Ok , as promised here are a few pics.They would have been up earlier , but my internet connection went out on me <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />I pick up my fuel cell stuff today , so will have a good idea of where I will mount it exactly for height wise , then I can run the lines to the tank itself.I left the lines a little long off the engine as I am not 100% sure how I want to run them down the engine yet.Also I will get my tranny corssmember done tomorow so I can mount that properly.Oh , by the way , those fittings aren't the easiest thing to put on stainless braided hose <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> The hose only stretches so far , so where it went on the water pump , I had to rig up a little adapter for it so it would work.


















I tried to get pics of every angle to show all the stuff on the engine.The last picture is where my lines will connect at the firewall area.One is just a connector to join the hoses , while the other one is an edelbrock fuel filter.I will have another one by the pump also.I just thought it would be better to have another one closer to the TB to pick up any extra stuff that gets through the first filter.The other one will go between the tank and the pump , just haven't looked at where the pump is going to go exactly yet.Still a little figuring to do.Pretty much all thats left on the engine is to finish mounting the headers on(just tacked on for now) and put the belt on , and the rad.All the wires are on and plugged in , and all the hoses are on.

Once I get the tranny crossmember done , then I will put the new seals in , and mount that down.I still have to get the shift rail extended for the lift.Sometime this week I will start transfering the tera stuff into the other transfer case and get that all done. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Nothing too exciting today , it was a great day outside , so I took my 2 transfer cases out there , took them apart , and swapped the teras over into the one.I then put it back together(no gasketed yet) , so hopefully its done and over with , and ready to go one once I get the tranny put on.Its actualy getting exciting the closer I get to finishing the project so I can go out and play <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> Theres still stuff to do after , like all the stereo stuff , the computer and navigation stuff , a little body work , make some sliders.But for now the main thing is to get it up and running.

Did the finishing touches on my transfer case today , actualy shifts smoother than it did before , and all 3 shift postions work , so I guess I did something right <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> I put on my tranny crossmember today , using the one that originaly came off the 2.8.I thought I had it all set up , went to test fit the transfer case , and it sits too far back , I'll either have to raise the mount on the bottom of the tranny , which would probably shift the engine forward , don't want that , or , just grind out the area that interferes with the transfer case.This would leave me about 2 inches on the side with the fins and front driveshaft flange.The rest would still have full support for width.I think this should still work as it only supports the tranny/transfer case , and it is still plenty strong.Heres a couple of pics showing what I mean.



This first one just shows how I bolted it on after adding some plates to it.



This one shows the driver side of the t-case , and it fits just fine , no problem there.



Now this is where the problem comes into play.The driveshaft flange just clears the crossmember , but if you look at where the fins on the bottom of the t-case are , you will see they are too far down to clear it , and I can't put it all the way on the tranny untill I fix this.I think a little grinding should take care of this problem.I'm not sure how far I can adjust the tranny mounts without putting the engine out of alignment for how it sits.I don't want to push it so it sits forward instead of flat.

Any comments or suggestions on which way I should go to fix this?Jerry? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I think I'm looking for at least an inch or a little more if I raised it , where grinding I would lose a few inches of the width of the crossmember in that one area.

HEY DAVE THINGS ARE LOOKING GOOD, 2 Q,S HOW MUCH CLEARENCE IS UNDER THAT COMPANION FLANGE TO THE CROSSMEMBER , AND ALLSO HOW CLOSE IS THE TRANS MOUNT TO BOTTOMING OUT LOOK AWFUL CLOSE ALLMOST LIKE THE MOUNT IS COLLAPSED, VERY COMMON, IF YOU PUT A JACK UNDER THE TRANS FERCASE WITH EVERYTHING BOLTED DOWN AND LIFT THE TRANS FER AT THE REAR AS THE REAR COME UP A BIT DOES THE FINS MOVE AWAY OR DO THEY PRETTY MUCH GO STRAIGHT UP ,,YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 3/8 IN OF CLEARENCE UNDER THE UPPER PART OF THE MT TO THE CROSSMEMBER , IF NOT THE MT HAS COLLAPSED, IF THE MT IS COLLASPED TAKE IT OFF FOR NOW AND FORCE A 5/8IN DIA PIECE OF HEATER HOSE BETWEEN THE UPPER PORTION AND THE RUBBER CUSHION THAT IS VULCANIZED ON EACH SIDE YOU WAN THE RUBBER BETWEEN THE TOP AND THE CENT ER RUBBER PIECE , NOW PUT IT BACK ON AND IF THE FINS ARE STILL RUBBING I WOULD JUST GRIND THEM BACK ENOUGH TO CLEAR AND MAYBE GRIND A LITTLE FROM THE CROSSMEMBER AN 1/8 OF AN INCH FROM EITHER ONE WON,T HURT ANYTHING THOSE MTS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR SAGGING AFTER TIME AND ALL THE WEIGT OF THE TRANS AND TRANFERCASE JERRY

