Wally the Walrus (1992 E350 High Roof/Ext. Body)

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LC is Lake City they make military ammo in 5.556 and 7.62x51.

Winchester and others sell it.
If you look close (and or clean it up) the LC brass probably has the NATO cross also
 

Cant Write

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Man its been awhile:

Laziness.......partly
Too busy......partly
Procrastination.........MOSTLY

I had a week before heading to CA for Thanksgiving, so that seems like a great time to ad a project. I called a friend who is retired (lucky guy) and asked if he had time to build the skeleton of my shed, and he did! Dropped the van off with a rough sketch and a couple musts.

1: Must be removable
2: Must minimally move/crush in the event of an accident

He decided on 1" square tubing with ..... well I cannot remember the wall thickness

Phase 1 results:

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I moved the bench seat back to the spot over the rear axle. The portion below the shelf will be the future "Shed" with access when the rear doors are open. and the spot above the shelf will have a rear wall with access hatch, and open to the interior to access when moving down the road. I wanted the uprights to minimally interfere with the space so the forward ones follow the bench seat and the rear ones are vertical close to the "E" Pillar (if it is indeed E).

The photo above also shows the roof has not been cut even though it has a fiberglass top on the van. As well as my quickie shore plug on the left. Also access space under the seat.

The photos below show the mounts, 1 utilizes the bench seat, and the rear utilizes where the seatbelt would mount.

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I was pleased with phase 1. Sure it could have been contoured for more aesthetics and space, but given the 1.5 days coupled with a very late notice, I'll take it. The shelf he gave me, just a veneered piece of MDF. The only thing to address is the support bar near the PS Wheel Well was off the plane of the rest, so I used a house/beam jack what-have-ya and it worked perfectly. (did not wanna split the mdf as it was screwed from the bottom.

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Oh, one last thing, the shelf is below the back of the seat and set back 3/4" so if an adult rested their head on the back of the bench seat, one does not hit their head.
 

Cant Write

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Finish my string of nights (I work shift-work) pick up the van and have only the morning to pack before grabbing the kids at noon and head towards Flagstaff.

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There is more space back there than one would think. The "Shed" is 36" deep at the top (seat back slope) and 30.75" to the bottom of the frame. The bins are 2 deep with storage on top. The right side easily fits 2 full-size (not carry-on) suit cases with room around it to pack other things. Kids' hard cases went under the bench seat. Left side was my "throw-all" side. Tools, Ext. Cord, blah blah. In-between the seats was 4" of memory foam (queen size) and the kids' blankets stuffies and what not.

Should have taken more photos, but I didn't. Had 5 quarts of ATF (type F). Grabbed the kids out of school at noon, and felt the stumble a little on the drive to Dolores. Concerned that it might be contaminated fuel (algae/slime) from sitting so long, I called Autozone in Cortez and they had a fuel filter in stock cause I remembered my spare...NOPE.

Never did change, it, it worked itself out and I don't recall another stumble the rest of the way. My guess is air intrusion and I think the culprit is the O-ring the drain the water from the bowl on the bottom of the fuel filter. My plan is to try a 3417 filter and see if the problem persists. Its so intermittent I have not given it high priority.

The trip was awesome, Running 65-68 it returned 15.6-16.63 each tank. With 4.10's, 30" tires, and .71 OD it turns 21-2200 RPM there, so I do not expect as good of mileage. Power was great at the lower altitudes.

We hung with family, parked the rig at my "outlaw's" apartment and used their small car to stay at our VRBO on the Balboa Pennisula.

2 stories:

1. My 8 year old daughter was doing awesome catching waves on a boogie board. She in a wetsuit and me freezing my **** off. I am out helping her get in them and having a ball actually. Sacrificing my warmth and taking waves on the head so she can feel safe and have fun. Just before we are going to come I took a STRONG sting to the big toe. My initial thought was I stepped on glass and sliced it WIDE open in the cold water. Gritting and bearing it I help Kayden catch another wave, and I head in. As soon as I take my foot out of the water it is just PUKING blood. A stingray got me right down along the bone of the big toe. Talk about the most intense but dull pain I have ever felt. I could not sit still, I had to rock back and forth and bounce one knee, and have my wife continue to pour hot water into the bucket. I was trying everything, I even ***'d into it when she happened to walk down the stairs. Between the hot water and *****, the pain finally subsided after 45 minutes. I learned from the old-timers down there to shuffle your feet instead of stepping. None-the-less I can recommend avoiding stingrays. The next day we saw a good sized on right where we have been going, not sure if that was the one, but oh-boy.

