W350 Crew Cab - The ultimate first gen - Pics and history

[RSchwarzli]

After weeks of testing, it all finally sat right so a frame was made for the condenser to allow it to mount to the IC core.



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Mounting the condenser to the frame:



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And the soldering was done for the Freon lines that logically had to be cut off and remade.



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And then paint was added to the fresh copper lines and the brass mount block was polished so it looked purdy.



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This is a great picture to show clearance between the two cores when in the truck:




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Next up it was time to deal with the cold air intake. Much like the 1990, I did not want to be sucking hot under hood air. As every 1 degree F of intake plenum temp is equivalent to 3 deg F on the pyro side, 50 deg cooler air from your intake makes 150 F cooler EGTs so that allows that much more fuel before you reach your peak pyro number. So the cutting began again. The scoop by the way is off the top of a cabover semi. That is the air intake scoop mounted upside down. The scoop is 7” and needs to be necked down to 5” to get past the gen 1 fender crossmembers. So I used a duct adapter and modified it, then reinforced it, then added silicon to seal it, followed by rocker guard.




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Test fit with bumper to ensure it sits level and hangs below. Also a good check to make sure the 19.5 tire clears. I have a total of 1” with bags deflated.




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A look on the inside:


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Scoop is then cut to make it work and look better when mounted upside down:




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Then the support straps are made to make it solid. At this point the duct goes for rocker guarding (stronger than powder coating for an area that will be stone blasted).


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[RSchwarzli]

Next was priming and painting, again. This pic shows a great look at what areas were modified.



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Here is the pile of brackets that came back for powder coating. I don’t have photos of it but the light bar, the battery support, and the rad brackets being made but they are in that pile along with the other parts like the condenser frame that you have already seen.



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Now that the parts are back from powder, assembly begins:

Light bar:



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Light wiring:



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Condenser and IC:


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Fan is mounted and ready. Strap is the antirotation strap required for the electronic lockup of the Horton fan clutch.



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Next the valence is installed. It is a JUST fit now that the condenser is on the front of the IC.



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She is TIGHT. REALLY tight! I have about 1/8” clearance. The black marker indicates the original area I was going to have to cut out to make it fit. Gives you an idea of how much room I saved by mounting the condenser on the front. Also will allow better cooling efficiency for the AC as the air will be cooler vs the semi hot air coming from the IC onto the condenser core.



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And lastly rad and modified fan shroud:



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One last test with the old insert less grill so I can see how much clearance I have on the condenser. As you can see, just a few fins needed to be bent out of the way to clear the grill! Unreal!


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[AH64ID]

Looking great!!!

Was the alum shaft made in 4" due to space constrains? Or is that all they deemed necessary? I ask because I had one made last spring and it's 6" or 7" at the max and at least 4" at the yolks.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Bumper:



Next up, fresh out of the Mopar packages, the front bumper emerged!



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And it was assembled:


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Next is the battery tray. As the wider rad requires more space, it requires the battery tray to move. It was decided to mount the battery tray more or less the same place as factory but that required new mounts and more reinforcement as the tray to fender support rod would be gone, as would the fender bolting supports as the new tray location is set down and over further.



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That’s the end that gets cut out:


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New mounting and support brackets get welded on:


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This is how it sits on the truck:



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Note the original mounting location:



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Magically fabricated and painted, the new support rod goes under the tray to help support the 65 lbs group 31 battery.




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Freshly painted tray:



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And the tray installed:



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And lastly, the battery!



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[RSchwarzli]

Next up is a moment I have been waiting for. It is time to test the freshly assembled grill to see how it looks. I have literally been anticipating this moment for a few years as it will allow the final front end look to be seen!



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Next up is the train horns!



First thing is to make the bracket for mounting. Upon test fitting, I find out I need a spacer as the trumpets hit the mounting bracket. So I will make the spacer that is needed. So I start with an aluminum core and cut it to size:


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Center drill it so I have something to go off of as center for machining:



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Then stuff it into the mill to make the bolt circle:


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Then back into the lathe for final clean up and breaking of the edges for clean finish:



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Then testing onto the horns:



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As of this writing, the horns now have to be installed once the running boards are done. For now, they wait with the bracket ready.




