First of all 400's are great engines. However they are extremely heat sensitive due to siamese cylinders. So they are not very forgiving when they over heat. Pictured is the 400 that came with my 76. I re drilled the center manifold bolts and did a tbi swap. This was with 31's and 3.73's. No od trans but on long trips ant 70ish i could almost break the 12 mpg mark. I wish i had od trans swapped it but tbi is antiquated like the carburator so i'd save my pennies and go the 5.3L-4L80e-NP241c route in the future. Currently my 90 Jimmy is 6 inches of lift...35's with 4.88's with a 6.0L-4l80e-NP241c combo and i can almost break the 12 mpg window going to denver from grand junction. Not to shabby.
I have always felt that a 4 inch lift with 33 inch tires and 4.10's was the best combo out there. You can stuff tires without cutting fenders and the 4.10/33" combo is perfect.
Axles and tires. The problem with chalets is the weight of the camper. GM should have up graded the K5 to 3/4 gear to get more sidewall rating to handle the weight. All you needs is a 14b FF you can score somewhere and convert the front 44 to 8 lug outer hubs etc and call it good. You can add a posi in the rear if you like since chalets are not going to excel on rough trails...or do they? The added weight of the camper makes for some impressive traction in the rear. I have takin mine places in arizona most would not have and she did great. Anyways...the 3/4 ton swap that allows the step up in tires is the best mod you will do and the pay back in road manners is worth the pennies. I have driven my 76 all the way to canada from colorado so i can atest to that. :0)
Sadly my 76 has seen better days. And since my life isn't as good as it was a few years back i will be unable to restore my 76. The body is rotted like swiss cheese and a donor body is the only solution that a normal none rich person could afford. That being said i am still technically the working homeless so i am going to be transfering the camper to my 90 Jimmy that is fully built and my current dd. I have 2 more pay checks to save and then off to the boat (fiberglass) shop she goes. I am going to glass in the front windows that do nothing but leak on a yearly basis and i might also eliminate the side windows and or go with a modern square design that is affordable. A new rear door will be hung and a few other holes filled so i can plan out the durabak paint job and ulitamtelly rebuild the interior with modern tech. :0)
DW
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