Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

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You have been busy all that fab work eats up time as there are no plans to follow
Good work

No plans is right, bud. Just visions in my head...
Getting the engine cover servicable will be good as well as finishing up the left front wheel well and rear floors. The tank is still here at work. My welder is picking away at it. He only gets the time to do the work during his breaks so it is taking a while.
I am starting to think about wiring. The gauges and rewiring the fuel sender and rear mounted battery are the biggest jobs. Most of the dash harness from the '98 will get reused for light switches and such. I'll be stripping all of the unnecessary stuff like airbag wiring out of it though.
Designing the shifter mounting, console and seat brackets is pretty high on the list of things to do. I have mocked a lot of this stuff up prior to this but, now that the doghouse is roughed in, I can get serious. The big issue with all of this is quick and easy removal of the doghouse. I will probably end up with a snap in cover between the doghouse and console.
Just some of the things to think about. This is one of those projects that can eat you alive if you don't do things in stages...
Mark

Going back and forth will get you tired of the project. I hate having to do things twice.

It's funny that you mention that... mel and I were talking about that last weekend. There are very few parts in this build that we have had to do twice... I think we take our time on some things and others we just got lucky. I know I am having a blast!

Here are some pics of a little handle I designed last night in the shop. The need for this handle is to access a Dzus button at the front of the dog house. It is right under the duct for the HVAC. No way to reach it other than with this little "extension".
I roughed it out in steel, took those numbers to work and modeled it up in UG. I then sent the file to my pal in the fab shop and I had parts in my hand at lunch time!!!!
Here is the handle as I modeled it in UG. It's about three inches long.
http://images50.fotki.com/v1515/phot...mage001-vi.jpg
A few hours later I had parts in my hand.
http://images50.fotki.com/v393/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
After I got home from a VERY long day at work I put a bit of a bend on the handle.
http://images34.fotki.com/v1126/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
http://images51.fotki.com/v93/photos...MVC004F-vi.jpg
I ground a flat spot on the button (mostly to remove the galvanizing) and spot welded the handle in place.
Prior to welding.
http://images54.fotki.com/v77/photos...MVC007F-vi.jpg
After welding and a little clean up with the grinder. This position is the open position
http://images30.fotki.com/v41/photos...MVC010F-vi.jpg
Here is a shot with the button closed. With the handle like this it will be tucked up under the air duct, out of sight.
http://images114.fotki.com/v970/phot...MVC013F-vi.jpg
And one with it open for removal. This is easily reached as it sticks out past the duct. I'll get some more pics later.
http://images51.fotki.com/v747/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
This makes it real simple to get the buttons out for doghouse removal. I plan to add this handle to all of the buttons on the cover. They will get painted black and most of them you won't be able to see anyway. I think they look pretty cool...
Mark

Got a bit done this past weekend. I was up at 4 am Saturday and out in the shop before 5. I had stuff running thru my head. Dash, doghouse, HVAC ducts, ALL KINDS OF STUFF!!! I bolted the stock HVAC unit in place to check install clearances for the doghouse. Installation is okay, there was no way to reach that handle I designed the other night thoiugh. We ended up moving it reward a bit so we can get to it.
Here is the stock dash stripped of all of it's vinyl covering
http://images115.fotki.com/v672/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
I have decided to rebuild the front of the dash to replicate the late model (98 to '05) shape.
http://images34.fotki.com/v1075/phot...MVC014F-vi.jpg
I will cut up the '98 dash I have and use the front pieces to make the shape I want. This will leave the HVAC stuff alone and make for a simpler job.
Did a lot of work getting the 1/4 turns intalled. A little bit of head scratching but we got her done...
http://images115.fotki.com/v607/phot...MVC011F-vi.jpg
http://images43.fotki.com/v1321/phot...MVC012F-vi.jpg
We got the doghouse all fleshed out and covered with some t-shirt material Saturday. We stuck on a layer of thin cardboard to give the t-shirt material some structure.
http://images22.fotki.com/v520/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
We used a hot glue gun to stick the material down on one edge. We then pulled it across the sruface, stretching it, which really smoothed out the transitions.
http://images33.fotki.com/v1116/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
http://images22.fotki.com/v810/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
Back in place. Looks pretty good, we'll finish up the material tomorrow and thru on some resin.
http://images18.fotki.com/v61/photos...MVC008F-vi.jpg

