Varg In Jeep's Clothing

[Fireball]

A few more items off the check list!
I figured out the oil cooler. I started with the cooler taped 3/8” off the backside of the grill so I could make mounting brackets. The upper bracket needed a section notched out so the air compressor line could pass by. Dimple was added because cool.

For the bottom mount, I wanted there to be a little movement available so any chassis flex doesn’t crack the cooler. I looked forever for these and finally found them in a box in the rafters.

Mounts are welded in place.
I originally had the lines traveling across the front of the radiator, but I couldn’t find a good spot for them to pass between the radiator and the cage without major abrasion issues.

So I flipped the cooler, but unfortunately, I had cut the 4th mount off because I thought it was going unused. I took it into work to weld back on.

The filter housing dumped the lines out at a very inopportune location for this application, so I had to borrow a giant deep socket to loosen the nut and rotate the housing.

Hours of fabrication were spent getting those steel lines formed and fitting’ed. I bought a section of 12mm tubing from McMaster-Carr so I could make the majority of the lines out of steel, but even I have a limit. I bailed on that idea and just bought a big roll of 1/2” oil cooler hose.

Before I could run the hose, I needed to figure out where the power steering reservoir was going to live. That takes priority. I whipped out the CAD for a bracket.

Poof!

And installed with a new suction hose. The return was long enough to reuse. And here you can also see the cooler lines are installed. When I disassemble everything again, I’ll make some nice little clamps to hold the cooler lines in place.

Dress rehearsal. It’s really getting crowded in there!

We’re headed to Vegas for a few days. When I get back, all the final parts should be here for the fuel rail fabrication.

It's looking fantastic! So much artistry.

 

[Fireball]

Dimple was added because cool.

Yes!

 

[sterlclan]

A few more items off the check list!
I figured out the oil cooler. I started with the cooler taped 3/8” off the backside of the grill so I could make mounting brackets. The upper bracket needed a section notched out so the air compressor line could pass by. Dimple was added because cool.

For the bottom mount, I wanted there to be a little movement available so any chassis flex doesn’t crack the cooler. I looked forever for these and finally found them in a box in the rafters.

Mounts are welded in place.
I originally had the lines traveling across the front of the radiator, but I couldn’t find a good spot for them to pass between the radiator and the cage without major abrasion issues.

So I flipped the cooler, but unfortunately, I had cut the 4th mount off because I thought it was going unused. I took it into work to weld back on.

The filter housing dumped the lines out at a very inopportune location for this application, so I had to borrow a giant deep socket to loosen the nut and rotate the housing.

Hours of fabrication were spent getting those steel lines formed and fitting’ed. I bought a section of 12mm tubing from McMaster-Carr so I could make the majority of the lines out of steel, but even I have a limit. I bailed on that idea and just bought a big roll of 1/2” oil cooler hose.

Before I could run the hose, I needed to figure out where the power steering reservoir was going to live. That takes priority. I whipped out the CAD for a bracket.

Poof!

And installed with a new suction hose. The return was long enough to reuse. And here you can also see the cooler lines are installed. When I disassemble everything again, I’ll make some nice little clamps to hold the cooler lines in place.

Dress rehearsal. It’s really getting crowded in there!

We’re headed to Vegas for a few days. When I get back, all the final parts should be here for the fuel rail fabrication.

I use the toilet paper filter for shop air carry on

 

[cj2atruck]

Is the oil cooler because of the turbo?

 

[ITLKSEZ]

Is the oil cooler because of the turbo?

They came standard on the later turbo models. After seeing the abuse these things can take in the drifting scene, they got the formula figured out. I’m not going to question it.

 

[ITLKSEZ]

Fuel rail is mocked up. I’ll probably set the tubes in place with tiny tacks, then braze the joints.

 

[47v6]

Fuel rail is mocked up. I’ll probably set the tubes in place with tiny tacks, then braze the joints.

Yeah, that’s beautiful.

 

[timgr]

Very tidy.
Curious - why braze and not TIG?
This is stainless?

 

[Fireball]

Yeah, that’s beautiful.

X2

 

[Fireball]

why braze and not TIG

No risk of burn through and no risk of ugly large weld beads taking away from the beauty of the current state.

Brazing seems like brilliant solution.

 

[ITLKSEZ]

Yes, stainless. I picked up the flu in Vegas and went into work yesterday to TIG the fuel injector cups to the tubing. I was feeling too awful to take pics of that process, but it wasn’t fun or easy.

I had to get tubing thin enough to bend with my hand bender, so TIG is less than ideal. Even with setting up an elaborate purge system to fill the inside with argon, the paper thin tubing would be tough to weld to the thicker main tube without blowing through or getting crystallization that would risk breaking free and clogging injectors.

It might be a challenge to clean up the flux and oxidation after brazing, but the positives outweigh the negatives.

