Project Car Update: Checking in on Truck Norris and the CC/Malibu

Project Car Update: Checking in on Truck Norris and the CC/Malibu.

Our in-house project vehicles keep rolling along. When they last appeared in the pages of Car Craft, we finished installing a Performance Automatic 4L60E in the Malibu and a Fuel Safe fuel cell and Radium surge tank in the C10. We'll get to the Malibu next month, but for now, let's continue the tale of Truck Norris.

To get fuel from the cell under the bed to the engine, we're using a combination of PTFE hose from Tech AFX and stainless steel hard line from Classic Tube. The feed side is -8 hose and 1/2-inch tube, and we're using -6 hose and 3/8-inch tube on the return side. To get fuel from the cell under the bed to the engine, we're using a combination of PTFE hose from Tech AFX and stainless steel hard line from Classic Tube. The feed side is -8 hose and 1/2-inch tube, and we're using -6 hose and 3/8-inch tube on the return side. This is Tech AFX's Flat Wrap braided stainless steel Teflon hose. What's cool about it is it looks like ordinary rubber hose, but offers the all the benefits of Teflon hose—namely compatibility with all types of fuel and superior longevity. Tech AFX offers traditional-looking braided and Black Wrap hose, different in appearance, but also with the same benefits of the Flat Wrap hose. They were extra cool and also included this pair of cutters.This is Tech AFX's Flat Wrap braided stainless steel Teflon hose. What's cool about it is it looks like ordinary rubber hose, but offers the all the benefits of Teflon hose—namely compatibility with all types of fuel and superior longevity. Tech AFX offers traditional-looking braided and Black Wrap hose, different in appearance, but also with the same benefits of the Flat Wrap hose. They were extra cool and also included this pair of cutters. Tech AFX also included a brace of fittings to finish plumbing our C10. This type of hose needs these brass ferrules to seal against the fitting to prevent leaks. Tech AFX also included a brace of fittings to finish plumbing our C10. This type of hose needs these brass ferrules to seal against the fitting to prevent leaks.

05-hose-reamer

Tech AFX also included this hose reamer, which helps reshape the hose's opening after being cut. Assembling the fittings to the hose takes a bit of practice, but is easy enough to pick up. Here's a tip: Spread the braided stainless strands open with a screwdriver to make it wider than the opening of the hose. This will make it easer to seat the fitting inside it. Tech AFX also included this hose reamer, which helps reshape the hose's opening after being cut. Assembling the fittings to the hose takes a bit of practice, but is easy enough to pick up. Here's a tip: Spread the braided stainless strands open with a screwdriver to make it wider than the opening of the hose. This will make it easer to seat the fitting inside it. The stainless hard line from Classic tube came with flared ends and AN fittings on the ends, but we needed to make a trip to our local Earl's store to plumb in AEM's fuel filter. It flows 12 gallons per minute at 45 psi and filters down to 7 microns. The stainless hard line from Classic tube came with flared ends and AN fittings on the ends, but we needed to make a trip to our local Earl's store to plumb in AEM's fuel filter. It flows 12 gallons per minute at 45 psi and filters down to 7 microns. Having a Having a "long-style" water pump with our KWiK Performance serpentine belt conversion left us little room for a mechanical fan and shroud between the big-block and a suitable radiator for cooling a 700hp big-block. With less than 4 inches between the water-pump pulley and radiator, we started looking for a radiator and low-profile electric fan assembly.

Referred to as a cooling module in the current jargon, Performance Rod and Custom answered our call with this drop-in, three-row aluminum radiator. It fit our C10 in every dimension, and even better, standard radiator hoses for a 1968 C10 with a 396 fit perfectly once we added a swivel thermostat housing from Mr. Gasket. We got the radiator and heater hoses from Rock Auto.

GC Cooling partnered with PRC and provided a pair of High Performance Series16-inch electric fans, and PRC fitted them in an aluminum shroud. The fans are rated to move 2,067 cfm each, and while fan cfm ratings aren't universally quantifiable and therefore a bit subjective, these fans move a lot of air and the pull is strong, even through the grille opening of our C10 is nearly 5 inches in front of the radiator. GC Cooling partnered with PRC and provided a pair of High Performance Series16-inch electric fans, and PRC fitted them in an aluminum shroud. The fans are rated to move 2,067 cfm each, and while fan cfm ratings aren't universally quantifiable and therefore a bit subjective, these fans move a lot of air and the pull is strong, even through the grille opening of our C10 is nearly 5 inches in front of the radiator. In spite of being much thicker than stock, the PRC radiator fit in the stock location after we widened the lower saddles and trimmed the portion of the upper mount that essentially clamps the radiator in place. Dedicated big-block radiator mounts are available from resto companies like Classic Industries. In spite of being much thicker than stock, the PRC radiator fit in the stock location after we widened the lower saddles and trimmed the portion of the upper mount that essentially clamps the radiator in place. Dedicated big-block radiator mounts are available from resto companies like Classic Industries. We wired the fans using a pair of replays that are triggered by our AEM Infinity ECM. It can trigger them individually, which is useful if we had air conditioning, but we wired them so they both switch on and off together and set the ECM to turn them on at 190 degrees and off at 175. Our 180-degree thermostat is from Mr. Gasket. We wired the fans using a pair of replays that are triggered by our AEM Infinity ECM. It can trigger them individually, which is useful if we had air conditioning, but we wired them so they both switch on and off together and set the ECM to turn them on at 190 degrees and off at 175. Our 180-degree thermostat is from Mr. Gasket. We ditched the stock accelerator rod linkage for a cable-style throttle pull. In case the motor mounts ever decide to let go, the engine torqueing over can cause the rod to pull the throttle blades open wider, where a cable allows more sideways movement before causing the throttle to open.We ditched the stock accelerator rod linkage for a cable-style throttle pull. In case the motor mounts ever decide to let go, the engine torqueing over can cause the rod to pull the throttle blades open wider, where a cable allows more sideways movement before causing the throttle to open. After all this, we were finally able to fire the engine and hear it run for the first time since running on the engine dyno at Westech. We had to fix several leaks, which were as simple as tightening fittings and fasteners a little more. Check back soon as the saga continues. After all this, we were finally able to fire the engine and hear it run for the first time since running on the engine dyno at Westech. We had to fix several leaks, which were as simple as tightening fittings and fasteners a little more. Check back soon as the saga continues.
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