Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Thanks Brad, my engineer buddy is pretty precise and thorough....and it is a theory. Probably accurate though not 100% positive. A local guy with a driveshaft business made it and my car owning friend probably won't press him on it. He was dreaming of doing this build 5 years ago and being so close with the setback is a little disheartening for him.

Thanks Kees, we ended up with many nice wedding pics.
Yeah, the car seemed angry with the road for sure. Hope you finished the install on your transmission ok!

Lowers, the floor pan on the car near the trans was pretty beat up. Other than that, and broken replaceable parts, the car was ok. You are so right on them getting pulled over and stopped safely. If the left axle wasn't held in place by the rear cover, the car could have rolled.

Mike, the original driveshaft was a little longer than this one. My service engineer background friend advised the 3" shaft diameter was too small for the 55 inch length. Factory was 3 1/4". And heavy wall tubing contributed to the issue as well.

Here the rear cover is holding the axle tube in.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Note the negative camber on left rear wheel.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Hey, congrats on picking up some shop help, aka a son in law!

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Thanks Zoomin! Good part is he is a certified aircraft mechanic and inspector. Really good with his hands. Bad news is he lives 12 hours away!

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Back when I was about 13 (a long time ago indeed) I was riding home with my brother one night in his 68 Camaro that he had "built". I love all of my brothers but like all human beings they each have their quirks. This particular brother always had a few "spare" nuts and bolts left over anytime he worked on his car. So anyway, there we are on a two lane blacktop in the middle of the night when suddenly the car starts shaking really bad. Not knowing what it is he gives it some gas and then backs off and suddenly there is the loudest bang I've ever heard in a car that wasn't just hit by another car, followed by a terrible thrashing and banging. We get the car over to the side of the road only to find that the driveshaft had come loose at the differential where he had forgotten to tighten the clamps. This was back in the mid 70's long before cell phones and we were miles and miles from the nearest pay phone or even a house for that matter. Anyway, in the end the car had a huge dent in the floor and we had a very late night. Back in those days a replacing drive shaft for a 68 Camaro was just a quick trip to the wrecking yard.

I think experiences like that are why I have over think and overdo everything now.

From the looks of the picture his wagon survived pretty well, I'm glad your friend is ok and the car is fixable.

-Richard

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Richard, the driveshaft incident in your brothers car was sure one to remember.

So I've left this fuel tank and filler pipe sitting right here for a couple weeks ....no minions have showed up to do the install.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

And this week we've set up for and started Metal Meet 2016.

Peter's English wheel is like the Rolex of wheels....very nice.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

TIG welding seminar taking place here. Great learning opportunity. Oh, and BlueJeep from Des Moines, IA. is attending too.

We started today and the event will run through Saturday.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Are the seminars at your place Doug?
Do you organize these?

I never worked with an English wheel, looks like great fun to make things on that!
Tig welds very nice, I have a small tig machine, I love it!

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Tough to see that kind of damage to the rearend on the wagon but glad it's fixable. Can't wait to see more progress on the burb.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Hi Kees, the event is held at the fairgrounds in Oblong and I am one of the organizers. We have folks from around the US and one Australian attending with a focus on metal shaping.

Hey Robbie, appreciate you checking in. Yard work is slowing down so shop time and Burb progress should increase soon. At least I hope so....

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

How often are the Metal Meets? That would make for a great weekend trip.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Hey Lower, this one takes place once annually in October. Really great people and lots of learning...

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Here is the panel that was being made in the pic above....

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Thanks Doug I'll put it on my list for next year.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

look like fun times, I remember seeing a metalshapers meetup years ago where they all brought their english wheels and shot bags and built a 33 willys coupe. from scratch. in aluminum. I realized that the sparky life was for me.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Looks like a fun get together. Don't feel bad about your lack of Suburban time, I have not touched mine in months...

Marc

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Wow, what a great learning opportunity!

-Richard

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Ok, in between working on the Gator, the Grasshopper, and doing the final yard work of the season I was able to get in a little shop time. Emphasis on little....

Wife arranged a very comfortable shop seating area for the winter, complete with salted peanuts in the shell and cold beverages....nice though it doesn't contribute to getting up and getting to work.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

In earlier posts I mentioned the new floor was media blasted and coated with Lizard Skin. It looks pretty good from the bottom.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

More floor and I did gusset under the engine mount for additional strength. The crossmember notch weld is still on the to do list.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Strapped the fuel tank in to begin running the fuel fill. The 90 degree elbow was just too tall even cutting it down as far as possible. I didn't want to trim any additional as there would be little for the hose clamp to clamp too.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Floor looks good Doug...I like the peanut gallery in your shop...nothing like spectators...

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

I asked dwcsr...Dave Hollister Road Company...if a rubber 90 degree would work here. Yes was his quick email response...thanks Dave...and my local NAPA could have it next day.

Here you can see how much I trimmed the steel 90 down. I didn't start trimming on the hose yet....hopefully it will work out.

If not, I am thinking I will fab a 90 degree in the size needed to fit.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

So I put that fuel fill on pause a bit as I wanted to install the Camaro pan on the engine, then get the powertrain installed in frame again for figuring out the steering.

Yeah, I forgot the Camaro pan was used and I hadn't cleaned it up yet.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Is that a fuel grade rubber 90?

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

A few hours in the parts washer cleaned it up pretty well.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

For the first time I dropped the truck pan to see what it looked like inside.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Found a little surface rust in one of the cylinders. It should clean up pretty easy and hopefully I can get back on it Sunday afternoon.

Hey Mongo, yes that is fuel fill hose and was a bit spendy. A good peanut gallery is always fun...though we don't get many visitors out here.

Hope to pick my progress up a bunch this winter! Marc is going to pull way ahead of me in our Burb building competition and I need to get back in the swing of things...

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Yeah I had to buy some of that fuel filler hose for my ls swap..talk about sticker shock...

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Doug

The floors look good. I got back out myself and worked on welding in some floor structure myself.. I having the welder is great. I should have bought one years ago...

Marc

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Ooops...

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Thanks Marc, doing the fab work in these builds sure does make having a welder handy. Glad you have one now. Looking forward to see what you do for your floor.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

When you do some things all at the same time, you need a space to rest and just look at what you have made ;)
But I see the chairs are empty, that means you were working on cars? :lol:

Just joking ;)
Floors look good!!
I'm sure you'll get the fuelfiller just the way you want it!!

Is that motor a 350 sbc or a LS?
Missed that I think....

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Thanks Kees, that is a 5.3 LS from a 2004 Chevy truck. The truck oil pan hangs below the front crossmember and the Camaro pan isn't as deep, staying about even with the crossmember.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

It did Mark. A friend bought the Camaro to swap the powertrain into his wagon and used the Holley pan for fitment. I ended up with the pan, dip stick, pick up tube and splash shield.

Oh yeah, that wagon has a new 9" rear from Quick Performance in Ames IA. Really nice set up. Here it is down at my buddy Luke's shop for some metal work around the rear side windows and lower quarters behind tires.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

A few more updates like this and you will pull into the lead.

Re: 48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait
 

looks cozy in there. making me second guess jumping back into my cold dungeon this year!!!