gilmorneau
SILVER Star
Builds The "Red Rocket" Troopy (5 Viewers)
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- #1,123
You can make multiple passes with a welder on thick material. If you do that it is best to clean in between passes. If a welder says it will weld up to 3/16" or 1/4" that means in 1 pass. A bigger 90% good weld can be as strong as a smaller 100% weld.
On cooling: It takes a certain amount of fuel and heat to make a certain amount of power to push your troopy 70MPH. If it takes 90 HP to push it down the highway, that is what it takes. The direct injected diesel theoretically will make more power for the same fuel/heat meaning provide that 90hp while requiring less cooling. The power and heat/fuel burn your engine is capable of at max power is not what is required. If you're isuzu radiator is not close to the right size shape It will be simpler to get a new aluminum radiator for your troopy that will use the same mounting or very little change. Or get one with the water outlets in the right places for the isuzu engine. Unless that isuzu radiator is less than 15 years old it potentially has limited time left. 70 series seem to have problems with limited airflow. It would be best if you use a good big fan with a fan shroud. If you put some radiator in without a shroud around the fan it may cause you problems. Normal Electric fan for me was a failure for me as some on this forum predicted. If you experiment that way get a big expensive electric fan or find a big one from the salvage yard.
Brake lines: You can buy the 2'-3' steel brake line pieces at most auto parts stores. Harbor freight has the little tubing bender tool. Praxair or Airgas has some orange flux coated brazing rods that will work with a simple cheap mapp gas torch to braze steel to brass to copper to steel etc.. for a strong leakproof joint. I discovered this stuff about 8 years ago and love it. It is much easier to use than standard no flux silver solder. Car quest and Nappa also will make custom hydraulic hoses while you wait if they have the small fitting ends and 1/8" ID line needed for brake/clutch lines.
Coolant lines: Muffler pipe adapters that help you go from 2.5" to 2" or some other dimension are a simple effective way to step up or step down coolant lines if you cannot find the rubber step up or down you need(or don't want to spend the expensive price for some multi colored silicone rubber piece) More clamps=more chance of leaks or failure. Avoid the genaric plastic step up step down pieces at the parts store, they get brittle with time and will break when you have to disassemble them in the future. If you have/have access to a cheap harbor freight pipe bender you can make custom curves in a piece of iron pipe or aluminum conduit(which is schedule 30 or 35 but will bend well in the bender) to make very strong durable custom lines vs. long runs of rubber bent to the point it might kink or collapse and restrict flow. The Galvanized pipe looks nicer and will not rust as quickly. If you have to clamp rubber beyond what you should it's better to use a T-bolt clamp or multiple hose clamps instead of relying on just one. Take your time to flush that engine out good with a water hose before you let the gunk inside into a new radiator.
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- #1,125
progress! the engine has been in and out of the troopy at least 20 times now... motor mounts have started to have been welded in. Will try to get everything solidified tomorrow as these are just tacks.
The radiator from the box truck, after grinding off most all the old existing mounts it had, fits literally PERFECTLY inside the 2 frame rails of the troopy. It's taller than the stock 3B one so I'll have to make some sort of skid plate to protect the bottom of it. It is old but only has 89,000 miles on it just like the rest of it. I would prefer to keep as much of this old Japanese steel vs the new Chinese stuff. Plus its cheaper, now I don't have to buy a $250 ebay radiator!
obviously taller much taller...
this photo doesn't show it perfectly but it fits in just right between the 2 body panels and frame rails
The radiator from the box truck, after grinding off most all the old existing mounts it had, fits literally PERFECTLY inside the 2 frame rails of the troopy. It's taller than the stock 3B one so I'll have to make some sort of skid plate to protect the bottom of it. It is old but only has 89,000 miles on it just like the rest of it. I would prefer to keep as much of this old Japanese steel vs the new Chinese stuff. Plus its cheaper, now I don't have to buy a $250 ebay radiator!
obviously taller much taller...
this photo doesn't show it perfectly but it fits in just right between the 2 body panels and frame rails
Thank you as always for your wealth of information. Always have me thinking about stuff I had never even considered or thought of before. Keep it coming if you ever have anything else to add I'll be happy to hear. This goes for everyone not just Rob!!
Great progress!
As you well know, at the heart of any dependable build you would find a reliable cooling system. Overheating is often times the culprit of a failure, the rest of the time it's the symptom.
Take your time and mockup/visualize your plumbing and mounting points.
While working on fabricating the mounts, I would cap the radiator's orifices off with gloves or similar stuff and fill it with distilled water and some coolant system cleaner and let that dwell while you work on building a nest for this engine. This radiator was operational in the box truck but it is a cheap way to have more peace of mind and eliminate one of the variables.
Keep up the good work. I'm rooting for you!
As you well know, at the heart of any dependable build you would find a reliable cooling system. Overheating is often times the culprit of a failure, the rest of the time it's the symptom.
Take your time and mockup/visualize your plumbing and mounting points.
While working on fabricating the mounts, I would cap the radiator's orifices off with gloves or similar stuff and fill it with distilled water and some coolant system cleaner and let that dwell while you work on building a nest for this engine. This radiator was operational in the box truck but it is a cheap way to have more peace of mind and eliminate one of the variables.