You might can take a little off both the tcase and the xmember to give you just enough clearance without much detriment.

did you get that replacemant rear line i sent you?


just following up <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Ok , thanks for the info Jerry , I'll give that a try tomorow and see if that mount is no more good.If thats the case I'll try what you said , and also just take a little off of each and see what happens.Otherwise its a lot of grinding <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The fuel cell goes on next , just need to fab a mount to attach the cage to the frame , and thats good to go.

Hi Matt , didn't get the package yet , but I'm rarely home when the mail comes , so then it goes to the postal office , and they bring me a card the next day , then I have to wait another day to pick it up.So , maybe I'll get the card tomorow , then I can finish off the brake line.By the way , I got the transfer case done today , all sealed up and shifts smooth with no oil in it.Before it shifted terrrible , and sometimes wouldn't shift properly , I had to put it in neutral to get it back into 2 wheel , and even then sometimes it was finiky.Now I think I will have no problems , plus the gear reduction <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Can't wait to get this running and go and play.Every day brings me a little closer now.The only thing I am not doing myself is the modification to the Y pipe , I just don't have the tools for that.So once its running , I drive it a block with open headers , and he'll fix it up for me <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Good thing I have a loud stereo , if I get pulled over for the loud headers and no muffler I can say I didn't hear it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Just a quick update while I am having lunch before I get started out there today.First of all , I called the dealer for prices on a replacement rubber mount for under the tranny , and I also need a seal for the back doors on the trooper.Needless to say , I am not getting them , way too much $$.For both parts they want 300 plus taxes.For some rubber and weather stripping <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> I think I'll find something myself to make both work.

Also , Matt , I got the brake line in the mail today , there was no duty on it so they left it in my mail box <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> Hmmm , forgot what else I was going to mention , guess it wasn't too important.

Well , I got semi good news , and bad news.I did like Jerry said , and put some rubber hose under the mount , it almost clears , so will only have to shave a hair off the transfer case fins.Now for the bad news.I put the tranny on , and was tightening the bolts that hold it on , I wasn't even near tight yet , and heard a crack.The $#$## bell housing cracked in 3 places where the bolts go.No idea why , the motoer was holding that end , and the tranny crossmember was holding the other end , there was no other stress on it at all.

How hard is it to swap the bell housings?I want to use the tranny with only 9000 miles on it , not 260,000.Talk about not being impressed.Now I have to take it all apart again , swap the bell housing , then put it together again.I just hope the other bell housing doesn't crack like that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> The 3 spots it cracked were the left side where the spout for checking tranny fluid bolts to it , one of the top ones , and the one just above the starter.The one actualy broke right off where the spout is , the other 2 just cracked. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />

I had to come in the house and give up for the day , or the 100 yard tranny toss would become a new event.I was going to put the old tranny on , spent about an hour and a half , I can't get those stupid pin ones to line up so the case goes on all the way.I jacked up the tranny , lowered the tranny , jacked up the engine.Usualy the engine would lift even if I was just jacking the tranny.I kept getting it close , but it just wouldn't line up and slide on like its supposed to.

Here I had planned to get the transfer case on , and the drive shafts , then I could start on my fuel cell mounting.Now I'm set back another day or 2 <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />