Enthusiast III
M715 Adventure Rig
- Thread starter joe.schigel
- Start date
Alright, so long time no update. I haven't been able to do anything with the truck for a while since I've been house hunting. Right now, everything is up in the air so it's still on hold. If I don't get a house and have to continue renting, I'm just going to swap the water pump on the tornado and drive the 715 like that while I rebuild the 205 that I got. I also got another vehicle with will distract me for a little while, another 80! So... this truck's build probably won't move as quickly as I'd like. oh well.
the new cruiser!
the new cruiser!
Enthusiast III
i want to like the 80 post, but i want to see some work on the jeep too! so conflicted...
Ok, M715 update1 Kind of. I'm finally closing on my house today so the Kaiser build should begin in earnest hear in a month or so. I'm getting a 600sqft garage! I want to seal the floor and throw up insulation before starting to tear down my donor dodge. In the meantime, the 715 has been conscripted into helping move. I'm getting that much closer!
Long time no update. I finally gotten the garage to a point that I'm ready to start work on this build. I've pulled the 715 out and the Dodge in. I'm taking the trans, drive shafts, fuel tank, fuel system, engine accessories, muffler and exhaust, and anything else I think of. here we go!
Slow and steady progress. I'm only getting an hour here and there to work on the 2500 this week. Work is crazy busy. But at least I've got the exhaust off and the driveshaft removed. The front driveshaft is stuck (two of the bolts that hold it to the tcase stripped) and I'm at a point where I need to wrangle a friend to help me drop the trans and tcase. In the meantime, I'll work on taking engine accessories and removing the shifter from the trans. Hopefully I'll be able to get it stripped in a few weeks.
Alright, here's the update from last weekend. My dad came over and we were able to get the NV4500 out of the dodge. I didn't expect how tall the trans would be on the trans jack. we couldn't get it out from under the truck without lifting the rear end quite a bit. It was kind of funny actually. Afterwards, I pulled the dodge back out in the driveway just to hold onto it for parts and reference. The next steps are to clean up the 4500 and to start ordering parts for the Dana 300 to rebuild it and adapt it to the NV4500. I also need to put a driveline brake on it since that's what the 715 currently has.
The trans under the truck, we needed to lift it a bit to get the shifter to pass under the frame.
here it is all separated and ready for cleanup. The paint pen on the top reminded me that the prior owner had had it serviced just before I bought the truck off of him.
The trans under the truck, we needed to lift it a bit to get the shifter to pass under the frame.
here it is all separated and ready for cleanup. The paint pen on the top reminded me that the prior owner had had it serviced just before I bought the truck off of him.
Alright, So I'm making baby steps on getting this project going. This evening I was able to get the NP205 onto my workbench with my engine hoist. That bad boy is heavy! I was able to drain the tcase and I started to take it apart but got stopped at step 2! I need to remove the retaining nut from the input shaft but apparently I don't have a large enough socket. I guess I'll be making a tool run before proceeding. Like I said, baby steps. haha
when you have to use a crane, your tailgate, and a board to get a tcase onto a workbench...
time to throw the book at it!
when you have to use a crane, your tailgate, and a board to get a tcase onto a workbench...
time to throw the book at it!
Alright, so I'm making progress! The case is almost 100% apart. I need to get my adapter so I know if I need to machine the tcase to make it work. I think I do from what I've read on Advance Adapters' page. So I'll send the case out for cleaning and machining, rebuild it with the adapter, add driveline brake, and it should be good to go at that point.
Ok, I made some more progress this week. I was able to get the NP205 fully disassembled and I ordered the adapter kit to make it fit the NV4500 trans. So while I'm waiting on parts, I decided to really start to tear into the truck itself. I've gotten everything out and apart to enable me to remove the drivetrain once I can get a friend to help me out. I was able to drop the NP 203 on my own though. Next steps are to remove the front clip, remove the shift lever (I can't figure this one out), unbolt the engine and trans from the frame, then pop it all out. Should be cool! I'm getting that much closer!
The NP205 all torn down. ready for new seals, parts, and a solid clean and machine.
I got the NP203 out of the truck. I swear the thing weighs as much as I do!
where the 203 used to be
the view from above the T98. I need some giant channel-locks or something to get the shifter out.
the truck reminds me again why I've nicknamed this project "Wasp". Is there nowhere these guys will build a nest?
front all prepped for removal. All the wires have been removed as well as the radiator.
the 230 now just waiting to be yoinked from the engine bay.
The NP205 all torn down. ready for new seals, parts, and a solid clean and machine.
I got the NP203 out of the truck. I swear the thing weighs as much as I do!
where the 203 used to be
the view from above the T98. I need some giant channel-locks or something to get the shifter out.
the truck reminds me again why I've nicknamed this project "Wasp". Is there nowhere these guys will build a nest?
front all prepped for removal. All the wires have been removed as well as the radiator.
the 230 now just waiting to be yoinked from the engine bay.
