Ram-Rod
- Thread starter matth_85
- Start date
There is way more hours in the lower body piece than expected. Still one to go....Got it figured out now though so the other side should go much smoother
Worked all evening on getting everything tightened up and fastened down and went to load it up to take it to the exhaust shop in the morning only to find out that Barnes strikes again. Apparently they don't leave any tollerence in these diff covers. Went to roll it to the trailer and it wouldnt budge. Pop the rear cover off to find the teeth are binding into the cover.
And I guess miracles do happen. For the first time in 4ish months my shop has an open spot...Can't wait to crank this thing this week. Hope to do a test drive this weekend. And maybe ride it the last weekend in March at Gulches or somewhere close just to shake it down.
Started the motor today. Runs great. Sounds like a middle school percussion band is playin hells bells in the valve train though. Apparently the place I bought the cam from decided they shouldn't tell me I also need longer push rods as the cam is cut different. Thankfully, there will have been no harm done by this and I can get some pushrods changed and it should be good to go. Man, that was a sickening feeling all afternoon though... I will say, this thing seems stronger than I thought it would, even with the issues. Ready to get it right and see what it's gonna sound like.
Well, the to-do list is steadily decreasing:
Install coil springs
Charge shocks/bumps
Finish passengers side skid
Finish trans/t-case skid
Mount lights on front
Lights on back (if I do any)
Mount amp and computer
Re-install rear diff cover
Top off everything with fluids
Re-tighten all bolts and replace some with lock washers/nuts
Sounds like a lot, but should be ready to roll out this weekend if all goes as planned.
Install coil springs
Charge shocks/bumps
Finish passengers side skid
Finish trans/t-case skid
Mount lights on front
Lights on back (if I do any)
Mount amp and computer
Re-install rear diff cover
Top off everything with fluids
Re-tighten all bolts and replace some with lock washers/nuts
Sounds like a lot, but should be ready to roll out this weekend if all goes as planned.
Well this week Summit has been on target. I have ordered parts at approx 9PM and they are at my house the next morning before lunch. Thats pretty cool. Looks like we will put it back together tonight and hope for good results. On another positive note, I talked with Brad from Barnes 4x4 and they indeed had a bad batch over covers. Apparently mine was one that slipped through the cracks. Hopefully the one I have will end up working with some work because I already have everything for the truss support set up on it. But if not, he is sending me out a new one today. So, can't really complain there.
Well, got it all put back together last night. Was like 2 AM when we got finished. So couldn't let it run long enough to let the lifters pump up. Hopefully today I can get out there early and everything will go well. If not, the only other thing it could be is how the remote filter is mounted...it could be limiting the flow but hopefully it will be good to go. The old lifters were without a doubt not worth a crap.
Well after a few hundred bucks, some new push rods, some new lifters....and countless hours of head scratching....it's fixed. Turns out the oil filter lines on the remote filter were put on backwards (who the hell did that!!). ooops. Luckily an LS motor is smarter than the average redneck. The cam and rod bearings get oil first then the lifters. So, with the lines being backwards and going through the filter backwards the motor was seeing around 15ish lbs of oil pressure. This is enough not to scar it for life or tear anything up, but not near enough to pump up lifters.
The lifters though were VERY weak so it could have been a multiple problem. I am gonna tell myself that since I spent two nights and about $300 replacing them.
Non the less....its runs great now and does what it's supposed to.
The tune seems a little rich and it's not coming back to idle right (seen a lot of these things do this) so I am on the phone with Jim's today to see what he suggests. I am also gonna plug the scanner into it tonight and see what were looking like. It runs good enough to hammer on though, so fuggit....shes gonna be in Kentucky for a beat down.
Well after a few hundred bucks, some new push rods, some new lifters....and countless hours of head scratching....it's fixed. Turns out the oil filter lines on the remote filter were put on backwards (who the hell did that!!). ooops. Luckily an LS motor is smarter than the average redneck. The cam and rod bearings get oil first then the lifters. So, with the lines being backwards and going through the filter backwards the motor was seeing around 15ish lbs of oil pressure. This is enough not to scar it for life or tear anything up, but not near enough to pump up lifters.
The lifters though were VERY weak so it could have been a multiple problem. I am gonna tell myself that since I spent two nights and about $300 replacing them.
Non the less....its runs great now and does what it's supposed to.
The tune seems a little rich and it's not coming back to idle right (seen a lot of these things do this) so I am on the phone with Jim's today to see what he suggests. I am also gonna plug the scanner into it tonight and see what were looking like. It runs good enough to hammer on though, so fuggit....shes gonna be in Kentucky for a beat down.
As best I can figure it is going to be a map sensor issue. When running, we fiddled with it some and it started acting much better. We unplugged it and it runs fine. Does exactly what it's supposed to do. I am going to swap out the MAP sensor (which was new) and see what happens. Worst case scenario it will be an issue in the tune, which doesn't seem likely since the way it's acting. But, no big as it runs just fine as it is. Won't have the power it's supposed to with w/o the MAP sensor but it will do for the trip.
Got a LOT more progess done this weekend. All thats really left is to mount the computer and amp. Wire the winch controls. Bolt the floor in. Put on C/O springs and charge shocks/bumps. And take it to the muffler shop and have a slight change made in the passengers side so it will allow the drive shaft to droop as it should. Also, I am going to have the rear panels rolled at Metal Fab if time allows. If not, they won't be ran. Don't see this being an issue.
Just a word of advise for anyone that may build something like this....what they say is true. You will use up all of your favors before you are finished. I cannot thank my friends and especially my brother enough for all of the help they have given me.
Also, if you run a 2 piece front driveshaft on a low pinion diff, you will HAVE to clearance the yoke. I changed everything I could to not do this (mounting position and an offset joint) and there is no getting around it. Or wasn't for me atleast.
Should have some video posted up this week of some test drive yard action.
Got a LOT more progess done this weekend. All thats really left is to mount the computer and amp. Wire the winch controls. Bolt the floor in. Put on C/O springs and charge shocks/bumps. And take it to the muffler shop and have a slight change made in the passengers side so it will allow the drive shaft to droop as it should. Also, I am going to have the rear panels rolled at Metal Fab if time allows. If not, they won't be ran. Don't see this being an issue.
Just a word of advise for anyone that may build something like this....what they say is true. You will use up all of your favors before you are finished. I cannot thank my friends and especially my brother enough for all of the help they have given me.
Also, if you run a 2 piece front driveshaft on a low pinion diff, you will HAVE to clearance the yoke. I changed everything I could to not do this (mounting position and an offset joint) and there is no getting around it. Or wasn't for me atleast.
Should have some video posted up this week of some test drive yard action.