Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

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Mark..The emergency cut off switch is supposed to be accessible from outside rear of car. Are you going to mount a handle on outside to turn it? Great work on box never seems to be enough room for heavy wires

Originally Posted by cffisher

Mark..The emergency cut off switch is supposed to be accessible from outside rear of car. Are you going to mount a handle on outside to turn it? Great work on box never seems to be enough room for heavy wires

Thanks Guys! I hadn't gotten much done on the van in the last couple months. It was good to be back at it...
Charlie, yea, I know, but the van is not being built up to anyones rules but mine... The switch is there because it is easy to do at this stage and it will come in handy, otherwise i wouldn't even worry about it. This is a street oriented van and I don't want anyone being able to mess with stuff. You know how it goes, somebody walking by see's "Shove off" labeled under that handle, they are going to shove it... NOW if, at some point, I want to move it I can do that but this was a good spot for it and it is very accessible with the door open.
Mark

Yea they have turned mine off on the Nova PITA's

Well, how about an update?
I have been picking away at the wiring. Along with doing a few car shows, fixing mowers and pressure washing my 23 yr old deck I haven't put a lot of time into the van this summer. I finished up the front relay center last night. I'll blow this all apart for paint before I get it wired into the van harness.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1520/phot...MVC041F-vi.jpg
This box carries the relays for the three cooling fans, with their respective manual switch relays, the start relay for the rear mounted solenoid and a spare. The add on box on the right is for the adjustable temp sensor for the rad fans.
This is a pic after I got the fuse panel and ground strip mounted. You can see by the relay labels I did some repurposing before i started wiring. I needed two relays for the trans cooler fan so I decided to move the Park Neutral and B/U Light relays inside under the dash.
http://images18.fotki.com/v438/photo...MVC028F-vi.jpg
Here is a back view of the box. All of the wires exit through the back and should be fairly well hidden after I get them mounted and loomed. The 4ga power wire will connect directly to the power distribution block which is fed from the alternator and also connects to the battery for charging. This panel will have power at all times so the fans can run for a short time after the engine is shut off for some residual cooling.
http://images19.fotki.com/v678/photo...MVC038F-vi.jpg
I also have a good start on wiring the rear relay box. This one isn't as busy because I had the room to make it a bit larger and there isn't as much "stuff" going into it.
You can see the general layout here. A 200 amp Maxi-Fuse on the left. 6 position fuse panel in the middle with a barrier strip on the bottom and the relay bridge on the right.
http://images15.fotki.com/v588/photo...3/photo-vi.jpg
The maxi-fuse will pull power off the switched side of the master disconnect and send it too the front through a 4ga cable. This cable will also be the charge wire from the alternator block up front. The fuel pump relay is the only dedicated relay in this box so there is a LOT of room for anything I want to add in the future.
Here is some of the wiring in place. I pulled power to the fuse panel off the fused side of the maxi-fuse.
http://images51.fotki.com/v747/photo...3/photo-vi.jpg
Because I have all of the circuits designed I know how many wires will be coming into and out of the box. I cut short lengths of the required wire sizes to use to establish the snap bushing sizes. I wrote the required drill size beside the hole locations. I used a step drill to drill these holes.
http://images16.fotki.com/v388/photo...3/photo-vi.jpg
That's what I've been doing, how about you?
Mark

Looks good Mark, wiring is always so labor intensive! Good seeing you back on the project and on the site, missed your updates all summer!

Glad to see the update, and like the details. Same around here, too many "projects" for the hours in the day. My pressure washer got a work out cleaning up the cedar siding on the front of the house - picked up a 24' extension wand to get it done, and THAT thing will wear a guy out quickly!!

Originally Posted by rspears

Glad to see the update, and like the details. Same around here, too many "projects" for the hours in the day. My pressure washer got a work out cleaning up the cedar siding on the front of the house - picked up a 24' extension wand to get it done, and THAT thing will wear a guy out quickly!!

I hear that. I found running two tanks of gas through the washer was all I could do in one stint... I got it done though. Friday after work and then I got to play in the shop for a few hours.
I got some more wiring done on the van this weekend. Got my order from EFI Connection Friday and used a few of the 2 pole weatherpack connectors to start the process on the trans and radiator fans and the fuel pump.
I also got the front distribution block mounted. This is a GM piece used on the 3rd gen F-Bodies. It mounts in a couple of holes on the front of the passenger side fender.
http://images19.fotki.com/v678/photo...MVC047F-vi.jpg
These blocks have a couple of molded on lugs that lock into the fender so there are no fasteners involved.
http://images18.fotki.com/v438/photo...MVC052F-vi.jpg
I wanted to be able to simply bolt this down so I trimmed off the lugs and drilled some holes for a couple of 8-32 screws.
http://images62.fotki.com/v1492/phot...MVC053F-vi.jpg
Here is where I am mounting the block. This will be fed directly from the alternator and will route power to the existing GM harness and also back to the battery for charging. All of the cables will be 4 ga like I used in the back to supply the fuse/relay box.
http://images18.fotki.com/v437/photo...MVC048F-vi.jpg
There are two existing holes here that held the old fuel pump relay bracket. I'll make a new bracket out of .090 aluminum.
http://images62.fotki.com/v1492/phot...MVC050F-vi.jpg
here is the bracket sketched out along with a piece of 90 thou I cut for the job.
http://images62.fotki.com/v1492/phot...MVC056F-vi.jpg
After laying out the bend lines I bent the piece up with the 3 in 1.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1457/phot...MVC058F-vi.jpg
http://images45.fotki.com/v1480/phot...MVC061F-vi.jpg
http://images30.fotki.com/v45/photos...MVC062F-vi.jpg
After drilling a few holes. I'll put a couple rivnuts in the bracket for the block screws.
http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/phot...MVC064F-vi.jpg
Bolted in and ready to install.
http://images115.fotki.com/v607/phot...MVC065F-vi.jpg
http://images19.fotki.com/v276/photo...MVC066F-vi.jpg
The holes on the firewall just needed to be opened up a bit for the rivnuts.
http://images41.fotki.com/v195/photo...MVC032F-vi.jpg
Bolted in.
http://images107.fotki.com/v71/photo...MVC033F-vi.jpg
Lots of room for power take-offs here.
http://images30.fotki.com/v45/photos...MVC034F-vi.jpg
Thanks for looking.
Mark

I also got some more routing done. I drilled two holes in the right rear corner for snap bushings. One of which will carry the 1/0 negative cable to ground the frame and body and another for the fuel pump wires.
Here is a long view of the corner.
http://images115.fotki.com/v607/phot...MVC041F-vi.jpg
Here is a close up.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1500/phot...MVC042F-vi.jpg
Looking from underneath you can see the routing for the fuel pump wires. I REALLY lucked out here... All of the holes in the brackets were there AND they all were the perfect size for the snap bushings... Very nice.
http://images115.fotki.com/v607/phot...MVC044F-vi.jpg
Of course all of this will get cleaned up and painted before the wires are installed for keeps. I will also cover the wires with loom before final install.
Thanks for looking.
Mark

Nice work & great pictures as usual, Mark. Just curious, why does the distribution block need to stand off of the surface? Seems it could just bolt directly to the surface.

Yep great looking job there
heat???

Originally Posted by rspears

Nice work & great pictures as usual, Mark. Just curious, why does the distribution block need to stand off of the surface? Seems it could just bolt directly to the surface.

Hey Roger,
It didn't "need" to stand off the surface but there were already two holes in the firewall so I used them without having to weld one up or drill another hole. Plus I can use the bracket as a cable guide/retainer for routing to the other side.

As you know from the above posts, I was holding off crimping all of the big stuff until I ordered one of these hydraulic terminal crimpers off eBay last week.
http://images38.fotki.com/v266/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
Harbor Freight sells this for 70 bucks. I got it for <55 dollars and free shipping...
I got it today and tried it out on a 1/0 cable terminal. I can say it worked very well and I am glad I waited to do these crimps until I got this tool...
Here is the lug I am going to crimp. As you can see this is pretty big. The tool comes with dies to do up to 2/0.
http://images116.fotki.com/v695/phot...MVC007F-vi.jpg
Excellent investment and it makes some nice looking crimps. I am going to look into hard mounting it to the bench. It gets kind of busy trying to hold the cable in place while trying to actuate the hand pump on the crimper.
http://images41.fotki.com/v209/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
I clamped the lug in the vise and tested the crimp. It will take a lot of force to pull the lug off...
I finished up the crimp with some heat shrink and called it good...
http://images115.fotki.com/v607/phot...MVC014F-vi.jpg
Of course I have at least a half dozen of these to do on the big cables and as many or more on the 4 ga. stuff. Should be fun now.
Mark

Mark,
I like that hydraulic crimper a lot better than the Hammer Crimper that the auto parts store uses!! Your eBay price is not much more than the hammer style!!
Hammer Crimper.jpg

That is pretty much what it boiled down too Roger. I just couldn't bring myself to use the hammer crimper and, once I found the hydraulic one, I knew it would be much better... (Hey Mr. McCarthy! I need to return your hammer crimper...)

I modified my crimper Sunday morning so it will easily clamp to the welding bench. Frees up a hand for holding the wire in place.
I marked out a pattern for a couple of drilled and tapped holes in the head.
http://images19.fotki.com/v1612/phot...MVC048F-vi.jpg
I will be screwing it to this piece of 1/4" plate with a couple of drilled and counter bored holes.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1465/phot...MVC049F-vi.jpg
I clamped the tool in the drill press vise and drilled two holes out to .149 for tapping for a #10-32 screw.
http://images115.fotki.com/v607/phot...MVC054F-vi.jpg
Here is the plate getting drilled and counter bored.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1502/phot...MVC058F-vi.jpg
Test fit. Bolted up nice and was very sturdy. This will work great when I get to crimping all of the van cables...
http://images116.fotki.com/v693/phot...MVC068F-vi.jpg
http://images30.fotki.com/v44/photos...MVC070F-vi.jpg
Cleaned and painted the plate.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1519/phot...MVC075F-vi.jpg
This will be good to go and, if I need it do any crimps in tight places, the plate will come right off.
Mark

Even though I am working 10 hrs this week I got out and did some wiring stuff tonight...
I clamped the Hydraulic Crimper right to the rad support and got busy. This little mod is turning out to be pretty handy...
http://images18.fotki.com/v61/photos...MVC017F-vi.jpg
I hung the relay box and routed the wires in some semblance of how they will be when installed.
http://images38.fotki.com/v266/photo...MVC021F-vi.jpg
I got the power lead for the relay box, the charge/power lead for the battery (from the back), the power lead for the fuse box and the power lead from the alternator all crimped tonight. Once I got going it took about a half hour to do all of the crimps. Having the crimper right there, where I was working, was nice!
http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/phot...MVC020F-vi.jpg
These are some very tight crimps...
http://images116.fotki.com/v700/phot...MVC029F-vi.jpg
I did learn a bit tonight. The terminals I am using are rolled, with the seam at the top, as you can see here.
http://images62.fotki.com/v1492/phot...MVC025F-vi.jpg
After I did the first one (which I got lucky on) I decided to pinch the terminals closed a bit so one edge is "tucked" under the other. When doing this the edge getting tucked will actually "snap" under the top edge.
http://images115.fotki.com/v607/phot...MVC026F-vi.jpg
This guides the crimp into a very tight roll. I think it compresses the wire about half it's diameter, just looking at it...
http://images18.fotki.com/v60/photos...MVC028F-vi.jpg
This ready for some heat shrink. I need to get some larger diameter red shrink (this is just the plastic boot that came with the terminal)... I could use black I guess but I am trying to make this stuff look like I thought about it before I did it.
http://images107.fotki.com/v780/phot...MVC030F-vi.jpg
Here is the power block I mounted last week with the cables loosely routed.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1500/phot...MVC022F-vi.jpg
Here is a pic of the relay center with the cover in place... This will get painted body color so it will all but disappear after install.
http://images19.fotki.com/v286/photo...MVC024F-vi.jpg
That's what I did.
Mark

I have been getting some excellent shop time so far this week. I have most of the 4ga cables made and I did some work on the alternator. I cleaned and painted it with hammered silver.
Here is the alternator in a b4 and after series. I pulled it apart to re-clock it from a 9:00 a o'clock to a 12:00 o'clock because the connector was hitting the block.
http://images45.fotki.com/v1480/phot...MVC048F-vi.jpg
I pulled the fan and pulley off to do this, besides I had a chromed set-up to put on it anyway. While it was apart I threw some grease into the rear needle bearing.
http://images41.fotki.com/v1580/phot...MVC045F-vi.jpg
I had the alternator bench tested before I pulled it apart and it was putting out over 15 volts. It's a 108 amp 12SI that I got with the engine when I bought it. Should do the job to power the van.
After some paint and a chrome fan and pulley.
http://images107.fotki.com/v71/photo...MVC049F-vi.jpg
http://images19.fotki.com/v1611/phot...MVC054F-vi.jpg
One issue with the new pulley is alignment to the engine pulleys. It is a bit thicker so I will end up facing about an 1/8th inch off the block spacers to get it back into alignment.
Here are some pics of the cables I have been building. These are 4 ga and are for battery charging and power distribution off the front junction block I hung a couple of weeks ago.
http://images114.fotki.com/v1606/pho...MVC060F-vi.jpg
http://images41.fotki.com/v1577/phot...MVC061F-vi.jpg
All of this will be covered with loom at final install.
These cables from the alternator will run up to the junction block for the red one and to the frame for the black one (5/16-18 drilled and tapped hole).
http://images19.fotki.com/v286/photo...MVC058F-vi.jpg
The power box in the rear gets fed from the Master Disconnect under the battery. It feeds the front junction block and is also the battery charge wire.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1465/phot...MVC062F-vi.jpg
The wire feeding out the bottom bolts to the cable pass-though mounted in the rear tray. I drilled a one inch hole for that and bolted it in with #10 button heads.
http://images38.fotki.com/v231/photo...MVC064F-vi.jpg
http://images38.fotki.com/v266/photo...MVC065F-vi.jpg