Re: Project: Recycle
 

nice progress Scoti!

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Looking good man!

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Nice work kat!!

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Pass side from manifold to TA x-member all tacked together & installed. I'll drop the starter tonight & make sure it's good to weld.

The drivers side got tacked together as well. I made a small 'spool' piece to get the best alignment so I still need to do some finish grinding for the best clearance. I should be able to get the drivers side all tacked together (to the TA x-member) by tomorrow. Then I'll start on the cross-over pipe.

On a bad note.... I unfortunately confirmed the diagnosis on the dually's BBC when I checked the oil again this morning. It definitely has a blown head gasket.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

What's the plan?
Fix it or start an LS swap.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

hmm the LS swap would bring the fuelconsumption down a bit and you might be able to find a donortruck with a 4L80E in it (definetely the cheapest way as you got all the widgets and dodah's needed to make that engine happy in youre truck )

on the other hand : a new gasket is cheaper and faster

Re: Project: Recycle
 

I didn't want to do the LS swap until the 64 was driving. This puts me in a bind....

The 6.0 I already have has a 4l80e attached.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

that makes things a little eazier most of the transmission wiring is allready there and needs to be hooked up to the LS computer

i had a link a while back of a bolt in enginerubber kit to put a LS engine intoo this truck

i'd just put new gaskets in this engine flush everything out replace the filters and keep driving it untill the 64 is running , that way you can have the future buyer test the 454 engine in the truck before taking it out and get more for it to put intoo the LS engine changeover budget besides you need youre transport right now

Re: Project: Recycle
 

That's what the plan was (use the 454/t-400 re-sale toward the 6.0/4l80e swap).

I'm hoping it's only a head gasket. My problem is (it is a problem), once the motor is apart, I have a hard time putting worn components back on. I know the pass side manifold is cracked/warped because it's had an exhaust leak since day 1 w/the manifold tight. Why buy a manifold when you know how restrictive they are. But a set of headers w/air fittings are expensive. 130K miles on the heads? More than likely need to be rebuilt.... Valve train? You get the picture ;)

I guess it has to come apart for the exact diagnosis (blown head gasket, cracked head, cracked intake, etc....). I'll have to decide then based on how things look upon disassembly.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

bring it to a mecanic and have him do a cheapy fix , that way you cant go overboard on it
im the same way i usually do it this way when i know i whont use the engine verry long

Re: Project: Recycle
 

That sucks, Scot. You could go the cheaper route and throw a Blaine's engine at it. The 6.0 would be a sweet swap, though. I'm in for the swap party either way.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

'Bring it to a mechanic' & 'cheap fix' arent typically associated.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

I feel your pain. More of a mindset than a problem and I know 'cause I used to be the same way Scoti. Seems though that I am now semi-retired a "good enough" approach seems to work pretty good a lot of the time (but not always).

The old adage about know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em kind of applies.

I had to replace a battery last week on my "custom" driveway gate opener. Originally, 7 years ago, I used a red top Optima battery.... I replaced it with a $50 battery I bought at Sears for $30 after dealin' with the department manager. Good Enough!

Re: Project: Recycle
 

I got the dually home but oil pressure was telling me it was not a min too soon (reg @ 50psi avg, dropped down to ~20psi by the time I reached the driveway).

I got the driver side spool piece trimmed down for Recycle's exhaust & will get everything tacked together tomorrow morning. I stopped there so I could get the dually home in daylight....

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Nice progress on a great looking exhaust system. That's going to be awesome when it's all done.

Sounds like plan "B" is in order for the dually. Pull the spare BBC from the garage, re-cam it and stab it. That make a lot more sense than rebuilding the current BBC or the LS swap since it's your primary form of transportation.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

If it were me I think I'd hold off on the LS swap as well. GG Kansas is only a few months away ,if you're still planning on taking the 64' I'd avoid any potentially time consuming distractions, such an LS swap and just stay focused on the 64'.


As N2TRUX said if you have a spare BBC in the garage ,just swap the motor in a weekend and be done. If you go that route let me know I might be able to help you out.;)

Re: Project: Recycle
 

I don't plan to swap the 6.0 @ this point in time. There's too much stuff involved for the swap to not consider it a 'project' (unless you've done several, know exact details, have everything needed on hand, & the shop to do it in).

I re-routed the coolant line & by-passed the TB unit. I also changed the oil & filter. No oil pressure @ idle (that the gauge would read) but 25psi or so @ 40mph. My plan was to take it for a short drive to my work & change the oil again. I never made it to work.....

We're not doing just a head gasket apparently.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Great progress on Recycle. Sorry about your issues with the dually. If Ken is right and you have a spare BBC in the garage, that sounds like the quickest solution at this time so that you have transportation. I'd come help if I was closer. Sounds as thou you have a good support group close by at least here on the world wide web.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

whell there WAS water in the oil and that doesnt lube verry whell , my first thought is that it didnt like running on mayonase and ate the bearings
couldve been a cracked head too
with some luck the cam is still usuable use big amounds of molicote and make sure you keep the lifters on the right lobe and use a new cam run in procedure (rev it) to make sure the lifters will spin .
it might work it might not its a 50 50 change it eats a lobe in the process but if it isnt you got a cheap working engine again

Re: Project: Recycle
 

You've been off this week.......let's see the progress pictures! :lol:

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Here's my progress. That thermometer is hanging under the hood of the dually....

