The former badge988 gets long winded because there is nothing better to do...

Intercooler issue with the 760 TD
I was able to relocate the radiator back using the stock gas 700 radiator, shroud and intercooler and sandwich the intercooler in the stock locations, the plumbing was pretty much stock in itself and I only had to modify the lower hose to match up because of the length issues. I used the left over extension pipe from the wifes discarded canister vacuum and worm clamps. An added benefit is less rubber to deteriorate or blow out. The biggest issue so far is the oil accumulation inside the intercooler over time that seperates from the charge air and condenses to the bottom, I added a small drain cock to the bottom so I dont get raw oil pumped back up to the intake and cause the car to run away on me. The intake is specific to the intercooled diesel as you know along with the steel pipes that mate up, I use the silicone rubber intersections liberated from torn down small aircraft along with the clamps as they hold much better and are easier to deal with.


Diesel Ranger project. Where do I start, maybe with the "formerly badge988"
My parting from the police force was a bittersweet one. First cops have the highest divorce rates along with alcohol consumption and given the fact my son is no longer a "kid" in his mind I want to get back to being a dad rather then a fixture in the home. I started to notice I wasn't the person I was six months ago and my kid really got after me to be a dad again so I turned in my shield and started going through the channels to get myself out. Now that I have the time to be a dad my son and I have started on the ranger diesel project. I aquired a 93 ranger frame sans motor but kept the 5-speed and warner case. Everything looks like a no-brainer except mating the tranny to the diesel bellhousing. It looks like the trans shares the same collar supported throw out bearing but nothing else. I do have a friend who is a tool and die maker and is equipped with a full machine shop so I will be taking the diesel bell and trans to him to see if he can mate them together. This is a guy who converts and mounts Ranger aircraft engines into vintage race cars using a direct coupling. He also makes the vintage roadster frames along with a Hillborne style intake along with fuel injection. The Ranger aircraft motor is an I-6 inverted cylinder engine, air cooled 440 CID and produces 220 HP at a piston speed of 3250 FPM or around 1900 RPM, torque? You dont want to know! Its enough to bust up a GM 10 bolt 8.5" under moderate throttle... Anyway I feel confidant he can somehow mate the trans to the diesel bellhousing. After that I will retain the ford trans and warner transfer case, bore out the fuel neck and bend up a 3" stainless exhaust using recycled pipe from the local creamery and end it at the intersection of the cab and box but tucked away and not advertised like the rice boys. My kid calls the truck the "runaway booger" Its a metallic medium green with violet over white stripe Ranger XLT with the aluminum 15" wheels 3.91 7.5" diff and no hang on junk like AC or power windows. What it does have is the charcoal interior with no rips, 78K on the clock and absolutly no rust or rot, I cant even find a door ding on it. Was toppered all its life and the rug doesnt even show any real wear, this coming from the previous owner whos nickname is the absent minded professer. Bought it from a friend who is a communications engineer and keeps his clean clothes piled on the couch! Only gripe was finding a family of dead minnows under the seat as he is an avid fisherman..

Im thinking I will build up the orphan frame and slip the body and box over after I make the drivetrain combo work out, much less welding on my back and gives us an excuse to take the garage hostage for a while. We are also stripping down the frame and I will be getting another 2WD frame to cut sections out and make box sections in the 4x4 frame. Whats my kid getting out of all this? Experience in welding, learning the art of cutting torches and gets to make a mess and not have to clean up after himself. He already got his pet car with help from dad. A 1988 760GLE from CA with 38K real miles on the clock. The only thing he had to do was keep his room clean, do his homework and plan out the trip to get the car. Now he wants to help dad do the diesel Ranger and I didnt even have to ask! Months later his room is still fairly clean on his own accord and hes headed for an early graduation, Im still trying to get him to pick up the stray underwear. He did buy a puddle jumper for the winter so he didnt goo up the 760 in the slush. He is on the prowl for a diesel to transplant into his 760 but Im actually trying to talk him out of it, the 760 in its present state is worth much more left alone and he could potentially show it at a Volvo meet and get many offers for it not to mention the drool factor. Everything about the car is perfect and correct and its the ONLY 700 Ive seen without a cracked dashboard top. He absolutly babys the car and his drain oil gets recycled into the diesel generator for another 100 hours of lube then slowly turned into electricity after passing through the injectors. He had a passing offer from a guy for $5K and refused it and wont let his slobby friends even near the car. When a kid gets the name "pigpen" its for good reason.

Another thought was to maybe mate the M46 to a divorced transfer case and make up custom driveshafts however I dont know how those cases are physically mounted to the frame and if they used companion flanges. I remember the old Ford trucks used a divorced I think it was a warner case and it had a seperate crossmember but that was almost 23 years ago in my head when I was working at the junkyard that neighbored us when I was a little torch. Who makes those transfer cases and how well built are they? I dont think I will look at the Samuri but a Nissan would get a kernel of thought being I can still find them in the yards pretty much complete. Do these have a low and high range to them and are they link or cable controlled?

Anyway its 0145 and my kid is after me for making noise. Im still in my night mode and for some reason I dont miss doing the patrol..

former badge988