Time for a post-weekend update. I had 3 goals set for myself over the weekend.
1) Finish the brake line plumbing.
2) Install the fuel cell and plumb the supply and return lines to the engine compartment.
3) Get the dashboard layed out and holes cut for the gauges.
I'm happy to report that I got all 3 of them taken care of, with the exception of 1 section of brake line (flexible section) I need to order today.
There are no photos of the brake plumbing, as I didn't drag the camera under the truck to document all the bends, clamps, and fittings. I'll bet I made 50 trips under the truck and back to the work bench over the weekend. For my "next" project, I'll try to do all this work while the vehicle is still on the rotisserie.
Fuel cell - I decided to use Uni-Strut for the mounting of the fuel cell, as opposed to fabbing something from scratch. If you haven't used Uni-Strut in the past, I highly recommend it. The number of fittings, clamps, and nut inserts make any type of mounting job much easier.
On Sunday morning, I made a junkyard run with my neighbor, to pick up a few odds and ends. I grabbed 2 of the Ford inertia switches, one of which will be used to kill power to the electric fuel pump in the event of something bad. You can see it mounted to the inner bedside panel in the photo above.
This photo shows how the fuel lines (1 supply and 1 return) are routed through the bottom of the truck's bed. I had initially planned to use rubber grommets, but these electrical cord connectors were the perfect size for the 1/2" OD of the fuel line. Again, what you cannot see are the total of 16 cushioned clamps securing the fuel lines from the bed of the truck to the engine compartment, as they are routed along the floorpan, adjacent to the subframe rail. Also visible is the Mr Gasket low-pressure diesel pump and filter, which will ensure a steady supply of diesel fuel to the main injection pump. This pump will be wired through the inertia switch.
The photo above shows my first attempt at a dash layout. After posting a pic of this on Facebook last night, I received some feedback that I will put to use this evening. The advice was that I should strap myself into the seat, with the HANS device and helmet on, then check the visibility of the gauges. The person offering this advice suggested that I may want to raise the entire dash panel for better visibility. I will definitely check the layout tonight, before welding the brackets in place.
I brought the dash panel in to work with me today, so that I can use our sheetmetal brake to form the upper and lower edges of the panel. In keeping with my newfound love of Uni-Strut, I'll be making a framework of Uni-Strut to support the panel.
That's all for now.
Steve.