Not building it for a rockcrawler, but to tow my rockcrawler; it's got a 350>th400>Eaton 14 bolt. I've been trying to learn more about the truck and figure out what all I want to do to it before it's ready to daily drive and tow, but new to Chevy's and want to have a good idea of what's out there parts-wise before I start accumulating. I'm used to Toyotas and being able to come here for blatant hardcore tech when I have a question, but not sure the best place to go for Chevy's. I've been reading over on 67-72 Chevy trucks bulletin boards...any other sites that have no-bullshit good tech that you could suggest? Basically just want to get the engine reliable, rebuild the th400 and add an aftermarket cooler, get some disks on the front, and get a hitch on the thing. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks alot...

$2000 well spent in my opinion

for front discs, the 73-87 stuff will bolt on... just replace the whole crossmember.

for front discs, the 73-87 stuff will bolt on... just replace the whole crossmember.

possible that there are any links or writeups about this? I'm capable of just figuring it out, but if someone else has gone through the trouble of posting some sort of writeup I'd rather read it first. Thanks, and if anyone knows of another chevy forum that may be more in depth I'd appreciate the link:smokin:

damn, 2000 is a steal man....nice find.....

Basically just want to get the engine reliable.... Any suggestions would be great. Thanks alot...

How does it run? Are you looking to rebuild the motor? If so, 383 for a tow motor no question about it. It does not take much more these days than a regular 350 rebuild.

Thats a steal of a truck for 2000$. How many miles are on it? And if your are looking at using it for daily driving you might want to look into an overdrive unit for that TH400. Nice Truck!

:shaking: Save yourself the hassle of all that work and sell it to me for $2500 :laughing:

That is a nice truck.:smokin:

How does it run? Are you looking to rebuild the motor? If so, 383 for a tow motor no question about it. It does not take much more these days than a regular 350 rebuild.

Engine runs great. It's got about 40k on GM crate. I just replaced all of the rubber hoses etc., gave it a tuneup and have a solid state distributor to put in. Not looking to do much more than that to the engine, except maybe some headers/exhaust. Transmission goes through about a quart every other week or so, and I don't think it's ever been rebuilt at all (i believe the truck has about 200+k on it). I was thinking of pulling the whole thing and having a shop rebuild with a shift kit and aftermarket cooler. Wasn't aware of any kind of 'overdrive unit,' is that external to the tranny? Then as far as the axle goes it seems pretty solid - just seeping enough to make the back cover damp. When time allows it'd be nice to pull it all apart and replace bearings/seals/maybe pop an arb or cable locker in it (if available) so I don't have to worry about it. 383 would be sweet though, been kicking around the idea of finding an additional 350, signing up to a rebuild class at the community college, and building a kick ass engine - not as big of a priority though right now. I need to sell my '05 Silverado first so I can divert the payments into building this beast. Also I'm not looking for somewhere that is more 'in depth' like I said before, just maybe a forum or something that is geared more for what I'm doing than a rockcrawling forum. Most pressing things that I would like to see are more info on converting to HEI (I get it, but not sure what to do with old coil/wiring - I'm getting 12v at the points coil, but sounds like I can't use that for some reason?) and possibly info on desmogging it (if possible - not sure what this truck has...). Thanks for the replies:D

Here are some more pictures if anyone cares...

body has some dings in it, just not showing up (hardly noticeable though)

interior's been redone:smokin:

I removed the overloads as soon as I got it home

engine not bad - doesnt' leak at least

Suspension all seems good - needs new shocks though

one from below... tranny all leaking (doesn't really leave drips though)

thanks for any thoughts...

Most pressing things that I would like to see are more info on converting to HEI (I get it, but not sure what to do with old coil/wiring - I'm getting 12v at the points coil, but sounds like I can't use that for some reason?) and possibly info on desmogging it (if possible - not sure what this truck has...). Thanks for the replies:D
On the points system you only get 12v (or is it 9v? I can never remember) when starting, and then it goes down to 6V after that. You have to bypass or replace the old resisted wire and put in a new one for HEI (10 or 12 gauge). I'd suggested going over to the 67-72chevytrucks.com (http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com) forums.

[hopefully I'm not stepping on any ones toes by posting a link to another forum]

search on 67-72chevytrucks for the crossmember swap. A ton of people have done it to get the 5 lug discs, should all be the same info for the 8 lug stuff.

Your prob going to want to put the overloads back in if you plan on towing. Maybe replace the coils with airbags, or in addition.

search on 67-72chevytrucks for the crossmember swap. A ton of people have done it to get the 5 lug discs, should all be the same info for the 8 lug stuff.

Your prob going to want to put the overloads back in if you plan on towing. Maybe replace the coils with airbags, or in addition.

yeah I definitely don't want 5 lugs:D I'm sure it's all the same though. Thanks for the references to that site, I'll have to check it out again.

