Michael just called and told me that the aluminum pan kit was not needed if we notch the steel pan. It will also have the advantage of being removable to service the pump chain and will provide the stock turbocharger oil drain setup. He says we won't likely need to notch the cross-member either. So I told him to go ahead and see how it works out. I got my Sanden compressor from roll guy and with the bracket will be taking that over to Michael perhaps on Friday.

Went over today and looked over the progress. Michael cut down the stock pan and it looks really good. It also looks to be cutting about 1.5 quarts capacity from it. I am thinking with a cooler and synthetic oil the reduction will be insignificant.

What about dropping the bottom down an inch or so, will making it lower from the pickup create any un-for-seen consequences?

Just add a two or three quart accumulator to the oil circuit. If you tie in a solenoid valve to the feed line you can use it as a preluber for dry starts.

Interesting option....got a source for one please?

Thanks for the link. that looks like an excellent option.

Oil pan pics
 

here

and the front view of the frame with fat man suspension. The cab and bed are back on the truck. Although I can't figure how to get them off my phone I have pics with the engine sitting down in the truck with the modified pan installed.

Drove by some rural place on RT 36 in either Missouri or Kansas yesterday filled with old Studebakers. Figured you'd like that place. One, sitting near the road had been burned out.

Dropped off the Roll Guy sanden adapter kit today and a spare lower pan so Michael can drop the bottom of the pan to increase capacity. WE dropped the engine down between the frame and dummied out the radiator etc.

WE will be able to fit the mb radiator between the studey radiator loop but will not be able to use the oil cooler. An auxiliary cooler in front of the radiator should be pretty routine to supply. Perhaps we can relocate the benz cooler below or beside or above.

The engine now fits down in there as if it grew there with the right angle, etc. We'll still need to dimple the firewall a bit to install the oil filter.

A splice in of 1" on the large part of the pan should offset the 2" notch nearly perfectly since its a 1/3 2/3 relationship of notch to remaining pan.

I'll be investigating the HVAC options now too. Prolly vintage air or similar.

It looks like we can use the MB fuel tank with slight modification to the attachments and the filler neck, too so that's a plus.

Hi anybody have an old heater designed to mount on the firewall with an integral blower and two defrost hose nipples they want to sell? Funky looking is a plus.

Tom,

I assume you want a heater that uses the hot water coolant.

There are always lots of the gas-fired heaters at auto flea markets. they work well, and are pretty safe. They put out a lot of heat. the problem with used ones is that the choke assembly is usually left on the car when they pull the heater. W/o that part, they don't work.

I've got at least one, maybe two units that mount under the dash. I can provide pics later.

I've never trusted those gas fired ones. thanks for the thought though.;)

Sounds good. Its next on my list. Can you get pics today?

Id be concerned about that pan no longer being a flat gasket surface. Have you checked against a table or something?

Beautiful welds, but long and continuous equalling major heat. Guy who can weld like that probably knows his business, but curious if there was any warpage.

I warped one I had bashed badly and welded the cracks shut. Was no longer flat after that.



EDIT- missed that it was installed on the engine, so no problem! Looking good