This is a project log (PLOG) for a 1965 Dodge A-100 Van. *** UPDATE 08/01/08 *** Videos posted at the very end of this page.
Background:
My name is Mike and I am the owner of a small family owned and
operated auto body shop in Southern California.
I picked up two vans from an old customer that needed some painting done on a
work truck. He knew I liked the style of his old A-108 custom sportsman
that his workers drove around so he agreed to trade me that van plus another van
that didn't have any rust.
A week later the deal was made, the original van was driven down and the title signed over. The parts van was towed in on a flat bed tow truck.
** Click on any image to see it full size**
Here is the first van that his workers drove daily.
The 1969 A-108 was nearly complete but as I said has a lot of rust.
Please note the rust at the bottom of the door. :(
And here is the second van.. the parts van, as delivered.
1965 A-100.
The more I looked at it, the more I liked it better. The "shorty" style really appealed to me.
Thus, the parts van became the project van and the original a108 became the
parts van.
The plan of course was to take all the nicest, cleanest, working parts from each
van and combine then into the A100.
Here are some pictures along with a brief caption. Clicking on the pictures will spawn a full screen hi-rez image.
Below are the pictures of the van the day it arrived.
I wish I had the trim rings for the wheels and a full set of matching hub
caps.
*update: I recently found hub caps at a salvage yard but they are for a 69.
Here are some pictures of the work in progress:
Body work completed and Van in primer. I probably had it sitting in the back with stuff stacked around it for a few weeks by this point.
I was going to put the original 318 engine from the A108 into the a100 but it smoked a little when cold. I took the heads to a machine shop and he said they were pretty bad. He was going to charge me about $400.00 to rebuild them. I didn't want to have nice new heads and a weak bottom end because that is usually a death warrant for an engine. :)
I was able to buy a 318 from a wrecking yard out of a
1986 dodge. Getting a good look at it I see that it has been recently
rebuilt. Everything had new gaskets and it was repainted blue. I am
not certain that the engine is any good but they are typically tested prior to
sale and they do have a 30 day warranty.
So all I have to do is strip it down, clean it up, repaint the parts and switch over the older pulleys and such.
However, I really wanted to convert to an electronic choke and electronic
distributor so I purchased some parts from summit racing.
60 amp chrome alt and 12v voltage regulator. Also in the picture are some
gaskets (fel-pro of course) and new 8mm spark plug wires.
*Update: I never used the voltage regulator. I still have it laying
around here someplace. The stock one is working great!
Below is an Edelbrock 1406 4barrel carb with electric choke. Brand new.
Below is an Edelbrock performance series aluminum intake manifold. 8mm
spark plug wires on the right.
Below are some misc. pieces I have cleaned up and will be installing on the van.
Bolts from oil pan repainted prior to
install.
Bumper brackets cleaned up
and refinished flat black.
replacement engine torn down prior
to install.
Oil pan, valve cover, water pump,
water outlet, front oil seal gaskets purchased new.
*update: I changed out these gaskets with fel-pro gaskets. The good ones
that don't leak. I think they were about 25.00 for the set. (summit
racing)
Side mirrors have been stripped
down and primered with a rust preventing primer prior to painting white.
Oil pan and valve covers repainted
prior to install.
*update: I changed out these valve covers with new mopar performance
aluminum covers.
Steering wheel repainted
prior to install.
It had some small cracks in the wheel which were caused by the plastic
contracting and pulling apart. They were filled and refinished.
Rack that is mounted on the top
of the van. Cleaned up prior to mounting.
Radiator & power steering pump
cleaned up and painted black prior to install.
This radiator was a used replacement from a wrecking yard. A radiator shop
looked at it and said it sounded like a good one however there
is a tiny pin hole in the top tank that needs to be repaired. Once the van
is on the road I will have the radiator flushed and tested (repaired)
*Update: I ordered an all aluminum 4 core radiator to increase the cooling
abilities of this vehicle. These hot 90+ degree days we have in SoCal are
not fun with
a hot engine.
fiberglass side interior panels.
Primered for painting.
Transmission cleaned up prior
to install.
Water
pump cleaned up and painted
prior to install.
