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Dana 60 #10 finally comes home

mountainexplorer

1/2 ton status
Joined
Nov 14, 2001
Posts
4,904
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Location
Spokane, Wa./Ione, Wa
It's been since April 17th when I bought an '80 GMC 4x4 Crew Cab in BC Canada. I finally went to pick it up this weekend.

1st leg of the journey is from the Spokane home to 2nd home in Ione, this time towing a Suburban. First tow with the 454 motor out of the motorhome in the Little Crew cab.
3671FridaySuburban.JPG


Re-packed the wheel bearings on the trailer, changed 2 tires (which involved grinding off two spinning wheel studs and replacing them. The 454 from the motorhome seems less powerful than the last one. I still have yet to figure that one out. I'm thinking the intake and cam are in conflict.

Sunday, went up to Nakusp, BC, and a bit further to get the parts truck. My mom, her boyfriend and my grandpa went up with for the drive in her Dakota, and we used it to pull the truck on the trailer.
367180CrewCab.JPG


The '80 Crew Cab weighed enough that the rear trailer tires rubbed the fenders.
3671fender.JPG


I made something work. (my hair was even worse when I woke up)
3671fenderjack.JPG


It was a scenic drive.
3671SummitLake.JPG

3671creek.JPG


Finally home again (2nd home). The border crossing was surprisingly painless. I presented by bill-of-sale for the parts of the truck explaining it was "parts only", and I had to explain to the Border Patrol the motor was non-running and unrepairable and would never run or drive again.
3671home.JPG


Just add a distributor, and plug wires (which were missing... the truck sat 6 years), as well as a different carb and some used plugs I cleaned up.
3671454motor.JPG


Changed the starter and it runs good. Doesn't even smoke. Has lots of power.
3671field.JPG

3671mound.JPG


Then loaded up a friend's truck (which has been sitting broken since the mud races) and brought it back to Spokane tonight. Now I only have 3 more friend's broken down rigs to transport back to town after this.
3671JonnysTruck.JPG
 
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Man I wish I lived in Washington so I could go on some of your many adventures :saweet: You sure seem to be always having a good time..
 
Damn dude, another big block 1ton truck... hmm
Sounds like it was a decent trip though.


btw speaking of towing friends trucks. I tried calling you tonight, but I need to find a way to get my 77 to Ione this weekend. Even if I'm going through the pits by myself :D
 
I "might" be able to... if I'm not towing the '74 Jimmy up. I'll try and take care of my towing stuff this week so my trailer is freed up. Do you have a tow rig? I'll be going up Friday earlier and not coming back till Monday morning.
 
mee too!

Mudslinger isn't the only one who wishes he was closer to all the fun in mountainexplorer's neck of the woods!...I dont think I'd like all the rainy weather up there,but having all those trucks to play with and the adventures there would be distraction enough for me!... :D

Alan...your motorhome motor most likely has the "peanut port" heads and a very conservative cam grind if its still original parts...they seemed to "de-tune" the motorhome motors for more low end torque,and longer life,at the expense of high speed power..if it has a "Thermoquad" carb,they seem to "hold back" the motor too--I've replaced a few of those carter carbs on 440 mopar motorhome engines,and it woke them right up!..not really sure why though,the thermoquad was much larger CFM than the Q-jets I put back on them--guess maybe they are TOO big,even for a big block??..leaner is meaner sometimes!.. :crazy:
 
The motorhome motor isn't the original from it. It's a 1982 block bored .030 over, and by looking through the spark plug holes, they appeared to be flattop pistons, and didn't have a dish.

The heads are oval port open chamber truck 771 casting heads (not peanut ports according to my research.

I'd assume a stock or RV cam in it... something that has a low RPM power range. However, someone put an Edelbrock Streetmaster single plane intake on it.

It had a Q-jet on it, which was flooding over. Right now it has a 625cfm Edelbrock. I had a 625 Edelbrock on the last 454 in this truck (.040 over 454) and it fed it fine.

I have a Thermoquad on the 440 on my good motorhome. It sure does suck down the fuel. If I'm not mistaken on this Canada trip in the Crew Cab... I went 360 miles on both my tanks... about 36 gallons. That would mean I got 10mpg? Seems too good.
 
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