Project Polar Bear: '89 V2500 Suburban

[Larry]

Congrats man! Better get all that swapping done in the next few months before the wifey redirects funds for the baby...

Congratulations Larry! Never to late for kids!

Thanks! Yes, my thoughts too. Get the projects done now because after July I’ll have an all new project.

8.1L dang! Wouldn't have made more sense to go to Diesel for the power? Unless you scored the 8.1 at a ridiculous price.

Diesel!? HELL NO!!! I work for a diesel engine manufacturer and would not own one! Maybe an old Turbo 6.5L or 12 valve Cummins if someone paid me to take one but I already have 2 more 8.1L's on hand so the last thing I would do is consider a diesel for a swap. Have you ever driven an 8.1L? The beauty of them is they have diesel-like torque but without the inception costs, stench, maintenance and weight of a diesel. The 8.1L in the K10 propels that 8,000 lb. rig around with no problem and never leaves me wishing I had more power or wishing I had a diesel. The only thing the bigassgas engine doesn’t do is give the diesel-like mileage but even at that the lower MPG is an easy compromise in my opinion. Again, like above the diesel BS is more internet hype like 205’s, front Dana 60’s and rear disk brakes. Meh!!!

 

[pma4x4]

Don't hold back Larry tell us how you really feel about Diesels!

I have been filing in the back of my head a 94-98 12V Cummins with a 4L80E tranny. I have friends in the diesel community and a family that owns a Heavy Equipment and diesel repair shop. Its nothing locked in. I didnt even know Chevy had a 8.1. Ive been buried in Jeeps since 1999.

 

[KamikazeRedneck]

The 8.1 come in trucks for a few select years and were pretty rare to find. my dad had one in a 2001 2500HD Pickup and I know someone who has one in their Avalanche. They are amazing engines and if I could afford one I would get it. I think the best I've ever heard for gas mileage is 14 but ya they like the fuel. The 8.1 was the largest production vehicle engine chevy ever made and I believe the last BBC ever in a standard production vehicle. The only problem I have ever had with them is that they don't like true dual exhaust because they don't get a good o2 sensor reading but I bet Larry know more about them than me. I know that we made 523whp and 562wlbtq on our pickup with just some simple bolt on's so they can make great power and torque without much work.

 

[plyr2k]

I dont know why but i couldnt see the example photo of the warn bumper you wanted.
This one?

If i didnt live in Alaska it would be alot easier to give to you.

Thank you. You now have changed my mind to where i want to do an 8.1 in my SAS'd 1995 burb instead of a 6.0. Do you know what the weight difference is off hand?

Your burb is looking super clean. I admired your k10 and now you're giving me a burb to admire too.

Congrats on the little one!

 

[Larry]

Yeah! That is the type I thought I wanted. Mosesburb found me two in Phoenix and a buddy was down there a few weeks ago and brought them home to me. One is a WARN and the other is unknown. It is a funny story as I have been wanting a WARN bumper for years. Now that I have one (the black one) I am extremely disappointed in the construction of it. The second bumper, which I cannot identify the brand, is actually a much better built bumper. I plan to do some sprucing up to this unknown bumper and toss it on the Polar Bear Burb. Not sure if I will play with the WARN for the K10 or not. May just keep searching for an old Ramsey bumper which also looks a lot like a WARN. Thanks for the kind words on the burb project and garage helper still in the oven.

WARN Bumper. It is salvageable but I thought WARN's were better built than this

Unknown brand but it just has an overall better build construction to it. Plan to clean this one up for the Burb

Why do I even want one of these old school bumpers? Well, I am not looking for a zombie bashing bumper that weighs 300+lbs before adding a winch that costs $1000 to $2000. A light bumper with a strong winch mount is all I am looking for. That said, I am still disappointed how “weak” the bumper wings are on the WARN. At least this unknown white one the wings are solidly welded to the winch mount.

 

[max 02]

Great build!
I like your work on it and the k10!

 

[KamikazeRedneck]

I agree the WARN bumper looks weak but that white one looks better. Good luck with the build man. I really like how clean you have it!

 

[muddysub]

ive heard that about the warn bumpers before, never seen one in person to know for myself though.

 

[natemc]

Looks good. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Larry]

As mentioned somewhere along the line, the NV4500 swaperoo happens this week while I have time off from work and the wife is gone to visit her parents in FL. I dropped her off at the airport at 05:00 and started throwing down wrenches about 08:30 after a quick nap and throwing breakfast down my neck. Had a 2 hour set back around 11:00 just as I was getting ready to drop the tcase then suddenly realized I loaned out my transmission jack out to a friend. Errrr, go eat lunch and retrieve the jack.

