LSX454 swapped 95 BASS burb.

[shady]

Letting the primer sit a night. Then it'll get the bondo. But really it only needs glazing putty for most of it.
I'll put rubber gloves on and put the bondo on with my finger tip like glazing putty for most of it.

View attachment VID_20260402_134852409.mp4



Better detail of the end I had to fab .

Took a few minutes to play with putting the last piece in for a photo op. (In front of the tire)

And the last inner piece is about ready to weld.

 

[SPLATT]

In my experience with spray paints there's a window of time you shouldn't spray another coat or the solvents from the new coat try to reactivate the old coat and you get wrinkling. If I don't get the next coat on before about an hour I usually wait a few days before the next one.

 

[shady]

Yeah. I'm pretty sure thats what happened.
I wiped it with my finger and it was dry to the touch, but left a streak, so I know it wasn't dry enough..
I'm going to let it sit for a few days.
Got the shop heat set at 70 now also.

 

[shady]

They say the perfect time for the next coat is when you touch it and leave a finger print, but don't get paint on your finger.
On the masking tape or something of course lol.

 

[Babaganoosh]

They say the perfect time for the next coat is when you touch it and leave a finger print, but don't get paint on your finger.
On the masking tape or something of course lol.

But if you get paint on your finger you have to repaint it.

 

[shady]

Not if you touch the tape, or a place that's covered by a tail light or body molding.

 

[Blue85]

Just make sure before final paint you can shine lights across all surfaces in the dark with no flaws. Everything looks good in primer, but flaws are magnified 100x with good paint. Car-paint noobs sometimes confuse painting walls and "hiding" with latex, compared to the greater challenges of shiny metal work.

 

[Blue85]

Direct sunlight on shiny clearcoat is brutally honest.

 

[shady]

One reason I'm going low gloss lol.

My end goal is a 20/20 truck.
I want it to look SWEET! 20' away going by at 20mph. If it does that I'm happy

The metal I replaced and such has been largely for the life span of the truck more than looks. And some of the little details I've fussed with are more an uncontrolled moment of OCD than real care of look.

If it looks good at a car show, then EXTRA SWEET!
But I'll still be happy with 20/20 lol.

 

[shady]

My goal building this truck is to flog the snot out of it at every chance. Which I do

If I spent too much time making it super pretty, I'd be more scared to and baby it more.
Just know myself enough lol.

Then I'd be unhappy.

I'm trying to build it Nice, but not give in to my innate need to perfectionist the chit out of it. Like I do so many other things.
I have to remind myself during this process that I'll be doing gravel lot donuts, and possibly even burnouts that blow tires.
When I remember that, I'm able to move past tiny chit that's not super noticable.

 

[centexk5]

Perfection is the enemy of good enough.

 

[shady]

Worked till 6am this morning, bed by 7:30

Woke up to a phone call from my daughter in law at 11:30.
Her Rav4 is messing up, grabbed her mom's car, it's messing up, and my kids burb won't start.

And I have to move the wife's Monza yet.....

Went and got the trailer. Grabbed an extra battery.
Changed his burb battery, test drove her mom's car, and it's fine.
Picked up the monza, dropped it in the shop.
Made it back to their place, checked out the RAV4.. and that's just fine too

By the time all that was done, I get home to find my mom there, and her jeep got loud and quit driving.

Got under it and found the exhaust flange in front of the O2 sensor has a 3/4" gap.

Some wire to hold it together, cheap azz muffler wrap, and thick aluminum tape later, and it's going and she can at least drive to the store and home a day or two.

At that point it was 5 minutes from when I leave for work. And I haven't even so much as brushed up against the burb

Damnit lol.

 

[shady]

Aside from body stuff.
I've been doing some research into the driveshaft, and found out some things I didn't know. Also, some concerns I previously didn't know existed lol.

I didn't know there's a critical speed for D-shafts.
Always assumed if it was balanced and had good joint angles you could spin me to the moon.

Mine is about 70" , joint center to joint center.

As per the Mark Williams page, even their bass azz units at a shorter 60" won't take the potential speed I could throw at mine.
Which at 1:1 in 3rd, if I took it to shift point, would be 6400-6900 rpm. 6900 being if I was IN 3rd and not OD.
Likely this would never happen as I'd be doing 130+ lol.
But it could...... I've been 110 in it before.

So, for all intensive purposes, I think I may do a 2 piece shaft with carrier bearing.
I'm going to talk to my local drive line shop and see if that actually would help or if my thinking is off.

I want to rebuild the cross member behind the trans mount anyway., for exhaust clearance to get an X pipe in. So I could slide it back 10" and make it the mount for my carrier too.
Which by the time I add the splined end past the carrier, and a yoke on that, ... I'd sorten my center to center more than enough to get inside of the limits of ANY of the Mark Williams line.

