I got smoke TODAY!!!!!!!

[cjohnson1]

I announced this projects start on May 29th ,2002.



Remember?



Motorhome Conversion begins?



EFI 460 Ford and C-6 transmission to 98 Cummins (12V)with an Allison AT 542!! 260 horse!!!!!



Remember?



We'll I've been building this thing by MYSELF since then.



Today August 22, 2003 I got smoke out of the thing.

It actually starts with the key and starter on command.

I am very very very very HAPPY!!!!!!!!!



A little wiring left, a little clean up, and fine tuning the cables and such, regear the rear end and put the body work back on the front and I AM DONE!!!!!!!!!!



And you guys thought I gave up. HAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa



I feel invincible!!!!!!!!!



Just thought I'd climb up the Internet Mountain and shout it to the world.



Curtis Johnson



And would you believe I forgot the camera?

 

[MrFixit]

Sweet!!!

Great to hear. Let us know how she drives.

Good job

Fixit

 

[Steve Graham]

Congratulations!!!



Will be waiting for the road trip report!



Steve

 

[zilla5.9]

Awsome job!!!!!
You should be real happy with the new motor...

 

[nbr1trucker]

good job

excellent can't wait to see pics, congrats Ian

 

[cjohnson1]

Here's the pictures I've got so far!



CJ

 

[zilla5.9]

Wow You mean a 460 could actually move that beast... Im amazed.

Its going to be a totally new exerience not paying so much for fuel and actually having more money to use for trips now!!!!!
Awsome work!!

 

[cjohnson1]

Originally posted by zilla5. 9

Wow You mean a 460 could actually move that beast... Im amazed.



Its going to be a totally new exerience not paying so much for fuel and actually having more money to use for trips now!!!!!

Awsome work!!

Yea, The EFI 460 would move it. If you had all day. It was like driving a loaded Dump Truck. But once it got going it would do 80 mph in Montana. At 5 mpg.

I'll be happy if I only get 10 mpg out of it, but the experts I talk to, tell me that if the rear gearing gets right, I should see between 12 to 15 mpg. With a 100 gallon tank that will be a long drive.

Should have all the loose ends knocked out in less than 2 weeks.



Curtis J

 

[Brayden]

Hey congrats on your smoke... You beat me . . You need to take a road trip to colorado/wyoming and we'll do some wheeling.

 

[cjohnson1]

Brayden, I started way before you did. It has been a 15 month marathon for me. But, it's almost done.

This week I got the pyro installed, the boost gauge and the parking brake mechanisms. It will now start at the touch of a button, and the parking brake system is adjusted so it won't go anywhere if actiivated. Now this is no ordinary cable pull brake system. It is a hydraulic assisted cable pull system. The power from the hydraulic pump turned by the motor has to activate it. It has enough hydraulic pressure in the system to operate one time without the motor running. It usually operates off a signal from the shifter when put in Park but, since I don't have park position in this transmission I had to rig a cable pull and bell crank to engage the hydraulic tail shaft mounted drum brake when I stop.

I got the shifter adjusted this week, too. Reverse is now Park Park is now reverse, Drive is now neutral, ect. ect... I just relabled everything. The motor will not start unless the transmission is in Neutral.

The water temp guage hasn't co-operated yet, nor the tach. All other gauges are functioning. Once these two are resolved I can put the front body work on and take it for a test drive. THere is no way to get to the wiring harness with the body work on.

Rear end gears are the only major thing left to change. And I'm going to turn key that part. I do enough gear changes on my off road trucks. This one is my Tow Rig and it needs to be perfect.



A trip to the mountains sounds like fun. I know a lot of Guys I wheel with in these areas. Only I'll have to replace a busted ring and pinion in my Toyota front axle under my Rodeo before I can go. Now the Rodeo is another story in it's self. 20 forward and 4 reverse gears combos. Bunch of other stuff. Only been flopped on it's side once.

I've thought about swapping the 24valve gasser for a 4 BT later. Since the bellhousing is an Aisain.



