87 mix and match chevy build...It's back to life!

[jekquistk5]

Ha caught my mechanic friend unaware

I think it could have some more color to it.

Ugly but beautifull...

Whoops didn't put the body mount on the right way (note) I did fix this btw

The back flexes beautifully, the front is stiff as hell and its one interesting ride...

you should finish taking off your sway bar since its not connected. And cut the excess ubolts off.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

I need to do a lot of work on her. I'm hoping to be able to fix the brakes and do a front diff service as well. I really need to tie up all the loose ends on the front as well including removing the swaybar. Thanks for reminding me about the u-bolts though, slipped my mind.

 

[jekquistk5]

I need to do a lot of work on her. I'm hoping to be able to fix the brakes and do a front diff service as well. I really need to tie up all the loose ends on the front as well including removing the swaybar. Thanks for reminding me about the u-bolts though, slipped my mind.

I forgot to do that on my old k5 good thing my buddy caught it before we went wheeling.

Only takes a min with a cut off wheel.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Yep heard something get loose in the engine bay right before I saw my dam flexalite fan shoot out the bottom of the truck... $%^&ing gremlins and there hammers. Dam nice 4 core rad too...

Anyways so I am moving on to bigger and better things.. here is a bit of a teaser.

I'll have more pics later and it should be back running again by maybe next week.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

my flex fan blew up too. stay away from em.

I brazed my radiator back though, f replacing it haha.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Fan I bought today is somewhat like a flex fan but not flexible. I call it the propeller. I don't think I'll be buying another flex fan though. Anyways I made some headway on the 468. Had to tear the heads off to clean it up and make sure the pistons didn't have any dirt on them, they did. One big ass expensive mistake that I wont make again is not covering a motor up completely. I should have it put back together sometime next week and fired. Alas, here is some pic's.

Here are the headers, have no idea what brand but I'm in the process of sandblasting them and getting all the rust off them.

Can't wait to hear this thing finally. Btw, This motor was rebuilt in 08...

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Fedex showed up early! Now I have everything that I need but the crank pulley. Hopefully that should be in sometime next week. Never had a be cool rad but this thing looks sweet!

Reman 1407 edelbrock and water pump pulley

and the lock up kit for the 700r4 and I get to add another hat to my collection.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

Your gonna hate that edelbrock offroad... i hate mine every time im out.

That rad is smokin though!!

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Well its going to be a street queen for a thousand or so miles till I can break the motor in. I might swap out the carb, I don't know yet. I might even put a turbo on it if I can get one of my hookups to help out. Speaking of which, Everyone I have talked to from company's (comp cams) etc to the average joe blow have all said different ways to break motors in. From everything I have heard I came to the conclusion that everyone breaks motor's in differently. What does the brotherhood have to say about breaking the motor in?

That radiator is dam nice, I'm impressed with it but the true test will be if it can keep everything cool. As soon as I start the actual swap I'll post some more picture's. Hopefully should be around tuesday/wednesday.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Some more pics. I finally got it put back together and Im hoping to fire it sometime late this week if I can figure out the fuel issue. Here's some pics.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Well I got the old power train pulled out, what a pain. I'll be pressure washing the front of the truck tomarrow along with cleaning up the wiring and firewall a bit. I am puzzled about something though.. Apparently on the tbi motor a stud on the passenger side mounting bracket snapped off and all 4 fan bolts broke off as well. That motor ran good yeah but it was not a power house at all. I found that out when I leaned on the bracket and it fell over on the frame... WTH is all i will say.

Anyways I'll be cleaning and rewiring it along with installing my ORD BBC engine crossmember. Im hoping for friday to fire it. I am thinking about leaving the front clip off and working some 1" square tubing for a "front clip". Still deciding on that though. Ill see about some pics tomarrow.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Here are some more pics. This is the tbi motor.

Decided to swap in my ORD BBC crossmember. The old one is now gone but it popped the frame out a bit so ratchet strap it was.

New one in.

Decided to spray some flat black on the frame and make it look halfway decent, now the rest of the truck looks like crap.