Anything bigger than a 3" in a 52, or anything at all 50" and down.

My main concern is saving the bearings in my pinion and the tail of my transmission.
I'm at 100 mph OFTEN in this thing, so definitely want everything to be happy.

I'm actually debating working my suspension change into the same cross member... But that's a fleeting thought, and wouldn't happen at the same time. It would just be something considered when designing the cross member its self.

 

[folkenheath]

Man you have been busy Rick, lots of family car troubles, hope it gets better for you.

Aside from body stuff.
I've been doing some research into the driveshaft, and found out some things I didn't know. Also, some concerns I previously didn't know existed lol.

I didn't know there's a critical speed for D-shafts.
Always assumed if it was balanced and had good joint angles you could spin me to the moon.

Mine is about 70" , joint center to joint center.

As per the Mark Williams page, even their bass azz units at a shorter 60" won't take the potential speed I could throw at mine.
Which at 1:1 in 3rd, if I took it to shift point, would be 6400-6900 rpm. 6900 being if I was IN 3rd and not OD.
Likely this would never happen as I'd be doing 130+ lol.
But it could...... I've been 110 in it before.

So, for all intensive purposes, I think I may do a 2 piece shaft with carrier bearing.
I'm going to talk to my local drive line shop and see if that actually would help or if my thinking is off.

I want to rebuild the cross member behind the trans mount anyway., for exhaust clearance to get an X pipe in. So I could slide it back 10" and make it the mount for my carrier too.
Which by the time I add the splined end past the carrier, and a yoke on that, ... I'd sorten my center to center more than enough to get inside of the limits of ANY of the Mark Williams line.View attachment 524737

Anything bigger than a 3" in a 52, or anything at all 50" and down.

My main concern is saving the bearings in my pinion and the tail of my transmission.
I'm at 100 mph OFTEN in this thing, so definitely want everything to be happy.

I'm actually debating working my suspension change into the same cross member... But that's a fleeting thought, and wouldn't happen at the same time. It would just be something considered when designing the cross member its self.

Yeah the critical speed is dependent upon the weight, diameter, length...among other things. So this is why as they get longer you see them get larger OD and lighter, they start making them out of aluminum.

I suggest you calla reputable driveshaft company and ask what they recommend for your power and RPM levels, perhaps they can suggest a large CF or aluminum unit.

As for your crank sensor issue, this is what it says:



So its possible its just a glitch and it registers it, and then keeps running as it goes back to normal. Didn't you say a while back you had to switch crank sensors from one that has issues sometimes?

 

[r3dd0g]

Aside from body stuff.
I've been doing some research into the driveshaft, and found out some things I didn't know. Also, some concerns I previously didn't know existed lol.

I didn't know there's a critical speed for D-shafts.
Always assumed if it was balanced and had good joint angles you could spin me to the moon.

Mine is about 70" , joint center to joint center.

As per the Mark Williams page, even their bass azz units at a shorter 60" won't take the potential speed I could throw at mine.
Which at 1:1 in 3rd, if I took it to shift point, would be 6400-6900 rpm. 6900 being if I was IN 3rd and not OD.
Likely this would never happen as I'd be doing 130+ lol.
But it could...... I've been 110 in it before.

So, for all intensive purposes, I think I may do a 2 piece shaft with carrier bearing.
I'm going to talk to my local drive line shop and see if that actually would help or if my thinking is off.

I want to rebuild the cross member behind the trans mount anyway., for exhaust clearance to get an X pipe in. So I could slide it back 10" and make it the mount for my carrier too.
Which by the time I add the splined end past the carrier, and a yoke on that, ... I'd sorten my center to center more than enough to get inside of the limits of ANY of the Mark Williams line.View attachment 524737

Anything bigger than a 3" in a 52, or anything at all 50" and down.

My main concern is saving the bearings in my pinion and the tail of my transmission.
I'm at 100 mph OFTEN in this thing, so definitely want everything to be happy.

I'm actually debating working my suspension change into the same cross member... But that's a fleeting thought, and wouldn't happen at the same time. It would just be something considered when designing the cross member its self.

I went through a lot of issues with my driveshaft when I switched to the 4L85E. The old steel shaft that worked fine before suddenly didn't like anything even close to 100MPH. I ended up with a 4" aluminum shaft and that's been good up to 120ish mph. I'm a bit worried about it going faster.
If you do end up with a 2 piece shaft, make sure you get a high performance carrier bearing. The rubber webbing on a factory style will not take the kind of abuse you're going to give it.
I used one of these when I built the S-10 2 piece rear shaft, not sure it would be good at speed though.

