Build The Clustertruck Rides Again - Refurbishing a 1975 Chevota

[Vae Victus]

Part of my PO charm:

I guess this works well as a clamp, but get's expensive after about the 3rd or 4th one.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Part of my PO charm:

I guess this works well as a clamp, but get's expensive after about the 3rd or 4th one.

That little guy? I wouldn't worry about that little guy...

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Spent Sunday playing with fire . Apparently there was a football game on or something, but it seemed way more important to get this done.

I built all new ground cables, to make up for the complete lack of them left to me by the PO. I used 2AWG fine strand welding cable and my new found soldering talent. For those who haven't done it before, this was actually pretty fun. Given that I'd never soldered heavy cables before, I'm pretty pleased with how these turned out.

1. I started at the truck, pulling the bolts that I would be using as ground points, and determining the correctly sized terminal end. I also measured the length of cable required for each ground:

2. Back at my Dad's shop, I cut the wire to length with a dremel:

3. Trimmed off an appropriate amount of housing with a pocket knife

4. Next, applied copious amount of flux:

5. Then, installed the appropriately sized terminals, and used this lincoln electric bench-vice crimper to attach the terminal to the cable. Let me tell you, getting every strand of fine-strand wire into a terminal cup all at once was one of the most difficult parts of the whole project!

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

6. With the terminal crimped on, it's already a pretty solid connection. However, I opted to solder the connectors as well. To do this, I first heated the terminal with Dad's propane torch. It promptly ran out of fuel. After a trip to the hardware store, I started over with a fresh tank. This one spit enough heat to actually melt the solder appropriately. I pulled back the shielding on the wire slightly, to help prevent it from melting.

7. The key is to heat up the cable end and copper wire to the point where the solder melts, and wicks down into the connector. It took a little practice, and admittedly some of the soldering is a bit "messier" than I'd like, but in the end, this should provide a nice, air-free connection. Joint Soldered:

8. Once the wire cooled to the point I could touch it, I added heat shrink:

The finished product:

The truck will now have a ground from Battery-to-Frame, Battery-to-tub, Starter-to-frame, Alternator-to-tub, and Frame-to-engine block.

That's essentially 2 ground-points from the battery, and 3 grounds to the engine. If the truck shorts out at this point, I'm just going to let it burn! It certainly should be far superior to the single ground cable running to the tub that it had previously.

Now, if all goes according to plan, when my alternator bracket and the wire for my voltage sensing line get delivered tomorrow or Wednesday, I should be ready to finally finish hooking everything up, and have a safely grounded, fusible-linked, charging system that ACTUALLY CHARGES. It should also bypass full charging amperage to the main harness, which in turn will prevent my main harness from melting if the alternator ever puts out the full 94 amps it is rated to.

From there, maybe I can move forward with the install that started this whole detour - my IPF harness and lights!

 

[Weber Sarge]

That crimper tool is designed to be hammered , have a slightly different style anvil on mine but use it often .
There is another way to solder those ends - drill a small hole where the lug tapers into the ring - near the very tip of the cable when inserted . The idea is to keep the cable's insulation tight against the lug so you don't end up with a bulge at the lug's flared end .This way you can insert the cable with some flux , give the lug a quick heat and let the solder wick up into the cable and lug . Just don't heat the lug excessively and the cable's insulation will stay tight .
Sarge

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

That crimper tool is designed to be hammered , have a slightly different style anvil on mine but use it often .
There is another way to solder those ends - drill a small hole where the lug tapers into the ring - near the very tip of the cable when inserted . The idea is to keep the cable's insulation tight against the lug so you don't end up with a bulge at the lug's flared end .This way you can insert the cable with some flux , give the lug a quick heat and let the solder wick up into the cable and lug . Just don't heat the lug excessively and the cable's insulation will stay tight .
Sarge

Hey Sarge, thanks for the feedback!

I started out using a hammer - but I found it was easier to keep everything lined up in the vice. The "primary" bond between the terminal and the wire is the solder anyway. In the vice, the crimp was still pretty strong (it wasn't pulling out) so I figured the combination of the two (crimp and solder) would be a sufficiently strong, and air-free bond. It didn't occur to me to drill a hole in the connector. I figured they are called "cup" terminals because you're supposed to "fill the cup" with solder! I can see how that would provide a good connection and prevent having to move/loosen/melt the cable shielding soldering from the top down. In either case, the heat shrink should hopefully hold everything in place and keep everything appropriately covered. Not as good as shielding, but I imagine it will do the truck. If something goes wrong with these cables, I may have to give your method a shot next time.