*update: ended up purchasing a new water pump just to be safe.
On Wednesday May 24, 2006 I added the following pictures.
Electric fan with temperature relay for auto on/off.
Side mirrors painted white.
Side Mirrors painted white.
Touch screen mounted and DVD player sat in position.
Touch screen is a Xenarc 800X480 monitor. It will display GPS navigation,
mp3 player, DVDs etc.
*Update: Ended up swapping this screen out for a bigger 10.4 inch screen.
Touch
screen mounted and DVD player sat in position.
Touch
screen mounted and DVD player sat in position.
The following were added on Tuesday May 29th 2006
I just got my seats back from having them recovered. They came out really nice!! Also you can see the rear spare tire cover to the left
and the arm wrests for the front doors and the sun visors. Also the
panels that go above the doors. Note: Seats were not rebuilt. All
the original foams and springs
were used. They were just recovered.
click for full size.
On the week of July 24th I got back to work on this project.
Swapped the rear and front axles complete from the 1969 to the 1965. I
cleaned them up, removed the rust and grease and then repainted them black.
Brake shoes were replaced all around with brand new parts. Also installed
a new set of shocks. Power steering system has been transferred to
the 1965 from the 1969 however I need to get the hoses rebuilt which I will do
soon.
*Update: I eventually did get them rebuilt.
All holes to mount the rack on the roof have been drilled and nuts welded on the inside for easy installation. Hole drilled through the roof for the gps navigation and xm radio antenna. DVD player mounted into the dash.
Currently doing final prep work for painting.
Here are a few pictures.
New master cylinder. Replaced old single with a double.
These underside pictures are taken with the lower air pan removed.
The engine is going to look nice if I can ever get it assembled. I just kind of laid some pieces on it in order to get a general idea of how it is going to look.
Here they are.
On August 1st we started to paint the jams/insides of the van. I also fiddled
around with the engine some more. I am going to have to get a different
air filter because the one I have hits on the electronic choke aperture.
*Update: I did end up replacing the air cleaner twice. Once with a little
triangle shaped one which from what I hear causes engine fires (OMG!!) and then
back to the traditional round chrome edelbrock air cleaner. I also ended
up installing a 1" carb spacer.
Here are some pictures.
At 4:30pm on August 2nd I added the following photos.
On Friday August 4th 2006 we got the outside painted. Whew!! I
can't wait till next week when I can start putting it back together again.
Here are some pictures. Keep in mind that the paint still has to be
color sanded and polished.
The week of September 4th and the week of September 11th I started working on
assembling the engine and getting it ready to
install in the van. I still need exhaust manifolds since mine were cracked
beyond repair. *UPDATE: I bought new manifolds but as it
turned out they didn't cover some vent holes at the bottom of the head on the
newer engines. So I had to replace them with new ones.
Also included below are some misc. photos I took recently.
Remember all pictures on this site can be expanded to full resolution by simply clicking on them.
Above photos are with the engine and trans attached to the hoist. I
connected the transmission bracket first and then lowered the engine down.
I had to fiddle with the brackets to get them to line up since I couldn't
remember how they were originally. :-).
Above photos show the engine now attached to the body. Yippee!
The first of the year saw some great progress. From Tuesday January 2nd until Friday January 12th I was able to get out there and tinker with the van.
The following things were done.
1. Replaced all the wiring from the firewall back to the engine.
2. Replaced the Battery
3. Replaced all cables and wires from electronic components. Including
battery cables and ground wires.
4. Hooked up a short 3 foot piece of the original exhaust from the manifolds
back. Just enough to send the exhaust towards the back.
5. Replaced the Ignition switch
6. Replaced the light switch
7. Replaced the bulbs in the interior lights
8. Replaced the bulbs in the instrument panel
9. Got all the gauges working in the dash. *update: Well, I am not so sure
anymore. Fuel gauge showed 1/3 of a tank and it ran out of gas. Temp
shows that it is going to burst into flames but another gauge showed 190degrees.
Going to replace all gauges with custom ones ASAP.
10. Got the horn working *kind of. I think I need some new horns. They are
very weak and squeaky.