Had another few hour delay after lunch as another buddy with NP241 experience came over to help rip the NP241 apart to replace the shift pads due to the tcase recently deciding it didn’t like 4hi but would rather be in 2hi. Ripped the tcase apart only to find it looking almost like a virgin. Blood red ATF, shift pads like new, chain tight, etc. Resealed and assembled the tcase then exchanged xmas presents with my pal, said adios, then slid back under the Burb. While dropping the transmission, I found the trans mount missing a nut at the xmemeber and a bolt at the trans tail shaft. Hmmm, maybe this is why the tcase was getting pulled out of 4hi ( I have noticed sometang wong under there lately that felt loose)?? Time will tell if the loose mount was the tcase issue.

Got the dump truck shifting SM465 out and took a few camparo pictures next to the NV4500 then dropped the old Centerforce clutch and replaced it with a new one. Nope, I didn’t even bother turning the flywheel as it has only been about 1,000 miles since it was turned last December when replacing the dead clutch with a used clutch from my K10. The flywheel still looked like it was fresh off the lath anyway. After all that BS, I got the AA bell mounted and all readied to start stabbing the NV4500 Christmas eve. Damn, what a busy day for not getting nearly as much done as I wanted. Glad I don’t work flat rate!

Oh, yeah... I had to cut the damn exhaust pipe at the cat converter "test" pipe being the Y-pipe would not drop far enough to scoot the trans jack under it.

Pictures so far…..


Interior before teardown.

The dirty end of a NP241 before getting yanked

Adios, dump truck shifting SM465!

SM465 next to the NV4500. They are very close in length. This should be a much easier NV4500 swaperoo than the one into the K10!

Fresh Centerforce mounted

Then the AA NV4500 bell

That is it for today…. Tomorrow the floor hacking will begin in order to allow room for the NV4500 shift tower that moves back 6” from the SM465 position, then stab the trans. Not sure how much will get done Monday being xmas eve and all. Got an early dinner planned with my mom. Got to get this project done before the boss comes home from FL!

 

[scotto0609]

Ya done yet?? Merry christmas!!!

 

[jeff in co]

Looks great Larry! I see the ACC carpet in the background.....I did the same thing. I've had for about a year now and it's great stuff!

 

[Smokinthehippies]

SO VERY JEALOUS.

really wanting to do a nv4500 swap when i go 4x4. eagerly watching the step by steps.

 

[pma4x4]

Turning out great Larry!

 

[warrpath4x4]

do you have plans for the actual WARN bumper? id be interested in just the center section and mounts from it.

 

[Larry]

Looks great Larry! I see the ACC carpet in the background.....I did the same thing. I've had for about a year now and it's great stuff!

Yeah, I’ve given up on trying to get the dog piss smell out of this truck plus with the trans shifter changing locations was as good as excuse as any to get new carpet.

do you have plans for the actual WARN bumper? id be interested in just the center section and mounts from it.

Yeah, I am going to save the WARN bumper. I might rework it then bolt it on the K10

 

[warrpath4x4]

Yeah, I am going to save the WARN bumper. I might rework it then bolt it on the K10

ok, no prob. crappy deal is before i moved i had 3 of those WARN bumpers and ended up scerapping them

 

[mosesburb]

So how's it drive now??

 

[Larry]

So how's it drive now??

GeezUs dude, give me a chance to bolt it back together and I let ya know!

Today was a pretty short working day with only getting the trans and tcase stabbed. This morning I burned a few hours running around town collecting small parts and dropped off the driver’s seat to the upholstery guy to fix the horrible LH lean in the seat (friggen lean in the seat makes my back hurt!). Hope he gets it right this time as the work he did to the seat this past summer was less than sterling. Also dropped by Midas Muffler to have a union made and swedged in order to glue the exhaust back together where I had to cut the cat “test” pipe off to get the Y-pipe off. Those jackasses nailed me $10 for a piece of 6” pipe they probably dug out of their scrap pile. The entire exhaust will be changing once the 8.1L gets nestled in there anyway.

All lined up and ready for some red hot sexy poke’n action

Not very happy with the aluminum paint I used on the tcase. Looks like Mexican chrome!

One nice thing about this 241 tcase is that it can be man handled when mating it to the trans without needing a jack unlike the heavy 205 in the K10. Look at the shine on the tcase! This NV4500 swap was a piece of cake compared to the ’78 K10 as the foot print of the Burbs SM465 was the same as the NV4500. The xmemeber even bolted right into the original location. Even used the SM465 trans mount! On the ’78 K10 everything changed plus I had to have the $hafts cut and lengthened. An ’85 –’91 square SM465 to NV4500 is easy!

Got a lot of work to do in here. Looks like the guestimation as to where the shift tower would end up was a bit off. Need to carve out more room around the tower towards the passenger’s side

That’s it for today….



Merry Christmas ya'all!

 

[KamikazeRedneck]

Looks great Larry! I just got my SM465 in and believe it or not it is one that has the top cover like the NV2500 so my shifter is back where your is. Unfortunately it's been snowing here like there probably so I have been stuck for about a week. Having a garage that the burb fits in must be nice haha. Have a Merry Christmas!