2. @Big Bart and I had the pleasure of meeting quickly. What a nice guy, and what a great pickup he has. I am 6'5", remember when pickups were the right size, and normal height men could reach over the side of the bed, and I could reach almost across it. These new things with all their gadgets and they sit so tall I can hardly reach over, let alone a normal person. End Rant...... his pickup reminded me of just that, when they were simple and tough and without a bunch of fluff. I like AC and CC as much as the next guy, but I don't need ..... well you name it. He drove my van and of course it did not replicate the stumble. But he mentioned it did not lack for power or notice anything weird. It was a short meeting, but conversation flowed easily and he is a man I could get lost sitting next to under the stars, with a fire and a cooler of beer :)

Oh, and he let me drive his pickup, how nice the detents of the C6 are compared to the E4OD, man I do not like those columns or shift detents at all.

One last thing: If you like dirt track racing, we went to Turkey Night, USAAC Midgets at Ventura Raceway. How fun. 3 of the top 5 qualifiers for the Main were women in their 20's. Boy could they drive!!! I also learned that Chase Elliot (Bill Elliot's son for us older folks) is trying to learn dirt to become a better driver. He has some learnin' to do. They were a blast to watch, relatively caution free and overall very enjoyable.
 

Cant Write

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Since work is pretty dead, I'll type some more.

For some silly reason, I mention to my wife if she wants to buy me 1 (ONE) vehicle I will get rid of all the rest of my cars. My sig has my 3 cars, I also have a 4th (1991 V2500 Suburban). She asked what it would be, and I said "a 4WD SRW Mega cab with a 6-spd, Cummins, pre-def or at least deleted, would prefer a flatbed with boxes below the deck." It wasn't more than an hour and she had found one. I baulked at the price. But it prompted this long email to my wife Listing the pro's and con's of what I would want in my ONE vehicle quiver. (makes me sick thinking about that) and will likely never happen cause I am a junker by heart and when you drive older vehicles, always best to run 2 minimum.

The List:


BEST OFF THE SHELF VEHICLE:
  1. Dodge/Ram Megacab (250” Total Length; 160” Wheelbase; 6.5’ box)
    1. Wants: Cummins Engine, Manual Trans, WELL Taken care of (color doesn’t matter);
    2. Can be 2500 or 3500 NON Dually.
    3. Upgrades: Front Bumper, Winch, FREE Spin Kit; Upgraded Lift Pump with better filtering; Front and Rear Lockers, Air Compressor; flatbed | (20K +) in future upgrades

  1. BENEFITS
    1. Comfortably Carry the family
    2. Haul Wood without a trailer
    3. Load a flatbed pop-up camper to go camping with family (Modular Vehicle)
    4. Longer Wheelbase Rides better
    5. More creature comforts

  1. CONS
    1. Longer wheelbase tougher in tight quarters
    2. Enough room for only 6 people for SHORT trips
    3. Expensive to Buy ($40K +)
    4. Expensive to Repair
    5. More Complex due to more sensors and electrical
    6. Have to buy Camper ($25K +)
    7. Cannot Move Around Vehicle When Traveling
    8. Hard to Park, Vehicle FEELS Big (48” longer than burb, 30” longer wheelbase
    9. Complex Front Suspension (Compared to Leaf Springs)


BEST SMALLER VEHICLE:
  1. 1991 Chevy Suburban ¾ ton only. (older years ok) (219” Total Length; 130” Wheelbase; NO BOX)
    1. Wants: Turbo Diesel, Manual Trans or Built automatic with TC switch, 33” tires, 4.10 or 4.56 gears
    2. Prefer 2500; ¾ ton
    3. Upgrades: 2 rows bucket seats with removable rear bench (3 rows); Sound Deaden Entire Vehicle, Front/Rear Lockers, Air Compressor; Vanagon Pop-top; Gear Vendor OD; Custom Leaf Springs; Crossover Steering; Bumpers/Winch (20K +) in future upgrades.

  1. BENEFITS
    1. Comfortably Carry the family
    2. Room for 8 People for SHORT trips
    3. Take off to go camping, no loading
    4. Already have Matching Trailer
    5. More Robust, Less Electrical/Computer Nannies
    6. Already Own, Already Own Engine, Axles,
    7. Smaller Vehicle, Easier to Park
    8. Can fully customize.

