Story pauses here until I get the front end pulled apart and re-assembled.

It looks like I need to find a used passenger side steering knuckle.
For some reason in the past, this one has the caliper pins replaced with ones that have a larger threaded diameter, and I can't figure out what part# they used.




BTW: If anyone has specific questions about any stage of this build so far, don't hesitate to ask.
I've likely struggled with the same problem at some stage of this restoration.

 

Sweet build.

 

Hey crazy !

Thanks. Though,,, you may take that back when I show the part where I remove the body life after the engine goes in. LOL

 

This is awesome!

 

Looks good! Attention to detail and neatness pays off in the long run. The new brake lines would be an easy one to blow off, but replacing them in a body off frame job really makes a lot of sense. Gas lines, too, and I like the idea of an inline fuel filter.

I replaced the stock engine mounts with Anchor ones from O'reilly's about a year ago. Lifetime warranty--which is good, because the right one is already torn. If I ever get the time to put my spare, lo mi since a rebuild engine in, I'll be back to the parts store likkity split! It's just not an easy job on 4wd Dak's.

When I did my under the truck oilpanectomy, on the way to install a new rear main seal, I had to remove the front diff to get at it. Front diff was in need of new axle seals & and coconut gasket. I didn't actually sand blast mine--rust was minimal, but I did give it a coat of the shiny stuff before I wrassled it back up and in. The ol' motorcycle jack paid its way that weekend. I also ended up replacing all the tierod end boots with energy suspension urethane ones. Cleaned the muddy grease out of the tierod ends, too. Funny, with a cleanout and fresh grease, the oem tierod ends are as good as new.

Again, nice pics. You're doing a fine job, thanks for the posts--very entertaining!

 

Awesome job. One thing I wish,when I did mine,was that I had the frame sand blasted. Then I could have spent more time repairing the frame damage instead of patching. Oh well now I'm in the money and a new frame is in store.

Keep up the good work.

And did you use a la 318 or a magnum?

 

That fuel filter is oem on the truck. It only has the "teabag" in on the pump inlet and the inline one on the frame. Not sure about later models though.

Lord knows why they even put filters in the tank on vehicles. Why not just make a better pump that can handle debris and then put the filter downstream ? What a pita to change them.
In fact I have seen a case where the material in the "teabag" filter actually deteriorated enough to fall apart and clog the pump. :P

Not to to mention the whole "pump+filter+sender assembly" is a complete cash grab+horrible design.

From what I can see visually, both DEA and Anchor are the same mounts.
The stamping on the rubber, the paint texture/color, and the steel portion look identical. Not to mention they all have the wrgon part# for the 3.9 dakota gen 1. That lifetime warranty looked ok at first, but then I realized I'd still have to change them.
Judging from other posts on the web for other vehicles using the dea/anchor mounts, tearing in 1 year is "normal" :P

If I had known this, I wouldn't have thrown out the oem mounts. The metal section is better built IMO I simply would have got some urethane and rebuilt them. Cheaper and possibly better... ?

 

Read back in the thread and you'll see it's the original 3.9.
rebuilt with flat top pistons, bored out 30 thou and heads shaved 30 thou, some valve cleanup and stock cams, and using edelbrock headers. If i ever find a mopar performance intake I'll switch it to a carb and install the mopar cams I found for it.

The goal wasn't "power", but to improve it's fuel consumption relative to it's power output.

In hindsight I probably should have stuffed a magnum 3.9 in there, but I wanted to get the truck on the road asap. Of course.. that was before it gradually turned into a frame off restoration. LOL Oh well.


I wonder if it's possible to make a custom programmable ECM for it, and use a autocad+3d printing company to make a better intake.

That said.. If this was a daily driver, I'd love to try stuff something like a toyota turbo diesel in it.

At this point she'll do fine as is. It's my wife's truck. She just wants it running and on the road. "No working on motorcycles until the truck is finished"
Before I do the bikes I need to do a drivetrain swap on my subaru.

 

OK...

Looking at the steering knuckle.

At some point, someone re-drilled+tapped the holes for the caliper pins on the passenger side.
The pins they used are unknown part#. In addition, they have a bit too large diameter, so they will likely bind a bit in the caliper bushings.

I had hoped the holes were the correct size so I could simply put helicoils in and use the factory spec caliper pins. Unfortunately the holes are too big already.

So the only good option, IMO, was a replacement steering knuckle.

I was resigned to a long search for a new knuckle, probably to be shipped from the other side of the continent.
I got lucky. I found one at a wrecking yard in a small town, 6hrs away, in the same province. ($60+shipping).
They had it on a Greyhound bus that day, and it arrrived the next morning. Greyhound rules !

After I cleaned it up with a wire wheel, I inspected it and found it was worn a lot where the pad backing plates sit.
I got a friend to use a mig welder to build up the metal there a bit, and tomorrow I'll be grinding and using a surface prep disk to smooth it down so the worn spots are gone.

Then it will be painting... then swapping it out with the one I already restored originally. :P That will teach me to not 100% check everything.

I'll post photos of the process, on next update.

 

Like Megasquirt? http://www.diyautotune.com/

Cool, you have a Subaru too.


This is shaping up to be a sweet truck and it's awesome that your wife is into it. I feel like you're going to beat me to the finish with your truck...and mine definitely won't look as good.