rooster18

I've had this truck for a little over 8 years now. I got it in stock form from one of my best friends in high school. The truck has been through several stages, but unfortunately has been sitting for the past few years while I've been in school. Now I have it here in Oxford and time to get it finished. I have a 6.0 lq4 and an iron block 5.3 (haven't decided which to use yet) the harness and computer came out of a wrecked 2000 z71 Silverado donor I bought for $800. Transmission is a 4l60e out of the donor and the t-case is an np208. I'll be using HPtuners.

The goal for this truck is a clean swap on 35-37s that is comfortable enough to take a girl to the lake in. (These Ole Miss girls don't think my deuce is as romantic as I do) I'd like to try and retain a/c, but am just trying to get it under its own power again at this point

Here's a stock pic



the Ramsey8000 died that day. Think I'm going to rebuild it. Idk



Shortly after that I got a 5" rough country kit and some 35" pro-comp mts. I rode it like this for a bit and had a lot of fun.





My best friend Bryce owned the Whit truck. Someone semi local owns it now. Couldnt say who.



After a few months with this setup I got a screamin deal on a set of 39.5 boggers. A friend offered to buy my 35's and as soon as he gave me the money see swapped them out. In came a 3" body lift to fit the 39.5s.



I soon realized that the cranked torsion bars weren't going to cut it. Next up was a solid axle swap.

rooster18

So in the shop she went. Pulled out the torch and got to cutting.



A budy of mine had an 84 model parts truck and traded me the front axle, springs (I think they're 3"), and steering for a new Honda foreman rear axle. I couldn't argue with that. Got it in and new high steer installed. Stainless brake lines, new rotors, bearings, and seals. Lockouts need new guts, impatient me f'd them up taking them apart. Springs were already broken anyways, but I've lost the internals since then. Been so long hey might be in the hubs for all I know lol



A several months later I spun a bearing in the 3slow and back in the shop she went. I pulled the 3vze to make room for a 355 sbc/700r4np208 combo. Sold that setup before I ever got it running. Got into street cars/drag racing. Sold my Camaro after I got in some trouble in junior college and started collecting parts to do my lsx swap. This has been 4 years ago, now I finally have it at my house and time/parts/money to work on it. This is how it sits today.



Just pulled engine to move engine mounts. They were only tacked in. The body lift is going to get cut down from 3" to either 2" or 1.75". The smallest I can get away with.



Plans are to reinforce the frame with a from the front most body mount of the cab forward. I'll remove the shock hoops to do this. If I have clearance I'd like to make a brace over the intake manifold from shock hoop to shock hoop.



Here's the front axle and high steer. It came with that nifty little skid plate. I somehow managed to find the matching one for the rear axle. I don't know if I'll keep them once I do the u-bolt flip kits.

rooster18

The rear suspension is getting a rework. Getting rid of those death trap shackles and going with 63" Chevys from the donor Silverado with maybe an add a leaf. We'll see how it sits w/o first. I like the kit from sky manufacturing.



Here's about half the crap I have accumulated for this thing. I bought a set of front and rear chromoly axles and birfields. The rears are for pre 1989 models and are too narrow for my axle. If anyone wants the, I'll make a killer deal.



And here's the engine compartment. Oh so ugly right now.



I'm in the process of cutting apart the stock harness and rep inning the connectors. I have to find out which wires and where in the dash to connect the tach, oil pressure, check engine light, a/c, battery voltage etc.

One concern of mine was power to the lights and radio. I disconnected the 3 ECU plugs and the 2 plugs in the harness behind the PCM and removed the engine harness. All of the lights, blinkers, flashers, door buzzer, interior lights, and radio work correctly. I forgot to try the a/c blower fan and windshield wipers when I had the jump box hooked up.

Will the gauge wires I'm looking for be located in one of the harness plugs or ECU plugs???

rooster18

Cut the body lift down to 1 7/8"



Got grade 8 hardware for the cab



Everything tightened back down. If I can come down anymore once I get the drivetrain in I will.



These two broken manifold bolts ca,e out pretty easy with some vice grips



This one not so much. Broke an easy out off inside the bolt, now my drill bit goes every which direction but right. Guess it's off with the head and a trip to the machine shop this is before pic. Too mad to take after pic

88ECToy

iTrader: (1)

PBBlaster is your best friend when it comes to rusted fasteners. Good thread, keep it coming.

Ben Feral Selinger

How's your clearance? I just started fitting the 5.3 into my 85 runner. Motor is sitting with a 2x3 between the block and stock frame mount on each side, so it's low enough to clear the hood without any body lift, but the passenger valve cover is butted up against the firewall bubble (hvac?) and the drivers side has the steering res almost touching the steering box. With this placement, I've only got about 1.5" between the front of the fan pulley to where the front of the rad would sit in stock location, so can't fit a 2" thick rad in at all, let alone get a puller fan behind it.
I've seen a few pictures of other guys builds and they seem to have enough room for a 2" thick rad plus a 2-3" thick puller fan in the stock location, but no one ever talks about where they're mounting stuff.

rooster18

I know the pain. I've searched and searched and come up with a few vague descriptions. I just moved the mounts forward a bit over the weekend to get more adjustability out of my mounts. I ditched the ac compressor in the stock location. With it there my passenger side mount had zero adjustment. I was also butted up against the hump in the pass side firewall. The reservoir is close to the box, maybe .5" like you said, can't remember off the top of my head.