  1. CONS
    1. Requires Trailer to Carry wood or anything dirty
    2. Only sleep 2 inside, requires a ground tent, unless you pull a camp trailer
    3. Custom Springs to ride better
    4. Turbo Set-up
    5. Lot of work to BUILD, most everything is BOLT in.
    6. Must upgrade/add/design creature comforts. (20K +)
    7. Cannot Move Around Vehicle When Traveling
    8. Time required for build-out


BEST BEHEMOTH VEHICLE:
  1. 1992 Ford E-350 High-top Extended Body Van (236” Total Length; 138” Wheelbase; NO BOX
    1. Wants: Turbo Diesel, Built Automatic with TC switch, 3.55 gears and 30” tires if 2WD, 4.10 gears and 35” tires if 4WD (Ujoint or MG (Expovan)) conversion
    2. Prefer 1-ton
    3. Upgrades: 4 rows of bucket seats (8 people), Sound Deaden ENTIRE vehicle, F/R Lockers, Air Compressor; Custom Leaf Springs, Bumper/Winch IF 4WD; DVD/Stereo System, Better Filtering Fuel System (10K+ in 2WD or 35k+ for 4WD)
    4. Modular System to Solve 3 scenarios, People Hauler, Camper, or Clean Material Hauler

  1. BENEFITS
    1. Comfortably Carry the Family
    2. Room for 8 People for LONG Trips
    3. Take off to go camping, no loading
    4. More Robust, Less Electrical/Computer Nannies
    5. Already Own,
    6. Already has Diesel Power
    7. CAN MOVE AROUND VEHICLE WHEN TRAVELING
    8. Smaller than MEGACAB, easier to park (16” longer than burb, 8” longer wheelbase)
    9. Can fully customize to our preference!!!!

  1. CONS
    1. Requires Trailer to Carry Wood or anything Dirty
    2. Currently no rear hitch
    3. Only sleep 2 inside, but could probably find room for 4 (design) w/ cut headliner
    4. Custom Leaf Springs (4WD conversion only)
    5. Needs Turbo
    6. Work to Build, not as much as suburban, most is bolt in.
    7. 4WD conversion expensive, but can be a DIY kit or a drop off at a shop.
    8. Time required for build-out

Now I know there are tons of mistakes and holes in the above, but it was my 30 minute brain dump to my wife.
 

Cant Write

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After I wrote that list to my wife, I have really been thinking about it, and I think I came up with a great solution for my family. Although might not be cheaper than buying a mega-cab, I think it has more uses, and the costs would be more spread out.

A tribute to the Turtle IV expedition vehicle with my own rendition using my van.
https://turtleexpedition.com/vehicles/turtle-iv/

I love the way it drives, and the windshield is nothing short of a picture window. I already have the factory paint colors on my van, add a red stripe and a yellow stripe. A 4WD drive conversion through either Ujoint or Expovans. I am not wild about a 6" lift, but sounds like it brings the best ride, most suspension travel. Its just deciding if I want front leaves vs coil springs. Or I leave it 2wd, add a rear locker, and maybe a grocery getter kit from Weldtec.

Trying to figure out the best gears as I think through it. It will not be a camper build out so there will not be water tanks or a gray water tank. No cooking provisions inside the van. So I do not think it will get extremely heavy.

I am personally leaning towards:
1. 55 gallon rear tank (with electric fuel pump/filter set-up)
2. new injection pump/injectors, Typ4 cam and a turbo set-up as I think that would work well with 35" skinnies and 3.55 gears. I live at 7500' elevation and my van kicks into OD between 35 and 40 MPH. at 45 MPH its only turning 1467 RPM and happily does that until a descent incline comes along. Then it dumps to D (or I push OD lockout) and 2066 RPM. By adding a cam/turbo set-up and add-ons, and using D vs OD, with 3.55's and 35's......45mph = 1534 rpm | 50mph = 1700 | 55mph = 1874 rpm | 60 = 2045 | 65mph = 2215 (D) / 1573 (OD) | 75mph = 1815 RPM (OD)

Is the above just silly thinking? I know this has been talked about alot and I have read, and it seems that those who don't tow enjoy their 3.55 gears and 33's or 35" tires. I would go skinny as makes sense. (10.5"). And in the rare case I did have to tow, I could tow in D @ 2215 RPM's at 65 MPH.

