Project Queso

Weekend update.

Shroud is done. Fans installed.
Fits like a glove.
Please forgive the welds, This is my second time welding Aluminum. I wanted the challenge to improve my "skills."
Fans are clocked for stud clearance and Wire routing, it's not "*****-nilly" like it looks.
(edit: seems the forum has "infant mode" auto censor enabled. ***** is Willie with a y )
Picture really makes them look weird, looks fine in person.

Finished wire routing and installing the connectors for the fans.
Here are some videos for the fun of it. The towel is the "Professional White Rags" brand. It's much heavier than typical paper towel.
Edit: Forgot to mention, the fans are variable speed and the controller I built will control them such. These 'three' speeds are demonstration only. In use they will ramp up and down as needed to satisfy cooling demands.

Don't know why the audio is so muffled. Must have fat fingered the phone.


It's not that loud in person.



Couldn't resist. I wish I had one of those Wacky Waving Inflatable bodies to drop on it.

Weekend update:

Not much happened.

Radiator is fully installed, not coming out again.
Removed the factory transmission cooler lines and rerouted and replumbed with -6 SS braid.
Added transmission fluid thermostat and filter.
Downpipe is fitted, minor tweaks still needed.

Gates PowerGrip hose clamps on all barbed fittings
Don't worry. I will be building a heavy steel deflector for the filter, once I get the bumper (2019 SD) installed.

After an enormous amount of late summer and fall projects that took me away from working on Queso I am back at it.

Fan wiring is nearing completion. The Z-Case fuse block will fuse (40A) each fan independently (I am a sucker for redundancy).
The Alternator (370A) lands on the Far right terminal with 1/0 cable and will be fused at 400A.
The Truck connection to all this is on the far left also fused at 400A.
I am decluttering the solenoid and landing the glow plug supply and auxiliary fuse box on the first terminal as well.
At this time, such has been the story for this entire build, I'm waiting on parts. Fuses and the bus-bar that get installed inside the power distribution box are still not here.

Ground bus-bar located next to the fuel pressure regulator bracket has an independent 1/0 cable down to the passengers side block ground location.
The Alternator also has a dedicated 1/0 ground that lands on the passengers side block ground location.
Fans are grounded on the bus-bar as well as additional grounds to the cab and passengers side fender.



Better shot of the auxiliary fuse block.
5 locations, 4 on relays mounted to the back.
1 - Trailer Charging: relayed, 20A circuit breaker (Oddly, Queso had no factory provision for trailer power/charging, it has the trailer light relays etc. but no charging provision)
2 - Fuel Pump: relayed, 20A fuse
3 - Vacuum Pump: relayed, 20A fuse
4 - Fan controls: relayed, 5A fuse
5 - HID Lighting controller: No relay, 15A fuse



Also decided to eliminate all non-metallic 90's from the compressor out charge air plumbing, those are a common weak spot.
So that's done too.
Ohh and the AC system (mostly 94+ components) is together and sealed.

As usual with your build...

Boy, I love it when I see folks take the time to clean up all the wiring. Looks great!


Rock

The wiring and fans is super sanitary, but if I was custom intercooler piping, that's what I'd want to look like

Bus-Bar and fuses showed up today.
I need to move the Auxiliary power distribution unit.
Once I got the factory harness routed properly, I became less enthusiastic about it's location.
I played with a couple locations and decided it'll get mounted on the fuel pressure regulator bracket.
It is what it is.
In the meantime, pic of the finished high power distribution box. I know, super exciting.

I read your initial post about all the things you planned, am interested in the gapless rings and if you ever took the engine apart. In the 1970's, Cord gapless rings were popular for some applications, but were also reviled for their high tension, creating new bore sizes while running. No idea if they are still in business or they solved the "auto-bore" problem or if it would even be a problem in the IDI blocks, with their high nickel content. Just my word of caution if you decide to go there.

Knuckledragger said:

gapless rings and if you ever took the engine apart.

Click to expand...

Yup, they are installed. Brand is TotalSeal.
Not in the slightest worried given the design. Effectively a standard ring with a pocket for a small backer ring that bridges the ring gap.
They are apparently very popular in the GM 6.5 community with users reporting engine oil maintaining near bottle fresh color at service intervals.
Frankly, carbon fouling of engine oil is not a concern for me but it'll be an interesting observation. I'm interested in the potential performance/efficiency benefits.
The first start of the engine after rebuild, on the engine stand, was remarkable. No glow plugs, 50 degrees (F) ambient, it lit right off.
Could it be the Cerakote on the pistons? Could it be the Gapless rings? Could it be a combination of both? (likely)
Regardless, time will tell and I will report back either way.