I like where it is sitting now, still have to tuck it back. Truck manifolds wouldn't fit. I've got a set from my camaro I'm thinking/hoping will work.

Also swapped the truck oil pan for an f-body pan today. Much more clearance! Looking at the improved racing fbody oil pan baffle to put in it. That won't come until it's driving though.

I'll try and get some pics tomorrow if the sun is still up. I haven't tested intake/hood clearance yet so I'm a little anxious.

ADD UPDATE: I did some swapping with the 6.0, so the 5.3 is now in the truck.

Ben Feral Selinger

I've already got my motor in. Just about ready for a test run actually. Just pulled the body off (hopefully for the last time) to finish all my welds and build some new motor mounts. I banged out the hump in the firewall for now. When I get a new body, I'll cut it out properly and weld in some new sheet.
I've got about 2" clearance from the stock rad to the water pump pulley. Not enough room for any puller fan I know of. Not sure what i'm going to do about that yet.
I used the same headers I've used for two other builds. I cut off the flange as the flange ring was right into the frame. I'll either notch the frame for clearance, or just extend the original header and tuck it in real tight. Should all fit, but I'll have to re-locate the brake and fuel lines, as they'd be way too hot.

Headers:
And my build, if you're interested in following along.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f198...thread-294446/ -not updating this thread as often as I should.

Long short, motor is fitted. Using the GM PDC so the motor is already wired up. Just need to tie the lights and stuff into the GM PDC. 9.5 front axle flipped driver drop, cut and spun, and pointed. Rear 9.5 got hybridized with some mini tubes, centered. 5.29's and lockers installed. 300m shafts up front with the six shooters. Axles are ready for oil. Chopped one rear fender out and rebuilt for 4-5" more clearance to fit the 40's.
I just pulled the frame back out to clean up the engine, replace all the seals, swap to an NP243 case (cause didn't feel like building a linkage for a 241 when I'll probably end up doing a 205 later). Waiting on a walbro inline 255lph pump, and my trans fittings should be in tomorrow, so I should probably have it running by the end of the week.

rooster18

Took some pics today. I'll check out those headers. I used a set of flowtecs for a 1st gen camaro when I was doing the conventional small block chevy and they fit perfect. $130 from advanced auto.

I'll also have to relocate my brake lines I think. Picking up a fuel cell this week, already have a Waldron 255 inline ready and waiting. Ordering hp tuners this week as well, and if the pocket isn't hurting too bad the ideal 63" chevy spring swap kit from ruff stuff.

Engine is slightly crooked right now. Engine mounts haven't been adjusted yet. I still have to go back with it about an inch +





Clearance for ps pump and steering box. Should increase slightly when engine moves back



I think hood clearance is good

Ben Feral Selinger

Daaamn. I was all confused about how you go the motor so low and far back, but I guess I missed your body lift. No such luck for me. One hockey puck lift for me, so it's REAL ˟˟˟˟˟˟˟ tight.

rooster18

Yeah, initially 3". Now cut down to 1 7/8". Wouldn't mind coming down another inch, but I'm gonna finish it out like it is. Maybe it can come down more later. Hope to have the harness done early next week. Sisters HS graduation this weekend so I'll be away for a couple days.

Sold a bunch of parts from the donor truck today, so I'll be giving ruff stuff a call tomorrow.

rooster18

Here's a pic I took of the donor truck right after the guy I bought it from flipped it. Wanna try and pick out the previous owner?

Ben Feral Selinger

I've no idea if my body is going to fit on top again now. Pulled body to do proper motor mounts, but motor shifted while I was mocking up, and I was way too lazy to put the body back on to check, and I know I have less than 1/2" wiggle room (motor could come forward 1/2", but was tight against the FW, so if it moved back, I'll have a lot more work to do )

88ECToy

iTrader: (1)

His biggest disappointment was probably the wasted beer poured out on the ground…

Your steering gearbox clearance worked out a lot better than mine, one big headache you won't contend with.

rooster18

Stabbed the transmission last night. Slowly but surely working on the wiring harness. Hopefully getting the correct tcase adapter next week for 4l60e to np208. 3 exh manifold bolts are broken off in the heads, so that will have to be addressed. I'm leaving at the end of this month for a job that's supposed to last a little over a year so my time with the truck is drawing to an end for now :'( Right when I got rolling on it I'm being jerked away. Seems like I'll never finish this dang thing. Hope to have all but driveshafts and exhaust finished before I leave.

Oh, and I got my ideal 63" Chevy swap kit in from ruff stuff with 6" shackles and gusseted Shock mounts. Great quality kit. It will also be in before I leave.

rooster18

Got to work some more at 4 this afternoon. Finished mockup on the 63" Chevy swap today. 3rd gen rear hanger location is impossible to find on the net. Searched and searched.

Started out at 4" eye to eye of factory rear hanger, this put my rear 6" shackle at too high of an angle. Can't remember the angle. Second attempt I had to measure from rear of frame to rear of ruff stuff spring hanger. At 6.5" from rear of frame to hanger (not the eye) it had my angle at 33 degrees. Too flat for my liking. Third attempt I was 4.25" from rear of frame to hanger, and this had my angle at 57 degrees. I am liking the look of it there, I believe it will settle some after driving.

Was shooting for 45 degrees, but time got away from me and I was beat so decided to call it. If I need to adjust it later I will, but going to give it a try where it is. I'll try and get some pics tomorrow if I get home early enough.