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  • #31
    bitter experience speaking here.... the red coolant, if not changed, will plug coolant passages then allow the cylinder to crack. You may wish to have the bores checked for cracks.
    Doing it all wrong since 1966

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    • #32
      Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
      bitter experience speaking here.... the red coolant, if not changed, will plug coolant passages then allow the cylinder to crack. You may wish to have the bores checked for cracks.
      I don't think the * block * is cracked.... it also didn't have dexcool in it when I tore it down.


      I somehow didn't see this when I was messing with the engine the other night...



      that explains "Low compression on one cylinder" kinda a bummer as this is a forged piston, and the other 454 has cast pistons. hopefully the other one has flat top pistons as well, this engine only has 9.4:1 compression from the factory, I would rather not go much lower than that.

      I'm considering putting a cam in it, but it snowballs really quick doing that, as the stock valvetrain is non adjustable, and will require conversion studs, rocker nuts, and valve springs. it very quickly becomes a $600-700 ticket, I have heard that a cam makes a big difference in these engines though, even increasing fuel mileage a little bit. I wouldn't mind putting a set of tri-y headers on it as well, but that gets stupid expensive really quick.

      I am going to start compiling a list of things I need/need to do to complete the chassis swap, my plan right now is to completely "restore" the DMAX chassis, even blasting and painting the frame. if anyone has frame measurements for either a 2004 Chevy Silverado, or for a 1986 Chevy Suburban, I'm very interested in them so that I can start working out a plan for the new body mounts.

      https://www.amazon.com/Magnet-Paint-...hvpos=&hvnetw= g&hvrand=16400798791715015593&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hv qm t=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010718&h v targid=pla-571486147428&psc=1
      "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

      1985 Pontiac Fiero, 3.5 V6 turbo, 5 speed
      1988 Suburban, 350 TBI 700r4, 4x4
      2006 2500 HD 6.0 4x4

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      • #33
        So that's where that screw went! OUCH!
        A.K.A. Brian
        Jack of many trades-master of none

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        • #34
          Clean the exhaust crossover from head to head thru the intake. I half-assed the head side since I was putting a baffle/plug on my intake crossover. Carbon built up and stopped the pushrod from turning.
          Aaron pooh pahed when I say I got noticeable gains when I added cam, intake and headers on my flatbed. Granted I run a small block..

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          • #35
            Originally posted by Deaf Bob View Post
            Clean the exhaust crossover from head to head thru the intake. I half-assed the head side since I was putting a baffle/plug on my intake crossover. Carbon built up and stopped the pushrod from turning.
            Aaron pooh pahed when I say I got noticeable gains when I added cam, intake and headers on my flatbed. Granted I run a small block..
            I decided against putting a cam in it for now, it's about 1K more between all the little things I would need to do it, and i don't really need it.

            The Vortec heads don't have a heat riser crossover, so I don't have one to clean out!
            "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

            1985 Pontiac Fiero, 3.5 V6 turbo, 5 speed
            1988 Suburban, 350 TBI 700r4, 4x4
            2006 2500 HD 6.0 4x4

            Comment


            • #36
              been a while since I discussed this truck... lots of things have changed.

              I did a ton of soul searching, and decided to keep it a small block, the big block would be absolutely glorious, but it also is heavier, and will most certainly get abysmal fuel mileage. I intended on keeping it stock for a long while, but then something happened... I was browsing marketplace, and stumbled upon a Vortec TBI intake manifold, heads, and a spare long block for a song. I messaged the dude, and he said it was sold already... bummer. but it got me thinking,"engine masters" dynoed a 350 just like mine, and then added vortec heads and a cam, and picked up something like 130 HP....that would be a massive improvement on what I have... bummer that the parts sold, but whatever.

              the next day I mentioned it to my dad, he says "my old truck has a vortec 350, it ran ok, the rest of the truck is junk, want it?"



              hell yeah I want it! so I pulled it! I took the engine, transmission, wiring harness, and everything! I even took stuff like the windshield washer jug, because it looked like it might fit nicely.



              once I was home with it, I pulled it apart, and found the valley and under the valve covers really clean, and all 8 spark plugs were also clean.





              then, old dude with the intake messaged me again and said the buyer backed out... well, needless to say, I now have two sets of vortec heads, and a proper TBI intake for them! rad! The intake was listed as an edlebrock, I opened the box when I bought it, and it was clearly a TBI vortec intake, and didn't think much of it, got home, and noticed the part number on the box was a carb intake... pull the intake out of the box, and it's a GMPP intake not an edlebrock... some quick research, and most of the people I talked to said that intake is preferred to the edlebrock... SCORE. I got the intake and a set of heads that appear to be fresh from a machine shop, for less than the price of the intake...

