ROCKCRAWLER - EZ Rhino - Casting out Satan

Casting Out Satan
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By, EZ Rhino

EZ Rhino - Casting Out Satan - Part II

Shifting Duties

Shifter, cable and boot.

Installed

Extending the transfer case shift lever was necessary for it to protrude through the floor in the same location as stock.

After a lot of thought and checking and rechecking my wallet, I decided on a simple, no frills shifter from B&M. It is the Unimatic model, and has a reverse lockout to prevent overshifts into reverse. It also features a neutral safety switch, which still remains unwired. I've decided neutral safety switches are for the same people that mistake the gas for the brake.

Anyway, it installed smoothly. I needed to do a bit of trimming to the floor cover, but other than that, it went well. I found that some sheet metal and some good shears are very helpful in a project like this. I've also developed a good working relationship with self-tapping screws.

Cooling the Dragon

Luckily, I already had an aluminum radiator with the inlet/outlets on the correct sides. After a couple trips to local parts shops, I found a hose that was the correct size.

At first, I used my previous electric fan to cool the engine, then graduated to a real fan. Here, you can see the template cut-out for the fan shroud.

Of all the stuff we hear about how to cool a V8, let me tell you that this combo really works. My radiator is a Howe unit from Summit racing, and I have a 6 blade clutch fan from my good friend Brian. (Thanks BC!) Around town, it's hard to get the temp above 190 or so. On a recent trail ride in Vernal Utah, it ran warmer, about 210-215. It was about 95 degrees outside that day. A shroud is your best friend! So is your best friend that helps you build the shroud (thanks Paul!!).

Here's a nice shot of the shroud and engine-driven fan.

A ten inch fan and a medium-sized transmission cooler help keep the 700r4 cool.

To keep the transmission cool, I use two coolers. The first, mounted in the engine compartment, is about 8" by 10" or so, and has a ten inch fan mounted on it. Soon, I will remount this cooler elsewhere to improve airflow. The second is a smaller cooler mounted in front of the radiator. The two seem to be adequate. I have a temp gauge on the transmission to monitor the temp.

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