11. Got the windshield wipers working.
12. Got the headlights, turn signals and brake lights working.
13. Checked fluids and verified everything and ..
14. Started the engine. Sounds really good!! Still have to set timing.
Ok, so that was the most important part of the week. To actually hear it run after all this time was great. I drove it out into the driveway and went up and down a few times.
I think the thermostat is not working or something else. The electric fan should have come on and it did not. The radiator stayed cold. This indicates a circulation problem. Upon removing the radiator cap I noticed a lot of pressure indicating that the water pump is working. I am going to remove the thermostat and see what happens. Also there was some trans fluid coming out of the front of the bell housing. I am not sure if it is a dry seal or overfill. I'm going to keep my eye on it. If problems persist I will pull the transmission and replace the seals.
Small pin hole on the top of the radiator. I will have to get that repaired as I don't know where to locate a new radiator.
Here are some pictures. I will also attempt to post some video of it running.
Update January 15th 2007
On Friday the 12th 2007 I finished up the wiring, got all the lights working and the fan was working. I am not sure if it is coming on soon enough. The temp gauge does not show degrees only cold then some lines and then hot. It seems to show too hot before the fan comes on though. I'd like it to come on more in the middle. I will reinstall the thermostat when I get the van back after exhaust is finished. Also I may have the gauge checked with a new thermostat so I am sure it is reading right. Fan is activated by a brand new 185degree thermostat though. So it should in theory be coming on at 185. *Update: I bought some cheapo gauges at pep-boys to check the water temp. Shows the fan coming on at 195degrees. It is supposed to come on at 185. (inaccurate sending unit?)
It was ready to go next door for exhaust but then I got back to the problem of the transmission. It kept leaking fluid and not really going anywhere when I pressed the throttle. Today I pushed the van down a few stores to the transmission shop and they are going to replace all the seals and gaskets. He felt positive it was the front seal is bad. *update they replaced the front seal and pump bushing and a leaky cooling line. $388.something. :( I should have done it myself.
Once trans is repaired, exhaust is installed, and seat belts are installed, I'll take it to home depot and buy some wood and insulation for the interior. I need some thin 1/8" plywood for the bottom of the door panels. They will be carpeted when the interior is done. Also some 1/4" plywood for the floor. Carpet padding and carpet goes on top of that. Last thing interior wise I need to do is the roof panels. I need to figure out something to do as a replacement. I have some ideas that will look nice but they need to be fleshed out a bit.
Once the interior is done and all seats installed with belts, I can THEN work on the multi-media aspects of the van. I need to install and test the car computer system, XM radio and find places for the speakers. I'll probably have to build my own speaker boxes and mold them into the vans interior nooks and crannies. It needs to look really nice. But that is not something I need to worry about until the van is running and driving excellent.
Update January 17th 2007.
I have the new exhaust manifolds on their way via UPS. I have new valve covers, gaskets, grommets, breathers etc on their way as well. Exhaust is installed. I have dual exhaust, quiet stock type mufflers, chrome tips behind the wheels. Looks really good! I can't wait to hear it without the leaks from the manifolds. Hurry UPS!!
Update February 1st 2007.
New Exhaust manifolds are installed, new Mopar Performance aluminum valve covers are installed with chrome pvc breather. Timing and carb adjustments are being done by Page Automotive. They also installed a 180 degree thermostat and rewired some of the ignition system to operate better. They had to replace the ignition control module that came with the mopar distributor. They said it had an intermittent failure. Hmmm I am not sure about that one. They also ordered up a new throttle rod from a performance shop and will be installing that today. They have already road tested the van and reported back that it runs and drives very very nice. So that is all good news! While they have it I asked them to inspect the brakes and adjust as necessary.
I have on order at this time some Autometer Artic White gauges and some spark plug wire routing do-dads that I will install when I get the van back. Today later I am going to the hardware store to look at some plywood for the vans floors and walls.
Update 2-1-07 PM
I got the van back from Page Automotive a bit ago. Van is running
really good so far.
I also got a few things via UPS today.
1st: Spark Plug routing/holders/loom whatever.
