Saving the silver 70... (1 Viewer)

[MrMoMo]

Finally got to enjoy the truck a little. Long weekend camping in North Western Maine. More detail and a few different pics in my "expedition on a budget" thread, but here are a few pics from the trip...

Campsite second night:

Driving down an old rail bed:

Parked at the side of the old rail bed, by the creek where we spent the day panning/sluicing for gold:

Solar panel kept the second battery charged with the fridge running all afternoon.

Another section of the old rail bed:

Fun time. Lots of driving, lots of bugs, not much gold, and no problems!

Back to working on the 70 soon, just have to catch up on a few other things!

 

[MrMoMo]

Anybody want to hazard a guess at what I picked up today???

Spent the day working on a few other projects that have been delayed far too long. New brakes on my wife's Golf TDI. Felt odd not working on a cruiser so I fixed that too...

 

[cruiserdan]

Anybody want to hazard a guess at what I picked up today???

View attachment 1265767

Lower fenders......

 

[MrMoMo]

Yup, it's like Christmas!

Oh the hours saved....

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Yup, it's like Christmas!

View attachment 1265943

Oh the hours saved....

If there is a prize for guessing, Dan should be disqualified. It's like having Santa Claus guess when the presents will show up.

 

[NM Frontier]

Great to see the 70 out in the wild! Love this project.

 

[MrMoMo]

Picked up a new (old) "toy" that I wish I'd had 6 months ago!

48" "stomp shear" can't find any manufacturers info on it, but I think it's a Niagara or Pexto (?) needs some tuning, but after a quick cleaning and some care, cuts decently (no adjustments made yet). I can cut single/double sheet of paper in the middle - so the blade gap is pretty close. Shears 18ga like a dream - 16ga in smaller pieces is fine, but needs a hefty stomp!

Another use for the high-lift jack! Moving this heavy bugger into place!

Hopefully this will make any remaining (and future - on OTHER trucks) bodywork much quicker!

 

[MrMoMo]

Hey guys, thought I posted this here, but I guess I just put it in the gearing up thread.

Finished up the review video for the RTT, had another good night in it this past weekend too.

Have a look!

 

[MrMoMo]

This wins the internet for me tonight

Sad part is they are still on the truck!

 

[MrMoMo]

Well it's been FAR too long since I've dug my hands into the 70 - but it's finally started again!!!

Started soaking nuts and bolts in the front end last week, and tonight started pulling things apart. Currently prepping for;

- Battery relocation
- Turbo install
- snorkel install
- replacement hood
- replacement fenders
- AC compressor install

All before spring!!!

Anyway - managed to get the two battery trays out tonight, next will be modifying the air box to rotate the base for the snorkel, and then dabbing battery mounts (both on the drivers side - to make room to move the fuel filter and power steering reservoir (more brackets) so they can move out of the way for the turbo!

A few pics to get rolling again!

Aside from the bodywork and these upgrades, I'll be adding to the overlanding on a budget thread - some new stuff to come there!

Reference pic - before mods! (Except I already removed the air intake duct, and filter to intake hose!)

Batteries and trays removed, can see where they will be located with old trays just for placement:

If you're bored, and like cruiser related pics, you can follow me on Instagram @atIOIYIOI - and I'll be posting more videos to the channel with my video above, including stuff with the 70 rebuild/upgrades etc. check it out and subscribe!

FYI - I have some heat in my garage so expect more content!!

Thanks!

 

[MrMoMo]

Well, I did it!

Sure is a strange feeling taking a hole saw to your upper fender... Glad I got it the right size and in the right place!

Now I have to get the emblem off and get the holes for the mounting bolts in the right place!

 

[MrMoMo]

Well, had a few extra hours this afternoon so I started to fab the new dual battery tray. I have a bunch of "scrap" steel I've collected from work that were outboard engine crates - handy little light weight structural shapes. The main frame runners for this are "b" shaped, and are incredibly strong for their weight. Also using some angle to tie the tray to the truck - and will likely have some flatbar in there by the time it's all done...

