The Pig Rig

[ejs262]

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.

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.

[SuperBuickGuy]

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.

[Monster]

Wow, sounds like your Universe has aligned.

[ejs262]

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

https://www.eficonnection.com/home/category/engine-hardware/crank-and-cam-signal-kits/efi-24x-product-line/efi-24x-sbc

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.

[ejs262]

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!

[Deaf Bob]

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..

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

So that's where that screw went! OUCH!

[ejs262]

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

[SuperBuickGuy]

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.

[ejs262]

when I got off work this morning, I spent some time taking apart the L21 454. I got the heads and oil pan off, and did a bunch of cleanup.

the valve covers and valley were both pretty clean, I think the underside of the valve covers was cleaned recently. the valley is clean with typical residue.







flat top pistons.



and now some of the ugly... looks like coolant and oil, interestingly, some oil came out of one of the galleries when I rotated the stand over, it wasn't nasty, which is a good sign. none of the rod bearings had noticeable play.



looks like the valve seals were failing, there were some small, soft pieces in the pan/pickup.





I had picked up a new oil pan the same day I picked the L21 up, I'm glad I did, this probably wouldn't fit in the truck.



there was a significant amount of nasty goop in the water jackets. I cleaned it out, and everything I can see looks good, I imagine this engine had dexcool in it, but this didn't look like the dexcool sludge I'd seen in the past.

The bores looked ok, a little glassy, but ok, no ring ridge. the engine supposedly had low compression on one cylinder, if that's the case, it would lead me to believe it's an issue with a head, or head gasket, and not the bottom end. I'll probably pop a main and rod cap tomorrow and make a more comprehensive assessment of the bottom end tomorrow.

[ejs262]

I really should not be left unsupervised.... in the past month, I bought 2 more big blocks, and an LBZ Duramax... my plan right now, is to get the truck running with one of the 454's, and drive it a bit. Next step was going to be to put the duramax together, and make a plan to install it in place of the big block... I have on the way, or already at the house or on the way, about 90% of the parts to make the 454 EFI and OBD2, if I was feeling frisky I could even make it emissions compliant...

The LBZ was purchased more or less as a core, but it came with almost everything to make it a running engine



if you're still reading, you'll notice I said "was going to be" not is....

I did a dumb thing and snagged this up cheap. it runs, and drives. Mechanically, it's a complete chassis, the body, or whats left of it is pretty junky. My current plan is to pull the cab and body off, shorten the wheelbase, put a stock suburban tank in the back, and then put the "new" suburban body on the new chassis. Eventually, I'll rebuild the LBZ, and then put it in place of the LB7, and try and find the parts to swap the allision over from a 5 speed, to a 6 speed, which should help with economy. I need to find a manual shift transfer case, I don't expect it to be too hard, I think I already know where two are. I'm still planning on putting one of the 454's together, so I can get the truck driving, then once I move forward with the chassis swap, the OG Pig will get the 454, as well as a 4L80e.






I lined up the front wheels of the OG Pig with the new chassis donor.





you can see here the rear wheels of the donor are further back, I'll need to shorten the chassis to fit, or at least the wheelbase. it's making me rethink quadrasteer again, but I think that will be a longer term project.

[Captain]

Love Road Trip Adventures !!!
I don't have anything that long for next year, but the Calendar is filling up for 2022.
This last summer, took a 2 week tour, 1437 mile, around Lake Michigan trip in the Indy Racer Project. (Posted a daily journal, Concours De Lemons Trip, here on BS)

[Dan Barlow]

Nice update . Congrats on the move and warmer temps . The new bulb as well .

[ejs262]

Ages ago, I picked up a set of L98 heads for the Pig, they're still untouched. it's been a while since I posted on here, I've been busy. I moved back to the east coast-ish, I'm near Augusta Georgia now, and you bet the Pig made the trip like a champ!



it's been a wild few years with this beast, this map gives an idea of how far I've driven it, to say "over the mountains and through the woods" is a bit of an understatement. this map only connects the extreme points.



I've been keeping my eyes out for a replacement pig, I went with a buddy to the junkyard to pull a tree fiddy jaun for another buddy's F150, after a couple hours we had it out of the church van, and in his minty good 97 F350. On the way back, we stopped for lunch, and while sitting there, he says "My dad is crazy, he wants me to buy this old suburban" this of course, raise my eyebrows and caught my attention. he hands me the phone:




next thing I know...



now, I have a matching pair, one 2wd 3/4 ton, one 4x4 1/2 ton.



the "New" suburban is minty, with the exception of some surface rust on the roof and hood, and a knocking 454. I've got another 454 that I'm going to clean up and throw in it, then I'll fix this 454, and fix the OG Pig Rig's lack of power problem with it.

There's also a pair of Duramax's hidden near me...

[SuperBuickGuy]

as I said, ymmv. Point remains that you'll only use the longblock. With mine the middle cam bearings were shot - I thought it was a low-oil-pressure problem because of the miles... nope. Had I left the oil pressure issue, it wouldn't have lasted another 50k.

and the reason I have an answer to all you say.. I thought the same thing... but as I said, you could do far better and this is my hope for you.

when you're looking for a motor - be sure to pull the valve cover and check for loose rockers, these motors had issues with the roller lifter failing. My H3 ran just fine, but the guy who bought it from me confirmed it really was a lifter rattle that was source of issues... the 6.0 as well had a couple suspect lifters....