Crawl Ration for low speed stuff using 4-lo would be 30:1 (4.10's) and 26:1 (3.55's)

3. Manual Hubs and a NV-271 (manual shift)
4. Built E4OD (prefer manual, but like the open space between the front seats) with aftermarket cooler.
5. Axles with larger brakes (14.3" front rotor vs 12.5 on it now) and a sterling rear axle.
6. Espar heater or something that uses diesel and heats the coolant at the same time for ease of starting.
7. F/R bumpers, winch, aux lighting and preferably nothing on top of the fiberglass top. Although they have 4 tie down points on it and may need a place to store skis. My current skis are 185's.
8. Heat Exchanger to be able to take a warm shower
9. Compressor and Battery Relocation

I like the security in less electrical sensors controlling what my drivetrain is doing, and using more of my own senses and watching gauges/tail pipe etc.

And an interior built out. Lizard Skin the under side of the van, Sound deaden the inside. Swivel front seats to converse play game/eat with the second row buckets when its just our family out camping. Cut the headliner/roof and make use of the highroof.

Course you put all this money into it and it still has zero valuation, or how do you insure it incase it gets stolen.... to recover costs, would Haggerty or someone like that do it. vs just going off KBB or NADA values.

Shift change and bed time, thanks for reading, appreciate the replies and good night!!
 

Cant Write

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I have been stuck on my driveway a couple times now in the VAN, it seems my limited slip doesn't work well or I do not have one. My axle code on the door and looking it up I thought I had a Dana 60, 4.10 gears, and limited slip. I tried the floor dry method and it works, but sucks when you have to go 300' up a steep hill.

None-the-less, we had planned a new years party at our house for a couple families, but CV is rampant in Telluride so we were just a family. Backed the Van in, set up a "warming hut" with a space heater on the rear shelf for the kids and just had some good conversation with the wife while the kids played. Bon fire and lights for ambiance.

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Snowed a decent amount overnight, so we had a family powder day circling chair 12 at Telluride Ski Resort.

Cheers
 

TNBrett

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The 4x4 conversion / build Sounds like fun. I think you would regret the 3.55 though with 35’s. As far as insurance, most companies that have agents can write you an “agreed value” policy. I used to have one on my 1952 dodge M37 through State Farm.
 

Big Bart

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Cant Write,

1) Ditto, it was a pleasure to hang out and talk IDI’s. I look forward to next time.

2) I am a fan of the Diesel Ford Excursion over a gasser Suburban. The Suburban 2500‘s are great trucks and very capable.(My father in law had 2 back to back.) But when pulling a heavy boat and trailer they leave a little to be desired. I wish both vehicles where still being built! Agree that the Dodge diesels where impressive.

3) Wally is really amazing and looks like your typical family conversion van from the outside. But what was going on inside was very surprising, like that false camper top was very unexpected. I won’t steal your thunder or do a spoiler alert. I do hope you find time to share more about what you found in there and in the cabin.

4) I wish there was the one ultimate vehicle. I think IDIDoit might just get there one day. Weld a 6 door crew cab, to a van body, and a 13 ft long bed on the back. (For those 4“x4” or 6”x6” 12 foot long boards we all need to build decks with.) Maybe 6wd, twin turbocharged IDI’s (As in powered by two IDI’s.), 6 wheel steering and a 12 speed stick. But to your point, till then most of us will have a need for multiple vehicles. At least we have great choices, our parents had to choose between 4 door cars, station wagon’s, Jeep’s, full size vans, and 2 door pickup trucks.

At $4.50 a gallon and 12mpg, I might take Laine‘s que and go buy a convertible VW beetle. (Not sure if I can fit in a hard top one like his.) My daughter gets her learners permit next month, so I need to add to the herd so she can get around. But I have enjoyed running older vehicles, doing most of the repairs, and not having 5 car payments, a boat payment, and 3 trailer payments for the last 10 years.

Looking forward to hearing more about your favorite truck Wally!
 

The_Josh_Bear

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After I wrote that list to my wife, I have really been thinking about it, and I think I came up with a great solution for my family. Although might not be cheaper than buying a mega-cab, I think it has more uses, and the costs would be more spread out.

A tribute to the Turtle IV expedition vehicle with my own rendition using my van.
https://turtleexpedition.com/vehicles/turtle-iv/

I love the way it drives, and the windshield is nothing short of a picture window. I already have the factory paint colors on my van, add a red stripe and a yellow stripe. A 4WD drive conversion through either Ujoint or Expovans. I am not wild about a 6" lift, but sounds like it brings the best ride, most suspension travel. Its just deciding if I want front leaves vs coil springs. Or I leave it 2wd, add a rear locker, and maybe a grocery getter kit from Weldtec.

Trying to figure out the best gears as I think through it. It will not be a camper build out so there will not be water tanks or a gray water tank. No cooking provisions inside the van. So I do not think it will get extremely heavy.