Knuckledragger said:

I read your initial post about all the things you planned, am interested in the gapless rings and if you ever took the engine apart. In the 1970's, Cord gapless rings were popular for some applications, but were also reviled for their high tension, creating new bore sizes while running. No idea if they are still in business or they solved the "auto-bore" problem or if it would even be a problem in the IDI blocks, with their high nickel content. Just my word of caution if you decide to go there.

Click to expand...

I remember reading the same thing back in the day, however, I think you have to consider that the majority of those reports were from carbureted gasoline applications. Remember those engines and how they fuel washed the cylinder walls? Fast forward to today’s modern injection systems where I’ve seen many a 200k+ mileage LS or modular Ford engine pulled apart to see cross hatching still visible. I would venture to say that the oil squirters in an IDI may provide similar bore effects.

I’m super interested to see if there are any measurable performance and/or longevity improvements with these gapless rings in Krogo’s application.

It is good to know that my 50 year old information (crap, am I that old?) is no longer a problem. Yes, the issue was with carbureted gas engines.

krogo said:

Yup, they are installed. Brand is TotalSeal.
Not in the slightest worried given the design. Effectively a standard ring with a pocket for a small backer ring that bridges the ring gap.
They are apparently very popular in the GM 6.5 community with users reporting engine oil maintaining near bottle fresh color at service intervals.
Frankly, carbon fouling of engine oil is not a concern for me but it'll be an interesting observation. I'm interested in the potential performance/efficiency benefits.
The first start of the engine after rebuild, on the engine stand, was remarkable. No glow plugs, 50 degrees (F) ambient, it lit right off.
Could it be the Cerakote on the pistons? Could it be the Gapless rings? Could it be a combination of both? (likely)
Regardless, time will tell and I will report back either way.

Click to expand...

Justin, owner of IDIPerformance.com has multiple build threads over on FTE and put an N/A rebuild with his cam and a somewhat hot IP and total seal rings in a Bronco.
Said he was floored to get 20mpgs driving the thing like he stole it! Wasn't even trying for MPGs but that was the result. And he drives hard for sure, he was doing a ton of testing in those days.
So I think you'll really like the rings and will get a lot out of them.

I know nothing about cerakote: What about it do you think would help the engine light off so fast even without GP's?

I am wondering, do these gapless rings raise compression? That would explain them starting better.
I have no experience with these gapless rings, so that's just a guess, but I am interested in these for future reference.

Rock

The_Josh_Bear said:

What about it do you think would help the engine light off so fast even without GP's?

Click to expand...

The Cerakote acts as a thermal barrier/insulator. When the engine is running, it'll protect the piston from high combustion temperatures, reduce oil temperature due to lower piston temperature (Squirters are piston crown coolers), allow that (normally) lost heat to dump into the exhaust improving turbo response, etc.....
During a cold start, the aluminum alloy piston robs an enormous amount of heat during the compression stroke. Cerakote performs the same role as an insulator allowing greater retention of heat generated during compression compared to bare aluminum.
Remember, Aluminum's thermal conductivity is five times better than cast iron.
We have done many experiments over the years at work and have determined there is a difference in cold start performance (among other benefits) with coated pistons. The Cost benefit analyses however never could justify piston face coatings from the factory.

Farmer Rock said:

I am wondering, do these gapless rings raise compression?

Click to expand...

Compression is dynamic in nature. If you slowly rotate the engine, say barring the engine over, you'll never achieve "listed" compression.
The gaps in standard rings are just fixed orifices. As piston speed increases the effects of this fixed orifice become more negligible.
Cylinder pressures determine the leak rate, so theoretically with higher boost (Queso was NA originally if we all remember) there will be more blow-by.
The same could be said about adding fuel. Any increase in power is just an increase in cylinder pressure.
Realistically, I cannot fathom, at highway operating speeds, there being any difference at all in compression. Blow-by, absolutely, but not compression.
At cranking speeds, perhaps there is a net "gain" over standard rings. Frankly, I don't know.

With both the Cerakote (be it piston crowns or the whole darn engine for that matter) and the gapless rings, as well as any other unique mods (fans, fuel system etc..) my goals have been clear from the beginning. Make the most reliable truck I can while experimenting and having fun along the way. If anything I have done creates a good natured discourse I couldn't be happier. I aim to provide ongoing feedback about the behavior, reliability, economy, etc... of Queso for as long as there is interest.

I welcome any question, anytime, regarding the project or even my sanity.