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1990 Big Blue 'Burb, or the Albatross

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Metalhead47

Metalhead47

1/2 ton status
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Nov 30, 2007
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Whidbey Island, WA
Metalhead47 submitted a new Build:

1990 Big Blue 'Burb, or the Albatross

At some point in the distant past this project went over the line from "simple engine swap" to "actual build up," so as long as there's a dedicated subforum for it I might as well stick it up here.

So a little background on this rig:

1990 3/4 ton 4x Suburban, 225k or so miles, originally with a 350.

Bought it back in November '07 when I thought I was going to be practically living out of it a day or two a week. Have always loved this generation of Chevy truck, the body style, the dash board, the size. The 87-91 'Burbs & Blazers got a few of the more modern niceties like simple fuel injection (I hate carbs). I needed something cheap, roomy enough to live in, comfortable to drive 100 miles in the middle of the night, and easy to fix. I still love my lil Samurai but it only meet the first & last of those :whistle:
Picked the rig up for about $2400, mostly financed, thru a local "we approve everyone!" dealer.

Trouble followed quicky.

Knew it had a few issues I'd have to deal with (the dealer just replaced the cracked windshield), but I thought they were minor. Not even a week after I brought it home, the tranny went out. Fortunately, it went out only a mile from the start of my 100 mile middle-of-the-night drive, so I was able to limp it back home. Barely. Long story short, the dealer did replace the tranny at no cost to me, but I got stuck with a replacement TH400 when I would have preferred a 700r4 since it was being replaced any way. That took a good couple of months, finally get it home, put it up on stand & pull the wheels for a thorough going over... and discover the ENTIRE brake system is completely shot. A leaky master cylinder that some DPO didn't fix caused the rear brakes to stop working, making the front take the whole load... which quickly wore right through the brake pads, which was also ignored. Once I got the wheels off, the rotors would have given any self-respecting gearhead nightmares. The back drums were torn to pieces too.

So the rig sits in my shop for another 6 months while I replace the brake system one part at a time. End up replacing everything but the hardlines, rear disc swap, drilled & slotted rotors all the way around, braided stainless lines, and everything new or a good-quality rebuild.

Take it on a couple short test drives, then one day on the road I hear a really weird knocking from the engine. It was the sound a broken rod makes when it slaps against the cylinder wall. Near as...
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Read more about this build here...

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Cool build, interested in seeing how your 350 to 6.2 swap works out. My 89 burb has been sitting for a year with a broken rod as well. I have been dragging my feet to rebuild the 350 cause I really want a diesel in it.
 
eclipse85k10 said:
Cool build, interested in seeing how your 350 to 6.2 swap works out. My 89 burb has been sitting for a year with a broken rod as well. I have been dragging my feet to rebuild the 350 cause I really want a diesel in it.
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As I understand it, the 6.2 swap is about the easiest diesel swap you can do with one of these rigs, since it was a factory engine. You just don't get that much power out of it, but still get the long life & fuel economy. Turbo should help with the power, the donor rig felt at least as strong as the tired 350 before it went. Cummins swaps can be done too but the workload goes way up then.
 
Update: After like two years I think the axle is back under the truck! Man what a minor thing to feel like an accomplishment. :rolleyes:


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Update photos! After years now the axle's back under the truck. Shown is the Blue Torch Fab diff cover & ORD shackle hangers. I figured drilling the rivets out would be easier than drilling the ancient rock-hard bushings out. I was right, since I got my wife to do it :D

Spent a little extra effort today to get the first Reid Racing knuckle semi-mounted, just for bragging rights. :pimp: Need to do some reading on the balljoints tho, the lower one is spinning when I try to turn the nut, and that special tool for setting the preload on the upper that I ordered way back when I first pulled the axle... has of course gone missing.

And behold in awe my gorilla welding on the frame brace :weld:

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Geeze has it really been two months since I posted that?

Well after many YEARS now, the rig is back on its wheels and even moved a whole five feet! :D

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ORD steering arms & tie rod. This stuff is BEEFY!

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I've been cut back to part time at work so this is probably the last time I'll get to futz around with the 'Burb for a while. Had to use my tax refund on a little side project to get SOMEthing with four wheels actually running again

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But the Burb DOES actually have an engine "in" it now! :haha:

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