I am personally leaning towards:
1. 55 gallon rear tank (with electric fuel pump/filter set-up)
2. new injection pump/injectors, Typ4 cam and a turbo set-up as I think that would work well with 35" skinnies and 3.55 gears. I live at 7500' elevation and my van kicks into OD between 35 and 40 MPH. at 45 MPH its only turning 1467 RPM and happily does that until a descent incline comes along. Then it dumps to D (or I push OD lockout) and 2066 RPM. By adding a cam/turbo set-up and add-ons, and using D vs OD, with 3.55's and 35's......45mph = 1534 rpm | 50mph = 1700 | 55mph = 1874 rpm | 60 = 2045 | 65mph = 2215 (D) / 1573 (OD) | 75mph = 1815 RPM (OD)

Is the above just silly thinking? I know this has been talked about alot and I have read, and it seems that those who don't tow enjoy their 3.55 gears and 33's or 35" tires. I would go skinny as makes sense. (10.5"). And in the rare case I did have to tow, I could tow in D @ 2215 RPM's at 65 MPH.

Crawl Ration for low speed stuff using 4-lo would be 30:1 (4.10's) and 26:1 (3.55's)

3. Manual Hubs and a NV-271 (manual shift)
4. Built E4OD (prefer manual, but like the open space between the front seats) with aftermarket cooler.
5. Axles with larger brakes (14.3" front rotor vs 12.5 on it now) and a sterling rear axle.
6. Espar heater or something that uses diesel and heats the coolant at the same time for ease of starting.
7. F/R bumpers, winch, aux lighting and preferably nothing on top of the fiberglass top. Although they have 4 tie down points on it and may need a place to store skis. My current skis are 185's.
8. Heat Exchanger to be able to take a warm shower
9. Compressor and Battery Relocation

I like the security in less electrical sensors controlling what my drivetrain is doing, and using more of my own senses and watching gauges/tail pipe etc.

And an interior built out. Lizard Skin the under side of the van, Sound deaden the inside. Swivel front seats to converse play game/eat with the second row buckets when its just our family out camping. Cut the headliner/roof and make use of the highroof.

Course you put all this money into it and it still has zero valuation, or how do you insure it incase it gets stolen.... to recover costs, would Haggerty or someone like that do it. vs just going off KBB or NADA values.

Shift change and bed time, thanks for reading, appreciate the replies and good night!!
I like seeing your thinking and following your build. You seem to be the engineer type. :) I'll throw out some of my own thoughts in reply to your own, maybe it will be of some help.

Big picture, I see nothing wrong with having a primary vehicle and a back up. As long as I'm still able to work on my own stuff, I will. And that means having a backup for repairs! We always have 3 licensed vehicles at all times for that reason. A commuter(we both work), a family car(we have 3 kiddos), and my pickup, which was for my side business but our lovely governor shut that down indefinitely about 2 years ago, so now it's for everything else like dump runs, hauling wood pellets, playing in the snow, for fun, or for anything dirtier than I want to take our Volvos into.
Point is, even if you have your ONE TRUCK TO RULE THEM ALL, wouldn't you want a backup? Yes, I'm an enabler in this area. LOL

I don't know what that thing would cost, but I'm allergic to debt and spending money I don't need to. So I see keeping the van and doing choice mods as a WAY better investment anyway.

I have never done it, but the 4x4 conversion would be super cool, and much easier with an auto. A stick in a van is cramped. (I do prefer a stick though! And it's not even close.)

If you are doing enough off-road for 4x4 and 6" lift then I don't really understand the 2wd consideration. If that kind of adventure is just wishful thinking then just skip the conversion, get a TruTrac or Detroit Locker and call it a day. I have the latter(came with an axle I got for 3.55's), and I LOVE IT. I'd rather have the TruTrac for the pavement manners but it beats an open diff all day long in every way.
Of course, even if you go 4x4, get an LSD/TruTrac/Locker rear anyway. :cheers: You'll never regret it!

As for the gears, I did the same thing and went from 4.10 to 3.55. I also went from stock tires to 285/75-16 which is 33". Without a turbo these gears and tires will feel really big and heavy. With a good turbo setup, they are fine. But I'd say just fine. I live on I-90 where the speed limit is 70 mph, and doesn't change down to 60mph for 14 miles. So that was the main reason I switched, I wanted better MPG's and easier cruising at freeway speeds. Only got the latter, my MPG's really aren't any better. That may have to do with how low the psi on the tires needs to be for even wear.
What has taken me forever to get used to is the change in gearing advantage and shift points, and the space between the gears. The gap between 2-3 is taller than I want for slowing down to take a corner from 35mph, you're kind of stuck slowing down too much to grab 2nd gear but the engine speed is too low for 3rd going uphill. Doh, with your slushbox you won't have to worry much about that. I forgot already!
So I guess to do it over I might go 3.73's and 33" tires. But then at that point... why change in the first place. Meh.