We'll see about the overloads...for now I'm happy with them off. Rear end was bouncing all over the place with them on. Since it's the camper edition I assumed those where there for that kind of bed weight. I don't plan on putting a camper on here so I just took them off. They're sitting in the garage so they can be replaced later if necessary...

On the points system you only get 12v (or is it 9v? I can never remember) when starting, and then it goes down to 6V after that. You have to bypass or replace the old resisted wire and put in a new one for HEI (10 or 12 gauge). I'd suggested going over to the 67-72chevytrucks.com (http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com) forums.

[hopefully I'm not stepping on any ones toes by posting a link to another forum]

THAT makes more sense. I read a couple places where they were saying to replace, but I had 12v so didn't get it. Thanks...

for front discs, the 73-87 stuff will bolt on... just replace the whole crossmember.

possible that there are any links or writeups about this? I'm capable of just figuring it out, but if someone else has gone through the trouble of posting some sort of writeup I'd rather read it first. Thanks, and if anyone knows of another chevy forum that may be more in depth I'd appreciate the link:smokin:

first off, that is a bitchen clean truck :smokin:

yes it is a very good, and mildly easy swap.

the easiest way to do it is swap the entire crossmember and suspension. it is 18 bolt plus the 2 more for the tre's, your steering box and idler arm will work.

you WILL have to drill 2 holes on the a-arm bracket or the frame, your choice. all the other bolts WILL line up with the existing holes.

while your at it you can add the 73+ motor mounts which are much better design. this can add some problems and extra work.

look my name up on www.67-72chevytrucks.com. i did a full explanation.

you need to remove the stock dist wire and use regular 12g, the stock is a resistance wire and can not be used with hei. i got some factory terminals for the fuse block and ran a 100% new wire to the dist. here are some pics for you to go over.

if you have any questions, contact me here, im not welcome over there anymore. hell nobody here likes me either:flipoff2:

the green arrow is the new hole i drilled in the frame to matche the existing hole in the bracket. the red arrow is the existing hole in the frame, if you look carefuly you can see the punch mark on the newer bracket that shows were it should have drill from the factory to match this frame. its the same bracket from 67-87/91 2wd trucks.

first off, that is a bitchen clean truck :smokin:

Thanks, I saw it on craigslist for $2500, had it in my driveway within a few days. Even talked him down on the price:shaking: I don't really know what it's worth, but I know I got a good deal.


"you WILL have to drill 2 holes on the a-arm bracket or the frame, your choice. all the other bolts WILL line up with the existing holes."

no worries, drilling is something I can do. After reading your post, you said, "its the same bracket from 67-87/91 2wd trucks," so I think this means I can use any 2wd crossmember suspension from 87-91 (3/4 ton if I want the 8 lugs). This correct? I'll start looking around. I'm going to check out your threads over on the other forum in a minute, thanks for all the info. I went to that site, but everyone was a little too nice and it sort of threw me off. Was hoping maybe there was some sort of pirate version for classic trucks, with more assholes roaming around. I'll give it another look though... Just out of curiosity, how come you're not welcome over there anymore? Thanks again for the info, if you ever have any Toyota questions send them my way...

Everybody has given lots of great info i will only add and Reiterate
! Nice Trk
Looks - sounds like a G R E A T Deal
I also agree with HEI ConVersion & the air bags for towing in the back
and will Add some things for perks and good 4 towing
Chk your gear ratio and condition in the Eaton
Made look for a 1 ton single wheel 14 bolt instead ( spring perch mounts are in the proper spots )
also Go to alloy rims
and dbl check your tires weight rating and condition of course
and VIP dont forget to change your proportion valve when you convert to disk
and Finally I have a 1990 3/4 ton 2x Burb i am parting out if your interested in the complete front suspension pm me direct
I am in Los angeles
Good luck on your build
Randy

You got a good deal on that truck!
The rear is a H052 Eaton. There is no aftermarket parts for it that i know of. So if you want a locker or ARB you will have to change to something else. But they are very good heavy duty rears, till you need parts.
I would go with the stock dual exhaust. Less hassle.
Use a 4 core radiator if it dosent already have one. Especially if you run the AC while towing. The upper and lower rad clamps are different if you switch to 4 core.
Use the stock trans cooler and a aftermarket one.
If you have a lot of tongue weight, you might want to put those helpers back on.
I also use dual electric fans.
67-72chevytrucks.com is a great site and everybody is very helpfull. I dont mind the "too nice" part.
In Pennsylvania (the rust belt) the truck would be a 5 grand truck easy.

you need the suspension from any 73-87 2wd truck or suburban
87-91 would have to be from a 2wd crew cab truck

they got all burt hurt that i didnt kiss ass along with everybody about a 76 impala and how ugly it was, they threatend to ban me and calling me a troll. i went off and told them to get bent and that they are a too nice and a bunch of pussies and they banned my ass forever.

dont forget that you dont have a 14bff, they didnt make those till 73. you have the ho52 eaton, if you start yankin thirds at the junk yards you can find several gear ratios and factory detriots.