 

[Vae Victus]

Nice. What size lugs did you buy? I'm looking to buy ONE lug for a welding cable that has a 1/2" lug and is for a 1/0 cable. You can't buy ONE - but seemingly only a dozen or more.

If you have one of these I'd love to buy it from you.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Nice. What size lugs did you buy? I'm looking to buy ONE lug for a welding cable that has a 1/2" lug and is for a 1/0 cable. You can't buy ONE - but seemingly only a dozen or more.

If you have one of these I'd love to buy it from you.

I wish I could help, but those battery cables are 2AWG - my guess is that they wouldn't fit 1/0. However, if you want to give it a shot, I did buy some 1/2in lugs that I'm not using (way too big). I could certainly mail one or two down to you. I will say that it was a tight squeeze even for 2 gauge.

As far as where I bought them, there is a guy on e-bay, I believe it was ennis_electronics_151, who sells all sorts of cable connectors and lugs. Generally for the big lugs it seems like he goes as low as a 5-pack. The other alternative is the website digikey. In most cases, they will let you buy one of just about anything. Shipping is usually about $4 or so.

This might work: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/19221-0242/WM5950-ND/504509

$1.89, probably about $4 to ship...Pretty pricey for one lug! I always buy 2, it doesn't change shipping and then I have a spare when I inevitably screw up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-0-GAUGE-C...632?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43d0e133d8

$10.00 (free shipping) for 5 from Ennis Electronics on Ebay. He generally ships within 2 days of your order being placed.

The Ennis ones are made in China - that matters more to some than others.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

The Clustertruck continues to fight tooth and nail, in open rebellion of any and all attempts to resuscitate it. Progress, as usual, has been slow, and for every box I check, 2 more boxes get added.

The good news - I believe the alternator is wired in. Thanks to Pin_Head and Bj40Green over in my "School Me in Wiring" thread, I was able to located a switched ignition source in the engine bay (the old voltage regulator terminal).

Unfortunately the terminal was too dirty/corroded to get any voltage out of, and I wound up breaking it in my efforts to clean it. Ultimately, I opted to cut the wire behind the connector and ad a spade terminal:

I backed it up with zip ties (to prevent flex/fatigue at the connection) and then heat-shrieked the bundle. This connection will be taped, later, to further keep crud and water out.

After moving the truck one step further from "stock" and further mangling the harness, I moved on to replace the grounds. I spent about 20 minutes fighting the foot of my batter tray to get it lined up with its bolt hole in the frame. Then I spent 20 more minutes trying to mate both the battery-frame lug and frame-block lug to mount here. Turns out the bolt is too short, so I'll need to find a longer one. I opted to just install the battery to frame ground, for now.

At this point, the charging system is wired in. Fresh dreadlocks off the battery:

Big Red cable - to stater
Grey-to-red: voltage sensing wire from alternator (with fusible link)
Yellow: fusible link to main harness
Blue: fusible link to alternator BAT cable.

The alternator side:

Yellow - "lamp" or "field" wire. Run to switched ignition at the old voltage regulator connection.

The black taped section is a diode to emulate the resistance of a "charge warning" lamp. This is required for proper operation of the alternator.

Big red - 8AWG to battery through 12AWG fusible link

Thin red: "sense" wire to battery, 16AWG with a 20AWG fusible link at battery

Big black wire - ground from alternator to tub.


There's still quite a lot of clean-up to do.

1. Longer bolt at battery tray to allow for engine block ground

2. Tape/isolate old blue/white main harness wire (bypassed by new alternator - too much amperage for stock harness).

3. Tape/seal prior voltage regulator splice under dash by PO.

4. Heat shrink and tape misc. connections and clean up/retape harness

5. I should really find a more permanent horn solution.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Now, the bad news:

The new pulley on my alternator is about 1/4" smaller than the old one. The homebuilt alternator bracket doesn't have the outward adjustment to get the belt tight enough anymore.