Also finding tall and skinny tires isn't really possible. The only thing I've ever found were bias-ply military-type tires that have poor balancing and bad highway manners. They are also EXPENSIVE and more or less special order.

1. 55-gallon tank? Vans have those?!? The biggest tank for our pickups is 38 gallons and it's supposed to be for a Bronco but I love mine. Hey if it fits, send it!
2. IP+injectors+Typ4 Cam+Turbo= YEAH BUDDY. Make plans for charge air cooling at some point, probably water-to-air due to the constraints of the van space issue. It will wake up that turbo setup a lot.
3. Do it, just plan out the driveline angles correctly or they will drive you crazy and then break stuff.
4. Ewwwwwww slushbox! But you gotta do what you gotta do. Plus then someone else can drive on those longer trips, maybe. If you let them.
5. Since you're re-gearing, finding newer axles from a van would be an easy way to do both. Do you not have enough stopping power with your setup? I found some slotted rotors and better pads up front really changed my ability to stop. And keeping the rear shoes adjusted correctly....
6. I had to look that one up...wow, super cool little heater!
7. Sounds good
8. Ditto
9. Do you mean add a compressor and relocate the batteries? Or relocate the compressor and the batts? I keep wanting on-board air and keep not doing it. I think for my needs an electric with a tank would be the easiest way to get it done. But I wouldn't use it much I think.

Thanks for sharing the project!
Happy wrenching,
Joshua
 

Cant Write

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@TNBrett, thanks for the comment! I like the insurance route and will surely go that way as I get on with the build.

Do you have experience with 3.55's and 35's?

I do not, but maybe 33's would be better, here at the house I have both 255/85-16's and 285/75-17. I also currently have 245/75-16 on my 1991 V2500 suburban with 5.7/4l80/3.73's and my 1988 burb had 4.10's (33's). The 4.10's were so much better, even with 33's. I think the altitude here for a NA motor choked down with smog equipment and the puny TBI cam make for a terrible recipe.

My current Suburban: 1991 V2500 Scottsdale. Was an Adams County 5-Star School District Bus on the front range of CO. It was free and I thought the 4l80 would be an upgrade over my T-400 on the interstate. It was to the tune of 2-3 mpg vs turning 3400 RPM's in my 1988. But it didn't seem to care and still got 11-14 mpg. Otherwise its been a downgrade in every-way except serpentine vs v-belts.

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My 1988 Burb that was owned by CSU, thats why its black and gold. Should have NEVER sold this one. Just upgrade with a 6.2l TD, NV-4500, NP205 and kept as is otherwise. It was a great great rig for my family. It took us over local mountain passes in stock form, and also states away to family get togethers.

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I digressed enough. My dad's work/errand and house duty hauler is a 1979 C10 Big 10. It originally came with a 350, T-350 and a 3.42 rear end. My high school pickup was an 1984 C10 with blown-up 305, T-350C, and a 2.56 rear gear. Dad built me a healthy 355 for Christmas (which, the short block ended up in the black and gold suburban above), t-400, and the 2.56 gears. The key to all this is the 3-spd autos and the 2.56 rear gears.

In high school, 90's, I hauled parts and cars for the local chevy dealer. They offered me to use their brand new pickups to pull sedans and stuff as dealers traded around the state. I took them up on their offer a couple times but soon realized, my 84 had way more power and shifted so much better (T-400 was mildly built). I could happily run up out of the river valley hills in 2nd gear, secondaries open, and gain speed where the new pickups were just dogs in comparison. Then on the flats or I-90 I could run 3rd gear and 65-70 and NEVER feel under-powered. (235/75-15 tires) That was 2100 rpm (not counting TC slip) @ 70. 2nd up the hills was 2800-3200 without TC slip. Fast forward to today, my 84 fell to rust. I still have a redneck trailer that helps it live on. My dads 1979 C10 now has a different mild 355 he built, T-350C (original one from 1984) rebuilt with electrics removed (no lock-up) and a T-400 TC, with the same 2.56 rear end. Although silly, we have grossed 11-12K hauling plaster and concrete and I have never felt low on power or gearing back in the flat lands of South Dakota.