And to bring us right up to date, it is time for the cold air box! So I started with drawing the required components onto the sheetmetal and then cut them out:



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Then start test fitting:



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That is current condition of the cold air intake. This weekend will mark the completion of the box now that it can go back in as the rad and all is complete. Final hole positioning for the filter couldn’t be done until I knew where all of the rad and IC hoses were to go.


And, progress also has been made on the rear doors. The drivers rear door is now complete with power locks and power window. The passengers side was converted to power door lock and window, but before the window part could be complete, disaster struck. Somehow, the glass exploded. Dad opened the rear door and all we heard in the show was an explosion. This was the result:

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If you know of any good clean rear door glass, please let me know. It would seem I am in the market.


You are now up to date!

 

[RSchwarzli]

Looking great!!!

Was the alum shaft made in 4" due to space constrains? Or is that all they deemed necessary? I ask because I had one made last spring and it's 6" or 7" at the max and at least 4" at the yolks.

Yes and logic. To have a 4" neck on both ends of a 7" shaft is illogical. Your weak link is still at your ends as that is the smallest diameter.

In my case, really look around that shaft. I have no space. To further that, my calculations were based off 1800 ft lbs in 1st gear as that is the theoretical may power at wot. Reality is, you cant build that much boost in 1st but with torque multiplication and the low 1st gear, I wanted to be sure I would have no issues.

 

[AH64ID]

Yes and logic. To have a 4" neck on both ends of a 7" shaft is illogical. Your weak link is still at your ends as that is the smallest diameter.

In my case, really look around that shaft. I have no space. To further that, my calculations were based off 1800 ft lbs in 1st gear as that is the theoretical may power at wot. Reality is, you cant build that much boost in 1st but with torque multiplication and the low 1st gear, I wanted to be sure I would have no issues.

If it was illogical why are all the OEMs doing it? OEM doesn't do anything thing illogical or increasing in cost, and OEM aluminum shafts are a LOT bigger than 4". A 7" compressed to 4" is far stronger than 4".

How did you come up with 1800? 1st will can make more than that on any stock motor with a NV5600, and you are not even close to a stock build.

It's a big thread and I may have missed something, but 1800 ft/lbs in first with an NV5600 means only 319 ft/lbs at the motor.... I don't see anything in this build that has you anywhere near that low. From what I can tell you will be nearly 3x that much power if first, IF you were to go WOT in 1st as you mentioned. A more likely scenario is WOT in 3rd, but with the NV5600 2.04:1 3rd 1800 to the driveshaft would only be 882 from the motor and I think you have the possibility to be above that.

NV5600 with 1800 ft/lbs at the driveshaft needs the following crank power per gear.
1st 319 ft/lbs.
2nd 532 ft/lbs.
3rd 882 ft/lbs.
4th 1294 ft/lbs.

I guess from what I recall from the thread an 1800 ft/lb rating on the driveshaft may be a bit small.

Sorry if this is a useless derail. It's a big thread on an awesome build, I just don't recall any plans to have your motor that detuned.

This is my OEM shaft vs a 1 piece shaft for a QC LB truck with 415/850 to the ground, a relatively mild build. I did go measure and I am 4" at either end and a 6" main tube. The 6" tube is compressed to 4" at each end.

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[JR]

The weakest OEM driveshaft in a Dodge/Cummins was rated 3900 lb ft. The strongest (excluding 4th gens) around 4800 lb ft.

My trans guy put me in contact with a drive line specialist as I will be going the one piece route in the near future as well. He builds 4" shafts for trucks from stock to moderate horsepower and 5" for the rest. He's built many 5" .125 wall driveshafts for high horsepower pulling trucks up to 1000 HP and says they hold up fine. They only have to hold up better than the universals


Here is a neat little formula from Spicer to calculate driveshaft torque.

How to Calculate Torque:

LGT = T x TLGR x TE x SR x TCR x C

LGT = Maximum Driveshaft Low Gear Torque Axle

SR = Torque Converter Stall Ratio (if applicable)

T = Net Engine Torque or 95% of the Gross Engine Torque

TLGR = Transmission Low Gear Ratio (forward)*

TE = Transmission Efficiency (automatic = 0.8; manual = 0.85)

 

[RSchwarzli]

Hey Guys,

Boy did I create a storm here before I went to bed!