Hey TRKKLR
FYI
Ill help ya here on your chevy test
Only the Trks changed in 1988
Burbs Crew cabs and Blazers Stayed the same frame & Square body style till 91
R

very nice rig. i'm trying to convince my buddy to let me have his 68 rotting away in his back yard so that later on down the road I can drop a Cummins in it :laughing: www.ck5.com

Hey TRKKLR
FYI
Ill help ya here on your chevy test
Only the Trks changed in 1988
Burbs Crew cabs and Blazers Stayed the same frame & Square body style till 91
R

You could get a regular cab, cab & chassis in the old body style from 88-91.

Nice truck. I don't know if I read it, but what ratio you got in the Eaton? 4.11 is the highest they came with from the factory, but there was an aftermarket 3.90 that may not be made any more. Also, like he said, the only oem (or aftermarket, for that matter) traction aid is the factory No-Spin, or Detroit.

www.ck5.com

meh, I wouldn't really go to that site for any real tech, especially not 2wd tech (for example the denizens of that site refer to 67-72 chevy and gmc trucks as 'first gen', hmm didn't they start making trucks in the 1910's?). 67-72chevytrucks is good tech, but you have to sirch. Yeah, trkklr got banned but he has a big mouth...it's a decent board if you can withhold your douchebaggery (remember, not every BB is Pirate...)

meh, I wouldn't really go to that site for any real tech, especially not 2wd tech (for example the denizens of that site refer to 67-72 chevy and gmc trucks as 'first gen', hmm didn't they start making trucks in the 1910's?). 67-72chevytrucks is good tech, but you have to sirch. Yeah, trkklr got banned but he has a big mouth...it's a decent board if you can withhold your douchebaggery (remember, not every BB is Pirate...)

i would have kept my mouth shut if they could take a little joke in the first place, if any has seen a 76 impala, its an ugly fawking car, i made a :barf: and a should have let it burn to the ground. every body threw a fawkin fit. so :flipoff2: and see yall later.

it is a decent board, thats why i was there in the first place. some of the trucks are un-f-ing belivebly cool.


i new about the crew cabs, i wasnt sure if the 2wd burbs stayed the square body, and the are very very few square 2wd blazers at all, doubt he'll find one, didnt want to bother with to much info. blazers would be moot because there are no 8 lug factory blazers.

You might find some useful info on HEI at 73-86.com. They have some good tech articles.

Use the stock trans cooler and a aftermarket one.

Why use both? Seems like I've heard alot of people just want to get the tranny fluid to NOT be running through the radiator... Any specific reasons here?

and Finally I have a 1990 3/4 ton 2x Burb i am parting out if your interested in the complete front suspension pm me direct
I am in Los angeles

you need the suspension from any 73-87 2wd truck or suburban
87-91 would have to be from a 2wd crew cab truck


so will the front suspension from a 90 3/4 ton 2x burb work for me or no? I'd be interested in checking it out if so... (PM sent by the way...)

You could get a regular cab, cab & chassis in the old body style from 88-91.

Nice truck. I don't know if I read it, but what ratio you got in the Eaton? 4.11 is the highest they came with from the factory, but there was an aftermarket 3.90 that may not be made any more. Also, like he said, the only oem (or aftermarket, for that matter) traction aid is the factory No-Spin, or Detroit.

good to know... I have no idea what the gear ratio is, haven't checked...

according to them yes a 90 2wd 3/4t burban will work. just be sure it the older square body style, the mid 90's are a completely different suspension and will not work in any way. i just couldnt remember when the 2wd burbs switched over.

Why use both? Seems like I've heard alot of people just want to get the tranny fluid to NOT be running through the radiator... Any specific reasons here?

The cooler in the radiator cools the fluid down,
And the aux. cooler cools it even more.
So run it thru the aux cooler last.
The lower line on the TH350 and the TH400 is to cooler feed. The upper is the return line.
Trans should run between 175 and 225 degrees.
At 240 degrees ATF begins to cook.
The cooler the better.
If your towing up a hill in hot weather with the AC on......Whell ,you know what could happen.
If in doubt, install a trans temp guage.

meh, I wouldn't really go to that site for any real tech

:shaking::mad3::flipoff2:

I agree with Dave

Any site that refuses to allow you to utilize it for informational purposes without payment is simply a waste of my time. If the owner of the site is so uptight and pompous to require money in exchange for my information, I dont need to utilize it.

I didnt start posting much on here till the search became free. information is great, but to make a fellow wheeler/builder buy it? naw.... thats bullshit.

Well, sadly, I've decided to get rid of this truck. I'm moving in about a month and have too many vehicles, and decided I didn't need another project truck. For sale here if anyone's interested:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/car/479335918.html

Price may be a little high, but it's 'obo,' feeler to see if I get any bites:D Thanks for all the help...