I have a 52 1/2 ton panel truck I use for towing on the East coast, but now have bought a 56 3/4 ton (3600 series) that I will be using to tow on the West coast when I am there. My trailers weigh about 3000 lbs.
The 56 has no engine, and I am having the fuel-injected small block and New Ventrue 4500 transmission (as well as all engine and polution controls) from a 1996 Chevy 1-ton wreck installed in the 56 in the next few weeks. I have bought the entire 1-ton wreck, so I can use any other parts I need-- engine mounts, clutch master and slave, brake MC, etc.
I am planning to keep the stock heavy-duty rear end from the 56, and the original 56 straight axle and drum brakes on the front-- my trailers both are homemade with excellent hydraulic surge brake systems, and they won't overload the drum brakes, espeially since I will have a manual transmission.
However, I want to change to a two-chamber master cylinder, and am not sure whether to: A) install a new power MC in the stock location (expensive!)B) install a new non-power MC in the stock location (Engineered Components sells a conversion kit for less than $80) C) Use a non-power MC in the stock location, with a remote booster D) Mount the MC from the 96 1-ton onto the 56 firewall (which would have to be reinforced). Note that I will be mouinting the clutch MC on the firewall in any case.
I would like to hear the comments of those who have done any of these, especially comments on how hard the pedal is with a manual system (my wife will often drive this rig), whether there is plenty of room for a 7" booster/MC combo in the stock location uder the floor (it was very tight on my 52), and how the move to the firewall goes.
Also, since I am building this rig in Vermont but may eventually register it in CA, am I correct in thinking that if I use all the pollution controls in the donor truck, I will be OK with CARB, or whatever the pollution control agency is?
Lastly, is there any easy way to have power steering while using the stock straight axle and the sotck steering wheel? I don't want to change the column.
Thanks,
Vttinkerer
