New Tricks For An Old Dog - Engine Mods 3.0

[Guest Post by: Chris Burandt]

Now we're talking!  Motor got put back into the truck with a fresh head gasket, ARP head studs and a sweet looking set of ATS manifolds and up-pipes.  Now the fun begins.  Over the next couple days the plan is to get the compound turbo kit installed.  For turbo's, ATS is going to be using the stock charger with their Aurora 7500 which will create awesome response on the bottom and tons of air up top to fix my high exhaust gas temperature (EGT) problem.  It was so frustrating to me with my previous set up that I had tons of power but no way to use it when pulling up the passes because of excessive EGT's.

With the lack of air we have up here in the Colorado high country I'm so excited about compounds!  All this talk of not being able to get a truck with compounds over 1200 degrees has got me smiling.  I've seen 2000 degrees on my current set up!!!  YIKES.  Bring on the air!!

Chris at ATS mounted up the Twin CP3 kit.  After talking with Clint Cannon, the owner of ATS, I really like what the twin CP3 kit brings to the table.  Even though we're going to be running stock injectors for this towing set up the extra fuel provided by the twin CP3 kit not only maintains desired rail pressure at all times but it also makes the truck run way smoother.  What I also like about this kit is it allows me the option to go bigger in the future with my injectors or a more aggressive EFI live tune as well.  Oh and that billet pulley that drives the second pump looks way cool too!

 

My wife actually told me I was pathetic when after I signed the papers on this truck. I only made it the 17 miles from the dealership to ATS's shop to get the first modification done.  I originally bought this white beauty with 80,000 miles on it and I new 2 things as soon as I drove it off the lot; One was that I couldn't leave it stock, and two was this poor truck would have a trailer behind it 75% of the time.  So it was a no-brainer to me to have the boys at ATS throw in one of their big bad purple transmissions with a Five Star Torque Converter and Co-pilot to handle any load or amount of power I could throw at this thing.  To date it has been the best modification I have ever done to the truck.  It's funny when I get in another diesel and drive it around, especially a modded one that doesn't have any tranny work, how much more solid mine feels than the stock ones.  What a difference!

Can't wait to see the compound turbos next!

New Tricks For An Old Dog - Lift and Suspension Mods 2.0

[Guest Post by: Chris Burandt]

And so it’s begun!   The boys at ATS are elbows-deep into turning my once stock riding, grandpa-looking, super clean dually into a compound (twin) turbo breathing, Cognito-lifted pull-any-trailer-way-too-fast, beast of a truck!  With 170,000 miles on the ol’ girl we decided to do the head gasket, add some head studs and check the injectors.  Come to find out the head gasket showed some signs of leakage and there was one injector out of spec.
 
I’m really glad ATS leaned me towards going through the motor.  It would have been a bummer to put all the goodies on and then have to tear it back apart later down the road.  With a new head gasket and injector this bad boy 6.6L will be good for another 170,000! 

Phase 2, the lift.  When the tech got the Sawzall out I thought he was just joking around with me.  Then the safety glasses came on…real funny guys.  Then I had to jump out of the way so I didn’t lose an arm!  I could tell this wasn’t Chris’ first rodeo with Chevy suspension installs.  After weeks of research on the internet it was clear the only way to go up with the dualler was a lift from Cognito Motorsports.  Cognito’s patented products, insanely good fit and finish, and the ability to retain stock drive angles made this purchase a no brainer.  For all the towing this truck will be doing with 5^th wheel and goose neck trailers I decided to go with the 4-6 inch lift.  I was able to get my low rider off the ground, but nothing too crazy to affect the great towing characteristics of the truck.  I can’t wait to see what this thing looks like when it hits the ground!

This is truly one heavy duty lift.  I’ve had lifts installed on several other vehicles in the past but nothing as overbuilt with OEM like fitment as this Cognito kit.  I haven’t even seen the truck on the ground yet and I’m pumped!