Right after this pic was taken we found out the TC didnt match up with the flexplate, I was a bit pissed. Had my friends dad drill the hole's out a bit so hopefully tomarrow we can get the TC attached and bolted in and hopefully stab the motor/tranny/t-case in. If Murphy doesn't spit in my direction I might even be able to fire it! After finding out about the TC hole's not lining up we started on the wiring issue. We're still not done with it but we're close. We also ended up yanking the bed back and swapping fuel sending units. The whole fuel line situation is a complete CF as there is both tbi AND carb fuel lines...The whole truck is a mess and I'm looking at least another week of doing repairs on it before I can actually drive it. Kinda glad it broke like this. It was enough motivation to take care of all the little stuff.

The 468 and 700r4, we shall see how long it lasts!

We also put the TCI lock up kit in it. That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

On a sidenote I didn't hack the tbi wiring up just in case I ever decide to go TBI for the 468. I want to try the carb out but I did want to leave my options open if I happen to stumble on the right parts cheap enough.

 

[ccarley]

Woah! 468 cubes in front of a 700R4! Sweet.

I'd love to shove a big block in my Sub... but living in CA, I don't think they would appreciate it.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

I'm interested in seeing how the 700 holds up but the guy that built it assured me it can hold up to a big block. I told him I'm going to test that theory. Well I finally got the motor put in but the dam carb had a crack in the housing so I'm waiting on jegs to send me a replacement. Was hoping to start it today, oh well such is life. The headers fit but dam its tight. Here's some pics.

w/o headers

w/ headers mocked up.

Going to have to redo the exhaust due to the x-member in the way as always. Though I can't complain the motor is in and I at least have headers.

Building this truck is like a mix of paying my phone bill and marriage, I'm getting no satisfaction yet and I'm getting nickle and dimed by all the various fitting and brackets...

 

[shadowwalker_02]

I've been stuck waiting on parts for the past week. I should get my carb and the 3" s bends for my exhaust tomarrow. I did get everything painted thats going to to get painted and alt and PS hooked up with the right brackets. Have ford and chevy brackets all mix matched but they all work right so what the hell. Budget build it is! If the carb and exhaust get here tomarrow in the am Ill be firing this thing up! I got the mojave heater mounted and hooked up as well. I bolted on my old tranny hump from the burb and riveted it on this one so my 4wheel shifter is hooked up as well! Here's some pics, enjoy. Camera sucked today, batterys where low.

Shifters all hooked up.

Mojave heater installed. Who needs a glove box anyways...

left hand side bracket for the heater.

Tach hooked up

Said screw it and put a new non tbi pick up pump in it. Even got the gas gauge working again!

As it stands today.

Tomarrow I hope to finish the exhaust, put the carb on and fire it as long as fedex gets here in the am, slide the bed forward and bolt it on again and kick the b**** for taking a nice chunk of flesh from my finger!

 

[shadowwalker_02]

well i'm waiting on a new intake so here's some more pics of where its at today.

Dam I love that radiator! full strength antifreeze 50/50 with distilled water. Stock rad mounts even worked.

Excuse the wiring mess, front clip wires aren't put back yet. $60 worth of cheap chrome for the valve covers, the dam holley one's didn't work out so well. Intake lifters kept hitting some studs inside them.

The radiator wasn't setup for a tranny cooler so I had to plumb this one in. If it doesnt keep it cool then I'll piggyback it off of the one right next to it with actual fittings.

All 3 of my lady's

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Well I finally got the oval port intake today so now Im waiting for it to cool down a bit. Pic's will come later.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Well, the oval port didnt even work. The front part lines up but there is a gap of about 5/16" between the bottom of the intake and the top of the block. the back part of the intake doesnt even line up with the holes. The only conclusion I can come up with is that the heads are ****ed and need to be swapped out or replaced. So at this point its going to be a toss up between parting out/scrapping or figuring something else out. Dammit I'm pissed off about this whole ****ing project.

 

[76zimmer]

refresh me on the heads....are they large ovals, peanut ovals or what. Got a casting number?
You feel they've been milled too much, or the block has been decked to much?
Do you know what your installed piston height is?

post up some pics of the parts and whats happening with the gap.