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Might as well lower it while you've got it apart! :lol:

Re: Project: Recycle
 

And swap in a notched x-member ;) . I hope to drop the 454 off tomorrow am. They're going to rebuild mine & tweak a few things per my "while we have it apart" standards (they didn't have any complete 4-bolt main 454's ready).

No generic cam. No more bottom basement compression. Should have a little more pep to its step.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

oh YA ...just do it

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Man, I'm good for about 1.5hrs & then I have to come in for a cool-down. It's still showing 100° on my work area thermo.

Sucky part of all this was I was supposed to be working on the duallys suspension & the 64's exhaust. The drivetrain swap in the heat has whooped me.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

i know how you feel i been at a big carshow in an arizona parkinglot and i couldnt last 1 hour before going intoo the airconned mac donalds
hotter than usual out here in the netherlands is 23 degrees celcius

Re: Project: Recycle
 

You need one of these buddy.


http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/produ...p1550752dt.jpg

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Who is building the 454?

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Scotti

Sounds like the dually got jealous. Also with motor and trans out looks like the perfect time for a DROPMEMBER!

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Blaines is going to rebuild the number matching motor w/my tweaks (bump in compression & better cam timing). Not too crazy, but better than the 'generic' rebuild w/wheezy <8.0:1 compression & less than optimum valve lift.

No 'Dropmember' on this one. I am contemplating swapping the notched x-member I did a while back for my 68 since it's actually a 73-89 x-member.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

What specific tweaks are you getting done on the 454?


Any chance you're upgrading to a hydraulic roller cam instead of going back with a flat tappet?

Re: Project: Recycle
 

No hyd roller. I wanted to & did check into a 'retro-fit' kit. Unfortunately, a kit was almost as much as the motor itself (cam, roller lifters, springs, & related hardware). I just couldn't justify almost doubling the cost of the motor w/o more return.

I opted for an RV/towing cam vs. a stock replacement ($100 extra) & went w/flat-top pistons vs. dished (same cost as the dished pistons). Not much difference but should still help.

I also ordered an Edel TBI intake; I'm putting on some 3/4 length, 1.75" primaries headers & a 3" to 2.5" exhaust.

Re: Project: Recycle
 

I still managed to get a little bit done despite my dead dually....

I got the driver side exhaust pipe all welded up vs. just being tacked together. From the manifold collector flange to the T/A x-member is done & it looks sweet! The pass side was also done but there were some issues.

When I went to bolt the pass side pipe to the manifold flange, there was a big gap @ the flange from side to side. I pulled it back apart & noticed the flange on the exhaust pipe side had indeed warped a little. That combined w/the tacked pipe pieces now all welded solid caused the pipe to be 'off' slightly. I wound up having to cut the pipe back apart after the primary discharge bends just after the collector (I basically had to cut the long straight section of the pipe from the section that drops from the manifold). I was then able to get the flange into the press & straighten it out. After the press & a quick few passes on the benchtop sanding wheel, it's nice & flat. I got it bolted in & had to make a minor adjustment to the rest of the pipe that was cut off. It's now ready to be welded back up again.

After doing that, I was able to get my dimensions & get the cross-over pipe fabbed up & ready to go into place. I'll have to wait for the pass side to be final welded to ensure the dimensions are 100% good to go & then I can cut the cross-over into place. Here's a couple of shots of the prepped cross-over ready to go....

Re: Project: Recycle
 

hmmm oh whell , in the netherlands it would be a good place to replace the middlepipe with electric cutouts to make the truck bark a bit harder in the tunnels ( and make the smaller car-drivers shiver behind the wheel when you come roaring past)

Re: Project: Recycle
 

Did you glue that cross over pipe together or what man it looks beautiful... How the hell did you get it so seamless???????????

Re: Project: Recycle
 

They are pre-fabbed, seamless, food grade, stainless 'T' sections of pipe. I just dig through demo'd pipe from our facility, cut off the stuff I can use, trim it & clean it up for re-use in a 'slightly different' manner ;) . I'm using stainless v-band clamps to connect the 'T' unions to the cross-over pipe.

You can see a couple of them in this pic of some of the material I've scavenged....

Re: Project: Recycle
 

lol! thats cool..i wish i worked at a place that could benefit my truck!

looks like its coming together nice!

Re: Project: Recycle
 

It's been a few weeks , any new updates?

Re: Project: Recycle
 

No updates. I haven't even been in the same building as the chassis since those last pics.

I've been working a bunch of messed up hours the last couple of weeks. Add in the family stuff (birthdays), college orientation for the young-gun, the dually 'project' & the extreme heat of mid-day & progress is slow.

I've been trying to get the dually back together. The front suspension rebuild is about done. I still need to get the brakes swapped, get the sway bar reconnected (waiting on poly bushings) & install the shocks (waiting on shocks). The plan was to swap in an OD upon reinstalling the drivetrain but the trans guys jammed me up by selling the last TCU they ordered in (they told me there would be 1 extra). I called Thursday am hoping all the swap parts would be there only to learn I had to wait another week. I'm @ the point of sticking the th400 back in & doing the 4l80e @ another time. I had already initiated the front end rebuild so I hustled to get that done by today (except for parts on order).

Re: Project: Recycle
 

It's been 23 days since your last post ,what's the status on all of your projects?;)