Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Moving on is moving up....funny that dam 10mm wrench!

I worked for a timber farmer years ago and whenever things needed fixing it was always that 10mm had found its was under a bush or leaf.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

The 10 and 13mm are the sneakiest.....lol

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

I'm in..........nice build Curt.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

OK guys, finally found my 10mm and can get back to work:lol: Had a tune/dyno scheduled last week but had to cancel due to snowy weather. So dad and I took a day (the whole day:waah:) to put in the grill. I bought a steel chrome grill instead of the aluminum oe style and used stainless carriage screws instead of rivets. Really glad we used the carriage screws because there was a lot of adjustments to be made through the process. I can say it was a fight with the aftermarket grill but with a little patience we won in the 10th round:metal: We gotz grillz yo:bling2:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

If I wasn't on the other side of the mountain, I would love to come see it. I also have a 6.0 and am slowly gathering LS swap parts. Do you mind sharing how you did your hydroboost setup?

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Anytime you're on the side that flows to the Mississippi feel free to give me a shout. As far as the hydroboost set up, it is out of a early 2000's astro van that was disc up front/drum rear. I ended up getting a new astro van master cylinder but used the proportioning valve out of the junkyard set up. I bought the mounting bracket to the firewall off captianfab here on the board but with that style bracket I needed to enlarge the hole on the firewall. Also I had to modify the rod from the pedal to the hydroboost by cutting then running a die to put on a all thread couple.with stop nuts on each side. I did that for a little adjustment if needed and a mechanical connection.
The astro van prop. valve uses the same style brake warning light as the truck did so a simple wire connection was all that was needed. For the pressure hoses off the pump and hb to power steering gear I think I used 09 2500 hoses. I needed to make a tube line with the 45 degree inverted flare to adapt to the late model hoses so took the two piece to a hydrologic line shop and they hooked me up with a weld a crimp. Kind of wished I ran a small power steering cooler in series with the return line back to the pump but I don't think I'll have overheating issues with the pump, only time will tell. Lots of work in the hydroboost set up but boy does it lock em up:metal:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

would like to see this as well. will be doing mine shortly

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Thanks for the info Curt! It'll be awhile before I get to the hydroboost, but I'm doing a lot of research up front.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Well, I'm doubling down at the shop for a little while. A new recruit arrived yesterday. Here is a sneak peak a my dads 68 we're building. Eventually l will do a build thread on this truck as he is a hell of a bodyman and did some way cool stuff that needs shared here. I'm enjoying these days that I get to spend tinkering on trucks with him. Going to have a glass guy pull the windshield from my truck and install in his because looking through the top tint strip isn't the best for visibility and install one with no tint strip on mine. I need to get the vintage air setup finished by making an adapter for the lines to the LS compressor. I have a new saden compressor with relocation brackets but heard they can cause vibration and I would have to start over on the upper radiator hose.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Got some time yesterday and installed the front and rear bumpers. Had to install the front fender cup trim before we could put on the front bumper. I ended up restoring the oe bumper bolts and polishing them up. Earlier last week we had showtime glass swap the shaded windshield out of my truck and into my dads. With the new buckets and being tall I was looking right out of the shaded part. Also changed the door rubbers from Precision to Steele rubbers. (In pic Steele rubber on the left Precision on the right) WHAT A DIFFERENCE!:metal: Had to slam them both before and now they shut easy breezy. Pictures or it didn't happen:lol:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Over the last few months I installed most of the interior and have been buttoning up the vintage air. Also a few various things.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Just because everyone likes pictures

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Looking good!