Out in the shop at 7 Sunday morning. Modifying a dzus plate to weld to the new reward location and bending up a couple more of the handles. Mel got here at about 8 and we finished covering the doghouse with material.
This is a pic after the first coat of resin. This stiffened up the material enough that we could start laying some 'glass on.
http://images45.fotki.com/v148/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
http://images38.fotki.com/v1217/phot...MVC012F-vi.jpg
We let the piece cook in the sun for a few hours, did a little grinding to start smoothing things out and then bolted it back into the van so it can cure in the shape it needs to be...
We also mocked up the seats where they need to be, threw in the column for driver position and also worked out the shifter position. The shifter is going to live up on the back edge of the doghouse.
http://images49.fotki.com/v1458/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
I thought we would have to be VERY creative with the cable routing but I came up with a very easy route. We will be building the shifter into the top of the cover. This will all have to come out when the cover is removed....
See the "divot" in my leg from the band of steel in the doghouse? We cut that down a bit before we glassed it. Let me tell you there is NOT a lot of room over here for feet and legs.

Design-wise I will drop the shifter into a pocket, built into the cover, so the cable comes out level with the top of the doghouse, I will run the cable straight forward, over the top of the doghouse. I will then make a closeout panel to cover the cable (and wiring) which will pull off with a couple strips of velcro. Making the closeout panel out of the same carbon fiber that I use on the cover will make it all but disappear...
Mounting the shifter with some quick release pins will allow me to easily remove it and set it on the floor or in a seat to pull the cover.
Here is the solution in a nut shell...
" While looking at photos of the cover installed, I noticed, on the right side of the engine cover flange, there is a square hole which was the old computer connector pass-thru. I can route the cable in a big loop over the doghouse, vertically down thru that hole and then rearward toward the tailshaft. This will be one huge loop, no tight bends at all. I will route some romex along it tonight ,if I get time, but I thinking I may be able to get away with a 10 foot cable. I plan to hard mount the cable as much as possible to keep loss of travel to a minimum."
added a quick photoshop for cable routing
http://images42.fotki.com/v1314/phot...routing-vi.jpg
When I got home last night I ran the short cable I got with the shifter along my "path".
Up on top, the cable naturally falls down thru the pass-thru.
http://images58.fotki.com/v154/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
http://images57.fotki.com/v139/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Underneath it sweeps right back toward the rear of the van. Mind you this is all natural, there are no forced bends in the routing.
http://images33.fotki.com/v1187/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
This routing will work perfectly and it tucks the cable right alongside the old frame rail, well away from the headers and exhaust heat.
Thanks for looking!
Mark

Lots more work done, good weekend, Mark! Shifter should work great where you are putting it!

should not need to hard mount the cable only at mounting points control ends . same control cables what are used in boats there not hard mounted other then at the ends. the GM dog house is SMC thermal set are you using epoxy to bond with .oh my home e mail is down so you have to mail me here or just call me

Hey Pat,
If the cable was in a mostly straight line I wouldn't worry about flex but, being that I will have a couple of big loops in it I will hard mount as close to the bend tangencies as I can. This will eliminate any lost motion from the loops flexing.
I riveted all of the inner structure to the back half of the doghouse. I am using a polyesther resin for most of this "sub-structure" work. I will use the more expensive epoxy when I do the full cover. With the SMC stuff buried in the 'glass I don't think it will delaminate.

fiber gell works the best on smc fast lay up other then epoxy.poly glass resin just seem s not to work as good as fiber gell..I wish i did not know any of this but i do as in a past life i did alot of SMC work along with controll cables in boats last cable was over 40 feet long was in a wood boat 57 feet long with two 671 with a walk in engine bay

Intermediate flex of the cable does not affect the movement of the inner cable, provided both ends are firmly mounted. Restricting movement of the cable along the way does not hurt anything, but it also does nothing to help. Once you have the ends of the outer sheath mounted solid you're done, regardless how long, or how many direction changes or loops the cable makes. The only reason for intermediate restraint is if it rattles.