Easy solution? Order the stock bracket for the application, which mounts off the water pump. Right? Wrong...

I ordered a new Spectre performance alternator bracket for $8.00. It got delivered BUT - there is too much meat at the bottom to allow it to properly line up with the water pump bolt (here comes the grinder)

Even if it DID fit, it still doesn't line up with the alternator mount. There is a rather large gap:

And finally - I'll actually need a LONGER belt for the setup, if I can get it to work.

The bigger concern, for me, is the large gap between this bracket and the alternator, it its current location. The only way I can see keeping the pulleys aligned, and using the new adjuster arm, is to run a long top bolt, with a large spacer, through the upper mount. Might work, would look decidedly redneck, but, at this point.... Either solution will be temporary, since the plan is to pull the engine, ditch these Rams Horns, and hopefully be able to mount a better alternator bracket sometime next year.

The alternative, of course, is to chop the home built solution in half, and add about 2 inches of steel to the center to extend the adjustment arm, to allow for some additional distance and tighten the existing belt.

This is the direction I'm leaning at this point. Very frustrating to come all the way and not be able to start the damn thing!

 

[Weber Sarge]

Just cut a chunk out of the new adjustment bracket and weld it back together if you have that ability . Could also put a s-bend in it to make up the gap .
Sarge

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

The PO's setup is a S-bend from the manifold, as opposed to the water pump, seen in the lower right corner here:

It isn't pretty but up until now it got the job done. I just find it odd that an arm designed for the exact application I'm using it in is so far off.

I personally don't weld (yet) but I know folks who do. It is probably easiest to just weld an extension into the straight section of the existing bracket, and call it "good enough" for the time being...As I mentioned, if all goes according to plan, this engine will be coming out next summer, and either being spruced up, if the compression is good, or replaced with a 350 if the compression is bad.

A slightly shorter belt is the true EASY solution here, but the valve cover gets in the way of adjusting the alternator much closer than it is, so really, a longer belt, or about 1/4in more outward adjustment, is the better solution.

 

[pb4ugo]

Do the 2 holes in your new adjustment bracket line up w/the 2 bolts in the water pump? If they do, then make spacers for both the bolts & get longer bolts. It looks like if you do that, then the adjustment slide will line up w/the alt. The problem is not your ramshorns, it's your cyldr heads. GM used this accessory setup in the 60's, later model heads have mounting holes in them.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Do the 2 holes in your new adjustment bracket line up w/the 2 bolts in the water pump? If they do, then make spacers for both the bolts & get longer bolts. It looks like if you do that, then the adjustment slide will line up w/the alt. The problem is not your ramshorns, it's your cyldr heads. GM used this accessory setup in the 60's, later model heads have mounting holes in them.

No, I believe this particular setup is designed to only use one bolt, from the water pump. The second hole is there in the event you need to cut it slightly shorter. That's what the product image on the packaging led me to believe, at lest! They don't line up with 2 water pump holes, and there's a "ridge" between them anyway.

The engine is a 283, not a 350, so you are correct in that it's a 60's setup - I narrowed my engine source down to a 1965/66 Chevy C10. Unfortunately, this means no head-bolt holes. I think the issue is the location the alternator mount is positioned on the Ram's horn - seems to be mounted too far forward - but it's rusty to the point where I won't be moving it.

What you are suggesting, otherwise, might work. However, instead of spacers at the water pump, I was thinking a single splicer for the bolt in the adjustment arm/alternator.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

The Clustertruck charges again!

Clearanced the alternator bracket to fit the water pump:

Then installed it. As previously discussed, it didn't link up, so I used a shouldered bolt and a spacer to bridge the gap. A little jerry-rigged but it seems to get the job done...

I also bought a longer bolt to mount the batter to frame, and frame to engine grounds. I ran the Frame to engine ground over to a water pump bolt for now, since there is no way I am messing with the rusty manifold bolts yet.

All said and done, here is what we are now working with in the engine bay:

I had to go with a 1 inch longer belt. To make this setup work. The silver lining: no more obnoxious belt squeal at 3000rpm!

The alternator holds right around 12.5 volts at idle, and pegs at 14.7 under virtually any higher RPMs, so it's absolutely charging, and regulating properly.