Tray overall is around 26" overall, and uses every bit of space between the headlight and the brake master! Inside clearance is a hair under 8" wide. Battery post height will be extremely close on the front battery as the hood slope is down all the way to the front but the battery tray is level. I think everything will be ok, but worst case I have made the tray fit a few different battery sizes, and I have one brand new battery of the same capacity that is shorter than the current (10 yr old!) ones. - So replacement wouldn't be a horrible thing...

Got as far as the first "hanger" welded on - this is the front inboard corner which attaches to the bolt that is dead center bottom of the above pic - which secures the center section of the upper rad support. Next will be the outboard front mount.

Hope to get this wrapped up tomorrow so I can tidy up the wiring, and start playing with revising the air box mounts, and the fuel filter and power steering reservoir.

 

[MrMoMo]

Continued on with the battery tray today - would have wrapped it up, but par for the course, I ran out of shielding gas. (Always happens on a weekend)

Did manage I get it about 95% fabbed, need to cap the center gusset to give it more ridgidity - and finish off the last few welds, before smoothing out the edges and corners.

So, this is how it sits now, left side is the aft end of the tray.

Here it is bolted in. Interesting working the rear most onboard bracket around the brake and clutch cylinder. -Everything uses factory bolt holes.

And of course, with two massive batteries plopped in. Before you ask - yes, I did check the hood clearance before I did all this work, there is at least 1/2" between the top of the terminal and the hood insulation.
Want a trick for doing that? Styrofoam packing. Place a block on the highest point and close the hood. Whatever thickness you have left is clear height. In my case, the styrofoam didn't crush at all. Phew! (I had imagined the two terminals arcing to the hood!)

So once I get my gas replenished next week I can finish off the tray then start on the airbox mod.

 

[MrMoMo]

Move over stuff, there's almost space for a turbo in there...

So, I had a few spare minutes tonight and played with moving the steering reservoir and fuel desedementer - looks like I can get away with a few of the factory threaded holes, make a small bracket mount for the lower steering reservoir leg, and insert one riv-nut for the top of the fuel bracket....

Stock locations

Anyone see issues with the relocation? Steering reservoir is a little lower, but the top is still higher than the top of the pump... Hopefully it doesn't overflow, and the hood hinge clears. Wiring still reaches the fuel water trap....

Re-located (need to extend the fuel lines!)

Thoughts???

 

[MrMoMo]

Forgot to post this link....

I'm going to be trying to document more of this work in video form - in hopes that some of the stuff that I document may help others, either by inspriring them or seeing that even a dummy like me can do this stuff....

So, here is kind of the intro for the upcoming work.... You will notice that I have already deviated from my plan...

Hope to put up a video a month - so if you want to follow along click subscribe at the end of the video. (I'll post links here as well)

 

[MrMoMo]

Well, slowly moving things along, started working the turbo manifold today. Luckily I have a spare 3B on the floor that has the exhaust manifold off, so I can use it to mock up the "drews megacheap turbo" manifold.

Also, super handy to have a friend with a small CNC plasma table in his garage. Unfortunately 3/8 was right at the max capacity of his machine so some areas didn't come out quite as clean as we had hoped.

Here is the flange clamped to the old manifold for drilling (we decided to skip the holes with his plasma table, so I could drill them more accurately) 3/8" thick steel.

And test fit on the 3B:

Back side of the box tube, cutting the holes by hand with my plasma (3/16" wall):

And the box tube tacked on:

All welded up!

Still need to do some grinding, and I added a little material to a few areas that the CNC plasma got a little close to the edge. Once I get the original manifold off the truck, and get the turbo clocked properly, I'll cut and weld the flange to mount the turbo to the manifold.

Also pulled the hood off the truck today. Along with the hood on the 80, since I blew the head gasket on Friday

 

[MrMoMo]

Well, a month later after the trauma of the head gasket and timing chain slipper on the 80, it's done and time to get back on the 70!