Like a kid on Christmas I couldn’t get the Fox RacingShox box open quick enough.  I run Fox Shox on all my snowmobiles so again running these bad boys on my truck was an easy choice.  I went with remote reservoir shocks front and rear.  Pictures don’t do these things justice.  Between the burly looking Cognito kit and the trophy truck like Fox shox this really is going to feel like a brand new truck.  As you can tell by the aggressive tread pattern I like to run on my 215s I can’t wait to throw some new meats on.  Is there anything better than new tires? OK, enough torture, can we please quit taking pictures and put this thing on the ground!  I wanna see it! 

New Tricks For An Old Dog - Making Your Truck New Again 1.0

ATS Diesel has teamed-up with X Games Snowmobile Champ Chris Burandt for a retooling of his GM Duramax Truck. With the current price of new diesels and low trade-in value offered by dealers, Chris decided to go a different route rather than buy new; Teach an old dog some new tricks.
[Guest post by Chris Burandt]:

The day is almost here!  On Oct 17 my truck goes under the knife under the careful hands of the crew over at ATS Diesel Performance.  It's time to take the 'ole dualler up a couple notches.  Make that a bunch of notches!  Compound turbos, Twin CP3's, head studs, EFI Live tuned by ATS, Cognito 4" lift, Fox Shocks, Fusion bumpers front and rear, Rigid Lighting, N-Fab steps and a wrap from Fineline graphics.  That should do the trick!

This crazy project all started when a buddy of mine brought over his new Duramax and we went for a test drive.  After riding in the very quiet, super smooth and pretty decent powered stock truck I got the new truck itch.  (That new car smell gets me every time!)  So down to the dealer I went with my super clean 04 Duramax which just cracked 170,000 miles.  Just got er' broke in the way I like.

Now I know I haven't bought a new truck in a while but holy crap have things got expensive.  This is where things started to get a little eye opening for me.  The truck I was looking at replacing my sweet ride with ended up being over $61,000!  Yeah that first number is a 6!  So I took a pretty big gulp and said, "Ok, so how much will you give me for my truck?"  Now I'm thinking even though it's got some miles on it, I'm super anal about my truck and it get's washed more than my 2 year old son does.  So that should be worth something right?  When the salesman told me he could give me $12,000

I thought to myself, "Is he just trying to buy the tranny, turbo and sweet exhaust brake off of my truck for $12,000?"  Nope, $12,000 for the whole shoot-n-match.  So let me get this straight, this guy wants my perfectly good truck and $49,000 for this shiny new thing sitting in front of me that has half the power of my rig and has none of the fun stuff that we all do to all of our vehicles.  Say what!?!  Let's just say that didn't make much sense to me.  So I jumped back in ole white and headed down the road.

This got me thinking, why not take a fraction of the money I was going to have to pony up to buy a new stock truck and just make my perfectly good dirtymax new to me!  Thus, all of the goodies above.  Stay tuned as through out the build I'll be posting some pictures and updates of how the transformation is going.  Can you say TWINS Basil!!!!  (If you haven't seen Austin Powers that last line won't make much sense to you.  But if you have, you've got a smile on your face just like me!)

Stay tuned!
-Chris Burandt

Metal Shop Fummins Truck Giveaway Night

Friday night the Metal Shop Build concluded (for the most-part) at a party thrown by KBPI Radio at Quaker Steak. A big crowd of key winners and others who just wanted to get in on the action headed to Westminster CO. to check out the truck in the parking lot before one person would finally have their key start the engine and take possession of their prize.

Coyote Motorsports Arrives With
The Raptor 700 Prize

By 7pm the parking lot was overflowing as KBPI awarded the final set of ignition keys. Coyote Motorsports rolled in with a new Raptor 700 quad to add to the prize package. Each key was placed inside it's own tiny envelope and hung on a pegboard in front of the fummins truck. One-by-one the key recipients stepped up to the truck to try their luck. One or more of the contestants, as noted by the night's host - Willie B., had traveled from a few states away to try to win the truck.

Some time later and with some frozen Bud Light Girls desperately looking-on Dominic H. and his wife Adrianna finally handed Willie the winning key. Everyone knew that a winner had finally stepped forward; Not by the sound of engine starting, but rather by the screaming coming out of Adrianna.
As the deadline arrived for the giveaway night there were still some loose ends with the build that ATS, Master Craft, and Car Toys will be working on now in order to hand over truck to Dominic. Thanks to everyone that took part in this year's Metal Shop and congratulations to Dominic and Adrianna!

