It's not the thickness you are looking to improve upon. The small portion of weld is going to be sharing the load of a 700 lb engine bouncing and vibrating around. If that weld gives, your mounts are only supported in one plane (vertically). They will want to shift forward and rearward on every acceleration, brake, up or down hill motion from the truck. The square tube would be a much better design. I used 2" .25" wall square tube on mine (way overkill, but that's what I had laying around).
I'm not trying to bash your work, just keeping you from having to redo it after something breaks.

P.S. those aluminum mounts are way stronger than yours. They are a box design and aluminum has a higher weight to strength ratio than steel. The downfall of the mercedes mounts are the rubber parts, not the aluminum.

 

Well Getting those studs in was a #*$! but I may go back in and weld more in on that one since I torched a little too much out. I really wanted to run a truss in between but space didn't allow. I also wasn't going to go out and buy square tubing when I had a pallet full of this crap waiting to be used. The other thing, is the forces from the engine are going to be compressive in most cases, so the welds aren't going to see too high of shearing forces.

 

Looks good JOe. I just started pulling my MB motor out. I will keep reading though your thread. great job buddy

 

looks good joe i think that those motor mounts will hold up as log as those welds had good penetration it will be fine! cant wait to see a video of this thing on the road!!!! and what are u gonna do with the exhaust?? what size pipe, muffler no muffler and were is it going to???

 

Sorry for no updates. I've been taking pictures, just trying to use all my time so I can go to the Nebraska Diesel Show next Saturday (5 hour drive). Stayed up till 5 this morn and got back up at 9 lol. Long weekend! I couldn't find barbed 1" and 3/4" and 1 to 3/4" fittings, so I used hex hose fittings, hopefully they hold for the heater hose. I still have these things to figure out:

Fuel tank ventilation
Brake booster vacuum and vacuum solenoid shut off
Water temp sensor

With the radiator I chose, I can't run A/C, and I can't run the Merc power steering pump in it's stock location. Right now I have the Yota altnerator in the Merc alt location. I plan to make a lot of changes over the summer when I have free time. I want to upgrade to Merc power steering, GM alternator, re-mount my oil cooler and air tank, and make a cold air intake. My oil cooler's lines are way too low for my liking. And I'm just going to run without power steering for the time being.

5Runner- My exhaust won't be here till Wednesday unfortunately for me, so it's going to be a crunch to get it all done Wednesday. I will be running a 3" down pipe off a 97 PowerStroker, heat wrapped down past the starter, across the tranny, over the tranny x-member, heat wrapped by the oil cooler, and up the front driver's corner of the bed thru a 4" 11-gauge stack. All pipe will be 3", custom cut and welded without wasting money on bending the tube. I had to buy the down pipe just because it has to be mandrel bent and the exhaust shop here is retarded and can't make one. Straight pipe all the way, no muffler, and I'll be getting the stack powder coated flat black.

 

Pm me and I will set you up with a powersteering mount,motor mounts,throttle bracket and what ever hard parts I stock and whatever advise you need to finish. Been following your build and admire your drive and have been there before trying to juggle work,school and ride on limited funds and time.
Brian.

 

Well thanks guys for the comments. Definitely makes this more worth it. The throttle linkage and exhaust are the last things to fab after I get the radiator in tomorrow. Those are easy parts. Radiator sucks. It's sooooo tight. Just have a little wiring to finish up, and radiator hoses to fab up. Still need to figure out the damned water temp sending units, too. It should theoretically get fired up tomorrow evening.

Bought a stack today. 5" 11 gauge (1/8") steel tubing, 40" length for $44. Gonna cut and weld it like a CAT stack, and then send it to the powder coater asap. Gonna look sweeeet

 

So you're gonna have a tractor exhaust stack on that beast?...
I think they have a name for that condition... it's called "tractor envy"...

 

Good thing the lady friend has daisy dukes. Definitely gonna ask her!

And thought it was long over due. Never fun working when you can't find any tools....

Before:



After:

 

I still can't find no tools just a bunch of empty lookin' store display trays in the lower left...
yer supposed to recycle them thangs [er at least gets rid of tha' thieven' evidence] where after you's got them wrenches home and in 'ter tool box drawers... [doin' mah best teh rights in farm buoy fer yeh so as it's easy yeh to unnerstand]

I slay me when I'm isomniac...

 

Okay, finally got the urge to put pics up. Welding gas comes to town tomorrow so hopefully my truck will be driveable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gotta do the radiator bracket, throttle linkage, figure out something for the brake booster and vacuum system, hood pins, and radiator hoses. Not to bad? Still gotta finish wiring on Thursday, too.

A heat engine i designed for thermodynamics class



Oil cooler



Adapted oil fittings I made (Hope they hold )



Heater hose cluster F*



And spent an hour and a half tonite makin a switch panel to match the truck for my ARB switches. Woulda got the compressor switch but $20 for a switch is highway robbery!!






lol aviator, I'm surprised you didn't comment on the busch light. That was actually a "trash can" for the night lol. And I'm sleep deprivin right here with ya

 

that could be one of the better arb switch plates i have seen in a really long time! and for the exhaust that is gonna sound sick i want to do the same thing!!!

 

Okay I got an urgent question. The wiring to my alternator, what does the black wire with the "O" end on it bolt down to? I wrote "GROUND" on the tape that I wrapped on it, but without a picture, I'm stumped. Does it bolt to the alternator or did it attach to the block or what? I'm extending my alternator wiring harness using 8 and 10 awg wire, but the terminal for the black cable is HUGE. My chilton's shows the small red, and thick white and yellow wires, but nothing shows the black wire.

Just a few small things to button up and she should be running tomorrow! Just gonna run with the down pipe till I get my stack welded and powder coated.

 

sorry for the not so helpful response but i just ran out side and put my meter on it and mine dose not have continuity with the ground or power wire so it goes to the computer i guess but i am running of to work i would google toyota altnater wiring

 

you didn't happen to see where the wire bolts down to did you?

thanks

 

yes the metal "o" connetor bolts to the a post on the top of the alternator but don't know were the other end goes to

 

So the big thick white wire with the rubber grommet and the thick black one both bolt onto the same spot on the alternator?

 

No just the white one goes to the post on the alt. There is a ground that goes to the power steering bracket if there was a 22re in there it just needs to be grounded for the harness that's left but post a pic up here to be sure

 

yes what he said ^^^^

 

I'll get a BUNCH of pics up tomorrow, including the alternator one. I'll try to do it early in the morn.

Got the radiator hoses ran tonite finally. Used exhaust reducers for the conversion pipe between 1 3/4" and the Merc 1 3/8". I'll give the full update tomorrow. It should include a video of the truck going around the block