Alright, some more progress has been made on the 205. I got it back from cleaning yesterday and it came out really nice! Next is to get the input bore machined out for the new input shaft and to add a bunch of parts. I ordered a driveline brake, 1410 u-joint yokes and flanges, gasket kit, and everything else needed to make this thing work. It should all be showing up in the next week or so. In the meantime, Im planning on pulling the powertrain out of the 715 this weekend. If all goes to plan, that will open me up to clean and paint the frame and suspension, adapt in power steering, a brake booster, and some other odds n ends before swapping in the V10. I'll have to travel for work soon but I'm still hoping that I can get the truck running and maybe driving by the springtime. here's hoping
the cleaned case
the two different input shafts. the old one was male 23 spline while the new one is female 29 spline.
the cleaned case
the two different input shafts. the old one was male 23 spline while the new one is female 29 spline.
Made some highly visible progress today. I had a buddy come over and we were able to pull out the old Tornado pretty easily. The hardest part might have been carefully removing the front clip. Especially since I don't really have a good place to store it now... oh well. I'll start to clean up the underside later. I'm committed now.
my sick new lawn ornament!
I honestly don't think the suspension moved at all when we removed the engine... hopefully the +800lb V10 will make it move.
my sick new lawn ornament!
I honestly don't think the suspension moved at all when we removed the engine... hopefully the +800lb V10 will make it move.
I got the tcase painted and I decided to start to put it back together. I'm still waiting on the driveline brake but that should be here Monday. Lucky me, on step 1 I broke an important piece. I sheared the ever-loving bajeezus out of the spacer shim.
So now I have to wait for new shims before moving any further. I ordered a new shims but they won't be here until Wednesday. Even better, when I try to measure the shim, I get .035" or .04" depending. So I really don't know what it's supposed to be... yeah. Oh well, I'll figure it out on Wednesday I guess. At least I got the T98 of the 230 and ready for someone to pick it up tomorrow.
prepped for paint
nice and black. I painted it with BBQ grill paint. High temp and sticks to the cast iron pretty well. hopefully it hold up.
And my new, handy-dandy 2 piece idler shaft shim...
So now I have to wait for new shims before moving any further. I ordered a new shims but they won't be here until Wednesday. Even better, when I try to measure the shim, I get .035" or .04" depending. So I really don't know what it's supposed to be... yeah. Oh well, I'll figure it out on Wednesday I guess. At least I got the T98 of the 230 and ready for someone to pick it up tomorrow. prepped for paint
nice and black. I painted it with BBQ grill paint. High temp and sticks to the cast iron pretty well. hopefully it hold up.
And my new, handy-dandy 2 piece idler shaft shim...
Off-Road Ranger I
Is there a burr on there somewhere (case, bearing, gear, etc) that might've cut the shim? That is a surprisingly clean break on both sides of it!
I don't think so. I think it just got caught between the input shaft and the bearing race. I think the shim shifted when I was installing the shaft and it acted like a hole punch.
Off-Road Ranger I
Ohhhh yeah I can see that now. Badass build by the way! I've had a soft spot for those trucks since I was a kid.
More tcase progress! I'm almost done putting it back together. I just need the driveline brake instructions from NWFab. I can probably guess how it goes together but I'd rather have the instructions to be safe. The clutch forks were a pain to pin back onto the shift rails. But they're both on and cursory testing has them shifting correctly. I did realize that I forgot to clean the front bearing retainer and the rear output... oops. They'll go back on dirty. They're not too bad so whatever.
New driveline brake + new shims
I'm making quite the mess on my workbench
the rear output. It has a speedo gear but I have a feeling that it won't be anywhere close to accurate with the tires and final drive ratio
the new bearing retainer and brake flange
New driveline brake + new shims
I'm making quite the mess on my workbench
the rear output. It has a speedo gear but I have a feeling that it won't be anywhere close to accurate with the tires and final drive ratio
the new bearing retainer and brake flange
Finished the Tcase today! It went back together fairly easily. Except for the part where I had it together and realized that I forgot to put the needle bearings back into the rear output shaft... oops. The other problem that I've run into is the rear output flange isn't big enough for a 1410 ujoint like I was planning to use. The manufacturer listed the flange as: 1300/1400 series ujoint. I figured it would fit, apparently not (the bolt holes are a 4.25" pattern as opposed to 4.75" for a 1410). I've reached out to them and hopefully they have a larger flange. I also made some progress on the frame. I removed the rear bumper bits, shocks, engine mounts, etc. I need to degrease the underside of the cab and the axles, then I'll sand the frame and it will be ready for paint. I might not get to that until Monday or later. Grinding off the engine mount rivets takes a surprising amount of energy and I'm beat! haha.
All together! And everything is shifting like it should! I think it came out pretty nice
the driveline brake. I didn't want to put the caliper on the top but it was have clearance issues everywhere else. Hopefully it clears the underside of the cab.
Where the motor mounts used to be. I had to cut them away, grind off the weld material, then grind away the rivets to get the inboard piece off.
All cleaned up
Rear bumper bits all gone
All together! And everything is shifting like it should! I think it came out pretty nice
the driveline brake. I didn't want to put the caliper on the top but it was have clearance issues everywhere else. Hopefully it clears the underside of the cab.
Where the motor mounts used to be. I had to cut them away, grind off the weld material, then grind away the rivets to get the inboard piece off.
All cleaned up
Rear bumper bits all gone