              I already had a gasket set, among a bunch of other parts, so now it begins... I made a few decisions that I feel were intelligent enough,

              I bought a cam, (Summit 8802) and springs and retainers, the springs are beehive style, and allow for up to .540 lift without machining the heads. I also picked up a timing set.

              I want to install the 4L80e eventually, Unfortunately, the EBL flash computer I have for it, won't control it, and I'd rather not control it standalone, but the L31 out of dad's truck has provisions for a crank position sensor, so I bought a 24x wheel to install so that when I go to install the 4L80e, I'll convert to SFI and run it as if it were an LS1. The wheel is from EFI connection



              I haven't made a decision on which intake I would run, but the stock Vortec intake isn't out of the question.

              I also picked up a set of shorty headers for it, I didn't want long tubes, even though they would make more low end torque, because they're a little more difficult to make a y pipe for, I want to keep a single exhaust on this truck, and try and keep it relatively quiet.

              I'm super stoked at what's in store here, I don't think 100+hp gain is out of the question, along with some reliability gains, the engine will now have a roller cam, and a serpentine belt drive.

              in other news, earlier today, I was again browsing marketplace, and I found something I've been hunting for a while, I finally found a Dana 60 front axle, it's more than I wanted to spend, but it gets me a step closer to having a completely bulletproof drivetrain.




              it is a dually axle, so I'll either need to machine the hubs down, OR but a set of Yukon hubs, I'm still debating which one to go with. I plan to build this axle very carefully, I would love to install a ARB air locker, GMT800 disc brakes, and maybe some hardcore axle shafts. I also have a 14 bolt Full floater in my other suburban, I would like to pull it, install GMT 800 brakes on that axle, 410's, and a ARB air locker. I don't plan to install the axles, until I'm ready to install the 4L80e, and I don't plan to do that, until I have the NP203/205 doubler built and ready to install, that way I don't end up buying driveshafts multiple times.

              The next part of the question for the axles, is how do want to install them? one half of me says "that's easy idiot, it's on leaf springs." the other half is thinking I kinda want to pull a page out of Dirthead Dave's book, and run airbags on it, since I have the CNC plasma table running, I could make brackets and what not easily enough, but right now, that's all bench racing... I do want to add ram assisted steering to it either way though, I found in a couple of my off road trips, it gets impossible to turn at times.

              I think thats all I have to add right now, but hopefully I can get the engine thrown together next week, and maybe even in the truck.
              "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

              1985 Pontiac Fiero, 3.5 V6 turbo, 5 speed
              1988 Suburban, 350 TBI 700r4, 4x4
              2006 2500 HD 6.0 4x4

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              • #37
                Wow, sounds like your Universe has aligned.

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                • #38
                  hard to tell from the picture, but that transmission looks like a 4L60e. 4 bolt rear flange... 4L80e has 6 bolts... also the output shaft is 27 spline instead of 32 spline.
                  in good news? you just have to unbolt the extension on the dana 60 and it will be right. one thing you may have to change are the studs because the dually studs are really short on the front.
                  Last edited by SuperBuickGuy; February 19, 2023, 07:45 AM.
                  Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                  • #39


                    Originally posted by Monster View Post
                    Wow, sounds like your Universe has aligned.

                    some parts fell into my lap... lol! I'm pretty excited, the vortec 350 will make turning 35's alot easier.

                    Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
                    hard to tell from the picture, but that transmission looks like a 4L60e. 4 bolt rear flange... 4L80e has 6 bolts... also the output shaft is 27 spline instead of 32 spline.
                    in good news? you just have to unbolt the extension on the dana 60 and it will be right. one thing you may have to change are the studs because the dually studs are really short on the front.
                    the extension is part of the hub on this Dana 60, it will have to be machined off, or replaced with a set of SRW hubs,

                    the picture must be deceiving you then. because it is definitely an 80e, I wouldn't have bothered hauling it home if it was a 60e, because that's no stronger than my 700r4.
                    "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

                    1985 Pontiac Fiero, 3.5 V6 turbo, 5 speed
                    1988 Suburban, 350 TBI 700r4, 4x4
                    2006 2500 HD 6.0 4x4

                    Comment

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