Drive train lineup parts

Last week, I came across a deal on Craigslist for this used Toyota transfer case.
It's a gear driven, top shift with 4.7 gears already installed and the dual transfer case adapter. A great value at a good deal.
I brought it home and now will be using the other one I have for the dual case setup.

Just a couple more parts to buy then the drive train will be complete. It's expensive, but it's nice to be moving forward again on progress.

I am starting to understand how to do this, but I am way over my head. Anyone want to build a dual case setup?

Goals

I am making a plan, some may call it baby steps.

This week, I hung the chassis out of the way and now have access to the frame easily again. So I want the frame to be cleaned and ready by July.

I also received a picture that the engine pieces are powder coated and ready and I will be bringing them home in July also.

I want to spend a lilt money, okay a lot of money,  and get the drive train finished this summer. I found a transmission shop to go over that, and I have located all the party's I need, now I just have to make some purchases. Wish me luck, and a wealth of blessings from labor help, time, funds,and motivation.

Engine progress

Last week, I shipped off the EGR intake and valve cover for powder coating by Specialty Powder Coating in Zephyrhills, FL.

It's amazing how a person, whom I have met once many years before starting her business, and known mostly online through UCORA, can have earned my trust and respect in the powder coating business. Bonnie is a person of great trust and I have my greatest confidence in her work.

Keeping with my vow to support those who have sorted UCORA over the years, Specialty Powder Coating is taking care of the crown of my engine build. I'd you have any powder coating needs, I fully recommend Bonnie to everyone.

In other news, I have also begun cleaning and getting the exhaust manifold ready to paint. I wad given an aftermarket exhaust which I don't even know the brand,  but as long add I can get some minor repairs on it completed, it will look great in this motor.

What's this? More progress finally!

Well, it has been too long since working on the project, but I am not giving up.   Today, some work was done on the engine while it was out.  Not giving it away, but here are the parts removed so far...

and since the wind is blowing here in AZ as usual, I had to cover and seal the motor from dirt.

More to come, I promise.  I am wanting so bad to get this thing done.

An update, long overdue.

Well, it has been a long while since I updated, but to be honest, it had been a long time since I did any real progress.

So I am still in the tear down stages and getting ready to clean the frame before I start assembly. After lowering the chassis down and putting it on jack stands, I need to pull the engine, transmission, and transfer case or if the frame. That was the project this weekend.

The pictures may be a bit out of order, but you can see we got the engine puked, separated the transmission, and now have it mounted on a stand for some additional cleanup and work.

Enjoy the photos, and keep watching, I plan to keep working as much as I can.

It's Home! and what an amazing drive!

***Reminder, you can click any of the images to see full size.

Well, after a long drive and a lack of sleep, the chassis sis finally home!

My weekend went like this:

[Friday]

4:30am wake up for job #1.
5:30am-2:00pm Work #1
2:00pm-4:00pm Work #2.
4:00pm, drive to get the truck I would be borrowing for the trip, thanks to Warren!
5:00pm, finally home for a few hours sleep before overnight shift.  (Sleep was lacking at best)
9:00pm Wake up to return to Work #1
10:00pm-6:30am at Work #1 (no sleeping, we are not on standby here)

[Saturday]

6:30am home for a shower and leave.
7:45am, depart the driveway for Santa Margarita, CA with a friend on board to help keep conversations interesting and me awake.
Approx. 6:00pm we arrived at Hendrix Motorsports!
7:00pm, leave Hendrix back toward home.
10:00pm we were too tired to continue, so we stopped in Bakersfield for the night.

[Sunday]

5:00am Wake up and get on the road
5:45am, on the road home
2:00pm arrive back at home, unload, and hit the sofa, exhausted.

It's amazing how 1250 miles will wear you out when you are just sitting.

Now a little about the trip.

If you have ever driven I-40 across AZ and the high desert of CA to Barstow, you know watching grass grow is more interesting.  Then, from Barstow we took 58 West all the way to Santa Margarita. The section of 58 from Barstow to Bakersfiled is interesting, you climb over Tehachapi pass and see train tracks twisting through the mountains all the way.  I was thinking of Kevin every train we saw, and we saw a lot.

The second major segment from Bakersfield (further west actually) on to Santa Margarita is amazing. This road is BEAUTIFUL!  It is a long winding route through the coastal ranges of CA, but everything from Solar Farms to farming, oil fields, Natural Gas drilling, and Bison!


SIDE NOTE: I have a new appreciation for drought now.  I have lived in AZ for over 16 years, so "drought" is common.  When we crossed CA, the land was not just dry weeds and patches like AZ, it was baron, dead, sterile, not even weeds were growing.  Now that is dry.  CA folks, my heart goes out to you; you folks need water.  Until this trip, I never have crossed the AZ border on 40 and thought how green AZ was.


The trip was amazing!


Then we found our destination, loaded, and set off for home, going around to avoid the winding mountain roads after dark.

I used magnetic trailer lights to light the back of the chassis for our night driving.
It worked great!

Looking for dinner, we found an amazing little town called Templeton.  What amazing history and such in this town.  Check out this working feed mill.  That is not brick, it is stacked wood planks, stacked on the wide side, so it was super strong, and has stood the test of time.

We found dinner in Paso Robles, then on to Bakersfiled for the night.  The following day we had low clouds covering the mountains, but it was a beautiful view.  We stopped and took a train picture for Kevin in the mountains.  Also, Philip took a couple shots through the glass of the sunrise.

It is drives like this where I often wonder how people can deny the existence of God, it was so beautiful.



Once we got home, we unloaded the chassis and placed it on the frame for storage.  I hope to hang it from the ceiling so I can roll out the frame to keep working.  For now, it sits on the ramps and waits for the project to continue.

A very special thanks to Phillip for accompanying me on the drive, Ray for the help unloading, and John for the supervision,

Until my next update, thanks for the prayers and keep sharing this project with your friends.

Driving

Drove to Ca+ pick up chassis + now drive home=tired