CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

Dude that sucks. Those of us further north are pretty used to the crappy winter weather. But to get the double gut punch of freezing and snow combined with no power it's got to be more than you guys are used to down there.

At least you got the generator for the back up. Stay warm.
Our grid gets assaulted with this so frequently that it’s planned as an issue. So we have power. And salt trucks


But yeah, it’s not funny for our Texas friends
 
Our grid gets assaulted with this so frequently that it’s planned as an issue. So we have power. And salt trucks


But yeah, it’s not funny for our Texas friends



I've been wearing long pants for like 4 days now...... not loving it.

And we've still got another few days to go before the shorts & flipflops can come back off the shelf.


-G
 
I've been wearing long pants for like 4 days now...... not loving it.

And we've still got another few days to go before the shorts & flipflops can come back off the shelf.


-G
At least you know what the white puffy cloud poops are
 
I hope u get power soon.
We’re going on 18 hours with consistent grid power, so that’s good.
Yeah, no kidding. I hope you get back up and going soon. I'm glad you're able to get by in the meantime.
I still have 30 gallons of diesel, which gets us 45-55 hours of off-grid power, so we’re fortunate.
At least you got the generator for the back up. Stay warm.
We’re in good shape. Rolling blackouts remain possible through the weekend.
Our grid gets assaulted with this so frequently that it’s planned as an issue. So we have power. And salt trucks
Yeah, Texas is mightily unprepared for our new seasonal swings.
I've been wearing long pants for like 4 days now...... not loving it.
Winter should be over next week. Praise be.

David
 
Man, if there was a way to share what I got going on in my corner, I would in a heart beat. 82* and sunny today here in Florida. Most of the time I wish the weather here was more seasonal, but, this week, I’m definitely feeling for everyone that’s suffering because of all the snow and winter storms. I’m not wasting it though, figured I owed it to the brotherhood to get out there and work on the truck double time since most others can’t.
 
Last edited:
My favorite turbo shop (Majestic Turbo in Dallas) has the billet wheel in stock, along with the standard seal kits. The ice thaws this weekend, so I’m headed their way on Monday.

Meanwhile, I’m going to get down my bin of standard fiberglass exhaust wrap for the downpipe and crossover. I anticipate diverting most of my HeadedShield funding to cover that household item.

David
 
Did majestic move? Last I used them they were in Waco.
That used to be a separate branch, and there is now some sort of split between them. The Dallas office goes by Majestic; not sure what’s come of the Waco dude.

David
 
Break time is over. While the snow melts, I’m prepping the next few parts for install.

First, a mildly reinforced but severely tarted up factory skid plate.

39E3D6E0-3678-4BDB-B9FE-B41164654E7C.jpeg

595AE29C-0EB8-41FD-A3C0-6CF6352ED4E1.jpeg

53477B0C-5E01-4B41-9255-7942C879659A.jpeg

6F11D9DE-4334-44BF-B776-BE573D22D230.jpeg

8C2AA28F-581E-4917-A4A2-99A8EF234CAA.jpeg

915A3794-C396-48DD-8F38-C813FE2F5E43.jpeg

1DC80B50-A70D-4655-9557-5B15013C14BE.jpeg

Tomorrow, tailpipe fab and the last details on the exhaust.

David
 
SWAG make that provision in their sets, which is handy when the part doesn’t fit in the press, or you want to dimple in place.
https://www.trick-tools.com/Swag-Offroad-8-Piece-Dimple-Die-Kit-6DD8A-10568

David
What are you using to lube up the dies with? Grease? I used whatever spray lube I put my hands on first, Didn't look into what would actually work best, I did feel like I needed something better. I've only used mine in a press but do think I read that when bolting using fine thread bolts would work best.
 
Minor adjustments for install, but this is done.

23FFB34F-6B21-4D7E-B753-2682B2D6692E.jpeg

The turbo goes for rebuild tomorrow, and I squeezed in a rough port match and pocket for tooling on some 12 point hardware.

658BF3E3-EBB1-46F1-8972-9613CDB0BAD1.jpeg

A8AFA9C5-9003-4344-BF56-444346F22F4C.jpeg

And, I started the tailpipe section of the exhaust.

9CF04D8A-7F93-464C-AC3C-3A9DCC1489F8.jpeg

I finally had an idea congeal, and it’s going to be fun to build.

David
 
Last edited:
Minor adjustments for install, but this is done.

View attachment 369359

The turbo goes for rebuild tomorrow, and I squeezed in a rough port match and pocket for tooling on some 12 point hardware.

View attachment 369360

View attachment 369361

And, I started the tailpipe section of the exhaust.

View attachment 369363

I finally had an idea congeal, and it’s going to be fun to build.
David
Great work as usual. How close to the tank are the tops of those dimples? Any chance of rubbage?
 
I usually just use WD40, but was out of it and used bending lube for these.

David
Did you notice any difference? I think I either used spray liquid graphite or WD, or PB Blaster and I felt it could be smoother, got some chatter marks. Thinking my dad has tubs of old grease that I would never put in an engine or wheel bearing, this may be the perfect use.
 
Great work as usual. How close to the tank are the tops of those dimples? Any chance of rubbage?
There’s a 3/16ish” minimum gap all over. I had the same concern and clearanced a few that were a smidge close.
Did you notice any difference? I think I either used spray liquid graphite or WD, or PB Blaster and I felt it could be smoother, got some chatter marks.
Not on this 10ga or thinner stuff. The impact always wins. I’m sure 3/16 would be a different story.

David
 
There’s a 3/16ish” minimum gap all over. I had the same concern and clearanced a few that were a smidge close.

Not on this 10ga or thinner stuff. The impact always wins. I’m sure 3/16 would be a different story.

David
Yeah, I've played with thin aluminum and 3/16" steel 2 different games.
 
Top Bottom