Sorry for creating **** here. Was not my intent. Was apparently a long day and I added the wrong number. It should have been 11,524.

My calculations were as follows based off flywheel max tq of anticipated 1300 ft lbs (peak at full boost I will likely have more, but I will never get that boost out of 1st gear in low as the calculations show)(JR, I used the same formula when giving the shaft company my specs)

LGT = T x TLGR x TE x SR x TCR x C


1300 x 5.63 x .85 x 1.95 x .95 = 11,524.68

trq 1st gear trans effic. np205 205 effic.


I also calculated max shaft speed as follows (not that I think I will ever do that rpm anyways but...)

Max Shaft Speed

3500 / .73 = 4794.52



Again, sorry for the confusion. Was not my intent.


As for diameter, OEMs do want the larger diameter due to the length of them. Larger diameter better for balancing and less flex. But they require the smaller yokes on each end hence the compression. In the case of my shaft with its heavier wall, it was deemed the U joints ends still being the weak link.

 

[AH64ID]

Yeah that number is a bit better

I think the transmissions are a little more efficient, but not much. I put 85% of stock ratings to the ground, when my truck was stock. I have seen others do the same.

Should work out well.

 

[JR]

The trucks lookin great Robert! Would love to see it in person someday.

 

[JHumphries]

Lots of frustrating work, but you made it through! I can't wait to see a first drive video.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Yeah that number is a bit better

I think the transmissions are a little more efficient, but not much. I put 85% of stock ratings to the ground, when my truck was stock. I have seen others do the same.

Should work out well.

Yeah. The 1800 is what I consider my max tq at wot. No one has been able to give me an accurate tq guess with my power combo so my guess is 1300-1800 range, depending on how I wastegate it. I used 1300 (the low end) for my calculations as there is no way I will build max boost in 1st so figured it would be a good average.

The trucks lookin great Robert! Would love to see it in person someday.

Well, I make a few Mopar events in Ohio every summer so there is a very good chance you wont have to travel too far to see it.

Lots of frustrating work, but you made it through! I can't wait to see a first drive video.

LOL Thanks. Yes, much frustration at times, but will all be worth it when it is done. I hope.

First drive video will be sometime in May, even if sitting on a bucket.

 

[DVolk]

Are you useing the OEM gen 2 A/C condesor ? As ill need to mount the one i got as i scored a gen 2 intercooler and condensor etc to put on my 85 i was hopeing to use the way its bolted on , if not i guess i do some extra fab work how did you tap the intercooler with out getting a air leak

 

[AH64ID]

Is your enigne build bigger than what is listed on page 1?

 

[SRay]

AH64ID: rschwarzli swapped out the 5.9 for a M11 cummins :-laf:-laf

 

[RSchwarzli]

Are you useing the OEM gen 2 A/C condesor ? As ill need to mount the one i got as i scored a gen 2 intercooler and condensor etc to put on my 85 i was hopeing to use the way its bolted on , if not i guess i do some extra fab work how did you tap the intercooler with out getting a air leak

It is a 2000 MY Ram condenser.

Is your enigne build bigger than what is listed on page 1?

Yes. Minus the cometic gasket. That is now full head studs and fire rings.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Good Lord!! Wouldn't a simple relief cut in the hood have been simplier?!? I can't tell where it's touching on the hood......

And what's left of the rad support? Is there enough to keep it from bowing back when the fan kicks in? Don't want to suck that radiator into the fan!!!

Fantastic fab work, though. And three air gauges? And what's the vacuum guage for?

 

[DVolk]

It will be interesting to see how much ill have to hack im not sure if I should just weld in the Gen 2 core support

 

[RSchwarzli]

Good Lord!! Wouldn't a simple relief cut in the hood have been simplier?!? I can't tell where it's touching on the hood......

I am a perfectionist. Duh.

And what's left of the rad support? Is there enough to keep it from bowing back when the fan kicks in? Don't want to suck that radiator into the fan!!!

We will find out if I head what sounds like my mower in the rock garden. Should be fine....The 1990 has not broken yet.

Fantastic fab work, though. And three air gauges? And what's the vacuum guage for?

Actually 5 air gauges. You cant count. lol (1 for each of the 4 air bags, and one for the main air tank). As for vacuum, that lines feeds the intake.