1985: FrankenBurban 3/4 ton 4x4 grassroots hauler

[fidelity101]

fidelity101 submitted a new Build:

1985: FrankenBurban 3/4 ton 4x4 grassroots hauler

View attachment 230344 Long time lurker, first time poster.

I purchased this truck back in June of this year but here is the skinny:

85 3/4 ton suburban 4x4 heavy duty diesel chassis.
power plant is from a rusted out 87 or 89 3/4 ton gasser TBI v8 350 SBC with manual trans.

There is a lot of mystery from this truck, I purchased it off of my GF's family but I know the vehicle came from Texas sometime in the mid 2000's so it only had minor surface rust issues but a day of sanding followed by a day of bedliner took care of that.

Didn't have to to much to get it to run, gave it some fluids and a battery and it started right up!

I bought the truck to haul around my 86 rx7 rallycross car, I have a 20' car hauler (18' deck, 2' dovetail) and this is basically operation overkill but it fits plenty of equipment and I can sleep inside of it comfortably so I don't need to pay for a hotel.

Can't post photos yet due to the limits but I'll update this later:

here are the highlights:

14 bolt rear end, 8 lug all around
poly bushings for the leafsprings
NP208 T-case
350SBC TBI
hydraulic clutch master/slave
heavy duty diesel cooling system (radiator is waaaaay too big)
still retains the hydroboost system
parking brake works!
GM muncie SM465 (now with ZF-meritor tractor shift knob )
285/75/16 tires with healthy meat left, minimal wear and weathering
rear AC (possibly functional)
4.10 gears
remote mounted differential breathers (F&R)
sealed 7 way/4 way combo w/ hitch

Read more about this build here...

 

[fidelity101]

Here are some of the before shots:

 

[fidelity101]

the chassis is clean as all hell, I debadged it and filled the holes and began prepping it for paint, and then painted it, well roll on bedliner. it comes out much more even than brushing, also much faster.

I used muriatic acid on the hood and roof to get the rust off, brushed it on then let it sit for 20 minutes then power wash and brush it off.

that bare metal is after a few seconds of sanding, at the most...

works great but it is caustic as allllll hell, try not to breathe it, I used rubber gloves and a mask, You should do the same.

here is some general prep shots:

and here is it in paint!

now I just have to finish cleaning up the interior, I have swapped in another steering column, no more scary tilt issue while driving.

GF helping out

and viola!

 

[fidelity101]

There is ZERO rust on the floorboards and underneath in the wheel wells (aside from a small 4"x3" bolted on patch??? on the passenger front side) so yes there is another gallon of rustoleum bedliner on that to keep them that way.

some assembly on the dash, torn off the sagging headliner and sanded the fiberglass board and painted it with some latex matching blue paint with once again, a roller, did a little interior work recently.

I just hated the stock shift knob and I work for a tier 1 supplier to the big rig guys so I had to do this:

also, added a tach! the steering column was from an auto trans unit so once locking the shaft in park via zip ties I was able to pop out the shifter level and drill it out a bit and a tach fits nicely

Did recent tune up on it, plugs wires, cap rotor ran great until last week when I was ready to move it to take it to the local students to change all the drivetrain fluids and replace my oil pan gasket (roommate is a local auto tech center teacher, I just don't want to do these things lol) and now I cant get it started ( no crank ) diagnosis is suggesting ignition switch at this time so stay tuned.

The future plan is for an NV4500, I dislike only really able to go 60mph. very boring. I'f I'm gonna get 10mpg I want to at least be able to go 70 while towing.

Ideally I'd like to have a diesel put back in but that is alot more money and time that I have at this moment in time right now.

This is what it looks like as it stands now:

 

[magik235]

Great start. I will be following the progress.

 

[Deuling]

Sweet!

 

[fidelity101]

Great start. I will be following the progress.

Speaking of start, it doesn't...

I get no accy or ign voltage, I have a no crank issue. There is B+ 12.2v going to the ignition switch but I get .9v at the IGN and ACCY position on the switch.

no blown fuses either. I cleaned up the ground behind the dash. alt bracket, chassis thinking that was it but nope. This defies logic.

 

[fidelity101]

Fixed the power/starting issue so I decided to dink around on the truck some more. When I got it started from sitting for about 3 weeks a lot of oily smoke came out of the passenger side exhaust.
Compression is the following (only checked the passenger side bank)

cylinder 2 = 180psi
cylinder 4 = 32psi
cylinder 6 = 12psi
cylinder 8 = 182psi

Funny thing is, it starts and runs just fine, the oil is very gassy smelling though.

Next step is do a cylinder leakdown test, so now I'm looking at making sure I just need to do a simple fix or start a winter project.

From all the work I've been doing on it recently I noticed that the clutch master cylinder is leaking and the throw out bearing has been making some noise so removing seems like a great idea anyways, rock auto only wants 150 dollars for a sachs master/slave cylinder and clutch kit with shipping!

but if it comes out I don't think the tbi is going back in, my roommate has a mild cam, intake, quadrajet, distrib for it laying around.

and since all of that will be done, the exhaust is pretty ****ty so 100 dollars later and headers will go in.

Soooo it looks like my cheap truck may need several hundred dollars of stuff to be a champ again...

 

[454Sub]

The oil is gassy smelling because the cylinders 4 and 6 so far are kaput. Its just blowing the air/fuel into the crankcase because the rings cant hold it anymore. Or its possible you have a blown headgasket in between them 2 as they are connected. Check all them before you worry to much, you should change the oil though, as gas in the oil will wipe out bearings with a quickness.