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Truck looks great! I see this and it motivates me to keep going. Thank you Thank you.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Bit the bullet and I'm trying to button up the air conditioning. Had to use the kwik mount for the sanden compressor because I would have had to hack way too much of the frame out to make the stock ls comp work. Also I had to make a upper radiator hose out of a couple different hoses to clear the new brackets. Its a battle but hey my truck has inner fenders again:metal: Hopefully can button it up in some spare time this week.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Very nice work! Like what you’re doing

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Well darn, I'm back to making the stock ls compressor work down low. The upper radiator hose had an up then down to clear the brackets and compressor. That was giving me fits trying to fill/burp the system by trapping air. I could have added a filler cap splice in the hose but just wanting it to look clean. The kwik brackets work but I needed to shim the idler pulley out and grind down the back side of the tensioner. I didn't like the idea of one long ass serpentine belt running all the accessories. Sooo.... demo out the kwik system, put the stock compressor back and ordered some more ac fittings. Round two...fight...

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

I have noticed some of the newer cars with electric power steering, all under the dash power steering units.

It would be really cool to have a electric motor controlled ac compressor, no belt, you could mount anywhere and still have ac

Who knows, they will come out with one soon.

Otherwise, I am sure you will figure it out to be functional and clean looking.

Nice work Curt,

T

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Hack, whack and don't look back. I finally got most of the parts in and used a variety of stuff to make the vintage air and denso 10S20F mesh together. Waiting on one more fitting and I'll get the suction hose made. Hopefully I'll have some air conditioning just in time for old man winter.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

It’s looking great Curt!
Nice job on the compressor. I’ll be doing the same low factory mount. I’m collecting wrecked car hose ends so maybe I’ll end up with something I can use.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

You guys! AC hose installation can be checked off the list. Fingers crossed that when we put a vacuum to it I won't have any leaks. I'm waiting on a trinary switch from vintage air for the electric fans to come on with pressure. I was hoping to send a signal to the ecm to let it know the a.c. was on but the gen4 ls's run the a.c. off a different module. Also modified a sbc spark plug wire stand to use the ls heater hose retainer. I need to hit the junkyard for the "missing" heater hose retainer on my daily now:lol:

Funny you said that Clay. I did scrounge the junkyards and found a couple fittings that almost worked for the low mount off some gen3 suburbans. If i had easy access to a tig or the knowledge to even use one I could have made them work. After all the time I had messing with those I could have walked the coldhose.com and back:mm: You are welcome to all the left over LS a.c. parts I have:metal:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

I just now got back to your thread. Oops.
I may take you up on your offer with those fittings. We have a nice TIG at work that I could play around with. I need the practice.
The truck is looking great. Maybe all this snow will clear out so you can get some driving in.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Got some time to rebuild the rear differential week with my friend that specializes in 4x4 axles and parts. New carrier, 3:73 ring & pinion, master bearing kit and crush sleeve eliminator. I learned a whole bunch on the process and boy was it nice to work standing up instead of off my back. l thought I had 373's before but it was a 308:lol: Parts of a broke clutch pack was washed up in between the pinion bearings. That would explain the weird feeling the truck had before. Just have to wait for sunnier weather to go do the proper break in runs:metal

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Some more lift pics

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

I see lots of rear tire purchases in your future!!

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Very nice :metal:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Turn em and burn em:lol:

Thanks Tom

Played hookie yesterday... Installed the lower moldings then mocked up the uppers and capped off the day with a cruise in the 67:metal:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

That 67 is such a cool truck.
Its a great time for some old iron driving. The gas is cheap and the weather is going to be great all next week. I'll be putting some miles on the Caddy for sure.

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

My dad escaped quantine and made it up the the shop over the weekend. We had a blast working on his and my truck. Upper and lower trim is hanging. Then we de-chromed his engine with some genuine gm goodies. :bling2:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Thanks Clay, if you make it up north in the caddy or what ever you might be driving hit me up. This week may be a good one to do the rear end break in :metal:

Re: Bonnie 1971 SWB LSX
 

Figured it's time for an update on this old girl. Been building another truck and neglecting her so the transmission started acting up. Pulled it to get rebuild. A buddy in another shop close to mine went through it with some fancy parts and I ordered a new torque converter from circle d. It had some messed up clutches, sheared teeth and turns out a spring in the tcc valve was crushed and no longer springy. We did a tcc valve update and had to hone out the bore in the valve body. Putting it back in soon then test and tune:metal: