they got a tap the same size and worked it down every hole in the block. the threads are usually full of rust and crap. you do not HAVE to but i did cus its cheap. lots of people just take a grinder to their valve cover.

oh and im enjoyin this thread! keep the pics comin.

 

IMO, if your going to do studs, do it right and follow the directions and have the pedestals machined. Any machine shop can do it in less than a day, and your looking at $50-100.

As for the studs being to long... IDK. I even measured them and compared them to the measurements that were on the instructions.

Right now I've got new Haisley billit pushrods that will be going in once my new valve cover gaskets arrive at Cummins. I'm trying to get my compounds going. I've already got the 5" downpipe, and the cold and hot pipes at the house. Then I'll just need to start collecting the new oil lines, a brace, 3 pc manifold, and a few other parts then I'll be putting the truck back in the shop. I'm still undecided on what I want for my primary, it's between an S475 and the S480 with the race cover.

Once we get back from the lake on Monday, I'm going to start taking a couple things off and start sandblasting them at work. Im going to powdercoat the mostly everything candy lime green

then my valve covers will be candy purple.

I'm also going to try getting the Vanity valve cover done with the green then the "Dodge Cummins..... etc"
done in with the purple.

One thing that is setting me back right now is, I started doing the 99-01 sport conversion, and I'm just skipping all over the place now, which is killing me when it comes to time. I want my truck to look perfect but I want my power goal at the same time. It's all coming together slowly but right now it seems like once I get my truck back up, I start tearing it down again....

Time for a few questions... I wasn't going to do a cam originally but while I have the front off for the sport conversion and the dowel pin, what cam would one recommend? I've heard good things about Hamilton's 181/210 "Big Stick" but what are some other ones people are heavily using?

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Also, I'm getting rid of the stainless 8" stack and going with a black 7" now. Along with a leveling kit. I'll probably hold out on getting new tires and rims just so I can finish what I've already started

 

Bill Fletcher.

 

if your gonna do a cam i would say hamilton one of the best. as far as the primary everybody has a different openion on those two turbos. an s480 is pretty big. lots of people say they are too big and dont spool great but they leave lots of room to grow in the power department because they move lots of air. the s475 is cheap and spools great and you can still make big power with it. but its not an s480. i have never personally ran either so i cant give a REAL openion.

 

I might of missed it but what size injectors/turbo is that? I hope you at least ported the exhaust and exhaust manifold.

 

Ive seen John Porterfields truck and it is without a doubt a bada$$ truck. And John is a great guy to talk to.


Luke

 

Their SDX 5x.016 injectors which is 127% over stock, and the turbo is a 64/71/14. I haven't done any work on this head excpet a o-rings. I'm not going to port the exhaust manifold, waste of money since I have a 3pc manifold that will be on when I start putting my compounds together, also my stock one has a nice crack forming on the bottom between the 4 & 5 outlet.

As for the head, I'm going to just purchase a new one and have it fully ported/polished, o ringed, with 110# springs and billit retainers and keepers, and I'm going to build me a individual runner intake manifold as I get the time and money to do it, but right now it isn't to big of a priority as the truck is in the shop with the almost the whole front and sterring pulled off

 

I hope your kidding, 3pc manifolds flow hardly any better than stock ones, get a exh. manifold gasket, put it up to the manifold and look how much extra meat there is, and buy a die grinder and do it yourself.

As for the head Im not sure if your talking about buying a new/used hew or a new/new head. IMO get a new/used head all the in the box new heads are from china and of poorer quality.

 

I wasn't saying that the 3pc would flow better than a stock one, I was just implying that right now, porting the stock manifold would be a wast of time since it was cracked. But I will admit I did word it pretty poorly above.

As for the head, I'm having my Cummins store get me a new one, I'm just waiting til I get a few other issues taken care of then I'm sending the head to ZZ Fab in Texas for a full P/P, o-rings, hamilton heavy duty valve springs and retainers, and have it powder coated. My issue, is do I want to use one of those huge individual runner intake manifolds, make my own, or have a stock appearing manifold built and have it bolted onto the intake side of the head? I'm leaning for the bolt on stock intake manifold that way I won't have to have custom fuel lines built. Either option is expensive so I'm not moving to fast on it to be honest.

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Also, I've spent the last few days calling some shops, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with Bill Fletcher's Killer B cam. I'm still talking to him about it but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be ordering it by next week.

I'm hoping to start powdercoated my compound pipes tomorrow after work so I should have some more pictures up here shortly.

 

keep it up man.... sounds great