Another new guy from WA

[R Counts]

Hi, my name is Bob and I fabricate for a hobby... (hi, bob)

It all started when I was around 4 years old. My dad was a farm boy from rural Missouri, who moved to the big city (St. Louis) when he graduated high school. Growing up on a small family farm, they couldn't afford new equipment or even to pay someone to maintain the old equipment they had. As a result, Dad worked on everything from tractors, to bailers, to trucks, to manure spreaders. A lot of time they couldn't even afford new parts and had to either repair the parts that broke, or fabricate replacments from whatever they had or could get their hands on. As a result, Dad became a real jack of all trades who could figure out a way to make or fix just about anything.

At the tender age of 4, Dad started taking me out to the garage with him whenever he had to work on one of the vehicles, and insisted I tag along to "help" with every project - whether it was rebuilding an engine or tranny, doing carpentry, plumbing repairs, electrical wiring, or fabricating something. I inherited at least some of his natural aptitude and have been repairing, fabricating, or building things ever since. That was 43 years ago.

These days I'm an engineer for a large corporation and only get do automotive repairs, modifications, and fabrication as a hobby. I have two boys of my own now and am trying to do the same type of thing with them that Dad did with me, making them hang around to "help" me when I'm working in the garage (or at anything else). Mainly so that they have the chance to learn how to do things - the same way I did. We're into offroading Jeeps and I don't buy anything that I can fabricate myself. Suspension and lift parts, bumpers and body armor, roof rack, etc. I design and build it all myself.

My current project is an 84 Jeep Cherokee that I am swapping a diesel engine into. The engine is a 4.3 liter V6 from a front wheel drive 84 Olds Cutlass Ciera. Since it was designed to be transverse mounted and I am putting it into a Jeep where it is longitudinally mounted, there is a considerable amount of fabrication to be done. Mainly in the areas of the motor mount system and the exhaust. Mounting it is going to include fabricating a custom cross-member and motor mounts. I also have a turbocharger I plan on installing, which further complicates the design of the exhaust manifolds and piping.

I have a 220v SMAW and a 120v wire feed welder (gas or gasless) both are older, private label units made by Century. For cutting I have an oxy-acetelene torch, chop saw, band saw, and the usual assortment of grinders & cutting disks. This diesel conversion project requires cutting some pretty complex shapes out of fairly thick stock. Too complex and too thick for a hand grinder, and I don't want the additional complication of heat distortion that comes from cutting with a gas torch. So, that is what convinced me it was time to pony up and buy myself a plasma cutter as an early Christmas present.

I waited nearly 3 weeks for their latest shipment to arrive before placing my order, but I placed my order with Alex on Friday after he got back from the FabTech show. I got busy at work that day and forgot to even call him until around 3 pm, so I didn't expect the unit to ship until Monday. Imagine my suprise when I got home from work on Tuesday and there it was! I've been too busy to do anything more than assemble it so far, but my shiny new 2010 model SuperCut 50 is sitting here in the family room patiently waiting for me to take it out to the garage and fire it up. I look forward to doing just that on Friday after tomorrow's family festivities are over.

So, its kinda' long and rambling, but that's my story, and I look forward to getting to know some of the folks around here.

[BurningMetal]

which machine did you purchase?

that Olds had a FWD 4.3V6 diesel? Is that the same 4.3 GM V6 that was in so many trucks and SUVs, but in a diesel configuration? I've never heard of that setup before.

I have always been partial to the jeep cherokees. I learned to drive stick in my dad's 84 Cherokee. I can't even count how many cherokee and grand cherokees have flowed through my family since 1984. The last one was my wife's 2000 Cherokee Limited.....the last year they were produced. (she still misses that little SUV.)

[R Counts]

which machine did you purchase?

I edited my first post to include that detail. I got one of the new model SuperCut 50 units. I already have the welding gear I need, so it didn't make sense to spend the extra for a combo unit - especially since I don't know how to TIG anyway.

that Olds had a FWD 4.3 V6 diesel? Is that the same 4.3 GM V6 that was in so many trucks and SUVs, but in a diesel configuration? I've never heard of that setup before.