 

[Militarymetal]

One of the steps in this process that I kept staring at and just couldn’t wrap my head around was the throttle linkage. I wanted to maintain the factory throttle cable and pulley, but the throttle body has been repositioned about 8” further away from the gas pedal, and there was no room for any of it where it was before - above the throttle body.

I woke up this morning feeling inspired, so I went out and started fabbing.

I started with a general idea of where I wanted the pulley, and for that to work, the TB linkage would need its arm location moved. I cut it off at the red line.

I repositioned it about 90° CCW.

After that was in place, the test fit revealed interference with the upper radiator hose.

So I cut 1/4” out of the arm’s standoff.

That’ll do!

The only spot that the linkage and pulley would fit is under the intake. A quick mockup of the pulley to get the clocking correct. I cut off the arms of the factory mount and made a plate out of 1/8” that uses two of the plenum bolts.

After I had the correct rotation, I added a gusset.

I welded it, made it more streamlined, and drilled the third mounting hole. I’ll tack a nut inside when I split the case again.

I didn’t want to cut up my good throttle cable mount, so I made one out of some tubing.

It’s hard to see, but this also got mounted to another 1/8” plate through two more of the plenum bolts.

The original linkage was about 2 1/2” long. I cut that linkage in half and added about 6” of 3/16” round stock.

With the cable in place…

I’m so glad that hurdle is behind me!

One more thing…
The charge tube was bugging me. It was a little too close for comfort to the sway bar at full stuff, and the angles/form didn’t look very elegant. I did some fine tuning with a twist here, an extension there, and a wedge in the middle; it fits and looks much better. I’ll get it welded and cleaned up in the morning.

Amazing work! I am not worthy!

 

[ITLKSEZ]

I just found the drawback to brazing stainless to stainless.

A rod with high silver content is required. This tiny package of 5(!) rods was $156.
That’s $1.73 per inch.

Don't screw up!!

 

[SoCalNickG]

I just found the drawback to brazing stainless to stainless.

A rod with high silver content is required. This tiny package of 5(!) rods was $156.
That’s $1.73 per inch.

Don't screw up!!

Spot silver price is almost $90/ounce today.

 

[ITLKSEZ]

Fuel rail is finally finished!
Another major item off the list.
I pressure tested it this morning, then spent the next 7 hours working on the mounts and the bracket for the regulator.

 

[ITLKSEZ]

I’ve been working on little things. The little braces, supports, and brackets that take forever. I made an intake manifold support yesterday that I’ll get pics of after it’s all together. Today I built a few line clamps to hold the oil cooler hoses to the frame. I used some 1” tubing and some small C-channel.

I tapped some threads into the frame.

I painted all of the bare metal parts to prep for final assembly. The valve cover and the aluminum section of the intake got clear, while all the steel parts got gray. Sorry @SoCalNickG , I just couldn’t bring myself to chrome these parts!

 

[ITLKSEZ]

I like how the paint turned out.
Just as I was standing back and admiring it…

…I kicked a box that was under my feet. I looked down and it was a box of parts. Right on top was a part that I’d realized I had completely overlooked up until this point.

The idle air control valve. Ugh!!

One 3/4” tube needs to tie into the charge pipe, and another into the plenum.

I ran into work after hours and turned some flares/grips into some tubing.

These got welded into the parts in the only locations I could make work.

So much for the nice paint job.

This placed the control valve in a tight spot under the throttle body. The plumbing is looking like a puzzle.

I made a mount for it and used the factory rubber isolators.

Here’s the plenum brace I mentioned before.

I did a full dress rehearsal. It’s getting very tight in there.

There was one last thing I forgot along with the IACV. There needs to be a 5/8” hose from the flame trap (pcv equivalent) all the way over to the post-filtered, but non-pressurized section of intake. I found a nice spot to weld in a bung; right up against the firewall on the little elbow. I can tuck the hose along the firewall behind the engine.

 

[Fireball]

Looks amazing as always.

This placed the control valve in a tight spot under the throttle body. The plumbing is looking like a puzzle.

It reminds me of the old Microsoft screensaver:

 

[ITLKSEZ]

I spent the weekend re-painting parts and doing final assembly. It felt good to put everything back together for (hopefully) the last time.

I pulled the spark plugs and hooked up just enough wiring to turn the starter. I had my GF stand up front with a wrench on the top oil cooler fitting, and I told her to yell and tighten it when oil came out. It took about 30 seconds of cranking until it started to squirt. I noticed a puddle under the cooler that was from the other fitting. I found a pinhole in the tubing that I modified. I turned the cooler on its side to make the hole the high point, and a quick zap with the mig made short work of it.

Now that I know I have oil pressure, I can fill it with coolant and check for leaks.

After that, I can start splicing in longer wires where needed to make a temporary harness. I’ll get it running with that, then use it as a template to make a new engine harness. The old one is in such bad shape, I have no idea how it was even running.

The insulation has left the chat!

 

[Bubblehead617]

Holy chit that's one hell of a 'shine still ya got goin' there! ( looks damn good even if it's not a still!).