Okay, Thanks Roger. I can see that. It will get hard mounted anyway but just to keep it from flopping around. Good enough. Thanks guys!
I worked on shifter placement a bit last night. Mounted the short cable to the shifter body and started laying out where I will be cutting the cover to make the shifter pocket. I am thinking I will design a little control panel into the shifter closeout to contain the Gear Vendor switches. May as well keep that stuff close to the shifter anyway.
I also mocked up the dash and started looking at gauge placement and shifter cable clearance. The dash sits about an inch over the top of the cover so there is no issue height-wise and it comes out over the cover enough that there is only a couple of inches of cable that you can actually "see" between the shifter and dash. If I do the gauge layout I am thinking of I can hide all of this cable and wiring stuff with the dash. I'll get some pics loaded, didn't get on the computer last night.

Keeping it all in one spot is a good idea. Nice neat package.

Hey Charlie, Yea, that's the plan. I will keep all of the GV switches at the shifter. I MAY look into ordering the two button shifter handle just to simplify things even more... I don't know if I'd like having the switches on the handle though. Seems like they would be open for pushing at the wrong time...

It's been a bit hectic around home the last half of the week. My dad was in the hospital since Tuesday for an infection (his kidneys are bad and he is doing home dialysis) anyway he got an infection and had to have some heavy antibiotics pumped into him to clear it up. They took care of it though and he came home Friday afternoon, fit as a fiddle.
We worked in the garden for an hour or so this morning. He was glad to be back home...
Didn't get a lot of physical work done during the week but I did get a quick release for the shifter cable designed in my head. Because I am bolting the shifter right to the engine cover it HAS to come out with the cover for engine access. Removing the cable from the shifter seemed about the only way to make this an easy task. The cable for the Outlaw shifter actually screws into a little block that then bolts to the front of the shifter. This is why I was able to do what I did.
This morning I made a new block for the cable to thread into. A bit bigger than the original.
Here is the front of the shifter.. The old block was held on with the lower bolt and the cable went thru the slot above it.
http://images33.fotki.com/v1072/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Here is the new block (1/4" plate) being drilled and tapped to replace the original. The size is 1 1/2 X 1 5/8ths.
http://images107.fotki.com/v67/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
Mounted on the shifter. The two holes on the right are for a couple of quick release pins.
http://images56.fotki.com/v701/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
Stll bolted in place with the QR holes drilled thru the shifter body.
http://images52.fotki.com/v1553/phot...MVC018F-vi.jpg
Not done yet! In order for this bracket to do it's job I have to make another piece that will "clam" over the front of the shifter. This will keep the cable from moving back and forth on the quick release pins.
Here is the little "L" bracket that slides down inside the shifter body to capture the shifter and maintain the cable alignment.
http://images52.fotki.com/v1563/phot...MVC013F-vi.jpg
From the front of the shifter. This was taken before the pin holes were drilled... Sorry.
http://images112.fotki.com/v106/phot...MVC011F-vi.jpg
I welded the L bracket to the new block and then thru drilled the pin holes.
Here is the new "Quick Release Bracket" with a couple of #10 allen screwss I used for mock-up. I will order some pins from McMaster Carr.
http://images16.fotki.com/v383/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
This works pretty slick. I will do some fine tuning when I get the actual pins but this will work great!
http://images38.fotki.com/v231/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
http://images42.fotki.com/v1319/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
http://images42.fotki.com/v1436/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Thanks for looking!
Mark