Thanks everyone I like it a lot too. I wonder if I make my truck uncomfortable now by staring at it's *** all the time...

Today was a PITA for swap stuff... had a couple setbacks. One of them kinda painful.

I started to go to work on the wiring harness today, to get it all stripped and trimmed up to only the things I need or can use for other stuff.

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this one here shows all the connectors I will be using for the swap.
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I remember saying that I didn't trust this "1000lbs" stand as far as I could throw it, well the weight of the motor got the best of the stand and my 2x4 slid off the stand and the motor made a 180 upside down, took my shoulder with it. It's sore, but I htink I'll be alright. I then had to rotate this (now bottom heavy) 600lbs motor back over on it's top and that was not easy at all, but I did it.

So I propped it back up, the motor was where I wanted it and I started cutting in and marking stuff off. Then it happened again, but it didn't turn over, it just slid off my prop, this time it was the last time for this stand. The backplate is now bent.

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So I left it where it was, went to home depot, got a 2-ton comealong and a tow strap, cut a couple holes in my ceiling, attached it all to my rafters and made a stationary shop crane. I pulled the motor off the stand and now it sits. I was hoping to do the timing tensioner, but one of the hoist locations is on the timing cover, so I'll have to take the intake manifold off and use the two purposed ones that are under there.

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On the plus side, I now have my own means to pull the motor and may not need to borrow a rolling hoist. On the negative side, the return window for that engine stand was up April 16th and now I really should get a better engine stand soon.

 

I also discovered that they just clipped the O2s off at the exhaust and left the plug and a length of wire, so I can make O2 extenders if I need them. OR, it's the SAME exact plug as the line pressure sensor on the trans, so I can make sonnax clones too

 

Did some cosmetic and progress stuff last couple days.

Painted the valve covers and some random parts "Chrysler Corp. Blue" which looks very "aquamarine'ish" on the pics, but is much more of a blue color in person.

I fixed my engine stand, as you can see. I put shims in the lower crossbar and relocated the arms to a more stable position, and rotated the backplate around so the bent parts were helping instead of hindering.

Now it's sturdier than ever, but my shoulder still hurts lol. it's hard to tell your reflexes that they can't stop a 600lb chunk of metal that's already in motion...


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Installed the 6.1 part I waited so long for, pictured here on the left. The difference is in both the slider and springs. Infact the 6.1 tensioner has less tension even though it has 4 leaf springs instead of the 2 of the stock 5.7. The main difference is in the plastic itself, the black is much stiffer, Probably causes excess wear/tear. The white is slipperier and not so stiff.

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And the moment I've been waiting for, Rich has released the beast of a throttle body, @ 84mm bore, and it will be in my hands on Friday.

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Then I will have only the huge mess of the actual swap standing in my way.

It won't be a walk in the park though, I've been speaking with Dusty, and apparently the fuel line and power steering will need to be modified too. Not sure how the evap and vacuum hoses are going to work out, but it's just a matter of adapting them.

Stay tuned ya'lls. Things are going to get really interesting.

 

Glad to see all the prep work finally wrapping up Preston. The paint looks good as well as that 10 HP body colored breather filter (; Hope the stand holds up and your shoulder recovers soon man

 

So here's the HiPoTeK worked 80mm, now 84mm BBK Cable Driven Throttle Body... sitting next to the stock 4.7 TB.. it can swallow the stock body almost lol.

It's a PERFECT fit on the hemi DR/HB body manifold, looks like the stock opening on the manifold was 84mm exactly because the transition is seamless.

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wow frenix I think you are making us all jealous. The blue in the engine is going to match perfectly

 

no one should be jealous of a guy who spends as irresponsibly and frivolously as me lol. It always was my dream to build something up, but I always thought it would be a 60s Camaro or something, but that's been done a million times!

Think of the stock STIs and Evos that would line up with a Camaro and think "hmm, I might be able to take him.." and then line up with a Dakota and think "oh I got this." Only to be crushed lol. well I want to beat the suped up ones too.

 

Lol jealous? I'm in awe. Projects like this trend to run into snags that take the wind out of your sails. I've watched it over and over. Especially with inexperienced builders. This should have been a train wreck by now, and you just keep building steam. Its fun to watch.

 

Just building steam is right

I don't think I'll ever be officially 'done' with this truck. I'm thinking about a stroker in a couple years after this project loses it's luster

 

whats your ETA of the beast???!!?