79' GMC C15 - Spruce Caboose

[bix]

Look’n good!

Good updates man!

Thanks ! It's amazing what spending 8 hours a day in the shop will accomplish. Not having a vehicle to go get anything has been a bit tricky at times but I'm making due with what I got.


Turns out I may not be able to run these 15x8 rallies. I could use wheel spacers.. not sure what route to go but I don't want to cut my control arms at full lock to lock steering.




Drilled out the rivets for the motor mounts , I bought some energy suspension ones that are a bit beefier and fit in the stock mounts. The Ls mounts I got are from ict billet and they will let me re use the entire stock motor mount.



Also started tearing into the front core support. I was happy to find out I didn't need to patch any of the bottom with a donor support/fabricate anything for it. It's pretty pitted but solid for sure. I think it'll be just fine.

 

[bix]

Tinkered some more today but nothing too exciting. Put a final coat on the front of the frame. Threw a coat on the motor mounts because they showed up. Summit notified me the comp cams kit ( afm delete ) is no longer available so I opted for the summit brand one, which should be fine. So that's shipped now with the cam, springs ect.. finally. I also ordered up a new dip stick tube since I ruined the stock one as it broke off in the block, motor mounts brackets, some billet coil mounting brackets, new body mounts, and some braided brake lines for the front.



Also had a small hole in the passenger side floor. As most are once I started digging into it it turned out to be pretty crusty between the floor and the secondary piece of reinforment steel. So I cut back until I found solid steel again . Por 15'd the cab support inner, made a template for the secondary support. I'll weld that in and then weld the floor back in as it was stock. I ended up drilling through the spot welds so I'll have some big holes to fill but ya live and learn.




Still trying to figure out good temp lighting until I can invest money in good lighting. Gonna do some work for a buddy of mine next week. Hopefully get some cash to buy a hot water tank, pump and get the heated floors rolling because it's starting to get pretty cold in there and there's alot of work to do while laying on the floor.

 

[bix]

Stumbled upon this gem today. It's got one crack in the speaker vents but compared to mine its mint and also the price was right at 50 bucks. These are like hens teeth around these parts.

 

[max 02]

Stumbled upon this gem today. It's got one crack in the speaker vents but compared to mine its mint and also the price was right at 50 bucks. These are like hens teeth around these parts.

View attachment 358430 View attachment 358431 View attachment 358432

Awesome!

 

[GWeakland620]

Very nice!

 

[bix]

Summit santa came today when I got home.
Couldn't resist throwing a couple pieces at it that didn't have to be done too carefully.

 

[bix]

I have front and rear main seals on order along with a new timing chain, oil pan gasket, timing cover gasket and then i can start my way up from the bottom installing all the new pieces. Since my shop is becoming a bit of a war zone with grinding and rust repair far from over. I figure its best if i just get this engine together, wrap it. and then make all the mess i want.

Bought a new hot water tank for the house so the old one will go in the shop and hopefully lend me some heat this winter, so I can do body work more comfortably and have things cure. Heard thats a good thing..

 

[bix]

Got the cam installed, btr sprocket , lifters, and trays in. Still waiting on the timing chain so i can't finalize installation. Haven't confirmed cam shaft end play at all. Book says it shouldn't be more than .021 inches I believe but Id have to double check. Anywho I figured while I wait on the next shipment that should be here next week that I'd tackle the heads since I have all those parts.



Realized after that in my book it says you don't need to use moly lube on the camshafts due to the roller design and not needing to " break it in ". Not sure if I should take it out and clean it all off and use regular oil / assembly lube instead.

Got the valve springs, retainers , and seat/seals out. Removed the valves and cleaned them all up.

 

[bix]

Cleaned out the heads once stripped and brushed on solvent with a nylon brush. Use some pipe cleaner to clean out the valve guides and then re assembled. Didn't get a chance to get the springs on as I have plans with the wife but I'll get to them sooner than later.

Photos are a bit jumbled..

 

[bix]

Got the other head all cleaned up n re assembled with the new trick flow valve springs. They are good for .600 lift so even if I go to a high lift cam after this one for some reason they should still be in the right range.