And you can buy a plate that mounts on a carb intake that accepts a TBI body on top. Thats how I did my big block, cuz TBI intakes are weak so I went and found a highrise dual plane with bosses for multiport or multiport NOS and no EGR and slapped the adapter on it.

 

[fidelity101]

The oil is gassy smelling because the cylinders 4 and 6 so far are kaput. Its just blowing the air/fuel into the crankcase because the rings cant hold it anymore. Or its possible you have a blown headgasket in between them 2 as they are connected. Check all them before you worry to much, you should change the oil though, as gas in the oil will wipe out bearings with a quickness.

And you can buy a plate that mounts on a carb intake that accepts a TBI body on top. Thats how I did my big block, cuz TBI intakes are weak so I went and found a highrise dual plane with bosses for multiport or multiport NOS and no EGR and slapped the adapter on it.

Well I'm not getting coolant into the oil, but when I pulled the plugs out on those cylinders the threads were wet with oil. I'm really leaning towards rings are shot, I may pop the valve cover off and crank the engine and just see that the valves are moving on those cylinders.

I know they got adapters but there is alot of terrible aged wiring on this beast so I'm tempted to rewire it with carb setup, the manifold my roommate has is nice and neatly sandblasted/clear coated already. he said for 200 dollars I can have the carb, cam, distrib, manifold...

 

[454Sub]

I feel ya on the wiring, I had to do alot to mine. I hated the TBI at first, as my Sub was originally an 80 with a qjet on it. But I totalled it and bought my 91. After it was all said and done, i use carbs to hold my garage doors open in the wind now, the stalling, sputtering and hard starting are for the birds, my TBI has never gave me fits that I cant figure out with a little effort. And now I can flop mine on the doors, endo it on the bumper, or probably turn it turtle and its still going to start and run.

And worst to worst, you can always do a as I like to call hillbilly rebuild and just toss some rings in it, and some bearings and call it good. Rent a hone and hone out the cylinders yourself. You would have to have the heads done by a shop of course, but you can save a boatload of money doing most the work yourself. Just remember plastigage is your friend, mark everything, and time is also your friend.

And my manifold was powdercoated some like chrome almost and cleared and its so nice to not have to clean it, and it looks so good. I was surprised.

 

[fidelity101]

I feel ya on the wiring, I had to do alot to mine. I hated the TBI at first, as my Sub was originally an 80 with a qjet on it. But I totalled it and bought my 91. After it was all said and done, i use carbs to hold my garage doors open in the wind now, the stalling, sputtering and hard starting are for the birds, my TBI has never gave me fits that I cant figure out with a little effort. And now I can flop mine on the doors, endo it on the bumper, or probably turn it turtle and its still going to start and run.

And worst to worst, you can always do a as I like to call hillbilly rebuild and just toss some rings in it, and some bearings and call it good. Rent a hone and hone out the cylinders yourself. You would have to have the heads done by a shop of course, but you can save a boatload of money doing most the work yourself. Just remember plastigage is your friend, mark everything, and time is also your friend.

And my manifold was powdercoated some like chrome almost and cleared and its so nice to not have to clean it, and it looks so good. I was surprised.

Yeah my rx7 is carbed, I do like the EFI on the tow vehicle. no hassles. It works fine, sits most of the time anywas, I fear the carb to get gummed up or on the cold cold days of ice racing...

I'm not looking to make a power monster, just want it be reliable. I was thinking of just giving it a gasket set, a quick home, rings and bearings and call it a day lol. I gotta check on that cam my friend has otherwise I want to source an RV cam.

 

[fidelity101]

Okay tuns out its identical to the edlebrock performer, it has a 160 duration.

I'm thinking head gasket or rings, my throw out bearing is making noise and I'm really just tempted to have a winter project on this beast.

How do you guys remove the engines on these, with the whole trans and T-case attached or just the engine alone.

I just imagine lining the splines up on the trans to re-install the engine would be the hard part...

 

[82355]

I've removed them both ways. I generally just do the engine. Leave the TBI on there. You'll regret removing it later if you do.

Martin

 

[82355]

Also, what gears do you have? My 1988 V10 Suburban has 4.10's and I drive it 70 MPH with no problems.

Martin

 

[fidelity101]

Also, what gears do you have? My 1988 V10 Suburban has 4.10's and I drive it 70 MPH with no problems.

Martin

4.10s with 31" tires and top gear of 1:1

it will do 70mph it just seems like its screaming down the highway.

 

[82355]

Go with bigger tires. I have an SM465 as well.

Martin

 

[fidelity101]

Go with bigger tires. I have an SM465 as well.

Martin

That would be ideal, 33"s or 35"s my 31"s have lots of meat on them, they are practically new which makes me hesitant to give them up but they would be an easy sell however it looks like this is the list of things to do:

1. HVAC (blower motor and resistor)
2. Engine (plus a TBI spacer)
3. Clutch (mechanical and hydraulic)
4. Exhaust (headers and midpipe)
5. Tires
6. Windshield

 

[82355]

Here is my build thread for my 1988 V10 Suburban.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251067

It is fairly similar to what you currently have.

Martin

 

[fidelity101]

Here is my build thread for my 1988 V10 Suburban.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251067

It is fairly similar to what you currently have.

Martin

I like the build! I would love to a serp belt one of these days, I hate the GM belt whine!!! I swear mine is lifted, it seems to sit really high, even for a 3/4 ton. I know 33"s will fit but 35"s would tempt me...