Pictured above are the aforementioned spark plug wire loom/holders/routers etc.
You can also see in these pictures the new Aluminum
Mopar valve covers and the new exhaust manifolds that I mentioned up the
page a bit.
2nd: Autometer gauges
These are a kit (artic white) that come with fuel/volt/water temp/oil pressure &
speedometer.
*Update: As it turns out the fuel sending unit that comes with this kit is
not compatible with the gas tank. There is a fuel gauge that is calibrated
for the stock sending unit and is available
at summitracing.com . Yes I did buy it and it is working great.
Currently working on customizing the instrument panel to install these gauges.
Should be ready to install on Monday. In the meantime I am working on
tidying up the engine compartment and cleaning what I can clean.
Update February 26th 2007
I haven't updated this site in a while even though I did work on the van a few weeks back.
Installed the Autometer Gauges and installed the fiberglass interior panels. Here are a few pictures:
Autometer Artic White gauge kit. Fuel, volts, speedo, water temp & oil
pressure.
The fuel level sending unit has to be replaced in the tank and calibrated.
*Update: ended up having to buy a new fuel gauge that is compatible with the
stock sending unit.
Also I eventually swapped out the turn signal and high-beam lights for some
nicer ones.
Fiberglass interior panels. There will be carpeted wood panels from the half-way
point down that covers all the open holes you see but first some insulation is
packed inside.
I have also modified the dog house a bit to accommodate one of the oil filler
caps. I just need to paint it now.
I am going to be removing the radiator soon to send it out for a pressure test,
have it cleaned out and
any potential problems fixed before they become *actual* problems.
Update April 6th 2007
Ick, you can see how rusty the radiator is/was.
This week we did a few things here and there.
1. Took the radiator out and had it boiled out and pressure tested. Two
small holes were found. One in the top of the tank near the filler and one on
the bottom close to the bottom hose.
Got em patched up and back again. Cost me $65.00 *Update:
eventually bought a new aluminum radiator 4 core.
2. Picked up the insulation for the dog house and the insulation for the cabin walls. The dog house insulation I picked up from an air craft parts place. Two 4X6 foot sheets of 2 ply and two 4X6 sheets of 1 ply. I installed the 2 ply stuff to the inside of the dog house. Looks really good. My total cost was $185.00
3. Page Automotive, the shop that adjusted the timing and carb for me, sent my power steering lines out to Norco Auto and Air where they rebuilt the lines for me. Cost was higher than I was expecting but I needed it done so not much else I could do. $385.00
Power steering is now all hooked up and the belt is installed. I just need to get the engine dog house reassembled so I can fire it up and test it out.
Update 5/9/07
Now that my wife is off work for a month I am able to tinker with the van some more.
I put the dog house back together and routed all the wiring. The engine is back to running again. The power steering works like a dream and so far there is ZERO fluid leaks!!
I took it for a short trip to Home Depot to buy some plywood and some paneling for the ceiling. When I came back to the van it wouldn't turn over. :( I could hear the starter relay clicking when I tried. I did not have any tools with me so I had my body man come up with a big screwdriver and I jumped the relay terminals and it started right up. I replaced the relay with one from Napa. It could have just been a bad ground or something so I re-did all the cabling to the relay.
3 out of the four ceiling panels are installed! I broke the fourth piece because it was too big and I was trying to force it to bend too much.
I also began to install the side paneling and the door paneling. I got the doors finished and part of the right side rear. There is a spare tire carrier there and it is a pain to cut and shape around those pieces but I am doing the best I can.
I also installed support for the drivers side paneling using 1x3's and some liquid nails. The support pieces are also screwed in place.
May is finally over and it is time to update the project log once again.
May 31st 2007
Over the past month we got the power steering installed and working.
Also we were able to get a lot of work done on the interior panels including the ceiling panels.
Those panels will be carpeted over so the rough seams and screws don't matter. The panels are there only as something to glue the carpet to.
The walls were also insulated.
Installed the spare tire so I could see how it would mount and basically how it would look.
I placed the bench seat where I wanted it mounted just to measure out where I wanted speakers installed etc.
