!New Improved! "Last Minute" buildup thread

[jerryg79]

when we having your graduation party, its good camping weather

[mudtoy67]

Good call. I'm gonna have to do some pondering....

[TxCruzr]

great, now we have to wait another 6 months before you do any more work on it




hurry up

[mudtoy67]

Haven't done much work to it lately, but lately I've been looking into crawl ratio/gearing....

Seeing Creighton run a doubler on his short wheelbase vehicle got me thinking. I was going to just run a TH350 to D300 to keep my drivetrain length short. Did a little research and it looks like I could do a 231 crawlbox for cheaper than running a D300 w/ 4:1 and I'd have a better crawl ratio. Also if I get a 231 from a chevy S10/Blazer it will do the adapting to the transmission so I don't need the extra adapter.

TH350/D300

$485 adapter + $600 4:1 = ~$1200 after shipping
Crawl ratio
2.52 * 4.0 * 4.56 = 45.9:1

TH350/231crawler/D300

$400 crawlbox adapter + ~$130 NP231 or Np241 = ~$630 w/ shipping/welding
Crawl ratio
2.52 * 2.72 * 2.62 * 4.56 = 81.9:1

Since I'm going to end up lengthening the wheelbase anyway, and I've given up my top secret extendable wheelbase project in favor of wheeling sometime this century, this is probably the route I'll go. Any thoughts?

[DRAGOONRANCH]

That looks like some respectable numbers once you factor in what ever "gearing" your TC will give you. I think you are lookin in the right direction atleast. Will there be any machine work need to be done to the cases for the doubler?

[mudtoy67]

Only thing is there is a patch plate that is welded in to cover where you cut the front output off of the 231. That's the only unknown cost I could think of, how much is it gonna cost to get that tig welded....though I figure it can't be too much for that little plate.

[DRAGOONRANCH]

I thought I remembered there being some work needing to be done to it. I know a greasy long haired hippy meskin in dallas that might do it on the cheap if you ask him nicely. I just dont know if he has access to a tig anymore though. I say do eet. From your numbers, you have aboot $670 dollars to play with between the cost of the two, that would make it worth puttin on a two kegger at scoutfork and having him come over and do it.

[mudtoy67]

Oops, I guess I could take it apart more.

[eight]

You can weld aluminum with a stick. I've done it a couple times. Clean the aluminum real good and do a little practice. It burns real fast. Uses AC.

[mudtoy67]

I might try that. I was thinking about getting it tigged though so I wouldn't have to chance taking it apart a dozen times to fix porous welds.

[eight]

Silicon from the inside after welding.

[mudtoy67]

Got the axles out of the front. Luckily I didn't find as much water in the knuckles as I thought there would be. The knuckle seals/wipers have been worn out since before I got the axle, and there's been a few trips to Llano on it. It was probably a good idea to use marine grease in the birfs....it was a little discolored but appeared to be fine.

I'm having a little trouble getting the steering arms off, the cone washers are a little rusty.

[BMFScout]

tapping/beating the **** out of it from the side is key!

[AggieTJ2007]

ST. Johns got a tig, does his do AC? If not it should be less than $50 to have someone weld it, the aluminums welds pretty good just leave a small 1/8 lip on the outside of the plate and you don't have to use hardly any filler, i welded mine from the inside and the outside

[mudtoy67]

Sounds good. I might even try putting some aluminum wire in my little mig. Whatever I do I'll practice on the other half of the case first.