After getting the last head together I did go through each pushrod and rocker arm for cleaning and inspection. I found one push rods and the matching rocker to be a little eaten up. Rock Auto has some melling replacements for a cheap price, I know the melling oil pumps for ls engines have great reviews all over but not sure about a rocker arm. Asked out to a few buddies to see if they had any extras laying around.




Also got the stainless steel front brake lines installed, the package said blazer or suburban but I think they will work anyway... Master is out so I can replace it with a vacuum booster and a new master. Also Cleaning up the firewall so I can start prepping it for paint. Thinking I'll paint the whole engine bay black, and the rest of the truck will be a darker green. So the firewall will get black paint.




Timing chain and gasket kit should be here this week so I can button it all up after that.

I was planning to block off the oil releif valve in the oil pan. I've read if you dont, it will burn oil by spraying on the bottom of the pistons, but I've also read that you won't build up enough pressure to even actuate it if the AFM system isn't functioning. Also still on the fence about If I need to swap my oil pump out for a standard one, but I think I should already have a high volume pump because of the AFM system.

 

[Chevy305]

A lot of AFM deleted LS motors out there running around on the original oil pump. I really don't think a different one is necessary but do you know if an LS3 oil pump is the same as the AFM 5.3 oil pump?

 

[max 02]

I’d leave the engine bay green JMO?
I like the last pic with the green firewall and all the suspension all painted sitting nice and low. Looks cool!

That said Black would look good too. Nice work Nick.
Seen your forecast is calling for a quite a bit of rain on the island....good for spending time in the garage!

 

[bix]

A lot of AFM deleted LS motors out there running around on the original oil pump. I really don't think a different one is necessary but do you know if an LS3 oil pump is the same as the AFM 5.3 oil pump?

ah okay, yea some places ive read its a good idea to put in a standard volume pump. Im sure its one of those things i "should" do since im here.. buuut quitting my job on a whim has made me pass by some options i had planned on doing.

I think the AFM oil pumps are standard pressure/high volume, and there is also high pressure pumps with the optional red spring you can use to bump it up even more but im not entirely sure about the ls3's oil pumps.

I’d leave the engine bay green JMO?
I like the last pic with the green firewall and all the suspension all painted sitting nice and low. Looks cool!

That said Black would look good too. Nice work Nick.
Seen your forecast is calling for a quite a bit of rain on the island....good for spending time in the garage!

Yea im thinking itd look nice painted green also. Id like to get rid of all the seam sealer type gunk on there and use something cleaner. I havent even found a green id want to paint it yet. Thinking shamrock green but i also dont think i want any metallic in it, so i want to find another GM green i can use.

Yes lots of rain as always... Since my property is set up for rainwater catchment ill be drinking water rich atleast haha. The shop is getting pretty chilly but considering i worked in my edmonton shop in -25 with no heat also i dont think itll be too bad. I am hoping to get the heated floors going sooner than later. Going to replace the hot water tank in the house and move the old one into the shop at some point.

 

[max 02]

GM Forest green has always been a favourite.

 

[bix]

GM Forest green has always been a favourite.

I think you're onto something! I've thought about trying to get my original color but without the metallic.

 

[bix]

Confirmed camshaft endplay. Well within recommendations at under .020. Confirmed top dead centre and marked it for aligning the cam position. Head gaskets on, heads on and torqued. Mocked up dip stick tube as well.

 

[mrk5]

Are your cans of Gunk in French?

 

[bix]

Are your cans of Gunk in French?

haha. Sure are.

 

[bix]

Timing chain on, oil pump on, new front main seal installed and cover on. Book said no more than .020 drop from the oil pan surface to the front cover surface. Had to adjust it once or twice but got it bang on.

The book also said the dowel in the cam should be around 3 o clock but that would put the mark on the sprocket facing at 6 o'clock.. am I wrong in thinking I want it to be at tdc of cylinder 1, in the firing position?


Rear main seal is dry but I'll change it out while I'm here. Because maw..

 

[Truckman4life]

I forget but are you going with factory fuel injection or what on this?