Audio system is on order and pieces are arriving almost every day. I should have them all by June 5th or 6th.
June 8th 2007
Ok, so I've been working a little on getting the vehicle computer system set up. Right now it is just held together with duct tape and bailing wire because I need to have the Audio system installed first. All the wires need to go under carpet so I haven't had the carpet installed yet obviously. Here are some pictures showing the progress or lack thereof.
Car computer is sitting on top of the dog house in this picture while we cut the hole out for the amp.
Showing box for the 10 inch bass speaker. Debating on whether to carpet it or paint it. Second picture shows the amp installed and the Panel put back into position. Also shows the general area that the carputer will rest.
Shows screen sitting back in the correct spot. Also a temporary template for a sun shade/bezel. Second picture shows another angle on the rear bass speaker enclosure.
Shot down the center from the rear. You can see how the amp protrudes
from the side panel. Keep in mind that there will be carpet all around it.
Second photo shows how the amp is mounted in the wall.
June 13th 2007
Here are a few more pictures of what is going on with the audio portion of the van.
Installed one speaker in the door to test fit and placement and also
installed the connectors for the door jams. The things that look like
Scratches on the paint is actually some duct tape that didn't come off.
I got the amp wired to all the speakers and the power source. Just need to install the speakers to test it.
Left: started running the speaker wire where it needs to go so that the carpet doesn't leave lines. Right: fiber glassed speaker box for the drivers side front speaker. It is sitting there to make sure things are correct before final construction.
Showing passenger side as viewed from the driver. Right: showing from outside the van.
Showing the drivers side speaker box as viewed from the passenger side.
Update on June 18, 2007
Here are some pictures
Hifonics amp installed and wired
Speaker installed in passenger side cargo door. I used some door jam connectors so I didn't have to have wire hopping from door to pillar.
10" sub installed in the drivers side rear. Also in the front under the dash the front speaker enclosures were setting up.
Passenger side speaker enclosure
Drivers side enclosure and some wire routing begun
Rear sub box has had a little more work done to it. Passenger front speaker enclosure has had some more work done to it and a speaker installed for testing.
Driver side speaker enclosures installed for testing.
Screen sitting in position. Needs to be redone. The amp is lit up!
The system sounds great! Todd came by and worked on tweaking all the settings to get the best sound quality possible. Here is a bit of info
MSI P4 Micro ATX mobo
Via chipset. 2.66Ghz Celeron CPU
MSI FX5200 video card
Chaintech 710 PCI Soundcard
1GB Memory
Windows XP Pro
Roadrunner front end
DigitalFX 3.0 skin
Winamp 2.95 with Stereo Tools 2.10 plug-in
Slim line DVD Player with USB enclosure
Pictured: 7" Xenarc touch screen later upgraded to 10.4 (not pictured)
Hifonics 8006 5 channel amp
4x Polk db series 6" coaxial
1x Pioneer 10" sub (shallow mount)
Updated July 11th 2007.
I got the van back Monday night after having the carpet installed. I then spent a few days piecing the van back together. Here are the latest photos.
Update November 16th 2007
Been a while since I had a chance to work on the van but I got back to it recently.
I decided to swap out the smaller screen with a bigger one. Here is a picture.
I also took the van for a test drive home (about 30 miles). Found out I
had a leak around the transmission dipstick tube that leaked a lot. I got
that fixed. Also the engine temperature would
creep up on the freeway to about 240 degrees! This week I put some
stuff in the radiator to clean it out, it had quite a bit of rust in the system.
I also added a large flex fan (pull) to supplement the electrical fan (push).
I plan to take the van home again today for a second test drive.
UPDATED! Why so long? Just been busy and no time to play with the van. Though I did get some things done since my last update.
Updated March 14th 2008
From Summit Racing I ordered a stainless steel kick down cable kit with brackets and a matching stainless steel throttle cable. I never liked the Rube Goldberg throttle system that the van came with. After testing and retesting the system, I am convinced that it is working now. I have full throttle range and a nice and clean looking throttle and kick down system now.
Also I replaced the fuel sending unit and the fuel gauge (to match). The gauge is still the artic autometer gauge I had before but this time it is calibrated to the stock dodge sending unit.