Nope, the two engines have nothing in common other than being 4.3 liters in displacement. The 4.3 does have some things in common with the diesel 350 V8 of the same era - it uses the same pistons, rings, conn rods, crank and cam bearings, injectors, glow plugs, and a 6-port version of the same injection pump. Other than that it has nothing in common with any other GM engine. They only produced it for 3 years, 84, 85, & 86. It was only put into 4 or 5 percent of the Cutlasses, 98s, Pontiac 6000s, and Buick leSabers those 3 years. So they are a fairly rare motor. I have 2 complete runnable motors and a third that is complete and runnable except for lack of an injection pump. So I'm pretty well stocked with good usable parts to keep it running once the conversion is complete. You can still buy most of the wear-out parts and gaskets too - you just have to special order them and wait for them to arrive.

I have always been partial to the jeep cherokees. I learned to drive stick in my dad's 84 Cherokee. I can't even count how many cherokee and grand cherokees have flowed through my family since 1984. The last one was my wife's 2000 Cherokee Limited.....the last year they were produced. (she still misses that little SUV.)

I own 1 Grand Cherokee and 3 Cherokees right now, and I just scrapped a fourth, so I guess you could say I'm a little partial to them myself...

[everlastsupport]

Welcome aboard R Counts,

Your story is a lot like mine other than a third boy and Fords, carts, quads, etc.

I have been look for a Jeep for my 14 year old. But not sure if they are hard to work on. The older model Fords are a dream to work on and run forever.

In my area there are lots of Jeeps for sale on Craigslist for what looks to be very good prices.

On TIG, once you've TIG'd you'll be hooked. So don't let a friend talk you into trying theirs of you will wish you bought the combo. I actually like my plasma and TIG separate. Allows swapping back and forth easier for us old guys.

[WAYNESWORLD]

Welcome to the forum. Glad to have you on board. Engineer, electrical or mech? I second the tig. You may want to learn some time, it's great for the turbo plumbing and small detail parts. How about some pictures of the Jeep projects? How old are your sons? Mine kids are too old to follow me around HAHA!
Wayne

[Titan winch]

Welcome to the Forum
So we have another Offroader on here. Great
I tend to do the same with parts if i can make it why bother buying it.
Cherokees are nice and i do wheel with a few Xjs and ZJs but i am a Landie enthusiast.
My lift Dislocation cones underbody armour sliders bumpers are all homemade. and a ton of other bits and pieces have been added over the years. New OBA system in December . I used to use a 3/4 twin head compressor but after making the Compressor winch i decided to treat myself to it and now run the tank directly from the winch . It never ends once you start
Cheers

[R Counts]

OK, so they've been a long time coming, but here are some picts of what I've been fabbing - and what the Cut50 has been put to use doing...




3 views of the combination crossmember / engine cradle for my diesel XJ project




Inside & outside views of the trackbar bracket / crossmember mount



Pieces to build an exhaust manifold



Pieces of manifold laid out in assembly order



Assembled manifold




Uniframe rail reinforcements for crossmember mounting

[R Counts]

...and a couple of pictures of the modified oil pan


Note the clipped corner of the sump - to clear thr pinion of the front differential



and lastly, 2 views of one of the crossmember mounts

[everlastsupport]

The bracket looks nice.

The oil pan looks smaller and the seams, you do not want one to give up.

All in all, if it breaks you can fix it. Are you using our welder on the project? Or our cutter?

Looks like a lot of time and effort. Thanks for posting.

[R Counts]

The bracket looks nice.

The track bar bracket? Or the engine crossmember?

The oil pan looks smaller and the seams, you do not want one to give up.

If you mean smaller in capacity, yeah it is a little smaller - about a half a quart or so. The welds are good and solid - chipped on them with a slag hammer and no signs of cracking.

All in all, if it breaks you can fix it. Are you using our welder on the project? Or our cutter?

Just the Cut50. I have a Century 220v SMAW for the heavy stuff and use a Century 110v wire feeder for the lighter stuff. Both are old faithful friends that I've had for 15 or 20 years...

Looks like a lot of time and effort. Thanks for posting.

Yeah, and I still have a fair amount of fab work to do - like the exhaust. But I think it will be worth it...

[everlastsupport]

The way to look at it, is each thing you fab pays off the tools.