Keep up the good work. I'm rooting for you!
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- #1,127
Some high-quality pics of welding the mounts! Very tired tonight but will update more tomorrow. Thank you @LuckyDevil for letting us borrow your better welder and bigger generator, check out his 74 in the back of some of the pics!
LuckyDevil
SILVER Star
I can't wait to see the Isuzu motor in. It's always a pleasure! So glad we've met. I gotta thank you, your dad and friends for helping me out!!! I couldn't of done my engine rebuild without you guys!!! Your mom is pretty darn awesome too!!!
Looking good. While you got the engine out and have room to work it's a good time to clean and spray some paint on the engine bay. Take some red piece of your truck like maybe the fuel door to a true value. They can match their XO rust brand enamel to your LC paint color. Should be less than $20 for a quart you can thin it to spray with mineral spirits or Naptha(coleman fuel). Rustoleum gloss black is available in cans smaller than a quart for less than $10 for the frame. Detail spray gun is good for this(they are $14 at harbor freight if you don't already have one. You will be using this aint again for touch up etc.. Detail gun Probably in stock on the shipyard and carolina beach road store next to roses.).................Oven cleaner to degrease and then pressure wash. Dry and spray. Guys that do expensive high dollar restorations would use real car paint under the hood as well as everywhere else.........I do not recomend this paint for the outside of your truck, or that you spray it in weather below 50 degrees.
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- #1,130
The 4BD1T is in! sits in there perfectly fine, mounts are solid and painted. Everything lines up great for all things considered.
Tallllll radiator. I'm pretty glad its so big, my endless nightmare of cooling the 3B using the windshield wiper squirter will hopefully be resolved. Will need to fab up a skid plate of some kind later down the road.
The oil pan almost clears... there are only 2 fingers worth of room between the drain plug and the joint but from straight up and down they are about parallel. Video below shows more of a 3D view.
Tallllll radiator. I'm pretty glad its so big, my endless nightmare of cooling the 3B using the windshield wiper squirter will hopefully be resolved. Will need to fab up a skid plate of some kind later down the road.
The oil pan almost clears... there are only 2 fingers worth of room between the drain plug and the joint but from straight up and down they are about parallel. Video below shows more of a 3D view.
Roastchestnuts
TLCA #28675 Salt wagon Fj40
I am stoked for you! looks good in there!
sterling
SILVER Star
Diesel jealousy for sure, thanks for taking us along for the adventures.
Maybe an allen head plug for the oil pan drain plug, similar to the ones used in the diffs for a lower profile?
Maybe an allen head plug for the oil pan drain plug, similar to the ones used in the diffs for a lower profile?
That all looks awesome. I'm guessing you don't plan on jumping your troopy at high speed. You can probably put a jack under the front spring and jack it way up and see how close it comes to the pan. If it hits the pan it will probably squeak and make noise. If it doesn't hit it too fast it might just dent the pan in and precisely "self clearance". If you know it won't interfere with your pickup tube or anything (drop the pan and check) you could probaby get 1/2" with a ball peen hammer. I carry epoxy putty in my "off road repair kit" You might consider that too if you don't already have it for the radiator and oil pan.
Congrats. Looks awesome 
I'm so happy for you this works out.
I'd second Robmobile to jack the thing up, flex the axle and check for clearance. If needed, you may dent the oil pan with a ball hammer, as Rob suggests. But make sure the pan is back on the block, so it won't twist.
The exhaust may well go trough the wheel well, as envisioned. Not sure how your 3B was setup, but my 3B exhaust piping is routed exactly that way trough the wheel well (just on the right side). The flex pipe sits under the door. If pics needed, let me know.
Keep it up! Good luck Ralf
I'm so happy for you this works out.I'd second Robmobile to jack the thing up, flex the axle and check for clearance. If needed, you may dent the oil pan with a ball hammer, as Rob suggests. But make sure the pan is back on the block, so it won't twist.
The exhaust may well go trough the wheel well, as envisioned. Not sure how your 3B was setup, but my 3B exhaust piping is routed exactly that way trough the wheel well (just on the right side). The flex pipe sits under the door. If pics needed, let me know.
Keep it up! Good luck Ralf
Exhaust flex pipe with a rubber 90 to attach to the turbo intake may be a good way to snake that air intake around behind the engine. It's thinner walled/smaller in OD than similar ID rubber or iron pipe. It won't rattle around/wear into things as bad as Iron. You can bend it around by hand vs pipe bender. It won't collapse due to suction or kink. It won't rust quickly on the intake as it does on the exhaust.
You only get about 3 years on Flex pipe in the exhaust before it starts to rust through.......On that note the flex pipe is a really a easy way to do the exhaust and have it done in 2 hours using steel wire for hangers and positioning... If you do it this way chances are it will last till you graduate college and get a decent paying job and can pay a muffler shop to bend and weld a proper custom exhaust. Mine is flex because I had a bunch of it for free. It comes in 6ft sticks or the small tailpipe pieces(not long enough) 2.25 or 2.5" ID is likely what you need. (don't sleep in your truck with it running)................
..If your exhaust goes really close to your "hard to find/modify" starter you might want to wrap the pipe with some header wrap and make a small heat shield for the starter out of metal. Perhaps header wrap and then clamp some aluminum roof flashing around it with hose clamps where it passes the starter? .......If it was mine and it was easy to just get another starter, If I had more than 1/2" of clearance I'd just wait till I had a problem.
an Iron pipe fitting 90 elbow with 2X 2" long nipples can make a good tight 90 to connect to straight pieces of rubber hose to make the turn from your lower radiator if you can't find a proper rubber 90. The genaric straight but bendable ribbed water hoses at the parts store can make 90's but not really tight 90's.
You only get about 3 years on Flex pipe in the exhaust before it starts to rust through.......On that note the flex pipe is a really a easy way to do the exhaust and have it done in 2 hours using steel wire for hangers and positioning... If you do it this way chances are it will last till you graduate college and get a decent paying job and can pay a muffler shop to bend and weld a proper custom exhaust. Mine is flex because I had a bunch of it for free. It comes in 6ft sticks or the small tailpipe pieces(not long enough) 2.25 or 2.5" ID is likely what you need. (don't sleep in your truck with it running)................
..If your exhaust goes really close to your "hard to find/modify" starter you might want to wrap the pipe with some header wrap and make a small heat shield for the starter out of metal. Perhaps header wrap and then clamp some aluminum roof flashing around it with hose clamps where it passes the starter? .......If it was mine and it was easy to just get another starter, If I had more than 1/2" of clearance I'd just wait till I had a problem.
an Iron pipe fitting 90 elbow with 2X 2" long nipples can make a good tight 90 to connect to straight pieces of rubber hose to make the turn from your lower radiator if you can't find a proper rubber 90. The genaric straight but bendable ribbed water hoses at the parts store can make 90's but not really tight 90's.
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- #1,136
The radiator is mounted! Kinda, it needs some provisions and is actually so long that it runs into the anti-inversion part of my leaf spring shackle on the passenger side, will just make the rubber spacers about an inch longer as well as the bolts so it won't contact the shackles even if i hit a bump SUPER hard.
Well... that's it. This is how its gonna look, all of the major stuff is pretty much out of the way.
Now what's left to do: Exhaust, Intake Piping, Belts, Extend Fan Shroud, Radiator Bushings, Throttle Cable, Pilot Bearing, Move Battery, Fuel Shutoff Wire, Enrichment Wire, Steering Stabalizer Rerouting, Lower Rad Hose, Fuel Line Rerouting, Brake Line Rerouted, Clean Engine Bay, Dipstick, Alternator Pulley, Clutch Line and hoses to slave cylinder.
Just alotttt of tiny annoying stuff
Well... that's it. This is how its gonna look, all of the major stuff is pretty much out of the way.
Now what's left to do: Exhaust, Intake Piping, Belts, Extend Fan Shroud, Radiator Bushings, Throttle Cable, Pilot Bearing, Move Battery, Fuel Shutoff Wire, Enrichment Wire, Steering Stabalizer Rerouting, Lower Rad Hose, Fuel Line Rerouting, Brake Line Rerouted, Clean Engine Bay, Dipstick, Alternator Pulley, Clutch Line and hoses to slave cylinder.
Just alotttt of tiny annoying stuff
Wow, that is a long radiator, and I thought mine was long
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- #1,138
Thanks!!! I am too, this summer once I put 500 or so miles on it in Wilmington my buddies and I are gonna head up to OBX with it and hopefully not break down on the way, will keep you updated along with @svsisu
Genius! Thanks for the smart idea. Will figure out the thread pitch and size whenever I do my first oil change and put an allen in.
Will do! I always have 2 different epoxy's in my toolbox wherever I go you never know when something is gonna need to have a quick fix.
thank you! I'll for sure let you know if I need pics, the exhaust routing will be one of the last things I do.Congrats. Looks awesome
I'd second Robmobile to jack the thing up, flex the axle and check for clearance. If needed, you may dent the oil pan with a ball hammer, as Rob suggests. But make sure the pan is back on the block, so it won't twist.
The exhaust may well go trough the wheel well, as envisioned. Not sure how your 3B was setup, but my 3B exhaust piping is routed exactly that way trough the wheel well (just on the right side). The flex pipe sits under the door. If pics needed, let me know.
Keep it up! Good luck Ralf
the intake system I had for my turbo 3B actually works almost perfectly just laying sideways for my rear intake to snake around near the firewall. If I have any issues though I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I'm pretty good friends with an exhaust shop in Boone who I'd be able to tell exactly how I want everything to be and would od it for cheaper than normal, the issue is getting it up to Boone haha. That's when flex pipe will probably come into play. I was thinking of just covering everything with that fiberglass heat wrap stuff in the general area of my starter, may wrap the starter in tin foil for temporary use
Very long radiator, indeed. You really need to make up a very solid skidplate for that.
Good work. Cheers Ralf
Good work. Cheers Ralf
Epic job guy! Can’t wait to see it out west