Managed to finish the fuel desedementer relocate and extended the fuel lines. Tomorrow I hope to start attacking the turbo (re-clock) and remove the original exhaust manifold to start mocking up the turbo flange on the new manifold.

Power steering reservoir and desedementer relocate - new hose from the hard pipe, still needs a P-clip.

 

[MrMoMo]

Good chunk of progress today. Managed to split the turbo to re-clock it, and got the exhaust tubing cut from the exhaust flange so I could rotate the pipe 180 degrees.

Cut the pipe just on the lower side of the weld, using a cutting disc on a die grinder.

Had to break out the torches to split the exhaust side to re-clock it, but with the heat it came apart nicely.

Used some boxboard and my ball peen hammer to make a template for the flange, then traced the template onto some steel and cut it with the plasma. Didn't cut the center hole round, as I'm using box tube to attach to the manifold, so a square hole in its place.

Tacked things together and did a test fit. Looks like I'll need to adjust the silver snail angle a little, but it's close. Lifted the turbo a little for some extra clearance above the oil filter, seems to be plenty.

Overhead shot.

Broke it all down after the mock up, plasma cut a hole for the exit from the manifold into the turbo, did some die grinding on the manifold, and some serious scraping of the inside to ensure ALL the slag from plasma cutting is removed. Comfortable at this point that it is, no next up will be welding the flange, flange pipe, and end caps on.

 

[MrMoMo]

So I'm in a bit of a push to get the hood and fenders off to paint, so figured I can do the welding up of the turbo manifold and exhaust once they are gone. Initially I had planned on piping the turbo direct to the throttle body, but since I had an intercooler and a bunch of silicone hose that I had taken off the 60 when I took it apart, I figured I'm much better off to fit the intercooler and mod the hood before I send the hood off to paint.

Now, I have to figure a way to "adjust" the heater control valve, as it is currently preventing the IC from going any lower, and it's right at hood level now. Now, with having to modify the hood, it's not the end of the world to me if the IC sits this high - makes it easier to seal, but I would like to get it about 3/4" lower.


First quick test fit I just used the OEM elbow on the out side, but it's completely the wrong size (just seeing if it would work at all) - there is clearance behind the IC, and yes still room to access the dip stick.

Re-plumbed the outlet with silicone hose, though I had to use a pair of 45's instead of a 90 as I only had one 90 (the setup was quite different in the 60, and I can't duplicate that due to the battery locations in the 70) hopefully a tad lower and a little further forward in the final setup.

Now trying to decide if I should buy a hood scoop (Hilux style) or try to weld one up...with the structure I'll be cutting from
The bottom side of the hood, I'm somewhat temped to weld the scoop to the top to re-stiffen it from above.

Anyone fab a decent looking steel hood scoop themselves?

 

[MrMoMo]

Right, on with it then!

Welded up the exhaust manifold and turbo flange, capped the ends and bolted the turbo in place. Did a final adjustment on the clocking to fit up to the intercooler.

Modified the heater valve to sit lower to give more clearance for the intercooler. Bent up some sheet into a channel to match the bracket to drop it down, and changed the firewall hose to a straight section.

Got the intercooler location firmed up with the turbo solid, and fabricated a mount to secure the intercooler to the valve cover so it's not trying to move separately from the engine. Intercooler is a bit of an oddball, no screw mounting holes anywhere. 3 pegs on the bottom that I inserted into grommets in holes in the frame. Seems a little on the light side, but really the hoses are so short it can't really move anywhere anyway. Painted it up and installed the intercooler.

With the intercooler hard mounted, I could now reliably measure its location, before hacking into my "new" hood. Still needs some trimming here and there, and once that's sorted I'll add some structure back on the bottom side where I cut it all out. Hopefully this will also provide mounting for some bulb seal.

So, here is where it sits now, slowly moving along. Once I fab the hood scoop it will be ready for paint, then I just have to pull the fenders off.

Much less rust on this hood!!