Replaced valve cover gaskets, installed a chrome water inlet too. Looks very nice.
At this point I need to get the van up to the upholstery place and have him
re-glue the carpet back down where I had to rip it up to take the engine dog
house apart. It looks pretty bad.
*Update: After having to tear up glued down carpet each time I needed to work on
the engine I finally had them re-work how they laid down the carpet and had them
install snaps that can be removed for easier access.
I would also like to get it up to the brake and alignment place one last time to have it aligned, brakes checked and steering tightened up some. *update: got that done.
click images to blow them up.
Update 4/4/08
A few weeks back I got things going again with the van. I wanted to get the carb and timing adjusted so I went out to start it and it wouldn't start. After fooling around with it and eliminating several possible culprits I thought it was either the coil (which was new) or the ignition control module (which was also new). Randy came by to help me set timing but for obvious reasons we couldn't. So he helped me diagnose it to a bad control module. I ended up replacing them both anyways. With the coil I ended up getting a chrome high output one. Van ran great after that.
That Friday Randy came back out to play with the timing and carb. After making some adjustments and rebuilding the PVC breather system, I was confident it was time for another drive home for the weekend. So that evening I drove it the 30 miles to my house and as I pulled in to my development it was pegged off the gauge hot. After shutting it off I looked for water pouring out of something.. there were no leaks.
Later that evening I went out to check the coolant level and I found it empty. Or nearly empty. As I filled it back up I could watch the water level disappear. Yikes! First thought was a crack in the block or head or a bad head gasket.
Once I got it back to the shop and pulled the oil plug out I found where all the water went. :(
However, the more I thought about it the more I realized that it could also be a bad intake manifold gasket. Since that is one of the few things I did to it (install a new intake), I thought I would check that first.
When I pulled off the intake I wasn't very happy with the way the gasket looked. So I replaced it with a new one from edelbrock using the procedures they list on their site. When I filled up the radiator (with the oil pan empty and the plug removed) water once again ran out the plug hole.
My uncle, who was in town working on his old pick up, suggested I pull the timing chain cover off and check freeze plugs I did so. What I discovered was not a bad freeze plug but instead the actual timing chain cover (aluminum) had been corroded away in the area that the water pump covers. It had actually corroded enough to make a hole through the back side and it was dumping water straight though into the pan! About $250.00 in parts and materials later and the leak was gone. I put some engine flush through the oil system (with a new filter and new oil), ran it for 15 minutes to flush it, emptied the oil and let it drip overnight. Then put a new filter on it and refilled with new oil. Also I spent quite a bit of time cleaning up the engine and making it look super clean and neat.
Has a little white smoke which I think is just some water still trapped in the system. Also starting to hear some noise from the front. I think my water pump bearings are possibly bad. Right now the van is up at Page Automotive. I am having John test the coolant system for pressure leaks and evidence of bad head gaskets or cracked block/heads etc. I'll see if I can convince him to track down the bearing noise for me and maybe diagnose any other issues he can find with the engine so we can correct them now.
Update: 4/4/08
Just got it back from Page Automotive. They checked the engine out, listened to all the areas with their scope, did a block test to see if it had a bad gasket etc. Came back with no engine problems other than the noise I was hearing is the water pump bearing going bad. They advised me to change it asap. I am going to order a high performance/flow water pump today. I don't know if I'll have time to do the work today or not. When the engine cools off I am going to change out the plugs. Also all smoke is gone. No smoking at all. I was correct that it was just left over water and crud in the system from that ordeal it went through.
Update 4/4/08
Just changed out the spark plugs with Autolite 65's. The Champions showed that it has been burning rich but they were not bad at all. No fouled plugs. No oil.
Update 4/16/08
Forgot to update on the water pump situation. Nothing wrong with the one I had. As it turns out it was a little bell shaped bezel that prevents water, dirt, and other debris from getting on the front seal where the harmonic balancer shaft is. Turns out that it can move a bit and has been hitting on the new timing chain cover. Upon inspection of the original cover it is clear that it had at one point ground out a grove on it so it must have been rubbing on that one at one time. So I moved it a little back so that it wasn't rubbing anymore and no more sounds.