Is it an apples to apples comparison, NO. But I feel like going from a 7.3 NA idi with 4.10's and 30" tires to a turbo'd built-right engine with 3.55's and 35's will give me longer more usable gearing for a Van that will rarely tow. It won't shift out of 1st at 5mph and be in OD by 37 MPH like it does now. I bet you are right in that 33's (255/85-16) with 3.55's is the sweet spot to keep excessive RPM and thus noise down. Cause in a van, we sit on the engine. Maybe it would be too much strain on the tranny, or ........ what am I missing or not thinking about?
 

Cant Write

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@Big Bart ;

1) Love it

2) I own the suburban, and why I would keep it over an excursion. The nice thing is I never pull heavy. Nothing more than a car trailer or a couple cords of fire wood. So I would be money ahead....I think....just keeping and building the suburban over getting an excursion. But funny you should mention it, I showed my wife a built excursion the other day when we were talking about this "1-vehicle quiver" and she baulked. She was like NO. I inquired more and she said why would we own two big SUV's...? For the record, she just bought a brand new suburban cause of a hefty tax burden on her business. I left it at that, and took away, pickup, or keep my 3-rig arsenal.

3) I also look into digging more under the roof. but that time is not right now. The sharing will come

4) Man I laughed out loud reading that, I love it, for everything until I hit a switch-back on the roads here.

Regarding Laine's and your thought, with another driver in the house. I sold my VW Bug. with 347k miles. It lives 23 miles from me and I have first rights to buy it back. With 347K, it would still return 48 MPG winter and 52 MPG summer. That is with NOT driving conservatively, I would pass at will and run the AC as needed. the VW ALH engine code coupled with a 5-spd, is a HARD combo to beat for economics. Even with today's cars. My buddy's prius would only return around 43 here in rural CO. Also, it would fire well in the cold. Multiple days we had (-10F to -15F) below zero and I could not plug in. I cycled the GP's 3 times, and it always fired off and stayed running.

Here are 2 of my ALH's I sold. The wagon lives in Moab now.

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Cant Write

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@The_Josh_Bear

Joshua, you got my number alright, I am an engineer by education (electrical) but quickly gave that up cause I could not stand the office compared to my blue collar roots. High-Voltage Electrician by Trade. And did I read you live off Exit 32? I use to go rock-climb out there all the time. I loved that North Bend Bar and Grill. Man after a hard day of climbing my brother and I use to go grab a porter, and that double patty burger they had on the menu (2007-ish) with mashed potatoes on the side. LOVED that place. Then they took the double patty burger off the menu, but if you knew to ask for it, they would make it for you. Many.....many FOND memories there. My brother still lives in Wallingford.

I like your thinking and its what I am planning. I have my 3 cars.......I plan to keep these 3.
1) 2005 Passat TDI Wagon, with a European 5-spd swap. (commuter) 38 mpg winter, 42 summer. Not as good as my little bug or wagon above, but man does it drive nicer and is much quieter inside.
2) Wally, and you are right, its 4wd all the way. Thanks enabler :) My wife just loves you......haha
3) Halloween.....my 1986 M1031 CUCV. It will be wood hauler, beat around, not going to town, but going to town unit, over the passes, ORD loved, base camp for hunting and exploring what-have-ya rig. In all reality, my dream is to have a flat-bed under neath for everyday duty and then through the maintenance box back on top of it to base camp out of for camping, hunting, and such.

Hows the Detroit locker on an icy highway? I think wheel spin at any speed will lock it, and thus could throw you sideways going 50 down the highway. Unlike the G80 in the chevy's. That right there is why I am thinking selectable lockers. The companies I am looking at (UJOINT Offroad or EXPOVANS) both use F-350 or even 250 axles. and I figure if I have to buy axles, I might as well go with larger brakes to offset the larger tires and such. Currently, I am VERY happy with my stopping power.

If my MPG stayed near the same, and I gained highway cruising ease plus 4x4, I would call that a win. In the end, it won't be a daily driver, so if MPG suffers to the point of 15 MPG always, I guess I could live with that, but I would drive slower until the wife yells at me. My wife grew up driving manuals, so she is no stranger, we actually had a 2006 megacab with the 5.9/G-56. The only reason we got rid of it was......she was too short to push the clutch all the way down......haha I love my wife, and 5'3" is just a bit too petite for that rig with a stick. She needed a block on her shoe.

