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The Dieselfication of Coach 1046
Author: BigRabbitMan (Show all albums)

This album is dedicated to following the process of Coach #1046 being converted from a 1976 Chrysler 440-I with a 4spd Allison AT540 transmission to a 2006 GMC Duramax LBZ turbo diesel with a 6spd Allison 1000 double overdrive transmission. There is a companion discussion thread in the Mechanic's Corner section of the Forum area of this site.
Show Newest Photos First | Show Oldest Photos First379 Photos - Page : [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]


The old trottle pedal will need to be removed.

It will need to be positioned something like this when installed. A bracket will need to be designed.

This is the throttle pedal out of the donor pickup. It has to be transfered as the Duramax uses electronic throttle control rather than mechanical using a cable. It has the curve in it as it was attached to the firewall and the base had to avoid the transmission hump. In the FMC it will be avoiding the heater instead. Somethings just work out to the good!

And here is how it looks! Note that the new dash cluster slightly overlaps the dash air vents. That significantly complicated things so the decision was to simpify things by surface mounting the new cluster. Some time after the coach is up and running, I may completely redo the dash by removing and replacing all three sections and rearranging the various controls. At that time, I will be able to nest the gauge cluster into the dash. In the meantime, this will work.


A portion of the old center section was removed to provide the opening for the plug that will carry all of the information to the dash cluster.

Next, the back cover of the dash cluster was removed and riveted to the front of the center section of the dash that used to hold all of the gauges.

The large tabs on each end that were used for mounting in the donor unit have been removed.

(2 Comments)
I like this picture. On the bottom is the back side of the 1976 gauge cluster. On the top is the back side of the 2006 gauge cluster. What a difference 30 years makes! In place of all those wires and connections, there is one multipronged plug at the top of the back of the Duramax gauge cluster. Sweet!


Here the template is attached to the back of the new gauge cluster. You can see what is going need to be removed for the cluster to go into the expanded dash opening.

Here you see the original gauge cluster on the bottom, then the Duramax cluster, and then the template that I made that will guide the triming of the new cluster and the widening of the hole in the dash where it will be installed.

Here is a closeup of the right edge of the hole left from the removal of the original gauge cluster. To make room for the Duramax cluster, the right and left edges of the opening will need to be expanded almost to the edge of the air vents.

Another view of the future gauge cluster location.
Show Newest Photos First | Show Oldest Photos First379 Photos - Page : [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

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