The bad part is that I found this out AFTER I spent almost $100.00 on a new water pump. But that is how my luck is sometimes...
The good part is that I really spent some time to clean up the engine. Not that it really needed it since it never really had any leaks but it was dirty with shop dust and finger prints etc. I changed the fuel line in to the carburetor with one of those L shaped chrome pieces that have a place to install a pressure gauge. See photo of engine prior to re-re-re-re-re install of dog house.
The following pictures were posted on 4/29/08
VIDEOS!!!!
I shot some videos using a digital camera. I can only shoot 15 seconds at a time so there are multiple videos. They are in QuickTime (.mov) format.
I am just going to post links to each movie. Note: Clicking on them will cause them to download first before it starts playing. Depending on your connection this may take a while.
Best idea is to right click and 'save as' to your desktop.
1) Intro
2) Cab forward
4) Cargo area
5) Roof
6) Engine Compartment Part 1
10) Dual Exhaust
11) Revving the engine showing exhaust
13) Car Computer Demo cont
Update!! 5/27/08
Second battery system installed
In anticipation of the Spring Fling 2008 at Woodley Park Van Nuys, I spent a day installing a second battery in the van. I ended up putting it under the right side behind the step. I replaced the alternator with an 80 amp unit and I used an isolator for battery charging. This way which ever battery needs to be charged the isolator will send current to that battery. Also the second battery is drained by the car computer system and NOT the primary starting battery. Now I'll never have a dead battery and be unable to start the van.
Aluminum Radiator installed along with an overflow recovery bottle.
Update 6/4/08!
Ok, had to give up on the original engine I bought for this van. Remember the first one that came stock in the A-108 was a 318 but it needed too much work done. So the second engine was out of a 1986 which I upgraded a bit and cleaned it up. Well this second engine, the 1986, always ran hot, always seemed to cause an endless amount of problems for me. Nothing really bad but I never really trusted the engine. So after the timing chain cover problem that led to the engine filling up with water, the engine was never the same. I am mostly certain that the block has a crack in it somewhere. So what I ended up doing was buying a longblock out of a 1990 B250 van. Another 318 but this time it has roller cams! As I started to strip it down (it was very very dirty) I decided that I was not going to install this engine without knowing what I was putting in it.
So I did the following :-)
1. Took the engine 100% completely apart.
2. Bought every single gasket and seal for the whole engine
3. Sent the block out and had it hot tanked, new cam bearings installed and all
the freeze plugs replaced with nice pretty brass ones and then they honed the
cylinders so the new rings could seat.
4. Had the same machine shop do a valve job on the heads which included new stem
seals of course.
5. Bought the rod bearings and crank bearings all new
6. Bought new rings
So with the heads 100% again, the block hot tanked, and all the stuff I needed I
hired someone from Craigslist named John (phone number to go here) who came out
to my shop and re-assembled the whole engine. Engine is going to be
installed and fired up/tuned in tomorrow.
So with all new bearings, new seals, new rings, valves redone, and all gaskets new, this engine is ready to go again! I am getting excited to drive it again.
UPDATE: John pulled the heads off of the 1986 318 and told me the pistons were stamped as 30 over. He then measured it and it was more like 25 over but still the block had been bored out before. This reinforces my original theory that that engine had been rebuild at some point and could also explain why the engine was always running so hot. Glad to have this new engine and have it all clean and stock. Should make a big difference in heat I'd think.
Updated 8/1/8
Been back on the road for a month now. No issues to speak of. Been too hot here in So. Cal to drive with no Air and despite all the work I have done to get this beast to run cool it still wants to get to 220 on the freeway on a 100F day. But I guess that is too much to ask.
Got bored the other day and decided to update the electrical system. What I did was 1) installed a 120 Amp Nippon Denso alt out of a 1991 Dodge B250. I had to rebuild the alt bracket because it was too big and wouldn't fit inside the dog house. I also had to space out the bracket in a few places to line up with the pulley.
