So now that I have the hitch back, it’s a matter of installing and final adjusting. So it was added back onto the frame for post powder coating inspection. The frame was also painted in the area that the oil coating was removed from:
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And the support blocks that help transfer weight into the frame C were added:
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And then I had a problem. I had the factory brake line interfere with the location of the support bracket on the drivers rear. So I tried to bend it but didn’t suspect it would fare well. It didn’t. So I fabricated a new brake line that deflects around the bracket:
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So the shocks were now installed in the frame (remember I removed the old shock crossmember for hitch frame clearance?) and they lined up amazingly well.
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And then it was time to put the box back on! Observe the nice close tolerances! 🙂
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That meant the last item on the list was to lower the bed and drill the holes in the floor (the nerve racking part!). So with a buddy on hand, the measuring was done twice and the cutting once. Once cut, the top end mounts were installed and bolted in. Then the bed mat was installed and holes cut into it as well.
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This is the final result of the nice clean install:
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Jan/Feb 2014:
OK. Time for an update!
So we last left off with the hitch being done late last year. Once that was done, I spun the truck around and it was time for project gen 2 rad and intercooler. For those of you who do not know, this is a labor intensive job. 😉
So, first off was a few pics of what the truck has been for the last 11 years in the area we will be ripping apart:
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Then a few pics of the parts that have arrived off a wrecked 2002 Ram (donated the IC, some piping, small random parts) plus other years of Rams (and the parts store!!) that will be needed for this swap.
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Horton Fan clutch setup:
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So, step 1: Pull the old parts off
New vs old IC
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Step 2: Cut the rad core support: 
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Step 3: Cut more rad core support
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Yes, the entire rib was cut out top to bottom!!
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Step 4: Cut even more rad core support!! LOL
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To give you a visual of how much cutting has been done, that upper left piece is the fan stand beside the pile of cut out sheet metal!
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Step 5: Now that the core support will work, the rad was tested. Then the IC was added into the mix. The fan shroud though also needed a haircut…
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Test fit prior to install:
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Step 6: As I had a buddy over who was feeling full of energy, he decided to tackle putting in the gen 2 oil cooler. The gen 2 oil cooler looks similar but the plates are further spaced thus allowing the coolant to do a better job of cooling the oil. While it was out it did prove that frequent coolant changes keeps the engine clean!
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Step 7: Next up was fabricating and then locating mounts for the IC and rad as the factory ones will obviously no longer work.
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The ear on the driver’s side was too long so the slot was made deeper then the excess was chopped off:
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Step 8: Intake. My gen 1 intake will no longer work as the pipe diameter from the IC is now 3” vs the old 2.5. So, I grabbed the old gen 2 factory intake off the shelf that was originally on the crew engine, cut some parts off that wouldn’t fit around the gen 1 injector lines, and then hit up the bent grinder at work to clean things up.
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And then the intake horn wouldn’t go on due to the 89/90 throttle lever plate so it was removed and chopped:
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Step 9: Thermostat elbow change! Take note, this is all 3 styles of t stat elbows used on the 12Vs. The 1989 and 1990 is on the left and the 91.5-93 in the middle (these use the same size thermostat with jiggle pins). The far right is the 2nd gen style that uses the bypass hose to bleed pressure. T stat is also a larger diameter. For my application, I wanted to stay without the little hose so I used the 91-93 style with gen 1 t-stat. Flow due to a smaller t stat won’t be affected too much as the outlet size is still the same:
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Step 10: Testing the IC piping. Figures, it doesn’t work right off the shelf
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Angle at the bottom boot is too sharp and the length is too short:
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So some cutting was done as well as welding in angles onto the drivers side pipe:
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Andy by the end, it fit!
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Around this time I start wondering again why I am at 150 hours on this and not working on the crew cab….then I see the two rads beside each other again and remember my overheating issues:
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Step 11: AC Condenser.
I couldn’t make the gen 1 unit fit between the IC and the rad so then I decided I would use the gen 2 style as it would mount to the front of the IC nice and clean so I went that route. This requires mods though too as the AC styles are different due to R12 vs R134 lines. LOL
The before:
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Chop!
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Need brass block off the old AC condenser as the new ones are different:
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Starting to fab AC lines…
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And connected:
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