the bit, drill a small pilot hole first after a center punch so it doesn't wander (1/8th inch pilot hole) then go to the "R". When tapping grease it up good, go slow and you'll have no problems with the chips. Just be sure to measure accurately, so you don't end up drilling into the center divider in the manifold. The pic above is a good shot and shows how the probe will be off-center with respect to the overall width of the manifold, but ends up being in the middle of the rear port.

 

[GAmes]

Sooooo Gary, are you saying the G56 is finally installed????? Bet you like it too.

It's in but I've only driven it 11 miles. It shifts smooth and is quiet. I've been putting off the write up of the installation until after I get rid of a cold that has been kicking my butt.

 

[hsmith]

Good luck with the cold issue. Had me down for almost two weeks. Actually missed three days at the shop. That is when my wife said I was really feeling bad. I'll miss work for a golf day but not just feeling bad.