Your pictures are bringing back a lot of memories. Keep em coming. There are a lot of good lessons about building a hard core off roader found in your project.



Later,

Curtis J

 

[Snow man]

Curtis, I just went thru all 63 pics you posted. You did and excellent job,IMO. All this work will be worth it when your done. The only thing I think you should reconsider is the air filter location. If at all possible it would be beneficial to get that filter out in front of the radiator/intercooler,condensor. With the heavy weight the engine is moving the air there will be hot. You will be able to drop EGTS by moving it forward. There loooks to be a ton of room in front of the coolers,if only you can get the 4" tube past them. Overall,excellent work,I cant wait to hear how it drives with double the torque and mileage.

 

[Brayden]

Thanks for the kind words Curtis. I'm trying to build a nice and solid off-roader yet retain the streetablity/reliability.



I've got a little less than 4 weeks to finish it, so stay tuned it's gonna get crazy...



I wish I knew you needed toy parts. . I just sold a complete axle with 4. 10's.



We'll definately have to run some trails with your buddies.

 

[cjohnson1]

Originally posted by Snow man

Curtis, I just went thru all 63 pics you posted. You did and excellent job,IMO. All this work will be worth it when your done. The only thing I think you should reconsider is the air filter location. If at all possible it would be beneficial to get that filter out in front of the radiator/intercooler,condensor. With the heavy weight the engine is moving the air there will be hot. You will be able to drop EGTS by moving it forward. There loooks to be a ton of room in front of the coolers,if only you can get the 4" tube past them. Overall,excellent work,I cant wait to hear how it drives with double the torque and mileage.

I'm with you there. I have been told that the heat won't matter, but I find that hard to believe. My only alternative is to build a monster "U" out of 4" exhaust tubing and either go thru the right fender well then forward. Or under the radiator and other coolers and pop back up next to the hydraulic lift pump for the leveling jacks. Going under will make more sense and I can build a hat cover for it. But it may be so low that it gets smacked with road debree. We have an awfull lot of Tire Aligators on the highways here where I live. No room to go over the top.



This will be something I can change anytime later so I'll address the remaining issues first to get it on the road and work on the intake tubes later.



And I'm going to have to drop the exhaust brake idea for now with this transmission. The Allison AT542 can be outfitted with a hydraulic retarder later. Or, If I change it out later to a series 1000 or 2000 later with lock up torque converters then the EB will work.

CurtisJ

 

[cjohnson1]

It MOVES!

Still no tach, but it MOVED under it's own power today. YEA! Just a few feet up and down the driveway, but it moves... .

Almost ready to put the front body work on. Hoping to get that darn tach working tomorrow. And if I get time, hang the front body work on and drive it around the block. Monday at the latest. Even if I have to rewire the entire tach harness.

It is going to be a strong runner.

The water temp gauge hasn't come up yet, but I've only let it idle for 15 minutes at a time so far. May be a bad sender, I dunno!

A few coolant leaks, but nothing serious so far. The pyro works as does the vaccum gauge and the boost gauge.

Won't be long now.

Curtis J

 

[Snow man]

15 minutes of idling may not be enough to get enough water temp to register on the guage. ,especially if you guage starts at 140-160 degrees. Let it run a little longer,and and get the RPM's up a bit that will help generate more heat.

 

[JBlock]

Rent a Cruse Canada with 460

We took a vacation in 2002 in a Cruse Canada motor home 29 foot with a 460 ford, it was great to about 25 mph, then it just stall out. I was following my wife who was in the Dodge CTD with the comp on 1 x2. I could not keep up in traffic, it was Ok on the open road after a good run. Mileage was great but we only filled it twice during the week.



Vancouver is great place to visit, but it was nice having 2001 4x4 to run around in during the day. We drove up and pickup the motor home 1 day in whister iday on Victoria Island, one day at DTT (that another story) I day a beaufiul lake, 1 day at hell gate canyon on the frazier river 2-3 lazy days and the wekk was gone.



Great country, i thoug washington state was green canda was two shades darker green. A must to see.



JB