'84 Dodge Rampage Build Thread

[SteveM]

[/quote]

All that and still to find those elusive headlight covers!
[/quote]

You are correct.  All this other stuff has been easy to find compared to those headlight covers (Part # P4286820 or P4286821).  In a year and a half of looking, I still have not seen a pair of them for sale at any price.

Steve.

[gkabbt]

I haven't purchased a pump yet, but will most likely use a Rule bilge pump (haven't figured out the size yet).  I am using brass barbed fittings which accept 3/4" ID hoses.  A Coleman-style cooler will reside in the bed of the truck (probably 48 quart), and the water lines will run along the driver's side subframe rail from the bed to the engine compartment.

With respect to pumps, I have seen photos of guys using either the Livewell style pumps or the Bilge style pumps.  For the sake of simplicity, I was planning to use a bilge style pump, which would reside inside the cooler, as opposed to a livewell style with external plumbing.

The Rule bilge pump is what I'm planning to use as well.

Gregg

[gkabbt]

All that and still to find those elusive headlight covers!
[/quote]

You are correct.  All this other stuff has been easy to find compared to those headlight covers (Part # P4286820 or P4286821).  In a year and a half of looking, I still have not seen a pair of them for sale at any price.

Steve.
[/quote]

If you remember, it took me about 2 1/2 - 3 years to find mine. I do a check about every month for the ones you need.....They ARE out there somewhere!

Gregg

[Tman]

Sorry Steve, had to throw that one out there. I am still looking for you.

I too am running a Rule pump.

[SteveM]

Another quick update.

After work yesterday, I retrieved a set of injectors which I had earlier dropped off at Diesel Fuel Injection Services in St Louis.  As their box states, they are The Original, since 1946.  That's a long time in the diesel business, and these guys and gals know their stuff.

I took them 3 sets of injectors, and asked them to test them, pick the best set, and then rebuild and tune the best set.

As a side note, the smell of these fresh and clean injectors takes me to a happy place, in the same way that racing gasoline triggers something magic in the brain.

These injectors smell like some kind of industrial, automotive, almost medical cleanliness.  I think it's a Stanadyne product that DFI uses in their shop.  Anyway, it's the kind of smell that you will never forget.



I also welded in a couple more plate gussets, linking the main hoop and the cross bar for the shoulder, and worked on the steering shaft seal to the firewall.  I should finish the steering shaft seal tonight.

My transmission guy says he'll have one of them done by the weekend.  Depending on which trans is ready to pick up, I may be putting the engine and trans into the truck for the final time.  Hip Hip Hooray.

Steve.

[gkabbt]

Too funny on the "smell thing" Steve. Another one off the checkoff list!     Also, good to hear about the trans.....I hope it's the one you "need" to do the final install of the engine!

Please post some pics on what you are doing for the steering shaft/firewall seal. I went to our local Tractor Supply to see if they had a flange bearing I could use for mine but they didn't have the right size. I am going to search the WWW and see if I can find one. Just haven't had the time to do it.....been to busy with the cleanup/fixup/paintup campaign here at the house.   Thank God, it's about over.....I'm getting to old for this Subaru!  

Gregg

[SteveM]

Gregg:
    You read my mind about getting a photo posted.  Here's what I came up with....



    It's an exhaust pipe adapter, welded to a misalignment bearing which is commonly sold as a steering shaft support bearing.  The ID of the bearing is 3/4", but the steering shaft is actually 17mm.  I'm using a flanged bushing in the bearing ID, which I need to bore out to slightly over 17mm.  The inner bearing race of the misalignment bearing has 2 set screws which will be used to hold the bushing in place.

    The exhaust fitting is then welded to a piece of 16 ga. sheet metal, which seals up to the firewall.  I'll get more pics when the whole deal is finished.

[Crackerman]

Steve, since you have already made the side windows, why not make a set of headlight covers? Brackets should be easy enough, and trimming out lexan/ plexi should not be an issue as you have already done it. They may not be perfect, but they are available "now" vs months or years from now...

[SteveM]

The rules only allow OEM headlight covers.  They were not super-plentiful back in '84, so you know what that means now.  There are plenty of aftermarket headlight covers available, but I haven't been able to find any of the genuine Mopar items.  In the big scheme of things, the headlight covers would only represent a very slight improvement in aerodynamics.  However, as we all know, a very slight difference might be all that's needed to put an entry in the record book.

If I had been thinking back in '84, I would have walked down to my friendly neighborhood Dodge dealer, purchased a set over the counter, and held onto them until  now.

Like Gregg alluded to, I'm confident that there are a set of these covers, probably still in their original box, sitting on a shelf in someone's shop.  Finding that person with that box on his shelf is proving to be a challenge.

At one point, I thought I had located a set, with the original box, instructions, mounting brackets, etc.  The original label with the correct part# was missing, but I was still hopeful.  My hopes were dashed when the mystery set turned out to be for a Lancer/Shadow or some other similar small Mopar car.

Steve.

[SteveM]

Steering shaft seal, finished but not yet installed.

[SteveM]

End of the turbo "down pipe", with a v-band connection to the rest of the exhaust system.

I'm messing around with the photobucket app on my phone.

[Jon]

Looking good Steve, coming together quickly now.

If you weld the 90 to the cross pipe rather than the turbo the orientation isn't critical, also easier to swap turbos if you need to.
Then put the hose and boost bar from the turbo to the 90.

Cheers
jon

[SteveM]

Jon:
    I like that idea, but then how do I seal the 90 to the turbo outlet?

[SteveM]

Oops, I just re-read your post. Now it makes sense to me.

[SteveM]

One more for now - the steering shaft seal after bolting in place...