<<< Check out the flash player below for the rest of the photos. If your flash player is not up-to-date visit http://www.flash.com >>>

Metal Shop Truck Rear End Work

Devin modifies the rear end

Work continued on the rear half of the KBPI Radio Metal Shop Fummins the other day. After the factory 9-inch rear differential was replaced with the Chrysler 14-bolt 11.5", the frame needed to be strengthened to support the new level of torque from the diesel engine. Cross braces were fabricated and welded-into the frame just behind the cab to provide stability.

Changes are also in-progress on the rear of the truck before the bed can be remounted. Devin from ATS was hard-at-work grinding and cutting the sections of the rear frame to accommodate the updated box. Audio Wrap has been placed inside the cab to help deaden the interior noise and make for easier listening with the new Alpine Sound System from Car Toys.


There is still some work to be done on the front-end of the truck and the look will be quite a bit different once all of the updated pieces are back in-place.

KBPI Radio's Metal Shop 7 Truck Rear End

The Fummins Metal Shop Truck now sits on a 14-bolt 11.5" rear end with a custom fabricated 4-Link suspension. The front end has also been updated with heavy-duty springs and rotors from Jazz It Up. Fuel will held in the fuel cell which is now bolted in-place. Due to the torque that the rear end will see from the Cummins Engine and the low-sitting attitude of chassis, the 4-Link System made sense to put on the back. This will do a good job of keeping the wheels planted and update the old style suspension with new technology. Rear airbags will be added by ATS to help finish the overall package.

Front End Work For The Metal Shop Fummins

Zach, Mike & Devin Mount The
Front-end Parts

With the engine transplanted into the truck, work was able to begin on the front-end assembly of the Fummins. Zach, Mike, and Devin began mocking-up the front radiator and supports. The hood will be placed on the truck and will allow for measurements and fitting to happen between all of the pieces. Once the front pieces are mounted then the detail work inside the engine compartment can be completed.

Next; Onto the 4-Link Suspension and rear end work!

Metal Shop Fummins Truck Second Turbo & Engine Pieces

Zach modifies the firewall
and fuel injection hardware

Zach was hard at work on the Metal Shop Fummins today getting more engine hardware fitted and mounted. The atmospheric or bottom low pressure turbocharger is mounted now and tubing for the rest of the turbo system is being fabricated.

Powdercoated engine pieces are getting bolted in-place such as the valve covers. The P7100 high pressure fuel pump is mounted and fuel lines and fittings are soon to come. Since the Cummins Engine is mounted in a retro truck the P7100 injection pump will simplify things and eliminate the need for other electronics, since it is mechanically timed.

Fabricated crossmember is in-place

Zach fabricated the crossmember and mounting solution for the transmission and has that bolted-in underneath the truck. Suspension parts should be getting mounted tomorrow and will help support the heavier weight of the new power plant.

Powdercoated engine hardware being mounted

Second (atmospheric) turbo is mounted

2011 lbs of Cummins Power in a 1977 lb Package

Is this thing going to fit? 

Yes it did. The 5.9L Cummins Engine is now mounted to the built ATS Diesel Transmission and both are sitting in the 1977 Ford Truck. Body modifications are mostly done to the Ford and provisions were made to support the extra weight of the new diesel engine which is being transplanted.

 The center section of the body has been given a work-over and gotten some nice coats of flat black paint thanks to Camaros Plus Denver Body Shop.

Modifications are underway to the truck's firewall to support the non-OEM engine and hardware. ATS built a heavy duty automatic transmission which will be used to get the new power to the wheels. The factory Ford rear end was exchanged for a 14 bolt 11.5" rear from a newer model Dodge Ram in order to support the high level of torque that the drivetrain will experience.

Last week listeners of 106.7 KBPI Radio chose to have Car Toys supply an Alpine Stereo for the build. This week listeners vote on which style of exhaust will go into the truck. Interior work and suspension are soon-to-come. KBPI continues to award keys to fans in anticipation of the vehicle give-away late this month.