Upgraded my battery isolator from a 90 am to a 140 amp. Re-did all the ignition wires. Re-did all the fan wires. Added a second fan as a push fan to the front of the radiator. Second fan comes on at 210F.
Wiring system is pretty much bullet proof at this time. Nice 120A alt means I can have both fans running, all lights running, computer system running and not starve for power. Oh I also changed out the voltage regulator to a new electronic type.
Wires from the batteries go to two posts I installed on the back of the compartment so that from there I could just attach anything I needed to run. The left side (facing) is the 12v for the multimedia and the right side is the 12v for the vehicle itself.
Pictures:
To-Do list:
NOTHING!
Running list of what has been done:
Engine:
Dodge 318 complete engine from wrecking yard. Engine out of a 1990 B250
with roller cams. (REBUILT June of 2008!)
Edlebrock 2176 Intake Manifold, Performer, Dual Plane, Aluminum, Natural,
Square/ Spread Bore, Chrysler, 318/ 340/ 360.
Edelbrock 1406 Carburetor, Performer, 600 cfm, 4-Barrel, Square Bore, Electric
Choke, Single Inlet, Silver."
1" Carburetor spacer
Chrome L shaped fuel line with pressure gauge attached
Accel 8.0mm Spiral Silver Plated Copper Core Spark Plug Wires, 8.0mm
Spiral Silver Coated Copper Core, Yellow, Straight Boots, GM/ Chrysler/ Ford, V8
Mopar Electronic Ignition kit.
Replaced all gaskets new
Replaced oil pump new
Replaced Exhaust manifolds new
Replaced water pump new
Replaced thermostat new
Replaced thermostat housing new
Replaced all belts new
Replaced all hoses and clamps new
Replaced Alternator with 80amp (Reman)
Replaced valve covers Mopar performance aluminum new
Replaced Pvc breather new
replaced fuel line new
Replaced fuel filters new
Replaced air filter
Replaced spark plugs with Autolite 65's
Replaced oil filter new
New Aluminum Radiator
Powersteering lines rebuilt and installed. PS fluid and belt installed.
Trans:
Had trans serviced and all filters/gaskets/seals replaced.
Kickdown cable installed (stainless steel)
Brakes:
Replaced original single chamber master cylinder with a new dual chamber
type.
Replaced all brake fluid
Replaced all brake pads
Suspension:
Replaced all shocks with Monroe gas adjust
Replaced sway bar end-link bushings
Replaced leaf spring bushings (front only)
Tires:
Replaced all four tires
Exhaust:
Replaced exhaust manifolds with new original equipment for year 1986.
Replaced all new pipe from new manifolds all the way back. New mufflers and
chrome tips included.
Electrical:
Replaced all wiring to engine compartment from firewall.
2500cfm puller electric fan and a (supposed *ebay ya know*) 3500 cfm pusher
electric fan installed. Puller operates from 185 on 175 off and the pusher
operates from 210F on to 185 off
Two Batteries fed by a 120amp nippon denso late model altenator with a brand new
electronic voltage regulator. 140Amp battery isolator makes sure to keep
the batteries charging and the main battery will not drain from the computer
system.
All light bulbs were replaced with updated types that are brighter and clearer.
Body:
Van was rust free other than some surface rust from failing original paint. (on the roof mostly).
Paint is a two tone metallic green that was /is close to the original color
but enough difference to be considered an modern update.
Paint is a PPG DBU formula. Base coat with Clear coat. (two stage).
Roof lines were painted in with green and will be noticeable from the top.
Computer system:
XM radio antenna and GPS navigation antenna were enclosed in a custom
roof-mounted teardrop casing and mounted on the roof. 10.4 inch LCD
touch screen display has been molded into the dash as is a slim-line dvd player.
Carputer or should I say Vanputer? system installed. 2.4Ghz P4
Celeron, 1gb ram, Winxp Pro SP1, running Road Runner software with DigitalFX 3.0
skin. Currently tested and working A) DVD Player B) GPS Voice
guidance C) MP3 player D) XM Satellite radio E) Various other fun things
to check out.
Feel free to e-mail me directly at mfields@fieldsautobody .com Please include in the subject line that it has something to do with the van or I may delete it.