1350 Series Ultimate Billet Carrier Bearing Kit

This is the ONLY BILLET driveshaft carrier bearing on the market! ** The kit includes the billet carrier, 1350 weld yoke, 1350 end yoke and 18" of 3" x .095 wall driveshaft tubing. No welding required on the bearing so no risk of heat distortion like others currently available. 1350 Driveshaft...

bustedknuckleoffroad.com

 

[Babaganoosh]

I went through a lot of issues with my driveshaft when I switched to the 4L85E. The old steel shaft that worked fine before suddenly didn't like anything even close to 100MPH. I ended up with a 4" aluminum shaft and that's been good up to 120ish mph. I'm a bit worried about it going faster.
If you do end up with a 2 piece shaft, make sure you get a high performance carrier bearing. The rubber webbing on a factory style will not take the kind of abuse you're going to give it.
I used one of these when I built the S-10 2 piece rear shaft, not sure it would be good at speed though.

1350 Series Ultimate Billet Carrier Bearing Kit

This is the ONLY BILLET driveshaft carrier bearing on the market! ** The kit includes the billet carrier, 1350 weld yoke, 1350 end yoke and 18" of 3" x .095 wall driveshaft tubing. No welding required on the bearing so no risk of heat distortion like others currently available. 1350 Driveshaft...

bustedknuckleoffroad.com

Yikes that is crazy expensive, I’m scared to look what a 1410 one is. I have the factory rubber one and it has been ok for now though.

 

[shady]

Man you have been busy Rick, lots of family car troubles, hope it gets better for you.



Yeah the critical speed is dependent upon the weight, diameter, length...among other things. So this is why as they get longer you see them get larger OD and lighter, they start making them out of aluminum.

I suggest you calla reputable driveshaft company and ask what they recommend for your power and RPM levels, perhaps they can suggest a large CF or aluminum unit.

As for your crank sensor issue, this is what it says:

View attachment 524746

So its possible its just a glitch and it registers it, and then keeps running as it goes back to normal. Didn't you say a while back you had to switch crank sensors from one that has issues sometimes?

The issue then was it would mess up and cut out on me at like 5800 or something. But I did have the red crank light now and then after that too still.
I don't look at it enough to know how often.

I went through a lot of issues with my driveshaft when I switched to the 4L85E. The old steel shaft that worked fine before suddenly didn't like anything even close to 100MPH. I ended up with a 4" aluminum shaft and that's been good up to 120ish mph. I'm a bit worried about it going faster.
If you do end up with a 2 piece shaft, make sure you get a high performance carrier bearing. The rubber webbing on a factory style will not take the kind of abuse you're going to give it.
I used one of these when I built the S-10 2 piece rear shaft, not sure it would be good at speed though.

1350 Series Ultimate Billet Carrier Bearing Kit

This is the ONLY BILLET driveshaft carrier bearing on the market! ** The kit includes the billet carrier, 1350 weld yoke, 1350 end yoke and 18" of 3" x .095 wall driveshaft tubing. No welding required on the bearing so no risk of heat distortion like others currently available. 1350 Driveshaft...

bustedknuckleoffroad.com

I may look into that...

I plan to go through Mark Williams I think for it all. At least for the planning and figuring.
I was going to call them and give them everything I have info and measurement wise.

While I have it in the non lift bay up on stands is the perfect time, because my rear suspension is fully loaded to normal ride height, so I can get my angles and such mapped out.

I m keeping my mind open to a $1500 budget for the shaft. Hoping it's not that much, but planning on it being at least that so I know I have most of it available if it goes over lol.

I know my local drive line shop should be able to at least calculate the critical speed of my short fixed shaft.
I have one that's spare from an old truck.
I was going to see what they calculated it at If it was shortened to what I need. And if that's not good enough, was going to ask mark Williams what a whole package would cost.

 

[shady]

Found out not to rub glazing putty down with brake clean before adding more primer.
It seems to soften it up, and I messed up what I'd done.
Noticed after wards.
It's close though. One more round of glaze and a block sand and I'm calling it good.



Then it gets the jambs sanded and painted again, and goes back on the lift for finishing up on the bottom side of that rocker.
I found out my neck isn't ready for the angle needed to see under there on the stands.

 

[Babaganoosh]

Hopefully you don’t have my neck

 

[shady]

Hurts daily in one way or another.
Always feels like it need to crack, and then does on its own any way or place it wants.
But I'm not allowed to see a chiro because they're one of the leading causes of dissected artery's, and since I've had one, they said it can happen again easier.

So, now, I've seen other docs, had a bunch of test, MRI's , X-rays, etc... and nobody can figure out why.
So I live with it. Have been for a few months now.