1) 55 gallon tanks come in the RV platform. And they can be retrofitting into the Extended Body vans.
2) YEAH BUDDY, my thoughts exactly
3) That is why I plan on a tried and true kit from EXPO VANS or UJOINT OFFROAD. EXPO vans is right in the neighbor hood of TYP4 (Russ), so maybe 2 birds with one stone.
4) I want a manual so bad, wife can drive it, as long as we glue a block on the clutch pedal, and its a theft deterrent device. Manual tranny with a club on the steering wheel, plus a GP disable switch.....the thieves would have to call for a tow!!:rotflmao
5) I know newer ford axles come in 3.55, not sure about 3.73. My thought is to try out the 3.55 and regear if I need to. Thats what is going through my head right now. Since I have to upgrade axles, then I plan to upgrade brakes as well and such. Will have to go to 8 on 170mm though. I keep my drum brakes pretty well adjusted, When I back up, I always hit the brakes often to help with the "self-adjusters", always use the e-brake, and jack it up and adjust them every year,
9) Yes add a compressor and relocate the batteries.

#5 reminds me of a scary and funny story. Last winter, my driveway got super slick. I had run 100 miles on pavement in the burb so I unlocked the front hubs. Upon return, forgot to lock them in and got stuck on my driveway. put it in park, set the e-brake, and jumped out to lock my hubs in. I no more than bent over to lock in the driver's hub and the thing just took off and slid the 300' down my driveway to the frontage road. I had to laugh, funny cause no one got hurt and it was surreal watching my rig just slide away. Scary in that I am glad I never walked behind it, and no one else was around.

Cheers!
 

TNBrett

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Years ago I had an f250 with and NA 7.3, E4od, 4.10 and 33’s. The gearing felt about perfect to me. My current F350 has ZF5, 4.10’s and 245/75-16’s. I’m turning about 2800 rpm at 80. My other truck is a ‘16 GMC 2500 with 4.10’s and 35’s. It runs about 2300 rpm at 80 now. It originally had 245/70-17, and there was a noticeable decrease in seat of the pants power. I’ve also had a couple of 2500 suburbans over the years. Both of them were 4.10 and on 285/75-16’s (33”). Years ago I also had a ‘98 f150 v6 5spd on 305/75-16 (about 34”). It was horribly under powered, but I was more concerned with it looking cool. In my experience and opinion, in most situations 4.10’s are about perfect for 33’s, and marginal for 35’s. It takes a lot of horsepower to overcome the math of gearing. A decently built 7.3 idi with a turbo will help, but my guess is you will end up disappointed. There are a few other things to keep in mind. Your rig is already heavy, converting to 4x4 will probably add another 500-700 pounds. Then start filling it up with all your gear. Your rig pushes a lot of wind, and that too will only get worse with 4x4 and bigger tires. Lastly the elevation makes it harder for your engine to do everything. A turbo will help, but its not a magic bullet.
 

Cant Write

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@TNBrett

I know you are correct. For some reason I was hoping for a magic solution in this utopian dream, that the low end torque of an IDIT with a @typ4 cam would be able to pull around a HEAVY A$$ BRICK with 3.55's and 35's. The thoughts had a basis of.... maybe I can succeed doing this, and the wife will be happy cause we can run 75 mph, and have a normal volume conversation cause the engine is only turning around 1850 rpm.

I had also thought if I run into a gearing issue in a slow speed scenario, I could run 4-lo with the front hubs unlocked or locked depending on surface and other factors.

I also realize, increased weight/height (wind resistance), coupled with taller gears AND taller tires, does not equate to better fuel mileage just cause the RPM's are less.

I will just have to run 70 + when the wife is awake, and slow down to 60 mph when she is asleep :oops:

Thanks for bringing logic, and slapping me outta the dream/wishful thinking with it. I will return to reality for a bit.ha
 

DOE-SST

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Pardon my lateness.

Having played with six IDI vans, I can tell you that substantially quieting down the cockpit noise is fairly easy.

I am assuming your van still has the factory heat shield inside the engine cover.
The rubber seal around the cover is the key. They often get twisted when the cover is installed and retain the twist after a while. Getting the cover exactly in the proper position when engaging the clamps can be aggravating. I installed a new seal and the difference was impressive. I glued the new one onto the cover every 3 inches using contact cement to prevent twists. In this van, I can talk to the passenger in a normal tone of voice at 65mph and the radio sounds much clearer.


On another van, I put down 5/8" plywood on the floor to provide a smooth surface to attach furnishings and avoid problems with the factory corrugated floor. This also reduced road noise a fair amount.

Tires will also produce a fair amount of noise but I haven't kept track of which ones are the noisiest.
 
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