At idle, with every accessory running, it is dropping to about 12.3 - a little lower than I'd like, but it may also not have been at full idle yet. It's cold here and the engine is cold blooded as it is...

Anyway, very happy to now have a truck that is wired more safely, and charging its battery properly.

I still have a bad ground in the driver's side turn signal to work out, but all in all, I think it is safe to move on to the IPF headlights and harness.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

A short segue away from the clustertruck - The new digs finally passed home inspection! It's a foreclosure, and the idiots who "dewinterized" the property for inspection didn't stick around to see if the heat came on. Full water pressure, no heat, and 15 degree weather = blown pipes, dead sump pump, etc. It has been a fun couple months fighting the bank to get them to fix the damage their contractors did to an otherwise spotless house...

A little more "cookie cutter" than I was looking for but it comes complete with 3.8 acres of awesome and a 2 car garage.

The silver lining - the worst damage was a blown pipe over the garage, minimal damage to finished interior space.

The silver-er lining: since I'll be stripping the drywall in the garage anyway, this seems like a good opportunity to convince the that this is ABSOLUTELY the best time to upgrade the voltage to the garage. As far as I can tell the existing circuits are 15-20 amps.

It seems like just about any compressor worth it's weight runs at 240V. For my purposes, I think I can get away with a 110V welder, but several of them draw upward of 90A.

I'm not made of money (especially with the house/wedding 1-2 punch, now!), so these buys are well down the road, but fixing the garage isn't. I'm contemplating setting up a 100A subpanel in the garage (from the 200A main panel in the basement).

Question for you guys is - aside from a high-amp 120V circuit and a 240V outlet, what are the "must haves?" in a small shop? Looking at you guys: @Vae Victus @Rainman @Weber Sarge @pngunme and obviously anyone else willing to chime in.

Could be closing as early as next Friday Which probably means this summer, the way things have been moving!

Some of the joys of dealing with Fannie Mae funded contractors:

 

[Weber Sarge]

Do yourself a favor - two 50a , 220v circuits available for compressor/welder . Electric is expensive to upgrade , yes - but doing it again later costs twice as much . Good used compressors are easy to find , but decent ones are all 220v , same with welders - anything worth it's salt is 220v , newer types such as invertors draw a lot less current . My Dynasty 200DX wide open on tig only draws 38 amps max - including the fans running hard . Take into account electric motor start-up current draw - some motors can pull an additional 20-25 amps at start-up and wear out breakers over time , starter boxes are expensive but also solve that issue .

I'd make dead certain that house has been properly dried and all insulation replaced correctly - an independent contractor that knows his stuff can help a lot if you don't have the experience . Home inspectors miss a lot of things - see this all the time with family/friends .
Sarge

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

I'd make dead certain that house has been properly dried and all insulation replaced correctly - an independent contractor that knows his stuff can help a lot if you don't have the experience . Home inspectors miss a lot of things - see this all the time with family/friends .
Sarge

Luckily, my fiance's father is a general contractor (and a very good one, at that) and my father is a civil engineer. Between their combined knowledge, I could rebuild the house entirely. The majority of the water damage was the garage and basement - both unfinished, but I'll be pulling the drywall in the garage to make sure it dries out.

The basement is concrete - I don't foresee any problems there.

I'm basically using my future father-in-law's tools as a benchmark: he does some pretty incredible stuff with his 110V welder. 220 is definitely the "cream of the crop," but in all honesty, if it comes to welding heavy stuff (roll cages, engine mounts, etc.) I'll probably be outsourcing. I'll learn on sheet metal, but I don't trust myself to weld important stuff.

Then again, as you said, might as well do it right once - maybe running two 220V outlets isn't a bad idea - just $$$!

 

[Jdc1]

Congrats on the new house. Looks like you will need a zero turn.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Congrats on the new house. Looks like you will need a zero turn.

Thanks - not a done deal yet, but close enough that I can start making a wish list! As for the zero turn - I'll just borrow the fiance's horse for a few hours on the weekend - he'll take care of that back yard in minutes, especially in the spring! She's not keeping him in the back yard, but if I get her a trailer, it's a good excuse to buy myself a tow rig (My wish list is already biting off way more than I can chew, haha)