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87 Jimmy DD build (update XJ Shaft video)

michael0584

michael0584

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Posts
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Location
houston texas
I bought this 87 GMC Jimmy in Nov 2008. Since then I've put 14,000 miles on it driving it to work.

Here's a write up I did on another site when I bought it.
1987 GMC fullsize Jimmy. tbi 350, 700r4, np208, slick 32" tires, 3.42 gears 10bolts with g80 in the rear. looks like the Jimmy has 213,000 miles. Motor was rebuilt about 7 years ago, transmission 6 years ago. Judging from receipts, looks like the motor has about 60,000mi and transmission about 40,000. Drives good except for a driveline clunk and slack in the steering. I changed the oil in it and it looks like it hasn't been changed since the motor was put in. Filter was full of sludge sludge buildup on top of the heads, motor smokes, mostly just on startup. I think the drains in the back of the heads are plugged and the valve seals are toast. you can definately tell it was rebuilt, block is a clean gloss black, brass freeze plugs, heads orange, pan orange. Just poorly maintained after the rebuild. has some dents that I will fix, but no rust.
Here's the pics I took when I got it home.

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Since I bought it I've done quite a bit of work on it. The driveline clunk was a result of no fluid in the np208, topped off the fluid and replaced the leaking rear seal and it seems to be okay, 14,000 miles and no problems. (I do have a np241 that I will eventually swap in). The engine smoking was due to plugged drains in the heads. Cleaned out the heads the best I could and no more smoke. I put on some 31" all terrain tires to replace the slick 32s. The vent tube was pulled out of the rear axle and the rear axle was full of milky gear oil. Pulled the cover and found the axle has been replaced and its open (I guess at some point the g80 blew and someone swapped it for another axle). Cleaned out the watery gear oil and topped it back off and fixed the vent tube. Got the power windows and power locks working. Replaced the master cylinder and swapped in the proportioning valve from my 86 because the rear brakes were not working. Swapped in the steering gearbox from my 86 because the 87 leaked very badly. Replaced the AC compressor, condensor, and drier and now have ice cold AC. Installed a trailer hitch. I replaced front brake pads, calipers, and brake lines. Replaced the turn signal handle and got the cruise control and delay wipers working. Spent lots of time troubleshooting code 13 and 32. Replaced egr valve, egr solenoid, o2 sensor, and found the egr ground wire was broken behind the distributor, repaired that and no more check engine light. I also swapped to a federal emmisions ecm to get rid of the california emmissions ecm. Changed plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. There's probably more that I've done, just can't think of it.
 
My plans for it are to swap in 3/4 ton axles with 4.10 gears a 2in lift and 33" tires. I know I want to put a add a leaf in the rear to stiffen the springs a little, they really sag when I hook up a trailer. Not sure how I want to lift the front. Not sure how add a leafs would work on the front. I may just buy a 2" lift and not use the rear blocks and put the add a leaf in. Might add 1" zero rates if I need to.
 
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$1900 It's hard to find them rust free, even down here. I could have bought a rusty one for $900, but to me it was worth the extra to get this one.
 
Just an update, I sold my other DD so now the Jimmy is my DD I've now put 23,000 miles on it, I finally got around to replacing all 4 ball joints, after they wore out my front tires. One rear tire started to come apart on me and the other rear was slick along with the front which were slick on the outside due to the bad balljoints. I found a almost new set of pathfinder ATR radials on craigslist and had them put on, looks much better seems to drive better too. I installed a transmission cooler awhile back and replaced the TCC solenoid, along with the transmission filter. The floor where the front seats mount were all cracked. I welded up the cracks on the driver and passenger side, and put a piece of 3/16 or maybe it was 1/4 plate down to mount the seat on the drivers side since it was cracked the most. Replaced the exhaust manifold gaskets on the drivers side, still need to do the passenger side but drivers side was the worst.

Things on the soon to do list - Install new catalytic converter and muffler, replace seeping water pump gasket, passenger side exhaust manifold gaskets.

Here's some pictures with the new tires, they need to be cleaned.
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And here is some pictures from March 09 at Spring Creek.
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Chevy305 said:
nice, lookin good
Click to expand...
Thanks Still alot more to go.

I installed a new catalytic converter and afterburner muffler. Its a little louder than I wanted but sounds good. It passed the emissions test with flying colors. the torque converter started not locking up again. I hooked up my laptop and aldl cable and saw the ecm was not telling the torque converter to lockup. I went for a drive and data logged. Check the results and found when the torque converter would not lockup the engine temp was 137 degrees, this was after driving for 20 minutes, The highest it got was 178, then dropped to 137 and the converter unlocked. I guess my thermostat was sticking open. Replaced the thermostat and now it stays between 188 and 192. It is a 195 as well as the old one. Now the torque converter locks up perfect.
 
When I welded up the cracks in the passenger side floor (1 year ago) I noticed rust in the floor board. Drivers side was perfect but the passenger side front had wet carpet and rust from a leaking windshield seal which I fixed the leak. and the back had rust from a leaking top seal, which I thought I fixed. I was in a hurry so I scraped off the scales and sprayed some rusty metal primer on it. I pulled the carpet back today and it was wet again and the rust has gotten worse. Now I need to fix it for good. I ordered some rust bullet. I will clean it up and put the rust bullet on, but what do I do about the small holes? Will Bondo stick on top of the rust bullet?
 
Rust Bullet and fiberglass and more rust bullet
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Some White paint
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and some undercoating to cover up the fiberglass
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Installed my xj sterring shaft that I got from blazindorito, and it drives much better now. I had no noticable slack in the rag joint but I think the rubber was degraded, steering felt kinda mushy like the rag joint was moving. Now feels very tight and more responsive.
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88jimmy4x4 said:
Hey Michael Im in Houston too off 290, thats a nice Jimmy...sounds like you know how to work on these.
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Thanks, I always keep the attitude that I'd rather do something than pay someone else to do it. There's always a learning curve for new things, but normally not too bad. I wonder if there are any local k5 get togethers?
 
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